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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Beringer 2009 California Collection Pinot Grigio - $4.99 Everywhere

Hit up this cheap vino for only $4.99 a bottle practically anywhere. I think they even sell it at dry cleaners. Sharp acid, strong citrus fruit (white grapefruit topped with sugar), great lemongrass backend, and a low alcohol content (only about 11%) make this the perfect Christmas lunch wine. Just as the sun starts hanging high and the most depressing start of the year inches ever-closer, pop this puppy open and smile knowing you spent the same amount on weird Uncle Mort’s Christmas present.

Estancia Zinfandel 2007 – $8.99 to $10.99 in Grocery Stores

No American holiday would be complete without a solid, cheap Zinfandel. The not as commonly found in 7-Elevens, the Estancia Zinfandel can be found in most grocery stores. This baby brings a powerful blast of ripe cherries, chocolate sauce and some stiff herb action (heh-heh) on the palate, leading to a slightly acidic but long finish. Much longer than I’m used to for a Zin under $10. Definitely pair this with either the ham or prime rib. Might be a bit too robust for the turkey, but if you’re like me on the holidays, your tastebuds will be destroyed long before the sun goes down.

Have a safe and Merry Christmas!

Cheers!

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Many wine lovers are often put off by Kosher wine. They see “Kosher” or recognize a Kosher label and immediately assume that the wine is of a lower quality or will simply be heavily sweetened. This is simply not true. When you step back and look at the process of Kosher wine making, you will see that there is really not much difference in technique compared to non-Kosher producers. Try to think of Kosher wine as Vegan wine, which means a wine produced with absolutely no animal ingredients such as isinglass or gelatin, products used to fine or clarify wine. Kosher wine making processes take things one small step further, prohibiting the use of unauthorized yeasts when it comes to fermentation. Just like with non-Kosher wine making, wines produced can be of either low, medium or high quality, all dependent on the wine maker, the fruit and techniques used.

The prevalence of sweetness in many Kosher wines comes from the first Kosher wines produced in America nearly a century ago. When Jewish immigrants arrived in America, they found Concord grapes to be plentiful and decided to make wine from them. The wine was, how could we put it…crappy, and they found that adding sugar made it more palatable. Most people have heard of Concord grapes when it comes to jelly, which also has sugar being added to the grapes. Same kind of thing.

Anyway, I strongly urge all of you, Jew or non-Jew, to try a few Kosher wines this holiday season. In particular, seek out some wines from Israel as they can also be quite delicious, though a bit more on the pricey side. For now, head out to nearly any grocery store in the U.S. and you will be able to find a bottle of Baron Herzog wine. And if you’re ever in the Oxnard, CA area, I suggest you check out the magnificent Herzog Cellars. Fascinating place.

Color

Very, very light. I mean, like, water. Never had a Sauvignon Blanc this light.

Nose

Great sharp acid and gooseberry, reminiscent of good New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Some grapefruit and other citrus notes as well.

Taste

Sharp and flavorful. I expected it to be far too light, but instead it comes through with some good lemon-lime, some green orange (just think about eating an unripe one) and still those tart gooseberries. A little rhubarb and some sort of caramel taste finishes things up. All the while it is backed by great acidity.

With Food

Well, seeing as how this is a Kosher wine, I say some herring, gefilte fish, little horseradish, all on top of a matzo cracker. If you’re not really into the Kosher cuisine, I would definitely pair this with light cheeses or some shrimp ceviche. Also, remember to always keep this well-chilled. I know I’m a big proponent of drinking whites at slightly below room temperature, but this wine falls apart a bit without cold.

Where to Buy

Well, practically anywhere, but it’s $7.99 at Prime Wines.

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This wine is a definite Best of 2010 contender, not just for the taste but for the ridiculous price they’re selling it at.

Okay, we’ve done the Liberty School Cabernet, the Liberty School Chardonnay and told you all about the Hope Family Wines story. These awesome people found the Cabernet review I did a couple of months ago and decided that in order to be revered as one of the most awesome wineries to ever exist, they had to get on WineWelfare.com. Rightly so. I even have a page for applicants!

That said, you all know the story, so I’m not going to go into it anymore. I just can’t keep explaining every little thing to you people. My time is far too valuable and there is just too much vino to drink out there.

The Liberty School Cuvee is a rock star blend of Syrah, Petite Sirah, Grenach, Mourvedre and Viognier. Just think about all of the possible combinations you can get out of those, then think about the resulting wine being under $15, and you can see what we’re dealing with here.

Color

Bright and not heavy. The nose and taste were rich but the color was not, despite the blend.

Nose

Very floral and bright. Every bright red fruit pops up here. Currants, cherries, raspberry, strawberry and smoke.

Taste

Far and away one of the best wines I’ve had in my life. I shared it out at dinner with my wife, step-dad and his wife, and let me tell you that I’m glad I did. For some reason, good wine just kicks more ass when you’re sharing it with people you care about. Bright red fruits and a real back-of-the-throat smoke come through, followed up by a stiff, velvety mid-palate with a shot of vanilla, finished off with firm but benevolent tannins, a little little leather, and a stewed prune notes. Out of this world structure, complexity and class. I still can’t believe the price.

With Food

As usual when I share wine with my family, we ate it with kabobs, gyros, hummus and the like. I’d recommend it with either nothing or a roast meat and game. Nothing else.

Where to Buy

$10.83 at GrapeDiscounts.com!

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Color

Not as dark as it should be. Petite Sirahs are known for their inky depths but I could see my fingers through this one.

Nose

Very floral with bubblegum. Some good dark blackberry and cassis.

Taste

Grape candy flavors and more bubblegum. It tastes a bit fake, as though it were dressed up. I get the sense that something is being masked. Some nice dark plum and blackberry again, but I can taste a bit too much oak, which I guess is what’s giving it the fake aspects. Weak tannins don’t help much either. The finish is pretty much non-existent. The wine just disappears.

With Food

While the dark fruit and candy flavors stand up at the beginning, the wine loses it pretty quickly, making it difficult to pair, so I would say stick with simple barbecued chicken. No red meat or red sauce. If anything, save this for the end of the evening when you’ve finished eating.

Where to Buy

$15.99 at TheWineCountry.com!

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UPDATE – I made an error concerning the vintage of this Chardonnay. It’s actually the 2007 since Cantara did not actually make an ’08. Thanks to Mike Brown (winemaker) over at Cantara for the correction.

I’m going to start a category called “Little Known” for wineries that are very small, below the radar, off the beaten path, or have little to no budget for advertising and so rely pretty much solely on word-of-mouth and (if they’re lucky) a “Wine Trail” pamphlet for their region in order to sell product.

In case you haven’t noticed, I tend to like these wineries. While they tend to have fewer bottles offered under $20, they often have impeccably-crafted wines offered at ridiculously low prices. The adverbs in that last sentence will really piss off my writer friends, so I hope you enjoyed it due to the tongue-lashing I’m about to take.

Also in case you haven’t noticed, Cantara Cellars is one of the kinds of wineries I’m speaking of. Cantara gets all of its fruit from Lodi, a region near the bloated Napa and Sonoma regions of California that forces my tax bracket to budget a yearly trip to get up there and visit them. However, the tasting room (and their home base) is located on what is known as the Ventura County Wine Trail. Hooray for a wine trail less than 2 hours from my house! (*cricket chirps*) Moving on.

Cantara got it’s start by getting away with what I’ve been arrested for: Making wine in your home’s garage. I guess they threw fewer “Chug from the Barrel!” parties. They even named it after the neighborhood they used to concoct this hooch in. My wife and I found them while staying at the awesome Glen Tavern Inn in Santa Paula, CA. We were desperate to taste some vinos and plugged “winery” into our GPS and , low and behold, a winery tasting room popped up in the midst of a non-descript office park. Seriously, you drive toward the area they are located in and you begin wondering whether you are actually visiting a tasting room or going to complain at a Time Warner Cable satellite office. It was there that we found the Ventura County Wine Trail brochure and learned that it crawls all the way up to Ojai, where we found more small wineries and tasting rooms (more on that later). Since then we were able to taste their delicious wines a second time at the Malibu/Calabasas Food & Wine Festival.

In conclusion, these people are the salt of the modern-day-wine-making-earth. And their wine kicks ass.

So let’s get into the Cantara Cellars Chardonnay:

Color

Golden, solid, textbook. Makes you confident that you are in fact drinking Chardonnay (I hate this section of the reviews).

Nose

Wait a minute, is this…is this really what I’m smelling? A wine that actually smells like lemon meringue pie? Cream, lemon, acid, full. Delicious nose.

Taste

The flavors match the nose in a step-by-step fashion. Bright lemon, some green apple, some white fig for a good mix of acid and fullness. Rich mouthfeel. Velvety but not buttery, just like a light pie crust. Great mid-palate of what seems to be cinnamon and a bread-like finish. Nice sourdough at the end. Weird but intriguing and great.

With Food

A very food-friendly wine. Thanks to the acid it won’t overpower already-buttery dishes. Chicken or Salmon Picatta, shellfish, savory crepes and the like. Not for an appetizer. This is Main wine.

Where to Buy

$21 at CantaraCellars.com. Yes, that’s the winery website, and yes I realize that it’s over $20. But it’s a buck. Dig through your sofa cushions.

Winery/Tasting Room Info

126 N. Wood Road #104

Camarillo, CA 93010

(805) 484-9600

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This was given to us as a gift for some babysitting my wife did for a friend. I love friends who give wine as payment for helping out. They go right to the top of the People You Should Always Help Out list.

Need to be picked up from the airport? No problem! I’m in a Pinot Noir mood this time.

Oh you’re moving and need a hand? You got it! It’s warm out so let’s go with a Riesling.

Emergency room? I’ll be right there! Just grab a bottle of that Liberty School Cabernet before you lose consciousness and I’ll pick you up out front.

Love those kinds of people.

Here is a breakdown of the S|K|N Cabernet Sauvignon:

Color

Welch’s grape juice but looking a little young due to the clear rim upon tilting it in the glass.

Nose

Wow, BIG nose. Lot’s going on here and all mashed together. Cooked crimini mushrooms, slight smoke, bacon, some big ripe cherries. Very old world but a little heavy on the heat. Some isopropyl alcohol coming through.

Taste

Very meaty on the attack. Bold mouthfeel and flavor. Cherry, blackberry and some pie crust thrown in. You know what? This is like a cherry pie topped off with bacon. Whereas the nose held more smoke, the flavor concentrates on the bacon. Not the greatest concentration, but the wine is still delicious. The heavy alcohol is still there at the back of your palate. Tannins are weak but still somewhat present.

With Food

Definitely a meat wine. Although, some bacon-wrapped scallops or shrimp would work out very well. I wouldn’t go crazy with barbecue, though. Save that for the Syrahs. Broiled red meats or roast game.

Where to Buy

$7.99 at CrownWineandSpirits.com!

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This is, however, the first review of a Hope Family Wine since their awesome production coordinator sent me a sample of their wines for review. Now, I know what you’re thinking: “They sent you their wines for free, so you’re just going to do great reviews of them all in the hopes of getting something new in the future.”

Wrong. Well…right. But WRONG. Oh, so wrong.

I’ve always prided myself on my honesty, particularly when it comes to this site. I make no money off of it (despite the ads) and I do it as a labor of love. If I think a wine quite frankly sucks some form of animal genitalia, I’m going to tell you. Keeping that image in mind, let’s get into the Liberty School 2007 Chardonnay.

Color

Beautiful gold . Watered down Red Bull, though I know that doesn’t sound exactly appetizing. The “shinyness” of this wine is striking.

Nose

Thick and vanilla. Delicious pineapple and hearty caramel breaking through. Not a soft nose by any means. This does not smell like it’s going to be on the acidic Chardonnay side. 75% of the fruit was barrel-fermented in 10% new American and French oak while the other 25% was in stainless steel. Smelling that way.

Taste

Rich, saucy and bright, but not too much butter. The tropical flavors really hit home here with pineapple, vanilla-lime (yeah, I know, but lime is what I tasted) and some really awesome apple and pear Jelly Bellys. The wine is not confused as the structure is solid. Fruit in the front, not much acid, all leading toward the rich mid-palate and finally finishing with some of those caramel notes and the alcohol coming through. Very very full mouthfeel, like you’re drinking a Boston cream pie. Fantastic.

With Food

Go on the light side as the wine is too heavy for heavy white foods. Avoid your cream sauces and overly buttered shellfish. Simply grilled crab, shrimp or white fish, pastas in olive oil, mild cheeses and fresh tart fruits. Try pears, specifically.

Where to Buy

Obviously at the winery, but other than that, $8.99 at StirlingFineWines.com.

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The answer is a resounding “YES”. In fact, it’s going on the “Best of 2010″ list here on Wine Welfare, which seems to be fast-becoming a list of 15 or 20 instead of my original idea for 10, but that’s a good thing. More on the Wine Welfare Best of 2010 list later, but I will say that I am going to need some readers to get involved and cast some votes.

On to the wine:

Color

Deep, dark, rich brilliance. Mash up some black cherries and add some ripe blackberry juice for a match. Gorgeous.

Nose

I don’t often agree with the winery notes for a wine, but I have to agree here: Cherry Coke. It comes through strong with nuances of tobacco.

Taste

Stunning mouthfeel. Velvet cherry with bright cola and caramel flavors. Spot-on structure with great fruit and tannins attacking in the front, the mid-palate is where you can literally taste the velvet, and the finish is a final spike of cherry with some dirt and a touch of tobacco. The wine isn’t quite a beast, but is rather understated. It doesn’t throw it all in too quickly; it takes it’s time and just FLOWS. An extremely pleasing wine for a varietal that is scarce in California, much less delicious.

With Food

Rich red meat or a slow-cooked red sauce. I wouldn’t mess with cheese or fruit with this one. Rare lamb, ostrich (check out the Hitching Post if you’re in California) or high high quality filet mignon is what you need with this baby.

Where to Buy

$7.99 at BevMo! if you’re a ClubBev member, $9.99 without ClubBev.

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But seriously: Buy Microsoft products.*

Color

Pale straw as opposed to rich golden. You know what? I’ve been using the same damn 5 terms to describe the colors of Chardonnay for the past year. Let’s change it up with help from Thesaurus.com:

The color of this Chardonnay is more of an anemic silage rather than fatty aurelian. Thank YOU, Thesaurus.com.

Nose

Hmmm. Lot of rock in this one, but I can’t pick out what kind. If anyone here is an expert on how different rocks smell, please let me know. Anyhoo, some good lemon and a bit of cream Methinks this might not have had too much oak, which is good.

Taste

Delicious is the first thing that comes to mind. The wine is velvety but with a stark crispness (again, evidence of little or no oak). The same flavors from the nose: lemon and cream. The wine mingles and never really processes onto something else. A bit of a one-trick pony, but still tasty nonetheless. The finish stacks up with some $10 Chards so this is a good deal based on that alone.

With Food

Have to go with fish here. Not sure if this could contend with buttery shellfish or creamy sauces (despite the cream flavors), but give it try if you’re the adventurous type (it’s a big risk pairing wine with food, you know). Hard cheeses might stack up as well, but don’t go too stinky. A good pool wine until the heat dissipates.

Where to Buy

$5.99 on Club Bev at BevMo!, $7.99 if you’re not on Club Bev (It’s a free card, people. Pull it together).

TwistedWine.com

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*Do not buy Microsoft products. They are the stuff of nightmares.

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Oh, except that it’s a bitch to find if you don’t have a Trader Joe’s near you.

Color

Sturdy, solid and rich. It’s red. Give me a break.

Nose

Extreme aromatics. Black licorice, violet, cherry and strong poached plums. Beautiful nose.

Taste

Fruit-forward, but not a bomb. Good mix of tobacco and fruit salad elements. Dark berries, saddle leather, chewy. Great structure, I mean seriously. This wine has a brilliant attack, mid-palate and finish. Great tannins back up a full, Ribena-like mouthfeel (look it up).

With Food

A fruit and cheese red. The flavors are so dang delicious, yet delicate, I wouldn’t want to ravage them with red meat or even red sauce. Try salad, though I know how odd that sounds. A bacon, blue cheese, tomato and pears poached in red wine salad. Perfection.

Where to Buy

It’s around $8 bucks at Trader Joe’s but I don’t know where else, dammit.

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Color

Deep, dark, inky, rich.

Nose

Plum, cherry, wooden chair and some cigar. A big, bombastic nose. Such is the case with Shiraz.

Taste

Full-bodied as hell. Hard to find a Shiraz review that doesn’t note how big and fruit-bomby these wines are. The plum and cherry really powers through, though I have to admit the mid-palate was, well, lacking. It’s as if the wine disappeared for a moment and then reappeared in the form of saddle leather and too much alcohol, leaving an unpleasant caramel taste on the tongue. Not quite the finish we want.

With Food

Good food wine, seeing as how it needs something to fill in those gaps. I’d stay away from fruits and cheese and go with entrees. Try some sort of breakfast-cut beef, something thin, maybe with some tomato sauce. Veal is too delicate, but a thin carne asada taco would work well, as strange as it sounds.

Where to Buy

$8.99 at Premium Wine Group!

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Color

Great violet color, vibrant and looks well-made from the start.

Nose

Wow, tropical fruits: Pineapple, papaya, what the hell is this? Some tobacco and red fruit is there, but I can’t make out what.

Taste

Holy crap, the tropical fruit is still there. The pineapple, the papaya. This tastes like one of those orange juice combo drinks they make. Almost Sunny Delight-ish, if you can believe that. I don’t know quite how to describe this. I want to say “fruit-forward” but I’m used to the usual red fruits. Those red fruits are there, but not in any force at all. And all along with these strange fruits comes structure. The tannins are weak, but they are there. No hollowness, and a great finish of cherry mixed with pineapple. Like a sorbet.

With Food

You know, I wouldn’t mess with this one. This is far too unique and complex to be a food wine. ‘Nuf said.

Where to Buy

Under $20 at the winery: http://www.oreanawinery.com/.

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I’ll just stop talking now.

Color

It’s $7 Beringer Chardonnay. It’s gold in color. What else do you want? Maybe I should eliminate this section since looking at the color of under-$10 wines is kind of ridiculous.

Nose

GREAT NOSE. Wow, this was completely unexpected. Full scent with some great peach and lemon notes. You can even smell the wood, though I’m not sure if they aged this in oak at all.

Taste

A solid, solid wine. Acid that isn’t over the top, good fruit, and a textbook structure. The alcohol level is perfect for the flavors or creamy almond and buttery stone fruit. The lemon isn’t there, but it’s been replaced with this weird caramelly flavor that reminds you of the wine’s price. There is no finish other than a little residual heat. Still, completely solid for a hot summer day.

With Food

This is uncomfortable, but I can’t really find anything to pair it with. I ate fish with it, and it just didn’t work. My mouth ended up tasting the way a dock smells. Maybe some of you like that. I’ll be honest and just say that this wine should be popped towards the end of the party when you just need to have another glass.

Where to Buy

7-Eleven (ahem) like I said, but it’as also $7.48 at VineRepublic.com.

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Color

Great rich purple with some nice flecks of garnet. Looks lip-smackingly good.

Nose

Strong dark cherry, vanilla and some dirt. Nice, open smell to this wine. Could even be put away for a year or two.

Taste

Strong, fruit-forward cherry mixed with a bit of tobacco and wet soil. The wine is hot, but not overdone. Still, you fans of not-so-alcoholic reds might want to steer clear or let this breathe for a few hours. Remember, all reds should be decanted for at least an hour, but you all know that. The wine has solid structure and is very firm in it’s finish. The finish is slender but there is enough flavor complexity to make you forget it.

With Food

Great red sauce wine. Most would also pair this with red meat, but I think it is best-served with red sauce. In fact, a really great pairing would be a wood-fired pizza with rich red sauce, linguica and some mushrooms. Forest fruits with a nice hard white cheese would work perfectly as well.

Where to Buy

$9.95 at NapaCabs.com!

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• They didn’t call it a “Meritage”
• Syrah is not regarded as one of the “Noble Grapes”

Speaking of Meritage, the Meritage Association has a fun and informative site worth checking out: http://www.meritagewine.org/home

At any rate, if someone could leave a comment or contact me regarding information on the rules, it would be much-appreciated. Now let’s get into the wine.

Color

Stiff, thick purple. Nothing light in this baby, and seeing as it’s hot as hell out there right now, I should apologize for reviewing it at this time. That said, save this for after sundown.

Nose

Oak, creamy vanilla and very fruit-forward. Lot’s of blackcurrant and even some prune. The wine was aged in American Oak for 23 months, which was very smart on the winemaker’s part (I’m sure he’s looking for my novice approval) because if it had been French Oak, this baby would have been a BEAST.

Taste

The fruit explodes here and almost overdoes it, but the alcohol is present enough to back it up. 2007 was a late year, meaning much of the fruit in Northern California had to stay on the vine longer than usual in order to achieve maximum maturity. This tardiness on the part of the fruit makes this wine great, not only because it ripened a bit more, but because the vines didn’t have it easy, thereby making the fruit more concentrated. The wine is your standard office building: straight-up structure, nothing flashy, and it really serves it’s purpose well. The American Oak comes in to finish off the deep prune and blackberry flavors with a little creamy smoke.

With Food

I see this wine as not over-the-top when it comes to fruit, despite the explosion mentioned above, so I think it would do well with something Provencal or stewed. I wouldn’t pair this with barbecued foods or cheese. Lamb stews, Coq au Vin, or something similar.

Where to Buy

$10.96 at WinesThatWork.com!

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This is how I stumbled upon the Salmon Creek Pinot Noir. It costs $15 at the restaurant which, taking the markup into account, makes it about an extremely affordable Pinot. Now this is what I don’t understand: It’s good. Really good.

Color

Light, transparent purple with some garnet around the edges.

Nose

Strong strawberry juice and white gummi bears. Whatever flavor those were supposed to be. Pineapple? The nose is slightly worrisome, however, once you realize that that’s it. No other structural elements or backbone scents.

Taste

Ok, so now the structure appears. A fruit forward wine nonetheless, there is a brief shot of chocolate and some dirt flavors. I can’t say that the wine has a textbook construction, but everything is there when you need it. Nothing over the top. The strawberry makes way to a tart cranberry juice and we’ve moved away from white gummi bears to pink Sweet Tarts. The caramelly finish makes you realize that you’ve just sipped cheap wine, but it is far from a deterrent, especially at this price.

With Food

I’ve only had this at the kabob place, where I usually order lamb or a gyros plate, so i’d stick with that. Red meats that are spiced. It works well and doesn’t beat the food to death. It can hold up to the spices in their Greek salad as well. Let’s put it this way: it says something when a cheap red wine can fight a good battle against Kalamata olives.

Where to Buy

$6.94 at SaratogaWine.com!

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The Ventana Dry Rosado is a definite winner. I had never heard of Ventana and I barely knew where Arroyo Seco was before buying it (despite visiting Monterey, for God’s sake). Back to the point, this wine is a stud. I’m not even sure it should be referred to as a Rose, as every Rose I’ve had before is a crying little girl compared to this. Perhaps that’s why they used “Rosado” as the specific name. I’ll have to look it up.

Color

Cranberry juice cocktail. Deep rich ruby. Stiff for a Rose, but like I said, it’s a stud. Red wine is often referred to as ruby in color. I disagree. Look at a ruby and tell me if the color is more like a Gamay or this wine. You’ll see what I mean.

Nose

Skunk. Pure skunky cherry and cranberry notes. It dominates the nose. Tart strawberry, moldy blueberry, dry carpet.

Taste

More tart but juicy as can be. This is explosive strawberry, cranberry and some gasoline. Almond sneaks in to finish you off. Huge mouthfeel like velvet. This is not Granny’s $5 Rose.

With Food

Give it it’s due. Don’t pair this with just salad or fish or even light chicken as you would a typical Rose. We’re talking 10% Syrah and 90% Grenache here, left to soak with the skins longer than usual for a Rose. Stiffen things up by putting some time of slightly darker sauce on the chicken or fish. Actually, now that I think about it, grilled fish or chicken with lime and salsa, or even a good ceviche would work perfectly with this. Hey, look at that! Another wine that works with Mexican food, and from the most unlikely of varietals.

Where to Buy

$18 at TasteMontery.com, which by the way is an awesome little wine store right nextdoor to the Steinbeck Museum in Salinas. Go get some culture and then get buzzed off the beautiful wines Monterey has to offer.

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Color

Very pale for a Chardonnay. A little…too pale. Almost looks like a Pinot Gris with these grey tints I’m seeing.

Nose

Asparagus. Raw, cut asparagus. Some citrus and a shot of almond.

Taste

Great acidity. That’s what hits first. The wine is firm but not overpowering. Expected more oak from a Sonoma Chard, but not bad. A nice 1-2-3 structure: Acid on the attack, good fruity fig, then almond, then the vegetables, crisp finish. Some oaky vanilla on the tail. A solid wine.

With Food

Honestly, vegetables. This is a veggie wine. Put some type of protein in your dish if you must, but go low on salt. Stick with vegetables as the centerpiece and you won’t regret it. If you remember our Pebble Beach Grand Tasting menu, thinly-sliced raw asparagus with olive oil, lemon and parmesan was one of the best things we ate. Asparagus Carpaccio, they called it.

Where to Buy

Gets difficult here because I found this at a local Ralph’s supermarket for $11.99. Outside of California I believe there is Kroger and Food 4 Less. I have yet to see it anywhere else, so I’d stick with those stores if you can. If someone is able to find it online anywhere, please let me know in the comments below!

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