Planning on fish or pasta this weekend?  A good Soave will do you right, but if you want a great one– try the 2007 Tamellini Soave, as sent from the Wine of the Month Club.  Personally, I had never tried a Soave before, and this cool crisp white was a pleasant surprise.  Tamellini Soave pours a pale golden yellow with light, honey/almond scents spicing up the citrus aroma.  The flavor starts crisp with the same sense of citrus, ending bright and strong.  If you need a meal suggestion for the weekend, make yourselves a shrimp pasta and pair it with a bottle of this.  You’ll thank us!

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There’s light at the end of the tunnel for those who wouldn’t get a flu shot because they hate needles. Dr. Scott Hanlon has found an interesting way to fight the anxiety of getting a vaccine by pairing it with a session of wine tasting. On September 17th from 7 to 9 pm the physician will be the host of the “vaccine and vino” event at the South Loop Wine Cellar on 1442 S. Michigan Ave, where a $40 shot also allows you to taste five different wines — about two glasses. For those who’d worry about the effects, Dr. Julie Morita, medical director for the immunization program at the Chicago Department of Public Health, said that “there’s no medical reason not to have a glass of wine and receive a vaccine”. Sounds like fun, eh? [via ChicagoTribune]

It has been a while since we’ve sat down to review a nice, friendly red, and the Il Cuore Rosso Classico 2007 from WineMonthClub.com was just the ticket.  The name “Il Cuore” translates from Italian to “The Heart” in English, as represented by the collage-style illustrated label.  The wine itself is a warm blend of syrah, zinfandel, carignane, sangiovese and a hint of merlot– making for a medium-bodied wine with flavors of blackberry and chocolate with tannin and spice.  Produced in California’s North Coast, this Rosso Classico is a decent, inexpensive buy to enjoy on it’s own or share with a hearty Italian meal.  Il Cuore’s Rosso Classico can be found at many wine outlets, or re-ordered from the Wine of the Month Club if you’re a member (and you should be!).

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Our friends at the International Wine of the Month Club sent us a shipment of wine this month for tasting, including the 2007 vintage of the Casa Lapostolle Chardonnay.  Wine Spectator gave this one a rating of 91 and a friendly review, so we were rather keen on tasting after it arrived.  To the nose, Casa Lapostolle Chardonnay had strong aromas of mandarin and pear, a fruit sensibility that wasn’t lost on the flavor.  A sip provided rich flavors similar to its scent with a light, creamy-yet-crisp body.  It’s a perfect summertime wine, well paired with seafood of any sort.  It’s a shame our friends from WineMonthClub.com didn’t send two, but we plan on tracking this one down at our local reseller ASAP.

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Angove Nine Vines Shiraz Review – We were pleasantly surprised last week when our first package arrived from the International Wine of the Month Club, including two bottles we had never before tasted.  The first bottle we popped was the2007 vintage of the Angove Family Winemakers’ Nine Vines Shiraz blend, which is 94% shiraz, 6% viognier.  This smooth, deep red carried subtle spices and soft citrus to the tongue with a medium-bodied finish.  Since summer is certainly grilling time, we suggest pairing this with some slow-cooked red meat– be that beef or ribs, Angove’s Shiraz will complement it nicely.

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Cycles Gladiator Wine is officially banned in the state of Alabama for the nude woman on it’s label.  The bust and booty on the beauty above, illustrated with taste, is apparently too much for the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board.  Fortunately, this has become a boon for Cycles Gladiator Wine– as the resulting press flurry has given their wine one hell of a buzz.

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Publisher Kraken Opus is working on a limited edition $1 million wine book for the wealthy wine connoisseur. Dubbed the Wine Opus, the 30kg book showcases the world’s top 100 wineries on over 850 pages and is scheduled to be published in 2010. But except from costing a whopping $1 million, the book also packs a six-bottle case of wine from each of the listed wineries. And if our math is correct that’s a scorching wine collection of 600 bottles of wine that will adorn your cellar. Definitely a “one of a kind”, only 100 books will ever see the print, with 25 already pre-ordered. [via Luxuo]

In a snazzy bit of marketing, Dom Perignon is offering their customers the chance to taste two of their most exquisite champagnes. Included in the intoxicating Dom Perignon Twin Set there’s a Vintage 1995 bottle along with the refined Oenothèque 1995. The Vintage 1995 has more vim in its microbubble and is flavored with golden honey, marzipan and wet straw with a golden honey, while the Oenothèque 1995 hints of mineral, oyster shell, toast, smoke and peat. Yours for $550 at Crush Wine and Spirits. [BornRich via TheAwesomer]

When it comes to California Chardonnays, it’s tough to beat the product of the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County.  However, getting a solid Russian River Chardonnay under $20 isn’t an easy task.  The Chardonnay of Hayman & Hill is one of the few to be had under $20 that’ll please the palette of amateur and afficionado alike.  To the nose, Hayman & Hill Chardonnay has aromas of pear and pineapple which were apparent in its flavor as well.  Beyond the fruit base, this chardonnay has subtle flavorings of butter and oak, with the latter not overpowering the warm fruit flavors.  In all, we were quite pleased with this Chard, and for the price it is likely we’ll be picking up another bottle quite soon.

• Hayman & Hill 2005 Russian River Valley Private Selection
• Chardonnay; 13.5 abv
• $11-$14
• StyleCrave Rating: B

Check out more of StyleCrave’s weekly wine reviews for more wine suggestions!