The Georges Dubouef Beaujolias Villages is one of my standy-by wines.  Light ruby red, with sweet berry flavours, it is a delicious wine that I love to drink in the summer and fall before I usually switch to fuller cabernets.  If you enjoy simple, fruity wines this is a reasonably priced, clean and enjoyable wine.  Although I preferred the  2011 vintage, the 2012 is almost as good.

Wine:  Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Villages
Location: Burgundy, France
Grape:  Gamay
Sugar Content: 4 g/L
Alcohol: 12.3%
Price: $13.95 at LCBO/Vintages
Vintages Number:  122077

Recommendation:  Uncork

Rating:                  9 out of 10

Borsao Tres Picos Garnacha 2012

Wine:  Borsao Tres Picos Garnacha 2012
Location:  Campo de Borja, Spain
Grape: Grenache
Sugar Content: 7 g/L
Alcohol: 14.5%
Price: $19.95 at LCBO/Vintages
Vintages Number:  273748

I was really looking forward to trying this wine. All of the reviews I had seen were good and I have a soft spot for Spanish wines.

After letting the wine breathe for 15 minutes I poured a glass and smelled what I thought was the faint smell of rubbing alcohol.  I then tried the wine and I noted a sour/bitter taste.  I googled rubbing alcohol and wine and found out that my bottle of wine may have experienced a microbial taint.  I visited the website WineFolly.com and read that certain microbes can spoil the wine.

Apparently this happens sometimes and the wine probably won't hurt you but the taste is unpleasant. Reputable wine retailers should be willing to take the bottle back as they can write it off.

As a result of this experience I am going to give Borsao the benefit of the doubt and not rate their wine. If I try it again sometime and experience the same thing then I will recommend keeping the bottle corked.

These things will sometimes happen.  For a simple explanation of problems please visit the Wine Folly website.

Recommendation:  No recommendation


Rating:                   No rating


Vintages Tasting Note
The terrific 2012 Tres Picos is one of the finest inexpensive, Grenache-based wines made in the world. This full-bodied beauty boasts a deep ruby colour as well as loads of strawberry and black cherry fruit, hints of lavender and crushed rocks, sweet tannin, and a broad, savory mouthfeel. It, too, should be consumed over the next 3-4 years. Score - 92. (Robert Parker Jr., erobertparker.com, Nov. 2013).

Tamada Mukuzani 2011 - Kakheti Georgia - Red -

Here we go...the first wine review. I could have selected an old stand-by or a vintage from a 'popular' wine country but where is the fun in that.  For my first review I thought I should select a wine I have never tired.  Not only have I never tried the wine, I have not had a wine from this country or tried a wine made from this variety of grape.  My first selection:

Wine:  Tamada Mukuzani 2011
Location:  City of Kvareli, Kakheti region. Republic of Georgia.
Grape:  Saperavi
Sugar Content: 6 g/L
Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: $13.95 at LCBO/Vintages
Vintages Number:  13979

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Knowing nothing about Georgia as a wine country, the saperavi grape or Mukuzani wines I have relied on Wikipedia to fill in the blanks and have provided links.

Mukuzani wines are dry, red Georgian wines made from saperavi grapes and aged in oak casks. Wikipedia says Mukuzani is aged a minimum of 3 years but the bottle describes a wine aged at least 12 months. I believe the bottle is an accurate description as I believe it was bottled in 2012 even though I am enjoying it in 2014. One website recommended chilling the open bottle in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before drinking (Approximately 16C). I agree with this as I think it slightly improved the flavour.

They describe their wine as being of a deep ruby with garnet tinges and a flavour of soft smokiness over velvety berry aromas. As an amateur wine drinker I don't always agree with the description on the bottle. In this case I would say the description is extremely accurate.

The only thing I would add is there seems to be an earthy, slightly chalky finish. It is not at all unpleasant, simply different than I have experienced with other wines and grape varieties. It is extremely smooth and there is no unpleasant acidity or aftertaste that I have experienced with other inexpensive wines of lower quality.

The recommendation on the bottle is to enjoy the wine with game meats, steak, veal, lamb, traditional goat cheeses and vegetable dishes.

My rule is always to drink what you like. That being said, I think the general rule of thumb is to enjoy stronger red wines with more flavourful meats and meals and lighter wines with less flavourful foods such as pasta and poultry.  I think the central idea is not to overwhelm the flavour of the food with your wine selection. This may not be completely accurate but it is my interpretation of wine pairing.

Again, my rule is always drink what you like. If you still enjoy your pasta with a full-bodied wine, then by all means, drink and enjoy. Just know that you may be going against the traditional wine gospel.

I very much enjoyed this wine. In my opinion this is a flavourful, medium to full-bodied wine with a pleasant finish. Velvety berry flavours and soft smokiness is a good description.

I would gladly drink this wine again.

Recommendation:  Uncork
Rating:                   8 out of 10

GETTING STARTED

I like wine.  It`s as simple as that.  I am a wine drinker, not a connoisseur.  I have no formal training as a wine taster.  I simply want to learn more about wine and keep a record of the wines I have tried and liked or not liked as the case may be.

Taste in wine is very personal so there may be wines I like that you won`t and vice-versa.  I would say my taste in wine is quite broad.  In the summer I tend to prefer light and medium-bodied wines that some would describe as `fruity` like Beaujolais.  In the winter I tend to drink more full-bodied wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. I also like wines under $20.  A decent wine under $10 is even better. If you want reviews of $100 bottles of wine then you need to find a different site.

My rating system will be simple. What Rotten Tomatoes is to movies, I plan on being for wine. Instead of 'fresh' or 'rotten' I will have a rating system of 'uncork' as in uncork this bottle of wine and drink it or 'cork', I wouldn't drink it again.  I will also have a 10 point rating system to more precisely rank the wine among the others I have tried.

I am also interested in hearing what you think. If you try a wine I have reviewed, please let me know if you think I'm crazy or if you have a similar opinion. If there is a wine you think I should try, please let me know.

That's all for now...lets get started.