Let’s Talk About Wine!
I was scrolling through the site and noticed that I really haven’t written much on specific wines. For this one I need reader participation. I’m dividing this into three categories using price as a measure.
- Under $10 Whites-Cavit Pinot Grigio, Chateau Bonnet Reds-Chateau Cadillac, something Australian
- $10-20 Whites-Martin Codax Albarrino, San Angelo Pinot Grigio Reds-Anything Coppola,
- over $20 I’m drawing a big blank, mostly because I rarely go here. Help me!
What I need from you are some suggestions for people like Darel who buy whatever has the coolest label or lowest price tag. I’ve led off with a couple house pours. I have to apologize to Chieftain, since many of my favorites were discovered in the Owl’s Nest. I’ll update and make it look nicer once I get a couple responses.
June 13th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
The San Francisco Chronicle has a great best buy list. I can’t seem to find it right now. Anyway, their site is good.
One recent $20 bottle that stands out is the Pirramimma Petit Verdot from McClaren Vale Australia. DEEEEEElicious.
June 13th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Oh my god, in the $10 - $20 there are SO many interesting and fun things. I would ditch the coppola, but that’s just me. Spain is the current hot place for economical reds. Also, wines from Languedoc-Rousillon are very affordable and you get to taste that lovely, rustic tarwhaaaa.
June 13th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
For under $10 there also many good choices. A couple things that come to mind are the DeBortoli Sparkling Brut from Australia. It’s steal. Covey Run makes some good Rieslings and Gewurtzes for cheap and the fruit is really well represented. I think you can probably still find the Huber Gruener Veltliner for under $10. That’s a great bottle. Also, the Ken Forrester Petit Chenin from South Africa is incredible.
June 14th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
Well Josh is bang on again re the Petit Verdot, even the spelling. That’s the one that Barry and I were treated to by a client in Calgary and it is excellent. Spec’s here does only one Petit Verdot for about $8 that is pretty good but not in the same class.
June 14th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
You know I think $15-20 is the best range and I just like to browse around rather than go with names. I also like to try diferent countries. South African Sauvignon Blanc has my attention right now.
June 16th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
@Chieftain - I don’t think that I have ever had a Sauv from South Africa. I bet they are yummy. I wonder if it’s in the Bordeaux style (my personal favorite Sauvs), or is it more weedy like a Kiwi Sauv?
June 16th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Here’s another $20 option: the Livio Felluga Pinot Grigio. I think that this is a better bottle than the Santa Margherita, and it’s a little cheaper. It used to be a LOT cheaper, but I think they realized that dumbass Americans will pay outrageous prices for Pinot Grigio, so they can say they don’t like Chardonnay. Anyway, it’s got a great mid-bodied mouth feel with super fruit and acidity. It avoids the very common problem of being too thin and strung out, from which almost all Pinot Grigios you find suffer (Eco , Bella Sera, etc., etc.).
June 16th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Oh, I forgot about Hahn! This would be in the $10-$20 range, except for their Viognier and Pinot Noir. Darn, they make some good juice. They make a Syrah, Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Meritage, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chard, Viognier, and a rosé. I have only tried the Merlot, Syrah, and Cab Franc, and they have all been great. Very dependable, especially for the price. I want to try the others.
June 19th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
The South African are more like the French with a touch of Chilean and I’m with JP - NZ is over-rated.
But what the hell, Sauv rocks.