$10 and under

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

| Cheap Wine Curious

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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, Viognier, CA $5.99 rated buy again

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2012 Mont Pellier, Viognier,
California $5.99
At first, the bouquet is a mash-up of honey and elderflower. Very floral. First taste is drier than one would expect. Not a hearty white, very light and best chilled so it is refreshing as it’s not very complex. I was keen on the balance and smoothness but I wanted a touch more fruit. It finishes a little buttery and with a light mineral taste. Should be great with fish, most seafood and I’d love it with some Drake’s bay oysters BBQ’d. Definitely the perfect match for some Szechuan spicy scallops. That would be magnifico. This hits a buy again – barely as I know some pretty good inexpensive Viogniers mere pennies more but for the price – perfectly respectable.
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

2013 La Playa Sauvignon Blanc $6.99

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2013 La Playa Sauvignon Blanc $6.99
Product of Chile
The lemony fresh bouquet has a hint of green grass. First sip is very refreshing and bright. It’s a classic Sav Blanc that has citrusy notes of grapefruit, lemon zest with a sharper finish than my preference but this is a delight and respectably drinkable. I think you will enjoy La Playa Sav. Blanc during those precious moments with your iPad reading BuzzFeed and catching up on emails from your elderly mother. What it is not is an oaky, creamy chardonnay that you can sip by the fire. This wine is light, with a subtle fruit and perfect for warm weather, and when you want to dream of that sunny day. With the citrusy acid, I’d pair it with a burger and some sweet potato fries. Perfect to bring along to your cousin’s BBQ at the park as a diversion when your mom asks if you got her emails. “Look mom, cheap wine!”
Buy it again!
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 Madame Fleur Rosé, France $8.99

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2012 Madame Fleur Rosé
Product of France
365 Everyday Value
Wholefoods 8.99

The bouquet has hints of watermelon and pear. Your first taste will be refreshing, lightly sweet not classically indicative of a rosé because it is fruitier and rosés I have adored can be a little drier. If you are looking for a very drinkable, fruity buttery finish priced perfectly at $8.99 – go for it! Pairs nicely with leftover pizza, manchego cheese and cole slaw.

Very picnic worthy and if the “365” logo offends you aesthetically on the label, decant it and dream of the vineyards in France from which it  originates. Oh, in all transparency, I’m getting over a cold, and if this has been injurious to my opinion, I promise to revisit my rating.

Cheers!

Loie

I would buy this again….