By the light of the Honey Moon...

Can you say "PEACH"?  This week's tasting of Trader Joe's Honey Moon Viognier ($5.99) was peachy, indeed.  Yes, it had a bit of the floral aroma you would expect from a Viognier, and the fresh fruit characteristics were definitely there, but the peach qualities surely dominated.  This 2010 bottle of Honey Moon is on the lighter side and not as full-bodied as others, but it was perfectly pleasant, nonetheless.  Some may find that it's exceptionally sweet, but I found it to be only mildly so.  I think it would still work nicely along with a spicy meal of Thai or Indian food, but it's not nearly as sweet as a Reisling.
I must give an additional nod to all of the varietals Trader Joe's offers under their "Moon" label.  They have all been surprisingly flavorful and always extremely affordable.
Their 2008 Honey Moon Viognier also won the Bronze medal in the 2009 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Way to go, Trader Joe's!!

Our First Review

It's been a hot day in California.  We ran our errands, picked out the fixings for our Sunday evening meal (we're going to have Falafel, hummus, and tabouli salad) and then James turned on the Cubs game.  As I sit up in this office where the heat gets worse in the evening, I'm happy that I opened up our first bottle for review.  It's the 2008 Smoking Loon California Viognier from Don Sebastiani & Sons.  What a relief!  This is a very refreshing, very suitable for Summer kind of wine - usually priced for under $9.  You can easily find this at your local Trader Joe's and other supermarket locations.
This varietal usually pleases me and I've had more expensive Viogniers. This specific bottle surpasses my expectations for the price.  It has a lovely, but not overwhelming kind of floral aroma, and tastes fruity and spicy at the same time.  Since it's aged in French Oak, I appreciate the depth of flavor. Also, with it's sweet characteristics, I think this would be a great wine to pair with spicy foods, although I think it really stands on it's own as well.
I served it very chilled which works wonderfully on a hot day like today.
Here's a link so you can see how Sebastiani & Sons describe this very affordable, tasty wine.
http://www.donandsons.com/ourwine/smokingloon/viognier.php

Go get a bottle, have fun and enjoy!

Welcome to the Cheap-Ass Wine Connoisseur!

We are Rebecca and James and we love wine!  We have been fortunate enough to taste many varietals that range greatly in price.   As we will review one new bottle each week, this blog is meant to help us all discover the best of the best under $10, since few of us can afford an expensive bottle on a regular basis.

Whether you are a wine snob or a beginner in understanding how to explore the different wine types, you can learn something here.  We welcome your comments and hope you enjoy embarking on this journey with us!