Gina, Chardonnay, 2009, Napa Valley, California

I found Gina hiding on the bottom corner shelf at the gourmet section of the grocery store one unbearably hot afternoon in Honolulu just as the vog was settling in for the week.  It was gonna be another hot humind winter and I was looking for something cheap and cool to help settle my nerves.
Okay, enough with the hard-boiled bullshit.
This second label from Flora Springs Winery is a full-bodied fruit-driven Chardonnay that the folks at R. Field have for some reason marked down from 19 to 9 bones.  It's relatively light in color for what it delivers on the nose and palate   I smelled banana chips, fluffernutter, sour melon, and a  touch of soapiness.  The flavor profile on the front end was rich and fruity.  Think banana nut bread and pineapple settling into more round honey and jammy orange notes as it had time to settle in the glass.  The juice hit the edges of my tongue but never could quite find the middle.  This is a quick dessert in a glass without being an actual dessert wine.  If you are looking for something outgoing and extroverted (if not easily forgettable) that isn't asking to be paired with a meal, then Gina might just be for you.       

P.S. Letterpress art by my old pen-pal Rebecca at Rar Rar Press.  Lyrics by my main man, Blake.