Cheap Date: Pinetti Notte Rose

Pinetti Notte Rose Italy 2016

Tonight’s wine is called Pinetti. I’m glad I don’t do this as a video right now, because I’m not quite sure how to pronounce that out loud.

I haven’t had a rose for a while, and thought it would be a nice change. Especially after I binged on the Naked Grape Moscato wine I luuuuurved. (I totally went back and bought three more bottles of that ish. If you missed that review, it’s HERE)

The thing about this wine that caught my eye was that it boasts flavors from both strawberries and rhubarb. I remember my grandma harvesting the rhubarb from her huge backyard, and I had some feels. So I picked up this bad boy when it was on sale at Kroger. The sale brought it down to $4.99 which squeaked it in just under my cheap date budget.

And let’s talk about pressure. The ONLY wine in my house is this one. Bitch, you’d better be good.

Twist off cap. For real. Good thing. Momma just worked 12 hours and I’m pretty sure my calf muscle is revolting and about to detach from my leg.

THE POUR:

 

A few bubbles. But the coolest thing, is I can see the drips slipping down the neck of the bottle. It took a good thirty seconds for it to all work down. And after 12 hours of evil day job, it was probably more fascinating than it would have been.

I swirled the glass, and the drag of the light red wine down the sides is just as fascinating.

See folks…wine is a calming drink. Which is why I need wine. The evil day job lived up to its name today. Fucking retail.

THE SNIFF:

Screw the sniff. I was so tired, the glass got near my mouth and I took a drink. It smelled red.

FIRST TASTE:

This has a flavor that is building on my tongue. It starts out with just a warm hit against the taste buds, and then the aromatics hit the back of my sinuses and I got the hint of fruit.

A few gulps later...I’m getting a hit of spice along with the fruit. Reminds me of some of the same tastes I’d get in mulled wine. Just less.

This also has a wonderful texture that coats the tongue. Great sipping wine, because the flavor stays with you for longer than just a little blast as you guzzle it after having to teach people how to use their phones to pull up coupons all day.

Basically, it might keep me from drinking the whole bottle. Maybe.

HUBBY TEST:

If you’ve been around my “Cheap Date” wine reviews you know that I have to have hubby weigh in. Hubby doesn’t like wine, so it has to be super sweet for him to be down. I have doubts about him digging this one, but we’ll see.

Hubby: It smells like wine.

Me: …

Hubby: * takes a sip * It tastes like wine.

Me: * eye twitches *

Hubby: For real. This is like the beige of wine. Nothing remotely remarkable about this.

Me: Are you for real? Don’t you feel how it coats your tongue and soothes your troubles?

Hubby: Okay…so it’s the Pepto Bismol of wine.

At this point, I grabbed my glass back and left him to cook me dinner. (Because I had a long day and my hubby is awesome. Well…at everything but reviewing wine.)

THE FINAL VERDICT

This is a good wine to sip with friends. It’s not overly bold, so I’d probably pair it with light foods, or I have a feeling it will also pair well with retail work on a coupon weekend. No…I don’t need to think about that one. It does pair well with coupons.

This one would grace my wine fridge again. After I buy another bottle. Because momma’s worn out, and we're putting our feet up with this bottle ready to refill the glass. 

~Roxy

To find Roxy's books with buy links and what she has coming up next check out her website at RoxyRocksMe.com

Cheap Date with Dani Morgan! (And wine)

 

This bottle was picked out for my by the fabu Dani Morgan. (Who needs to get her story finished… Yeah. I called you out. ;p)

"Aconga" was the result of a night out with friends. It was $3.99 on sale at the nearby Kroger. It may have been picked 90% on the packaging. Because really…this thing looks a little like a filigree gun barrel. With the black bottle and seal, it really has a badass vibe.

Hubby saw me taking pictures of the bottle and grimaced. “Am I going to have to taste it?”

I wasn’t sure I was going to make him, but then he asked if he was an official part of the Cheap Date review and smiled. Awww. He feels included. (Still won’t read a thing I write, but hey…at least the man will drink with me.)

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Is it sad that even all these years after college, one of the first things I look at is the percentage of alcohol? 

You’d understand after the helacious harry buffalo we made. That sucker was potent.

But the Aconga isn’t like the Everclear we used in college (thank god.) This wine is 13% alcohol.

The back of the bottle reads “An ancient Incan word meaning “Stone Sentinel”, Aconcagua is the highest mountain in the Americas, towering over Mendoza. It is this great mountain’s name that inspired “Aconga,” A symbol of grandeur and the celebration of a land steeped in history. Argentina, known as the land of silver, embraces artisans well known for their unparalleled silver craftsmanship.”

Huh. Who says alcohol makes you stupid? This wine just taught me something. And I feel mildly proud of myself for catching onto the silver link. *pats self on back*

There isn’t a whole lot of sweet/dry info on it, and despite the very long flavor description, “soft and supple” doesn’t tell me much.

We’ll just have to test it out. At least, I learned the where the highest mountain in the Americas is!

I have learned something through this whole cheap date process. If you have a foil seal over the cork, there is no need to take it off before putting the corkscrew in. The cork will usually break the seal when you yank that bad boy out. Then I just peel back the foil until it pours without spilling everywhere. I’ve only dropped a few pieces of the seal into the wine. It didn’t kill me. Think of it like finding the wishbone. Make it a game!

Well…look at that. The cork has a map on it, highlighting Argentina. This wine is teaching us all kinds of things!

THE SMELL

Definitely more than fruit here. This has a few different flavors going on. It’s got a spicy scent that reminds me of either coffee or chocolate, along with dark tart berries. I’m down.

THE POUR

A few bubbles collected at the top as I poured but quickly dissipated. It’s a deep ruby color and hugs the glass as I swirl it. A couple little pockmarks interrupt the smooth flow of the drag on the glass, but not too much.

Now that it’s in the glass, the smell is all smoke and spice. I can smell very little fruit.

 

FIRST SIP

Oooh. That’s different. It’s not sweet, but it’s got a soft tart flavor that I can’t quite place. The wine coats my mouth and has a fantastic warmth to the drink.

The bottle recommends this be paired with beef or red sauce on pasta. It reminds me of eating at an Italian restaurant where you order the red because that’s the house wine and the only one under $10 a glass.

I can also smell it without another sip. This stuff invaded my sinus cavity. Good thing I already ate, because I doubt this would pair well with McDonalds.

HUBBY VERDICT

I woke him up to make him take a sip. I’m an awesome wife.

Him: “It tastes like fermented grapes.”

Me: *eyeroll*

Him: “It’s more bland, I guess, but it’s not sweet, so eh?”

Me: “Bland? So if someone put it in front of you for free would you drink it?”

Him: “If there was no alternative, yes.”

FINAL VERDICT

I get what they mean by the word “soft” now. It’s not super dry, and it’s not super sweet. This is a wine that would go well with dinner. Not so much with a chocolate mousse.

It’s something to sip while writing or watching a movie, and at $4, I can see myself buying this again.

Two wino thumbs up.

And it taught me something! If I start buying wines from around the world that teach me about the place they are from, imagine how smart I could be in a year.

Furthering my education one bottle at a time.

Not bad for a cheap date. 

 ~Roxy

Cate Picked My #CHEAPDATE

This Cheap Date was picked by Cate Beaumont! I was lucky enough to hang out with a lot of my writer friends this past weekend so the next two reviews will be hand-picked for me by some fantastic ladies.

Cate, picked this one because “Momma needs a juice box”. I couldn’t agree more.

**IMPORTANT NOTE** I didn't wear makeup for this. So yes. Those are my bags. I earned those after all my hard work at the con yesterday.

Tonight’s juice is another boxed wine. This time by a company called Provisions. It’s a Cabernet Sauvignon. And the box says it’s “No 3061”. Sooooo…is this a limited edition? It does have cursive on the box.

They don’t even teach that in school anymore. Maybe they’re making it in cursive so the kids can’t read it, and won't know it's booze.

This drink is 12.5% Alcohol, and has red berries on the front of a recyclable package. We paid $4.99 from the nearest Kroger, and it was on sale. According to the box, this thing has three glasses of wine in it. They obviously pour wine very differently than I do.

FIRST SNIFF

The good part? Screw off top. This is a great bit of wine to travel with. No need to worry about finding a cork screw. Although with the folks I visit, that’s not usually a problem.

It smells very strongly of fruit. The side of the box says it’s “generous with blackberry and cassis flavors”. What the hell is cassis? Dammit. Now I have to google shit. This wine might be too damn fancy for me.

Wait…according to Wikipedia, Cassis is a tourist destination. Sooo…my wine tastes like tourists in France? Tourists are covered in sunscreen and sweat. That does not sound appealing. Or do French tourists taste different? Do I want to know what French tourists taste like?

Let’s travel a little further down the google page. We should give page 4 a chance every once in a while, right?

Wait…Cassis is a hashtag? I need to see this. Also…squirrel!

I don’t need to know what this stuff is. I like the idea that I’m drinking tourists. Let’s see how they pour.

FIRST POUR

These little boxes pour in an odd rhythmic piddle. It’s a deep ruby color and has nice drag on the glass. Still smells very strongly of fruit. And apparently French people.

FIRST SIP

NOT as sweet as it smells. Does this mean French tourists aren’t sweet?

But it does have a full-bodied flavor, and has the nice tummy warming slide down my throat. It’s got a great bite to the end of the sip, and I really enjoy it!

HUBBY TEST

Since I’ve had my hubby taste almost every wine, I figured I should have him try them as part of my review process going forward. He's free labor. 

Hubby sniffed the glass three times and grimaced before taking a drink. So basically he was a kid who knew he wasn’t going to like it from the beginning. Punk.

But he did try it and my sweet-drink loving hubby immediately demanded a palate cleanser and guzzled some mountain dew.

So…for my sweet lovers…this is not your jam.

FINAL VERDICT

I really enjoyed this one. And ya know what? Cate wanted me to have a juicebox. So…I’ll have my juicebox. Put this bastard in my lunch any day.

Just pack a straw and you're all set!

Thanks to Cate Beaumont for picking my Cheap Date for tonight, and if you want to enjoy more of her good taste, you can check out her book. Lucky Strike, Book 1 in the Lucky, Kentucky series is available now.

Congrats on the release, my friend. And thanks for momma’s juice box!

To find Roxy's books with buy links and what she has coming up next check out her website at RoxyRocksMe.com

The bottle is winking at me... #CHEAPDATE

Winking Owl Shiraz 

This, my dear financially strapped lushes, is THE cheapest wine I have tested for my Cheap Date series.

Aldi…the mutha-effing king of cheap booze, has this bottle for an every day price of $2.89 at my local store. (obviously, shit is cheaper in Indiana that the coastal cities. We have no water so we get cheap booze. Priorities.)

The nice thing about Aldi wine…it also has this handy label on the back so we know what the flavor will be like…if it’s sweet or dry…what temperature…

SHIT!

Mother effing shit. This is supposed to be at room temp, and I put the damn thing in my wine fridge again. Shit. I need to stop buying room temperature wines. I’m obviously incapable of having this stuff warm.

Okay. I don’t care. I’m trying it anyway.

Again…there’s no pull tab, twist off cap, or anything like that. Here’s an improviser’s tip. No seal cutter? Put the corkscrew sideways against the underside of the lip of the bottle and stab it over and over.

Step 1. Stab Seal.

Step 2. Peel like it's no big deal.

See? Sure you still could stab yourself, but it’s a smaller point. That means less chance of hitting a major artery, right?



FIRST IMPRESSIONS

There’s a cork. So obviously it’s a quality wine. (Yes. Cork Equals Quality. You know that by now.)

At this point, hubby wakes up from his nap and decides to make a smoothie right where I am working on this blog. He has to argue about which fruit is the smoothie fruit. I guess this gives the wine a chance to get to the right temperature… *grumble*

For real. He interrupted my wine time for fruit.

Okay. The wine is definitely room temp now. How long does it take to make a fucking smoothie?

Anyway….



FIRST POUR

There’s a little bit of bubble action at the top, and the drag on the glass has a few pits in it.

It might be time to be worried. Still not as heinous looking as the sangria though. That shit still haunts me.

The bottle says there should be a “hint of spice”.  It smells really bold to me. Maybe it’s my mayo lifestyle.

Time to try it.



FIRST SIP

This has the warmth in the back of my throat, the hint of fruit and no harsh bite to speak of. It’s like a breath of warm happiness.

This isn’t a gulp wine. It’s more of a laugh with friends while you make dinner kind of wine.

Or in my case, type out your opinion while your hubby completes the final boss fight in Final Fantasy, after munching on carrots and tater tots.




FINAL VERDICT

I’m pouring another glass. I dig it. I think I like the white I tried last time a bit better, but this is a great sipping wine.

Hubby didn’t weigh in on this one. Partly because it’s a dry wine, and mostly because he got in my damn way while making a smoothie.

Thumbs up for the wine. Thumbs down for the smoothie interruptus.

Pouring more!

...lots more.

So far I have come to the conclusion that Aldi is where shit goes down as far as cheap wine. I have also been told Trader Joe's is great, but there's not one terribly close to me. Where else should I go shopping for a deal? Feel free to tweet me your finds @RoxyMews.

Until next bottle...


~Roxy



To find Roxy's books with buy links and what she has coming up next check out her website at RoxyRocksMe.com

Roxy's #CheapDate with a Flirty Bird

Flirty Bird Sauvignon Blanc

I threw away the damn receipt. So I don’t have an exact amount, but I know it was the cheapest bottle I picked up at Aldi. (Less than $4, I think.)

I would wait until I can go back and check the price, but it is National Wine day today according to FB, so I simply can’t put off tasting this any longer. And I’ve been cleaning all day in a house full of men. Things have been seen that can’t be unseen and momma needs a drink.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

This is called “Flirty Bird”. Which is adorable. I like the name. The label is cute. And it’s wine. We’re in good shape here.

Nice thing about this wine is on the back label (for wine noobs like myself) there are all kinds of little facts. And it tells me if it should be room temp or chilled. Thank goodness. This way we don’t have another BotaBox incident where I have to wait an hour before I can enjoy the booze.

Guess you’re supposed to have one of those fancy ass seal cutters because this sucker doesn’t have a pull tab. 

Eh. I have a knife.

And I didn’t stab myself. Batting 1000 this evening.

This bottle is corked. I’m always amused when the cheapest wines have corks. For some reason I equate corks with quality. The name is even printed on the cork. Fancy pants wine, ya got here, Aldi.

I’m ready though. I remember the last time I had a generic Aldi wine. (Check out that cheap date HERE)

 

THE POUR

Smells nice.

During this time I realize I didn't wash my wine glass from the last cheap date. So I take 5 minutes to unpack a wine glass rather than wash the dirty one.

Don’t judge me.

Wine has a good drag down the glass when I swirl it. I’m pretty sure good wine is supposed to do that.

FIRST SIP

Oh. That’s good.

That’s really good. That’s go stock up and buy more of this ish good.

Fruity taste is playing at the back of my tongue, with enough bite to satisfy my “I don’t want to drink sugar water”ness.

Hubby did his cursory taste test. He grimaced, said it was okay, but it was not sweet. Again, this isn’t a super sweet-lover’s drink. But I like this way way more than the champagne I got from Aldi last week.

FINAL CONCLUSION

Let’s be real. I would say this would be a great bottle to take to a dinner party, but I’m gonna polish this fucker off tonight. This is good.

Buy this. Buy multiple bottles of this. You can feed your wino habit and not go broke. Yum. Also, by the time I got to this point…half the bottle might be gone. 

Seriously. 

Yum.

I have one more Aldi find coming your way for next time. Until then...keep your eye out for a good cheap wine!

~Roxy

 To find Roxy's books with buy links and what she has coming up next check out her website at RoxyRocksMe.com