Battle of the Pinots - Or - What I did during the blizzard

I am admittedly a snob when it comes to screw cap wine. I like corks. I like to cut the foil off the bottle and pull the cork. There is something so satisfying about the sound the cork makes as it leaves the bottle. Thwop! It just sounds happy. Unscrewing a wine bottle makes it feel like Nyquil...

So tonight I am tasting two Pinots. One of them has a screw cap. I almost didn't pick it up, but a handwritten note in front of the bottle said, "Shockingly good!" The price tag next to it, "$9.99". Really? hmmmmm. The gauntlet was thrown and I picked up the Redtree Pinot Noir.

I am, however, a college educated woman. A woman that knows better than to leave the liquor store, the night before a snow storm armed only with a bottle of wine that she bought mostly on a dare. So I also bought the Pavilion Pinot Noir priced at $14.99. It has a cork.

First the Redtree... When tasting wine, it is important to always start with the wine you expect to like less... I mean the lesser wine ...crap I mean, the less sophisticated of your selections...

I really did go into this wanting to like the Redtree. There is nothing I like better than a deal: a delicious, mouthwatering, come to mama deal! The Redtree is not that. There is no nuance. There is no depth. There is no complexity. It is house wine... no, that's not a fair description. (I love a good house wine.) It is returnable. More on that in a minute.

On to the Pavilion. It is everything the Redtree lacks. Fruit forward: I picked up raspberry and black cherry. Light to medium bodied, but it offered a full mouth feel. It was good... even better after it had been open for a bit. Smooth, slick, and innately drinkable.


I bought both of these wines at North River Wine and Spirits. It is a great local wine shop. The people that work there are knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful. They have tastings often, and carry many wines that you don't see every day. It is a great place to find something different to try. This is the first time I have not been happy with one of their suggestions.


Which takes us back to returnable. Most people don't think of consumable items as being returnable, but under some circumstances they are. If the wine has turned, or if the wine shop has recommended it and you really do not like it, you should absolutely take it back. Most wine shops will let you return a bottle under these circumstances, especially if you are a regular customer.

So now it is back to making Valentine's Day Cards with Karen Ray, another glass of the Pavilion, and the snow storm that wasn't.