CHAPTER 12: WINE BUYING FOR YOUR PARTY

Greetings and salutations!  If you are reading this then you, like your friendly Wine Bargain Sleuth, have made it through yet another exciting year. The Thanksgiving and December Holidays are behind you and hopefully you have managed to survive the series of holiday events without being forced to drink Bad Wine, even there’s not much we can do about the forced conversations with those annoying people we successfully avoided otherwise all year.

Of course, the dreaded Bad Wine situation would never raise its ugly head if you hosted an event, because as a faithful reader you are committed to the mantra that Life Is Too Short To Drink Bad Wine!  And of course you know how to stretch your hard-earned cash to deliver a lot of bang for your wine bucks for the pleasure of your business associates, friends, families and (ahem!) yourselves.  However, the best of us can use an occasional refresher tip now and again, so here are a few steps that you may want to consider before purchasing beverages for that next soiree.

When we have recommended either our value wines or our splurge wines in the prior Chapters of The Wine Bargain Sleuth, the prices cited are on a single bottle price.   As most of you know, it’s common to receive a 5 to 10 percent discount when you purchase a half case (typically 6 bottles) or a full case (typically 12 bottles).  When you buy wine for an event, that’s when the real bargain sleuthing begins!  The question is what careful shopping can do for your party budget.

For those who live in most states, in addition to the classic liquor retailers and discount warehouses such as Sam’s Club and Costco you have the option to shop the internet for sellers such as wine.com.  Direct purchases from the winemakers and purveyors are generally available as well, local law permitting.   In a nutshell, there is no shortage of options if you are willing to put a little time into the purchase process.

To properly budget for the wine to be served at your event, I suggest the following assumptions:  (i) One quality red wine and one quality white wine will be served (you can expand the list, but this complicates the equation and if the first 2 wines are really good, most guests won’t care there are only 2 options); (ii) 6-8 glasses of wine per bottle, depending upon the generosity of the pour; (iii) renting wine glasses isn’t nearly as expensive as having butterfingered guests break 3-4 of your best crystal stems, so spend the money to rent as insurance for your stemware; and (iv) accordingly, the amount of wine you should purchase becomes the simple equation of 2 or 3 glasses per guest multiplied by the number of guests, divided by the 6-8 pours per bottle (or maybe add a fudge factor of 10-20% more to address those “late night” party guests—and you know who you are!).

Now that you know how much wine to buy, it becomes a simple question of what kind of deals can you make based upon your needs.  Don’t be afraid to be flexible and ask questions  before you plunk down the Mastercard.  You don’t always have to serve a specific wine.  Although most will default to a Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon with a white and red pairing, there’s nothing wrong with a bold wine sleuth like you mixing in a Sauvignon or Fume Blanc, a Merlot, a Pinot Grigio or a Pinot Noir, so don’t decide before you gather information on available deals.

Ask your local merchants or online retailers (or even better yet, the representative at the vineyard) if they have any specials or quantity discounts on a good white and a good red for a party of X number of guests.  You will not only likely learn something and expand your wine horizons, but you might save some serious scratch in the process. And possibly, just possibly, you might stumble onto an undervalued gem of a wine that has been gracing a retailer’s store or warehouse for far too many months and that he is just as excited to get rid of as you are to score the great buy.   Look for values in older vintages, particularly in red wines, which tend to be tight and tannic at a young age but soften and become more approachable and more complex with a little aging, but the same can be true for quality white wines from a good vintage. What is bad for a wine purveyor in terms of time on the shelf can be great news for your party guests due to the seller’s motivation. Quantity discounts can make some really nice wines available for the equivalent prices of mediocre juice with a little homework.

In a nutshell, your quest is to pay a value price for a wine that drinks for 2 or 3 times the price you paid to serve your happy party guests!   I am confident that using the simple tips above will help you achieve your goal.  And, don’t be hesitant to go back to the guidelines we published in the Chapter 10 November installment for additional decision-making tips for your final selections.

Now, without further ado, here are this month’s recommendations:

Value Wine No. 1:   Amazing Value from the South of France

Although we have extolled the virtues of classic French wines in other Chapters, we have yet to focus upon wines from the Cotes du Rhone appellation of southern France.   That trend will end with this month’s Value Wine No. 1, a terrific Grenache and Syrah blend:   the 2009 Cotes du Rhone Village Cuvee Centenaire, Domaine La Grand Ribe. This classic Rhone blend can be had for about $17, and it has received universal acclaim from the likes of many reviewers including Josh Farrell of Wine Express and Robert Parker.  The latter critic gushed the following praise:  “The blockbuster 2009 Cotes-du-Rhone-Village Centenaire tastes more like a Chateauneuf du Pape…the wine possesses great intensity, a terrific texture, full-bodies power and wonderful purity…this sensational effort is filled with red and black fruit, roasted herb, barbecue smoke, meat juice and bouquet garni characteristics….”    Mr. Parker bestowed a salty 91-93 rating on the 2009 Cuvee Centenaire, comparing it to a classic Rhone which costs 3-4 times more.  If you haven’t treated yourself to a French Grenache and Syrah blend, this is an excellent opportunity.  I am thinking this would pair beautifully with a roast lamb or pork.  Get it while you can at this price!

Value Wine No. 2:  The Mind-Changing Sauvignon Blanc

Sometimes you come across a great wine by pure serendipity rather than research.  That is clearly the case with this month’s Value Wine No. 2:   The 2011 Fume Blanc Rutherford from JRE Wines.  I was fortunate to meet John Eppler, the proprietor and winemaker of JRE Wines at a recent tasting of a large number of Howell Mountain wine producers.   I found that John is an engaging fellow Texan who developed a passion for winemaking a couple of decades ago and has been pursuing the “Great American Dream” since then.  Although I was very impressed with both the full-bodied Howell Mountain and Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignons produced by John, which were without question world class, I was totally intrigued by his 2012 Fume Blanc Rutherford, made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc grapes from the Rutherford Appellation of Napa Valley.  In the same way that many of us have tried unsatisfactory Chardonnay that was overly buttery or just plain bitter on the aftertaste, many wine drinkers have a baseline opinion of Sauvignon Blanc (Fume Blanc is an alternative name, as John Eppler has chosen) that isn’t always flattering.   Well, if you haven’t tried the JRE Wines Fume Blanc, you are missing out on something special.  Although it has a great nose of citrus and particularly grapefruit, the wine is deftly balanced, medium bodied and has lingering finish reminding one of a white Bordeaux with a touch of Semillon.  This wine, which retails for a little over $20, was awarded 90 points and a Gold Medal in the recent Chicago Wine Competition for good reason.   John’s wines are produced in small quantities, but can be found at some Southwestern retailers such as Spec’s—or better yet, reach out to John at his website:  www.jrewines.com.

Worth a Splurge Wine of the Month: Classic Oregon Pinot Noir

Your friendly Wine Bargain Sleuth can be a slow learner and not a little bit hardheaded about his love for the Big Reds, but I’m pretty sure he asked Santa for a trip to the Willamette Valley, Oregon wine country.   Recently not one but two couples who are dear friends returned from separate Oregon fall pilgrimages, with both couples extolling the wine and the beautiful scenery of this rich wine growing region just south and west of Portland.  No less of an authority than Wine Spectator magazine just devoted a major spread on the region, confirming the growing opinion that Oregon is the New World’s version of Burgundy, France, long the recognized Pinot Noir world leader.   Although I briefly mentioned a couple of quality Oregon wines in November’s Chapter, this month’s Worth a Splurge Wine is the 2009 WillaKenzie Estate Jory Hills Vineyard Pinot Noir.  A couple of deep tastes of the 2009 WillaKenzie will quickly tell you what all the fuss about the Oregon Pinots is all about:  Cherry and cola flavors on the mid-pallet with a bit of smoky minerality on the finish, it is a lovely and complex wine that will pair with anything from a local Columbia River salmon to roast chicken or pork.   Priced around $48, the 2009 Jory Hills Pinot Noir so impressed Robert Parker and Co. that its Wine Advocate rating was a very strong 91.  Go ahead and splurge.   You’ll be glad you did!

Thought for the Day:  Here’s to 2013!

            Let’s face it:   we live in an increasingly complex and demanding world.   Our vacations are measured in days, not weeks; our recreation times are measured in hours, not days; our phones are smarter than their operators are; shoot, even our cars rat us out via satellite and black box recorders these days.   During your transition to the new year, try taking a moment to reflect on a few accomplishments you are proud of for 2012 and a goal or two you’d like to reach in 2013.  Hopefully one of those accomplishments for 2012 is that you learned some good wine information and cracked a smile or two with The Wine Bargain Sleuth.   I thank you for making my monthly ramblings so such fun and for your encouragement to continue the same!

Until next month– Cheers!

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