Sonoma Landing Pinot Noir 2008

This is a cheap and fairly tasty pinot. I usually don't like pinots, because they taste like zombie feet, but this one isn't too bad--particularly for the price--I think it was about $12ish. We first discovered it at BevMo during the 5-cent wine sale, which can make new and questionable wine-ventures more appealing. You mean I can get two crappy bottles of wine for the price of one? Yes please!

I recall it being better when fully open--I mean, you can drink it right from the bottle, and I won't judge you--but you'll get the most bang for your buck if you really let it breathe for a few hours, or decant it or perform an exorcism on it, take it shopping, play twister with it.

Sonoma Landing, which is fun to say in the Pavilions Announcer Lady voice, may be more of a drinking wine than a tasting wine, but it is by no means awful. And I feel bad (I don't feel bad), if the best thing I can say about a wine is that it "isn't awful," but as I mentioned in my parenthetical statement, I don't feel bad.

It is never a bad idea to have a few bottles of cheap drinking wine on hand when you have your tasting out of the way and want to keep your buzz going. Especially if the conversation is great.

Bottom line: Good for the wallet, questionably good for the liver, unless you are in need of a new doorstop.