Hyatt Vineyards Cabernet

Hello Wine Lovers!
Now that Chicago received it's "first significant snowfall" of the year (not sure why the press makes such a big deal out of snow in Chicago, after all, we are in the snow belt)and you have completed your clean up, sit back and open up a bottle of this Cabernet and enjoy! Hyatt Vineyards "Rattlesnake Hills" 2009 Cabernet from Washington State. According to the Hyatt website Rattlesnake Hills "In Spring of 200 the very select micro-climate of the Northern part of the Yakima Valley became its own American Viticultural Appellation. Hyatt and Roza Ridge are in the center of this small and very appropriate new Appellation, Rattlesnake Hills, which enjoys better heat-units than the rest of the Valley – ensuring ripening – with elevations ranging from 700 – 1200 feet above sea level. This more precisely-defined Viticultural area contains 20 wineries and shows enormous promise of balanced and excellent fruit for us to transform into wonderful wines, in the tradition of premier quality Hyatt Vineyard wines." Cabernet continues to flourish here in the US and this is another example of a high quality Cab that you won't have to take out a second mortgage to afford. This little gem will set you back $10 at the Wine Discount Centers. You will find this wine to be medium-bodied and it's offering of ripe, sweet fruits and a concentration of flavor that goes far beyond its price point. This might become your favorite everyday Cabernet! I'll be the first to tell you that most Cabernet of any character these days costs a heck of a lot more than this one! Go buy this by the case!

Cheers!
J

Honoro Vera Garnacha

Hello Wine Lovers!
I've got to vent a little and I am going to use you as my sounding board... sorry. It is starting to drive me crazy that restaurants think they can pour you a "taste" of wine and charge you out the (insert word here that rhymes with glass) for it! There, I said it! Now let's cover a few details on what I mean by all this. I get the whole idea of pouring your wine in a small glass container and then serving you the glass empty and allowing you to pour as much or as little as you want in your very nice stemware. (I have yet to see this practice without nice glasses used) In the little glass container should be a 5 to 6oz pour, as should be any pour of wine whether it be served in a glass or in a small glass container for you to pour your own. Let me repeat myself... 5 to 6 oz! To my dismay this holiday season I continue to run across "nice" restaurants pouring you 4oz and STILL charging you as if they poured you the 6oz! I could understand if the prices were lowered, but they are not! It is insulting to my intelligence, and everyone else as far as that goes, that people in charge would make these decisions on a glass of wine! And then they wonder my more and more people choose to drink at home!
OK... I feel better! Now the wine. 2010 Honoro Vera Garnacha. At less than $8 this will floor you! You will find this wine to be complex with finesse and a mouthful of plum and cherry flavors with spice and tobacco on the finish. For the money, this would be one of my picks to stock up on! It is from the Calatayud Region near Barcelona. The soil is full of gravel and is not the best place to grow grapes, but the old vines used to produce this wine really did their job! It has a funky label that will spark dinner conversation. Spain is the third largest wine producing nation in the world, occupying the majority of the Iberian Peninsula with vast diversity in climate, culture, and of course, wine. From big, bold reds of the Priorat to dry, white Finos from Andalusia, Spanish wines are a great value. There are currently over 62 designated wine regions in Spain but only a few generate any recognition outside of Spain. Spain can also lay claim to having the most land under vine in the world, growing up to, by some accounts, 600 indigenous varietals of grapes. Tempranillo is their most well known and along with Garnacha are probably two grapes you have heard of. If you get the chance, don't pass on a trip to this wonderful country! You will find the people,food,and of course the wine, to your liking!

Cheers!
J

Pennywise Pinot Noir

Hello Wine Lovers!
Happy New Year! I can't believe it has come and gone already. By now I am quite sure you have had your fill of fun, food, parties and of course wine. It's time to back off a bit, drop a few pounds, eat healthy and once again resume some sort of normal sleep schedule. It happens every year, the holidays show up and you become this crazy person! Working long hours, going to parties, drinking and eating more, sleeping less. Even though every year you say "I need to be careful this holiday season", "I can't afford to pack on the pounds" etc etc. You know the routine! Well here we all are again... so get your fanny moving, slow down on the calorie intake and step up your exercise program because one thing is for sure. You can't stop drinking wine!
Which brings me to today's wine, Pennywise Pinot Noir 2009
, from California. #18 on the Wine Enthusiast's Top 100 Best Buys of 2011 and 90 points! You will find this wine surprisingly sophisticated for a Pinot Noir at this price. It’s dry, light in the mouth and elegantly structured, with a nice touch of acids and tannins with flavors of sour cherries, sweet strawberries and a touch of spice and smoke. This wine will really surprise you at $8.99 a bottle at Wine Discount Center! This may become my new "house" wine!

Cheers!
J