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![Oktoberfest](oktoberfest.jpg) |
$10.90
750 ml
2004 vintage
% alc
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Northern Vineyards Oktoberfest
For our anniversary in April, I surprised Joy by taking her to Stillwater MN where we spent the day sightseeing and looking at antique stores while dreaming of our new home together. While there, I purchased three bottles of wine from a local winery cooperative. This was the first. We both enjoyed it. Our first wine to start our second year together. |
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![Main Street Red](mainstreetred.jpg) |
$10.90
750 ml
2003 vintage
% alc
| ![Swirling Glass](glas.gif) |
Northern Vineyards Main Street Red
This wine, the second from our trio, was quite delicious with a light delicate taste. Very good. |
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![Rivertown Red](rivertownred.jpg) |
$10.90
750 ml
2003 vintage
% alc
| ![Swirling Glass](glas.gif) |
Northern Vineyards Rivertown Red
This wine, the last of the trio, was, ironically, our least favourite. I thought it tasted rather "alcoholy". Joy liked it a bit more than me and described it as having a bit of a buttery taste. |
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![Fish Eye Merlot](FishEyeMerlot.jpg) |
$5.58
750 ml
2003 vintage
13.5% alc
| ![Swirling Glass](glas.gif) |
Fish Eye Winery Merlot
These next two were on sale and caught our eyes. We ended up not really being very excited by them although Joy liked them better than I did.
Given the price, it wasn't really a bad Merlot although we probably won't buy it again. I liked it just enough to want to try the other wines in the Fish Eye line but not so much that I was actually impressed... |
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![Fish Eye Pinot Grigio](FishEyePinotGrigio.jpg) |
$--.--
750 ml
2004 vintage
12% alc
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Fish Eye Winery Pinot Grigio
This was a pretty good cheap white wine which I liked more than the Fish Eye Merlot. After opening, however, it didn't age well. Two days after our first glasses, we brought it on a drive to go kite flying (our first time together!) and finished the bottle at a picnic table. It had acquired a rather bitter taste and was disappointing. |
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![Gruet Demi-Sec](gruetdemi-sec.jpg) |
$16.87
750 ml
12% alc
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Gruet Winery Demi-Sec Sparkling Wine
Although claiming to be a demi-sec, this seemed very dry to us. |
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![Greg Norman Pinot Chardonnay](gnorman.jpg) |
$12.65
750 ml
11.5% alc
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Greg Norman Estates Australian Sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir
This sparkling wine caught our eye as it combined 57% Chardonnay with 43% Pinot Noir which was a combination that intrigued us. |
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$5.54
750 ml
2003 vintage
12.5% alc
| ![Swirling Glass](glas.gif) |
Bouchard Aine & Fils Beaujolais Nouveau
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![Three Thieves Tempranillo](thievestemp.jpg) |
$12.65
1000 ml
2003 vintage
13% alc
| ![Swirling Glass](glas.gif) |
Three Thieves Tempranillo Spanish Red Wine
A unique concept, I liked this wine very much. It seemed very subtle to me. |
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![J Roget Spumante](jroget_spumante.gif) |
$2.94
750 ml
9.5% alc
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J Roget Spumante
One Sunday in May, Joy and I went to the Ramada Inn Sunday Champagne Brunch to eat after church services. They served a very tasty complimentary sparkling wine which we learned was J Roget. So the next time we wanted a champagne, we got a couple of bottles. A very nice light-bodied cheap sparkling wine. |
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![](.jpg) |
$14.56
750 ml
11% alc
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Prairie Berry Razzy Apple
In May, we went to Rapid City SD to attend Joy's sister's graduation. I found a pamphlet for the Prairie Berry Winery at a rest stop and made a point of going there while we were in the area - especially since Joy had never gone before.
With 95% apple and 5% raspberry, we thought this to be a super sweet wine.
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![](.jpg) |
$23.40
750 ml
2001 vintage
13% alc
| ![Swirling Glass](glas.gif) |
Prairie Berry Wild Grape
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$13.52
750 ml
11% alc
| ![Swirling Glass](glas.gif) |
Prairie Berry Calamity Jane
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$15.81
750 ml
15.5% alc
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Lustau Solera Reserva Light Manzanilla Sherry "Papirusa"
Recently I had been reading about sherry in a comparison with port and champagne as the zenith of fine wines so when we found a store that carried good sherry, we got some. This was our first bottle simply because it was the least expensive. It was very complex tasting with definite overtones of seafood.
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![Rosemount Estate Cabernet Merlot](rosemount.jpg) |
$11.59
1500 ml
2003 vintage
13.5% alc
| ![Swirling Glass](glas.gif) |
Rosemount Estate Cabernet Merlot
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![Montsarra Cava Brut](Montsarra.jpg) |
$
750 ml
11.5% alc
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Montsarra Cava Brut
In June, Joy and I went to a downtown restaurant for some wine and bread. Coincidentally, they were hosting a winetasting. We decided to try a Cava since we were such fans of Champagne and wanted to experiment with other fine sparkling wines. We loved the Cava but were unable to find it locally for sale. This Montsarra Cava was what we settled upon as an alternative.
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![Lustau Cream Sherry](capataz_andres.jpg) |
$16.87
750 ml
20% alc
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Lustau Solera Reserva DeLuxe Cream "Capataz Andres"
This was our second sherry which we got after returning from Cornerstone Festival. It probably had the most overtly complex taste of any wine I have had.
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![Freixenet Spumante](freixenet_spumante.jpg) |
$10.54
750 ml
11.5% alc
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Freixenet Spumante
Another Spanish sparkling wine which I found to be one of my favourites in this price range.
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![Gabbiano Chianti](chianti.jpg) |
$8.43
750 ml
2003 vintage
12.5% alc
| ![Swirling Glass](glas.gif) |
Gabbiano Chianti
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![Redwood Creek Syrah](RedwoodCreekSyrah.jpg) |
$14.23
1500 ml
2002 vintage
13.5% alc
| ![Swirling Glass](glas.gif) |
Frei Bros Redwood Creek Syrah
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![Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais](.jpg) |
$
750 ml
2002 vintage
12% alc
| ![Swirling Glass](glas.gif) |
Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Reserve
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![Alice White Lexia](lexia_lg.jpg) |
$4.74
750 ml
2004 vintage
10% alc
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Alice White Lexia
Made from the Muscat grape, this wine has a very delicate peachy flavour and is one of Joy's all time favourites. I bought it on sale while she was in WY to sing in a friend's wedding. I got two bottles and saved one for her.
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![Blue Moon Chardonnay](BridgeviewBlueMoonChard.jpg) |
$8.43
750 ml
2002 vintage
13% alc
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Bridgeview Blue Moon Chardonnay
Joy recommended this based on past experience.
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