But first, just gotta throw in a plug for a very very special wine store that I love and always recommend- Vintage Wine and Spirits at Jordan Creek.
Curt is the owner and a nicer guy you will never meet. He knows everything about the wines in his store. He always has several bottles open for tasting. Today he had a group of impressive reds- cabernets, blends- dry wines which I love and the Chef loves and we had stopped in there because Curt was kind enough to order me 3 bottles of Gaga, and they arrived yesterday. Not many stores offer that kind of service. If you're in the Des Moines area, stop in and see them. You can also buy a bottle to enjoy on the patio or one of the high top tables by the floor to ceiling windows. He often hosts tastings with big name wineries, hosts events on the patio, and does the occasional beer tasting as well. Something for everyone and in all price ranges in this store.
Ok....... on to Gaga. Gaga Blanc 2009 to be exact.
When I try a new wine I often will buy three bottles, one to drink at the correct by-the-book wine temperature, one to try with a meal and one to try with a dessert. Well....... I never got to Bottle #2 because I enjoyed this one so much. The label says "Blanc" so I am lead to believe it's at least a blend of sauvignon blanc and other grapes. It reminded me of a riesling and a pinot grigio too so it's likely a blend of some combo of those grapes. The label gave no clues, and neither did their website.
Tasting this wine was great- it was really bright and fruity. A little green appleish, maybe some slightly underripe pear. It was 13.5% alcohol so had a little sting to it. I started off drinking it very chilled (fridge temp) and then held the bottle out so as I continued to pour it would warm up a bit. I liked it best at cool room temp (65 degrees or so) and enjoyed most of the bottle until a nasty insect (this was Wine on the Deck Night) decides to go for a swim in my glass.
My remaining two bottles have been safely squirreled away for future enjoyment and I did save about 1/2 a cup from this bottle to use in cooking tomorrow (wait til you guys see what we're cooking up tomorrow !!) and at $13 or so a bottle, this is an amazing value for the money.
Lulu B Pinot Grigio
I swear, whoever designed this label had ME in mind when they drew Lulu- that's totally me during the City Girl years. And this is a great girlie wine too.
I'm a pinot grigio fan- I can't remember ever trying one I didn't like. And they can vary WILDLY from sweet to super tart and acidic. This was a slightly acidic pinot grigio and was far enough away from sweet for me to really enjoy it. I think this is a perfect wine for sipping, and it would pair equally well with something hot and spicy (think spicy asian foods, wasabi, sushi) or light like a salad. I think it's too tart to go with a dessert.
This wine has 12.5% alcohol, so a nice warm in the mouth. I drank it the same way as the Gaga, cold from the fridge and gradually warming to cool room temp. It was better colder, the warmer it got, the more acid bite I thought it had.
This is a cute wine for a Girl's Night and a super bargain at $6.00. If you're hosting a bridal shower or bachelorette night and the guest of honor is a wine drinker, I highly recommend this !
I also bought a Lulu B moscato but haven't tried that one yet, so I'll have to fill you in when I eventually open that one.
Oh, and one final note- for all of my friends who like sweet wines, and have had Stella Rosa (which I always recommend to wine newbies who want to take a baby step away from moscato and try a red) I saw at Vintage that they have a sparkling version of Stella Rosa now- so, next time you're celebrating, pop a cork on that baby and enjoy !! I KNOW that's going to be a winner and I don't even have to try it first !!
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