South Carolina Wine Joe

The Amalgama Red Table Wine, from the Cachapoal Valley of Chile, is a blend of 70% Cabernet and 30% Syrah.  The grapes were harvested in April 2013, so it is a relatively young wine.  This is a fresh, fruit forward red wine without a lot of oak influence.  While it is not the most complex red wine, it is a tasty, medium dark fruit flavored wine that can be enjoyed with food or on its own. My local Costco currently is reducing the $15.99 price to $8.99.  This is a very popular wine and should sell quickly.  I have had 2 bottles and will purchase more while it is available. SC Wine Joe rating =88

I have recently tried two similar white European wines that have a modest amount of sparkling fizz. Broadbent Vino Verde This wine from Portugal is a light, fresh wine with taste of lemon, tart apple, peach and melon.  It has a low alcohol content of 9% and I found it at Costco for $6.89. Floriana Gruner Veltliner 2013 This wine is from Hungary.  I expect that it is the first wine I have consumed from that country.  It also is a light fresh wine with a taste of lemon and apple and an alcohol content of 11.5%.  I found it tucked away on a low shelf at Trader Joe's for $5.99. The Gruner Veltliner is a very dry wine with some fizz.  The Broadbent is a semi-dry wine with some fizz.  Both are great summertime choices at a low price to accompany salmon or swordfish but if I were choosing, I would choose the Gruner Veltliner over the Broadbent Vino Verde.

I have been reading some glowing online reviews of the Tarima Hill wine for the past year.  I have been looking for some bottles to try, but it never showed up at my Greenville Costco.  Finally, earlier this week, there was a large pallet of the wine.  I grabbed a couple of bottles and opened the first one that night. Most of the Spanish wines that I have been buying are lighter, fruit forward wines.  The Tarima Hill is different from that.  This is a full bodied, complex 100% Monastrell from old vines in Alacante, Spain.  It has aged 20 months in French oak and has an alcohol content of 15%.  The wine is a deep violet color with flavors of dark red cherries and blackberries as well as smokey oak and spice.  Some reviewers have noted soft tannins on the finish but I would describe the finish as having medium tannins.  This is a special wine that can be purchased at Costco for $12.69.  You can keep this wine for several years or have ...