Finding wines in Fairbanks can be interesting. Mostly what we see are the mass market ones, some very good, but generally somewhat limited selection. The descriptions of wines following are ones we have sought out or discovered. Some carted back from travels, some ordered online, some via friends and family. We are wine novices so do not expect anything flowery in 'comments'. Heck, I don't even understand some of the profesional comments... what does "weird Duck sauce component" mean? Anyway, we're reaching a stage in our lives to explore a bit more from mass market table wines and trying to pay some attention to what we're drinking and discovering possibilities, looks like it could be an interesting journey (in moderation, of course).
Some of the wines readily available in Fairbanks we buy include:
| Folie a Deux 2006 Menage a Trois Red
We did find this locally several years ago and liked, but now hard to find so we visted wine.com. A very pleasant wine. |
| Barboursville 2004 Virginia Cabernet Franc Reserve
Brought back from our winery tour of Virginia in September 2005. Bottles we drank then were a bit raw, but shows promise... saved one to try later. |
| Mount Palomar Temecula Valley 2005 Chardonnay (CR 84)
A gift to Karen, looks interesting! Ok, worth another try if ever see it around. |
| Castello d'Albola Chianti Classico 2004 (WS 85)
We visited the winery on our honeymoon in October 2004 and made a point to acquire some from grapes being harvested when we were there. Brought a couple bottles home after finding them in PA Spirits store 09/2007, then used the web to buy a case. Also brought some home from a Minneapolis trip. Besides our memories, this is a very nice Classico... we will definitely seek it out again. We will likely save some of the 2004 bottles while seeking future vintages. |
| 2004 Castello d'Albola Chianti Classico Riserva
Re-visited PA spirits and brought four bottles home 07/2008. Very nice (plus the memories), seeking out more and will age some if we find it. |
| 2003 Castello d'Albola Chianti Classico Riserva
I found these in PA Spirits store when travelling w/out Karen 12/2007. The grapes were being harvested when we met and the wine was maturing when we visited the winery on our honeymoon. I opened my first bottle in PA without Karen, wonderful aroma... more inclined to sniff than sip at first, but the taste was superb. Was it the wine alone or memories and missing Karen? Even my mom (not a wine drinker) commented that the aroma was nice... from across the room. Brought several bottles home. |
| Antinori 2004 Chianti Classico Peppoli (WS 90)
Case via wine.com, an Ok Classico, a little heavier than norm... maybe a little young still. |
| Rocca Delle Macie 2004 Chianti Classico
Case via wine.com, an Ok Classico but Gab is easier to buy (for us). |
| 2004 Nipozzano Riserva Chianti Rufina (WS 91)
Found at Fred's, BJ (Anchorage), and Gavora. A nice chianti (multiple buys). |
| 2004 Villa Cafaggio Chianti Classico (GV 90+, cr92)
Two bottles from Brown Jug Warehousse in Anchorage. A very pleasant Classico, good aroma and body. Will definitely seek this out again. |
| 2003 Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva (RP 91)
Two bottles from Brown Jug Warehousse in Anchorage, tasty. |
| Coltbuono Chianti Classico 2004
From Gavora for anniversary...a respectable Classico. |
| Gabbiano Chianti Classico Riserva
We continue to buy Gab since it is readily available and good. For taste vs. price the Classico is a better "deal" than the Riserva, but both are solid. |
| Caparzo 1999 Brunello di Montalcino
Probably first Brunello we bought in US (after Honeymoon), definitely developing a taste for brunello although they're heavier/bolder than what we typically drink. Patience with brunello is likely rewarded. |
| Banfi 2004 Rosso di Montalcino
We are starting to acquire a taste for Brunellos, but found several Rossos more to our liking... perhaps combination of untrained palates and looking at the price. This Rosso was good. We tasted several Rossos and Brunellos while in Montalcino on our honeymoon in 2004. |
| Banfi 1999 Brunello di Montalcino (WS 94, ST 90)
A single via wine.com, haven't tried yet... probably most expensive wine I have ever purcheased (outside of a restaurant) for myself, saving this for awhile. |
| Col d'Orcia 2004 Spezieri
Ordered a Case via wine.com, a very nice wine for the price and will seek it out again (when the case is gone). |
| 2001 Col D'Orcia Brunello di Montalcino
Two bottles from Brown Jug Warehousse in Anchorage, have not tried yet. |
| Frescobaldi 2004 Campo Al Sassi Rosso Di Montalcino
Two bottles from Brown Jug Warehousse in Anchorage. A nice rosso, worth buying again. |
| 2005 Casanova di Neri Rosso di Montalcino
Two bottles from Brown Jug Warehousse in Anchorage, a respectable Rosso. |
| Poggio Il Castellare Brunello Di Montalcino 2001 (WS 91, WE 89)
Brought two bottles back from PA trip 12/2007, haven't tried yet. |
| Fassati 2004 Selciaia Rosso di Montepulciano
Case via wine.com, pleasant wine for price, quite drinkable now. We didn't visit Montepulciano, wish we had (bus trip from Montalcino)... next time, :) |
| Monte Antico 2004 Rosso (WS 87, WA 88)
Case via wine.com, definitely heavier, this may age well. |
| Capezzana 2004 Barco Reale (WS 84 WA 90 WE 86)
A single via wine.com, they only had one. That was unfortunate as was very nice... definite buy again if we find it. |
| Sovrana Batasiolo Barbera d'Alba 2004
From Gavora for anniversary, havee not tried yet. |
| Palazzo della Torre Allegrini Veronese 2004 (WA 90)
From Gavora for anniversary, have not tried yet. |
| Avignonesi Rosso Montepulciano 2004
From Gavora for anniversary, ok but nothing special. |
| Col di Sasso Sangiovese 2004
From Gavora for anniversary...have had before, an Ok table wine. |
| Chateau Les Graves de Barrau Bordeaux 2003
A single via wine.com. Ok, but nothing special. |
| Bouchard Aine & Fils Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2005
A single via wine.com. Nice... buy again. |
| Louis Bernard Cotes du Rhone 2006 (WS 86)
A single via wine.com. Not exciting, won't seek this out. |
| Chateau Fonbadet 2004 Pauillac (WS 89 WE 91)
We drank a Pauillac for dinner at Double Muskey in Girdwood on first night of our initial honeymoon 06/05/04. Have had several since, these bottles came via wine.com and haven't tried yet. |
| 2004 Reserve de la Comtesse Pauillac (RP 88-90, GV 90)
Two bottles from Brown Jug Warehousse in Anchorage and a third from Gavora, have not tried yet. |
| Chateauneuf du Pape Chateau de Beaucastel 2003 (WS 94, RP 92, ST 93)
Gift from Deb&Ron, haven't tried yet... although very tempted!. |
| Sichel 1979 Grand Vin de Bordeaux Medoc
This bottle was purchased in a mass buy probably in 1989, several nicer bottles were placed on the upper shelves of the wine rack to save for later... this is the last one left from that batch (forgotten for years). The previous survivor from that purchase was a French Cabernet (I never noted maker|vintage) opened with friends around 1998 and was probably one of the nicest wines I have ever had. Even in ignorance allowing wines to age can reap rewards, someday we'll see if this one is worthy. |
| Sandeman Don Fino Superior Dry Sherry
I have never been much of a Sherry drinker, this bottle was leftover from a party ~1991 and has been gathering dust at top of wine rack. No vintage, not supposed to be aged. Someday it will get opened, we'll either be pleasantly surprised or use remainder for cooking, probably the later. |
| Cellarium Bisencii Frankova 2005 (vinarska oblast morava)
We were in Prague, Czech Republic, July 2007. Being hot and having wonderful beers, that is mostly what we drank. We had heard favorable things about Moravian wines, on last night there I decided to seek one out. Visited a local store, we were not staying in a tourist district. The labels were all in Czech and beyond my comprehension and the prices were dirt cheap. I finally settled on a bottle, the most expensive one they had: approximately $3. Scarey cheap. At the airport duty-free shop saw a similar bottle (flashier export labeling) for $20, so perhaps this won't be scarey. We continued to drink beer the following week in Germany, so the bottle flew home with us. When we did open the bottle, what a pleasant surprise... aromatic and very tasty. Worth carrying home... wished we had tried more! |