It had been a number of years  since I had the opportunity of sampling any of the wines from Covey Run Winery from Columbia Valley, Washington. I was recently given a bottle of their 2010 Merlot, and to say the least, I was truly disappointed with the wine. It was bland, and had an off-aromas and flavors that did not appeal to me at all. Since I had not been feeling well recently, I asked my wife for her impressions of the wine, and she did not care for it either. I hate to say it, but the quality of the 2010 Merlot was very disappointing from what I remembered a few years ago when I carried it in my wine bar. But then again, maybe my expectations were to high for this inexpensive Merlot. This is a wine that I would not recommend at all.

Jon

I get asked a lot of questions regarding pairing food and wine together, and with the football season upon us, I get asked quite a bit about pairing football food with wine. So I was asked what wine would pair well with beef sliders topped with cheese and sauteed onions, and the first wine that came to mind was Merlot. I decided to go with the 2010 Edna Valley Vineyard Merlot, and this wine did not disappoint at all with the beef sliders. The Edna Valley Merlot is a fruit-forward Merlot, and the color in the glass was a light, ruby red color. The aromas were of red berries, cherries, and a hint of vanilla. The flavors followed the aromas, and were of red raspberries, cherries, blueberries, and just a touch of vanilla. This was a light to medium-bodied Merlot, with soft tannins, and a short finish. As far as pairing this wine with football food, it more than passed the test.

Jon

The Flying Fish label is part of the Click Wine Group based out of Seattle, Washington. The Flying Fish wine making team selects premium grapes from various vineyards throughout the Columbia Valley AVA. By choosing grapes from different vineyards and locales, the philosophy is that each of the vineyards has its own micro-climate, and will add a varying distinctiveness to the wine.
In the glass the 2010 Flying Fish Merlot has a garnet red color to it, and the aromas are of cherries, red berries and a trace of cloves. In the mouth the flavors are of tart cherries, red berries, followed by vanilla, and a hint of cloves. This is a medium-bodied Merlot, with a medium finish, and soft tannins. For the price of around $12, this is a decent tasting Merlot.

I am always looking for an affordable, everyday drinking wine, but one that is also quaffable. There have been numerous bottles of wine that I poured down the sink because they were just horrendous. So finding a good wine under the $10 mark is not always the easiest thing. Recently I picked up a bottle of the Rex Goliath Merlot just to try this everyday drinking wine. While the quality is not there compared to a more pricier bottle of Merlot, for the price it wasn’t bad. The aromas and flavors of this wine were of red plums, cherries, and berries. This is a medium-bodied wine, with soft tannins, and it drinks fairly well considering it’s priced under $10. Give the Rex Goliath Merlot a try, but don’t expect much from this wine.

Jon