Red

Guests Request! Rare Red Grape 4 Blend, Lodi CA $7.99

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Available at Sonoma Market

I had a discerning group of tasters this time – all squeamish when I mentioned I wrote a cheap wine blog and would they like to try a wine under $10 – in fact it was only $7.99 and it was from Lodi. This was a group of acquaintances in the Sonoma Square at the Tuesday night farmer’s market picnicking around elaborate cheeseboards and much better wines, or so they thought…{ insert sinister Frenchman laugh here – heh, heh, heh.}

Bouquet was young, fresh with hit of berry and dried cherry. First sip, surprisingly smooth, full bodied, pleasantly earthy and bursting with a nice grapey, ripe red strawberry jaminess you want in a lovely everyday red. I must make a second mention to the smoothness, impressive for the prix.

One guest commented that I had made an “excellent selection” and that this was the perfect everyday red. I failed to mention that I select these wines with the precision of Russian Roulette, but accepted the complement with humility. This is a mindblowingly good wine – Caseworthy!

Stay curious,

loie

Mind blowing good! O.V.O.C. 2012 Regio Zinfandel, CA $8.99

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O.V.O.C. 2012 Regio Zinfandel, CA

Well, get a load of Lodi – this O.V.O.C. Zin is unbelievably priced at $8.99 (up to $11 in some regions) and it is fabulous. I would have no problem serving this to the most discerning guest.

Beep, beep, beep, I’m backing up to the loading dock and getting a case – this is a wine that is great right now, right here but would age well too. Although I believe the silver medals they won were due to the “Lodi” demarcation, but I’m giving a gold as this Zin is better than you would expect for the price. The winery is still family owned and run by siblings Anthony, Natalie & Paul. Regio is the Italian word for Royal. OVOC stands for Old Vine, Old Clone. Zinfandel enthusiasts covet old vine Zinfandels. They are royalty in the family of wines from the Zinfandel grape. Check out the family story at this link – http://www.scottocellars.com/scotto-family/ – it’s adorable and it’s still owned and managed by the second generation of Scottos.

This fragrant, medium bodied vintage is filled with flavors and aromas of fresh blackberries, currants and raspberries, with tannins that are firm but not distracting. Bottom line, yummy and case-worthy!

 

Stay curious,

loie

Wine Fear Factor Friday! Chocolate Shop, Chocolate Lover’s Wine $8.99

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Chocolate Shop – No Vintage Chocolate Lover’s Wine
Caldwell, Idaho
Ok, this is my first edition of “Cheap Wine Fear Factor.” I welcome those brave enough to take a taste of the scariest of wine offerings. Don’t be shy. These wines end up on the shelf for some reason, and someone somewhere must buy them, either regretfully, with a palate disability or verging on being institutionalized. Let’s do the world a favor and protect the innocent from imbibing in wines that can hurt. We are tough enough, smart enough and crazy enough to save the world from drinking bad wine. Are you with me? Ok, I may be the Mother Teresa of cheap wine, but let’s help the lepers and start tasting. Hail to the spit bucket!
The Bouquet is undeniably chocolate, overwhelmingly so. I’m white knuckling it with my friends, one being a well regarded Sonoma chef. When he saw this walk thru his front door, I saw his face freeze and before I could explain myself, I feared being black listed from the cullinary inside for life. After an ample preamble, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah – I had some reluctant but good humored recruits for the tasting.
First taste was a surprise – red wine forward with a huge chocolate finish. One guest expressed that it was deceiving as you expect it to be brown and syrupy but it’s actually a solid red wine first with a weirdly sweet chocolate aftertaste – ewwwww! Looking at the color, it looks like a Cab with an outer ring of brown. If paired, the sweetness needs a good savory counter – like a pretzel – so says the chef, but his kindness in that comment was countered with “in a cold day in hell” from the other guests. Overall, blech. Just have a nice red with a piece of dark chocolate and save your $8.99. Sorry – we tried it. By the way Chicolate Shop – no ingredients listed – how’d you do it????
Stay brave, stay curious,
loie

2012 Terramia Montepulciano D’Abruzzo $7.99 rated buy again minus

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IMG_48942012 Terramia Montepulciano D’Abruzzo $7.99
Italy
Bouquet is light, grapey, touch of cranberry and hint of apple- that’s what I picked up. First sip is youngish, meaning not much body, flavor is light like lesser table wines and quite frankly, unremarkable. Hard to know if it will age well. I love my Montepulcinos and this one is eh. But I do think for the value, it’s a good buy and perfectly respectable on taco night at the neighbors – which is exactly what I’m doing as I write this post. Buy again minus is the best I can do with this bambino.
Stay curious!
Loie

2012 Mont Pellier, Pinot Noir, CA $5.99

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2012 Mont Pellier, Pinot Noir, California $5.99
Not much of a bouquet really and this made me uncertain, but the first sip was surprising. It is a light body red as expected from most Pinots, with a pleasant jammy plum that nicely lingers. Smooth, young tasting but a solid table wine and for $5.99 you get your money’s worth and then some. I craved a steak with this vino.
I’ll say this is a buy again minus at best, not wowed and I’ve met better low priced Pinot’s. It’s like that nice guy you met but there were no sparks. This is a wine for when you need companionship, and can’t find a better date.
Although, once this Pinot opened up after being decanted, it got richer and more robust, but still eh. It’s drinkable.
Stay curious!
loie

2012 Crane Lake Petite Syrah 3/$10

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2012 Crane Lake Petite Syrah 3/$10
Mystery Origin CA
Bouquet suggests rose petals, hint of strawberry. First taste is decent I’m not of fan of mystery origins but it’s got that lightness of body I like in a good Petite Syrah and a second glass will go down easily. Depending on how edumacated your audience is, this is a good buy for the house but not something I’d bring to anyone’s home that I didn’t reluctantly accept the invitation. If the neighbor unexpectedly shows up with a report on the other neighbors, offer them a glass and see if they go away or if you need to exit them, do so by generously ushering them out with the bottle as a parting gift (may not be legal in your town, check with your neighbors.) Very handy to have around. Decent in the right company – price can’t be beat 3/$10.
Buy again, possibly as an unexpected guest consolation prize.
Stay curious,
loie

2012 Back House, Pinot Noir $6.99

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2012 Backhouse, Pinot Noir $6.99
Product of California
Bouquet is quite delightful, blackberry and honey. Very jammy, nice richness and oak, as one of my guests astutely mentioned “you can taste the barrel.” Nice body and medium boldness, very enjoyable. Finish is a not my preference as tannins (scale of 1-10, I’d say a 5 in that winey bitterness some people regard as harsh) but perfectly fine when paired with food. This is a Pinot you can serve with a meal and respectably bring as a guest – as we did and enjoyed with braised (for hours, and hours, and hours, and hours, and hours, and hours, until it fell off the bone) short ribs. The tannin finish makes it just shy of guest worthy. Depends on who you’re having over and does it matter? We served it happily, but then again, I prefaced my service with a deference to experimentation.
This wine is delightful. I give it a buy again+
Stay curious!
loie

2012 Dona Del Sol, Cabernet Sauvignon, CA 3/$10

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2012 Dona Del Sol
Cabernet Sauvignon
Product of California
Oliver’s Market 3/$10

Bouquet is light fruit, hint of blueberry, mild, not big. First taste is surprisingly smooth, no oak, does not have typical cab qualities of bigger, bolder richness. It could masquerade for an Itallian red table wine. It’s a young tasting, very drinkable lighter red that with some age could be interesting. I’m tempted to buy a case and put it in the cellar – but alas for now it will be braising our short ribs for next 3-4 hrs at 350. We’ll save some for a couple glasses with dinner.

Very guest worthy definitely buy again!