Grocery Outlet Shopping Spree For Me!

Right before Christmas I received a nice card from my friends at Grocery Outlet. Enclosed with the card was a little gift card for $50 for more wine. I jumped in the Santa Fe and headed down to see what all I could buy for my money.

This article includes the full tasting notes from what I purchased that day. I also shot some video in and around the store of my shopping experience, which turned out quite awful. Photographer I am...Videographer I am not. It looked like the Blair Witch Project on meth. My brother Chris gave me some hints on how I could fix the video mess that I'm in, but in the meantime I wanted to let you all know how my little shopping spree turned out before all the juice is gone.

Bauer Haus Dornfelder, 2009 Rheinhessen Qualitatswein (Sweet Red Wine): Serve cold for better flavors and textures. This wine from Germany is a great option for sweet wine drinkers who want to try a red wine. The wine is in the early stages of oxidation, however it still offers some great flavors of sweet cherry juice and a nice velvety texture.

Fox Estate Lemberger: Fox Estate winery out of Mattawa, Washington is one of the better Lemberger producers in the region. Lemberger wine, unlike the cheese of its namesake offers up a gentle, velvety texture, with soft tannins and lots of bright fruit. Flavors of bright cherry and raspberry.

Tentacion Monastrell Alicante Reserva 2004: From Spain. Monastrell is a unique variety of European grapes. This wine offers up very pleasant and rich flavors of raspberry and mocha. Gentle tannins and acidic balance make this wine finish very pleasantly on the palate. Perfectly matched with grilled or roasted meats.

Silver Lake Rattlesnake Hills 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon: Definitely a bottle aged Cabernet from Silver Lake out of Zillah, Washington. This wine is initially tight in the bottle due to age, but opens up beautifully with some decanting. Rich with flavors of blackberry, cherry, and vanilla, with a nicely balanced finish. Buy and drink immediately!

Silver Lake Rattlesnake Hills 2006 Syrah: A fantastic find. Bottle aged a little past perfection, this dark and rich syrah offers flavors of canned asparagus up front, with blackberry and vanilla in the mid palate. A nice mocha finish with soft tannins makes this wine pairable with game and other rich meats. Drink now!

Bad Dog Ranch 2007 Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon: Dark colors and aromas fill the glass as you swirl this “Bad Dog”. Flavors of dark cherry, blackberry, and ripe plum, with a spicy Mexican chocolate finish. Pair with red meats or drink by itself.

Barking Dog Vineyards 2005 Napa Valley Merlot: Beautiful deep purple hues in the glass, and a nice fruit-forward nose of berries and plums. The flavors on the mid-palate offer up a nice plum jam. For those who like a little burn in the back of your throat, this wine finishes a touch hot. Sometimes it’s ok to relax and feel the burn!

Vida Brut Sparkling Wine: Wow! Right under my nose! This wine brought into the Kennewick store at Grand Opening is a serious sleeper. A Cava style sparkler from Spain, offers up a lot more than I was expecting for the low price. Nice tight bubbles and a slightly yeasty flavor open up to rich fruit and a crisp and lightly acidic finish. Perfect for celebrations, both large and small.

So, I hope you can get down to the G.O. and visit with the friendly staff. Warning: If you like something buy lots of it. Next time you're in it may be gone!