Banfi 2006 Centine Toscana

A nice Itailan blend composed of 60% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, & 20% Merlot. I was certainly not a fan the first night this was open - maybe it needed some time to breathe, maybe it didn't go with the ravioli with vodka sauce.

Tannins and cola on the nose, a bit nutty/oaky at the start, and a long finish. Slightly gummy, but not to the point of annoyance.

I had written this bottle off after the first night, but it Mickey Rourke'd me with a comeback on night two ;). I'll average it out with a 4 out of 10 rating. I just don't have time to wait around for a $9 to open up. From Costco.

Medalla Real Santa Rita 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon

This special reserve is from the famous wine making Maipo Valley in Chile. I was convinced it was a $9 special until I saw the $14 notation on the back label.

On the first night, overwhelming tannins made me set the glass down for about 30 min - a definite decater. Once it mellowed out, I was still unhappy with a slight black licorice flavor on the finish - a taste I never acquired in life (despite a short Sambuca obsession).

The good news is the bottle is still good on night three, where more of the vanilla finish comes out. The black licorice is still there, unfortunately. It's certainly a full-bodied wine with strong tannis and a dry finish as you'd expect of a decent cabernet.

This $14 Costco wine is not on on my re-purchase list. I'll give the Santa Rita cab a 3 out of 10 with a "move along, nothing to see here" rating.

Oyster Bay 2007 Sauvignon Blanc

This was the finest bottle of Sauvignon Blanc the grocery store had to offer - coming in at $13. I grabbed this one for an outdoor sit while I was in Naples, FL over the holiday break, and was a big fan. Lively, crisp fruit without being overly sweet. According to other reviews on the 'net, Oyster Bay is the most popular white wine from New Zealand. 7/10 rating, a nice surprise!

Mike Ditka Da' Coach 2005 Merlot

It's Saturday night and I'm watching NFL Playoffs, which unfortunately don't involve DA BEARS. But I did enjoy the new Coors Light commerical with Da Coach that aired eariler. If you weren't aware, we are moving from Chicago to Charlotte in the coming weeks, so as I sit here drinking my Ditka juice, I'm cheering for my new hometown team, the Carolina Panthers (based in Charlotte, if you weren't aware).

Ditka still may be more popular in Chicago than Obama, so it's no surprise that wine yuppies are spending their dollars. That said, I would have expected to see his face on Old Style or PBR first, but I guess that's not where the margins are. The tagline on the bottle is "attitude, character, enthusiam." Southsiders, keep to your cans of beer...this one's for the Northsiders. ;)

Not a lot of complexities in this bottle, most notible are the cherry flavors which are on the tart side with the oaky finish. I'd recommend this as a good weekday pizza wine. My wife commented that it was too dry for her liking. We both agree on an average 5/10 rating. My fellow Chicagoans will probably shoot me for NOT giving Da Coach a perfect score...better hurry up and skip town. $9 at Costco.

Mionetto Prosecco Brut

Normally we are fans of Prosecco, but this one just tasted like apples and not in a good way. 2/10 rating here - Sam's Wine recommended this one for $9. This bubbly was popped around 8pm on NYE, so at least it I can say the bad went out with 2008.

Bogle Vineyards 2006 Petite Sirah

Sorry for the hiatus, loyal readers. I've been in Naples, Florida at the parents house for the holidays. Several wines from that visit in my back pocket, so stay tuned.

This Bogle Petite Sirah was a pleasant surprise. My expectations were low with the low, $9, price point (from Costco) and the popular name/label that didn't come with the best sterotype. My first encounters with Bogle Wines comes in the late 90s when I was waiting tables at a Jewish Deli in Minneapolis during college summers. Fellow waiters would toss back glasses one of the three wines Zaroff's Deli offered (Black Opal, Hess Select, & Bogle) while waiting for the rush (or just get a bottle from the liquor store next door). Looking back, it was always a dumb idea because if you got real busy, you'd wished you weren't buzzed. Wish I could replace some of those brain cells...but those were some fun years.

As I was saying, this wine impressed me when comparing it to those binge drinking episodes of 10+ years back. My only complaint was the slightly gummy finish (I can sense the purple teeth coming). My nose is currently not taking smells due to a cold, but the immediate flavors of cherry with a hint of blueberry are nice. Slightly dry in the finish leaving that blueberry flavor to linger. Smooth & easy to drink while still having some distinction for an intermediate wine snob - great everyday wine: 6/10 rating.

My suggestion to Bogle: spin off a trendier label with this wine; the kids will dig it.