Ugarte Cosecha 2007

By CHRIS and SHERRY HARDIE

Four generations of the Eguren Ugarte family have produced wines in the Spanish region of Rioja, where this red blend takes its name from the Spanish word for harvest.

Spanish wine sales in the U.S. continue to increase as consumers become more familiar with the varieties and the value delivered by one of the world's largest wine producers. This wine is a blend of 80 percent tempranillo - the noble grape of Spain - and 20 percent garnacha, which comes from family-owned vineyards.

Aged in American oak, the wine is a bit husky at first but opens up in the glass with red fruit flavors and a lingering finish with slightly untamed tannins.

Sherry: "Dry, tart cherry with coconut and a little bitter on the finish." Three stars

Chris: "Dusty and dry with flavors of plum, raspberry and licorice." Three and a half stars

Available locally for about $11.

Bandit Riesling 2009

By CHRIS and SHERRY HARDIE

In honor of Earth Day, here is a wine featuring one of the new, more environmentally friendly

packages.

Bandit uses Tetra Pak cartons, which are made mainly from paper and contain a full liter of wine compared to the traditional 750 milliliter bottle.

Bandit says the packaging has a smaller carbon footprint and costs less to transport because it is space efficient when folded flat. It also would make a good beach or picnic wine where glass bottles are restricted.

Inside are grapes from Washington's Columbia Valley, which are fermented in stainless steel for a crisp, acidic wine made in a slightly off-dry style. Not bad for wine in a big juice box. (Chris kept looking for the straw.)

Sherry: "Green apple, citrus lime, pear and almond." 3 stars

Chris: "Apple, pear and lime with a hint of peach and a dry finish." 2-1/2 stars

Available locally for about $8.

Coming next week: Ugarte Cosecha

Graffigna Centenario Malbec 2008

By Chris and Sherry Hardie

The national grape of Argentina continues to be the source of some interesting red wines like this from one of the country's oldest winemakers.

Italian immigrant Don Santiago Graffigna started the winery in

San Juan in 1870. The steep hillsides and high elevations provide a sunny and dry environment.

Malbec can be rustic and untamed, and this offering is certainly not meek. It has a husky aroma of berries and tobacco and has red fruit flavors of plum and red berries framed in a dry, black pepper body. The wine is aged for a year in oak and can be cellared for several years.

Sherry: "Dry and a bit hot and peppery, with a floral, licorice and coconut finish." 3 stars

Chris: "Apple and tobacco aroma, cherry and plum flavors with a mint and red licorice finish." 3 1/2 stars

Available locally for about $10.

Coming next week: Bandit Riesling

Seven Hawks La Crescent Reserve 2008

By CHRIS and SHERRY HARDIE

It's not easy growing wine grapes in this part of the country. Late frost to spring buds or an early frost to ripening grapes, and the bone-chilling cold of winter that damages vines are real threats.

But thanks to variety of cold-climate grapes developed specifically to withstand our weather, vineyards such as Seven Hawks near Fountain City, Wis., grow their own crops. The vineyard has almost 18,000 hybrid grape vines planted on steep bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River.

This grape - named after the Minnesota city - has been on the market since 2002 only but is comparable in many qualities to a sauvignon blanc or a riesling, with orchard fruit and citrus flavors balanced with high acidity.

Sherry: "Pineapple and grapefruit with a touch of almond on the finish." 3 stars

Chris: "Floral bouquet with flavors of apricot and pineapple." 3 stars Available locally for about $12.

Coming next week: Graffigna Malbec Reserve