Redwood Creek Malbec

I was actually a little surprised when I saw that Redwood Creek had a Malbec.  I typically think of them as producers of Californian wine.  After all, the brand name “Redwood” makes you think of northern California.  But Redwood Creek is ultimately part of E&J Gallo, who distribute wines from all over the world.  You’ll see Frei Brothers referenced on Redwood Creek wines too, and they are also part of E&J Gallo.

It turns out that Redwood Creek has been producing Malbec for a few years, I just never noticed.  Most Malbec that I come across I expect to come from either Argentina or Cahors, France

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Stepping Stone Wines from Cornerstone Cellars

This past week I took part in a Taste Live event featuring .  Taste Live events are wine tastings where numerous wine bloggers and media from around the country all taste the same wines and share their thoughts via Twitter.

Cornerstone Cellars is a Napa Valley, California producer and is still relatively young

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The Zaftig Wine with the Petite Name: Petite Sirah

As I've said before, there is nothing "petite" about Petite Sirah. This is a grape that produces big, blowsy wines with intense fruit flavors and a lushness that stands up to almost anything you throw at it--grilled steaks, hamburgers, chili, stew, and summer's favorite BBQ.

Finding a Petite Sirah for under $20 that doesn't tend towards the cough syrup side of the spectrum, however, can be a bit of a challenge. Lush is good, but syrupy is not.

If you like big, bold reds give one of these beauties a try.

2007 Concannon Vineyard Petite Sirah Conservancy Livermore Valley (suggested retail $15; available from $13) This is a dark and brooding Petite Sirah with plum and black cherry notes in the aromas. Your first sips will confirm that impression, but in the aftertaste the flavors linger and turn darker with a tarry edge that keeps the wine interesting. Very good QPR.


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Cabernet Sauvignon Showdown- 14 under $20

We’ve been reviewing Cabernet Sauvignon for the past several weeks and now it’s time to do the roundup of all the reviews.

Usually, we name a specific wine as the top pick in these roundups.  But this time we’re going with a wine region: Chile.  Chilean wines took the top five spots in our showdown.  To be fair though, Chile also has one at the bottom of the list.  And we did review a couple California Cabs recently that were 90-pointers, but they were also over $20 and therefore didn’t make this list.

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Summer's Go-with-Everything White: The Stump Jump

Is there a summer white that goes with nearly everything? With the exception of steak and hamburgers (and maybe even with these, if it's your fancy), the answer is yes.

The 2008 d'Arenberg The Stump Jump is summer's equivalent (in wine terms) of the little black dress. Made from a blend of Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Roussanne, and Marsanne the wine has a clean, slightly off-dry flavor profile of apples, pink grapefruit, melon, and hay. I found it surprisingly complex for a wine that retails for a little over $10 (and which you may find at a store near you for between $8 and $11). Excellent QPR.

Soft and appealing, The Stump Jump is an ideal candidate for most summer foods including spicy dishes that you stir fry in a flash, appetizers passed on the back deck or by the pool, light bites when it's too hot to eat, and grilled fish and chicken.

Full Disclosure: I received this wine as a sample.

Buyer Warning: There is a red version of The Stump Jump, so if you're looking for the white wine, be sure you specify.


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A Summery Sparkler from Ca'Momi

No matter how much wine you drink, nobody knows everything.

Recently, I've been sampling some wine from Ca'Momi Wines. Located in the pricey Napa Valley, this is a winery that makes some extraordinarily affordable and delicious wines. Put it on your list of small producers to watch for and ask your favorite retailer to get some of their wine in stock.

A wine that I was particularly taken with was the NV Ca' Momi Ca' Secco ($16.99) This was summer in a bottle, with aromas and flavors of Meyer lemon and tangerine. The overall impression was round and fruity, but it was also quite refreshing with a medium-sized bubble to keep everything lively and light. The aftertaste was dry, as you might expect from a blended sparkler made with Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Muscat. Very good QPR.

Because of all the citrusy elements in the wine, it would be an ideal choice for summer brunch, or for a lazy afternoon watching the sun go down.

Full Disclosure: I received this wine as a sample.

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Because Traditional Can Be a Good Thing

As a historian I may be prejudiced, but in my opinion there's nothing wrong with traditional--especially not when it comes to wine. I like big New World fruit bombs, too, but find myself gravitating more and more these days to wines that may emphasize secondary flavor elements like minerals, herbs--even dirt!--over juicy fruit.

The Languedoc region seems to be full of such bottlings, and one of the treasures I've come across recently is the 2006 Mas Bruguiere Coteaux du Languedoc Pic St. Loup La Grenadière (suggested retail $16; I can't find availability online) The wine is decidedly traditional in style, putting its spicy, peppery foot forward before the fruit. Once the fruit shows up, it has dry plum and berry fruit flavors and some spiciness, and a lick of pepper in the aftertaste. This very enjoyable wine delivered very good QPR.

If the flavor profile of this wine intrigues you (and makes you think of barbecued ribs...) check out the current offerings of Languedoc wines in your local wine store or online at vendors like K&L. (That link delivers you to a Pic St. Loup wine that is available, or you can enter "Pic Saint Loup" in the search box for more options.)

This region delivers exceptional value, and it's worth getting to know it.

Full Disclosure: I received this wine as a sample.

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Dievole Dievolino Rosso di Sangiovese

Before jumping into the next big series, I thought we’d review some odds and ends.  Wines that we’ve received as samples, but are unique enough that we don’t get the quantity needed to do a full series.  Today, we’re checking out a Sangiovese from Dievole.

Wine production at Dievole dates back to the 12th century in Tuscany.  Of course, many things have changed over the years but in 2006 they began undergoing a renewal.  A renewal focused on preserving traditions while using modern technologies to ensure quality.  They focus on native mother vines, but use modern techniques of vineyard management.  Also, in 2006, they brought in agronomist Dr. Valerio Zorzi as a consultant.

If this wine is an example of the results from this renewal, then I want to taste more.

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Carmen Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon

Although Viña Carmen has been around since 1850, it was reborn in 1987 when it was acquired by Claro Group.  Today, their main vineyards are in Maipo Valley, but they also have vineyards in Rapel, Casablanca and Curicó Valley.  And they are one of the top producers in Chile.

This wine continues the trend we’ve found of Chilean wines delivering exceptional quality for the price.

Although it’s labeled as Cabernet Sauvignon, technically it’s only 85% Cab, with 10% Syrah and 5% Merlot.  This is a well-oaked, but not over-oaked wine, with 80% of it aged in a combination of French and American oak for 10 months.

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Napa Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon

You might be surprised to find out how many of the wine brands you see on the shelves come from the same company.  There are a few giants in the wine business, plus thousands of small wineries.  One of the giants whose brands you’ll come across in just about any grocery store that sells wine is Bronco Wine Company.  They produce multitudes of brands and most of them are bargain-priced wines.  One of those brands is Napa Ridge.

When you get into wine it can be easy to cop an attitude about cheap wine brands and paint them all as bad wines.  And while there are some bad ones out there, the truth is that production technology has advanced to a point where even the cheap, mass-produced wines can be pretty tasty.  They may not have the complexity, concentration, structure or character that some premium wines have, but some of them are still tasty.  I try to have an open mind with every wine that I taste and I have been surprised by some.

This one I found to be drinkable, but not surprisingly awesome.

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Peñalolen Cabernet Sauvignon

I don’t have a lot of background on Peñalolen to share.  The winery was founded by Ricardo and Isabel Peña, who brought in Jean-Pascal Lacaze as their winemaker.  Peñalolén also happens to be the name of a community at the eastern edge of Santiago, right up against the Andean foothills.  This is part of the Maipo Valley and while the Peñalolen winery also produces a Sauvignon Blanc with grapes from Casablanca Valley, the grapes in this Cabernet Sauvignon are from Maipo.

Maipo may be Chile’s best known wine region, probably due to the fact that Santiago resides within this region and most large Chilean producers started in Maipo.  It’s also the only official Chilean winemaking region without a coastline.  Most wine produced from Maipo is red and the region is best known for its Cabernet.  So, let’s find out how this one holds up.

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Gran Verano Cabernet Sauvignon

As a publisher focused on reviewing inexpensive wines, we can’t ignore the “bag in a box” segment, also known as “boxed wine.”  We’ve actually reviewed a couple boxed wines before and we’ve found some decent ones out there.  Boxed wine doesn’t get much respect.  In many ways, that’s deserved.  There is some heinous stuff out there in boxes.  But more and more producers are putting quality wine into boxes and I think you’ll see that trend increase over the coming years.

I was intrigued when I came across this particular wine.  After all, we’re big fans of Chilean wine at Cheap Wine Ratings.  I was curious to find out what a bag in a box wine from Chile would have to offer.  Here’s what I found.

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X Winery Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

The general rule here is that most reviews are for wines that are $20 and under, but I have to admit that that’s not all I drink.  After all, how could I legitimately compare bargain wines to higher-priced ones if I never tasted those.  And every now and then I get samples sent to me for wines that are just over my general price limit.  This is one of those occasions and I’m not going to exclude it just based on price.  If it’s out of your personal price range, then don’t buy it.  But I know that a lot of readers here have a pretty broad price range, and they come here to get ideas for bargains or just to find tasty wines to try.  And I would actually spring a couple extra bucks for this wine.

We’ve reviewed a number of X Winery wines in the past, and admittedly I have yet to find one that I don’t love.  X Winery is based in Napa, California and they produce Amicus wines

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Santa Ema Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

When I’m not enjoying a bargain wine, in other words when I splurge, I have a preference for Italian wines, especially those from the Piedmont region.  If you know wines from this region, you know that many of them have exceptional depth, structure, complexity and balance.  Simply put, they’re beautiful wines.  Most of them don’t come cheap, so I’m not able to enjoy them every day.  But given my affinity for both Piedmont and Chilean wines, it caught my eye when I saw that this Chilean wine has roots from Piedmont.  The founder of Santa Ema, Pedro Pavone Voglino, immigrated from Piedmont to Chile in 1917.  He was the son of an Italian winemaker and planted his first vineyards in Chile in 1931.

While that might not tell you anything about the wine, there is more to enjoying wine than just looking, smelling and tasting.  Enjoying wine is an experience.  There’s a ritual involved, like the whole process of pulling the cork, pouring, swirling.  And there’s an emotional element.  We develop a fondness for certain types of wine, regions, winemakers, brands, etc.  For me, finding a wine with connections to both Piedmont and Chile sparked a fondness for both regions, and a curiosity.

I have to say, I wasn’t disappointed.  This is a really nice wine.

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Main Street Winery Cabernet Sauvignon

not that any of them are exceptionally long.  I like to get right to the point.  So, let’s get there.

The 2006 Main Street Winery Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot, with grapes from Lake County (54%), Monterey County (24%) and Santa Barbara County (22%).  The wine did spend 12 months in a combination of French and American oak.

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World Turned Upside Down? Time to Catch Up

Thanksgiving Wine Under $20: My Picks for 2009Vinho Verde--Just BecauseToday on Serious Grape: Wine Survival Strategy for... ►  October(8)Gemischter Satz--It's Austrian for DeliciousThe Red Wines of Calabria: Fruity, Funky, and Fabu...Today on Serious Grape: Autumn Whites from Austria...Exploring Calabria in OctoberNew Grape of the Month: FalanghinaMighty Good Malbecs3 Years and 5182 Subscribers Later...This Week on Serious Grape: Decanting Demystified ►  September(15)Good Pinot Noir--Under $28Finding Your Chardonnay StyleA Bargain in Bubbles: Zonin ProseccoThere's a New Wine Store In Town: domaineLAA Ligurian Red That Dresses Up--or DownThis Week on Serious Grape: The Farmers' Market Wi...Wine Blogging Wednesday #61: Quivira VineyardsPigato: The Briny Grape from LiguriaPalate Press: the New Online Wine MagazineA Zaftig Sparkling WineTropical Fruit from California's Central Coast: Fi...My Italian Wine Journey Continues: LiguriaHappy Labor DayThis Week on Serious Eats: Doggone Good Wine Pairi...Alsace Sparkles ►  August(14)A True Blue Syrah from the Central CoastFinal Edition of the Wine Book Club: A Vineyard in...New Grape of the Month: BourboulencA Sweet Tip on Dessert WineThis Week on Serious Grape: "Grape School" ►  July(14) ►  June(11) ►  May(11) ►  April(19) ►  March(18) ►  February(22) ►  January(21) ►  2008(257) ►  December(17) ►  November(17) ►  October(21) ►  September(21) ►  August(19) ►  July(22) ►  June(25) ►  May(20) ►  April(20) ►  March(25) ►  February(22) ►  January(28) ►  2007(277) ►  December(23) ►  November(23) ►  October(23) ►  September(21) ►  August(22) ►  July(26) ►  June(23) ►  May(26) ►  April(22) ►  March(24) ►  February(17) ►  January(27) ►  2006(63) ►  December(27) ►  November(20) ►  October(16)

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In Pursuit of Simplicity: Sauvignon Blanc

►  November(4)World Turned Upside Down? Time to Catch UpThanksgiving Wine Under $20: My Picks for 2009Vinho Verde--Just BecauseToday on Serious Grape: Wine Survival Strategy for... ►  October(8)Gemischter Satz--It's Austrian for DeliciousThe Red Wines of Calabria: Fruity, Funky, and Fabu...Today on Serious Grape: Autumn Whites from Austria...Exploring Calabria in OctoberNew Grape of the Month: FalanghinaMighty Good Malbecs3 Years and 5182 Subscribers Later...This Week on Serious Grape: Decanting Demystified ►  September(15)Good Pinot Noir--Under $28Finding Your Chardonnay StyleA Bargain in Bubbles: Zonin ProseccoThere's a New Wine Store In Town: domaineLAA Ligurian Red That Dresses Up--or DownThis Week on Serious Grape: The Farmers' Market Wi...Wine Blogging Wednesday #61: Quivira VineyardsPigato: The Briny Grape from LiguriaPalate Press: the New Online Wine MagazineA Zaftig Sparkling WineTropical Fruit from California's Central Coast: Fi...My Italian Wine Journey Continues: LiguriaHappy Labor DayThis Week on Serious Eats: Doggone Good Wine Pairi...Alsace Sparkles ►  August(14)A True Blue Syrah from the Central CoastFinal Edition of the Wine Book Club: A Vineyard in...New Grape of the Month: BourboulencA Sweet Tip on Dessert WineThis Week on Serious Grape: "Grape School" ►  July(14) ►  June(11) ►  May(11) ►  April(19) ►  March(18) ►  February(22) ►  January(21) ►  2008(257) ►  December(17) ►  November(17) ►  October(21) ►  September(21) ►  August(19) ►  July(22) ►  June(25) ►  May(20) ►  April(20) ►  March(25) ►  February(22) ►  January(28) ►  2007(277) ►  December(23) ►  November(23) ►  October(23) ►  September(21) ►  August(22) ►  July(26) ►  June(23) ►  May(26) ►  April(22) ►  March(24) ►  February(17) ►  January(27) ►  2006(63) ►  December(27) ►  November(20) ►  October(16)

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Another Simple Solution--and It Involves Pinot Noir

I've found another simple solution to the "what's for dinner?" crisis many of us face at the end of a busy day.

I was intrigued by Mark Bittman's recent recipe in the New York Times for "risotto-style" chicken pasta. What I most liked about it was that it involved one pan, one cutting board, one knife, and a lot of things we always have in the house (chicken in the freezer, mushrooms in the fridge, pasta and chicken broth in the cupboard). Who has time to wash dishes this time of year? And it seemed as though it would be finished--from prep to plate--in around 30 minutes. What's not to like?

As I threw this recipe together, I scanned the wine racks looking for a good bottle of wine to go with it. Rather than recommend a hard-to-find wine, I drew out the 2007 Sebastiani Vineyards & Winery Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast. Regular readers know this is my favorite appellation for US Pinot Noir. Sometimes the wine can be a bit pricey, however. I'm delighted to report that this wine is both affordable ($18!) and easy to find in most markets for $12-$24. This excellent QPR Pinot Noir delivers characteristic Sonoma Coast aromas of cherry, chalk, and a lick of smoke. These lead into a juicy, well-integrated palate of berries, cherries, and chalky minerality and that nice smokiness turns spicy in the aftertaste. This is another excellent food wine, that's versatile and affordable enough to feature on your holiday table, as well as satisfying your everyday wine needs.

(And yes, the risotto-style pasta was excellent--and a perfect partner for this wine, with the earthy mushrooms.)

Full Disclosure: I received this wine as a sample.

Posted byDr. Debsat5:30 AM 

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