Getting Started

Well here it is. The bell has rung, the horn sounded and the clock is ticking. The blog is officially off the ground and this is the first posting of markuncorked. My wife actually came up with the idea of the "uncorked" name partly due to the notion that when I start yammering endlessly about wine she would like to put a cork in my mouth to give her ears a break. Now don't get the wrong impression about my fascination (obsession) with wine. I won't turn down a cold beer while sitting by the river on a hot summer day or a shot of Irish whiskey on a cold winter night relaxing by the fireplace but if someone pops a cork on a bottle of wine, I'll be the first one in line with my glass extended, a smile on my face, ready to talk about wine and when I say talk about wine, I mean everything about wine. Growing grapes, harvesting, vinification (making wine), storing, blending, bottling, tasting  and all points in between.
 The reasoning behind this blog is to give you, the reader, an inside look at the trials and tribulations of becoming a Sommelier. Along the way, I'll review wines, talk about vineyards I have visited, wine and food pairings, provide some tips for selecting wines, suggest some fun wine tastings for your friends and family plus a whole lot more. So lets get started.

Wine Reviews
The rules are simple. I won't use phrases like "a smack of sweaty leather", "hints of freshly buried truffles in a Slovakian countryside", or "reminds me of Christmas morning opening presents in my favorite wool sweater" (really?). It's an everyday, Joe's/Joanne's approach to wine. We'll talk about colour, aroma, taste, finish, price point, suggest wines you may like that are similar to the reviewed wine and I'll end every wine review with the comment "I like this wine because.."

Ogio Primitivo -2008 - Puglia Italy

This wine has a medium dark ruby red colour with an aroma of black cherries, spice and some pepper.

The flavour is predominantly cherries with a slight tea flavour and moderate tannins. It has a light to medium
body with a pleasant cherry finish.
Price - Under $10
I like this wine because it's a lighter drinking wine that's a great deal at under $10. Good for spaghetti and meatball dinner or sitting on your back porch with friends listening to music and swatting mosquitoes
If you like a Primitivo you may like it's cousin Zinfandel - try a Clos du Bois Zinfandel

Block 50 Chardonnay - 2007 - Central Ranges, Australia

A nice pale yellow chardonnay with an aroma of honey, apples citrus and vanilla. The flavour's of honey and apples are also on the palate and it has a nice balance of acidity and sweetness contained in a medium bodied wine.
Price - under $15
I like this wine because it's typical of the good chardonnays that come from Australia and could be served with roasted chicken.
If you like a Chardonnay, you may want to try a Viognier - Cono Sur Viognier from Chile

Cheers !!