Bargain Red Wines

September 17, 2012

I've been known to throw back a glass (bottle) or two of wine on occasion.  I have my everyday favorites which usually are at a lesser price point then bottles for special occasions.  Like alot of people, I've tasted wine from the inexpensive to the VERY expensive.  I am not a connoisseur of wine and I haven't been formally trained or schooled, but I know what I like.  As far as reds go, I generally like a light to middle bodied wine which can be found in almost all regions.  There are of course many, many delicious wines but as a rule of thumb, once you start going over a 14%-ish alcohol level, you'll be falling down after a couple of glasses.  Sadly, I speak from experience...

I gave 2 different bottles a try recently which were smooth and yummy and were from Whole Foods so you should be able to find them fairly easily.  They were great buys for the money!!  I hope you get a chance to give them a try.

Details below:



Altos Las Hormigas
Malbec-Clasico Mendoza
Argentina 2011
14.2% alcohol
www.lashormigas.com
$10.99 (at Whole Foods)


M.Chapoutier's Belleruche
Cotes-Du-Rhone
France 2010
14% alcohol
$13.99 (at Whole Foods)


Cheers!

WINE NOT TO BE MISSED!

July 24, 2009

This one is for all the wine lovers out there and this blog post is much shorter than my norm so give it a quick read before your busy weekend gets started...

I was at The Wine Cellar in Red Bank last week and I mentioned to Mark that I have been more into medium-bodied wines during the summer such as Bordeaux and Pinot. Among the case of discounted wine that I bought, Mark suggested that I try the $22- 2003 Clarendelle from Clarence Dillon Wines (a Bordeaux). I don't rate wines like Wine Library, Wine Enthusiast, etc. because I am not an expert, but I LOVED IT! The breakdown is 67% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Cabernet Franc, very drinkable, not overly priced, smooth and silky, rich, and medium bodied- not too heavy like the cabernets might be for the summer.

Tasting tips from Clarence Dillon Wines: Clarendelle red 2003 reveals a deep purple colour with a nose of black currants, berries, liquorice with a hint of spice, vanilla, roasted coffee and black chocolate. The well balanced body is followed by a deep mid palate and supple tannins that lead to a textured and fleshy long finish.

For this lowish price point, if you can find it on-line or at a store near you, buy a couple of bottles- I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Cheers!
Foodie

Celebrate National Drink Wine Day!

February 18, 2009

Though I love wine, I am not nearly the expert nor the researcher or collector that my "cousins' husband" is - I affectionately referred to him as this once before and have not been able to live it down! I have shared many a good bottle of wine with him and he definitely goes to the "expensive" shelves when we are over so it is with pleasure that I introduce "Cabhunter" as a guest blogger for our "Celebrate National Drink Wine Day" posting. I have asked him to include easier to find wines in various price ranges for this occasion and I couldn't agree more with his selections as I have had just about all of them! I know you will enjoy them too so pick a bottle up on your way home and have a toast with us! Cheers- Foodie

Cabhunter:
When Foodie asked me to post a blog about wines for National Drink Wine Day, I said "sure, that sounds like a good idea, and something I would really enjoy". As the big day drew closer I started to wonder what I was going to write about with a whole world of wines to choose from. I finally decided to start by writing about the wines I really enjoy and that I think many of you will, and by providing choices of price points from $10 to $45.

White Wine (I tend to spend less on white wines and view them as appetizers to my red wine entrees!)

When I first got into wine drinking and collecting in 2000, the focus was California which was in the midst of two excellent Chardonnay vintages- 1996 and 1997. Everything we enjoyed back then was in the classic opulent Cali style. Over the years, our tastes gradually began to change, and we found ourselves enjoying the more restrained Chardonnays of White Burgundy. Our house white for the past several years comes from the Macon region, laying outside of the Chardonnay epicenters of Mersault and Puligny Montrachet and thus retailing at a MUCH lower price.

Subtle notes of green apple, nuts, oats, honey and lemon are the hallmarks of these dry, minerally wines. At a price point of $12-$15, these wines can't be beat for everyday drinking. 2004, 2005, and 2006 are all very good vintages in the region, and 2007 looks promising. Most of what you see on the shelves will be 2006 and 2007, and these wines should be enjoyed now.

Recommended-

Domaine Michel Barraud Macon Village 2006 - $12
If you are looking for a California Chardonnay in a similar style, try the Wyatt Chardonnay for $12. And if you can't pull yourself away from that full bodied Cali style, the 2007 Bogle should do the trick at $10.

Red Wine (my real wine obsession)

Similar story for my introduction to red wine as that of white wine - a string of excellent Cabernet vintages in Cali including 1996, 1997, and 1999 (but not 1998). Unfortunately prices for Cali Cabs have skyrocketed over the past 9 years, so value is hard to come by today. For that reason, as well as an expanding interest in the different varieties of red wine, I began to explore.

One of the best sources of red wine value in the world is the Southern Rhone valley in France. Made from primarily Grenache and Syrah (with some other varietals included as well), the Southern Rhone produces rich, structured, earthy wines with nice fruit and complexity. With a string of excellent vintages dating from 2007 back to 1998 (except 2002), you will easily find an abundance of selections from Chateauneuf du Pape, the flagship (and pricier) part of the region, right down to the delicious and affordable wines of Cotes du Rhone.

Recommended-

Jean-Louis Chave Selection Cotes du Rhone Mon Coeur 2006 - $23

If you feel like "going back to Cali", we can provide some excellent, widely available (and relatively reasonably priced) red wine choices from the Golden State as well:

2006 Ridge - Three Valleys, Geyserville, or Lytton Springs- Longtime top Cali producer of Zinfandel (usually blended with some Petite Syrah) ranging from $22 to $35.

2005 Buehler Cabernet Napa Valley - $27

2005 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Napa Valley - Long time Napa pioneer produces an EXCELLENT bottle of Napa Cabernet that can be found for $40 to $45, and which will really improve with a few years of cellar time.

Anything from T-Vine Cellars - a small (500 to 700 case production of each varietal) California producer and personal favorite, features Syrah, Petite Syrah, two Zinfandels, Grenache and a Merlot between $30 and $36, and a Cabernet based wine for $45. All of the wines are dark, full bodied and extremely tasty. If you want to keep the price in the low $30 range, try the Syrah and the Zinfandel. These wines are hard to find in the store but available on the website at www.tvinecellars.com

Last but not least, Wyatt also makes and enjoyable bottle of California Cabernet that retails for $12.

Hope you enjoy National Drink Wine Day and these selections!

For now,
Cabhunter

Diet Girl Survived Week 1!

January 13, 2009

Realization of the week:
If the quantity of food that I am eating now is really what they refer to as "portion control" then I must have been eating enough for a 400 pound man and it is no wonder that I didn't weigh that much.

Week 1 Highlights:

• Afternoon of Day 4 we had plans with my cousin and her family and Diet Girl went on a WINE BENDER (considering no wine allowed on her diet)!! My cousin and her husband love wine and always share some good bottles.

As a group, this is what we sampled:

2005 George Duboeuf Macon Village (an inexpensive staple that we drink year round)

2007 Thumbprint Cellars Dry Creek Valley Rose (purchased by Foodie from Wines Til' Sold Out)

2005 Harrington Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast (a big, big Pinot)

2002 St. Clement Oroppas

• Morning of Day 7, Diet Girl was minus 4 pounds for the week!! I accept this, especially sans exercise but I was secretly hoping for more. I must start exercising this week!
  

Dieting Bummers:

As I walked the aisles of Whole Foods on Day 2 to stock up on my fruits and vegetables, I had to bypass my favorite sections: the wine and cheese departments. But wait, then I remembered that I could occasionally have non-fat cheese. Hmmm...does anyone actually eat non-fat cheese? Aren't there some things that are not meant to be fat free? There were very few to choose from and after I saw the "off" color of the cheddar, I bought a wedge of swiss (at least it was the right color). I have not been brave enough to try it yet, but will let you know how it goes. One other thought- portion-wise, is it possible to eat only 10 peanuts (without salt)?

In the afternoon of Day 3, I took one of my daughters to what I call a 3-alarm birthday party at Chuck-E-Cheese. (3 alarm meaning 3 birthday parties all happening at the same time with about 100 kids combined). I missed my afternoon snack and the smell of pizza and chicken wings wafted through the air. It took all of the will power that I had not to have a little nibble (I didn't) and then even more restraint not to have a glass of wine when I returned home from the party- afterall, it was Happy Hour time and conveniently Friday.

Morning of Day 5: The headache I had after the wine bender was worse then any I can remember- at least in the short-term. It seems besides the calories, the main reason not to drink on a diet such as this one is because you don't have enough food in your stomach to handle the alcohol. Am I becoming a lightweight? Unlikely. The wine was still worth it despite the headache.

In summary, Days 2-7 were not nearly as bad as Day 1. The food, though not gourmet has been a little better than I originally anticipated. Yes, the breakfast foods are on the dry side, the pasta dishes (tortellini, fettucine, etc.) are a little overcooked and soggy for my liking, but the thin crust and flatbread pizzas for dinner make all in the world good again (no joke) and give me the strength to continue!

A little skinnier...Diet Girl signing off until next week...

Wines Til Sold Out

January 3, 2009

Being a new blogger, and a self-proclaimed foodie and wine lover, I spend as much of my free time as possible reading websites, blogs, magazines and books on these subjects in hope of finding notable recipes, wines and restaurants that I can share with all of you.

As I was web-surfing, I came across something that I couldn’t wait to share: www.WinesTilSoldOut.com It is an on-line DISCOUNT wine store that announces 1 wine per day (all variations and prices) that will be on sale until 11:59 pm the same day. The available quantity of each wine varies and if a wine runs out they post a new one with a maximum of three within one day. The best part is that they are at a 30-70% discount and sometimes have free shipping. You can either check the site from time to time or you can sign up to automatically receive an e-mail alert each day telling you what the wine for that day is. See their site for all the additional details.

I don't know about you, but I am excited!!! Personally, I am afraid that I will become a "Wines Til Sold Out" addict, though I have been able to show a little restraint so far.

Hope your glass is always half full!
Foodie

(I do want to give credit where credit is due… Wines Til Sold Out was featured on the website www.winedanddined.com According to their site, they originally came across it as an advertisement in NY Magazine.)

Wine for the Holidays

December 19, 2008

ADVICE FOR THE HOST

How much wine will you need? ( Food & Wine, December 2007)

A Cocktail party:
2 hours @3 glasses per person X 20 people = approximately 12 bottles

A Dinner party:
4 hours @ 5 glasses per person X 8 people = approximately 8 bottles

(generally there are about 4.5 to 5 glasses per bottle so you can calculate for your own party)

WHAT TO BUY…

Whether your gathering in the coming weeks is for Christmas, Hanukkah or another celebration, Foodie Favorites and The Wine Cellar can help you with your wine picks for this festive season.

Mark and I walked the racks and here are some of his suggestions:

A little bubbly to get the party started…Sparkling Wine or Champagne is a must at this time of year!

Two very reasonably priced sparkling wines that are great as a greeting for your guests, an aperitif or a first course pairing… From Savoie, France, Varichon & Clerk for only $12.99 or Anime, a pink prosecco from Italy for $16.99.

If you are looking for a white wine that is good with fish, salmon, turkey and a nice alternative to an oaky chardonnay, try a 2007 Graham Beck Viognier from South Africa for just $14.99.

Mark picked two red wines that will go well with a range of foods (in particular, think roast beef , lamb and other savory holiday entrees). Chateau Reynier, a great Bordeaux for only $18.99 and Fonthill, a 2002 Shiraz, selling here for a mere $19.99, are sure to be enjoyed by your guests.

Lastly, to cap off the day if you are so inclined, a dessert wine from Spain… Casa de la Eramita for $17.99. It will go well with chocolate, nuts and other treats as you are winding down your celebration.

PROPER SERVING TEMPERATURE (Food & Wine, December 2007)

Serve white wine at 55 degrees. It will reach the proper temperature if kept in the refrigerator for about 1.5 hours, in a freezer for 40 minutes or in an ice bucket with ice and water for about 20 minutes. If the wine has been in the refrigerator for an extended time, you may want to keep it at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving.

Though many people drink red wine at room temperature, it should really be served at about 65 degrees. You can achieve that by keeping it in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes. Do not overchill though!

Cheers!
Foodie

The Wine Cellar
www.thewinecellarredbank.com
23 Monmouth Street
Red Bank, NJ 07701
732.219.9935

Food and Wine
www.foodandwine.com

Last Minute Holiday Gift Ideas for the Food and Wine Lover

December 15, 2008

Two of my favorite catalogs for food, wine and gadgets that you can still order on-line or by phone for Christmas delivery are: Sur La Table ( www.surlatable.com ) and Napa Style ( www.napastyle.com ). These are the types of catalogs that I flip through as soon as they arrive and fold over every other page because my intention is always to go back and order everything. Take a look- if not for the upcoming December holidays, at some later date for yourself or as a gift for other occasions.

Wine is always a nice hostess gift OR a nice holiday gift depending on the recipient. You can order from large and very reputable retailers such as Sherry-Lehmann ( http://www.sherry-lehmann.com/) or visit their flagship store in NYC but visiting a local wine shop is also a great option. One of my favorite locals is The Wine Cellar located on 23 Monmouth St, Red Bank, NJ 07701, (732) 219-9935. Website is http://www.thewinecellarredbank.com/. Mark, Dennis, Monica and the whole team are super knowledgeable about wine, they are great teachers and are very helpful with food pairings and gift choices. Their selection consists of a wide variety of price ranges from about $10 all the way up into the $100's. If you are buying multiple bottles, they also offer discounts on 6 and 12 bottle purchases. Lastly, don't miss the weekend tastings (Friday 4-8pm and Saturday 12-4pm)!

Cheers!

Foodie