Try some hard times wine
Affordable choices with great value will keep you sipping
Eric Toles
The fallout from our global economy has many of us seeing red through our wine glasses!
Many of us have skipped stopping at our usual wine haunts to pick up our favorite bottle of vino.
True, some wines retail for more than ten times the price of a gallon of gas, but don’t worry there is no need to switch from wine to water.
There are hundreds of easy drinking wines under $20 with a good sophisticated value.
Take a peek in the dusty wine bins right in your local markets, wine shops and restaurants.
You should find an unusual selection of artfully crafted wines.
On the lower end of the price scale there are value packed wines lying on the shelves, just waiting for the savvy shopper to escort them home for dinner.
A good rule of thumb to follow while shopping for everyday wines is to stay away from the wines located above your chest; especially wines that you cannot reach.
The satisfaction for me is finding palatable wines of good value that are enough to sustain me until the economy stabilizes. Only then will I “spend my way out” to savor the nectar of those wines on the top shelf.
During this recession we are not drinking less wine; we are only spending less on what wine we are drinking.
Ironically the worldwide consumption of wine is still riding high albeit less accelerated for the allocated wines.
Many restaurateurs, to keep wine on the table, are featuring half-bottles and expanding their Wines By the Glass offerings to get a glass wine in front of you while your having tapas.
Ask your wine professional at your favorite restaurant about any “here today gone tomorrow” wines that they may have in their cellar. Many restaurants have excess wines in their inventory and would rather see a bottle on your table to rebalance and thin out those wines with higher price tags.
Don’t buy the notion that the overall quality of a lesser-known wine produced with an unfamiliar grape by an unfamiliar winemaker in an unfamiliar country will be sure cause for disappointment.
Countries like Australia, Chile and Argentina are blending good value wines with brilliant grapes for $8 to $14.
California is neck in neck with some nifty-thrifty everyday bistro wines for everyday drinking for much the same price.
Throw away those pent-up desires for shopping and get out there to find those bristling bargain wines. And you won't feel guilt about dipping into the kids college fund.
West Coast winemakers from the states are now stepping up to the plate to bring the wines we were accustomed to drinking back in line with our budgets.
With roots distinctly American, Gina Gallo is well on her way to doing just that and other vintners will be sure to follow. This just might be how the West will be won again.
I have selected some incomparable, intense and passionate wines that are affordable now, which you might have missed. Here are some that inspired my attention, my palate and my spending prowess. I hope they will do the same for you!
Terrazas de los Andes Malbec 2003 $14
This is simply a WOW wine! It comes at you in every way from its heady, lifted aromatics and then its massive, but perfectly balanced fruit in the palate. It gets better on each release. There is just more of everything and it is truly a hedonistic wine with great structure. The nose offers up a plethora of captivating aromas, spiced plums, boysenberry, blackberry liqueur, subtle cracked pepper and sweet earth tones. The mouth shows exceptional concentration, intensely flavored with depth and weight without any lose of focus to the fruit – a huge mouth full of black fruits, with fine-grained, firm but ripe tannins. This should age well over the next 5-7 years, IF you can keep your hands off of it!
Fat Cat, California, Cabernet Sauvignon $10
Well blended and balanced. Nice texture, full flavors. A positive “buy” for the price.California has some terrific values in Fat Cat, Forest Glen, Gallo of Sonoma, Red Truck, and Round Hill. Washington offers a solid wine value in their Columbia Crest Estate Wines. In Chile, don’t miss Casillero del Diablo’s Cabernet’s and Merlot’s. Believe it or not Australia’s Yellow Tail is a winner and remains one of the best value wines around.
Napa Ridge, Napa Valley Syrah. $12
It makes the list every year, and for good reason: Delicious!
Reliable, rounded, ripe, and consistent — a perennial winner.
Makes Robert Parker’s list of great value wines and for years they’ve made excellent volume values; their Cabernet, Merlot, and Chardonnay are among the best in the market place with far reaching influences.
Approachable, delicious, rounded wine in several varietals, at a remarkably low prices.
Casillero Del Diablo Central Valley Merlot, Chile, $12
Rich chocolate and plum with a firm, delicious finish. A great price for such a wine.
Columbia Crest Grand Estates Washington, $12
Winemaker Ray Einberger has blended a lovely wine, with rich flavors and depth.
Blackstone Merlot, 2007, $12
If you're seeking a juicy, smooth California Merlot bursting with ripe fruit, this is it. Pair with a simple country pâté alongside croutons and picnic under the stars.
King Estate Pinot Gris, 2007, $15
Skip the predictable Pinot Grigio and pick up this lovely Pinot Gris instead. Though they are the same grape, the results can be dramatically different. This white is feminine, full of peaches and ribboned with pink grapefruit: perfect for a romantic picnic.
Penfold's Thomas Hyland, Shiraz, 2005, $12
An oldie but goodie. If you don't know Penfold's, Australia's oldest winery, get to know it through their Thomas Hyland portfolio of wine. This Shiraz oozes luxury with aromas of ripe blackberries and smoked meats. The juice is luscious and prickled with cracked black pepper. Delish alone or with simply seared lamb chops.
Kim Crawford, Pinot Noir, 2007, $18
It's more purple and intense in color than I want from a playful Pinot. On the palate it's all over the place and finishes all in the back of the throat and roof of your mouth. If you like bigger and bolder you'll dig this Pinot, but skip it if you're looking for silky smooth.
La Mano, Mencia, 2006, $7
Mencia pours from the often-overlooked Bierzo region of Spain. The Mencia grape makes a red wine bursting with aromas of berries, cherries and spice. For under $10 you'll be thrilled at the wine found under this cork. You will want to visit all what Bierzo has to offer.
Argentina has long been hailed a country that delivers quality wines at bargain prices. This especially rings true for the reds, like the sassy Malbec and intense Cabernet Sauvignons from the Mendoza region made from the Torrentes grape and a couple of Chardonnays that prove pleasant when poured to show a more thoughtful side.
Sourced from 30-year-old ungrafted vines. It exhibits a fragrant bouquet of cherry and wild strawberries leading to a medium-bodied, dry, concentrated wine with lots of spicy red fruits and excellent balance. Trippy jams! $12.00
El Coto, Rioja Blanco, 2007, $12
At first glance the daunting buck staring from the label makes you think this white will be most austere but it is more like a plaintive meditation of love. Yet, packed with 100 percent Viura grape, this wine is approachable. The acidity is balanced by a faint touch of sweetness but finishes dry, giving this youthful white a more mature mouth feel. Drink alongside sushi, steamed mussels or seared scallops.
Montes, Classic Series Malbec, 2006, $9
The Classic Series offered from Montes pours all-around yummy wines at a great value. This Malbec is plumy, with a hint of butterscotch aroma that makes me want to lick the glass with an unexpected follow up. It’s packed with plush fruit and has a hint of chocolate, too. This is a red that can take on a New York strip steak or accompany a slice of triple layered chocolate cake.
Veramonte, Sauvignon Blanc Reserva, 2007, $9
Quality influenced wine is as explosive as it is thoughtful. Casablanca Valley in Chile loves Sauvignon Blanc and deserves to be savored from beginning to end. It’s got great structure and while it starts off with that zing, it opens up to show off its softer side with melon and floral notes.
Joseph Drouhin, Vero, France, 2006, $19
Pushing the $20 envelope this made the cut by a mere dollar. Like the other pinots it’s got great, red berry fruit and like more voluptuous reds it has fun little pings of pepper and a little black licorice. It is medium-bodied, making it a great match for steak au poivre. It’s got the acidity you crave in pinot, but its creaminess could even flatter a dinner of filet mignon.
Artesa, Carneros, Calif, 2006, $16
This wine rocks the palate and if you’re in love with the Carneros region. It is packed with flavor, finesse and deserves a little desired attention. Think cherry pie a la mode and will age gracefully but not before the ice cream melts.
Goats do Roam Red, $9
Looking for fun wines then seek out the entire series of Goats do Roam (a spoof on France’s more serious Cotes du Rhone). Easy drinking a blend of lots of different grapes is wistful, swagger, wry and brash. A rich red with juicy fruits from South Africa.
Sokol Blosser Evolution, $14
This is no blasé white. From the label's first impression to the wine's finish this work of art is more Warhol than Renoir. This American white wine is off dry and the tropical fruit flavors are anything but syrupy sweet. This white is interesting alone, featuring a secret blend of seven grape varietals yet still dazzling along side a table of simple salads to spicy fish tacos.
Eric Toles is a well known Caribbean wine connoisseur.
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