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According to a self-proclaimed “Level 5″ I know there are 5 distinct levels of wine drinkers. He shared this information with me and my wino buddies a few years back. Read over the descriptions of each and determine what level you are.

Level 1 - White Zinfandel

This is the level that most wine drinkers start at. The White Zinfandel level is easily achieved as it seems to be the most popular wine available at restaurants and is typically very affordable (read: cheap). It is normally very sweet and unoffensive and therefore appeals to the masses. I’m ashamed to admit that I started on White Zin many years ago in a restaurant. At least the lights were dimmed!

Level 2 - Fruity Whites

The natural progression from White Zin is to the fruity whites. Again, these are obviously sweet and fruity, have lower alcohol levels and appeal to the masses. In this level you’ll find wines such as Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and the ever-popular Chardonnay. Level 2’s are easily spotted as they proudly drink Chardonnay and look down their noses at Level 1’s.

Level 3 - Fruity Reds
Once Level 2’s get tired of drinking over-oaked chardonnay they start to branch out and look for other fruity wines. This leads to Level 3 and fruity reds. This level also includes blush and rose wines. Some of the more popular fruity reds include Pinot Noir, made somewhat mainstream in the movie SIDEWAYS. Movies are typically dumbed-down and SIDEWAYS was no different in making the primary wine drinker a Level 3. They should have made him a redneck! Some lighter Zinfandels and Merlots fall into this level too. Yes, it’s true: Zinfandel is a red wine!

Level 4 - Robust Reds

These wine drinkers have progressed through the first 3 levels and proudly drink the bold, robust wines that Level 1 through 3 drinkers can’t hack. These wines typically exhibit much higher alcohol levels, tannin levels (the stuff that makes you suck your tongue against the inside of your front teeth) and often have more complex tastes. The fruitiness of the wines still exists but the sweetness is neutralized by the tannins and other flavors. Wines in this level include Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz/Syrah, Zinfandel, Carmenere, Malbec and some table wine and blends including Meritage. Some might put Merlot and earthy Pinot Noir into this category as well but not me.

Level 5 - Appreciates All

Level 5’s have achieved the top of the scale in wine drinking. They believe that all wines are good, some just better than others and can sometimes be seen drinking white wines. Of all the Level 5’s that I know, which is about 4 or 5, they still drink red wine 90% + of the time. I think they drink whites purely for show and to prove that they do appreciate all and are Level 5’s. Level 5’s also have vast knowledge of varietals world-wide and can easily talk about the different wine regions and share their experiences from previous phases of their wine drinking days such as when they were in a Spanish or Italian wine phase.

Now, I’m sure to get slammed as something less than a level 5 just for spelling this out and it is true that I’m a proud Level 4. Also, I’m just a redneck who doesn’t have that much experience in worldly wines or other levels so if you have something to correct me on, add to or you simply want slice me up with your keyboard please leave me your comments!

Popularity: 23% [?]

I love the weekends because I can and frequently do drink lots of wine with no regrets (unlike those 3 bottle events on Tuesday nights when the roosters crow too damn early the next morning). This weekend was a great one for discovering 3 new, excellent wines one of which is fantastic.

The first excellent wine came during dinner on Saturday night. We were out to eat with some friends to celebrate - kinda (more details later in post). One of my wine buddies (read: wino) ordered a bottle of Liberty School Syrah (tried to find another blog to give some link-love to for this wine and couldn’t!). We each had different dinners so there was only one thing we had in common that we all liked very much and that was the wine. I didn’t have the facilities to do an official review and I don’t like to do reviews from memory but just know that this wine will probably hit the < $11 List when I do buy and review it.

I also had a glass of Peirano Estate Lodi - The Other Red 2005. I found it very satisfying and my wino buddies were jealous that I always seem to pick the wine that they should have ordered. I’m really in to Syrah/Shiraz lately. We jokingly call it a “phase” but unlike the Merlot “phase” which I don’t think I will ever drink again, I can easily add Syrah/Shiraz to my repertoire and still drink Cabs, Zins, etc. Again, I couldn’t do an official review of this one but I hope to in the future. For now check out this review on Peirano Estate Lodi - The Other Red 2005.

Not to be outdone by Saturday night, Sunday night had the debut for me of a truly spectacular wine. I will be doing an official review on it this week but as a teaser - suffice it to say that this wine has me questioning the ratings on all my previous reviews. It too is a Shiraz and I think will be seen as a milestone in my wine education when I look back a few years from now in much the same way that the Le Volte Meritage was for me nearly 2 years ago.

Last week I told you about 4 wines I was going to review. I did review 3 of them but the 4th will go un-reviewed. Reason being that we are right in the middle of moving and all we had to drink wine out of last week were plastic cups. I’m usually not snooty and would normally get off on doing a review of a wine from a Dixie cup instead of some fancy, really expensive glass. However, in keeping to true and honest, usable reviews I couldn’t bring myself to slam the PETS Petite Syrah as a wine that tastes like the purple stuff you get at church, or grape juice with a kick or any other non-flattering correlation. I’ll try it again some other time in a real wine glass and see if it’s any different.

Anyway, to finish up the celebratory remark early on we are relocating back across the country to Colorado Springs, CO. As I said earlier all of our stuff is packed up, living in a PODS box currently being transported to our new residence there. We are currently staying with a wino buddy and she has an excellent selection of wines - one of which is the forthcoming review of the spectacular Shiraz. We’ll be hitting the road on Friday morning and I should be back up and blogging by Sunday night if not sooner. The celebration was a send off by all of our friends here in San Antonio, TX. For those that were there - Thanks for a great night!!

In the meantime keep a close eye here this week for several new reviews including the spectacular Shiraz and the first review on this blog of a Barbera.

Popularity: 11% [?]

Cork:Authentic
Name: Ravenswood Vintners Blend
Type: Zinfandel
Vintage: 2005
Region: California
Country: USA
Producer: Ravenswood
Price: 9.99
Purchased at: D & B Wine & Liquor
Date: 06/15/2007
Served With: Pepperoni Pizza
Appearance: Pours thinner than a cab, active legs, deep color
Aroma: Just uncorked can smell a bit of alcohol though it quickly fades. Nice berry aromoas
Taste: BOLD, strong, makes a statement. Could be a bit raw and overpowering.
Comments: This makes an excellent 2nd bottle of wine among friends. Why? Because it can be a bit in-your-face for a novice wine drinker and if you’re not eating anything with it - even more so. However, after the first bottle of wine your palate is a bit numb (maybe your nose is too) and this is a nice pick-me-up. I like to drink this wine with extra-sharp cheddar cheese, blue cheese and anything else that has a very distinct flavor to it.

If you look at the Ravenswood website you’ll see that their slogan is “No Wimpy Wines!”. This wine certainly is NOT wimpy!

Buy the 2004 Napa version here.

Popularity: 14% [?]

You might be a redneck if your idea of liquid refreshments at a dinner party includes White Lightning, Sour Apple, Banana Red and Peaches & Cream flavors of Mad Dog 20/20.

Ok, so I’m not a good joke writer.

The point is that even Rednecks have dinner parties and being a redneck doesn’t preclude us from serving decent wine when we have family and friends over for a cookout, BBQ or Holiday meal. (pre-clude: To make impossible, as by action taken in advance; prevent)

Thanks to domaine547.com there is no guesswork involved in choosing the quantity or quality of wine for your next get-together. Their recent posting, Dinner Party Wine: Host Edition, will help you not only pick a reasonable selection of wine but also keep you in budget.

Personally, I fall into the -“I’m nice — but I’m not that nice” budget. Not because I don’t appreciate a good bottle of wine but because most of my friends and family don’t and they’ll suck down whatever I put in front of them and tell me how great it is.

Which category do you fall into?

Popularity: 10% [?]

Cork:Authentic
Name: Peachy Canyon - Incredible Red
Type: Zinfandel
Vintage: 2005
Region: Paso Robles
Country: USA
Producer: Peachy Canyon
Price: 11.99
Purchased at: D & B Wine & Liquor
Date: 06/15/2007
Served With: Pepperoni Pizza
Appearance: A bit thin, looks of medium body, weak legs
Aroma: Black raspberries, oak
Taste: This has the distinct taste of a raspberry Jolly Rancher. Definitely medium body, ok tannins
Comments: In keeping with “all wines are good” I didn’t particularly dislike this wine…it just didn’t stand out to me. It was of pleasant taste and medium body and the ladies loved it. Even with the Jolly Rancher liking it wasn’t particularly sweet. I supposed I’m just used to Zinfandel’s being bold, rich and strong. This Incredible Red was more like a Zinfandel Lite.

You can see some reviews from the 2004 version of Peachy Canyon Zinfandel here.

Popularity: 12% [?]

Cork:Authentic
Name: J. Lohr
Type: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2005
Region: Paso Robles
Country: USA
Producer: J. Lohr Winery
Price: 9.99 (on sale)
Purchased at: D & B Wine & Liquor
Date: 06/15/2007
Served With: Pepperoni Pizza
Appearance: Deep Purple Man
Aroma: Smells high in alcohol content, oaky
Taste: Bold but smooth. Gets better after decanting. Pairs with just about anything to compliment the food.
Comments: I like this wine a lot. Its one of my favorites but is typically more than my $11 self-imposed limit for everyday wine drinking. This is one wine that I notice that benefits from decanting. I run it through a funnel with sprinkler-like opening at the bottom and let it sit in the decanter for 10-15 minutes. You can buy that funnel here but you can definitely find it much cheaper elsewhere. It virtually eliminates the alcohol smell and takes the edge off. This is a very versatile wine in that it will enhance just about any food you’re eating. It brings out the spiciness in a pepperoni pizza and is also a nice companion to chocolate after dinner.

Popularity: 11% [?]

In keeping up with other wine blogs and sites I constantly run into more traditional tasting/review styles and methods. It helps to remind me what a redneck I really am as my vocabulary for aromas, tastes and comments can stay somewhat simple. This is also partially by design in my efforts to make wine tasting, reviews and drinking less snobbish and more accessible to more people.

I came across this blog called vinography this morning and there is an impressive list of wines under $20 that includes both reds and whites. Admittedly, I’m stuck at level 4 and will still only buy Reds unless my wife makes me buy a Pinot Grigio or even the occasional bottle of champagne. (more on different wine levels here)

The other thing I found at vinography.com was a tasting/aroma card to help in describing a wine and how it smells and tastes. Of course, I found some of the words such as “kumquat zest” and “English peas” very stuffed-shirt and obviously words I would never use to describe a wine.

But then something caught my eye…”horse sweat”, “dirty sock”, “wet dog”, “soy sauce” and “Jolly Rancher”. Now I could really use these words to make a wine review stand out…spice it up a little! Not only that but I know what these things smell and taste like. I mean seriously, we all know what a wet dog or dirty sock smells like but how many of us would know kumquat zest if it were lying on a plate right in front of us?

Another interesting thing is that over the weekend I was tasting and writing several reviews with my wife and a friend and our friend asked me how I would describe the bottle of Peachy Canyon Zinfandel and I responded, “it tastes like a raspberry Jolly Rancher”. I thought I had come up with something NEW and unused only to discover this morning that it is commonly used to describe wine tastes.

I’m going to keep the card from vinography and try to use it as I write more reviews here. Just don’t expect to see “peeled willow bark” anywhere in them!

Popularity: 10% [?]

I suppose I make these “reviews coming” posts as much for myself as for you. It commits me to actually write the review instead of just drinking the wine and begging off on the review later.

In any case, I went to the store today and came home with 4 bottles of wine to drink and to review. Two of them I’ve had before and two are new.

The two I’ve had before are ones I know I can count on: Ravenswood California Zinfandel and J. Lohr Cabernet. I know at least one of these will be making the $11 list as it was on sale for $9.99 and its very good.

The two new ones have unique labels and were picked by 2 women, go figure. Peachy Canyon Paso Robles Zinfandel (subtitled “Incredible Red”) and Vinum Cellars PETS Petite Sirah.

I’m looking forward to the new ones and hope to add at least on of them to one of the lists. Stay tuned…

Popularity: 10% [?]

Cork:Authentic
Name: Liberty School
Type: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2004
Region: Paso Robles
Country: USA
Producer: Liberty School Winery
Price: 10.99
Purchased at: D & B Wine & Liquor
Date: 06/09/2007
Served With: Chicken Fajitas
Appearance: Very rich, deep purple color, excellent legs
Aroma: Vanilla, chocolate, berries…mmm, mmm!
Taste: Even, unoffensive, smooth and tasty! The vanilla comes through in the taste as well. Strong berries and cherry undertones.
Comments: This has become one of my all-time favorites in the Cab category. For smoothness in a cab its tough to beat this wine. It truly is unoffensive allowing you to serve it to just about any level of wine drinker and they will probably enjoy it. The vanilla and cherry flavors in this wine make it very tasty but don’t be fooled, its not a sweet wine. It fits the dry category but these other tastes smooth the edges of what can sometimes be pretty sharp in a Cabernet Sauvignon.

The same producer also makes a Syrah that I’ve not tried yet but look forward to checking out.

Look here for a couple of other reviews on this Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon.

To digress slightly on the ‘unoffensive” remark, in my opinion many non-blend wines such as Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah can have a very strong flavor. For someone that doesn’t drink wine often this can sometimes be overpowering and cause newbies not to like it. When I say unoffensive I mean that its very smooth and most likely won’t overpower even the novice wine drinker.

Buy it here.

Popularity: 12% [?]

Cork:Authentic
Name: Santa Rita Reserva
Type: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2003
Region: D.O. Maipo Valley
Country: Chile
Producer: Santa Rita Vineyards
Price: 8.99
Purchased at: D & B Wine & Liquor
Date: 06/09/2007
Served With: Chicken Fajitas
Appearance: Medium body, decent legs
Aroma: Spicy, alcoholy
Taste: Very dry, even flavored yet thin. The finish reminds me of a Carmenere with a somewhat spicy finish.
Comments: My first impression upon opening and pouring is that this wine is a bit thin for my tastes. When I say thin I mean strong alcohol overtones. However, with time and/or decanting this bottle turned out very nicely. We didn’t drink the whole bottle on Monday, having had only 1/3 of the bottle. We finished it on Tuesday night (along with an entire bottle of Liberty School Cab, review coming tomorrow, but there were 3 of us!) and it was much smoother the second day. I find that this happens frequently with South American wines and I should know to just decant them but if I only end up drinking one glass I have to pour from the decanter back into the bottle and its always a mess.

Just to finish up the Carmenere thought, I think that most carmeneres have a less than ripe taste on the finish. At first it can be troubling if your mind can’t get over the under-ripe visions. However, I’ve learned to appreciate the taste and quite enjoy most Carmeneres these days. Because I’m just a redneck its probable that this flavor that I’m contributing to Carmenere is just more common in South American wines though so far I’ve only attributed that taste to Carmeneres and this Cab.

For another take on this Santa Rita Cab check out the weingolb site.

Popularity: 12% [?]