EAST COAST PALATE

So I picked up this bottle at a county (Montgomery) run liquor store for under $9.  As a linguist and a fan of Côtes du Rhone wine I appreciated the pun and bought the wine.  Later, with my aunt dishing up some of her arugula, orange, onion, and walnut salad, and myself ladeling out pumpkin and mango soup, I unscrewed the cap and poured out some of my new favorite wine from South Africa.
The nose carries some barnyard-earthy stink, which integrates nicely with some dark fruit and spice aromas.  The wine is medium bodied, spicy, and has a pomegranate-like tart finish.  Any fan of Rhone reds needs to try this wine.  I'll rate it a solid B with 87 points.
And for the Rhone fans: What are your favorite wines from the Rhone valley?

So tonight I went down to the YES Organic Market in NW Washington, D.C. to pour a pair of wines from Australia's Barossa Valley:  The Black Swan Pinot Grigio and the Black Swan Shiraz.  I had a great time hearing the shoppers' reactions to the two wines, and I was able to chat with some really interesting people.  This connection, for me, was the most important part of my evening.  The chance to sample two wines priced at only $8, and get feedback about the two products, is what I really valued most.  That is the essence of this blog: share wine opinions, try a few beers, talk about some restaurants that impress me, but mainly find wines that are worth their cost.
The 2009 Pinot Grigio is a refreshing, zesty white wine, perfect for summer or pairing with cheese or seafood.  It has a lemon-Granny Smith tartness that gives it a great finish.  It reminds me sort of the sensation of eating Sour Skittles or Sweet-Tarts.  It is a solid B wine (86) and definely worth its price.
The '08 Shiraz has a jammy, raisiny aroma, and once it's in your mouth it is a mix of toasty prune flavors with a bit of peppery spice to fill it out.  It didn't have much of a finish, but I still give it a low B rating (83-84).
Two decent wines that were well priced, and an evening of meeting the people I'm trying to reach with my opinions and recommendations... I enjoyed every second and every sip I shared with you all.  Cheers to all who came by to try the Black Swan wines.  Let me know how you liked them, and feel free to share some suggestions with me...I'm always open to try something new.
Thanks also to YES Organic Market.  The store is amazing... we need this in MD.  Visit their site at www.yesorganicmarket.com