Châteauneuf du Papes 2006 by Armand Dartois

We drunk this special French wine at a dinner with friends and chose it among many other fabulous wines in the wine collection of our host. I have to confess the choice was difficult, but this stylish bottle stand out. The other thing was my likeness to french wines.

The Châteauneuf du Papes by Armand Dartois, vintage 2006 is one of the best vintages of this wine. It comes from the southern Rhone region in France. The younger generation in Châteauneuf du Pape has taken seriously the farming in the vineyards. There are more organic and biodynamically run vineyards here than in any other appellation of France.

The sweet spot for drinking Châteauneuf du Papes is usually the first 5-6 years after the vintage. The has a long lasting finish and strong nose of berries and wild fruit, which makes the wine a pleasure for the senses. Very well balanced and very drinkable. The tannins was a bit too much, but overall - a great choice and a recommendation.

2008 Vranec Special Selection, Tikveš Winery, Republic of Macedonia

I picked up this wine from the shelves of a supermarket in Skopje (Republic of Macedonia), where I was on a business trip recently. It was one of the most expensive ones available and it did prove to be a great wine! With a deep red colour and nose from black fruits, the Vranec has a very special character. The taste is well balanced and elegant and the finishing is long lasting with a tannins tint.

The Tikves wine region is the primary wine-prodicing region in Macedonia. Macedonia is a small country on the Balkans, generally populated with Bulgarians and Albanians. The winery was established some 120 years ago and is the largest in the country. Currently they own around 500 hectares of vines and control further 3500 hectares, producing over 20 million bottles a year. Their primary grape s Vranec, which comes in four ranges: Classic, Special edition, Limited edition and Alexandra Cuvee.

On the picture, the bottle is next to a Bulgarian martenitsa - a symbol of March.

Gaierhof Teroldego Rotaliano 2009

The last wine from Trentino and probably the best one. The nose is of spices and fresh fruits. The mouth is smooth, very well balanced and rich in different aromas. Although the wine is relatively young, I could smell the oak barrel in it. Not so much tannins, which made the wine with beautiful dark red colour and great taste. A beautiful bottle as well. I always admire this. A perfect finishing for our ski vacation!

Teroldego Rotaliano Dorigati Trentino 2008

Another evening in Val di Fassa, another fantastic wine from Trentino on our table. I just love tasting the local wines and usually these are my favourites on the blog.

A good finish, ruby colour and very well balanced wine. The mouth is of wild fruits - strawberries and cherries. The no

se is also of wild cherries and hints of plum and violet. A full body with intense flavours. This Teroldego Rotaliano ages for 6 months in steel tanks followed by six months of aging in bottle.

The wine was great, but unfortunately my choice of pasta this evening was unfortunate. I don't remember its name, but please do not pick up something looking like the picture below!

Armando Simoncelli Viticoltore Trentino Cabernet Franc 2005

This is the second fabulous wine from Trentino in Italy. I was so taken by the taste of this wine - a fruity and light taste with medium acidity and well structured. The Trentino Cabernet Franc is perfect dinner wine. I loved its long finish and its strong nose of fresh raspberries and flowers.

We had the wine with Italian pasta,

of course, and the combination was more than perfect. I recommend this wine heartily.

Marzemino Cantina D'isera 2009

This week we are having our winter vacation in Val di Fassa skiing. It is situated in the Trentino Valley of Italy ,where a lot wine is produced. There are many wineries around, as well as many wine shops and enouteqas. The variety of local wines is so wide, that it is difficult to choose.

This first wine I picked up from the supermarket. It costs about 8 Euro. The colour is dark ruby, the taste is a bit edgy, with strong tannis and little acid. Leaves a long lasting finishing and has a very typical taste for the local wine, as I noticed after trying several these days.

According to the label, the wine has been exalted by Mozart, but I must say I was not so impressed. The other wines we tried during our visit to Moena in Val di Fassa were much better.

Sangre de Toro 2007

This wine comes from Spain as it is obvious from the bottle and the name (de Toro - bull in English). Deep ruby colour with a hint of ochre. Rich complex Mediterranean aromas with exuberant notes of spices and blackberries. Velvety tannins are noted on the palate with elegant flavours of small dark forest fruits (blueberries and blackcurrants).

I loved this wine. It does remind me of my trip to Barcelona long time ago when I tried Sangria for the first time. Sangre de Toro has a very similar taste! Naturally, it goes well with all kinds of tapas. I would recommend it for a cosy night-in with a Spanish dinner.

I will also give credit for the interesting story on the bottle label of the wine. I was pleased to learn that the name is inspired by Bacchus, Roman God of wine, known in ancient time as the " Son of the Bull". Now I know why my favorite wine magazine is called Bacchus.

Beaujolais Nouveau 2010

I picked up this wine from the shelf of a local supermarket when going to visit my sister in her new apartment. It was recommended to my be a close friend who insisted to buy this "outstanding young french wine" and I was tempted. And yes, a few hours later, bottle empty, I could hardly focus on my driving, because the wine has got my head spinning from just a half glass. There is something about the young wine which is fascinating on its own.

Beaujolais Nouveau 2010 is very well-structured, lightweight and drinkable. The nose is of wild berries and pears. The colour is purple-pink.

The young Beaujolais Nouveau 2010 also has some interesting history behind it (there is even a page in Wikipedia about it, click here). It is made from the Gamay Noir a Jus Blanc grape (or simply Gamay) and is produced exclusively in the Beaujolais region of France. Every year, it is released on the third Thursday of November and is intended for immediate drinking (in general, it should not be kept for more than a year). By law in France, all grapes must be harvested by hand! It may sound just like a good marketing strategy, but it is worth it!

Feudo Arancio Merlot Sicilia 2009

A very charming Merlot from beautiful Sicilia in Italy. Light and sweet, with some cherry taste and soft tannins - this wine is great for your dinner with friends.

The wine has won the Best Buy Award by the prestigious magazine Wine Enthusiast and I can strongly confirm this statement, although I don't know the price as the wine was a gift.

Lovely red, which goes into my recommendations list straight away!

Question mark Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot 2008

This year again I had the chance to taste this wonderful wine, which I liked so much and blogged about it last year in February. This time, I will blog about vintage 2008, which has won gold medal on the prestigious International MUNDUS VINI competition in Germany.

By chance we had two different bottles of the same wine on our New Year's table. The one with the red neck is the ordinary bottle and the other had the gold medal stick on it and looked more stylish.

The wine is splendid! A colourful and rich aroma of black and red fruits, pepper and French oak. Full body with long lasting finishing and velvet taste of chocolate and mocha.

The richness and the taste, the stylish bottle and the overall classical appearance of the wine makes it perfect for a New Year's gift or a companion to your festive evening.

MUKUZANI 2008

This strange ceramic bottle and the even stranger name Mukuzani comes from a village in Georgia called Mukuzani. The grape also has the same name. Usually the Mukuzani wine is left to age in oak barrels for longer than 2 years.

The wine is extremely dry with very strong nose of herbs and oak. The colour is dark ruby. The taste is a bit edgy and soar. Not exactly my type of wine, but probably goes well with heavy red meats.

We had this wine on New Year's Eve and most of my friends who tried it did not approve, because of its complexity. I wasn't charmed by the taste also, but the beautiful bottle made me buy it and try it. Costs about 10 Euro in supermarkets.

Alianza Estate - Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 (Chile)

Today I checked my blog attendance and to my surprise, the people reading the blog have surged to 40 a day! So, I decided it is about time to renew my writing and get this blog back on track. It is Christmas time after all! It's time for family gatherings, wine tasting and good old mom's cuisine.

My gap of 4 months not writing a single line is just the result of a busy schedule, not an end to my wine passion or wine tasting. I just hope I can write down at least the most memorable wines I had in the last few months. I will start with the wines which I had during my travels this year. I start from London, where I spent my birthday.

Alianza Cabernet Sauvignon is the typical New World wine from Chile. The colour is dark ruby with some purple. A very intense aroma of berries, cherries and soft menthol. The wine is very soft tannins and good persistence. A brilliant wine for the evening!

We had the wine with the most tasty dinner I have ever tried in London (some pictures attached) - greek salad and some starters, then we finished with a very well cooked home-made pasta, English style. I also highly recommend the restaurant: Fire & Stone (31-32 Maiden Lane, Covent Garden).

Canti Merlot Sicilia 2007

We had this wine two days ago while dining with friends in a fancy new Italian restaurant downtown Sofia. The wine's aroma is a splendid bouquet of dried fruits and leafs. The wine is full-bodied and harmonious with a long lasting finishing. The taste is sleek, with pleasant viscosity and enough extrusion elements. We had the wine with some tasty taglietelle in parmigiano, Italian style. It did make our evening very special. A recommendation!

Two Oceans Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot 2007

This evening we decided to order a South African wine, while watching a game from the World Football Cup in this country. Although I am fond of South African wines, I wasn't charmed by this one. Let's be honest - if it is not closed with cork, it's not a real wine. We ordered this in a restaurant and we didn't know it is with an aluminium cap. Our expectations, of course, were met. The wine is not among the best I have tasted. Yes, it's a cheap wine, but it could have been better design and taste. The aroma is of strawberries and cherries, but rather nosy.

The wine itself has a taste of red fruits and sweet tannins. Nevertheless, it is soar, not very pleasant. Short and unpleasant finishing. I wouldn't recommend this wine.

Chateau Copsa Cuvee Rouge 2007

The wine is produced in the vineyards of the Copsa winery situated in the heart of the Rose Valley in Bulgaria. The colour is dark red and very intense. The aroma is fresh with tinges of black cherries, french grapes and gentle vanilla. The taste is full-toned and concentrated with, a very pleasant sweet tone and a long lasting memorable finishing.

A recommendation by my ex-classmate and friend Slaveyko Djambazov.

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2005

This is another Italian wine in my top list of favourites. It has a delicate black almandine ruby with black reflections. A rich fruity bouquet , supported by some spices. Very well balanced, soft and delicate taste. The aroma is deep and full. A lovely colour too.

Vino Nobile do Montepulciano is one of the best reds with Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita status, produced in vineyards surrounding the town of Montepulciano, Italy. The wine is made primarily from the Sangiovese grape varity (known locally as Prugnolo gentile), blended with Canaiolo Nero and small amounts of other local varieties. The wine is aged in oak barrels for two years.

One of the best wines I have tasted in a while...

Elisabetta Geppetti Morellino di Scansani 2008

I got my first taste of Morellino di Scansani in Rome on our first evening in a wonderful, cosy restaurant somewhere near via Salaria (the Salt street). It was splendid. I fell in love with this "strange typical Italian variety", which actually turned out to be 85% Sangiovese grape, but the Italians call it Morellino (I guess because it does sound better! :). The grapes are grown around the hills of Scansano and have been produced in Italy for more than several hundred years.

The wine is a very good value for money. It costed only about 15 Euro, but the taste was wonderful. It leaves a very memorable and long lasting finishing. Light and young, the wine is a very good companion for a hot summer evening.

Terrae Nobilles Piave Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

This is the last wine we had during our trip to Rome. A brilliant ruby red with hints of garnet in colour. Generous aromas, remarkable for their velvety elegance, infuses with ripe fruit and a gentle note of spice and herbs. A remarkably length finish with some notes of wild berries. A truly wonderful wine.

The wine comes from the collection of Barrone Bianchi, who was a famous sommelier in Italy during the 19th century. Source: www.lesommelier.com

It was a wonderful Italian evening in the middle of old historical buildings and a truly romantic atmosphere with the most pleasant company.

Bonterra Zinfandel 2004

We had this wonderful Californian Zinfandel on my graduation day and it did make my evening very special. The taste was intense and unique. A wonderful combination of dried blueberries, plums and spices. Its grapes are 86% Zinfandel, 11% Petite Syrah and 3% Syrah. The combination is refined and very elegant.

The Zinfandel grape variety is typically grown in Italy. I have already blogged and liked very much an Italian Zinfandel, but honestly, I cannot tell which one is better. The American one has this strong aroma and certain style that is different and better in a way than the Italian. Furthermore, this Zinfandel is said to be organic, and I am much fond of organic foods.

If you have time you should check out the website of Bonterra Winery here. It contents a very colourful and unique way of presenting the wines. Good job!

Bi Cycle Pinot Noir & Merlot 2008

This is a great wine from the Minkov Brothers Winery in Bulgaria, coming from the popular Bulgarian Thracian region. It is new for me, although recently I tried Chateau Karnobat Merlot and I wasn't charmed. Nevertheless, I was recommended to try the Minkov Brother's higher class wines and I wasn't disappointed. Starting from the bottle, it is stylish and original. The picture on the label is very interesting - at first sight it looks as if a man is riding a normal bicycle. However, it is not a normal bicycle, but one made of a bed! Interesting...

The wine's taste is harmonious and rich. A very pleasant taste of dried fruits and caramel. Definately a good choice for the evening.