Skyleaf, Riesling, 2009

White or Red: White

Grape(s): Riesling

Origin: New Zealand

Vintage: 2009

Price: $10.00 unless you shop on Broadway

Overall:
I know, we need more whites.  Well, a trusted source got in my ear about just that.  So I challenged her to tell me what she was sipping as of late and a text later I got Skyleaf.

It's simple, cheap and tasty.  

First, you need to know riesling can produce a wide variety of attributes - one could be very dry and another could be sweet and there's a lot of in between.  So if you've been anti you're likely missing out. Second, there's the country stigma- all great riesling comes from Germany.  Not true, if you ask those from down under. 

Skyleaf is absolutely on the sweeter side of the spectrum.  However, it is light enough that you can drink a few glasses and not feel overwhelmed like a dessert wine.  I get ripe peach, pear, green apple and melon from the first sip- but not from "concentrate" if you know what I mean.  When you swallow you get this sense it has some gerth to it- not like pinot grigio which is on the lighter/dryer side and sorta slides by.  This has a footprint.

With the holiday around the bend, Skyleaf is a "sit on the deck and reflect if that guy from Oakland is crazy or really knows something we don't" wine.  Would go well with a variety of foods or in warmer weather.  Nice for a party or the active ingredient in a sangria since the price is right.  Serve this guy really cold.

Evodia, Grenache, 2009

White or Red: Red

Grape(s): Grenache

Origin: Spain

Vintage: 2009

Price: $11.50

Overall:

Moss brought over this bottle for our Seis de Mayo party last week.  The idea was to give those non-tequila drinkers a way out.  But once the Mariachi band rolled through wine was not on anyone's mind.  While cleaning up after the party I found this guy- Evodia.

The facts...

1.  Alcohol is 15%.  Depending on your goals for the night this can be good and bad- regardless that's high for a quality wine.  Don't be alarmed, there is no "heat" when drinking this wine.

2.  It smells like fresh-pressed Concord grape juice, infused with fresh blueberries, a hint of licorice and spice.

3.  The taste starts with big juicy ripe fruits including strawberry, raspberry and vanilla.  The middle of the palate transfers those flavors into a gentle spice.  The sip finishes with a sort of mineral quality; it lets you know that the wine has been grown in a place near Mr. Miyagi's Bonsai Tree (high altitude).

For some reason this wine feels/tastes/presents really chic, silky- like it should cost a lot or a dweeb like me shouldn't know about it.  I don't know, maybe because its from Spain and I think Europeans pay more attention to detail... Maybe because the middle to end of every sip teases you to reload... Maybe just because it's a great wine at economical price (most likely). 

I can tell you it's not because of the label- that part of the wine sucks.  Totally uninspiring, lame and not at all representative to what's in the bottle.  No doubt the marketers blew it but the winemaker got it right.