Greetings and salutations!  In the Great Southwest, we have enjoyed a relatively cool and lovely spring while anticipating the Big Heat heading this direction. Grills are fired up and smoking, back patios are cheerfully utilized by family and friends, ragtops are dropped, dogs are racking up extra walks and lighter reds and summer whites are becoming the wines of choice after the Big Reds of winter are being cellared for the duration of the Hot Months.  As partial as I am to Cabernet Savs and Bordeaux blends, as the winter yields to spring I find myself frequently reaching for medium-bodied reds such as Pinots, Sangioveses and Tempranillos and refreshing whites like Pinot Grigios and Sauvignon Blancs.

 

Peeling Back the Curtain:  One of the most enjoyable parts of taking on the commitment of writing The Wine Bargain Sleuth is the many conversations I have had with friends and wine experts about their favorite wines, varietals and ideas.  The suggestions received have definitely forced your humble Wine Bargain Sleuth to pry himself out of his comfort zone of drinking California Cabernet Sauvignons and Sauvignon Blancs to discover the remarkable wines from around the world.  Instead of automatically defaulting to a Cab Sav with a grilled steak, I now often consider a lusty Argentine Malbec or even a refined Italian Brunello di Montalcino instead.   Similarly, instead of pairing a Napa Chardonnay with a chicken pasta dish, I now often reach for a New Zealand crisp Sauvignon Blanc or a smooth French white Bordeaux blend.   Rather than grabbing a bottle of run-of-the mill domestic Merlot, I often elect an “old vines” Sonoma Valley Zinfandel or a French Syrah or Grenache blend instead.   And since the Wine Bargain Sleuth is ever-curious, the next step is researching the history, the climate, the diets and the people of the wine-making region responsible for producing the amazing juice of choice.

 

Of course, with the Blog comes a great deal of responsibility.   My obligations include: sampling potential Value Wines and Worth a Splurge Wines (such as this Chapter’s recommendations below) on a regular basis to ensure that high quality recommendations are made for your enjoyment; attending regular winemaker dinners at quality restaurants; and having lots of discussions with and sampling the offerings of local wine retailers, distributors and restaurants, as well as the individual wineries far and near.   And let’s not forget scouring numerous wine publications and online sources to have an adequate sample to distill down recommendations for each month’s Chapter.   Let’s face it, a cowboy’s work is never done.   On the other hand, we each have our cross to bear, and I am extremely grateful for the kind feedback I have received from you, the real wine sleuths.   Thank you from the bottom of my heart.  As long as you keep reading, I’ll keep writing!

 

Corks vs. Screwcaps for Quality Wine, Revisited:   Those sleuths who have followed the Blog for several months might remember a Chapter 3 discussion of whether real wine really comes with a screw cap instead of a cork.   If you missed it, feel free to view the archive Chapters on Page 4 of our website.  In any event, my personal survey of this trend of seeing more and more quality wines delivered with a screw cap appears to be a growing one.   For example, you can now locate numerous quality white Bordeaux wines without a cork, and more and more quality Napa wines (the gorgeous 2011 Belle Glos Meomi–see Chapter 13 for a detailed discussion—comes to mind) seem to be appearing with screw caps.

 

Much more historical than my own anecdotal observations on this point, if you have the time I recommend that you take 6 minutes and go to the Plumpjack link below for a fascinating account of their bold (read: revolutionary on a wine of this quality) decision 15 years ago to offer 50% cork finishes and 50% screw cap finishes on their premier 1997 Plumpjack Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, a policy they have followed with the sister Cade winery:

http://www.plumpjackwinery.com/our-story/screw-cap-innovation?utm_source=PlumpJack+Winery&utm_campaign=ade9c984ad-Screw+Cap+Video&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_33d2fd8324-ade9c984ad-238108661.

 

I will tell you this—there can be some real convenience issues here, particularly on a picnic or a concert situation.   A few weeks ago I went to an open air concert with old friends—them, not me, of course—and happily enjoyed some quality wine without the need for my corkscrew.   Meanwhile, on the blanket next to me a poor damsel in distress experienced epic cork failure, while the inexpensive corkscrew she brought along only managed to mangle the dried out cork beyond recognition.  I felt compelled to offer a straw.  PPPPP, I thought to myself (Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance).   I’m still a fan of the cork, on balance, but there are times that I can be convinced that the screw cap is the answer.   Just sayin’….

 

But enough about me.  After all, there are some remarkable wines to discuss. This month’s Chapter will feature an extra Value Wine for your enjoyment and has a few surprises as to the origins of the wines.  And without further ado, here are this month’s recommendations:

 

Value Wine No. 1:   A Worthy Sparkler from…New Mexico?

Many wine lovers I know subscribe to the fundamental principle that every event (even a weekday dinner) can be greatly improved with Champagne or sparkling wine.  As we know from early Chapters of The Wine Bargain Sleuth, it is incorrect to refer to every sparkling wine as Champagne, but many use the term as a generic description of anything bubbly!  For you sparkling wine fans (and those that should be) I have a treat for you this month:   bubbles from the great state of New Mexico from a family of French immigrants who know Champagne, the Gruet Brut NV.  Available for a bit over $15 per bottle, the Greut Brut comes from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes grown exclusively in vineyards near Truth or Consequences, New Mexico at the surprising altitude of 4,300 feet above sea level.  The Gruet family has legitimate Champagne roots, as its Champagne house in Belthon, France, Gruet et Fils, has long produced quality sparkling wine using the traditional Methode Champenoise.  Gruet has used that same technique since 1987 on its fruit from the cool, elevated vineyards in New Mexico.  Chock full of fine bubbles, the Gruet Brut has overtones of tropical citrus and baked apples to delight your tongue.  Not only is the Gruet Brut a significant bargain, but Wine Spectator awarded the sparkler a stellar 89 rating and a Best Buy designation.  Talk about satisfying your Champagne taste on a beer budget!  So my recommendation is to rush out and pick up a few bottles of this delicious bubbly, pop the cork and then amaze your party guests by revealing its shocking origin only after they remark on the tasty wine!

 

Value Wine No. 2:  Rioja Splendor

This month’s Value Wine No. 2 is a wonderful value wine from the Rioja region of Spain:  the 2007 Vina Eguia Reserva.  A classic Spaniard Tempranillo blend, the Vina Eguia is aged 24 months in American oak casks, as Spanish law requires.  The Wine Bargain Sleuth confesses that he has become quite fond of the Riojas, and this six–year old wine is absolutely ready to drink now.  The Vina Equia gives a bouquet of leather with a hint of herbs on the nose, delivers cherry and cola and has a lingering, silky finish that is characteristic of the red Riojas.  This Spaniard is so well thought of that both Wine Enthusiast and Wine Advocate bestowed hearty 92 ratings on it.  The former publication named the 2007 Vina Equia an Editor’s Choice designation and called it a “sensational deal.”   Ah, that is music to my ears, most likely classic Spanish guitar!  This Rioja lists for $20 but can be had for closer to $15 with careful sleuthing.

 

Value Wine No. 3:  Classic California Chardonnay

Despite my contrarian nature, sometimes it’s hard to argue with a classic.   Our Value Wine No. 3 (a bonus Value Wine) is the 2010 Kendall-Jackson Grand Reserve Chardonnay from the Central Coast of California.   The 2010 K-J Grand Reserve is widely available and should be able to be purchased for $17 or so with careful shopping.  This Chard is the definition of smooth, with hints of peach and tangerine and crisp acidity, and just a touch of oak on the finish without straying into the unpleasant area code of over-oaked, buttery domestic Chardonnays.  What do the experts think?   Wine Enthusiast laid a salty 92 on the 2010 Kendall-Jackson Grand Reserve Chardonnay, naming it as an Editor’s Choice and noting that the 2010 K-J Chard is “a great price for a wine of this distinction.”   Stock up, wine sleuths—summer is just around the corner!

 

Worth a Splurge Wine of the Month: I AM Drinking This Merlot!

With due respect to the now-infamous protest of Paul Giamatti’s character Miles in the film Sideways, this month’s Worth a Splurge Wine is the 2009 Meeker Maker’s Handprint Merlot. I recently had the rare and enjoyable opportunity to attend a Meeker wine dinner at a local restaurant with delightful co-owner Molly Meeker. Although I enjoyed several quality Meeker wines including their Cabernet Sauvignon, the highlight of the dinner for me was the 2009 Meeker Merlot.  Not only is the signature bottle (hand painted with multi-color handprints of the winemaker and other Meeker wine personnel) highly entertaining and memorable, but the Merlot is, in the words of the winemaker, a powerhouse with loads of cherry fruit and lots of big tannins (apparently from an ample helping of Cabernet Sauvignon).  In a nutshell, this is not your mother’s flabby Merlot.  I highly recommend this full-bodied, bold Merlot blend, somewhat reminiscent of a Right Bank Bordeaux blend.  The luscious 2009 Meeker Maker’s Handprint Merlot from Sonoma County, California is a low-production output and is unfortunately not widely distributed, but is available for $42 on the Meeker website, http://meekerwine.com.

 

Thought for the Day:  Top 5 Reasons to Love Wine:

5.         It’s Mommy’s little helper;

4.         It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere;

3.         It’s so much more civilized than toasting friends with tequila shots;

2.         Wine inspires great ideas and bold thoughts; and

1.         Great wine and great men get better with age!

Until next month– Cheers!

 

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