by Christine | Wine Friday
I drink cheap wines so you don’t have to. In these strange economic times, you still need a good wine to either serve guests, take to a host, or just enjoy with a loved one, but you don’t want to break the checkbook, shelling out for a $40 bottle of wine that you might not actually like. That’s where I come in. There are some terrific wines out there under $10. I’m searching them out, and reporting back to you. Enjoy! ~~
In California, red wine blends are often called a “Meritage”. This just means that it’s more than one grape varietal in the wine, but it sounds sexy. Meritage. See? Sexy!
I am a huge red wine fan. I love my reds with a passion, and don’t much care who knows. Often, a red blend (labeled anything from “meritage” to “red” to “table wine” is less expensive than their varietal cousins, but not always. Some blends have vintages; others don’t.
Hubby and I spent a week in Rome, Italy during a February with rain, sleet, and wind. We had a marvelous time in the relatively tourist-free city, and in every restaurant we went to, we stuck with the house wine. Invariably this would come to us from a cask, or a big jug (no label), and served in what looked like jelly glasses (no stemware anywhere). I can say without a doubt that we did not have a bad glass of wine in any restaurant we went to. I can also say with certainty that all the wine we’d been served were blended wines. What a discovery!
Thanks to http://barrellsonline.com for the photo.
Today I’m bringing you four red blends that I think you red wine drinkers will like. White wine fans, check back next week for some goodies, okay?
pro.mis.Q.ous <California red table wine> Santa Rosa, California Regularly $16.99; on sale for $9.99 at Vons.
On The Label: “[referring to many partners.] The act of blending multiple, mutually attractive grape varieties in an assortment of unorthodox combinations. Implies a wanton disregard for convention. May result in an intense sensory experience. Practice safe sipping.”
This wine is a Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petite Syrah blend. It’s color is deep red. The taste is big and bold, with a hint of the Zin pepper coming through. Terrific with a traditional steak dinner, or any hearty fare – bbq in the summer to lavish Italian dishes in the winter. (Not, however, a wine that goes well with sweets.)
My Rating: ~ Very Drinkable ~ especially at the sale price! Plus the label is fun, lol.
Red Velvet 2009 Cupcake Vineyards $11.99; on sale for $7.99 at Vons.
On the Label: “Our Red Velvet is made up of grapes from some of the finest vineyards in California. This wine shows a heady nose of chocolate, deep rich blackberries, red fruits, and a creamy mocha finish that is unmistakeable in its intensity and length. Its reminiscent of a blackberry chocolate cupcake with a mocha coulis. Enjoy with a sweet and spicy Hoisin steak, a bbq bacon cheeseburger, or even dark chocolate fondue.”
Hubby and I were divided about this wine. I believe the wine lived up to its label; hubby wasn’t as enthusiastic, but I have to add in his preference for lighter wines. I found it smooth, straight from the bottle (no fussy airing needed). The blackberry, the chocolate, the mocha finish – all were there for me. It’s got a big-mouth feel for a price I’d expect to be three times what I paid for.
My Rating: ~ Very Drinkable ~
The House Wine, 2007 Red Wine The Magnificent Wine Company, Walla Walla, Washington $10.99; on sale for $7.69 at Vons
On the Label: Not too much, actually. But here’s the breakdown for you: 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Syrah, 30% Merlot, 3% Malbec, 2% Zinfandel, 1% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petite Verdot
Upon first, straight-from-the-bottle taste, it’s big, full of tannins. After it mellowed for an hour in a pitcher, it settled nicely into a terrific food wine.
I personally like sipping big, chewy wines where many people won’t do it without food. In this wine, the Cab. Sauv. and the Syrah blend to make it a robust wine, and even though there’s almost the same amount of Merlot in it, the Merlot doesn’t have much of a mellowing influence. Waiting for this wine to settle made me itchy. If you are a timid red wine drinker, this one isn’t for you.
We had this with bratwurst fresh from the butcher, corn on the cob, melted onions, and cucumbers and lime.
My Rating: ~Drinkable~ But for goodness sakes, don’t pay over $10 for it!
Hey Mambo 2008 Bistro Style Wine $8.99; on sale for $6.49 at Vons. Vinted and bottled by The Other Guys, Napa, California Part of the Sebastiani Family of Wines Alcohol 13.5% by volume.
On the Label: A blend of Syrah, Zinfandel, Barbera, Petite Syrah, and Alicante Bouchet grapes.
I loved this wine. I loved this wine so much that I went back to the store the next day and bought two more bottles of it, just to make sure I loved it. My first crack at it came when the family was all in a good mood – home made pizza on the table, hubby telling stories about how he chewed his arm off that day for a movie shoot. The wine had aired in my glass for about 15 minutes, and as the night grew later and the laughter kept coming, the more I appreciated the wine. Big in my mouth, but gentle and luscious, too – with hints of smoke and berries. I deliberately set my notebook aside, and just enjoyed the wine.
There’s a lot to be said for blends – they can give you a more complex and enjoyable time than a varietal can, and yet the quality can vary wildly. This blend is three years old, and my guess is with one more year under its belt, this will be an absolute wow of a wine.
My Rating: ~ Stay away! This is MY wine, you slut! ~
Plus, I’m really digging on the Sebastiani family – now they’ve got two labels under their umbrella (Hey Mambo plus Smoking Loon) that I’m totally gaga over. Thanks, folks!
Remember, this is my wine experience, with my moods, phases of the moon, taste buds, and all that jazz. Your tastes will undoubtedly vary. Cheers, and remember to drink responsibly!
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Have you read DEMON SOUL yet? You can find it at Crescent Moon Press or Amazon.com. Happy Reading!
by Christine | Wine Friday
NOTE: Please assume the accent over the “e” on the word Rose. (Pronounced rosAY.)
Rose wines and summer just seem to go together. So while I was in my local grocery store, I looked for Roses. I found two – and they were both in the sparkling wine category. (Quite good and I’ll get to one of those in a minute.) For straight, still wine called Rose, I found exactly – one. One. ONE. Are the wine buyers crazy?
Whatever happened to Rose? I remember in the late 1970’s, Mateus used to put out a decent Rose, in a nifty bottle, too. Almaden also put out a Rose. Then, somehow, when I wasn’t looking, in the early 1980’s white Zinfandel hit the scene and took over. The new category of “blush wine” appeared, forever altering the state of Rose in America.
Let’s get something clear. White Zinfandel, or any other “blush” wine, tends to be sweet and lower in alcohol (and often, cheap). Because of this, many casual wine drinkers think that all pink wines taste the same. Not so, grasshopper! I mean, yes, any wine with the word “white” before the varietal is most likely sweet. And while that isn’t necessarily bad, it’s most definitely not a Rose.
I shall now quote from the EVERYTHING GUIDE TO WINE book by Peter Alig: “Even though a rose has acidity and tannins acquired from the grape skins, its fruit flavor disappears quickly, which is why you should always buy the most recent vintage available. Like a white wine, a rose should be served well-chilled.”
Okay, now that I’ve gotten that short rant out of the way, on to the wines! I’ve got one sparkler and two still Roses for you today.
Chandon Sparkling Rose Alcohol 13% by volume. Regularly $19.99 a bottle, on sale for $12.99 (I know – but for sparkling wines, I’m upping my limit to $15.!)
On The Label: “Methode Traditionnelle. At Chandon, we are true California sparkling wine pioneers. Founded in 1973 by Moet & Chandon, we draw on our French heritage and the innovative spirit of California to create sophisticated and vibrant sparkline wines that enliven all occasions. Taste profile: Strawberries, spice, creamy finish. Pairs with: Salmon, paella, fruit desserts.”
The color is flawless, a pretty deep pink with the bubbles absolutely making my glass shimmer. If I were throwing a wedding, THIS is the champagne I’d use – it’s pretty, it’s relatively inexpensive, and it tastes good. Not sweet, but not too dry – plus it is an American sparkler, which means it doesn’t have the French yeasty taste (which you either love or hate).
I think the winery shortchanged themselves. This sparkling Rose would go fantastic with Asian foods of all kinds, cut through spices, brighten up a roasted chicken or a pork chop. I must say it went very well with my 4th of July fireworks. Fresh and fabulous, it’s a celebratory wine to share with girlfriends – or the perfect wine for Valentine’s dinner at home.
My Rating: ~ Stay away! This is MY wine, you slut! ~
Nine Vines Rose, Vintage 2008 Angove Family Winemakers, South Australia Grenache 70%; Shiraz 30% Rose Regularly $8.99, on sale at Von’s for $4.99 (Score!) Alcohol 12.5% by volume
On the Label: “Argove’s Nine Vines Rose is a blend of Grenache and Shiraz, picked early to capture the vibrant natural fruit flavours and freshness of each variety. Zesty fruit flavours of red currant and raspberry from the Grenache combine with spicy cherry of the Shiraz to give a refreshing drinking experience. Enjoy this wine with spicy warm chicken salad or your favourite curry. The red wine drinker’s white wine.”
Hmmm. This was a solid wine. Not sweet at all, which made it taste better in my book. It had an easy sipping to it, with not much fruitiness which makes me think it was the 2008 vintage (maybe a 2010 would have been fruitier? dunno…). It went well with a spicy Mexican casserole, and would also have made a good sipping wine.
Was it my favorite by far? No. Was it a stand-up Rose? Absolutely, especially for the price. I had a Rose by Zaca Mesa that probably sat around too long – as it was about the same in flavor, but cost four times as much. (That was back when I was still a part of their wine club. I miss that wine club!)
My Rating: ~Drinkable~ And at $5 a bottle, I might have to load up on some for the summer.
Beringer California Collection White Merlot 2010 Regular price, $6.49 on sale for $4.43 at Vons. Alcohol 12.5% by volume (Hmmm…same as the Nine Vines…)
On the Label: “This carefully crafted wine has enticing flavors of ripe red berries. It is soft, smooth, friendly and delicious. If you enjoy our White Merlot, make sure to try our Pinot Grigio. Serve chilled.”
Okay. First off, I thought I’d plucked an infamous white Zin off the shelves at the store. When I pulled this out of my fridge, I was properly shocked that yet another terrific grape had been “blushed” for the masses. Oh well. The white Zin will have to wait.
The wine color is pretty – pink and sassy, and the red berry fruit is definitely there. But swirl the glass, and you’ll see the sweetness in how slowly the glass sheds the wine. It is sweet. It is almost Kool Aid sweet, but not quite. I’m drinking it right now because there’s nothing else open, I just had a job interview, and it’s after 10:30 on a hot summer night. Plus I don’t want to pour it down the sink, and hubby’s been doing his part in consuming it. (He likes sweeter wines than I do.)
For me, even after dinner, this is too sweet. Diluted strawberry cough syrup comes to mind. For me, even under $7 at regular pricing, this wine is too expensive since I really just want to pour it out.
My Rating: ~Barely Drinkable~ (Hubby says ~Drinkable~) It just totally depends.
Remember, I’m rating based on my taste buds, mood, the moon’s phase and all that other stuff. Your tastes will undoubtedly vary.
Do you have a favorite Rose? If so, where in heck did you get it? Please share!
Oh, a side note: OceanFresh, the place that sold salmon sausages last week, did so well in selling them that they’ve put them on the regular list!!! Woo! More salmon sausages…I’d better get some this weekend while they’re still at the $5.99 introductory price.
Happy weekend, and cheers!
by Christine | Uncategorized
Today I’m over at the Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal Chapter of RWA, talking about too many stories.
You can find that posting here… and I’ll see you all back here on Friday, where I talk about pink wines!
by Christine | Mashup of Awesomeness
In the spirit of Holiday, and Freedoms, and all around extreme coolness, I’m passing on some blogs – or books – that I’ve found to be amazing, wonderful, interesting, or just very, very cool.
First up is Ais Portraits and her terrific post about food styling. This young woman is a terrific photographer, and I’ve just today found her. Trust me when I say I’ll be following her development!
Ais’s mom is Lorna Tedder, and her blog is The Spiritual Eclectic. An all around great place to hang. Lorna is good peeps and seeing her change and grow has been an amazing journey this past few years – plus I learn a lot!
I have to give a shout out to my very dear friend, Lynne Marshall. Her single title, ONE FOR THE ROAD, is out now from Wild Rose Press and it’s definitely a book full of heart. Lynne is a writer who knows how to dig into your emotions and keep you hooked, right from the beginning. You can find her book here.
For knowledge and fun, give Catie Rhodes a try. She’s a writer who blogs about – well, a lot. Today, she’s blogging about high treason, and how everyone who signed the Declaration of Independence could have been drawn and quartered (and I don’t mean have a portrait made and given a place to sleep), plus a lot worse. She gives good history – it’s another place where I always learn something.
For writers looking for mentors, check out Kristen Lamb’s blog. She’s the #1 social media guru for writers, in my opinion. Plus, she’s downright funny and fun to hang with. She teaches online classes, too – so if you can grab one of those, do!
Another terrific writing mentor is Bob Mayer. I’ve taken his Warrior Writer class twice now, both times in person, and done all the exercises in his book at least twice. He’s dedicated, funny, and prolific. He’s got his finger on the indie press pulse, and I’ve learned a lot from him. Because of an idea he gave me in one of his workshops, I sold my first book. So I’m also forever indebted to him!
And last but not least, for this week anyway, is a wine blog by Joe Roberts called 1 Wine Dude. He’s a “certified” wine specialist, but he’s straight forward, funny, and not at all pretentious. I’m actually gonna find him on Twitter and follow, as he does reviews there. He tastes tons of wines of all price ranges and is witty about his reviews but not obscure.
So there you have it, some of my favorite online places to hang. Coming soon is a blog on pink wines – why, oh why couldn’t they have just kept calling them Rose? (Pretend there’s an accent on the “e” for me, okay?!)
In the meantime, have a safe and happy Fourth of July. Love from my house to yours!
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Have you read DEMON SOUL yet? You can find it at Crescent Moon Pressor Amazon.com. Happy Reading!
by Christine | Cooking, Wine Friday
Yes, you read that right. Salmon sausages. I’m lucky enough to live in a small town that has a butcher and a fish monger. In the same building.
So when their email came out yesterday, and I saw they had salmon sausages for $5+ a pound, I gave a head’s up to the hubby. We’d both been kinda hankering for sausages – especially on the July 4th weekend – so the salmon seemed like a great compromise. Light in calories (comparatively speaking) and healthy to boot.
When hubby went in to pick some up, he was told they’d been flying out of the stores, to OceanFresh’s gratification. It seems we weren’t the only ones who thought the idea a wonderful one.
The sausages were delicious – like eating salmon filet without the worry of how to cook it. (I barbecued – oh SO yummy!) A roasted mix of veggies added just enough substance to the meal without making it heavy.
But what about the wine? After all, it IS wine Friday!
Cline Viognier North Coast 2010 Sonoma, California $14.99 a bottle but on special for $9.99 at Vons. Alcohol 14% by volume.
On the Label: “Family owned and operated since 1982. Viognier is most famous for producing the rich and exotically perfumed white wines of the northern Rhone’s Condrieu and Chateau-Grillet appellations. A variety characterized by low yields and small planted acreage, Viognier is one of the world’s most rare and treasured wines.
Cline’s Viognier is loaded with pineapple, peach and apricot flavors accented by floral and citrus notes. Perfect as an aperitif with Gruyere or Camembert, this wine also pairs exceptionally well with curried shrimp or Asian fusion cuisine. Serve lightly chilled.”
This was almost the perfect summer wine. Fragrant, with just a hint of sweetness, it paired with the salmon sausages and roasted veggies beautifully. It’s a terrific sipping wine, too and does go well with cheese (I had to taste test, you know!).
The meal itself would have been fun to serve at a dinner party, the sausages so delightfully different and the wine an awesome pick. A blood orange sorbet was the perfect ending to the meal.
My rating: ~Stay Away! This is my wine, you slut!~
Grab a few bottles for summer, take it to share with friends – you’ll be set! Remember – your taste buds may vary. Over the July 4th weekend, and always, please Drink Responsibly!
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Have you read DEMON SOUL yet? You can find it at Crescent Moon Press or Amazon.com. Happy Reading!
