Nothin' to 'em

The good thing about sampling lots of different wines is that even if you encounter some that don't tickle your bean, they will still get you drunk if you keep at it long enough.

This week's offerings have been weak, unfortunately, but it's my sworn duty to let you people know what's up in the wino world. The cheap wino world, of course.

First up is the Cycles Gladiator 2004 Pinor Noir. I should have known that this wine would be sub-par simply by what the label told me: Jack shit. Click here to read the label text. Completely unhelpful, right? It's not often that I tolerate that kind of bullshit label from a domestic wine.

Cycles is strongly alcoholic — gird your nose hairs — and not all that complex. There's more alcohol than fruit, which is okay after a glass or two, but it signifies an inferior wine, as far as I can tell. There are much better wines to be had for the cheap-o $10 price.

Next up is this Blue Fish 2005 Riesling — a cute little concoction in a fun bottle with a name that just makes me think of the many dining establishments in Memphis — Bluefin, etc.

I was actually expecting a lot more from this wine than it delivered. The nose is subtle and supplies hints of apricot, but the actual taste is weak and the finish is so short that it's practically non-existent.

It's hard to even get a read on the taste before it's washed down and evaporated.

Oh, how I long to love the wines with cute labels and logos, but I can't recommend this one, despite its super cheap price (less than $10). It's a screw-top, which you know I love, but if I'm gonna drop $10 on a Riesling, I'm going with Relax.