Wine: 337 Cabernet

Vineyard: Clay Station Vineyard Monteca, California

Bouquet: Need re-taste to note

Appearance: Ruby coloring

Flavor: Need re-taste to note

Overall Impression: Really good - should purchase this one again. First glass had a weird sweetness on the finish, but after breathing, it got extremely good and had very full and complex flavors.


Vitals:
Vintage: 2007
Varietal Cabernet Sauvignon

Price $12.99
Found In Grocery Store Wine Aisle

Wine: 2005 Chateau Graves Du Privera Medoc Cru Artisan

Vineyard: Château Graves Du Privera
Wine: Médoc
Vintage: 2005
Comments: Not a very heavily flavored wine, this has hints of black cherry, strawberry, and blackberry in the bouquet. The strawberry is missing on the tongue, replaced with a slight dryness. Very weak finish, but easy to drink. Opaque and deep reddish purple in color.
Cameron's Rating: 83
Meredith's Rating: 82
Overall: Might buy again for personal consumption, but not a heavily flavorful wine nor a completely easy-drinking wine. Would not seek out as a favorite wine to drink.

Wine: 2005 Due Mari Montepulciano D'Abruzzo

Vineyard: Due Mari
Wine: Montepulciano D'Abruzzo
Vintage: 2004
Comments: Somewhat acidic and dry to the mouth, a somewhat lighter wine. Could not detect heavy flavors in the bouquet. Ruby color, somewhat translucent. Nice easy drinking wine.
Cameron's Rating: 86
Meredith's Rating: 85
Overall: Would buy again - nice easy drinking wine.

Beer: St. Arnold Texas Wheat

Used with permission
St. Arnold Brewing Company

Brewery: Saint Arnold Brewing Company Houston, Texas

Overview: So it is appropriate that the first beer reviewed be both a microbrew and a Texas beer. I had thought for quite some time since starting this that I would have nearly an impossible time selecting the perfect first beer to review. After all, I had to pick a beer that I loved, and give it ridiculously high marks so that no other beer could compare. In addition, I had to pick something that would give credibility to my selection of beer, avoiding American Lite Lagers in favor of some unique Belgian or otherwise.

As it so happens, I decided it was time to review a beer, and so I selected the beer that I happened to be drinking at the time, which happened to be a St. Arnold Texas Wheat. I'm particularly pleased to select this beer first as St. Arnold brewery was a sponsor of the first beer competition that I placed in.

Aroma: The aroma has almost a light apricot or other fleshy fruit to it, but there is no predominant stone fruit flavors in the beer itself, which is a plus. I have been known to enjoy fruit beers, but for a wheat beer, you would not want any overwhelming syrupy flavors, while a light fruity taste does smooth out the beer for quick and easy drinking.

Appearance: Color is light and clear.

Flavor: Formerly St. Arnold Kristall Weizen, this is a very easy drinking beer that is refreshing for a summertime beverage. Overall, it is a light flavored beer, with a slight fruity element to it. Carbonation is moderate to high, I could barely hold it in my mouth without a good bit of foam building up, but it does not interfere with the enjoyability of this beverage. There is a slight floral hoppiness to the beer, but it does not persist.

Overall Impression: Overall this is a very light and easy drinking wheat beer that I would happily down a six pack of on the back patio anytime from March to September here in Texas.

Vitals:
Style American Wheat Beer
Price $8.99/six-pack
Found In Local Liquor Store
Alcohol Content 4.9% by volume
Availability Year-round
Bitterness 18 IBU

Welcome to Beer+Wine

In case you stumbled here by mistake, Beer+Wine is a site dedicated to discussing two fine beverages: beer and wine. There's no real skill or innate talent here, other than a love for beer, a growing appreciation for wine, and the occasional enjoyment of writing things down.

Over the past ten years, I have had the fortunate pleasure to enjoy over three or four hundred different types of beer and several hundred bottles of wine as well, and have gained an appreciation and an understanding of some of the creation processes that go into the art of crafting a fine beverage. All too often, though, I have found myself trying to recollect whether or not I actually enjoyed a certain beer, trying to remember where I found a certain bottle of wine, or encountering individuals for whom the greatest beer debate is whether Bud Light or Miller Lite is a superior beverage. Granted, both have their place among American Lite Lagers, but would not even enter a discussion in comparison to a Belgian Tripel or an Irish Stout.

There is no hidden intent for this site to mimic existing beer loving communities or show any prowess or understanding of complex wines, but it will hopefully serve the purpose well of capturing and discussing various beers, wines, and even the occasional liquor from the perspective of a few completely non-industry and non-professional consumers.

Cheers!