I’ll be honest, I was surprised at the results of the poll. I had not pegged these two wines as the winners, though I did enjoy them. Since this poll has been going on for nearly a month now, I’m not going to write a big hulaballoo post here. Too excited to just get to the winners. And here they are.

Best White Wine of 2010

Chateau Ballan-Larquette Bordeaux Rose 2009

I liked this wine from the start. The strawberry, the crispness, the slight thickness. This was a wine built for food. Altogether a delicious wine that rings in at just under $10. A great, great buy.

Best Red Wine of 2010

Montevina Barbera 2008

A sleeper of a wine that appeared on my radar in September. It won the gold medal at the Los Angeles International Wine Competition, and with good reason. Velvet cola, caramel, red fruit, and the most intoxicating finish I’ve experienced in a red wine in quite awhile. All this from a California Barbera. Amazing, amazing wine and only $9.99.

So there you have it, folks. The best wines as voted on by the readers and by our tasting back in early December. Overall it’s been a blast choosing the best out of all the brilliant wines under $20 I’ve had the good fortune of tasting throughout the year. I look forward to doing it again next year, and I hope even more of you will get involved!

Cheers!

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This is the first of a two-parter (duh) because I wanted to break up my Christmas wine suggestions according to the major parts of the big day: Afternoon and evening.

Now, this may seem a bit unorthodox (neé alcoholic), but it’s the Christmas. The family has gathered, everyone is worried about that weird uncle or the asshole sibling, your grandmother forgot to put on pants, and all the kids are puking and hate their presents. Nothing helps complement such blatant joy better than cheap wine, amiright?

Picture this: Your alarm rings in the morning (why are we still forced to set alarms on Christmas-effing-morning?), you roll out of bed, down the hall, stop at the bathroom, then head out to the family room where everyone has already conspired against you, leaving you with nowhere to sit but the floor. You can see a pathetically small pile of gifts sitting behind the pajama-ed feet of your nieces and nephews, all of whom have dried snot and boogers crusting their faces (What is it with kids under 10? Do they not know how to work a mirror? You stare at it, stupid.) Someone forgot to make coffee, all there is to eat is cold bread and mustard, and it’s raining out. In short, Christmas morning sucks.

That’s why you need to look forward to finally reaching the socially-acceptable drinking time: Afternoon.

So here are two wines perfect for Christmas afternoon while that bird or ham is in the oven bubbling away.

Chateau Ballan-Larquette Bordeaux Blanc 2009

A beautiful white effort by this awesome producer. Their Chateau Ballan-Larquette Rose is a contender for our Best Wine of 2010. The Bordeaux Blanc is 50% Sauvignon Blanc and 50% Semillon.

Color

Wonderful, bright color with a nice green shade to it. Looks quenching.

Nose

Fresh, crisp, with the scents of herb fields in France: Rosemary, lavender, thyme, and a shot of sweet grass.

Taste

A long, delicious wine. Firm citrus acidity balances out the delicious tart apple and lemon peel. Great backbone to this and it does not let up. Crisp and sharp like cut steel, but it’s not pummeling or puckering you. It’s just right for that cheese plate (or-God help you-cheeseball) or salty appetizer before the main Christmas meal. Delicious.

Where to Buy

$9.99 at BevMo.com!

Little Penguin Pinot Noir 2010

A 2010 already you might say? And red? Well, yes, in fact. While just born, this little baby is delicious and worth more than it’s asking price of $6.99. And it’s from Australia.

Color

Light red with some hints of garnet. Just as a Pinot should look.

Nose

Weak, tight, some sense of red fruit but nothing really present, though I did detect a bit of cocoa for some reason. All this was expected drinking a 2010 already released.

Taste

Ok, so the wine may have a weak nose, but I have to say that I found it delicious. Strawberry, a bit of mint, and some delicious acid. The wine, for some reason, has balance. It’s not too firm or too weak and by all respects, a 2010 should taste like bitter grape juice right now, forget about a 2010 under $10. Still the wine has promise and though it disappears quickly on the finish, it’s worth it’s price.

Where to Buy

$6.99 at BevMo.com!

That’s it gang. Look for Part 2 tomorrow for suggestions on what to have during one of the most depressing parts of the year: The end of Christmas Day.

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Roses are usually at one of two extremes: Way too light to the point of sweet water (think White Zinfandel: Ugh) or far too strong so that you are robbed of the bouncy fruit and crisp, acidic sweetness. For the roses that are too dark (like Syrah roses or many from California) I sometimes feel cheated. They make me think the fruit that went into them just wasn’t up to snuff for a red wine. For my palate, a rose should be what it’s name suggests: Rose-colored. Not cranberry juice or a light pink water.

The Ballan-Larquette Rose is neither of those. 45% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Cabernet Franc. It’s balanced and delicious, and because of that, it is a strong contender for our Best of 2010 voting/tasting. Read on to see why and be sure to pick up a bottle ASAP.

Color

Proper pink. Nothing too light or too dark.

Nose

Strawberry fields. Not just strawberries, but the dirt and dust that you smell along with them in the fields on a hot day. Some freshly cut cherry as well.

Taste

Medium-bodied, not too light, which I like very much. Very good fruit on the attack, the strawberry and cherry flavors from the nose are intact and give a nice brightness to the wine. There is a hint of sweetness as well, but not too much that you wouldn’t want to enjoy this with something more savory. The barnyard is present as well in this in the form of a soil and stink element that is tough to pin down. Great finish with a pleasing dryness.

With Food

A very versatile food wine. I’ve most often had roses with chicken or salads that have fruit in them. One of the best pairings has been with a chicken and berry salad. Any berry will work, though I’d aim for strawberries. I light vinegarette with some garlic in it will help. For some reason I’ve always found that strawberries and garlic go well together. I probably just made all chefs everywhere cringe.

Where to Buy

$9.99 at BevMo or BevMo.com!

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Hello, fellow Wine Welfare recipients! Hope all is well with you in your worlds, and in your pocketbooks/wallets, of course. I wanted to let you in on a SPECTACULAR deal from WineLibrary.com that isn’t really so much a sale as a great selection of Bordeaux (yes, actual BORDEAUX wines) for under $20!

If you have read this site at all, you know that I love Old World wines with their musty fruit, cow poop and barnyard scents, muscle, delicacy and the undeniable lack of oak masking. Basically, if the wine stinks, I’m going to love it. It’s just the way some palates work.

The other thing you know for sure if you have read this site is how often the great under-$20 deals we link to are on WineLibrary.com. They consistently have the best prices around and it seems like they are always offering free shipping (and I have to say again that I wish they had an affiliate program). I mentioned a snow sale they were having just a couple of weeks ago, but this is different.

Wine Library has put together a spectacular list of under-$20 Bordeauxs, wines that are normally unheard of at that price point. It almost doesn’t matter which one you choose. It’s Bordeaux and it’s less than $20. So don’t be cheap bastards and pass up a great deal. I’m not sure how long this insanely awesome list will last.

Just CLICK HERE.

Cheers!

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NOTE: We decanted this for about an hour before tasting.

COLOR: Deep musty red. Looks lighter than most Bordeauxs.

NOSE: Even with decanting, this is a tight nose. You can pick up some cherry and a bit of wet earth, but that’s it.

TASTE: A little flat upon intake. No explosion of anything here, which is expected for Old World wines like Bordeaux, but come on, Ballan-Larquette. This should taste like something fruit-related. I mean, we’ve got the dirt again, some good tannins, but nothing else. No real structure. The finish would be good, if there were something to finish. I guess I’ll admit that there were some faint cherry flavors, but nothing I could describe as delicious. To manipulate one of my favorite phrases from the 80s: “Where’s the fruit??”

WITH FOOD: Well, based on the lack of fruit, how about a nice bowl of steam? Perhaps leaving it out and enjoying it with a steak would wake things up.

WHERE TO BUY: $19.99 at Bevmo, though you may find it cheaper in local shops.

Check out our other Bordeaux wine reviews! (There’s really only one)

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Well, now that all of the 4th of July hoopla is over with, we can get back into some good ol’ deals on delicious wines! Let’s start this middle of summer rally with another great BBQ wine. This is a French red, specifically Bordeaux, with a lot of heart: The christian Moueix Merlot 2005, which is pretty much known for being one of the best vintages in history for Bordeaux wines.

Most people would not think of a Bordeaux as a BBQ wine, but, let’s face it, when it comes to barbecue, nothing says it like steaks.

Good News Only: So there you sit, munching on your T-bone or Porterhouse or Filet Mignon or Flank Steak and you’re drinking a beer. Try that steak on with a glass of this stuff instead! The Christian Moueix Merlot comes at you with great blackberry, raspberry and roasted plums (bet you never thought of doing that!). The nose is what it should be from a Bordeaux wine: manure. Now some people might be put off by a wine that smells like…well, poop, but just try it with a bite of your grilled steak. It doesn’t matter what cut of beef it is, if it’s from a cow, it will work beautifully. The wine just drinks very well, even for hot weather. The fruit comes through and the alcohol is there to back it up with a nice finish that is not too warm. Leather and prunes finish off the taste, and the wine will last long enough in your mouth to merit two bites.

With Food: Steak, steak and more steak. Did we mention steak? This will also work with hamburgers, particularly if you like mustard on them (something just happens when you add a little mustard flavor on your tongue with this wine).

$13.04 for 2 at the BevMo 5¢ Wine Sale!

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