Baseball season has begun. The following is a review of the scouting reports for the best of April. These tweets, posts, wines and bloggers are deserving of the Nectar Monthly Honors for April!

April marks my sixth month of wine and social media blogging. The pace continued fast and feverish with 32 posts. With all that writing, I actually only formally reviewed 17 different wines. I promise to do better in May. Some highlights for me in April were starting a consistent writing gig for Gary Vaynerchuk’s Cork’d site. I’ll be posting twice per week through September. I decided to use that opportunity to introduce you to some amazing guest bloggers. Two fantastic posts were contributed during the last week of April with more lined up over the coming weeks.

The Nectar Monthly Honors is a recap of the BEST the Month had to offer.

Wine of the Month

Best Value Under $15

I didn’t get the opportunity to formally review much wine in this category this month. Of the five wines reviewed under $15 the winner for the SECOND straight month was Desert Wind Winery!

2009 Desert Wind Winery Viognier  [Reviewed Here] $15

• The Stuff: 100% Viognier, 91.5% stainless fermentation 8.5% new French oak fermentation for 60 days; 14.5%ABV; 414 cases made
• The Swirl: Light, nearly clear with hint of lemon lime soda coloring
• The Sniff: I think Don Ho came up singing Tiny Bubbles bringing aromas of lychee, peaches and other tropical fruits. Reminded me of some mixed drinks I got in Florida last year.
• The Sip: The tropical fruit was mild on the front palate with good zing of lemon zest and minerality on the mid palate. Amazingly strong acid finish was perfect for palate cleansing. The finish was beautiful and balanced.
• The Score: At just $15 this is another winner from the desert heat of Desert Wind. I score this a 4 out of 5. A strong recommend for summertime pleasure or served with spicy foods.

*Runner-up 2008 Cycles Gladiator Pinot Noir [Reviewed Here] $9

Best Wine

When I reviewed this month’s winner, I was truly floored by the quality calling it, “one of the five best wine’s I’ve had this year.” The April best wine is easily the 2006 Nodland Cellars Reserve Cabernet

2006 Nodland Cellars Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon [Reviewed Here] $45

• The Stuff: 94% McClellan Cabernet Sauvignon, 5 % Seven Hills Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot; 50 cases produced, 14.9%abv
• The Swirl: Elegant dark black purple with hints of leathery brown. Edges are subdued tan. Color is about 90% opaque
• The Sniff: Ominous aromas of fresh pepper, big cherries, dark fruit and earthy soil. A hot alcohol smell when taking a deep breath.
• The Sip: Velvet blackberry and plums on the initial attack with a strong pepper mid-palate. Subtle hints of toasted cocoa add intrigue. Very bold tannin without being chalky. The acid is big and makes your mouth water. There is a slight high alcohol heat on the swallow. A beautifully elegant representation of Cabernet without being over worked by the oak.
• The Score: At $45, it may out of the price range for some consumers but rest assured I can score this wine a 4+ out of 5, being one of the five best wines I’ve had thus far in 2010.

*Runner-up Anelare 2007 Saint Helena Syrah [Reviewed Here] $28

Random Favorite Highlights from April

The post that made me spit wine out my nose – On March 17, Ron Washam, the HoseMaster of Wine (HMW), announced a hiatus. Missing the glories and riches of blogging, Ron makes a glorious return, on par with fat Elvis’ comeback concert in Hawaii. In his first post of his far too short retirement, Ron lovingly shares his praise of Joe Roberts from 1WineDude – 1WineDoody

Best Social Media Post – Sean Sullivan from WashingtonWineReport.com exposes 10 myths about wineries and social media. I like to think of this post as a calling out of excuses wineries (and many small businesses) use. Great work, Sean!

The Best Use of Social Media – In April, several great posts brought new legislation out in the open that attempts to undermine the constitution, secure distributor shipping monopolies and effectively cripple small business wineries. HR5034 is the single biggest threat to wineries and consumers since the prohibition. On the up side the issue seems to be a rallying cry for wine lovers across the US. Thousands of words have been written on the subject, nearly 10,000 people have joined the STOPHR5034 Facebook page, and people are sending letters to their representatives in droves. It goes to show the power of a connected community through Twitter and Facebook.

A Post Where the Comments are as Fun as the Post – Steve Heimoff’s’ recent post “5 Questions for Robert Parker” generated 50+ comments. Steve asks the questions respectfully and eloquently. These are legitimate questions. In the 10 days since the post, there has been no response from Mr. Parker, but the comments are entertaining to read.

Sexy Wine Labels – I saw this tweet from Ken at @alawine about sexy wine labels and couldn’t resist. I’ve always said that wine is sexy. It’s good to see a label that lives up to what’s inside. Sexiest Wine Labels for Your Romantic Evening.

DrinkNectar Most Viewed Post (NOT HR5034 Related) – My most read post for April was “7 Social Media No Brainers” – While these tips may seem basic, I guarantee there is more than one that you’re not doing. I see these basic rules broken every day. You should check it out. Let me know if you are doing ALL seven.