Ever had Rotgipfler? From Austria to France: 9 wines for May

We tried nine wines from across the world, including a varietal you don’t see too often - Rotgipfler.

We tried nine wines from across the world, including a varietal you don’t see too often - Rotgipfler.Marc Bona, cleveland.com

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CLEVELAND, Ohio – We tried nine wines from five countries ranging from $9.99 to $25 this month.

We sipped Zweigelt from Austria, Cabernet Franc from California and even a Rotgipfler.

Note: Our monthly reviews focus on wines $25 and under. All should be available on local store shelves. We list flavors we detect, then offer our favorite at the end.

We’ll start with a trio of Pinot Project wines (thepinotproject.com), which source grapes from all over the world:

Pinot Project

We tried nine wines from across the world, including a varietal you don’t see too often - Rotgipfler.

Pinot Project Pinot GrigioMarc Bona, cleveland.com

Pinot Grigio from Italy, 2024, $13.99:

Citrus and lime in the aroma, lime on the palate. Lemon-bar type flavors with a bit of creaminess and a hint of spice. One tasting pal detected a smidgen of sour apple. Went great with grilled chicken salad with tomatoes and greens.

We tried nine wines from across the world, including a varietal you don’t see too often - Rotgipfler.

Pinot Project RoseMarc Bona, cleveland.com

Rosé from France, 2024, $13.99:

Pretty silvery color with candy-like, bubble-gum and watermelon flavors. Dryness creeps in with slight tartness (like SweeTarts, one tasting pal said). A pleasant sipper with enough acid to stand up to food.

We tried nine wines from across the world, including a varietal you don’t see too often - Rotgipfler.

Pinot Project Pinot NoirMarc Bona, cleveland.com

Pinot Noir from California, 2022, $16.99:

Not bad but a bit pedestrian. Typical inexpensive California Pinot. Some tomato and smoky notes with a bit of Montmorency cherry flavor. Nothing crazy but no off flavors. You get what you pay for.

We tried nine wines from across the world, including a varietal you don’t see too often - Rotgipfler.

QuestMarc Bona, cleveland.com

Quest

hopefamilywines.com, California, Cabernet Franc, 2023, $25

Smoke in the aroma. Lot of fruit. Black raspberry. Dryness emerges on the finish. Gutsy wine would be good with burgers (went fine with tostados). Cab Franc from California is always interesting, though blind we would have guessed this was a jammy Zinfandel.

We tried nine wines from across the world, including a varietal you don’t see too often - Rotgipfler.

Joel GottMarc Bona, cleveland.com

Joel Gott

gottwines.com, California, Sauvignon Blanc, 2023, $16

Pear, lime and peach flavors all play nicely here. Not overly acidic. Definitely not like New Zealand versions of the varietal at all. Bright tasting. Great wine, great value.

We tried nine wines from across the world, including a varietal you don’t see too often - Rotgipfler.

GobelsburgMarc Bona, cleveland.com

Schlosskellerei Gobelsburg Zweigelt Niederösterreich

shop.gobelsburg.at, Austria, Zweigelt, 2021, $18

That’s a mouthful, eh? Very fruity, some tomato, slight vegetal finish and tannic on the end. Would be good with burgers or barbecue ribs. Schlosskellerei Gobelsburg is the winery. Zweigelt is the grape. Niederösterreich is the region. Zweigelt often has notes of black peppery and is a spicy, medium-bodied red wine.

We tried nine wines from across the world, including a varietal you don’t see too often - Rotgipfler.

Reinisch RotgipflerMarc Bona, cleveland.com

Reinisch Rotgipfler

Reinisch, Austria, Rotgipfler, 2022, $22

Almond notes, liked subtle flavors of a dried-out sugar cookie. Slightly floral with peach notes. Some acid. Went well with spaghetti and lemon shrimp, but we liked it better as a stand-alone sipper. Reinisch is the winery. Rotgipfler is the grape. Thermenregion is the region.

We tried nine wines from across the world, including a varietal you don’t see too often - Rotgipfler.

Robert Mondavi Private SelectionMarc Bona, cleveland.com

Robert Mondavi

robertmondaviprivateselection.com, California, Chardonnay, 2023, $9.99

Billed as a spring sipper with notes of apple, melon, citrus and tropical fruits. A creaminess comes across that mellows this out. Versatile, great-value wine.

We tried nine wines from across the world, including a varietal you don’t see too often - Rotgipfler.

GaiaMarc Bona, cleveland.com

Gaia

domainebousquet.com/en, Argentina, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2022, $25

With organic wines you sometimes get a thin wine that can’t be aged too long. This wine – 100% Cab - held up nicely. The estate-grown wine is certified organic. Rich tasting, dark berries. Gaia in ancient Greek mythology is the personification of the Earth, a supreme, mother goddess.

This month’s favorite

A pair of whites get the nod - Joel Gott and Robert Mondavi.

I cover restaurants, drinks, sports-related and other topics on our life and culture team. For my recent stories, here’s a cleveland.com directory. WTAM-1100’s Bill Wills and I talk food and drink at 9:35 a.m. Tuesdays. Twitter and IG: @mbona30. To check out my books, go to marcbona.net.

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