Argentina Winner

Hello Wine Lovers!

Don't cry for me Argentina... sorry I was thinking of the scene in Evita when Madonna sings this song. Argentina is beautiful, it's people proud and hard working, it's food full of flavor and texture. What does all of this have to do with wine you ask. The wine today is High Note Malbec and when you pour it in your glass and close your eyes, you will smell Argentina! It is beautiful, proud to be a Malbec, it works hard and it is full of flavor. This wine has fig, dark fruit, and toast on the palette and a long, lush juicy finish! This wine may very well be the bargain of the year so far at $8.99.

This wine is great with food, hearty fare, meat, heavy braised dishes, steak and lamb on the grille. If you don't find this wine to be outstanding then I'm just nuts!

Cheers!

J

Spanish White Winner

Hello Wine Lovers!

I drink a lot of wine, and I'm sure like many of you, I like variety. I have long been an advocate of the ABC rule... anything but chardonnay, unless of course it is from France. It is this guy's humble opinion that they are the only people that know exactly what to do with this grape. But anyway... that leads me to this week's entry. Bodegas Montecillo Verdemar Albarino 2008. This wine is from Spain's second oldest producer, Montecillo, which was established in 1874. It is 100% Albarino and at $7.99 will just thrill ya to death!

Pale in color with a nose of grapefruit, apple, pear and pineapple with with a long finish with minerals and a touch of acidity. A perfect match to food as well as a nice sipper on the patio.

Let's talk Albarino. This grape has been argued that it is a relative of the Riesling grape from Alsace around the 12 to 15 Century. It is grown in Spain's Rias Baixas DO and significantly in the town of Cambados. It is often blended with other white grapes but more and more producers are turning out wines made up of 100% Albarino. The grape is known for its distinctive aroma and high acidity, which of course makes it a good food wine.

The next time you feel like a white wine give this little number a try, I'm quite sure you won't be disappointed!

Cheers!

J

Zinfandel Winner

Hello Wine Lovers!

Last night I had a wonderful (you won't believe the price) wine with a steak cooked on the grille. Fuego Old Vine Zinfandel at $6.99 a bottle. That's right, $6.99 a bottle and notice I said wonderful. It is bright purple in color and has smoky blackberry and blueberry on the nose,with spice and a long lingering finish. Deep dark berry flavors, supple texture and bright minerals add complexity to this wine. It drinks like wines costing three times the price!

Lets talk a minute about Zinfandel. This varietal can be traced back to the Primativo grape grown in the heel of the boot in Italy and also traced to the Croatian grape Crljenak Kaštelanski dating back to the 17th Century. It produces a deep red robust wine with a high sugar content which translates to a high alcohol content, in many cases well over 15%. Zinfandel vines are quite vigorous and grow best in climates that are warm but not too hot, because grapes may shrivel in hot weather. Zinfandel's has a thin skin and grow in large, tight bunches that are sometimes prone to rot on the vines. The fruit ripen fairly early and produce juice with high sugar levels. If weather conditions permit, the grapes may be late harvested to make dessert wines. Zinfandel is often praised for its ability to reflect both its terroir and its winemakers style and skill. Grape vines grow for over 120 years and start to produce less fruit after about 20 years. This wine is made from "Old Vine" grapes which simply put, the vines are old which produce smaller grapes, which in turn have more intense flavors. At least that is the plan.

Whatever the case may be... run don't walk to your favorite wine merchant and buy this stuff!

Cheers!

J

Paper or Plastic

Hey Wine Lovers!

It's that time again...time for a new entry. I poured myself a glass of wine the other day and was not happy with my glassware selection so I poured it into another glass, one that made me happy! I sat down in my favorite chair and I started to think why one glass made me happy and one I didn't particularly like?

Forget about all the pretentious wine snobs you know that need 5 different glasses to have dinner. Or the snob that is totally appalled that a Pinot Noir is served in a Cabernet glass. Or the crazy nut that insists on a Chardonnay glass to drink from. It all boils down to this... drink what you want, when you want, with what you want and out of whatever you want! Forget it all! Just enjoy the wine and the moment. I personally like thin glassware to drink from. I like the feel of the stem in my hand and how it puts the wine in my mouth, it doesn't make it right or wrong, it's just what I like. If you like drinking wine from a small juice glass then so be it, that's what you like! If you like drinking wine from a jelly glass, fine. Who cares?

OK lets talk wine! Hahn Pinot Noir Monterey County. Another Pinot bargain you won't believe your taste buds! At $8.99 a bottle you will be blown away! A dynamic and multi-faceted wine with deep ruby hues, aromas of fresh raspberries with a burst of fruit and spice on the palate. Run out and buy this jewel by the case! You'll love it!

Cheers!

J