To Drink: $5 Wine Vol. 5 Blue Fin California Pinot Noir

no tunas were injured in the making of this wine. i actually don't know that for sure. i'm just guessing.

To me, pinot noir means "just order me" when I get overwhelmed by a wine list at a restaurant. And lots of people are saying to me, "choose a Wilamette Valley pinot noir!" and that's nice of them, but the glasses of that apparently golden nectar costs the same as like 2-3 bottles of this jazz. So, anyway, that can be prohibitive.

Maybe, I thought to myself, I don't even like pinot noir. But I just know its name so I think I like it. 


For example, anytime that song comes on, the one by Bruno Mars Marry You  I think: I love this song! But, I don't. I just know that song. ALSO, I'm relieved, because I reviewed the lyrics just now. And, I always thought Bruno was saying something about "dancing Jews" but it just turns out he's talking about "dancing juice" -- which is not a thing. In fact, dancing Jewish people probably makes more sense in the scheme of things that might be real. ANYWAY.

Pinot noir is a thin skinned grape (so don't make fun of it-- OMG LULZ) which makes for a lighter bodied wine, apparently, and many of the young versions of the wine are red fruited flavors, ie: cherries, strawberries, raspberries. They are native to the Burgundy region in France, but they're also grown in a million other places. The million other places are generally cooler regions, just don't forget that, maybe.

Our Blue Fin comes from California. It's from the Napa region, I think you've heard of it. Some of the best pinot noirs are coming out of the Wilamette Valley in Oregon, (per those experts above I mentioned as well as Wineternet Experts) and I've had some of those at restaurants (when I'm feeling baller); I don't see a lot of Oregonian options at the TJs.

But California makes some good Pinot Noirs too, because, the VALLEY in which they are grown has some cool spots. (I capitalized valley because Napa is actually a valley; it's not just a cute name... the more you know!) According to the Wine Folly folks, Californian PNs are supposedly bigger, lusher, and more fruit forward than say, it's French counterparts. French are meant to be earthier, herby, and floral. To me, the French sounds way more interesssssssssssting.

But the point is, I think if I'm looking for a lighter, easy drinking red wine, I'll go for a young pinot noir. And the next time, I'll want to try a Frenchie. And my verdict, based on what I'm reading, is that I should like pinot noir. I'm super anxious to think of these things while I'm trying a French one.

Back to our Blue Fin. It smells... well, like how you'd imagine wine to smell. I don't know how else to say it. It's fruity without complications of leather or oak. It's soft with round edges. It's pleasant. It is distinguishably (a word that should exist but doesn't) light. Like, crazy light. I have to show my husband how light it is by pouring myself another smidgen of wine. It's practically translucent!

see! you can see through the glass! it's like garnet colored.

It's delicious though. I mean, it's light (see above) but not in a bad way. In a nice, let's sit and chat and drink some bottles of this wine, kinda way. This is not an interesting wine where you're wondering: what is that scent? It's just a nice drink to drink.

Final thoughts, Blue Fin:

should we take points off because that font looks like comic sans? let's not. this time.

Was it true to its grape? So it was not luscious but it was fruity. And, it was meant to be red fruited since its a young wine, and it certainly was.

Would I drink it again? On a porch with wind blowing in my hair, preferably.
Would I bring it to a party? Mmmhmm. To the porch party (I don't have my own porch).
Anything to remember? Serve it with appetizers. Nothing too robust, otherwise it'd get lost.

Whitney's Wine Score (1-42): 36 [same as La Finca Cab Sauv, fyi]
The Meaning of the Points:
1-10: Hellllllllllllllll no.
11-19: I mean, no thank you. But. Eh.
20-27: Fine. That was fine. Fair enough.
28-34: Sure. Ya. I can drink that again. Soonish, even.
35-40: Oh! How delightful. Yes, please, again!
40-42: Amazeballs. Completely lovely. Excellent. Can I have another bottle, now?