Santero Strawberry Moscato

This week, gentle reader, I'm going to get a little girly. Those of you who know me IRL* are probably laughing so hard right now, because "feminine" is a word that appears pretty far down on the Top-Five-Hundred-Words-Used-To-Describe-Me list. It falls somewhere between "math-whiz" and "tall".


my bad...

But, when it comes to intoxicating libations, stuff me in a tutu and give me a puppy commercial to weep at, 'cause I LOVE ME SOME GIRLY DRINKS. Fruity, pink concoctions are my friend. If they're yours too, you'll really enjoy this week's wine: Santero Strawberry Moscato.

This is the sort of wine you want to have on hand when you're craving a Mai Tai, but, well, you're at home by yourself, eating a quart of ice cream in your pajamas, and you'd have to get dressed AND leave the house... or in any other non-pathetic circumstance in which you find yourself craving a fruity, alcoholic beverage but you don't have the ability or inclination to create one.

Santero makes several Moscato + fruit wines, but today I'm talking about the strawberry for a couple of different reasons: 1.) It's PINK, ergo it's a good choice for Valentine's Day, if you're into that. 2.) We're tasting it at PWC on Friday, February 7th, along with a bunch of other fun red and pink drinks.

Moscatos, by nature, are a sugary-ass wine. Sorry, there's no other way to say that accurately. On a sweetness scale of 1 to 10, Moscatos are a 46. They tend to have light fruit flavors about them, like peach or mango. This lends them to being a good wine to infuse with actual fruit flavors. And that's just what Santero has done.

The first thing you'll notice about the Santero Strawberry Moscato-- it's bubbly! Moscatos can be flat, slightly effervescent, or bursting with bubbles. This one's quite carbonated, so it works well in a situation where you might drink champagne (coughvalentinesdaycough), but your unsophisticated palate thinks that champagne tastes a little like vomit (yup, that's me).

The scent and taste of the wine is straight up strawberries and sugar. You've been forwarned, this is a *very* sweet wine. But it's also quite tasty. Santero Strawberry Moscato isn't the sort of wine you pair with a meal, but it's great with (or heck, FOR) dessert. Pairs well with chocolates in heart-shaped boxes. Hint Hint.

Price: $

My Rating: B

Riondo Prosecco Spago Nero

Did anyone else feel a perceptible shift in the universe as it aligned in my favor on Sunday, August 26th 2012 at approximately 2:15pm? It was only a matter of time until this day came, the day that Ernie asked me, "what do you think we should taste at PWC this week?"

insert beams of light, angelic
choir-like sounds and maybe  a
verse or two of We are the Champions-- for effect...

Of course y'all know what my answer was...

Riondo Prosecco is probably my favorite white wine. Ever. In fact, I am sad that I am not sipping a glass right now as I tell you about its merits (I checked, there's none in the wine rack at the moment. Boo.).

Ahhh...

It's hard to put my finger on what I like best about it. What makes Prosecco in general a delectable treat: it's light and effervescent. It's fruity and aromatic, but not super sweet. The word "fresh" comes to mind. Exciting on the front (what with the bright flavors and the heavy bubbles) with a slight mineral finish, it's a great wine to drink cold, with a light meal, before and/or after a light meal, or completely on its own (entirely sans a meal of any proportion). My favorite way to indulge: lounging in a camp chair (pinky down, solo cup style) with some good company and snacks (I like triscuits and easy cheese...).

don't knock it 'til you try it...

So that's what I like about Proseccos. Now, you might be wondering why I like Riondo's more than any others I have tried. The answer: well, I just do. It just suits my style as well as my tastebuds. But, since I feel like I owe you a story, I'll tell you of the first time I tried a Prosecco that was NOT Riondo...

It was Spring of 2008, and my friend Trish and I were headed to France for a week plus of crepes, medieval churches, crepes, art, crepes, culture and crepes. We were thrilled to discover that on our Air Swiss flight there was a pretty nice selection of wine, and both decided to have a glass of Prosecco (I don't recall the label). It was ok; not great but drinkable.

Here's me, enjoying a
delicious dessert-type-thing
in Brest, France. It's not a
crepe, but you get the idea...

Just after I finished mine, we began making our descent into Zurich. There was a pretty serious rain storm, and the turbulence was really rough. It got so bad that people on the plane were screaming, crying and praying as the plane was tossed around. I just squeezed my eyes closed and focused on not yacking all over myself. FINALLY, we hit the runway, fishtailed for a minute or two and came to a stop. One of the flight attendants stood up and said over the loudspeaker, "thank you, captain," at which point the entire plane errupted into cheering and applause at having not just then died.

Riondo Prosecco: lovely afternoons with family and friends. Non-Riondo Prosecco: near-death or near-vomit experience. Coincidence? You be the judge...

Price: $

My Rating: A+