#191 Blatina

And with this wine I finish off my treasure trove of hard to find wines that I found at a north side grocery store this spring.  This is a Blatina, another indigenous varietal from Bosnia and Herzegovinia.

This one, like its brother tasted earlier, is extraordinarily dry and with very little fruit.  It is meant to be served cold and as it warms the acidity really comes to the forefront.

Wine quest is now in the home stretch.  It has been a long journey so far.  Let the countdown begin!

#190 Isabella

Wine's #189 and #190 come from Moldavia and a winery called Dionysos Mereni.  (its a pretty cool looking place).  Both of these are dessert wines and both are non-vintage reds and both have a heavy sediment buildup in the neck.  (also... both are unopened as my trepidation is palpable)....

The description of the Isabella on wiki, lets say makes me quite uncomfortable: "The Isabella being of the genus Vitis x Labruscana imparts a "foxiness" to the wine and because of this is thought to be objectionable, therefore it is not seen as a grape capable of making fine wines."

Here we go... "Particle board" cork, blackened on the end and smelling vegetative.  Color is amber, nose is prunes and alcohol.  Taste is a woody strawberry.  Finish is a warming burn as you would expect from a 17% ABV wine.  This bottle I may not purchase again but I would love to try more wine from this winery.  Let me just check on flights....

#189 Lidia

This wine follows my opening of #190 above.  This one is a Lidia.  I find even less information about this wine than I did the Isabella.  I note that it appears often on various Moldavian wineries so I am going to have to assume it is a regional grape much like Isabella...

This bottle is in similar condition, lots of sediment in the neck.  Same cork, same blackened end but less vegetative.  Wine pours slightly more purple but really is still amber.  Nose a bit rough the vegetation comes through.  Taste is strawberries and alcohol.  This one is definitely more approachable than its sister above.  Perhaps its the 16% abv... that can make a difference.  If not for the nose I think this would be an interesting pairing with a fresh fruit desert.  I suspect I could make a very nice sauce out of this one...

#188 Mavrodaphne

An accidental opening tonight.  Originally the port like nose was a surprise.  Then the port-like taste was a further surprise.  Once I looked the bottle.... no more surprise.

This Greek red dessert wine pours an almost yellow brown.  The nose is perhaps a toasted caramel.  The taste is a sherry/madiera blend and the finish is a bracing overly sweet pucker up.

Mavrodafni (also spelled Mavrodaphne, Greek: Μαυροδάφνη, Maurodaphnē) is both a black wine grape indigenous to the Achaia region in Northern Peloponnese, Greece, and the sweet, fortified wine produced from it.

#187 Vranac

Here we have another red wine from Bosnia and Herzegovina, a Vranac from Winery Citluk.  This one comes from along the Neretva river south of Mostar.  "Vranec is considered the most important variety of grape in Montenegro and the one of the most important in the Republic of Macedonia."

There is a nice floral nose which gives way to a surprisingly dry wine.  It has a citrus-like acidity which fades slowly on the finish.  The bottle suggests pairing this with roast meats and smoked cheeses.  I suspect that would be very nice.

#186 Cayuga

I am getting this varietal in the form of a "California White Port".  Its very sweet and at 19% alcohol it tastes like sugared vodka. 

Originally developed in Geneva, New York in the late 1950's early 1960's, Cayuga White was first grown commercially in Upstate, NY in the early 1970's. An examination of the grape's heredity yields a complex ancestry; engineered to withstand the cold climates (down to -20 degrees F), yet artistically developed for its mellow, fruity taste.
The Cayuga White grape is a cross between the Seyval Grape (also known as the Seyve-Villard) and the Schuylar grape. The Schuyler grape is a cross between the Zinfandel and Ontario Grape. As we all know, the Zinfandel grape is a "popular" red wine grape from the California Region. While, the Ontario grape is a cross between the Winchell and Moore's Diamond grape.
It has been embraced by winemakers in eastern states and other frost-susceptible parts of North America. It produces quality fruit and is known for its very large, high-yielding clusters.

#185 Zilavka

Zilavka is a native grape of Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina.  This is a white wine with a sweet nose but a dry palate.  It is definitely a nice wine.

Wow these are getting short!