A Peek at Wagner Wine & Spirits (and my FAV wine)

Let me start off this post by saying, “Cheers!”
Only seems fitting 😉 Grab you a glass and enjoy!! Because tonight’s forecast is 99% chance of wine!!

I’ve never really discussed wine on my blog before and I’m not sure why. After all, it is my favorite thing to drink! To be honest, its like the only type of liquor I drink! Over time my love for wine has grown! Especially red wine! As I’m sitting here typing this post I’m dreaming of a future vacation to Napa Valley! Have any of you all ever been? I’m dying to go explore all the wineries there! I’ve told Clint, it’s happening soon! Until then, I’ll keep tasting and trying out new kinds to keep my taste buds occupied!

Anyways, along with todays absurd amount of pictures (there were sooo many I loved I couldn’t narrow it down to 8 or 10) I wanted to share with you all some of my favorite wines, along with ones I’ve been loving recently! I took a wine class, back in college, with some of my girlfriends. Half of the information and verbiage I’m using, came from that class! That’s when I really started getting into wine, the different kinds, and what foods to pair with what!

In order, here’s the list of my favorite types of wines and why:

Albarino- This is my favorite wine of all time! It’s light weight, has high acidity, and is moderately alcoholic. Albarino has peach, apricot, pear, apple, and lemon aromas. It is rich and well balanced in the mouth! It’s aftertaste is the best because it leaves a juicy, fruit flavor on your palate.
Malbec- mhmmm.. I love a good, dry, red wine! Malbec is my go to! It’s a very heavy weight wine that taste of black cheery, mulberry, violets, leather, and spice! Plus it’s got a higher alc % than most other wines.
Sauvignon Blanc- I recently turned Clint onto this wine. It’s because of it’s citrus taste, with hints of asparagus, line, and cut grass. It’s a light to medium bodied wine that’s very aromatic. If you like crisp, fresh wine, try this!
Pinot Noir- This type of wine has flavorful cherry, cranberry, mushroom, floral aroma to it. It’s got a silky texture, with a little bit of tart taste.
Merlot- Merlot has a pretty high alcohol %. It’s flavor profile consists of blueberry, blackberry, bell pepper, and cheery.
Riesling- One of the reasons I love Riesling is because I drink it with my spicy asian food (lo mein specifically) and candied nut salads! This wine goes great with those dishes! This is a wine that tastes like honeysuckle, lime, apricot, ad minerals.
Pinot Gris- This wine has a fairly simple complexity. It taste of citrus, pear, lemon, mint, and lychee. I love it because it’s crisp and has no oak flavors.
Torrontes– I actually haven’t had this wine in forever. Now I’m craving it! I remember drinking it in college and loving it! It’s a unique Argentina wine that has citrus, floral flavors.

So many people have a hard time finding wines they truly love. Some are too sweet or too dry. Others are more fruitful, crisp, or tart!
If you’re trying to determine what you like about a wine remember the 5 S’s:

See
Swirl
Sniff
Sip
Summarize

Favorite Brand Names to Try & prices: (if you live in Paducah or surrounding areas you can find these wines at Wagner!)

White
- La Caña- Albariño $15.99
- Kung Fu Girl- Dry Riesling $13.99
- Elk Cove- Pinot Blanc $19.99

Red
- Michael David Freak Show- red blend $21.99
- Imagery- Cabernet Sauvignon $15.99
- 19 crimes- red blend $12.99 OR you could do the 19 crimes- Cabernet Sauvignon $12.99

I used to think I could never find a great bottle of wine fore under $25. Over the past couple years I’ve learned that is sooo false! You can typically find some really good wines under $15! All the ones I’ve listed above are 10/10 and reasonably priced!

What Wine to pair with what food:

(Oaked) Chardonnay
- Rich, creamy cheeses
- lobster and crab
- roasted poultry
- cheesy pasta dishes
Sauvignon Blanc
- salad and herbal dishes
- goat cheese
- fish and seafood (especially oysters)
- asparagus
- raw tomatoes
- chicken
- grilled pork
Dry Riesling
- all kinds of seafood
- vegetarian cuisine
- deep fried food (tempura or zucchini sticks)
Pinot Noir
- dishes with earthy flavors-truffles, mushrooms
- salmon or tuna
- stewed meats
- turkey with stuffing
- roast duck or chicken
Merlot
- casseroles
- grilled or roasted meats
- burgers, sausages, duck
- blue cheese
- chocolate
Cabernet Sauvignon
- beef (especially if it’s lean)
- steak (grilled)
- dark chocolate (best wine to pair it with)
- sharp, aged cheeses (cheddar, blue cheese)
Syrah / Shiraz
- sausage
- beef or lamb (smoked or grilled)
- anything that’s blackened or barbecued
- aged or hard cheeses
Riesling
- asian foods
- indian cuisine
- seafood
- salads with fruits or candied nuts
- deep fried food
Pinot Gris/ Grigio
- antipasto
- steamed mussels
- quiche
- pasta
- chicken or white meats
- creamy cheeses – goat or sheep’s milk, smoked
Zinfandel
- pork or veal
- pizza (especially sausage or pepperoni)
- grilled burgers
- anything spicy or blackened
Sauvignon Blanc
- salads and herbal dishes
- asparagus
- raw tomatoes
- sautéed or fried chicken n
- grilled pork
- fish and seafood
Torrontes
- sushi
- mexican food
- guacamole
- asian food
- chicken
- citrus fruits
Malbec
- Sausage
- Pizza
- Steak, beef, lamb
Albarino
- seafood and fish
- steamed mussels
- grilled shrimp and shellfish dishes
- ceviche
- tapas
- caesar salad

Some other fun facts:

The average price per bottle spent for wine in the USA is between $9 – $12
Smell is the most important sense when judging and enjoying wine.
When someone says a wine is ‘dry’ it means there’s an absence of sugar.
America’s favorite white wines are chardonnay, moscato, and riesling.
Red wine gets it’s color from the skin of the grape
The best known red wine from Australia is Shiraz.
The best known red wine from Argentina is Malbec! (one of my favs! They are grown from a high altitude)
Acid and tannin allows red wine to age well.
6% of California wines come from Sonoma, 4-5% come from Napa, and around 75% come from the Central Valley
Australia is one of the top producers of wine in the world.

Huge THANK YOU to Wagner Wine & Spirits for hosting me!
And having the best selection in town!
Hope y’all enjoyed today’s post!

“Wine a bit, you’ll feel better!”
“The best wines are the ones we drink with our friends!”
“It’s always wine o’clock”