I had been enjoying my time in Japan but had desperately wanted to explore a nice little hole in the wall place. Tokyo is known for all its tiny little bars and restaurants and I wanted a piece of that experience. McTigger’s cousin decided to take us to Sengen-Jaya, not a touristy spot by any means but it was exactly what I was looking for.

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Type: Wine – White
Name: Gazela
Price: $9.50
Made: Portugal
Alc/Vol: 9%

“Gazela is a fresh, young and floral, light and smooth wine. Serve chilled at 6-8°C, as an aperitif, with salads, fish or seafood.”

First and foremost before I say anything else I must say one thing, BUBBLES!

I was expecting a wine, not a bubbly non champagne, wine like thing. Now this could merely be my inexperience in the world of wine but it was an unexpected, however pleasant, surprise.

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Efes Pilsen from EfesInternational.com

Type: Beer – Pilsner
Name: Efes
Price: $1.79
Made: Turkey
Alc/Vol: 5%

This beer had no label on the bottle except for the little label placed on the neck of the bottle, smaller than the one shown from EffesInternational.com. However, while this no label bottle had an impression of its name it failed to leave a great impression on me.

This is another one of those forgettable beers, and as it is not a common one in the USA I doubt it will ever become memorable. The smell of honey is mixed in with the aroma, which may be the sweetness mixed into the flavor. The initial taste is strong but goes away fast, and I’m not sure what it all presents, it’s not bitter, or really hoppy nor really sweet its simply a pilsen beer of sorts. There is not really an after taste, but it does leave your mouth dry. There is a thickness to its mouth-feel but not creamy yet not light like I expected either.

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Type: Belgian Wheat Beer
Name:  Wittekerke imported by Global Beer Network
Price: $1.69
Made: Brouwerij Bavik, Belgium
Alc/Vol: 5%

After a few tweets back and forth with HostelDog of, you guessed it, HostelDog.com about Wit Bier or Belgian White beer I had a craving no bud-anything could cure. While this bier (no I’m not drunk, that is how it is spelled and I’m trying to sound all smarty pants about beer. Even though I don’t wear any, they hurt my tail….) is not featured on the Rate Beer List that HostelDog shared with me, it surely was a delight. However, in the world of popular Wit Biers Hoegaarden has crossed my pallet, and I dare say this underdog came up on top.

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Photo Property of Paper Moon Vinyards via Facebook

Type: Wine – Lake Erie Cayuga White
Name: Paper Moon – Cayuga White
Price: Free for me, but for you?
Made: Vermillion, OH
Alc/Vol: 11%

I must seem to luck out on local wines because like Matus Winery – American Concord review I did, this lovely bottle came free of charge as well. How did I manage free wine you ask, well just get really upset when someone disposes of the wine  you had. A few weeks back I helped work at a local festival in my hometown of Lorain. After cleanup there were a few bottles of wine left over, I was ready to enjoy these delicious wines when I left them at the festival site. (I know, cardinal sin-esque) I rushed back the next morning only to find they had been pitched, to prevent the high school clean up crew from having at the bottle. I still fail to see why the bottle was punished for this. this left me devastated, truly, alcohol abuse in it’s worse offense. My mother shared my despair at a similar festival with the vineyards, thus the thought of a cute and cuddly little monkey without his wine tore into their hearts. They left a bottle for me, who needs puppy eyes when you have monkey everything?

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