Greenhough Sauvignon Blanc from NZ

Many wines to talk about in this Holiday season but one really attracted my attention: the Greenhough Sauvignon Blanc 2005 from Nelson area in New Zealand. This wine was nicely recommanded by competent employee at Andronicos in SF for $12 something. This is not the place I'm spending a lot of time and money to buy wine because of their more than average price but I have to say that the selection is well done. Usually when someone offers you some help to find a wine in a store it is to sell you expensive ones or those they cannot sell, but I have to mention that this was not the case this time. I know pretty well and appreciate Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs but never tried or heard about those from Nelson area. Well this seams to be less known and this wine especially from a small winery but I really liked it; the citrus accent was not as obvious as in Marlborough whites but the balance, dryness and flavors made it perfect to accompagned oysters and fish dinner. Highly recommended.

Cheese lovers

Last week-end I decided to make a little extra and get some "good" cheese in town- usually I make the trip to the Cheese Board in Berkeley when it's time for me to refill the cheese plate- so I went to this place on 24th Street where I used to go when I was living in the Noe Valley neighborhood 10 years ago. The place is called Cheese and Co. I guess they went under new management and this is NOT the place to go for cheese:
1- unqualified employees
2- not systematically offered to try
3- some cheeses are so old they should not be on the shelves
I got 3 varieties, none of which was acceptable for about $20 which I realized later the price was probably wrong but couldn't find the detailed bill in the bag... of course. They definitely lost a customer and I could prevent anyone else from going there it would only be justice. AVOID this place! I got there a bottle of wine a Saint-Emilion Grand Cru for a bit more than $20...well I should be skeptical about the deal: the wine started with a fine taste but the illusion disappeared as fast as it came; very short in mouth; probably to young. Trader Joe's have Bordeaux as good for half price.

Week old Beaujolais Nouveau 2007

As much as I like this tradition, possibly because one of my daughter is born on a 3rd Thursday of November as well as Beaujolais nouveau every year, it is now a one day event and is barely of any interest to mention. This year I got 2 bottles of Louis Tete (pic) on Wednesday evening at $12 each; it was as good as I could expect. The next day I had 2 other kinds at a celebration at work one bottled by Kermit Lynch for $16, the other one at $15 a bottle: totally ridiculous! The trend seems to produce primeur wine closer to common Beaujolais than to banana juice but it is still far to justify such price. Anyway it's alreay a week old and before I forgot I wanted to post these comment in memory of the 2007 cru.

Moulin de Gassac 2006

The Guilhem 2006 from famous Daumas Gassac is the table version of the winery. I found this one at Berkeley Bowl for $9.95 and they also have the white one. The Red is a mix of 5 different grape varieties, very fruity and easy to drink. Interesting to taste but at this price not really worth to stock up.

Plain Point

This 2003 Grand Vin de Bordeaux available at Trader Joe's is little over $10 but worth the price. WineExpress.com gives a complete description and sells it for $17! Keeping it sounds like a good idea but if you cannot afford $50 a bottle wines you probably do not have a cave to safely keep and age wine so don't wait;-) Enjoy!

Davis Family Vineyard

This is a 2003 Cabernet Sauvugnon from Napa Valley when Davis Family Vineyard winery seems to be located in the Russian River Valley. no big deal as long as this wine was good. Had it with cheese and it went well. Not a light red for sure with 14.1 degres of alcohol and strong body, small quantiies are sufficient to satisfy your palate.

1+1=3 Spanish maths

No I was not in vacation but camera gave up after 4.5 years of service. I haven't got a new one yet but I went to this wine tasting last week at Blackwell's wines on Geary and found some interesting wines I want to share here. The theme of last Saturday wine tasting was "Tuesday night Dinner wines" which covered 10 wines under $15. I started with 2 Spanish NV sparkling wines and really appreciated the 1+1=3 Cava Brut for $13.50. Incredible fruity flavor, like crisp citrus and dry as expected. A nice alternative to Champagnes which would look tasteless after having a sip of this one!

Minervois

No more Rose wine to review for now so let me present this French red wine from Minervois region. The wine itself is not exceptionnal for about $10 at Berkeley Bowl, light taste and young, may be a 13/20 but I can (once again) talk a little bit about its origins. Yes that's where I'm from, this South of France area on Meditreranean coast called Languedoc between Provence and Rousillon. The main two appelations are Corbieres and Minervois; both don't have the reputation of Bordeaux, Cotes du Rhone or Burgundy but can produce wines of great quality. They are not common in US so I always pick a bottle when I find one on the shelves. Corbieres has probably a stronger character and flavors.

Marques de Caceres Rose 2005

This Spanish Rose should satisfy most of us with its dry fruity taste, level of alcohol and price ($5.99 at Trader Joes). Since I drink wines from this winery (Red, White or Rose) I never opened a bad bottle; thanks to their screw caps but also their ability to deliver constant quality over cases and years. Personaly this rose is a little too dense in color and fruit but until I find something better at this price I will keep some bottles in my fridge.

Lo Brujo Rosado

From the same winery as the Red and White wines recently reviewed, from the same discount store on Clement and at the same amazing price of $1.99, here is the Spanish 2004 Rose' from Lo Brujo. Contrary to other members of his family, this wine was totally acceptable and fit well with grilled food. Fresh, fruity but not too much, dry enough but a little high in alcohol, I liked this one; and considering its price it's an excellent deal! Not my favorite yet but definitely better than the previous one; it would be a 13/20 note. More to come...

Monkey Bay Rose'

As the BBQ season has officially started last Sunday, at least in my back yard, I decided to focus my wine tasting on Rose' wines. Once again my goal was not to elect the best Rose on the market (which I already have my idea on the topic and can suggest you, if money is not a constraint, to try any rose from Domaines Ott which are imported in US) but as usual to find the best pick under $10. The first one I tried this year is definitely not the winner: this Monkey Bay is a New Zealand Rose from 2005; it is fruity but not dry enough for me, a little too sweet to pair with a grilled meat. The bargain was found again on Clement & 7th Ave for $2.99. Overall I would give it a 11/20 note. Good enough not to be dumped in the sink but not appropriate for BBQ, probably more comfortable with desserts or as aperitif.

Lo Brujo Macabeo

I got the white and the red version of this wine at the discount market (Clement and 7th ave) for $1.99 each. At this game I couldn't always win and always found the rare jewel at cheap price ;-) These 2 are really poor. I would say that the red can still be drunk, I'd give an average 10/20 but the white definitly goes under the acceptable level and I cannot suggest anyone to buy. Oh well the label was nice though ;-)

Australian Pinot Noir

From the same discount store on Clement @ 7th Ave, I found this 2003 Pinot Noir from Oakridge in Yarra Valley, Australia for $2.99 and I have to say that I was totally satisfied with this wine. It is not comparable to a Burgundy Grand Cru but has all the pleasant qualities and flavors of a good Pinot Noir. Tasting notes on the winery website are correct and describe it well. You'll probably need to add a zero to the price I paid to get the same bottle from the winery! 14/20

Stormhoek in SF

First I have to admit that I'm in saving mode right now and I'm exploring the wines under $5 at the limits between wine and chemical mix. The less the bottle cost the more chances you have to dump it in the sink but it remains a cheap risk and exciting hunt for the acceptable ones. In this quest, I discovered a discount store on Clement st @ 7th Ave (the Bargain Bank) with an interesting choice of wines from Australia, South Africa, California and Europe which I've never seen anywhere else. Most of them under $10 with discount on case price.
The first one I want to talk about is this Stormhoek Sauvignon Blanc 2005 for $3.99, as I just discovered the Pinot Grigio from the same winery recently. I think the cases ended up in this store because of a freshness label which seems wrong but the content is a delight. I bought several other bottles which I will present soon. 15/20

Gruner Velt

Didn't brought this one back from Austria but got it at Trader Joe's. Bringing back bottles in a plane became pretty tricky now since you cannot keep it with you in the cabin (unless you buy it at the airport) and the allowed weight for your suitcases is less than before. I brought 3 bottles back from my last trip which made me so nervous but none broke. Anyway it looks like Austrian wine is getting more and more exported and popular around here. This one is cheap and crisp as I like them. Worth to try. 13/20

Stormhoek and freshness

I had to go in Czech Republic to discover this winery, two of its wines and its very interesting concept of freshness. This was totally new for me and I encourage you to read their guide on Freshness if you are not yet familiar with it. Their unique freshness indicator on each of their bottles gives you the time range when the wine is expected to be at its best...and this range is a pretty short period of time: less than 2 years on the ones I tried. I tried the Pinot Grigio 2005 and a Rose 2004. Both were really good, fresh, fruity and dry at the same time but my favorite was the Rose. I have no idea if these wines are imported in the US but if you have a chance it is something you have to try! I need to thank here my friend Michal for offering me these 2 bottles and making me discovering this concept.

Budget Kir

I have often suggested to save a white wine from the sink by mixing it with some blackcurrant liquor to make a Kir. Of course the quality of both liquids will impact the quality of the end product and you can even replace the white wine with sparkling wine or Champagne to create a Royal Kir. But I'm not here to debate about this fancy beverage but the simple, cheapest and delicious Kir available: I found this Argentinian Chardonnay La Boca 2006 at Trader Joe's for $2.99 the bottle which I mix with the Creme de Cassis from Burgundy part of France bought on Geary Bd at Blackwell's Wines for $16. A bottle of liquor is enough to prepare Kir with probably 10 bottles of white wine dpending how sweet to like the mix. So the result is a very affordable drink for aperitif and very pleasant to drink. In some regions red wine can be used to make Kir and it's called a Cardinal then. Enjoy!

Another Marlborough

After such long break I need to start slow so I will log some pleasant wines I had during these few months. I begin with a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand; just another one, because I like them I have been rarely disapointed with them: Marlborough Sileni 2006 it is.

Sweet new year transition (part 2)

For the main course of the New Year's eve dinner, we had this wonderful Rasteau 2001 du Chateau de la Gardine with Duck breasts with apples and honey. I knew the Chateauneuf-du-Pape from then same winery so I selected this one with confidence. For $18 at Blackwell's wines, it was a perfect match with the food and great pleasure for the palate. Not as popular as the Chateauneuf but from the same area, the Rasteau is an excellent Cote du Rhone for half the price. This appelation is known also for their fortified wines (Vin Doux Naturel).

Sweet new year transition (part 1)

I like the end of the years: it's always the time when you have opportunities to drink good wine or at least better than the everyday wine drunk the rest of the year. Well the down side is that after the holidays we are broke and more likely to try wines around $5 than $10; but let's start the year 2007 with the 2 wines which helped me finish 2006 in joy.
The first one is this Sauternes Hauts Charmes 2003 which was of course selected to pair with a foie gras. For Christmas we had a Montbazillac which we usually find better than cheap Sauternes but this one was perfect for $20 at the new wine store I have started shopping at: Blackwells wines on Geary Bd. They also have half bottles for $11; excellent price for this quality.