Wine Welfare » Unbelievable Deals

World Cup Wine: 3 South African Vinos Under $20

Wine Welfare — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 20:30:12 +0000

We’re a week into the World Cup and it’s time to pair some cheap wine with some football. In honor of the 2010 World Cup being held in South Africa, we’re doing some cheap wine reviews of only South African wines. We might even stick to South Africa only until the final match. Until then, pop one of these babies around 7 AM and enjoy the rare pleasure of being buzzed before noon. GOOOOOAAAAALLLLLL!!

The Foundry Viognier 2006

Yellow-green and very bright. Looks very refreshing. Lot’s of honeysuckle and citrus with a strong burst of apricot. Good rockiness on the back-end that leads to a crisp finish. A good hot summer white to enjoy with the TV outside.

WHERE TO BUY: $8.99 at WineLegacy.com!

Fair Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2009

Apple freshness with very bright acidity. Good creamy lime flavors come through once it’s not so chilled, making this great for grilled chicken or fish with lime and some salsa.

WHERE TO BUY: $7.01 at FineWineShop.com!

Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz 2004

This is a weird one. There aren’t a lot of sweet red wines out there that aren’t fortified or taste like spiked Kool-Aid, but this one was actually pretty tasty. It fits into the summer heat thanks to the sweetness. But don’t let the name or my use of “sweetness” throw you. This isn’t sugary or syrupy, but only slightly sweet. Not a regular Shiraz, but not a straight-up dessert wine. Great juicy plums and maraschino cherries. Still a few tannins in there, but I would leave this for after the meal.

WHERE TO BUY: $11.89 at TheWineStoreRI.com!

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Paso Robles Wine Country Conclusion: Restaurants, Pomar Junction, Wild Horse and the Best California Wine I’ve Ever Had

Wine Welfare — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 18:24:38 +0000

Sorry it’s been awhile but, heh-heh, life gets in the way you know? It’s not like I make any money off of this damn site. It’s about cheap wine for a reason, dammit.

So last week we left off at Ortman Vineyards in downtown Paso Robles, and for the conclusion of our little 2-day sojourn to Paso Robles, we’re going to get past the blur that was Saturday night (after Ortman) and jump straight into our Sunday tastings. However, I would be remiss not to mention where we ate dinner on that Saturday night, a fantastic place called Villa Creek, right in the heart of downtown. Since this is a wine review site for the poor, I won’t go into too much detail concerning the meal. I will only mention three things:

1. My wife had the rabbit, which was outstanding.

2. I had the brisket-stuffed poblano chile, which was for some reason even better than the rabbit.

3. I spilled an entire glass of wine on myself (If you remember where we left off last time, we were at Ortman and I’d lost my sense of taste. Add a visit to a nearby pub to that just before dinner, and it was really partytime).*

Cut to the next morning. A brilliant start at Margie’s Diner (also near downtown) with the biggest plate of breakfast I’ve ever seen, and it surely did the trick. This place was serious. There had to be like an entire bag of potatoes on that plate. Anyway, onto the wines!

Pomar Junction Winery

This was a great place. A former railroad junction (go figure) the place boasts a great old tasting room, and out back you can climb into an authentic caboose car and admire the view of what was once a fairly busy California crossroads of sorts. Besides Pomar’s awesome website, they had some pretty good stuff for a new winery. Their under-$20 standouts are as follows:

Pomar Junction Syrah Rose

COLOR: A nice strawberry juice. Dare I say that it looks like a hearty white zinfandel?

NOSE: Strong strawberry, metal, cheese rind. All good signs of a great rose. A good nose for a cool summer wine.

TASTE: Here come the strawberries again along with the the cheese rind. The metal dissipates among a strong mid-palate of hard candy and a hint of marsala. Absolutely delicious and unfortunate that this has to come in the form of a rose when such a wine is difficult to market to the general public with their current perceptions of rose.

WITH FOOD: Like I said, a good cool summer wine with barbecued chicken and a strawberry salad.

WHERE TO BUY: $12.00 from the winery itself.

Pomar Junction “Picnic” Chardonnay – Canvas Series

COLOR: Pale. Almost too pale. Usually I look for at least some semblance of straw color, but this looked like a Sauvignon Blanc.

NOSE: Green apple, caramel corn and a nice shot of minerality.

TASTE: Good mouthfeel. Rich for a Chardonnay at this price. Good acid, strong finish, a little empty on the mid-palate, but the green apple is there for the most part throughout the whole movie.

WITH FOOD: Honestly? Keep this solitary. No sense in pairing this with food that will most likely destroy it; even lemon chicken. It’s on the cheap side, so treat it as such.

WHERE TO BUY: $12.00 from the winery itself.

So we had soaked our stomachs in the first wines of the day with Pomar Junction, and now it was time on to some even more serious wines.

Wild Horse Winery

We were lucky to have stopped at mostly wineries I had never heard of before or seen on store shelves. Wild Horse was the only exception. You will recognize the label immediately and I think I have even seen some of their wines in grocery stores. While everything we tried here was absolutely delicious, take note of the “Unbridled” Merlot and the Cheval Sauvage, there were only a couple that were under the $20 mark, and among those there was one standout:

Wild Horse 2008 Malvasia Bianca

COLOR: Rich gold but not to the apple juice level. Looks very calm in the glass. What did that even mean?

NOSE: Strong, strong aromatics here, even though it was chilled. Once you plow through the initial honeysuckle smells, you get into some tangerine and cantaloupe and some ruby red grapefruit juice.

TASTE: The melon is strong with this (*cue Darth Vader breathing*). Great lychee flavors (go out and by some, their nuts) support a very rich mouthfeel and strong honey flavors. It feels like it would be too rich for even a hot day, but once you get to the finish, which stays but doesn’t really make it’s presence felt, you will know that this stuff will be good all summer long. Plus, I should point out that my brother bought an entire case.

WITH FOOD: This is a tough one, but I can’t see anything wrong with fish or even some spicier foods. It’s not going to really cut through the buttery dishes, since the acid is not the lead here.

$20 from the Wild Horse Winery

And finally, we reach the grand finale of our trip, wherein I experienced the best California red wine I have had thus far in my life. This will be a tough one to beat because the flavors were wacky and the varietal is Italian.

Bella Luna Winery

This place was the spitting image of an Italian home, right down to the half-dead dog in front and the custard paint. Run by two old fellas, both veterans of the Vietnam conflict, named Kevin Healy and Sherman Smoot. Kevin served us that day in the “tasting room” which was basically their enormous garage. The most interesting thing, other than the taste of the wine I’m about to go over, is that their Sangiovese vines are head-trained, meaning no trellises (those T-shaped things you normally see holding up the grapevines). this makes the vines grow, well, everywhere. Sort of like your lazy neighbor’s bushes. Also interesting is that all of their fruit is dry-farmed, meaning no water unless it rains.

Bella Luna 2008 “Lot One” Barbera – San Benito County

I’m not going to go through the whole spiel here since this isn’t an under-$20 bottle, so I’ll give you the gist of my thoughts on this wine.

BUY IT IMMEDIATELY, EVEN IF IT IS $38

Basically, if you like red wine or have even the slightest interest in Italian varietals, this is a wine worth checking out. The fruit is definitely there but it doesn’t explode, and there are strong vegetal characteristics like asparagus, broccoli, green beans, and green bell pepper. Great firm tannins that don’t muscle their way in. Everything is perfectly, PERFECTLY balanced. I can’t wait to open this thing again. I even asked Mr. Healy for another try of it at the tasting room, which I’m not used to doing.

$38 at Bella Luna Winery

So that concludes our little Paso Robles Wine Country adventure here at Wine Welfare. Other trips are coming, including a number of trips up to the Edna Valley region, Santa Ynez, including Los Olivos, and a trip up to Napa, so stay tuned. AND LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF THIS SERIES IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!

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Cheers!

*My wife will probably repeat that I have obsessed over this embarrassing accident since it happened nearly three weeks ago.

OMG: Under-$20 Bordeauxs (Yes, You Heard Me)

Wine Welfare — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:00:26 +0000

God Listened and Lowered Prices

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!

Today Only! Killer Sale at WineLibrary.com

Wine Welfare — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 20:41:09 +0000

No, They Are Not A Sponsor

The folks at WineLibrary.com are apparently snowed in (store located in New Jersey) and have shut down for today. You might recognize the name since they are often the cheapest game in town for the wines we review on Wine Welfare. Makes me wish they had an affiliate program, dammit.

Anyway, due to the loss of in-store business, they are offering a ridiculous deal for today only:

Free Shipping on the 50 wines listed here!

Just enter the code “LOTSOSNOW” during checkout and you get free shipping!

Wine Review: Bocage Merlot 2005

Wine Welfare — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:00:00 +0000

It’s French for “Badly Drawn Label”

A MUST BUY. Though the label may look like it was drawn by a 14-year-old girl, this wine kicked serious ass (and it’s $13!). We stumbled upon the Bocage Merlot while traveling through Salinas and the Monterey area, home of John Steinbeck. We realize that you readers probably have absolutely zero interest in John Steinbeck, or the museum we visited in Monterey that bears his name, so let’s just pretend we didn’t mention it at all.

COLOR: Inky purple with a blue tint to it when you tilt against a frosted lamp with a 60 watt bulb. I’m serious, you need to follow those instructions exactly.

NOSE: Crack open a can of black olives and throw some dried blueberries and chocolate on them. Shake it up and take a whiff. If you don’t throw up, that’s what the nose is like.

TASTE: Absolutely scrumptious. We don’t use that word too often, but this wine is very complex and very satisfying. We didn’t finish that first day and came back to it 2 days later, and it had taken on even more flavor. Silky and balanced, this wine brings seriously ripe fruit that conjures leather, blueberry, big black olives (which I hate, though they were good here), with a great shot of dark chocolate in the mid-palate. The finish is bland at first, but give it a moment and you will be rewarded with an aftertaste similar to finishing a pizza with only black olives. Something about the finish made me think of browned mozzarella, pizza dough, tomato sauce and black olives. Who knows why I think of these things? Stop staring at me!

WITH FOOD: Great pizza wine, let me first say that, but we had it with mushroom ravioli and spaghetti bolognese. I see no reason to suggest anything other than those items.

WHERE TO BUY: $10.99 at CAWineClub.com or $12.95 direct from San Saba Vineyards OR $13 from A Taste of Monterey!

SPECIAL NOTE: Thanks to the dude at A Taste of Monterey who suggested we shouldn’t pass it up at $13. Despite it not even being on their tasting menu, something told me that it would be good, that something being that dude.

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Wine Review: Cycles Gladiator Pinot Noir 2006

Wine Welfare — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 15:00:31 +0000

Just Might Be The Best Wine Label Out There

Definitely give this one a day or so once you pop the cork, otherwise decant it for at least 2 hours before enjoying. This seems odd for a wine at this price, but we might as well take this time to suggest that you DECANT EVERY SINGLE RED WINE YOU INTEND TO DRINK.

Color: Clarified cranberry cocktail. Watered down and light in a decidedly Pinot way.

Nose: Sour cherry, must, white pepper and garlic. Sounds like a crappy dessert.

Taste: Cola (Pepsi Cola to be exact), hard cherry candy, white pepper and paprika. Nice shot of green bell pepper on the mid-palate leading to a strong finish of cherry preserves and smokey blackberry.

With Food: Game, sweet spice-rubbed meats and pork. Also good on its own.

Where to Buy: $8.04 at InternetWines.com! Also at Cost Plus World Market for around $6.99.

Check out our other Pinot Noir reviews.

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New Year’s 2010: Let’s Get Hammered

Wine Welfare — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 08:40:43 +0000

Time to (Literally) Forget 2009

If you’re not still in that food coma thanks to that Christmas gut-busting, you might want to check out some good champagne and sparkling wines for your upcoming New Year’s celebration. We’ve got some great ones for you, too. These are guaranteed to not only please the palate, but keep you away from hangover territory (hopefully), unless of course you drink 5 bottles. Then you’re done for, and don’t come crying to us when you’re stumbling around for a bottle of water with your tongue feeling like a hot sock.

What’s that? You’re not really into partying for New Year’s anymore? You say it’s just all about drinking, and you can’t handle waking up hungover?

Suck it up, crybaby. This is 2010 we’re talking about here. Not a simple dinner or birthday party. You don’t get to eat some cookies and sip a soda, the freaking year is ending. And WHAT a year. So it’s time to kick up your heels and really have a blast while simultaneously tying one on.*

In fact, this might be the first time we recommend you try ALL THREE of these, instead of just choosing one. For less than $20, you have no excuse.

Cristalino Brut – $5.95 at NapaCabs.com Or $6.99 at Your Local BevMo

The Sprite of bubblies, and at this price, who can pass it up? The Cristalino is a Spanish Cava that comes across as shockingly simple upon first taste, but shortly explodes into brain melting flavors of lemon-lime and walnuts. And if you think that’s strange, the mid-palate and finish offers up a nice shot of yeast and bread dough. Moist then absolutely bone dry. A fantastic start to the night with some cheese and crackers.

Conde de Subirats Brut – $9.98 at WineLibrary.com

Silky smooth with a veritable salad of scents and flavors. A nice brown, round scent that makes you think of burnt toast with a little lemon custard. The custard returns in the first hit, and it’s brought some kiwi, dried fig and some mango with it. An odd mix, but it goes down like liquid velvet. Just awesome. Save this one for a special moment.

Chandon Blanc de Noirs – $12.99 at Your Local Bevmo or Pretty Much Anywhere

Chandon has always been a solid producer, offering a delicious array of sparklers at very good quality to price ratios. The Blanc de Noirs is no exception as flavors of strawberries and buttery toast coat your palate. This sparkling wine is made with Pinot Noir and shows a delicious salmon color. Perfect for after appetizer quaffing when the dancing is in full swing and your aunt has her dress up over her head.

Louis Roederer Cristal Brut 2002 – $19.99 at BevMo

Oh waaaaaiiiit, we missed a “9″. That sucks. Seriously though, buy this and you’re automatically a baller. Word.

That’s all folks. We hope you enjoy some or all of these fantastic bubblies. From our family to yours, we wish you a Happy and SAFE 2010!

Cheers!

*If you’re driving, don’t tie one on, please.

Christmas Wine and Post #100

Wine Welfare — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 18:21:44 +0000

It’s Christmas Time Up In This Piece

Ahhh, Christmas time. When you’re a kid it’s all about presents. When you’re a teenager it’s all about presents and no school. When you’re an adult, it’s all about no work and food.

Which is where we come in.

That’s right, we’re reviewing some Christmas wines for you at Wine Welfare. These two reds and two whites are sure to pair perfectly with whatever fattening grub you’re throwing on that table this year. So light a nice warm fire, cozy up next to that Christmas tree, and enjoy your family becoming slightly blurry as you polish off a bottle of one of these wines with your favorite uncle.

Neyers 2006 Zinfandel Pato Ranch – $17.98 at WineLibrary.com or available at most wine stores or BevMo!

The Holidays are not complete without a delicious California Zinfandel. Sure, you could go with a Primitivo (basically Zinfandel in Italy), but American Thanksgivings and Christmases tend to call for the big, juicy California fruit bomb that is Zinfandel.

Neyers is one of California’s best wineries, working out of Sage Canyon in the Napa Valley. They are consistently earning 90-point scores and astounding wine-lovers everywhere. Their Pato Ranch Zinfandel is no exception, with delicious tobacco and cherry flavors swirling around a foundation of moist, stinky soil. Sounds good, right? Trust us, this should be on your table with that turkey or prime rib, especially at this price.

Marquis Philips Sarah’s Blend – $11.99 at WineAnthology.com or at BevMo!

Never even heard of this one before we tasted it, but the Marquis Philips Sarah’s Blend is both delicious and available in most wine stores. Deep, dark opaque color, like ink-infused Welch’s grape juice. The grapes keep coming as well, in the form of Nerds candy flavors. This is an Australian Bordeaux blend: Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Chocolate and plum jam come through like gangbusters, but the acid fights back to balance it all, leading to a cakey, long finish. Delicious with duck.

Big House White – $6.99 at WineLibrary.com or available pretty much everywhere!

Shockingly good for less than seven bucks. The Big House White is a rather odd blend of Malvasia Bianca, Muscat Canelli, Viognier and Rousanne. We’d never had any blend like it before, but this didn’t mess around. The funny thing is, you can taste elements of all of those varietals, but you taste more flavors of varietals that are not in the wine. Chenin Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay (big time, buttery and creamy) and the like. Big pina colada flavors and spiced apples. Serve this one only slightly chilled before the meal or with appetizers. Might not hold up to the likes of turkey, gravy and stuffing.

Fleur Des Pins Graves Sauternes – $12.98 at WineLibrary.com!

If you’ve never had a Sauternes, now is the time to try one. Holiday sweets go magnificently well with Sauternes, no matter if they’re cookies, cakes or candy. Sauternes makes everything better. We’ll go into more detail about Sauternes later on, but for right now, if you can’t find the Fleur Des Pins Graves, just pick up any one you can find. You may find it difficult to locate one under $20 (we did), but rest assured, even a $30 375ml bottle of this stuff will put a smile on your face. This is solid 50/50 Bar, with delicious lemon picking up as well. Very sweet, but with that smokey characteristic often found in botrytis wines (moldy grapes; again, more on this later). The result is you enjoying a magnificent flavor explosion and then passing out on the couch watching A Christmas Story. ‘Tis the season.

One last thing and, we didn’t really want to mention anything because we’re so embarrassed, but…well, this is post number 100 for us here at Wine Welfare. That’s all we’re going to say. Feel free to maybe, we don’t know, leave a comment, compliment or congratulate us. Whatever you like. Really. We don’t need validation or anything. But one last time, just to clarify:

100 POSTS!!! WOO HOOOO!!!!

So that’s it. We sincerely hope you check out at least one of these four bad boys, and slap some serious enjoyment onto that Christmas of yours.

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Happy Holidays and Cheers!

Wine Review: Villa del Borgo Pinot Grigio

Wine Welfare — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:46:34 +0000

Estate Grown Grapes at a Ridiculous Price

The Villa del Borgo label is owned by Vin Divino and is used only in the United States. They know how we Americans love them fancy soundin’ names on our wine because that must mean it’s good. Well, in this case, the wine is good. Very good. In fact, you will be hard pressed to find estate-grown (meaning it’s grown on the winery’s actual grounds and vineyards) and bottled Italian wines at this price. The wine is done in 100% stainless steel, with no malolactic fermentation and it never touches oak. This means you get more fruit and natural acid than fake vanilla wood flavors.

Color

Green-washed tea. Kind of like underripe hay.

Nose

Have you ever had Werther’s Originals? Or at least a caramel candy? That’s what this smells like. Not caramel alone, but the caramel candies. That and citrus.

Taste

More caramel candies, purple sweet tarts, grass mixed with orange peel, green apple, parma violets. That’s everything we could think of. The acid is surprisingly low, but there is enough to cut through and please your tongue. It leaves a great finish and gives you a satisfying pucker.

With Food

Creamy cheeses and tart fruits. Since the acid is slightly low, you may want to compensate. As for main foods, maybe a lemon chicken or cream sauce would work. Seafood of course, but no tuna or salmon. You want to have food that’s got some fat to it so that the acid can break through the oil.

$9.59 at WineChateau.com!

Check out our other Pinot Grigio reviews!

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Wine Review: 2007 Mazzone Immensus Malvasia – Only $5.50!

Wine Welfare — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:58:27 +0000

2007 Mazzone Immensus Malvasia

This is a brilliant, 100% Malvasia that is at an absolutely ludicrous price right now.

Color

Light gold in color, but with a nice thick look. Definitely not a weak-looking white.

Nose

Very light and not heavy-handed, despite the color. Good citrus here: lemon and orange. There is also an element of heavy cream to it.

Taste

Remember 50/50 bars? This is what this wine reminds us of. Great richness, good acidity, with fresh-cut pineapple and a finish that lasts quite awhile. The tangy flavor makes you want more. Let it warm up a bit and you will see just how light but full this thing can be.

With Food

Great for cream sauces and lemon chicken. Shellfish would also work quite well, so long as you don’t have too much butter with it, as that could all get a bit overwhelming for your mouth.

Only $5.50 on sale at WineLibrary.com!

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Wine Review: Qupe Syrah 2006 Central Coast

Wine Welfare — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:00:06 +0000

Qupe Syrah 2006 Central Coast

A very reliable producer with lucscious fruit from Santa Barbara. This is our first Qupe wine on Wine Welfare, but everything we’ve had from them has been stellar.

Color

Deep inky purple. Not sure if this is filtered or not, but the this is not a very clear red. Looks gorgeous.

Nose

Smoke, deep red cherries, very ripe blackberries, moist earth. Give it a few minutes to open up and you will get some pine and a touch of rhubarb, which seems strange for a Syrah. Usually the tartness is reserved for Pinot.

Taste

Wow. A fruit explosion. The cherries and blackberries really come through and are joined by smoked meat and a healthy dollop of vanilla cream. Not too much oak, and the heat is very well balanced. The wine does not let up all the through to a lengthy finish.

With Food

BBQ steak or ostrich only. Very balanced acidity and fruit that can tear through a good cut of red meat.

Qupe Syrah 2006 Central Coast – $11.98 at WineLibrary.com!

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Wine Review: Castellani La Cattura 2006

Wine Welfare — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:00:09 +0000

Castellani La Cattura – Our First Super Tuscan

Super Tuscans are rebels. Back in the day in Italy, the DOC (Denominazioni di origine controllata), which is basically the Wine Police of Italy, said that Chianti always had to consist of no more than 70% Sangiovese and at least 10% of a local white grape. As time passed, Chianti sales started to suck, so some of the winemakers decided to break the DOC rules by blending the Sangiovese with other varietals like Cabernet. The Castellani La Cattura, for example, is made from Teroldego and Syrah grapes. By breaking DOC regulations, these wines could no longer be called “Chianti,” but that didn’t matter to these new winemakers of the Rebel Alliance. They decided to give these wines a new name, one that best described the kind of wine they were creating and where it came from.

Thus, the “Super Tuscan” was formed. Though it has never taken on an “official” status, it stands to this day as the signifier of some of the best wines Italy has to offer.

Color

Inky red withe purple tint. Much darker than most Chiantis you may have seen. Think of a thick-looking Hawaiian Punch.

Nose

Wood. Pure oak all the way. A bit too much if you ask us, but some might dig it. Letting it breathe for an hour or so may help. If the oak dissipates enough, you will find scents of dark raspberries, rich cherries and soil. Early morning forest, dead leaves, and…despite all of the scents we just described…peaches.

Taste

The oak stays put and doesn’t fade much on the palate. Since the wood/vanilla elements the oak brings forth are so prominent in the front of the wine, the mid-palate is flabby. Basically, you get a nice expolosion of vanilla and then it’s like there is water on your tongue. Swallow and then you will find the fruit, and it’s raspberry all the way; nice and tart, but a little late to the party. We were going to sleep by the time the cherries or anything else even bothered to appear.

This wine received an overall 90 point rating from some wine dudes, but…nope.

With Food

Pasta with red sauce. Not much more you can do with this because it’s not as full-bodied as we would like. Ironically, it would not go with rabbit.

$12.98 at WineLibrary.com!

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Wine Review: Au Bon Climat 2007 Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County

Wine Welfare — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:45:29 +0000

A Quality Pinot Noir for Less Than $20. Repeat: A Quality Pinot Noir for Less Than $20

Before we get into this, we feel the need to again point out (besides the title of this review and the header right above this) that this is a Pinot Noir for under $20, made by a world-renowned winery. That should really be enough to go on, but we’ll review it anyway.

Au Bon Climat was started in 1982 by Jim Clendenen (this handsome devil). Over the years, through solid techniques learned in the vineyards of France and throughout California, Jim has carefully reinvested in his winery to become a 30,000-case-per-year business. Good for him.

So, just to reiterate: Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir for under $20.

Color

Red fruit juice and a bit more solid than other pinot noirs. Pinot noirs tend to be slightly clearer rather than inky purple.

Nose

Smells of earth, strawberry, cherry and must. Also, if sour has a smell, this smells sour.

Taste

Do not drink this right after opening. If you can, open it, decant it, and leave it for 30 minutes to an hour. The tartness will really kill you if you don’t. What this means is that the wine is essentially unbalanced and needs air so that the fruit can be pushed to the top a bit. Once it’s ready, there are great strawberries and slightly sour cherries right from the get go. The mid palate isn’t that strong as the acid starts to take over again. The finish is…well, the finish. The wine doesn’t linger, just packs its bags and takes off. Still, for the price and the winery it comes from, a spectacular deal.

With Food

Duck would be ideal because the wine isn’t built to stand up to anything to muscular. Even turkey or chicken would work. We would suggest staying away from steaks, rich red sauces or strong cheeses with this one. Enjoy it with the white meat or by itself.

$17.94 at NapaCabs.com!

Au Bon Climat website

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Wine Review: Pepperwood Grove Viognier 2006

Wine Welfare — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 14:22:05 +0000

No More “Recession Wine”

If you are into wine, then you have heard this term by now. Heck, you’ve probably heard if you don’t care too much for wine, because the term “recession wine” is everywhere. We here at Wine Welfare are determined to help stop the use of this term because we feel it causes negative thinking when it comes to finding good wines under $20 (though it would be a good name for a wine website). We are doing this for a number of reasons:

1. By labeling a wine with the word “recession,” you are immediately invoking negativity. We don’t care if the wine is made from table grapes found in your local grocery store and fermented in an abandoned L.A. school bus. If it tastes good, it tastes good.

2. Wine is either good or bad, and neither has to do with how much it costs.

3. You should not drink wine you do not enjoy just to save a few bucks. If you have always liked that $10 bottle of Merlot but now it costs $12, spend the extra $2 on it.

4. Think about how stupid you would feel if we were living in boom times and people were calling that same $12 bottle of Merlot “Wealthy Wine” (another good website name).

You get the picture. Now onto the Pepperwood Grove Viognier 2006.

Bad News

Not the most structured white, but when we picked up the Pepperwood Grove Viognier, we weren’t expecting a hearty white Burgundy. The wine is a bit too crisp and tart for our liking. We usually prefer Viogniers that roll along like a red carpet: softer and more silky. This one kind of hits you in the face and moves on; a drive-by Viognier. Imagine someone fires a green apple at your face, then dumps a blob of honey on you when you’re bleeding on the ground, and then leaves you, wondering what the heck just happened.

Sorry about that, we’ve been off for about a week and had a Tangent Attack there…

Good News

Uh….$6.99 and it tastes good?

Color: Golden and clarified. Very pleasing and looks syrupy, which is deceiving because it is not at all.

Nose: Booze. Seriously, just booze. You might find a flutter of honey or maybe some pear, but this baby is as noseless as Michael Jackson. Wow. Too soon? We just lost some readers.

Ahem.

Flavor: The flavors really are the best thing about this wine, which, let’s face it, is the most important factor. Good minerality, which is kind of odd for a Viognier. Again, not too syrupy. Good apple, peach, lime, clover, a touch of honey, very faint butter, and a touch of cinnamon. The flavors are concentrated just enough, but the tart really comes through and is almost too much to bear. Your mouth clenches, but thankfully the finish is brief and the wine is gone before you know it. So basically the pros and cons balance out.

With Food

Seafood, chicken, this one runs the whole board. Don’t get too buttery with the shellfish, though. This baby can’t handle it. We would also suggest it with some strawberries or peaches and a mild cheese.

Only $6.99 at GreatCorks.com!

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Wine Review: Fess Parker White Riesling 2008 – Less Than $7

Wine Welfare — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 23:49:37 +0000

More great deals from the BevMo 5¢ Wine Sale! This is the Fess Parker White Riesling, from Santa Barbara County. Fess Parker is renowned, at least in the United States, for created top-notch varietals, both white and red. Would you expect any less than Davy Crockett?

Good News: Focused. This wine does not mess around and puts a laser beam on the classic flavors of the Riesling grape. Apples, steel and floral scents on the nose with a nice minerality (more often found in the great German Rieslings, not so much in California) and great acid. Most American Rieslings provide too much sweetness, particularly in the finish and aftertaste, but the Fess Parker maintains its focus. The finish fades nicely and leaves you with a full, stinky-cheese type of quality on the back of your tongue.

With Food: The Fess Parker White Riesling will go well with any spicy or Asian foods, as well as a wide variety of cheeses and dried fruits. Enjoy at the end of the meal if you are not eating spicy foods but having a dessert. Rieslings are known for being able to stand up to even the spiciest of foods, but a lot of American Rieslings are generally too sweet and lack the acid, making them back down from a spicy curry or Kung Pao Chicken. This is where the Fess Parker differs, as it can handle the toughest. Just think of it as a German Riesling, something like Dr. Loosen Rieslings.

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

$11.95 at WebWine.com once the sale is over.

Check out our other Riesling reviews here.

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Wine Review: Dr. Loosen Riesling

Wine Welfare — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 08:39:50 +0000

Bad News First: Well, a German Riesling should really have that nice basement smell to it with a touch of steel and sweetness, especially if it is dry (trocken). The Dr. Loosen Riesling overdoes it a bit on the sugar, but an $8 bottle from one of Germany’s top producers should be bought no matter what.

Now the Good: Everything is where it should be. Yellow-green color is wonderful to look at. Honeysuckle perfectly describes the smell. In fact, stand in the middle of a big shrub of honeysuckle, with plenty of green leaves, and you have this wine. Cut grass salad with lemon and honey. Gross to eat, wonderful to smell. Long, fantastic finish with a slightly bitter twist at the end. Absolutely perfect. Eat something with it or enjoy it alone.

With Food: As rieslings go, they are pretty much the only wine that can handle spicy foods, but like I said above, this could be enjoyed alone.

Note: Don’t chill the wine too much. It should be cool, but not enough to cause a ton of condensation on the glass, otherwise you won’t taste what this great grape has to offer.

$7.99 at WineLibrary.com

Visit the Dr. Loosen website here.

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Wine Review: 2006 Bears’ Lair Viognier

Wine Welfare — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 06:58:00 +0000

Bad News First: Ahem, it’s $4 and tastes good. There is nothing wrong with that.

Now The Good: Friends brought this one over for dinner one night. Once this was chilled and sipped, they weren’t ashamed to say they had bought it at Trader Joe’s on the way over for $4. We couldn’t believe it. Ridiculous tropical fruit scents (papaya, guava, lime), moving onto a light butter and pure pineapple, remaining chewy the whole way but drying out just as a Viognier should in the end. Melon is normally a flavor in Viognier, but this one is weak on that. Not that it matters. $4? Who cares? We haven’t seen it at BevMo, but definitely get it now before people realize its beauty and the price goes up. By the way, if you notice, this is the 2006 Bear’s Lair Viognier, and if it’s any indication, an older vintage or the 2007 Bear’s Lair Viognier should be just as good.

With Food: We would not recommend eating a damn thing with this, but if forced, we can’t think of anything as good as the ingredients of our dinner that night: chicken, apricots, thyme, lemon. It was a kind of Moroccan night.

$3.99 at Trader Joe’s (hard to find online, head over to TJ’s)

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Wine Review: Planeta La Segreta Bianco 2006

Wine Welfare — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 08:15:28 +0000

Bad News First: Can’t find anything bad. We suppose if you hated white wine then this would be bad, but that’s not how we roll here at WW.

Now the Good: Delicious and a party wine? This can’t be! It’s true; this wine can be enjoyed anytime and with practically anything, though a decent steak deserves a red. This Sicilian white is a five way blend of 20% Chardonnay, 5% Fiano, 60% Grecanico, 5% Sauvignon and 10% Viognier. Smells fantastic (you can smell the oranges that grow so well on the island), but once you roll it around in your mouth, you’re taken away to the tropics. Pineapple grilled over a charcoal flame, with small bit of coconut at the end. Closest wine to a pina colada we’ve ever had, but not sweet or over the top. The wine is not dry, so even newbies will enjoy it in favor of the oft-served Riesling.

With Food: Like we said before, this wine is versatile, but we suggest having it at the beginning of a meal, with finger foods, etc. Try seafood or fried items with it (shrimp cocktail, fried artichokes), or combine the two by serving crab cakes with it. If you aren’t moving on to bigger, bolder reds at some point during the process of your meal, then by all means, drink this in the beginning, middle and end.

11.67 at Petrock’s Liquors

Check out the Planeta Winery.

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