Williamsburg Winery Governor's White

Wine: Williamsburg Winery Governor's White
Price:$5.99
Store: Total (although, it's in all the local grocery stores and whatnot)

"A fresh, fruity semi-dry blend, perfect as an aperitif or with light fare. A wine for all seasons, this fruity wine is an excellent complement to seafood as well as ham, and light luncheon fare. Chilled, the wine will also be good company to cajun and other spicy cuisine." ~www.williamsburgwinery.com

Have I mentioned that I love local wines? Well, for me, you don't get much more local than this. The hubs and I went and toured the winery last spring. It's amazing to see something like this so close to us. We did the basic tasting, which was $8 for the tour, taste 7 different wines, and take home a nifty souvenir glass. It was a lot of fun. This wine I actually fell in love with well before that tasting-a friend recommended it to me for making white sangria (yummy). It's great as sangria, but I also really enjoy drinking it as is.

The description says it's a wine for all seasons, but it is a little light for the winter. (I also prefer reds during the winter, anyway.) It is the perfect combination of fruity-sweetness and dry-ness. It has a nice smooth finish with a slight hint of acidity. The bouquet is not too overwhelming, although I must admit I'm a bit congested right now and not in a good place to really describe it. Overall, this has become my favorite basic white wine.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Tomahawk Mill Virginia Apple Wine

Wine: Tomahawk Mill Virginia Apple Wine
Price: ~$10.00
Store: Neptune Festival Wine Fest

"A sweet fruit wine made from crushed apples. Serve with pork, cheese, or dessert."~www.tomahawkmill.com

Such a yummy wine, but I have trouble considering this a wine. It is on the sweet side, but it's much more like a hard apple cider than a wine. There is a slight acidity to the after taste, and the bouquet is all apples. I'd like to try this warm sometime, but, alas, the bottle is finished, and I don't know where I can find this in stores. The website does not list any distributors, and the winery is on the opposite side of the state from me.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Ironstone Xpression

Wine: Ironstone Xpression
Price: ??? Gift
Store: Trader Joe's (I think...)
"Xpression has youthful aromas that are reminiscent of fresh picked strawberries and cherries followed by hints of watermelon, peaches and citrus fruits. Made with incredible finesse and balance, this semi-dry wine finishes crisp and clean." ~www.ironstonevinyards.com

A friend of mine brought this over to enjoy with dinner the other evening. She's a big fan of White Zinfandels, but I find that they are a little on the bland side. Recently, though, we've discovered the joys of rose table wines, and we both like them a lot. Gentle enough for her palette, but enough flavor for mine. This wine does not have much scent to it (or I'm congested and didn't realize it), but it does have a very full flavor. There is a strong fruit presence, but it tends towards the dryer rather sweet side. There is a very mild acidity to it. A very pleasant and enjoyable wine.

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

Rockbridge Jeremiah's

Wine: Rockbridge Vineyards Jeremiah's
Store: Neptune Festival Virginia Wine Festival
Price: $8.99???



"A rose of Concord grapes, this has a lovely fruity bouquet. Drink well-chilled and have fun!"~ www.rockbridgevineyard.com

Sometime in the middle of September, I went to a Virginia Wine Festival sponsored by the Neptune Festival. It was a fabulous time. At least 20 different vineyards with a variety of samples for a ticket of $25. I love Virginia wines-I love being able to support local vineyards-so this event was right up my alley.

First of all, the name of this wine excites me. It was inspired by 3 Dog Night's "Joy to the World," specifically about "Jeremiah was a Bullfrog" lines. But the wine itself was quite yummy. It's quite a fruity rose table wine. It has a lovely floral bouquet, and this is a very flavorful, fruity taste. Such a great rose wine. I shared this with a friend of mine this evening for dinner and she enjoyed it just as much as I did.

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Outdoor Halloween Decorations

For the past few years, I've wanted to add in tombstones outside. Store bought ones just weren't good enough for me-the hubs and I wanted to put our own inscriptions on them. Unfortunately, I do not have a saw, but my wonderful father was kind enough to cut these out of plywood for me and add in some stakes so they would go into the ground a bit easier. I tried spray painting them first, which did not work, but acted as a nice base or primer coat. Then I found the perfect grey exterior paint in the “oops bin” at Home Depot. One quart was a plenty for what I needed, and I was thrilled to only pay $1. So each tombstone received a couple coats, followed by a light coating of Valspar’s Stone Effect spray paint. It gave a nice general effect of stone. Finally, I painted on the names, dates, and quotes from our subjects: Romeo & Juliet, Darth Vader, The Wicked Witch of the West, Mufasa, and Kenny. A random selection, but they worked for us. I also added in two ghosts I found at JoAnn’s. Originally, I was going to make them, but these were cheaper than I could have made them for.







I found these cornstalks at our local farmer’s market, which have been up since the end of September with my scarecrow and pumpkins. I cannot wait to carve the pumpkins for Halloween!

I found these tins at Target in the “Dollar Spot.” They were actually $2.50 each, but they were a heck of a lot cheaper than similar $10 ones I had seen around. The pumpkin lights are also from Target’s “Dollar Spot,” although also $2.50. (Apparently, I have expensive tastes even when it’s coming from the cheap section of the store!)

For Halloween evening, we will add in a strobe light behind the Romeo & Juliet tombstone, a CD with creepy sounds playing from on the front porch, and, of course, carved pumpkins.I'm also hoping that I can finagle a dark, cloaked figure on the bench on our front porch to intimidate trick-or-treaters and party goers.

Blue Fin Pinot Noir

Wine: Blue Fin Pinot Noir
Store: Trader Joe's
Price: $3.99

“Blue Fin Pinot Noir, a new addition to the Blue Fin family, is a vibrant, ruby-colored wine with rich, fresh berry and currant flavors and a velvety smooth finish. This wine is priced at the ridiculously low $3.99 a bottle – a perfect example of our favorite equation: quality + price = value.” ~ Trader Joe's Fearless Flyer


This is a very smooth drinking red wine. Quite possibly my favorite red wine. There are some very subtle hints of berry which gives it the slightest hint of sweetness. There is a slightly acidic after taste, but it's not at all unpleasant. This is a great cheap wine.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.

Yellow Tail Rose

Wine: Yellow Tail Rose
Price: $4.97
Store: Wegman's

"A refreshing bouquet of ripe strawberries and cherries in this Rose wine. Crisp acidity, finely textured tannins and a sweet, supple finish." ~ www.discoveryellowtail.com

Not a bad cheap rose. It is a much bolder, flavorful rose than others in this price range. The fruits are evident, but I don't find it to be quite as acidic as the description might infer. A very smooth drinking wine. I would recommend this wine in particular for novice wine drinkers looking for something with a little more flavor.

Rating 3 1/2 out of 5 stars