Palazzo Vecchio- Chianti- 2010

This medium-bodied and well-balanced Chianti is excellent for warm weather, preferably outside with a fresh dish. It's pleasant, flavorful and punchy without being obtrusive on the palate. We had it with a veggie-ladden pizza and it was just lovely!  Smooth, simple and good for everyday- not as heavy as most Chiantis- a reasonably-priced and fun addition to any meal.

Cotes de Bourg- Chateau de Blissa- 1998

This wine was sent to us by our wine club and honestly we were both expecting more.  The acidity is quite high and on its own, this wine left no lasting impression. The situation changed a bit when we added some food to the equation. It is meant to be a rather fruit-forward wine and this only came out when paired with a strong cheese or tapenade. A drinkable wine with food, but for the price you could do a lot better.

Indian wine - I don't hate it

Recently, my husband went on a business trip to India and returned with this Sula vineyards Chenin Blanc 2011. After being initially shocked to discover that there is indeed wine produced in India, I put my assumptions aside and gave it a go.



Although I've never been to India, the smell is exactly what I would expect: lively and fruity. However, there was no hint of cow. That's a good thing. It's sweet but not overwhelming, with nice acidity. Excellent with a boil-in-bag panak paneer!

This experience makes me wonder how Indian reds are. J and I are much more particular about reds!

Colonia Las Liebres Bonarda 2009

We were really excited to open this wine. Who doesn't love a wine with a rabbit on the label? And it's Argentinian...a country with a lot of spice.



Our first impression was good: upon opening and revealing the wine, it was a rich ruby color. It looked so thick! Now, this is a wine I can sink my teeth into, I thought. Neither of us could detect a distinct smell except for fruit. We got cherries and berries...a summer picnic!

We cleansed our palates for the first sip - it's not a wine you wanna drink without food. There was a short burst of berries, and then...nothing. It didn't leave a big impression! Fruity, but dry.

We decided to have it with lasagna. With the lasagna, the impression lasted a bit longer. But still, it felt one-dimensional: like a Chianti without the pizazz.

This is the story of...

two unpretentious wine lovers who decided to join a wine club. We are two 30something Americans living in Tokyo, which isn't exactly a wine paradise, but after discovering some options for discovering new wine, we finally settled on this site from which to source some new wine discoveries.