Wine Appraiser

Dennis Loll
  • 5.0 (5)
  • FOOD
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Dennis and Denise talk about, learn about, and blindly taste affordable wines from around the world, and give their unbiased opinion about wines.

  1. 1D AGO

    Gruner Veltliner? Oh Ja!

    Tonight, we are tasting another new wine. It’s Gruner Veltliner. Sometimes just referred to as Gruner. These wines have primary flavors of lemon, lime, grapefruit, and nectarine; followed by notes of white pepper, iris, green bean, radish, tarragon, ginger, and honey. The best Gruners are perfumed, dry, and full-bodied with high acidity. This is the number one wine grape in Austria. It can be made into a light fruity wine, a heavier bodied dry wine, and a sparkling sekt. Serve well chilled, near refrigerator temperature. We are tasting with a Riesling which I'm guessing will be fairly similar to the Gruner. Tonight, we are tasting: 2024 Doris and Leopold Gruner Veltliner. Purchased at Trader Joe’s for $5.99. Wine Enthusiast rated it an 88. Bright and lively, with zesty citrus, orchard fruit, white pepper spice, and a touch of macadamia on the finish. Clean and refreshing. 2025 Rieslingfreak No. 33 Reverence of Riesling. I purchased this wine from Costco for $14.99. It comes from Clare Valley, Australia. This winery has Rieslings that have scored upto 98. Fine Wine and Good Spirits called the wine highly perfumed bouquet of lemon thyme, lime, rosewater. This is a dry, fruity, and perfumed Riesling. The winery says it is made for immediate enjoyment. 10.5% alcohol. We both scored the Gruner a 3 and the Riesling a 4. We would highly recommend both of these wines. Next week we are exploring Australia.

    18 min

  2. FEB 11

    What is a Pet-Nat? Let's Find Out!

    What is a Pet-Nat? They will often have a bottle cap on top. They are sparkling, but not at the level of a Cava, Prosecco, or Champagne. They are lightly fizzed. They are natural wines made without much intervention. They use natural yeasts and without many additives. Pet-Nat’s normally have a little lower alcohol. I’ve read that they can be kind of funky, not sure what to expect. They use the “Methode ancestrale” – without intervention. Tonight, we are tasting:: 2024 Amuse Bouche Pet-Nat. I purchased this at Trader Joe’s for $12.99. It has no added sugar, yeasts, or sulfites. The wine has 12.5% alcohol. 100% Grenache from the Languedoc region. Notes of Raspberry and grapefruit, as well as some white peach notes by the nose. On the palate. The wine is moderate in acidity and has a good mouthfeel due to the fine and delicate bubbles. It contains no added yeast, sugars, or sulphites. Pairs with summer salads, seuteed shrimp. We did not like the wine. Denise rated it a 2 and I had more of a dislike and gave it a 1. Neither of us would buy this wine again.

    15 min

  3. FEB 4

    Don’t Let a Movie Stop You From Enjoying Merlot.

    Tonight, we are tasting two Merlots from different price points. The movie Sideways came out in 2004, and is now over 20 years old. When the movie was released, Merlot was the number #1 wine in the US, at about 15% of the total market. Greater than Cabernet Sauvignon at around 12%. By December of 2006, Merlot's market share was down to 12%, and by 2014 it was down further to 9%. California Merlot production also saw a huge reduction, going from 305,000 tons in 2000 to 220,000 tons in 2019. Merlot production in California’s (Napa/Sonoma) regions dropped 55-60% between 2000 and 2019, and new plantings of Merlot in California as a whole declined 35% from 2004 and 2023. But is Merlot set to rebound? It is still the top wine choice for Millennials in a 2016 survey. Merlot is still the most planted grape in Bordeaux. East Coast wine production is taking off, and Merlot is the number 1 grape in many of these areas. Tonight, we are tasting: 2023 Trader Joe’s Platinum Reserve Merlot. I purchased the wine from Trader Joe’s for $14.99. It comes from Napa Valley. It has 14.8% alcohol. The Reverse Wine Snob says aromas of dark fruit, lots of cedar, and other notes of barrel aging, such as a little spice. It gives it a recommended buy.2021 Markham Napa Valley Vineyards Merlot. I purchased the wine from Wall to Wall Wine for $29.00. It has 14.5% alcohol. The Wine Enthusiast, which scored it a 90, says, Juicy palate of cherries and plums drizzled through with chocolate and violet candy accented by fresh herbs. As usual, we blind-tasted the wines. Many times we find wines of various price ranges have only minor differences. That was not the case tonight. These wines are very different, especially in flavor. While I found the Trader Joe's wine to have a pleasant aroma, I found the taste simple and lacking substance. It had notes of fruit, spice, and herbs; but was overall a light taste and had a quick finish. Also, for having such light flavors, the tannins were pronounced. Denise scored this wine a 2, and I put it at a 3. The Markum was vastly different. It had a wonderful warm aroma full of berries, vanilla, and spice. The flavor was packed with berries, vanilla, spice, and chocolate. Smooth tannins and had a nice finish. Denise really liked this one but stayed at a 3. I really enjoyed it and gave it a strong 4. Scoring: 1-won't drink; 2-won't buy again; 3-nice drinkable wine; 4-buy again; 5-won't share Next week, we are going to learn about and taste our first Pet-Nat.

    23 min

  4. JAN 28

    Sauvignon Blanc Challenge.

    Tonight, we are tasting two Sauvignon Blancs. My favorite Sauvignon Blancs are from Sancerre, part of the Loire Valley in France. Bright but with a lot of minerality. Some people prefer the bright acidic Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand. We purchased two wines, a New Zealand wine from Trader Joe’s for $10, and a Napa Valley wine Costco for $28. Tonight, we are tasting: 2024 Kono Sauvignon Blanc. I purchased the wine from Trader Joe’s for $10. It comes from Marlborough, New Zealand and received a 90 rating from the Wine Enthusiast. It has 13% alcohol. They say passionfruit, lime and grassy. Dry and zippy. The winery says aromas of citrus, grapefruit, passionfruit, and lemongrass. Taste of ripe lemon and lime, green apple, pineapple. Fresh and bright acidity. Pairs with seafood, scallops, mussels, oysters, white fish, salad, and vegetable dishes. Goat cheese. https://www.konowines.co.nz/2023 Beaulieu Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc. This comes from the Rutherford region of Napa Valley. I purchased the wine from Costco for $28. The winery says aromas of meyer lemon, white peach, orange blossom, and bright pineapple, along subtle oak notes of brioche toast and marzipan. Flavors of ripe citrus fruits. Round and luscious, and very well balanced. Crisp and lively. Pairs with charcuterie platter, mixed salads, mixed salads, and lighter fish or chicken dishes.Wine Enthusiast rated this wine a 92. The wine spends 5 months in new French oak to add structure. https://www.bvwines.com/ We both enjoyed the Kono. I scored a 4 and Denise a 3. The Beaulieu was not our favorite. I scored it a 3 and Denise a 2. I would definitely recommend the Kono. This wine was bright, but well balanced and packed with flavor. Next week, we are jumping into Merlot.

    22 min

  5. JAN 21

    Does Chenin Blanc-Viognier Make a Good White Blend?

    Tonight we have two Chenin Blanc-Viognier white blends. We have talked about both of these varieties before. Both of these wines are about 80% Chenin Blanc and 20% is Viognier. This is a typical blend because Chenin Blanc is bright and acidic and Viognier is fuller-bodied with a hint of sweetness (eventhough it is a dry wine). Chenin Blanc is a very versatile grape that can be made into late harvest sweet dessert wines, dry white wines, sparkling wines, and oaked or unoaked wines. While versatility could be a good thing, it may actually be a bad thing because people don’t always know what the wine is going to be like when they get a Chenin Blanc. We have also talked about Viognier before. Viognier in France comes mostly from the Rhone Valley. Outside of France it can be found in North and South America, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. It has some similarities to Chardonnay because it can make a full-bodied white wine. It requires a long growing season to develop, and is known for having lower yields. Viognier has flavors of tangerine, mango, honeysuckle, rose, and peach. Serve slightly chilled from 45 to 55 degrees. Pair with white meats or fish, especially if they are nut encrusted. Tonight, we are tasting: 2024 Mbali Chenin Blanc-Viognier. I purchased this at Trader Joe’s for $5.99. It is made up of 79% Chenin Blanc and 21% Viognier. The Reverse Wine Snob says it has bright fruit guava, melon, lychee, and honeyed tangerine. Mbali is the Zulu word for flower. The Cheap Wine Finder says this is a wine to buy multiple bottles of. I like his line “keep it cheap”. The wine is unoaked and has 13.5% alcohol.2024 Pine Ridge Vineyards Chenin Blanc-Viognier. I purchased this at Trader Joe’s for $13.99. It is made up of 80% Chenin Blanc and 20% Viognier. It’s vegan friendly, gluten free, no pesticides, lower alcohol, and has less than 1 gram of sugar per glass. They use a lighter bottle which is better for the environment. Pairs with light salads, seafood, and foods with a bit of spiciness. Great pair with appetizers. Aromas of Kiwi, melon, key lime zest, white flowers, honeysuckle, and jasmine. Flavors of Lychee, orange blossom, peach, citrus, crisp acidity. Clean and bright with no oak and no malolactic fermentation. Fruit comes from Clarksburg, CA. Was voted the #27 Best Buy by the Wine Spectator. We loved the Pine Ridge and scored it a 4. The Mbali was also good and we both gave it a 3. Next week, we are having a Mystery Show. Can we tell what we are drinking. Most importantly, we will go through the reasoning for our guess.

    24 min

  6. JAN 14

    Zweigelt Anyone? We Never Have, so Let's Give it a Try!

    It is Austria’s most planted wine grape. Named after Dr. Zweigelt who developed the variety in 1922 from a cross of Blaufrankisch and St. Laurent. The wine is known for being bright, tart, and fruity. Zweigelt can also make great rose’ sparkling wines. In Austria sparkling wine is known as Sekt. People say the wine compares to a Pinot Noir. Tonight, we are tasting: 2020 Johann Schwarz “The Butcher” Zweigelt. I purchased the wine from Gateway Market in Des Moines for $21.99. It is 100% Zweigelt and has 12.5% alcohol. It comes from Burgenland region of Austria and received an 85 rating from the WineEnthusiast. Aromas of cherry, dark berries, herbs, and spices. Balanced palate with firm tannins and flavors of cherry and oak. We both unfortunately did not like this wine and rated it a 2. We did not get the tart and acid that is described and found it to be flat and flabby. We promise to give the variety another try later. Next week, we are having a tasting that I am super excited for. We have two Chenin Blanc-Viognier blends. Both are inexpensive, but one was listed as #27 on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines.

    17 min

  7. JAN 7

    Hunting for a Bargain Wine. Blind Tasting 3 Wines – 2 of Them Bargains.

    Tonight, we are tasting three wines. Two will be around $10, and a third wine will be over $20. Can we taste the difference? Tonight, we are tasting: 2022 Epicuro Aglianico from Puglia, Italy. Purchased from Trader Joe’s for $5.99. Blackberry and cherry with light spicy notes. Smooth and velvety. 13% alcohol. Single varietal wine, fermented in stainless steel tanks followed by maturation on the lees for several months before bottling. Does have some residual sugar. 2023 Tribunal Red Wine from the North Coast of California. Purchased at Trader Joe’s for $12.00. Bold and full-bodied. Jammy fruit forward wine with lots of spice. People say it can be a little hot, but pairs well with burgers, pizza, and tacos.2017 Skylark las aves from the North Coast of California. This was purchased from Wine Styles for around $25. Mendocino County California. A Spanish inspired blend of 33% Carignane, 27% Syrah, 26% Grenache, and 14% Cabernet Sauvignon. Received a 92 rating from Wilfred Wong. Aromas of red cherry and raspberry, floral violet, and forest floor. Denise liked the $12 wine, the Tribunal. I preferred the $25 Skylark. However, if you like fruity, jammy, oaky red wines, and are looking for a bargain. You might want to try the Tribunal. I can really indorse the Skylark. I found this to be very smooth with good acidity and very well balanced. Next week, we are having our first Austrian wine, a Zweigelt.

    20 min

  8. 12/31/2025

    2025 Year in Review. Welcome 2026!

    Tonight, we are tasting a Champagne and celebrating the past year. We are drinking a LeMesnil Blanc De Blancs Grand Cru Brut Champagne. It is 100% chardonnay and comes from the Grand Cru vineyards of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. It is a dry wine with flavors of citrus (lemon & orange), white flowers, peach, almond blossom, brioche, pie crust, biscuit, chalky minerality, and a creamy finish. It is aged on the lees for years and the grapes are grown in chalky soils. It costs around $50. Best show moment – top three count down. 12/17/25 Dennis the wine grape going into the wine press.10/1/25 Ned and Mertal started the show.5/7/2025 Mothers Day we did 70’s slang. Next week we will have the first show of the new year. Budget show with 2 wines from around $10 and one at around $20.

    25 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Dennis and Denise talk about, learn about, and blindly taste affordable wines from around the world, and give their unbiased opinion about wines.

Information

  • Creator
    Dennis Loll
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    89
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Dennis Loll