By Rob Bralow
Hope Family Wines has given me new appreciation for the "value" section of the wine shop. They sent me a few samples from their Liberty Wines brand, each of which costs $14, and they were really good.
I mean really good. They were exactly what I wanted wines for $14 to be. The 2007 Liberty School Chardonnay had classic pear and apple notes. It was light and fresh and simple and very enjoyable. It was just pleasant and unpretentious and... beautiful for a $14 bottle. It is all relative, but I have had plenty of wines that I paid more for that I liked less.
Then there was the 2007 Libert School Cabernet Sauvignon, smooth and silky with blackberry and cassis. Again, a simple wine, but vibrant and able to match any food you throw at it.
In addition, this winery created an iPhone app called Wine DJ that is your music on the go. That and it ties itself to which wine you are feeling. Seriously, you feel like listening to Cabernet Sauvignon you can. You want to listen to a Syrah or a Merlot, or even a Chardonnay or a Marsanne/Viognier, you got it. Try it out, it's fun, but if you are looking for something that has not been branded up the wazzoo, then maybe this might be a little too much.
