Summer time means a few things to me, among many; hot weather, grilling, & chilling with delicious wine and friends!

St. Francis Winery and Vineyards Sonoma County Chardonnay is a perfect choice for that hot day. It was voted one of the 12 best California Chardonnay’s for under $22 by Wine Spectator.

At $15, this Chardonnay has nice crisp citrus, melon, and vanilla notes, with a long smooth, yet not too acidic, finish. Grilled chicken or shrimp ka-bobs and white fish would be a wonderful pairing!

Take a look at WineChannelTV with this BBQ wine that will make your Memorial Day something to remember!

Cheers,

JustJess

President Clinton, Mrs. Bush and Joe Montana all have one thing in common- they’re big fans of St.Francis Winery and Vineyards.

St. Francis Winery President & CEO Christopher W. Silva has done a remarkable job spreading the word about St.Francis Winery to people like you and me…as well as to those former Presidents and All-Stars.

One wine that I recently enjoyed of theirs was the 2007 Old Vines Zinfandel from Sonoma County. The wine is a gem.

This “old world style” zinfandel is filled with aromas of boysenberry and ripe black cherries , with a hint of toasted oak that is beautifully delivered on a long smooth finish. This full-bodied wine is made from vines in Sonoma County that “must” be at least 50 years old, according to their website. Due to the age of the vines, you would only expect a deep, lucious wine like this to be brought forth!

BBQ ribs, grilled pork chops, sausage and steaks have found their perfect pairing with this full-bodied, zesty wine.

Take a look at WineChannelTV to see how this wine can make your next grilling and chilling outing even better!

Cheers,

JustJess

Wine with an interesting story to be told is always a great conversation just waiting to happen.

While walking through Wal-Mart, I spotted Toasted Head Chardonnay for $11.97 and I had a feeling there was a good story behind this name !

This Chardonnay comes from the Dunnigan Hill AVA in Yolo County, a little west of Napa in California. It’s warm climate provides for a nice even ripening, and resulted in aromas of toasted vanilla, peach and pineapple. The palate is very acidic and a bit creamy with hints of butterscotch, lemon and vanilla. This would be a perfect compliment to creamy pasta dishes, roasted chicken and white fish.

The name also comes with a great little story. As they state on their site, “Toasted Head is named for the age-old practice of toasting barrel heads …that imparts a mellow, toasted flavor to barrel-aged wines.”

And that fire breathing bear on the label? Its inspiration derives from artist Robert Shetterly which he drew for a poem called “Speaking Fire at Stones.”

Good wine and an interesting story is what I am all about

I have to admit, I’ve had better wines at even under ten bucks than this Chardonnay, but try this out for yourself and let me know what you think!

Cheers,

JustJess

Do you know how to properly pronounce Clos Du Bois? If you’re like me, not fluent in French, and butchered the name, take a look at their site.

Not only do they have a rockstar website with their food pairings & “how-to” section for wine, but there is a button you can click to listen to the proper pronunciation for Clos Du Bois.

At first glance, this Wal-Mart wine for about $13.97 seemed like I was going to be going home with a French wine. Then I took a closer glance and noticed it’s actually from Sonoma’s County’s Alexander and Dry Creek Valley in CA. I wonder how many people shopping at WAL-MART actually take the time to look at the small print on this wine and are not deceived ?!

Either way, this California fruit bomb wine proved to be a winner. It’s deep plum, chocolate and raspberry notes, complimented the toasted vanilla on the palate making this a wonderful, smooth pairing with your next filet mignon or even lasagna dinner.

Take a look at WCTV in action to see is this Merlot will make your night as well!

Cheers,

JustJess

Summer is coming which means one thing to me- it is getting HOT ! And the only thing better than a nice dip in the ocean is a glass of refreshing crisp Riesling.

So when I was at my local Wal-Mart I decided to pick up a bottle of Schmitt Sohne Riesling Qualitatswein to quench my thirst for only $8.97.

This wine was delightful and not too sweet; the bright apple, pear notes with it’s crisp acidity makes this a perfect pairing for that spicy thai dish or fresh salad with grilled chicken. This is not one of the best Riesling’s I’ve had, but for under ten bucks it hit the spot for a glass or two.

As well, make sure to check out their website; their marketing with this Little German man that guides you through the site is a riot !

Take a look at WCTV’s JustJess in action to see if this Riesling will make your day brighter!

Cheers,

JustJess

When I think of Chianti in Italy, I typically picture it in one of those legendary “fiasco” squat bottles enclosed in a straw basket. Days of living in Firenze come back to me when I see those!

Those days are almost gone, but not forgotten. Wal-Mart has taken on with the new and their Da Vinci Chianti caught my eye.

The Da Vinci Chianti from Wal-Mart has a unique story behind it claiming to be made in the town that Leonardo da Vinci was from. I’m not sure if that’s just a PR tactic or not, but it worked!

This Chianti DOCG wine was very fruit-forward having nice aromas of ripe cherries and raspberry, with a soft not too tannic finish. For $13.97 , this wine definitely classifies as one of my hidden gems from Wal-Mart and would be a great accompaniment to that pasta marinara dinner of yours

Check out Wine Channel TV in action to see if this Wal-Mart wine will make your next pasta dish even better!

Cheers,

JustJess

Can you think of the last WINE commercial you’ve seen? Yellow Tail wine is the only wine commercial that comes to my mind.

They have done a wonderful job spreading the word about their wine from commercials to billboards, so I figured it was about time to try it out when I saw it in my local Wal-Mart for only $5.97.

I went with their 2008 Shiraz-Cabernet blend, and this Australian wine is a mouthful. The acidity really hits you right off the bat, with notes of ripe raspberry and plum. The deep berry flavors and lingering finish makes this a great pairing with strong blue or Gruyere cheese, hearty beef stews, and even spaghetti & meatballs, as they say on their site.

Their site is very informational and has their recent commercials listed & fun facts, such as how they got their name while looking up the word kangaroo and saw in parentheses next to wallaby the word yellow tail.  They also list the nutritional value for one glass of their wine. I think that’s big. How many times do you see a new beer commercial claiming to be lower in calories than some other beer? Alot !

Now, why don’t we see that with wine ?! I think the wine world has some stepping up to do. Yellow Tail is definitely carving the right path.

Watch Wine Channel TV in action to see if this blend matches up to the great marketing Yellow Tail has to offer!

Cheers,

JustJess

Do you have a Kindle or are you thinking of getting one? Then you will want to read this post!

A nice glass of wine, the beach and a great read on my kindle are a few things that make my day. I love it so much, I take my kindle with me on all my travels cross country to wine events.

When I returned home this weekend, I went to open my Kindle and…. it was broken

It looks as if Airport Customs had tried to open it in my suitcase, and when they did it snapped right on the hinges.

So, I googled broken Kindle, and guess what…Amazon has a $5 million dollar class action lawsuit against them for exactly the problem I encountered, broken hinges on my Kindle.

I called Kindle and it was literally as easy as pie. They sent me out a new one the next DAY, with a $35 coupon and a new power cord. It doesn’t get much better than that!

I would love to know, has this problem happened to any of you out there? Let me know!

Take a look at Wine Channel TV in action by the beach with their NEW Kindle

Cheers,

JustJess

Are you looking for a wine to test out with The Wine Clip that I reviewed the other day ? Look no further than Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel.

The eye-catching label of this Wal-Mart Zinfandel caught my eye, and at only $8.97 I thought I’d give it a try.

The robust licorice and plum aromas were complimented by spicy berry, vanilla, oak and chocolate flavors with a lingering finish.

The Gnarly Head site mentions this would be a great pairing with chili, bbq or pizza, and I agree! This is not a wine for that special steak or anniversary night…this is what you would expect for $8.97.

Take a look to see exactly what JustJess thought of this wine !

Cheers,

JustJess

Steak night and the perfect under $10 dollar bottle of wine can all be made possible at … your local Wal-Mart. Yes, Wal-Mart ! I wonder if Mr. Trump shops for his wine there yet ?

I have seen Red Diamond Merlot on many wine lists in restaurants, that probably Mr. Trump dines at, and had never tried it. So I was excited to crack this Washington state wine open.

For right under 10 bucks, this wine is an earthy-spice bomb. Hints of vanilla and cherry aromas are followed by juicy plum, red berry and oaky flavors that would make this a perfect compliment with your char-grilled steak or a wood-oven fired pizza .

Take a peak at Wine Channel TV in action to see if this “cheap” wine would make your dinner special!

PS – Mr. Trump, if you read this, how about you and I go on Letterman to prove him wrong on his “Top 10 Reasons why Wal-Mart wine sucks” ?!

Cheers,

JustJess