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Comme ci, comme ca

There are wines that clunk at the first sip, but then open up into a delicious beverage. And there are wines we've met that needed no introduction -- from first sip through last, we felt the pride of the winemakers and enjoyed their embrace. That seemed like where we were with this wine.

"Oooo, yummy!"

Then reality set in and, well, it quickly turned (we hate to say it) oaky! Tom didn't feel as let down as I did, but he was underwhelmed. Then we had an epiphany. Maybe it was just this bottle! So we waited, purchased another bottle (medium-price at our supermarket) and then...oh well.

On the other hand, it is organic, so that's something, then.

-- Argentina

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Delicious!

Comme ci, comme ca

"If at first you don't succeed, buy, buy again."

Wait. No. Well, the point is, after purchasing from one store, giving it a try and disagreeing, we saw the product in another store, bought it, tried it, and again arrived at opposite ends.

"Delicious!" from one of us.

"That flavor seems unnecessarily harsh," from the other.

To one of us, it was rosy and flavorful. To the other, it was drinkable, but hard and without enough fruit, so not drinkable enough to recommend.

On the other hand, against a little sweet treat  it might bring just the right balance. Plus, look at that bottle! Gorgeous! And it's organic -- a hit in our crowd. AND it was only 12 bucks at a high-end supermarket. So that's lovely.

A lot going for it. A hearty recommend from one of us and a meh from the other.

-- Washington

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Delicious!

Maybe you were also attracted to this charming label in your name-brand, nationwide, high end supermarket and wondered, but we went beyond wondering and dove in (we do it for you, folks).

Before continuing our thoughts, though, let's get this part out of the way: there's oak in this wine. That said, as unoaked lovers we can assure other unoaked lovers that the wee 10% of oak barrel fermention is hardly worth mentioning. But it's there -- we didn't taste any oak at all -- but it's there, so now you know.

We think it's delicious and by itself, that's great news. But this is where the product fires up and delights all the active brain cells (drum roll, please)...It's not only delicious, it's also organic!

That's great. We're so happy. Just up the road, a floral, fresh, delicious, organic Chardonnay that brings a smile to the senses. Could a beverage product be any better than that?

Ha! Yes, dear readers! Waaaay better. We bought this on sale for something like a mere ten bucks!

[sigh] Happy.

-- California

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Delicious!

Tom and our son are preparing the garden for the next growing season which, for South Florida, begins in September and October. Some beds are currently planted with black eyed peas (good for the soil, good for the body), but the majority of the planters around the yard that we used last season are being reconfigured to accommodate easier maintenance and more variety.

Home gardening, we figure, is always a work in progress. But all the work involved is worth it. Few things are more wonderfully satisfying than selecting the lettuce and spinach and herbs for the salad without making a trip to the store. It is a spectacular thing to grow something and then make that something into the centerpiece of a delicious home cooked meal for the family.

We're suburban-raised, and wouldn't have imagined such activities a decade ago. But our little insight into nature makes us truly appreciate the hard work that goes into creating a great wine. If it makes us delighted to produce the meal that goes on the table, it's hard to fathom the satisfaction winemakers must enjoy when they bring something great to the table.

This wine is something great. Smooth and crisp, floral; really flavorful wine made from organically grown grapes. A pleasure to serve with your dinner, certainly, but also a pleasure to drink while strolling through the garden as the sun sets on your long and fulfilling day. Submitted for review, this delicious wine retails online for about $29, making it a declaration from you, your mate, your friends that says "Well done!."

-- California

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Delicious!

There is a restaurant owner who pulls in the driveway and waits while we cut and gather kale from the garden. He serves it in his restaurant, and as it's cut in his presence, he knows where it came from, he knows it's fresh.

A lady from Trinidad stops by for coconuts. Her father has cancer and the fresh coconut water lands right while delivering happy memories from his youth, a comfort.

A family up the road trades their wild fresh honey for some eggs from our hens.

For now, gardening is a relaxing hobby with a deep learning curve. But I can picture Tom in retirement, puttering around the garden all day -- and it would be an award-winning kind of garden because he's that kind of capable.

In the evenings, I'd bring out the tray of munchies and dips, and we'd settle at the corner table under the bougainvillea with a bottle of wine and watch the garden grow. This wine, that we picked up at the supermarket for $11, is brightly flavored, organic(!), and just the right beverage as we watch the shadows lengthen and wonder about nothing in particular.

-- Chile

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Delicious!

It may have been calling us at four o’clock, but we anxiously waited until 6:30p. This would be our first sample of an organic unoaked, and with the charming label and great distance it came to arrive at our table, this was not an easy wait.

But oh so worth it. Refreshing, light but with body, lots of flavor.

And did we mention it’s organic? Because in our house, that is marketing buzz we prefer to hear for virtually any ingested product.

This was available from an online distributor (not including the shipping charge) for about $16. So I’d say we’ll be seeing this at our table again.

-- Australia