Vindulge

Reasons to Celebrate with Pink Bubbles...

... and two great pink bubbly recommendations.

Sparkling wine is a requirement in my house, at all times.  It is useful in times of joy, times of celebration, times of sadness, madness and frustration, and times you’re just plain ol’ thirsty (which is my most common “excuse” to drink bubbles).  To put it plainly, they are my favorite of all styles of wine and if I had my way I would drink bubbles every day of the year.  Not a day goes by that I can’t think of a good reason not to open up a bottle (whether it be a fine Champagne or $7 sparkler).  Last night was no exception. 

Hubby came home from work frustrated after a long and stressful day.  He had a sad look upon his face that he rarely brings home with him.  As any concerned wife would do I asked, “What can I do?” And when he said, “Nothing, I just need a hug”, I responded,  “No you don’t, you need some pink bubbles!” And then I finally got a smile out of him and proceeded to pop the cork of a bottle I recently purchased at an incredible price, Pierre Sparr Crémant d’Alsace Brut Rosé, NV.

I purchased a bottle of this wine from WineExpress.com, an online wine retailer of which I receive a wine of the day email from.  If you are interested in trying new wines, anything from high end Napa Cabs to great values from around the world, without committing to a monthly wine club I recommend getting on their daily email list.  This wine was on sale for $10.95 (from $17.95), with .99 cents per bottle for shipping, so I decided to purchase three bottles.  I had never had the wine before, but it was from the same region as one of my favorite under $20 bubbles, Lucien Albrecht Crémant d'Alsace Brut Rosé.  Upon receiving my shipment we opened a bottle with dinner and immediately ordered a case at an additional dollar per bottle discount (the wine was still on sale).  For $10 this rosé sparkler is simply a steal!

Pierre Sparr Crémant d’Alsace Brut Rosé, NV
$10.95 from WineExpress.com

From the cool climate Alsace region of France, this wine is 100% Pinot Noir (one of the only red grapes that grow well in Alsace) made in the champagne method.  Strawberry and citrus notes dominate the nose with a touch of sweet biscuit scents.  Dry and delicate the palate continues with more strawberry, lemon, and orange peel. Crémants (sparkling wines made in France, but outside of the Champagne region that are made using the méthode champenoise) are incredible values and this is probably the best one I’ve had at this price.  If you can find it for under $12, get yourself a case (or more)!  This wine will put a smile on your face no matter what kind of day you’ve had!


Another pink bubbly we recently celebrated with was the lovely Domaine Carneros Cuvée de la Pompadour Brut Rosé, NV that I received as a sample.  This time we were celebrating the first time our twin boys slept through the night without any interruption.  Any parent who has gone through this, with a single child or multiples, understands the pure joy and relief that comes from this experience and it is certainly one worth celebrating.  So we did so with this delicious treat from Domaine Carneros. 

Domaine Carneros Cuvée de la Pompadour Brut Rosé, NV 
$35 from the winery

Domaine Carneros is one of Napa Valley’s premier sparkling wine producers and definitely worth a visit on any trip.  It provides an excellent way to start or end your Napa wine country excursion with seating, both indoor and out, overlooking the incredible Carneros region. 

According to the Domaine Carneros website,  “Our Rosé cuveé is named for Madame de la Pompadour, Louis XV's great paramour.  It was she who first introduced sparkling wine to the court at Versailles and is famous for having said that ‘Champagne is the only wine that a woman can drink and remain beautiful’.” 
I like that!  I may just have to put that quote on my refrigerator.

This wine, a blend of 58% pinot noir and 42% chardonnay, was elegant and aromatic with fine delicate bubbles.   Take one whiff and your nose is filled with crisp apples, apple cider spices, raspberry, cherry, and a touch of vanilla bean.  Just a small sip punches huge flavors that linger on your tongue long after you’ve swallowed the wine.  You just can’t help but go back for more and more, which I gladly did.  This is a solid Napa rosé sparkler for this price point. 

There you have it. Two pretty pink bubbles worthy of opening for any type of celebration.  In fact, today marks the first full day of spring (although you’d never know it looking outside my window at the snow falling).  This means I have survived my first New England winter.  Now that is reason to celebrate… perhaps with more pink bubbles!

Jaume Serra Cristalino: A familiar value bubbly gets a facelift

I may be late in the game in writing about this news, but I have an excuse.  I was pregnant all of last fall and moved 3,000 miles across the country. My mind was in many other places.

Earlier this winter, while getting acquainted to my new local wine shops here in Connecticut, I had a rather difficult time locating a favorite go-to value bubbly, Cristalino, and couldn’t figure out why.  Did they just not carry this large production wine here in CT?  I’ve seen it in every other state I have traveled to, why not here?

Then when unpacking some sample bottles sent to me last fall I found a bottle of bubbles and quickly chilled it.  To my surprise it was that familiar producer, but instead of the normal label I was used to I noticed it had received quite the facelift.

This was due to a (in my opinion) ridiculous lawsuit brought about by the luxury Champagne producer, Louis Roederer Cristal, against the producer of the Spanish Cava, Cristalino.  The issue ended last August after a four-year lawsuit over copyright infringement over the use of Cristalinos name.  Apparently the name was too closely associated with Cristal’s and could easily confuse a consumer thinking the same company produced them.  Personally I have never, ever, assumed any similarity between the two bubbly producers nor have I even known of anybody who has. 

At any rate, the Spanish sparkling wine producer lost and was required to change their label (brand name, color, and font) and barred them from  “using any mark, word, or name similar to the Cristalino name that is likely to cause confusion, mistake or deception with Roederer’s Cristal marks.”

Before

After

So now this is what the label looks like, and sadly they have to have this ridiculous disclaimer on the front of the label: “JAUME SERRA CRISTALINO is not affiliated with, sponsored by, approved by, endorsed by, or in any way connected to Louis Roederer’s CRISTAL™ champagne or Louis Roederer.”

But the good news is this, it’s still the same fresh value priced bubbly that it always has been, just with a very different look. 

This wine has always been a favorite go-to under $10 bubbly of mine, good for mimosas, summertime picnics, parties, or just any occasion where you want some bubbles without even breaking a ten spot.  It is reliable, inexpensive, and widely available.  Yes you should be able to find it everywhere, even Connecticut, where it actually is in many of the wine shops here, but I just never noticed because of the label change.

Now that we both know what label to look for when perusing the wine shop for this value bubbly there should be no more confusion.  In Portland I used to pay as low as $5.99 for a bottle.  I’ve seen it here in Connecticut for $7.99, and the suggested retail is $10.  Now go get yourself a bottle for your Sunday morning mimosas!

Question:  Have you seen the new label at your local shop? What do you think of the new design and the disclaimer on the front lf the label?

To Join a Wine Club, or Not to Join a Wine Club?

I remember the very first winery my hubby and I ever visited, on our very first trip to Sonoma, because we joined their wine club.  It happened again the very next day at another winery, we joined another wine club.  Within the first year of living in San Francisco and frequent visits to Sonoma and Napa, we became members of at least three wine clubs, and rotated yearly after that, averaging about three wine clubs at a time.  It became an addiction of sorts.  Really, it was more of an excuse to make more regular trips to wine country to "pick up our wine shipments”. 

Now that I don’t live so close to a major wine region (as in close I mean a comfortable driving distance for a day trip), I’m left wondering what the value is in joining wine clubs for folks, like myself, who don’t get to reap many of the benefits of joining a winery's club (I’ll get to those later).  And it seems lately that not just wineries have clubs anymore.  Everybody seems to have a wine club, from publications like Sunset Magazine, Food and Wine, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, to independent wine club companies.  Basically there are an unlimited amount of opportunities to sign up and receive regular shipments of wine from multiple sources…. So how do you chose which type is right for you?
 
Recently I was sent a sample of a typical wine club shipment from a non-winery wine club to review, the International Wine of the Month Club, and it got me thinking about many of the differences between various types of clubs and their features.  Let’s break them down.

Winery Wine Clubs:
Winery wine clubs typically work like this.  You visit a winery’s tasting room, fall in love with their wines, and are offered membership into their club.  Membership is typically free and comes with little commitment.  Basically you commit to receiving at least a few regular shipments of their wines (this differs from winery to winery, it can be monthly, quarterly, or even twice a year) and then you may cancel at any time with no penalties.  By joining the club you may receive the following types of benefits:

• Discounts on wine (on average anywhere from 10%-20% off retail price)
• Waived tasting fee whenever you visit the tasting room (often for yourself and up to 4 guests)
• Discounts to special events
• Invitations to club only events
• First crack at new releases
• Wine club only wines (meaning special bottlings only sent out to wine club members)
• And more...

In my experience this type of wine club is most beneficial if you live near said winery so that you can take advantage of special events, dinners, etc.  You also are invited to pick up your wines at the winery instead of having them shipped, thus saving any shipping and handling fees.  I always loved visiting the winery to pick up my wine club wines because it gave me a good excuse to taste the new releases in their tasting room, at no cost.  The kicker was that I always left buying more than just my wine club wines (that’s how they get you!). 

The other type of person this works for is if you do not live near the winery but love their wines and cannot get them where you live.  It is important to note that even if you see a bottle or two of XYZ Winery’s wines at your local wine store in your home state of Arizona it is likely that they do not carry their entire lineup of wines.  Many wineries make a variety of small production wines that rarely see the outside of their state let alone the winery, so by joining their wine club you are more likely to receive shipments of these rare and smaller production wines. 

The Other Kind of Wine Club:  Non-Winery Wine Clubs
These types of wine clubs are pretty straightforward.  You sign up at their stated price and receive shipments of wine on a regular basis (monthly, 6x/year, etc).  Each company has their specialty (rare and hard to find wines, wines from only CA, NW wines, etc.), and work to find different variety to send to their members on a regular basis.  After receiving your shipment you may be offered the opportunity to purchase more of the wines you were sent at a discount for that month. 

I was a member of a similar type club for a few years (Bounty Hunter Rare Wine & Provisions) and had no complaints, but honestly found it more exciting to be a part of a winery’s club, mostly for the added benefits.  Plus, for someone like myself, I LOVE visiting wine shops on my own to discover new gems.  But I know many people who are intimidated of shopping for new wines this way, so for them wine clubs may be a great way to get introduced to new wine styles.

Why to join this type of wine club? 

• If you like exploring different types and styles of wines and are looking for variety for your home wine cellar. 
• You find a trusted source and really like the wines they select.
• If you want to give a gift to a wine loving friend (most wine lovers won’t turn their nose up at the gift that keeps on giving…. wine).

Word of warning, just do your research first to find out if this club really provides wines that are worth it.  Or just email me and I’ll check them out for you.

Example of this type of wine club:   The International Wine of the Month Club
According to their website:

“Each month, members of The International Wine of the Month Club receive internationally selected wines from two separate award-winning boutique vineyards, accompanied by our informative and entertaining wine club newsletter. Choose to receive either two reds, two whites, or one red and one white. We offer three different membership types, The Premier Series, Masters Series and Collectors Series.”

I was recently asked to review the September shipment of their most popular club, the Premier Series, red and white wine.  I must admit I was quite impressed with the wines and presentation.  I have been weary of clubs like this in the past, wondering about the legitimacy of the quality of wines they feature, but from my initial observation of this club, they are doing something right.  And the fact that they have been around since 1994 with 98% customer satisfaction speaks for itself! 

They have multiple levels of membership, basically you can chose what type and price range works for you, and start receiving shipments of their selected wines, accompanied by their newsletter.  I was also pretty impressed with the content of their newsletter. Not only did it provide some good background information on the wineries, winemakers, and the wines sent, but also background on the varietals (in my shipment this was Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon), and useful tasting notes, recipes, and information on how to order more of the wine if you so chose.

Not only can you find this information on the newsletter, but their website is pretty thorough and you can find the same info on all past shipments of their wines going back to 1999.  Rarely do you even find this type of information on even a winery’s website.   Looking at some of their past featured wines, I found that they really do try to specialize in some smaller production wines that you are not very likely to see at your local wine retailer.

What about the wines?
I really enjoyed both wines I received as a part of their September shipment for the price point (which would have been $29.95 for the two bottles). 

Domaine Talmard Macon-Chardonnay 2009   

Chardonnay is made all over the globe, but for me some of the best quality Chardonnays come from the Burgundy region of France, where it is unlike any other region.  This particular wine comes from the Macon, in the southern region of Burgundy where you can find some great values on crisp minerally Chardonnays. 

The wine is clean and crisp, with minerals, floral notes, and fresh lemon and lemon zest filling the nose.  In the mouth the wine remains fresh and crisp with more lemon and fresh green apple.   Overall I kept thinking how “fresh” this wine was, reminding me of springtime with flowers and bright lemon scents.  For all you folks out there skeptical about Chardonnay, I always say “drink white Burgundy then call me in the morning”, and this would be a nice representation of that style for a great price point.

Food pairing:  Would be good with a light salad topped with chopped roasted chicken and a lemon vinaigrette.  Stick with the fresh springtime theme (even though it's fall, I won’t tell). 

Cannonball California Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

The Cannonball Cab hails from California.  According to their website, a cannonball “is the perfect symbol of freedom. Legs tucked beneath you, soaring through the air - that uninhibited spirit is the soul of Cannonball wines.”  In addition, their mission is to consistently deliver the best  Cabernet Sauvignon for under $20.

Dark bold black berry fruit on the nose with black cherries, pepper and sweet spice (cinnamon? allspice?).  Initially the mouth had some powerful acid and tannins with tight dark fruit, and a little rough around the edges.   However, after noticing this I realized it just needed to breathe a bit, so I pulled out my Vinturi Aerator… if you don’t have one of these, and you notice a similar taste to your wines (especially a younger, bold red like a Cab), just decant it first, or open it a couple hours before you intend to drink it to allow it to breathe.  Believe me it will make a huge difference. 

After aerating the wine, it definitely changed.  It became a little fresher, more open, with more variety of berry notes.  The mouth became softer, more round, and the tannins were still there but had definitely mellowed out and became more smooth.  My favorite thing about this wine was that it makes you crave more wine (as opposed to craving a glass of water which often happens when I drink a young bold red).  There was just something about the wine, a savoriness, that made you want to go back for another drink, then another. 

Grapes: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Syrah, 3% Merlot
Appellation: California (63% Sonoma,19% Mendocino, 15% Napa, 3% other)
Alcohol: 13.9% 
Food pairing:  If drinking now, this wine would be best with a good cut of meat to soften those tannins.  Anything off the grill would do, or even paired with a hearty winter stew.

Overall I am pretty happy with both of these wines for their price points.  This club shipment would have been $29.95 (plus shipping and handling).   I would have definitely been pleased if I paid that to receive these two wines and I wouldn’t hesitate to check out more of their offerings.  I mean, hey, the holidays are coming up after all! The season of giving!

Now my question to you?
Have you been a part of a wine club before?  What did you like/not like about it?
What do you see as the biggest benefits of wine clubs?

My Cougar Town Wine

But first, why I like Cougar Town (bare with me, I do have a point here)

I’m not afraid to admit it; I like the show Cougar Town. There I said it.  It’s out there to the world.  One of my oldest and closest friends, Allison, got me into the show last year during its first season.  She said to me, “Mary you have to watch the show. Courtney Cox's character reminds me of you, plus they drink wine in every episode”.  This is the same friend that told me that my husband and I remind her of Chandler and Monica from Friends (which is actually quite true), but that’s another story… It was enough to get me to tune into an episode. Then I became hooked.

Yes, I’ll admit, I first started watching the show because I loved the fact that they drink red wine in every episode (yes every single episode).   How could I not support that?  But then I started appreciating it for more reasons.  For me the show is just stupid funny.  It reminds me of the older sitcoms from the 80’s I grew up on.  It’s not a very deep show, nor a really smart or clever modern comedy (like my favorite comedy currently on TV, Modern Family).  Instead it is just simple, fun, and silly.  Watching the show is a pretty brainless activity.  And it always gets a good chuckle out of me.

The show follows the story of Jules, a successful real estate agent, divorcee, and single mother in her 40’s, as she enters the world of dating again.  But more than just that it revolves around Jules and her friends and neighbors in a silly comedy about dating, friendship, and family.  It’s not a complicated storyline.  You don’t have to think too much about it. The characters are lovable and easy to like.  To me, it’s just a simple, no-brainer, and likable show perfect for the middle of the week (when it airs).  You know what you’re going to get, and if you don’t have really high expectations it won’t disappoint.

This got me thinking.  If I were Jules, what wine would I be drinking in every episode?  Well I am not Jules, but much like her I do drink a lot of mid-week wines (when I'm not pregnant of course), and for me, the show reminds me of one of my go to everyday wines, Argentinean Malbec. I’ve written about Argentinean Malbec before, so y’all know I like it.  For a refresher, click here. 

For me, when shopping for a decent everyday red at a good price Argentinean Malbec is just something of a no-brainer.  It’s typically a great value (decent bottles range from $8-$20) so I know I’m not getting ripped off no matter what.  Many lower priced Malbecs are usually pretty uncomplicated, yet tasty and satisfying, and I trust that I’ll be picking up something that I’ll probably like.  I can simply walk into a wine store check out their options, and even if I have never tried the wine nor heard of the producer I’m not afraid to just pick up a bottle and give it a whirl, because I know it usually won’t disappoint, especially for the price you’re going to pay for it, and if it does you’re barely out a ten spot. No big loss. 

Now some people may be offended by comparing the simplicity of Cougar Town to Malbec, but to me they are indeed similar.  They are good to get you through a midweek slump, trustworthy, no-brainers that are likeable and uncomplicated.   Yes there are many rich, complex, and wonderful Argentinean Malbecs on the market, but for the most part, the majority of the ones you see in the market or wine shops are the ones in the $8-$20 range, and for those ones, they are good, trustworthy, everyday wines that you can’t really go wrong with.  They won’t blow you away with their complexity but they will leave you satisfied and you didn’t have to invest much time, energy, or money into the experience.

So if you want to try something new, and don’t want to stress too much about your wine choice, or you just want to drink it without analyzing or thinking too deeply about it, go for an Argentinean Malbec.  For the price range of most on the market you really can’t go wrong.  Many of the producers you see on the market do a fine job, but ones to keep an eye out for in the value range ($8-$20) are:  Gouguenheim, Tomero, Alamos, Ben Marco, Crios De Susana Balbo, Altos Las Hormigas, Trapiche, Doña Paula, Colomé, among many others.

As I’ve been exploring the candy shops (er I mean wine shops) here in my new town I bumped into an old favorite, Tomero.  A wine I bought bottle after bottle of last summer in Portland and thought I’d pick it up over a year later to see if I still enjoyed it just the same. 

2008 Tomero Malbec 

Deep dark cherry and black berry fruit aromas on the nose with some chocolate, figs, vanilla and spice.  On the palate, the boldness of the fruit is still there with some additional spice, evident toast, and a lingering juicy and spicy finish.  Yup, this is still a great mid-week value wine in my book!  Definitely still recommend this one.

Producer:  Tomero
Region:  Mendoza, Argentina
Grapes:  100% Malbec
Retail:  $12-$15 (I used to buy this in Portland for $12, and just found it in CT at Spiritus Wine Store for $14) 
Alcohol: 14.5%  
Food Pairing:  Great for grilled meat dishes (steak, ribs, burgers) or just sipping whilst watching your favorite mid-week TV shows.

For more information about Malbec click here.
And for more information about Cougar Town, tune into ABC tonight at 9:30pm (just after Modern Family).

Cheers and happy mid-week wine drinking!

Olympic Provisions: Checking things off my Portland to do list

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about my goal to do, see, and eat certain things in Portland before the big move date.  And with the date growing closer and closer everyday I’ve finally made plans to accomplish them all.  This past Monday I checked the first of the four restaurants off the list (and will check off two more within the next few days), by eating lunch at Olympic Provisions.

We were celebrating some good news and all my hubby wanted to eat was meat (no big shock there), and the first place that popped into my head was Olympic Provisions, known for their meat… charcuterie to be more specific. 

Olympic Provisions opened in late 2009 and is described on their website as “European-style restaurant and deli serving lunch and dinner, as well as Oregon’s first USDA certified meat-curing facility”.  They are located in the Southeast Portland industrial area near the corner of SE 2nd and Washington.   The restaurant is led by chef Jason Barwikowski, formerly of the popular Clyde Common, in addition to Elias Cairo as the Salumist.   The menu is small but diverse, featuring a selection of meat options as well as a variety of vegetable and egg dishes.  So have no fear if you’re not a meat freak, there are plenty of options for the vegetarian and carnivore alike.  They also sport a petty diverse wine list worth checking out.

Parking can be tricky, at least during the lunch hour.  Hubby was having flashbacks to our former life in San Francisco having to circle the building a couple times, but I assured him nothing is worse than parking in San Francisco (except maybe New York) so he calmed down after finding a spot with a short walk to the restaurant.  Lunch options are plenty with a small variety of sandwiches, vegetable, and a couple of egg-based dishes to choose from.  The ambiance is super casual and open and they even had a wall open to the outside for fresh air.  It felt like we were dining al fresco, which is perfect for the summertime. 

We selected the house charcuterie plate to start with (how can you not?), then a couple of sandwiches.  We attempted to be conservative with the charcuterie, but I won’t lie to you, it went fast.  My favorite was the smoked salami (pictured in the top left, the darkest one on the plate).  The best west coast charcuterie I’ve had outside of Salumi in Seattle. 

For lunch, I opted for the roasted pork loin sandwich with rapini, romesco sauce on focaccia. This was basically a very healthy portion of fresh delicious thin cut pork with small broccolini bites, and a romesco sauce (a sauce traditionally made from roasted red peppers or tomatoes, almonds, pine nuts, and/or hazelnuts, roasted garlic, and olive oil - although I have no idea exactly what was in this one. I do know this, it was good).  The sandwich was delicious and hit the spot.  Nice fresh crusty bread, lots of meat, a sauce I could drink, and the broccolini for crunch!  Yes please!

Hubby, feeling more risky, ordered the beef tongue sandwich with arugula, pickled onion, salsa verde on baguette.   As a recovering semi-vegetarian I really wanted nothing to do with beef tongue, but tried it anyway.  It was interesting, and the meat (is that even considered meat?) was very tender. I’ll leave it at that.  He, however, loved the sandwich and raved about it. 

At that point we were pretty darn full but their pastry options sounded very tempting and all very inexpensive (all $5 or less).  Next time…. And there will be a next time.  We plan to return for dinner some night soon, as we empty the shelves of our pantry and fridge and need to dine out before moving day. 

I highly recommend this spot for lunch (and I’m sure I’ll have the same to say about dinner).  The most expensive thing on the lunch menu was the charcuterie plate at $12, after that nothing exceeds $8.  You just cannot get a better sandwich than that for $8!  Their dinner menu is equally enticing price-wise, with most dishes resting at about $12.  How’s that for value?  Plus they have a decent wine list to top it all off.

Cheers

Question:  Have you been to Olympic Provisions?  If so, what’s your favorite thing to eat there?


 

Cupcake Vineyards

Sometimes grocery store wines can truly surprise me.  It’s rare, but it does happen.  Take the case of Cupcake Vineyards.   In all honesty I’ve seen these wines lately displayed in large stacks at the grocery store.  When I see wines displayed like this I typically pass them over, assuming they’re just some un-quaffable mass-produced grocery store concoction with cute marketing.  But having tried them recently I admittedly have developed a different opinion.  Yes, I, "Mary Cressler the stubborn", had a change of heart, and I’m so glad I did.  I love these humbling moments, and thus sharing them with you.

Cupcake Vineyards is located in Monterey County, California, but they make wines from a variety of regions throughout the world.  The three wines below represent fruit from two different states in the US and two different continents.

2009 Sauvignon Blanc

So, we all know how I feel about Sauvignon Blanc, yes? Well if you don’t you can check out here and here for some of my previous thoughts on the varietal.  It’s typically not my cup of tea, outside of the Loire Valley, but I was pleasantly surprised by this little baby.  If you are a Sauvignon Blanc fan, please read further. I think you'll be happy with what you find.

This refreshing wine is screaming for some summertime weather!  The nose was spot on New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, very grassy with tropical pineapple scents along with citrus notes of grapefruit, lemon and lime.  The mouth, a bit tart but still refreshing, continued with grassy notes and flavors of grapefruit, more lemon and lemon peel.

What I found pleasant is that it is not as overly pungent or harshly acidic as many Sauvignon Blancs from the same region.  The acidity was strong, but not distracting.  There was nothing really complex about this wine, but for the price point I have to admit, it is a zesty, bright and refreshing value.  If you are looking for something easy and refreshing without ever regretting what you paid for it, you should check out this wine.  It is a typical New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc at almost half the price of the popular Kim Crawford.  I’m not gonna lie to you, this ain’t bad for a $7 bottle of wine!

Appellation:  Marlborough, New Zealand
Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc  
Retail:  between $7-$12  (currently on sale for $7.99 at Fred Meyer)
Alcohol:  12.5%
Where to find:  Widely available, you’ll likely find it at your local grocery store.
Food Pairing:  Fresh mixed green salad with goat cheese.


2009 Dry Riesling

To me this wine was Riesling on the nose, but Sauvignon Blanc on the palate.
The wine began with typical Riesling notes on the nose of sweet pears, peaches, apples, nectarine, with a little bit of pineapple, followed by a mouth full of tangy citrus, lemon, lime and green apple, and finishing dry.

This wine is missing the minerality that is beautiful in a great Riesling, but there was really no flaws in it.  Admittedly, it’s a pretty nice little summer sipper.   What you should expect, however, is sweet bright fruit on the nose turning into a dry citrus explosion in the mouth with strong acidity.  You’ll also find this wine has a higher alcohol level (13%) than a traditional style Riesling (typically 9-11%), but if you can find it for under $10, then I’d say it is a decent choice for an easy drinking refreshing wine so long as you’re not expecting a mineraly German style Riesling.

Appellation: Colombia Valley, Washington
Grapes:  Riesling
Retail:  $7-$14
Alcohol: 13.2%
Where to find: Widely available, you’ll likely find it at your local grocery store.
Food pairing:  I paired the wine with a roasted chicken and a tossed green salad.  It was a pretty solid food pairing because the richness of the chicken softened the strong acidity on the wine. 


2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Central Coast

Initially this wine was tight with closed and subtle earthy flavors, but after a quick dive through the *Vinturi (aerator), the wine showed its bright and rich big fruit flavors.  What evolved was aromas of black berries, black cherry and plum fruit with some spice and pepper.   The mouth was spicy, medium bodied, with more black berry, cherry, raspberry fruit, and more spice, along with some decent tannins (though not strong).   

Overall, the wine is simple but certainly decent, and for under $10, you’re hard pressed to find another California Cab that could stand up to this one for the price.  Definitely worth a shot if you see it at the store for $10 or under. 

*If you don’t have a Vinturi just pour a few ounces into your glass and let it just sit in your glass for a few minutes, swirling ever so often.  It allows for the wine to open up faster.  Ahh yeah.

Appellation:  Central Coast, California
Grapes:  Cabernet Sauvignon
Retail:  $7-$14
Alcohol %:  13.50%
Where to find: Widely available, you’ll likely find it at your local grocery store.

 
Overall, I was impressed with the quality at the price point for these wines.  These wines are all currently on sale at my local Fred Meyer grocery store for $7.99, and are certainly worth it for that price.  Before receiving these samples it is unlikely I would have picked up a bottle, but now I know that in a whim, I would be confident knowing that they would be nice wines for an everyday no brainer go-to wine.

These wines were provided as media samples for review; but I did go buy the Chardonnay today as I saw it while shopping and looking forward to reporting about it.

Meeting Tom Mackey from St. Francis Winery...

... and a stroll down memory lane

Most wine lovers have quite a few bottles of wine that they would categorize as “most memorable” wines.  Some have many, others have one or two. I’d have to say I've had many great wines in my life, but few have left a mark on me that I will remember forever.  Among those was the 1997 St. Francis “Kings Ridge” Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine I was drinking when my husband proposed. (Okay, I know this sounds like it's going to be a cheesy sappy story, but it's not, so please read on if you’re not into sappy stuff). 

You see, St. Francis was one of the first wine clubs we joined after moving to San Francisco and becoming seriously interested in wine, and we remained members until a year after moving to Oregon (six years later).  It wasn’t just the wines we fell in love with, but the experience they provided when visiting.  They didn’t just have a tasting room that offered the average 4-6 wines in a flight, but also offered guests a whole food and wine pairing experience, lasting close to an hour, where they would pair 4 or 5 of their wines with appetizers created by their chef.  For me, it was the first time I started to understand the art and science behind a good food and wine pairing while falling in love with their wines.  We visited often and brought family and friends to experience this place that almost became synonymous with Sonoma to us.  

 So, it was fitting that my boyfriend (now husband) brought out that bottle the night he planned to pop the question.  And, cheesy as it sounds, I kept the label to that very bottle, had it professionally framed, and gave it to my hubby on our first wedding anniversary as the traditional first anniversary symbol of “paper" (Okay now THAT was cheesy!  But it was true nonetheless). 

St. Francis wines were also among the first that I tasted enough times to be able to identify a specific “winemaking style” to their wines.  That became more evident when I was studying for the CMS Certified Sommelier exam and had my husband blind taste me daily on new wines to prep me for the tasting portion of the exam.  Anytime he brought out a browned bagged St. Francis (whether it be a Cab, Merlot, or other), I would smell and immediately respond, “I’m not sure the exact varietal yet, let me taste a little more, but it smells like St. Francis”.  And 9 times out of 10 I was right.  I still don’t know what it is (anybody like to share?), the barrels, the vineyards the fruit is sourced from, a magic potion?  But whatever it is there is definitely a distinct style to most of their wines.  Some may call this Terroir, and I would just call it distinctly good. 

So, needless to say I was very excited to have been invited to meet Tom Mackey, who has been the winemaker at St. Francis since 1983, last week for lunch along with other local wine bloggers, Tamara Belgard from Sip With Me!, Jim Eastman of The Wine Cyclist and Bernie Gehret and Eva Schmole of PortlandOregonWine.com.   I’ve met many winemakers before, but there was something special and exciting about meeting Tom, since I had been enjoying his wines for years and had never met the man behind them.

Tom was warm and genuine and it felt like we were conversing with a friend rather than a stranger.  He spoke of the early days when he first joined the winery.  “Times were more simple then, yet the work was hard.  We had a small crew, about four people that did everything from working in the field, working all through harvest, doing the prep work, the cleaning, the bottling, etc.”  

He spoke of the changes he has witnessed in the Sonoma valley over the decades.  Times have changed, wineries have evolved and learned from their mistakes and experiments.  “We prune differently now… we space our vineyards differently… we pick our fruit later”.  He described that, in his early days, they used to pick fruit much earlier in the season.  Now he has learned that if you leave the fruit on the vines longer you get more developed and deeper flavors out of the wines. 

They have also learned how to be better stewards of the land, and now strive for green and sustainable practices, including installing a solar electrical system on the roof of the winery, a water conservation program, recycling programs, and more. 

In 2001 they opened up their visitors center on Highway 12, in Santa Rosa (about the time I started visiting), where they offer tastings, events, and my favorite, their wine and food pairing experience.

When I asked Tom about the Kings Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon and their other reserve wines (ok, I had to, I got engaged over a bottle of that wine for goodness sake. Did I also mention we shared another bottle of the same wine and vintage at our actual wedding?), he shared that the 1997 was probably the best vintage of that wine, but that they are no longer making that specific wine anymore.  He went on to explain the evolution of the once “reserve wine” program to their now Wild Oak wines.  Tom described that he felt, over the years, wineries started using the term “reserve” too loosely, and that it had lost value and meaning (in the U.S. there is no legal designation for the term “reserve” on a bottle of wine), and that they decided to create a new label to distinguish the “best of the best” for their wines.  Their Wild Oak label represents just that, the best fruit from the best vineyards in each vintage. 

"So, Wild Oak represents the best of the best, but what is your favorite wine to make, each year? The one you get most excited about?" I asked.  "Our blends", Tom responded.  "Including our Sonoma Red, our Claret, and our Anthem".  The Anthem in particular is a unique "reverse Bordeaux-style blend", meaning instead of focusing on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot as the primary grapes, the focus is on Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc.  I have had a few vintages of the Anthem and I have to say it is indeed a unique and special wine, not to mention delicious!    

The Wines

Tasting through the flight of wines was like going down memory lane for me.  That distinct “St. Francis flavor” was evident in each of the reds.  The one white we had was their outstanding 2007 Sonoma County Chardonnay, and I say outstanding because you can’t really find a better Chardonnay for the price point (retail between $10-$12/bottle). Oak, vanilla, toast, with balanced lemon, spice and acidity.  Seriously, for $10?  Yes please! 

Another one that blew me away because of the $10 price point was the 2006 Sonoma Red blend (Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon/Zinfandel).  It had bold black berry fruit, with chocolate, vanilla and spice throughout. 

My two favorite wines of the flight, however, were both Zinfandels.  First off was the 2007 “Old Vines” Zinfandel, which was a blend of fruit from fourteen vineyards throughout the valley.  Typical dark berry Zin aromas with oak spice, lushness, black cherries with a long finish without any distinguishable “hot” characteristics. 

The second Zin that won over my heart was the 2006 Wild Oak Zinfandel.  My notes for that wine simply said “Woah!” with a smiley face J.  You know, I’ll be the first to admit, sometimes you find a wine that you just want to savor and not be too analytical about, and this was one of those.  I loved it. 

 As I think back to the lunch, I feel honored to have been invited to sit down with such an intimate group (seven people total), with a winemaker whom I’ve respected since I started seriously learning about wine almost ten years ago.  And I am so glad to have meet Tom.  He was sincere and genuine, and as talented and experienced a winemaker he is, he was very unpretentious.  As we ended lunch, we just sat and chatted.  Not about wine, but about our lives, comparing San Francisco stories (Tom grew up there), and he talked about his passion for motorcycles and surfing, although he does much more motorcycling now and no more surfing.  He even got excited when I shared with him my first experience surfing last summer in Hawaii.  He asked if I would do it again… “of course” I answered.

I feel that meeting the man behind one of my most memorable bottles of wine makes the wine even more memorable now.  Almost making the story complete.  

You can read more about Tom Mackey and St. Francis wines on their website.  

Thanksgiving Wine Pairing & Buying Guide

Right around this time of the year many people start to stress about what wines to pair with Thanksgiving dinner.  If you’re one of those people, you’re not alone.  It can be daunting when thinking about all of the many dishes that go into this celebratory meal. 

When it comes to your standard traditional Thanksgiving dinner you have a lot going on (spice, richness, fruit, salty, sweet) and you’re typically not eating each dish in courses, but instead loading it all up on one plate, so it is not necessary to stress about finding a wine for each dish. 

What about the turkey?  Many people spend too much time concerning his/herself with the question “what wine should you pair with the bird?”  My answer to that is don’t worry about the turkey, it’s not the star of the meal and contains somewhat neutral flavors compared to the other sides surrounding the turkey.  Think of the flavors that dominate the meal (cranberries, gravy, sweet potatoes, stuffing) and what may balance out those flavors?

I was asked to speak at an event over the weekend on pairing wines with holiday food and it got me to sit down and really think about ways to keep things simple, straightforward, and stress free.  The event was also one focusing on women and was located near the heart of the Willamette Valley wine country so one of my goals was to keep the discussion to both local and value driven options for the upcoming holidays.  Plus, since the audience was comprised of all women, I wanted to highlight some women winemaker options as well.  Gotta spread the girl power, right?!

So for Thanksgiving I offer a few standard recommendations to have at your dinner.  They are by no means your only options, but intended as solid and carefree recommendations that should pair nicely with your dinner without taking away from the multitude of flavors of the day.

Thanksgiving Wine Guide

Wines that would compliment the wide range of flavors of Thanksgiving dinner.

Sparkling Wine:  I always begin any dinner or event (whether Thanksgiving, a holiday party, or brunch) with sparkling wine.  It is festive and goes with everything, especially appetizers and salty foods, and you don’t have to spend a lot of money on it.  Some of my favorite go-to bubbles are between $10 - $20.

Riesling:  Can be dry or sweet, spicy, fruity, and fragrant.  Think comfort flavors (honey, apple pie, baking spices/nutmeg/cinnamon) and look for a dry to semi-sweet Riesling.  If you are buying a German Riesling look for a Kabinett or Spätlese (because these are drier options).  It is a great wine for folks who are new to wine and would be good to have one to offer.  It will pair well with the sweetness of the potatoes, richness of gravy, and has enough minerality to stand up to stuffing, turkey, etc.

Gewürztraminer:  Another white wine that may present itself dry or sweet, depending on the style.  Look for dry to semi-sweet.  These wines are aromatic, floral, and spicy with a zestiness that allows it to pair nicely with side dishes that may have a bit more kick to them.  May also be a good dessert option (mmmm pumpkin pie).

Pinot Noir: A traditional favorite for Thanksgiving and if you’re in Oregon, like me, then there is no shortage of Pinot Noir around here.  This is a great option because it typically has bright fruit (think cherries, cranberries, raspberries) and earth (think mushrooms) so it is perfect for the fruity, earthy, and spicy foods of Thanksgiving.  This wine will compliment, without overpowering, almost all of the flavors of the day.

Zinfandel:  A red wine that is bigger and bolder than Pinot Noir, but still maintains a balancing effect on many traditional dishes.  Zinfandels can be rich, but not very tannic, with great fruit and spice characteristics and still compliment richer flavors of the day (like sweet potatoes and gravy). This would be a great option for your guests who may be looking for a heartier wine with deeper flavors.

Dessert Wines:  Look for Ports, Cream Sherries, Rieslings, and even Sparkling Wine.

LOCAL SHOPPING GUIDE

I put this list together for the event I did last weekend, focusing primarily on both local wines and female winemakers.  This was an all women’s event and wanted to promote some of the women winemakers in Oregon while also putting an emphasis on value driven wines.  They are also widely available locally.

Sparkling Wines

Value:  Cristalino Brut Cava, $7.99 (great for mimosas and champagne cocktails)
Value:  Gruet Blanc de Noirs, $12.99 (from New Mexico)
Local/Splurge:  2007 Argyle Brut Rosé, $45

White Wines

Local:  2008 Phelps Creek Oak Ridge Gewürztraminer Columbia Gorge, $17
* Local:  2008 Penner-Ash Willamette Valley Riesling, $18

Dry Rosé Wines

Value:  Southern French Rosés ($8-$15), like 2008 Château Guiot Rosé, $11
Local:  2008 Anne Amie Cuvée A Midnight Saignée Rosé, $15

Red Wines

Value:  2008 Seghesio Sonoma Zinfandel, $24 (producer of some of my favorite Zins)
* Local/Value:  2007 Stoller JV Estate Pinot Noir, $25
* Local/Splurge:  2006 Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir Laurène, $65

* Denotes local wines made by women winemakers

IMPORTANT TIPS

• Have at least three wine options:  sparkling, a white, and a red.  Don’t worry about having too much.  Look for my upcoming post on what to do with leftover wines during the holidays.
• Magnums are great for larger crowds (6-10 people).
• Sparkling wine goes with everything (it’s true).
• Don’t stress about finding the perfect wine for every dish. There’s no such thing… except for sparkling ☺
• You don’t need to spend a lot of money on Thanksgiving wine.  The flavors of the food are the star on this day, and most of the meal will outshine the wine.
• Most importantly, have a fantastic time enjoying good food, good wine, and of course the company of family and friends.

Cheers

Ideas To Get You Through Winter

It’s no big secret that I’m not a fan of winter.  The Holiday Season? Yes, of course I love that, but once January hits, it seems as if it’s just long months of cold, darkness, and long hours spent anxiously awaiting next summer to arrive while daydreaming of tropical beaches and Mai Tais.  A couple of months ago, however, a good friend and I were talking about creative ways to get through this upcoming winter (she shares my extreme dislike for winter) and one of her ideas was to form a book and wine club (a little twist on your traditional wine club if you will).  Along with the chosen book of the month we would also have a wine and each member would bring a bottle of the pre-selected varietal (or theme) and one person would be nominated to speak about the wine. 

I love wine, and books, so I thought this was a brilliant idea… and thus the Wine & Book Club was created.  Since the two of us were discussing the idea she decided to host the first month at her house and asked me to present the first wine, which we decided to be Malbec.

We had an excellent turnout for our first meeting, with around 13 guests.  Guess you don’t have to twist a lady’s arm to come to an event filled with girlfriends, good food, good books, and good wine.  Once everyone arrived and poured herself a glass of Malbec I spoke for a few minutes on the wine of the month.

A little story about Malbec:

Malbec, once popular in Bordeaux, is still permitted by all major red Bordeaux appellations, but it is now usually more of a minor blending grape (usually less than 10% of the blend).  The grape became less popular in Bordeaux after 1956 when frost killed off around 75% of the crop, becoming replaced with other varietals less susceptible to frost.  Malbec, which was at one time planted in nearly every area of France, began losing acreage to other more popular varietals, like Cabernet Franc in the Loire.

Although Malbec (which has hundreds of local synonyms) has lost significant popularity in France, it still remains the backbone grape in Cahors (located in Southwest France), where the grape is known as “Côt”.  Here “Côt” must constitute a minimum of 70% Malbec (with Merlot and Tannat usually making up the remainder).
 
These days the word Malbec is synonymous with Argentina where it is the major red varietal planted.  In fact, Argentina is the worlds fifth largest wine producer with over 60% of wine production being red wine (and a majority of that being Malbec)… basically, there’s a lot of Malbec being produced in Argentina!

Malbec was introduced to Argentina by French agricultural engineer Michel Pouget in 1868.  However, for the next 100+ years the wine being made was basic jug wine, with no real worldwide popularity or accolades.  In the late 20th century things changed when Argentinean wine producers shifted their focus to exporting and Malbec there increased significantly in quality and finally hit its boom. 

Today, Malbec is most widely planted in Argentina with Mendoza being the most important wine growing province, accounting for about 70% of all Argentina’s wine production.  The grape grown is different from Malbec in France in that it has smaller, tighter, clusters and creates dark color with intensely ripe fruit flavors with a velvety plush texture and light tannins and goes down way too easy.  One of my personal favorite things about Argentinean Malbec is its incredible value!  You can find absolutely delicious bottles easily for around $10 a bottle making it one of my favorite everyday wines year round. 

Outside of Argentina and France, Malbec is also planted in Chile and small amounts in Australia and the US where it is more often used as a blending grape in Meritage (Bordeaux style) blends.

So there you have it.  Malbec, in a nutshell.

At the book club I had actually made a false assumption that most people would bring an Argentinean Malbec, but instead we had quite a variety represented.  I brought a Cahors (since I’m such a French wine whore), and surprisingly we also had a Seven Hills Malbec from Walla Walla, WA, a Steltzner Vineyards from Napa, along with a selection of five different Argentinean producers.  This provided a nice spectrum of flavors of Malbecs grown in different regions.

All in all, wine was an excellent addition to a book club and I’m already debating wines to bring for the next one, where we will actually have two featured wines during the evening - Sparkling Wine & Pinot Noir!  I have a feeling the book discussion may take a far second in importance to the wine discussions for this next event. 

So, if you’re looking for a way to spark up your gloomy winter months, I highly recommend something like a Wine & Book Club!   It’s a great excuse to get together with friends and enjoy an evening together.  And you DON’T have to know a lot about wine either.  Start with a grape or region you are interested in and do a little bit of research.  Or have somebody volunteer to do the work and speak about the wine.  Or if you don’t even want to go that far, just assign a type of wine and have everybody bring a bottle and just sip and discuss the different flavors and enjoy while talking about your book.

Finally, just in case you were curious, here is a list of the wines we had represented at our inaugural Book & Wine Club.  As for where to purchase these wines, I am not positive on all of the wines, as I did not get the information from each member.  The prices below represent average retail prices I found online.

Argentinian Malbecs:

2008 Gouguenheim Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina,  $10.99 (Whole Foods downtown Portland & cork • a bottle shop)    3 bottles (highly recommend for this price point)

2008 Gascon Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina, avg. retail approx $10.00

2008 Altos Las Hormigas Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina, avg. retail approx $12.00

2006 Vistalba "Corte C" Malbec-Merlot, Mendoza, Argentina, avg. retail approx $12.00

2008 Doña Paula Estate Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina, avg. retail approx $13.00

Outside Argentina:

2005 Cosse Maisonneuve le Combal, Cahors, France, $18.75 at cork • a bottle shop

2006 Seven Hills Malbec, Walla Walla Valley, WA, $28

2005 Steltzner Vineyards Malbec, Stags Leap District, Napa Valley, CA, retail approx $36

Wrapping up summer value wines '09

Rumor has it that summer is winding down to an end here in Portland. As much as I am in denial about this I’ve realized all good things must (eventually) come to an end.  This is sad for me since I am summers biggest fan and believe there are few people in the world who love this season as much as I do.  Being from Phoenix, AZ (where it is practically summer year round) it must be in my blood.

My summer ’09 was filled with lots of travel, outdoor activities, testing recipes on our new smoker, and exploring new wines, which more often than not meant a lot of crisp refreshing white wines.  It has been pointed out to me by a few friends that I am somewhat of a “seasonal” oenophile (not that I only drink wine during specific seasons… au contraire… more so, I often drink ones that reflects the weather or occasion).  When there is a beautiful hot summer day, or when I have returned from a hike or workout, I want to drink something cold and refreshing.  Alternatively, when it is cold and snowy I want to drink something that will warm my body and soul, like a full bodied red next to the fireplace while reading a good book.  I prefer to think of these as “occasion” wines because I believe there is a wine for all occasions, seasons, and moods. 

I also don’t rate the wines I drink on a number scale because I don’t think it’s fair nor necessary for purpose of this particular blog.  A wine I loved yesterday because it hit the spot at that right moment may not satisfy me another day.  On the flip side an amazing full bodied Cabernet Sauvignon just may not have been appropriate for a blazing 100 degree afternoon, but may be perfect with dinner indoors, or sipping by the fire.  That being said, I’d rather “rate” a wine, so to speak, on how well if reflects the moods, occasions, or meals that it is being consumed with.  This summer, for example, was filled with gorgeous warm (and quite often hot) days and I spent much of that time outside in my backyard or going on long bike rides and hikes, therefore I drank a lot of crisp white wine this summer as well as a lot of bubbles. But of course, if you have read more than one post here you probably already know I need absolutely no reason to open bubbles.  They are good for every single occasion and mood.  Even on a cold and gloomy day I will still open up a bottle and daydream of summers to come.  But let's not get off the subject talking about bubbles.

Earlier this summer I set out on a mission to find new summer wines to drink throughout the season.  I wrote about some of them on this blog, and many I just drank carefree, not focusing on writing notes or information about them, but continued to re-purchase them throughout the summer months. 

So as we move from summer into the “f” word (like I said, I’m in denial), I will leave you with some of my favorites.  These all fit into my “summer value wine” criteria of being less than $20 and everyday wines that I actually re-purchased again and again.  Of course, I drank and discovered many other fantastic wines this summer, but these are specifically those with the intention of being everyday wines at inexpensive prices perfect for the season.

Top Summer Discovery:  Txakolina

Txakolina:  specifically from producer Ameztoi, 2008, both their regular Txakolina and the Rosé.
Don’t let the name intimidate you. This is a super refreshing slightly effervescent wine from Spain that will hit the spot on a warm summer day.  Click here to read the full review of the Rosé.  I could not get enough of this wine.  When I wasn’t drinking it at home, I was ordering it at one of my favorite wine bars, Vino Paradiso, who had it on their menu for a couple months this summer.  At $20, this wine was at the high end of my “value” scale but well worth it!

Vinho Verde: Specifically Broadbent Vinho Verde. Another effervescent wine that proved time and time again to be a thirst quencher all summer.  The nice thing about most Vinho Verdes that I drank was their low alcohol content (averaging 9%).  That way you can drink a glass or two in the afternoon and not be loopy before dinner!  Retail:  $9.99

Müller Thurgau:  Specifically Anne Amie 2008 Cuvée A Müller Thurgau.  Crisp and dry with citrus aromas of lemon, lemon peel, apple, with some floral notes.  This is a dry and refreshing wine, a wonderful summer sipper, and would also be great with seafood dishes like mussels or clams.  Retail: $14

Gruner Veltliner:  Check out the 2007 Berger Niederoesterreich Gruner Veltliner, from Austria.  It comes in a 1 liter bottle (rather than a standard 750 ml) so it's great for summer gatherings since it serves many.  Cirtusy, crisp, and clean with lots of green apple.  A great bargain too at approx $13 for the 1 liter bottle!

Argentinean Malbec, especially: 
2007 Tomero Malbec, from Mendoza, Argentina:  I purchased this wine over and over from cork • a bottle shop.  It’s such a great value at approx $12 with rich fruit and soft tannins.  Great bbq wine! 
2008 Gouguenheim Malbec Valle Escondido, also from Mendoza, Argentina:  This was actually one of the few red wines (in the summer quest category) that I felt motivated to write about on the blog.  Fruit forward, rich fruit, and only $11.  I’ve seen this wine at quite a few locations locally, including cork • a bottle shop and whole foods.

Favorite "go to" value bubbles of the season:

Rotari Brut  Sparkling Wine from Italy:  $11.99

Domaine Rosier Brut Blanquette de Limoux (NV):  Crisp yet slightly creamy on the palate.  $11.99

In addition to the above wines, I experimented with many wines specifically because of their region, including:

Portuguese white wines (great values)
Argentinean and Chilean red wines (great values)
California Zinfandel (great with many of the smoked and grilled meats we experimented with this summer).  But pay attention to the alcohol level!  Many Zins (especially from CA) can exceed 16% alcohol, which can often kill most food you pair with it, so look for those in the 13-14% range for a better food and wine pairing experience! Believe me, your palate will thank me.

Now, since fffff (spit it out) FALL is in the air you know I’ll be on a similar mission to find some good fall value wines to pair with the bounty of fall foods and holidays coming up.  I’m ready for the challenge!

Since it is still summer out there for many of you, please go out and seek some of the above summer wines and let me know what you think.  For more reviews of some of the summer wines I wrote about click here. 

Cheers to my favorite season of all… Summer!