South Africa Sauvignon Blanc

"Fleur du Cap" a French name for a nice wine "inspired by Nature" as printed on the label. This wine has the right balance between fruit, alcohol and dryness; in other words it is really easy to drink and it pairs very well with everyhting from the sea.

Etrusco..also in California

First it sounds strange that they couldn't find another name for a Californian wine but after visting the Martin Weyrich Wines web site I found out that this winery is specialized in Italian grape varieties and they are making Cal-Italina wines! Anyway this is a Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon found at Trader Joe's around $7 which is in fact pretty good. It is definitely this mix of Californian taste with Italian tradition which helped my pleasure. Good one to try. Watch the alcohol level though!

La Renjardiere - Cotes du Rhone

I went to BevMo last Wednesday to buy a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau but they were out! so since I was there I felt that I should try something different instead. I decide to get this Cotes du Rhone, Chateau La Renjardiere for $7.99, made by the Dupond Family who also bottles some Beaujolais also available from BevMo above $10. Anyway this was a good pick, very young, light, fresh and green this wine has the very typical taste of Cotes du Rhone reds. With pates and salami it pairs perfectly.

The Worse Red in 2006

Before I get into the long list of sweet beverages I enjoyed the last few days, I would like to send a Red Flag Warning to all wine consumers shopping at Trader Joe's for cheap bottles: earlier I blogged the acceptable Zarafa Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa so I tried the Red labelled Pinotage 2005 from the same producer and it was a big mistake :-( This is the worse wine I've ever drunk! I cannot describe the chemical taste of it but I can say it was not a bad bottle but their whole production since I got exact same comment from a friend who like me dumped it in the sink. I don't like when I have to do this so I wanted to share this experience so you won't have to do the same. Usually when a wine is not so good I can either use it for cooking or make vinegar...but not this one, no way! Fortunately I have more positive comments coming...

Wildhurst Merlot 2002

It was a long time since I had risked my health tasting a Californian red wine, barely recovering from bad experiences in this area ;-) Well there are some good points here to notice: first I still not fanatic a these wines described as "Black cherry flavors, the intriguing cedar and earthy notes, the touch of spice..." (where the black berry probably sun dried on a leather saddle), second I have to say that I can measure improvement in the last 10 years but still use of American Oak and excess of sun will be difficult to avoid. The price finally is correct at Trader Joe's and a little overpriced at the winery. I noticed that it is common on various wine blogs to recommend beverages for Thanksgiving; well myself I will be eating sandwiches in the wood looking for some mushrooms and I will probably take a bottle a Beaujolais Nouveau with me since I didn't taste it enough yet. Regarding this Merlot, it is definitely not for the turkey and the occasion unless to want to get drunk before the party starts. Anyway whatever you drink, don't forget to share so we can talk about it later. Have a good one!

Ruffino Chianti 2005

Pretty good wine for its price ($5.99 at Trader Joe's) and from Ruffino Estates who produces delicous Reserva Ducale. I've seen this 2005 Chianti at Cala food for $10.99 whic reminds me how big margins some stores are taking on wines. As a humorist was saying:"As long as the re will be idiots to buy, it's not going to end!".

Beaujolais Primeur 2006

This has been a big surprise and a big difference from previous years: this Beaujolais Nouveau 2006 is good! Not sure if this is only this producer, Domaine Ruet which I never had before, or the whole production but the bottle I drank was good as a "good wine" and not only a "good juice". Not this banana taste which usually characterize this wine but richer flavors balancing well with alcohol and nice red color (not much pink). I tasted it and bought the bottle at a wine bar/store in SF called Wine where I never been before but which seems to carry a good selection of wines. It was a little more expensive ($13) than usually what Beaujolais Nouveau cost (under $10) but it can be found a little bit cheaper at K&L wines.
Don't drink too much! it's really easy wine ;-)

Trevis 05 Sauvignon Blanc

I continue with white Californian wines and this 2005 Sauvignon Blanc from Mendocino county made from organically grown grapes. Myself I prefer this one than the Bianco from Coppola and it definitely contributes to reconcile me with local wines. I like the region, the organic thing, the price (around $6 at Trader Joe's) and the taste of course, not oaky at all!
And don't forget today is the Beaujolais Nouveau 2006 release day! This is more of an opportunity to party than to enjoy exceptional wine but it's always fun to talk about this powerful laxative and hangover generator ;-)

Coppola Bianco

First sorry about the blurry label: Pathetic :-( I really need to upgrade my camera. I found a nice one along with well done comment which I didn't want to steal but which I can definitely recommand from Wine Waves wine blog. I didn't noticed any of the flavors listed in this post and I start to think that Pinot Gris don't have much flavor to offer compared to other white varietals. Anyway it is not possible to say that this wine is bad or has anything wrong, especially for $7 at Trader Joe's, but it has nothing special which could make me say it is "good".

Cotes du Rhone: Les Moirets

 Here is another red wine well designed for everyday consumption at a reasonable price ($5 at Trader Joe's). It is made by Cave des Papes, probably one of the largest wine maker in the Cotes du Rhone who seems to have designed some of his wines for the US market. As I was looking for more information on this one, I found this site about Les Moirets which mentioned that the wine has been aged in French and American Oak! I don't see any other reason why a French winemaker would import American oak to age its wine but to send it back to the US market. Anyway it is definitely not "oaky" (it only spet 6 to 8 months in oak) and goes well will any appropriate food (meat, salad, cheese, not fish...). not exceptional but not bad neither; it's a 12/20 

Sicilia Bianco

 After checking the winery Feudo Zirtari web site, I found out that this 2004 dry but fruity white wine from Sicilia was made with a blend of Grillo and Inzolia, local to Sicilia grape varieties (which I never heard before) and Chardonnay. For $4 at Trader Joe's it is definitely an interesting investment. I had the chance to taste many wines last week-end and probably won't have time to specificaly comment each of them. Just to mention the white ones here I had another italian one Grivo dry and easy to drink; also an excellent Sauvignon Blanc from California Frog Leap and finally a Gewurztraminer from Trader Joe's (the one around $8) which was not very sweet and acceptable for the price. 

Smoking Loon: the couple

 This was an emmergency buy at the Cala Food down the street to offer some wine with the dinner to our guests. A white SB and a red Merlot for $7 each. While I don't have anything special to say about the Sauvignon Blanc, the red was very typical Californian tastes: leather, redwood, skunk, crude oil... I'm sure it would make the day for many people but I'm not fan of it. I think that with all the chemicals added they should be able to offer a pretty stable wine and you should never be surprised by its content. May be wine drinkers are not aware that besides the "Contains Sulfite" mandatory warning, there are 50 chemicals allowed by winemakers in the US which don't need to be mentioned on the bottle. hmmm  

Red or White?

Well there may be several ways to answer the question but why not make them fight to give an answer?! Not any fight, nothing bloody or painful, no just a Google Fight!
It's not scientific but I had to share this link here ;-)
Share your fights!

Pomerol idol

 OK today I'm making a step away from the main idea of this blog to comment only "cheap" wines but I have to share and log this memorable experience I had 2 days ago with this Pomerol Chateau Moulinet 2001. This bottle seems to cost around $25 in the US but provide a satisfaction woth the price. I don't have the pro words to describe such wine but I can say that this wine is made essentially from Merlot and if I use Google translation to convert the French characteristic of the Pomerol into English I get:"Rounds and flexible, at the same time as vigorous, they are equipped with a powerful and cordial bouquet" If it makes sense to you and want to learn more about Bordeaux wines here is an interesting and complete book available online: La planète-vin / Bordeaux and you can use of course Google translation to translate the whole site in English! Now I'm gonna feel bad about the next $5 wine ;-) 

Burgundy 1er cru under $10!

 I had yesterday a rare sample on my table: a Burgundy Nuits St Georges 1er cru 1994 and besides the fact that 94 was not a good year it remains a good experience. I found the bottle, half bottle in fact, a while ago at the Grocery Outlet in Oakland for $6.99! It was not excellent but definitly better than everything else I have blogged here ;-) One of the big difference with regular cheap wines is the richness of the nectar which makes little amounts to satisfy your need. Usually a whole bottle of wine or so is needed for a dinner for 2; with this one we barely finish the half bottle (there was some solid at the bottom) so unless you're a pig you shouldn't need as much of a high quality (i.e. expensive) wine than you need of a cheap one. Not that I'm an alcoholic but I'm gonna stick to the cheap ones for now ;-) 

Amaicha Torrontes

 After the very pleasant experience with the red one, I had to give a shot to the white variation of these $3.99 Argentinian wines from Trader Joe's. Well I have to say that it can compete against many Gewurztraminers in terms of flavor and quality, not to mention that a Gewurzt under $10 is a rare treat in California! Not appropriate for seafood but excellent in apertive or dessert; not really sweet but fruity, very easy to drink. 

Burgundy for everyday

 Here is a Red Burgundy from Trader Joe's at $5.99 which allows you to have at your table a delicious Pinot Noir from great origins and affordable. On top of it, it doesn't have the berries taste too strong which makes some of its famous brothers so specific that you can only match them with appropriate food like venaison. No this one has the characteristic Pinot Noir flavor but can really match most of the food. Even young it is so easy to drink. 

Austrian Red

 I had a chance to taste an Austrian red wine this week-end and I was nicely surprised by its interesting taste and quality. It's like they put some pepper into it but nothing wrong, just a very specific characteristic. This wine was fron Heinrich, Blaufrankish 2004 I think and it is around $16. I would never had tried this one myself. I knew about good white Austrian wines but didn't know about reds. I may look them in the future.
There was another one which I liked at this party: from McManis family, pretty sure it was a Syrah; probably something between $10 and $20 but really good and well...we can make an extra on the week-end. 

Castineira que buena!

  An incredible good wine from Spain now at Trader Joes' for $7.99. From Albarino grappes (never heard of them before) it is dry, fruity with citrus accent but much more delicate than my favorites New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs. As TJs suggests it goes very well with seafood; I had it with cod yesterday and it was perfect. I can't wait to get home to have another glass after work! 

Vina Alarba

  This Spanish wine is a good table wine; made from old Grenache vines it has a strong body, dark red color and fit perfectly with cheeses for example. I found it at Berkeley Bowl under $10 for sure. 

San Tomaso

 I would not recommand this one to be drank by itself but again added to some Cassis liquor it is ok. Surprisingly at $3.99 from TJ this one was labeled DOC. I don't think this wine could find any match on the aroma wheel and this is not because I don't want to be nice with Italians ;-) I will continue to taste them and I'm sure I'm find a good one under $10. Can I also mention that I had today one the worse sandwich I ever had .. in Italian place (Gambino's by Embarcaderro). Avoid if you're in the area...Massimo is much better.

Not as bad as Materazzi

 Could be worse for an Italian wine at this price ($3.99?). I have no idea where this one come from and I don't have time to investigate but it is pretty strong and heavy with deep red color. The label announce some "intense blackberry and cherry notes with a light spicy background"...a little excessive but kind of right. It is suggested to drink with meat, ham and ripened cheeses which is realistic. Definitely better than the previous one (Chilian) 

Argentina 1 - 0 Chile

  

Santa Emma chilian 2 bucks chuck

  at the difference that you have to pay $2 extra for transportation :-( This winery has better wines but this one has a poor taste which reminds me of the $1.99 wine at TJs...well I could be wrong because I only taste this one once at work a few years ago and my memory is not so good. Anyway from South America the Argentin wine I will blog next is much better for the same price: $3.99 

Born in Narbonne

  I share the roots with this one so we like each other. Simple, my definition of a table wine for everyday, it tastes wine, not skunk, leather nor gasoline! You see what I mean? why would you want something made of grappe to taste wet dog, garlic or soy sauce! Well I found this interesting link about this aroma wheel...you can visualize the found aromas for each grappe varietal: Aroma Wheel

du Peloux chez Pelous

 I took this one for fun because the winemaker name is so close to mine. It comes from TJs at something like $5.99. It is not exceptional but acceptable for table wine. 

Chablis 2005

 Taste the difference! This one is very nice and for $8.99 at TJs. It is really easy to drink, well in the mouth, little wood with a nice balance between acidity and fruit.
No Kir with this one ;-)
I also did an interesting white wine testing last week-end in Santa Cruz and the winner was in fact a local Dry Riesling Bonny Doon at $8.99 at Cost Plus but which I think you may be able to find at TJs and other popular stores in the area. Very pleasant to drink by itself or with sea food. Next to other various whites under $10 this one was clearly above the others. A good one to consider.

South Africa SB (Part 2)

  For $3.99 at TJs this one is good...even without additives! I may revise my feeling for South African wine since I had a few bad experiences in the past.

South Africa SB (Part 1)

   First part of a South African Sauvignon Blancs review. This first one unfortunately is not exceptional as several others I have been testing before. It's a $4.99 buy from Grocery Outlet. As usual when the white wine is not friendly to the palate I mix it with Creme de Cassis or some Rose Syrop and the bottle is saved from the sewer.

Good Old Fart

  Can you believe they dare calling a French wine like this?! Well for $2.99, also at Grocery Outlet, I will not complain about the label when the content is correct.

Highfield NZ

 Wow! Another good deal! at $5.99 this Sauvignon blanc 2003 from New Zealand is even better than the precedent. The citrus is there, may be not as much as strong as usualy in Marlborough SB. I really like these wines, the taste has something artificial (how can a wine made 100% from grapes taste like this?!), difficult to describe but pleasant even addictive...well now that the price is not an obstacle I may drink NZ Sauvignon Blanc more often! Thanks to the Grocery Outlet! 

Caveau des Disciples

 and because these deals won't last I will share this other one: this Cotes du Rhone, le Caveayu des Disciples 2004, for $4.99 is a great deal. Back in the range of price for my table wine, it's a little young but taste typical from this area and even reminds of his big brother, the Chateauneuf, where it has been bottled by the way. So far 3 wines, 3 deals...I can't wait to open the next one ;-) Again these wines come from the Grocery Oulet in Oakland. 

Party!

 To continue with the good wine deals at the Grocery Outlet, here is an exceptional one: this Condrieu 2002 by Guigal at $16.99 is not only delicious but half the regular price. Seriously if I had some money to invest here I would buy cases of this one. I'm sure this will not last anyway since Condrieu is made in a very small area in France along the Rhone from Viognier grape. Today I open this bottle not very sure of what I would find inside and what kind of food would match with it but it ended up a huge success along with live oysters, smoked salmon (the best I ever had, just bought on the San Rafael farmer's market from local producer) and even the key lime cheese cake for dessert. 

NewZealand affordable

 With this wine I start reporting about my findings at the Grocery Outlet in Oakland: there are some treasures there. They also have another shop in Berkeley with different selection. Selection in fact which is always changing depending on the new arrivals. I heard that some amateurs who are familiar with this place are buying a bottle, open it on the parking lot, taste it and go back in store to buy a case or the stock if good! It's my second stop there and I already regret not to live East Bay any more ..or taste the samples on site ;-) This 2002 Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough (NZ) is totally delicious at my taste and for $4.99!! I have many more to taste and probably to share here.  

Sanchez family

 Very young (2005) Spanish wine, a mix of Tempranillo and Syrah, at a very good price a TJ ($4 or $5). First glass after opening the bottle I almost dump it in the sink as it felt little fuzzy! The next day it was in fact much pleasant and without being exceptional its price make it a potential guest for my table but it still not competes with the other Tempranillo Organically grown grappes from TJ listed earlier on this blog. (12/20) 

Mas des Bressades vs Petit Bock

 Nice wine from Pays du Gard, a little pricey ($18 at the Wine House) for its category but a strong value. Its a 2004 and it definitely can be kept a more years. At the same price I had a Petit Bock 2003, a Saint Estephe Cru Bourgeois yesterday which also deserve some time to mature. I may get a bottle of each, store them 2 years and open them together then. I think it would be interesting to compare Bordeaux and Languedoc in the same price range to answer the question: does a "cheap" Bordeaux better than an "expensive" Languedoc? (both 14/20) 

Oregon ABC

 After the Italian pleasure, a long flight to Oregon where this funny packaged wine went very well with a bowl of pasta in tomato sauce. Found at the Wine House and part of the Dirty Dozen, it proves me that not all are bad in his team. Well it may not be as good as the previous (from the dozen) was bad but it's announced for $15 individually which is way overpriced for the modest quality. For this price I expect a wine which I could keep a few year and which offers not common, fine and complex aromas. I'll take some time one day to list some of them in this category.

Toscana

 It looks like the quality of the wine on my table is as unpredictable as the weather. Even when I forecast a good nectar I end up disappointed but I don't expect a miracle I get satisfaction. This one from Toscana found at Trader Joe's doesn't very special but for $5 or $6 provided enough pleasure so I'll get some more bottles next time I will shop there.

Good Bordeaux; most of the time

 I realize that I never mentioned this Bordeaux yet. In fact I had several bottles of this Chateau Mayne Guyon, Premieres Cotes de Blayes 2003, in the last year and only had one "bad". well for $6 at Trader Joe's not a big drama and the last one I opened was better than 2 bottles of Costieres de Nimes bought $10 at the Wine House. 

The winner in Rose this year

  I have a huge backlog in wines I tasted but haven't commented yet and after this trio of awful ones I would like to share this wonderful Rose ($9.99 or so at the Wine House) which is probably the best of all the Rose I've had this summer. The season is almost over (well it may be extended for the Indian Summer in the Bay ;-) so next time you have a BBQ on a sunny day open a bunch of these out of the fridge. 

Jamais 2 sans 3!

 I will complete this suite of failures with this one which a guest brought home the other day. The big trick is the appellation 'Rose'. I've learnt my lesson 12 years ago when I discovered the White Zinfandel and since looked carefully to avoid the wine from this grappe. No warning on this one but instead of a refreshing wine I got a sweet beverage I couldn't even finish one glass. Be careful! or let me know what kind of food or mood match this one. 

Not much better :-(

 This was not a pleasure but I could at least finish a glass of this one! 'Pinot Auxerois' as bad as the soccer team from the same area who lost 3-0 at home against Marseilles last week-end! This wine is bitter: how this is possible?! I cannot believe it is on purpose. Once again it was part of the dirty dozen from the Wine House... I guessI had enough now. I liked the concept to have opportunity to taste many different wines every month but more and more of the dozen are really dirty. Need a new source...any idea? 

Wrong definition

By testing all this wines I'm trying to find for each occasion and type of food an appropriate wine which I would classified into the "table wine" category because of their simplicity and price also. "Table wine" for me doesn't mean vinegar or 2 bucks chuck wines but the quality that I use to buy in containers for $1 or $2 a liter at the winery down the street when I used to live in the South of France. Well I realized this week-end that in Monterey (and the Wine House) their definition of a "table wine" is totally different: it seems to be a collection of grappe(?) juices from different areas mixed together with chemicals and sold big price with fashion label. Wrong, very wrong! I couldn't finish my glass! From the multiple identified aromes/flavors in wine this one was out of the spectrum. I couldn't classify this wine in any group. Bad bad taste: AVOID!! 

Portuguese traditional

Not familiar with Portuguse wine I have to mention this one which was a pleasant table wine for $9.99 at the Wine House. Not fancy or sofisticated but simply easy to drink. I have the image of wines from Portugal dark red, heavy, strong but this one has none of these caracteristics. Actually I finished the bottle with Indian spicy food and it was light enough to help with the fire of the chile!  

Robert Hall from Paso Robles

 Another one from California, so good I didn't have a chance to taste it well enough...I guess I was not the only one to think like this! I will definitely look for wine from this winery in the future. 

Bonterra from Mendocino

  Well I gave up long ago on California wines not because of their quality but because of the price of the quality. I haven't tasted an acceptable red one under $15. I had very good ones over $30 but my focus here is about the "cheap" ones I consume on my regular meals. I really appreciate though any opportunity to have a good California wine when it's offered to me ;-) And I'm always happy to discover delicious wines out of the Napa valley like this one from Mendocino county...and organic on top of it. Very pleasant one.

Enjoy summer, enjoy Rose!

Several Rose like this one available at the Wine House for no less than $9.99...all from Nimes area. Expensive considering the impressive volume that can be drunk during a BBQ ;-) but so good and refresshing when it's warm outside. Not many equivalent out there.  

Swiss wine

This is a rare one like most of the Swiss wines. Small productions so very little exported. I found some at Beltramos but this one was brought back from Swizterland by a friend. It was very good and different from the one I enjoyed before; usually good whites and light reds better to drink in aperitif, this one was in between a Beaujolais and a Cote du Rhone with enough body to stay at the table during main meat course and cheeses.  

De Nimes

  Very good red from Costieres de Nimes available at Wine House around 10 $. I have no idea if these wines could be kept in cellar and for how long but some may gain with years. I need to investigate this possibility byut I don't want to keep a case 10 years if it get worse after 5 years ;-)