blossom hill wine

[bill]

here's one from me actually about drinking the stuff i keep asking questions about

iv been checking some wines out from supermarket.. the small 187ml bottles at around 99p each. It may sound strange me wanting to make wine when I'm not a lover of the stuff. In this i mean i find many just plain not very nice and those i have drunk have mainly been with lemonade ( now i know some of you will be cringing )

iv pretty much decided the reds are a bit harsh tasting for me if thats the word and some of the whites flat in taste or overpowering in alcohol content.

i tried one yesterday BLOSSOM HILL California white zinfandel

this stuff is lovely and it was a pleasure to drink on its own.. it was light and refreshing with a hint of strawberry both in smell (bouquet) and taste.

whats the more experienced winemakers /drinkers thought on this wine ?

billy

[lockwood1956]

whats the more experienced winemakers /drinkers thought on this wine ?

It is not one of my favourite wines, but it is perfectly quaffable stuff.....but you shouldn't ever let anyone tell you what you should and shouldn't like, and if you like it with lemonade then thats totally up to you (some winos would have you hung drawn and quartered over it) you like what you like!

Wine is an acquired taste, I never used to like it either, but it has grown on me.

regards
Bob

[bill]

im going to carry on tasting some wines and get a proper idea of what i like and dont like.

the blossom hill i tried was really the first wine i have drunk on its own and really enjoyed the delicate taste.

i think the strawberry was just strong enough so it was on par with the acidity and alcohol , there was no overpowering taste to me so i presume this is a balanced wine, for my palate anyway ?. maybe this style of wine is for me.

in the past i have only drunk reds and all seem a bit strong on there own or i just taste the warmth of alcohol,and never seem to detect what i smell in the taste

are whites usually lighter /mellower if thats the right words ?

billy

[ms67]

Hi Billy

you have on something important here, when you say you cant taste what you can smell. Thats a gem. Flavour and taste are often confused, you are discerning them. Taste happens on your tongue, flavour happens in your nose aswell as on your tongue. So there will always be things you smell but dont taste. This is one reason why serious winos will always do a lot of smelling. You can also open your mouth slightly when you have wine in it, and then draw in a breath of air through your mouth. Some of the air passing over and through the wine in your mouth will make its way to your nose and the flavour will come right through. Its a fun thing to do, and while you might feel its a bit wine poncey at first you'll see why its done. I must admit i often forget t do this but when trying something new or exciting i give it a go. We had a spanish red the other night (2004) which i did it with. Sadly i wasnt too impressed, it wasnt my style of wine, too dry and astringent, but i would have loved it some 20 years ago.

Re; zinfandel. i made a rose from grape juice on the lees of a beaverdale shiraz. it got compared to a zinfandel or matteus rose by my Dad who was very impressed with it. This year i'm repeating the brew but also going to try and make it without the shiraz lees (my own choice of yeast and oak chips). i think it'll be months before i start it up and probably winter before its ready to try, but if you are interested i will post the details on WaH when it starts up, when i rack, and when i bottle/drink.

And finally a big thumbs up of agreement with Bob, it's your taste and there's nothing wrong with that. its one of the things i really like about WaH, you dont have to conform to some bland old middleplace of agreement. Parsnip wine, which i particularly like, is even treated with good humour! hows that for a good yard stick.

[ms67]

seeing your thoughts on many white wines has me wondering if you have tried New Zealand's sauvignon blanc? i haven't tried many at all, and i dont drink it at all often, but what i clearly remember is that they are incredibly fruity. And when you read the back label with descriptions of tropical fruit flavours you have no problem at all picking these flavours up. i don't remember how alcoholic they tasted as i like quite strong wine anyway, tho as a younger man i hardly drank any white wines for exactly the same reasons as you gave.

[NorthernWiner]

Billy - don't ever let anyone tell you what you should or shouldn't like.

This Blossom Hill wine is kind of interesting, at least to me. It's made in California, but primarily sold in Britain. In fact, I had to look it up because I'd never seen or heard of it before.

Apparently Blossom Hill also makes Sauvignon Blanc. That's a lighter wine, too. If you like white zin, you might give that a try as well.

[goldseal]

Billy - don't ever let anyone tell you what you should or shouldn't like.

Seconded. Or thirded, or however many we are up to now

My recommendation - Tesco Steillage Moesel Riesling. Light, apple-y, delicious!

[lockwood1956]

I love Mosel wines, they have that delightful flinty character, and the Rieslings are just superb, and one of the few white wines I like medium sweet (halbtrocken)

[Cellar_Rat]

Bill,

Send me a PM with your address and I will send you a PET bottle of very easy drinking red (this years cillie) at about 11%. Please don't give up on reds - you just need to find the ones you like. I would value your comments.

Brian

[tatty]

Agree 100% Bill. The BH Zinfandel is lovely. Almost too light and easy to drink though.

[ms67]

i love this place

[spritzer]

One of the first wines I drank was a white zin, when I worked in Belguim...... but it wasn't BH brand....
It was E&J Gallo...
I still love it.
I have had the BH version, and it is nice, but I do prefer E&J's take on it.

I did start to drink more white since I first started drinking white zin...
And laterly red...
I have to say, one of my very favourite wines now, is a real red zinfandel, regardless of who makes it.

[Cellar_Rat]

You guys might be interested to know then that I am trying ( I failed last year ) to get some Primitivo grapes imported this year.

[NorthernWiner]

For those who don't know, Primitivo = Zinfandel. Same grape, different name.

[Cellar_Rat]

Good point - my sales pitch there was truly terrible !!!

And yes they good make exceeding good vinho - but alas that was 4 years ago now.