The Gourmez

Covington Sweet Potato Vodka Snow Hill, NC 40% ABV With a slogan like “the best yam vodka on Earth,” Covington gets out of my gate with a head start. If you are not a pun enthusiast, that may translate to a 10-second penalty. It’s made in North Carolina and thus qualifies as a local spirit [...]

Red Diamond Shiraz 2009 Washington State This Shiraz has the most interesting nose I’ve smelled in a while. It’s full of leather and juicy blackberry. The wine itself is much thinner than expected for a Shiraz, but it’s nicely matured. Blackberry swoops up then is replaced with whipped cream and spices. Pink peppercorn, a hint [...]

Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey Kentucky 45% ABV This winter wheat, small-batch whiskey is made in the same style as bourbon but the wheat is 51% of its makeup rather than corn. Its color is lovely, reminding me of opaque almond brittle, not the creamy stuff. It is significantly sweeter to smell than most bourbons. That [...]

Seigneurs de Bergerac 2010 Rouge Bergerac, France This red wine blend of French varietals has a nose full of leather and strong, jammy plum and cherry. Some vanilla rises up as well when sniffing. When sipping, it strikes me as very smooth with plenty of spice and chocolate. It comes across as Mexican in savoriness, [...]

Alexander Valley Rendition Zinfandel 2009 Sonoma Country, CA Strawberry and nectarine simmered with nutmeg are the most prominent smells from this leathery red wine. It smells sharp, full-bodied, and young.  Strawberry remains when drinking it, but the spice is more akin to allspice. It tastes a lot lighter than it smells, and eucalyptus and brown [...]

Epicurio 2008 Primitivo Di Manduria Vendemmia Apulia, Italy The nose of this wine made from a relative of the zinfandel grape is full of rich milk chocolate truffle with a hint of raspberry. The smell makes me rather excited to drink it, I must say, as truffles with raspberry are my favorite ratings, after all. [...]

Napa River Napa County Merlot 2008 Napa Valley, CA I can’t pick anything up from the nose of this merlot, but I’m not complaining. It’s a delicious wine. It’s thin-bodied, very smooth, and just to the right of dry. The prominent berry flavors are present in equal parts of cherry, raspberry, and strawberry like a [...]

Dearly Beloved Forever Red 2009 Mendocino County, CA No shame here—I bought this wine because of that freaking awesome label. Seriously, it has texture! And the name of the wine is in the skull’s teeth! I love it. Forever Red contains lots of tart, but luscious, berry. Think thick, juicy boysenberries. Cedar is on the [...]

Martine Galhoune Moulin 2010 Pinot Noir France Nectarine. The nose of this wine is full of nectarine. It’s thin-bodied, fun to drink, and a welcome shift from the overly dry wines I’ve had lately. I’d call this one medium dry. It has vanilla, spice, nectarine, chocolate, and cherry all balanced well together. The MGM 2010 [...]

Bogle Merlot 2009 Graton, CA   This wine strikes me as smooth right away. It’s full of bright fruit, but not tart fruit like so many bottle I drank over the past two months. The main notes are strawberry and a juicy, juicy plum with subtle spice and vanilla.   I enjoy how unobtrusive and [...]