Sawmill Creek Wines Pinot Grigio-Chardonnay

A few weeks, I was in Kelowna for a friend's wedding. While I was there, I went on a wine tour where I tasted some great stuff and some not-so-great stuff. If, while on my tour, someone had given me a glass of Sawmill Creek's Pinot Grigio-Chardonnay I would have put it right in the middle of what I was tasting.

Before I go any further, I need to disclose that I received my 1.5L (yes, it's giant) bottle of Sawmill Creek wine because I'm participating in a BzzAgent campaign about the company. This means that I received my wine for free.

Smirnoff Red Door Party

Photos shamelessly taken from Smirnoff's Facebook page

Last Saturday night, I and a few hundred other lucky people were invited to one of Smirnoff’s Red Door parties.

When I first received my invite, I misread the address and thought that Smirnoff was taking over Annex institution The Madison, an idea I wasn’t sold on (the Madison’s always so cramped and crowded and there’s nowhere to dance). Turned out that the party was actually being hosted in a frat house located right beside the Madison, a location that really worked for the “house-party” theme that Smirnoff was aiming for.

Gabbiano Pinot Grigio 2010

First off, I’m not a wine person and so I don’t know the proper lingo when it comes to reviewing wine. So think of this less of a review and more as I note to myself: Don’t buy this wine, an Italian pinot grigio, again.

It wasn’t a bad wine but it also wasn’t a great wine, at least not for sipping, which is how I consumed it (this review says that it does better when paired with pasta). While it started off fruity and okay, it quickly became acidic tasting, which then turned into a bland, unremarkable taste.

So yes, it was drinkable but not something I’d bother picking up again, even if it did cost under $14.

Palm Bay Spritz

Since it’s Halloween weekend, it seems appropriate to review something alcoholic:  Palm Bay spritzes, a vodka-based beverage that's sold in six-packs and comes in four flavours.

I only tried two of those flavours: key lime cherry and strawberry pineapple and trust me, when it comes to drinks like this one, it's all about the flavours.

Smirnoff Tuscan Lemonade

I love attending a good house party but bringing alcohol to one can be a pain. I don’t drink beer and while I’m fine with wine, it’s not my first choice as a house party drink. Plus if you bring wine, other people tend to drink it. Same with hard alcohol plus with the hard stuff, you need to bring mix and that’s something else to drag along and then other people drink that or you don’t have enough and you end up drinking a vodka and diet Coke (which I don’t recommend).

Meanwhile, coolers are a pain to get to a house party and usually present a quantity problem: Four is too little while eight is too much (usually).