Layer Cake Primitivo a.k.a. Zinfandel 2007 IGT Puglia, Italy

I got the Layer Cake. I bit the bullet and sprung for the $17+ bottle of wine. This may be my most expensive one yet!

I was headed for the Layer Cake Shiraz, but the Party Factory was out of that, so I ended up with the Primitivo instead. That's just fine with me, because I like to try new things. And apparently Primitivo is not just one new thing for me, but two: the Primitivo variety of grape is genetically equivalent to the Zinfandel variety, and although I've certainly had white Zin before, this is my first red.

I love the way Layer Cake's web site describes this wine (except for maybe that bit about tar):

"A balance of elegance and power; inky black fruit, spice and white pepper, jammy black cherries, plums, blackberry fruit, truffles, tar, and espresso. Warm and rich in the mouth with a creamy texture; the ripe fruit is well supported by the deep structure of the wine."

Even better is the description on the bottle label:

"Wine, if properly made, is like a great layer cake: fruit, mocha and chocolate, hints of spice and rich, always rich. 'Never pass up a layer cake.'"

Words to live by!

But mostly what I got from it was an acidic and green but smoky flavor. Good stuff! But I'm not sure it's worth twice as much as some other decent wines I've tried.

Bridgeview Blue Moon Riesling 2007 Oregon

Why do I keep buying white wines? Granted, I don't buy them near as often as I buy reds, but I haven't quit yet, even though I never like them. I guess I just keep hoping I'll come across one that I enjoy. Or, should I say, one that I enjoy as much as I enjoy a red.

Part of my problem on my most recent trip to the Party Factory was that I had about 5 minutes in which to make my selections. I didn't want to be late to work on account of spending too long in buying wine. I was actually looking for a bottle of "Layer Cake," which I'd seen on a menu at a restaurant. It sounded so good to me, being a huge fan of chocolate cake (so much so that I am on an unofficial mission to try the chocolate cake at every restaurant in town to try to figure out whose is the best, which is the sort of mission where the journey is more important than the destination). I don't even remember what type of wine it was, except that it was a red. Well, after spending too many of my five precious minutes looking for Layer Cake wine, I found a bottle of their Shiraz, but I lost my nerve when I saw that it cost $17+. I'm more of a $12 to $15 bottle kind of girl. Not that the few extra dollars would break me; instead, this is based on the psychology of a cheapskate. If I know I can find something I like for cheaper than $17, it's hard to spend a little extra on something untried. So I bought a cheaper Shiraz that was right next to the Layer Cake (you'll be hearing about that one soon enough). I like to buy at least two bottles to make the drive to Arkansas worth my while, and the pretty blue bottle of this Riesling caught my eye.

I first tried this wine on Saturday night, and really didn't care for it, but I couldn't blog about it then because the Internet was broken. (At least at our house, not sure about the rest of the world). I must also mention that, as completely inappropriate as I'm sure this is, for half the day on Sunday I had a case of the stinkiest farts I can ever remember. I won't know until tomorrow if this was because of the wine or if it was some other unknown, never-to-be-discovered factor. I hope for the sake of the friends I'll be meeting with in the morning that it was the latter.

I am actually appreciating the wine more tonight on its second trial. Who knows if it is just because it is sufficiently chilled tonight (perhaps it didn't chill long enough before I tried it on Saturday), or if a few days in contact with oxygen has actually been good for this wine, or if it is related to what I have or haven't eaten tonight compared to the other night. Whatever the reason, without having to use my imagination too much I can taste the apple and honey-spice notes that the bottle label mentions, and it's not too bad. It isn't overly sweet, which is nice. But when I imagine a good robust red in comparison, I know this is just not my kind of wine. Suffice it to say that a pretty bottle is not a good way to choose a wine. As much as I like the idea of broadening my horizons, I really need to stick with the reds. At least until summer when I would appreciate the extra chill in my drink.