November Sunset Magazine Wine Awards

In the November issue of Sunset they had an article called the 2010 Sunset Western Wine Awards.  They mad a big deal out of starting with 250 bottles, 9 judges, and 8 hours.  They then listed the top 40 wines.

What’s interesting to me, on my fixed income of $0 since I retired, are the pricing tiers.  They listed steal of the year (under $15), Good Value ($15 to $30), special occasion ($30 to $50, and Deep Pocket (over $50).  I don’t know about you, but under $15 is not a steal, and $15 to $30 good value? This is where the media looses touch with the average folks.  There’s a reason that two-buck Chuck is the largest selling wine in the world, and it certainly isn’t quality.  For most people a Saturday night wine for dining with friends around the kitchen table is still under $15.  And the experts don’t seem to understand that fact of life.

They interviewed Eugenio Jardim, Sommelier of the Year, and asked what do you drink on a Tuesday night.  For a white wine he choose Uvaggio Vermentino from Lodi California (about $14).  Sounds good except when I did a search in wine finder it wasn’t available in Southern California.  That’s about 300 miles from Lodi so it should have been available.  His red wine choice was Handley Anderson Valley Pinot Noir (about $30).  It was a numerous Gold Medal winner in CA, but I couldn’t find it in a southern CA store.  The main fact is that Eugenio and the editors at Sunset thought that a midweek wine should cost $30.

 

 

Some of the wine descriptors are a little outrageous.  I enjoyed what they wrote about good value wine Rulo 2007 Syrah.  It had a punch of lush fruit-mulberry and plum-over dark intriguing notes of leather, tobacco, meat, and herbs.  What else could it taste like?

If you want good recommendations for wine, look for the county fair tasting results, and other broad, recognized tastings like the SF Chronicle Wine Competition and the California State Fair.  All of the results from these competitions are online.

Rant over!

Columbia-Crest Two Vines-Vineyard 10 Red Wine 2007

 

I really like Columbia Crest wines.  I think they’re well made and even the inexpensive ones have good layers of flavors.  And this red wine is a nice blend of Rhone varieties including Syrah, Sangiovese, & Grenache. 

I denoted some cherry and raspberry layers, with low tannins.  So if you like a softer wine, this is a good purchase.  It can pair with most any food, except a delicate fish.  It’s also a great choice to drink before or after dinner.  It doesn’t need food to bring out it’s flavors.

The really good news is the pricing.  It’s usually under $7, and sometimes on sale it under $5.  It’s a wine you can enjoy everyday.  I hope you’ll try it and enjoy it.

Gascon Malbec 2007-86 pts

 

Malbecs are the newest hot varietal in the US, but it is the national grape Argentina.  It originally is thought to come from Hungary, it is widely planted in the Bordeaux region of France and used as a blending grape.  It was brought to Argentina in the mid 1800s, and it has flourished in the warmer climate.

Gascon was established in 1884 by the Gascon family.  In 1933 it was purchased by an investment group and has continued to make fine wines.

This wine is 100% Malbec.  It was harvested by hand in the cool early morning hours.  It was fermented at a controlled 82 degrees to maintain fresh flavors.  It was aged in American & French oak barrels for7 months.

The wine has a deep dark color, with clean clear flavors of plum & cherry.  There’s a touch of coffee, with medium tannins.  I would suggest additional bottle aging of 1-2 years.  When you open the bottle, decant it to allow it to breath for at least 45 minutes.

I would rate this as a good example of Argentinean Malbec and a good match for grilled meats and hearty dishes.  It retails for about $10, and is widely available.

Castle Rock 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

I picked up a bottle of Castle Rock Cab, Columbia Valley, at Trader Joes recently. I had previously tried a bottle of their Pinot Noir and I thought it was a good value. It turns out the Cab is also a very good value, costing $5.99.

Wine Enthusiast Magazine had given the 2006 vintage a 87, and I think that rating holds for the 2007. The flavor was overwhelmingly plum, with some cherry and tart berry, with a hint of oak. The back label states that it has had 18 months in french oak barrels, but the wine wasn't overly oaky. As I normally due, I put a small amount in my wine glass to start, and gave it a sip. It was a little closed up with a hot finish, so I broke my Vinturi and gave the wine a little air. It opened up nicely, with a better finish.

The label states that the wine is cellared a & bottled by Castle Rock Winery. Usually that means that another winery produces the wine, either under contract, or as a bulk wine. That doesn't mean the wine is of lesser quality. In fact, if the buyer has a discerning palette, the wine can be very good. Just be aware that year to year consistency can be a challenge.

If you're close to a Trader Joes, pick up a few bottles. You won't regret it. Supplies are limited, so the sooner the better. They also have a Merlot and a Zinfandel available. I plan on trying the Zinfandel next.

Snoqualmie Whistle Stop Red-2006

Since we're spending the summer in the Northwest at Olympic National Park, I've decided to concentrated on local Washington wines. The local Safeway has a large selection of Northwest wines at good prices. Everything else in the store was higher priced, reflecting the isolation of our location. So the answer is to buy what's on sale and drink more wine.

Snoqualmie Whistle Stop Red is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 30% Merlot. When I sample different red blends, I find the ones with higher percentage of Cabernet have deeper flavors and more character. The predominately Merlot blends tend to be too soft and not distinctive. The grapes come from Eastern Washington in the Columbia Valley. The wine is named for the railroad tracks that run next to the vineyards. Maybe the vibration of the trains cause the grapes to ripen uniquely.

The wine opened up nicely in the glass with black cherry and oak in the nose. The tannin level was soft and supple. It has some complexity, and complimented the steak we had with it. It was smooth enough to stand on it's own before dinner with some tapas.

The best news was that it was on sale for $7.99. It's a great value, and really shows how great a blended wine can be.

Granny's Cafe

While we're here at Olympic National Park we're trying some of the local restaurants. We almost exclusively eat lunch out, and enjoy dinner in our MoHo with our dog, Pearl.

On the way between Port Angeles & Lake Crescent is a small combination 6 room motel and cafe. There are perhaps 6 tables inside, and another 8 tables on the patio. There is a small menu with homemade soups, so-so salads, sandwiches, and great hamburgers. And the best side order, sweet potato fries. Now we're not big fans of sweet potatoes, especially at Thanksgiving with those yucky miniature marshmallows.

The hamburgers are a full 1/3 pound, with all of the fixings. There's also homemade chili made from scratch with 2 kinds of beans, which compliments the entrees. There's also a good french dip, and excellent fish & chips.

And they have soft serve ice cream to complete the feast. Usually we split a hamburger with the sweet potatoes fries, then finish with an ice cream cone.

So when you see a small cafe with a lot of cars parked in front, don't hesitate to stop. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Barefoot Bubbly-A Fun Sparkler

Barefoot Cellars is a fun line of wine with a footprint on the front of the label. And Barefoot Bubbly is the sparkling wines in their line. They currently produce 5 different versions. Besides the normal Brut & Extra Dry, they have added a Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, & White Zinfandel. You don't often have sparkling varietals, so this represents an extension of the varietal concept from still wines.

The French defined the degree of sweetness ages ago in a way that Americans have a hard time understanding. Extra Dry means a little sweetness. Brut is drier. And Natural is the driest.

The product I sampled was Extra Dry Chardonnay Champagne. The grapes are primarily chardonnay, and you can definitely get the grape in the bouquet. The taste is clean & crisp with some apple overtones. And it retails for about $5.00, a great value and much better than it's nearest competitor, Cooks.

If you go on the website, you'll see that Barefoot puts it money into a lot of great charities including the National MS society, and Beach Rescue Projects. So next time you want to turn a gathering into a celebration pick up some Barefoot Bubbly-And take your shoes off.