Best and Worst Wine of the Week: It is Friday!!!

I want to start off by saying I've found, er stolen, a virtual treasure trove of girls with wine pictures. I've always used the Friday Wine feature as an excuse to put pictures of hot girls on my blog. I can assume most of you men and some women appreciate it. So, because I've increased my inventory dramatically I'll be adding additional pictures weekly........so we've got that going for us.

My son came into our room early this morning not too long before it was time to get up and my wife was too tired and I was, well, too hung over to take him back to his bed so he promptly climbed between us and pissed all over me. A hung over Golden Shower! #@?!@*!

Now onto the week's best and worst wines.

The best wine of the week: I actually drank some amazing wine this week as I went to a tasting but some were just God awful expensive and I don't want JOCO SOB thinking I'm some sorta elitist or something. I'm just a working (in fuzzy slippers) stiff from SOJOCO. The best wine this week: Terraces Pinot Noir by Brancott 2007. Marlborough, New Zealand. I know everyone is Pinot crazy but I assure you I am not a johnny come lately to this party. I like the Pinot Noir for the same reason I like lots of New Zealand Pinot Noir. They aren't overly ripe yet have dense fruits they have beautiful layers of red fruits and interesting earthiness. This one dabbles a bit with brettanomyces.......but not too much......just enough to my liking. I love the zesty, bright acidity.

Where I got it: Given to me by a friend so who knows where you can buy it but I assume it is available locally.

How much: Research tells me about $30

Final Thought: Like most New Zealand Pinot Noir it comes unceremoniously in a screw top but don't let that fool you. This is serious Pinot and should be for the price. I drank this bottle last night while eating some left over Salmon that I grilled on a cedar plank. This was a match made in heaven. Cedar Plank grilling Salmon is super easy and makes you look like a culinary. rock. star. Def. give it a try sometime. Pretty idiot proof. I won't bore you with details. Read the package.

The Worst (Keith Olbermann) Wine of the week: This seemed to be the week for Pinot Noir. This week's big disappointment was: 2006 Argyle Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon. I was always a fan of this brand. Their reserve bottlings have always been really cool and this, their regular bottling, was kinda a standard back before Pinot hit the big time. They have changed. This wine is too light. The acidity too soft. The combination of those two means no finish. It just isn't interesting. In a forthcoming tsunami of uninteresting Pinot Noir this one just won't stand out anymore. They have to do better for what they charge. Money is too tight now to spend good money on this swill.

Where I drank it: At a tasting. If you don't believe my review you can buy it at many of the local wine shops......unless they tasted it too :-)

How much: Quoted at $28.

Final Thoughts: Don't be surprised is some of your old favorites aren't as good as you remember. It isn't you, it is them and it isn't just an off vintage of bad bottle. Some awesome old brands either haven't kept up, have sold out, or are playing you for a sucker as they lower quality and raise price because they know many people fall back to favorite old brands, especially in tough times. Now you know.

Cheers friends and Vaya Con Dios!!!