2009 Re Midas Corvina

Some may say I'm a compulsive spender, and hell, the world seems to now cater to my "habit" with impulse sites like Rue La La and Gilt Group (which ironically now have wine deals much like our friends over at Wine Woot).

But the fact of the matter is that despite my "consumption issues" I'm a huge advocate of bargain shopping, so its no wonder I get excited when I find a wine bottle that was a diamond in the rough but on my type of budget.

We introduced you to Re Midas a few weeks ago, a range of indigenous wines from the Veneto region of Italy (compliments of Cantina di Soave) that are both well-priced and easy to drink. We loved their

Re Midas Soave so much, that we knew we needed to try their Corvina which also utilize native grapes and is a perfect option for every day enjoyment.

Re Midas' 2009 Corvina is a medium-bodied red that offers a light viscosity and light ruby color. You'll get a combination of wild flowers and citrus on the nose, but what I admired about this glass the most was its ability to begin earthy on the palate and steadily transcend into a more fruit forward wine by its finish. You'll be delighted by this wine's bing cherry and red raspberry undertones, too! Perfect for pasta or risotto nights and only

Cost: $9.99/bottle

Where to Buy: Columbus Wines

Pair With: Perfect with pasta or risotto!

Deal Buzz: Napa Valley Marriott for $109/nt!

Awesome Napa Valley Marriott deal featured on this week's Travelzoo's Top 20 if you're itching to get to wine country in the next few months. It includes a tasting stop at one of my favs, St. Supery (be sure to tell Lesley & Tina I said 'sup if you go!)

BUZZ: Message in a Bottle Sweeps from "Wines That Rock"

I was fortunate enough to receive a special collection of new, Wines That Rock (literally) last week and I'm super jazzed to try them out just in time for the holidays. By looks, I know they are going to make great stocking stuffers for winos and winobees alike (hopefully, they'll be just as gangsta in taste too - that review to come!)

Wines That Rock are inspired by the music of The Police, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and Woodstock. And to celebrate the release of their new Police-inspired wine, Synchroncity (a red blend), they partnered up with Wine Enthusiast for the "Message in a Bottle" sweepstakes.

One grand prize winner and a friend will win the chance at:

• Roundtrip airfare and transportation to the Wines That Rock winery
• 2-night stay at the Vineyards Private Bungalow (holler!)
• Private tour of the winery and tasting experiences with winemaker Mark Beaman
• Bass guitar signed by Sting (holy hell!)

So, grab a glass of wine, bust out RockBand on your Wii and unleash your inner rockstar by signing up for this awesome contest!

2007 Zeca Mesa Roussanne

By now everyone knows I'm a sucker for red wine. I prefer it. I love its fuller body. I appreciate its robustness. And I adore how well it can be paired during the fall months with heavier food dishes.

But being an open-minded Winobee, I can't always discriminate against my fellow whites. In fact, I recently discovered a white wine that packed just as many as the attributes I noted above and made me start to think about white wines beyond the crisp, summer months. And I couldn't help but laugh when chatting with the folks at Zaca Mesa who described this wine as the "white wine for red wine drinkers." I knew I was on to something!

Enter a 2007 Zeca Mesa Roussanne from Santa Ynez Valley, grown sustainably in Santa Barbara County vineyard. Roussanne... not a grape variety I admit I had heard of before (I mean who thinks of white wines beyond pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc and chardonnay anyway?)

This assertive wine uses hand picked and whole-cluster pressed Roussanne grapes, barrel fermented in French Oak (yum) and then aged sur lie (which is thought to give it more complexity) for 10 months. The result? An intense profile of flavors and weight, but a versatility that captures every season. It pairs with so many different flavors!

The first thing that caught my eye was this wine's yellow golden color. On the nose and palate, a blend of fall fruits, like pears and figs, with an undertone of toasted nuts. There was a tangy bite at the finish, but overall this wine was nicely balanced and offered a slight minerality that makes it a great selection as we move further into November.

Cost: $25/bottle

Where to Buy: Zaca Mesa Winery Shop

Pairing: This wine has a refreshing acidity that would match well with salty foods, and a weight to stand up to rich dishes. Try it with a rosemary roast chicken or lobster risotto.

*Disclaimer: This product was sent by the winery for review. All opinions are 100% from the reviewer's of this site.

Boozeday Tuesday: Go BLUE!

It's Boozeday Tuesday... and sometimes (as much as I love wine) I need a stiff cocktail and some girl time to settle down post-madness. So what better way to kick off my evening than with a lil' Van Gogh BLUE cocktail and girly gab?

BLUEberry Lemon Drop

• 1.5 oz Van Gogh Blue
• 1/2 Lemon and 4 blueberries, muddled
• Splash of Sour Mix
• 1/4 Raspberry Liquer, sunk with 3 fresh blueberries

*For a little extra WinoBee flare, add some prosecco!

But until its the end of the work day, we'll have to settle for some mid-day virtual fun. When your boss isn't looking, log on to Facebook and become friends with Van Gogh BLUE. Click on their "Contest" tab. Once there you can fill out a cheeky "gab lib" cocktail confession story about you and your friends. Its sort of like doing those old school Mad Libs and coming up with crazy ridiculous, but hysterically funny stories. Only this time, your comic genius could land you a free party.

Yup, yup - 25 friends, a $500 AMEX giftcard and a celebrity chef in your kitchen. SOLD! This would be the perfect addition to our #WineDown parties, so you better believe I sacrificed some creative juices in the form of nouns, adjectives, verbs and even animals and body parts in efforts to win!

Contest ends December 3rd so hurry up and enter (or don't, so I have a better chance of winning!)

Buzz: Los Gatos-Saratoga Wine Trail

If you're in the California-area (or looking for a good excuse to get out there) check out the new Los Gatos-Saratoga Wine Trail in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Just 12 miles in length, the Wine Trail is inspired by a collective vision of five area wineries: Fleming Jenkins Vineyard & Winery (yes, that's Fleming, as in Peggy Fleming the former Olympic medalist - toe pick!), Testarossa Winery, Cinnabar Winery (a Wino

Bee fav), Cooper-Garrod Estate Vineyards and Savannah-Channelle Vineyards.

These artisan wineries produce small lots of critically acclaimed wine including cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, merlor, pinot noir, rose, syrah and viognier.

And just in time for the holiday season, winos alike can share in the fun of their "Happy Holidays Trail Tasting" through December 31st, featuring 2-for-1 wine tasting and 10% discounts on all wine purchases. Now, thats my kind of "happy" holiday.

Buzz: Skinner Vineyards Announces Estate Wine Program

Skinner Vineyards just announced its Estate Wine program for Syrah, Viognier, Grenache and Petite Syrah grown at the Stoney Creek Vineyard (part of their 67-acre property in El Dorado County, CA). The new 12,000 square foot solar-powered greentech winery will soon be complete - we love sustainable production!

For now, the temporary Certificate of Occupancy was granted for the crushpad and fermentation areas of the winery, which will allow Skinner Vineyards to produce wines on site beginning with this 2010 harvest season.

When asked, Owner & President Mike Skinner commented, "We are thrilled to bring our harvest to our own winery this year. The late ripening conditions this year really helped us, as we were fighting against the clock to get the crucial parts of the new winery built and inspected. As it happens, the timing work out perfectly for us."

In their Estate Wine program, you'll be able to taste roses and whites in 2011. The reds will be aged in oak before they are released in 2012 and 2013. Patience is a virtue... and we can't wait to give them a whirl!