Chapter 10: SHOULD I BRING WINE?

Greetings and salutations!  This month’s chapter begins with a rhetorical question from the Department of Redundancy Department.  Would you expect my answer to be “No, bring a scented candle instead?”  The better and more precise question is “Which wine should I bring?”  Part of the fun I hope you have been having with the monthly installments of “The Wine Bargain Sleuth” is gaining a little wine knowledge here and there and at the same time gaining confidence in your wine selections for every occasion.  So, since we have now properly aligned our target, which wine should you bring?

As we discussed in the July installment of TWBS, first and foremost wine pairs most wonderfully with food.   If you receive a dinner party invitation to an event that you know will be BYOB, a polite inquiry as to what is being served for dinner is a good way to narrow down your quest for that perfect bottle to bring.   If the primary course is fish or chicken, either a polished Chardonnay for a fan of white or a light to medium body pinot noir for a red lover is a solid choice.   If the main course is barbeque or steak, you can then go with a spicy zinfandel or a bold cabernet sauvignon or merlot.   If you have volunteered to handle the wine for the entire meal, then it’s never a bad idea to have one white option and one red choice (and if your friends are as thirsty as mine, several bottles of each!) to appeal to multiple pallets.   A good rule of thumb is that you should spend $10-20 on the bottle of wine, and I am quite confident that any of the monthly Value Wines we have highlighted since January would be excellent choices, even if you are dining with wine snobs!   The Wine Bargain Sleuth would be honored if you chose any of his selections, in fact.

As an alternative, if you know your host has the beverage choices covered for the meal, it is still an excellent and, even if I do say so myself, tasteful gesture to bring a bottle of wine that you enjoy to your host or hostess.   This is where your knowledge of your host’s tastes can enter into the equation, or if you and he/she have shared a mutually enjoyable glass of wine in the past, it’s a thoughtful touch to bring a bottle of the wine that created the good memory.  The Wine Bargain Sleuth has made a habit of bringing wine for many festive occasions, as well as no occasion at all!   He has determined that it is certainly good luck to bring wine to a friend or new neighbor on the occasion of their new home…and it’s a lot of fun as well.

Here are a few modest guidelines to make sure that your generous gift of wine is well received by the beneficiary.

Rule 1: Know your host or hostess.   Does he/she love wine?   Is he/she knowledgeable about wine?    Does he/she have a favorite label or a favorite varietal?    What about a favorite region?   Are we looking at a lush who basically will suck down any juice this side of Welch’s with an extra large straw?   A few simple facts can start your decision making process.

Rule 2: Decide the statement you wish to make with the wine.  Do you want to push the envelope with your host or play it safe?   Will the host appreciate a creative, adventurous choice, or are they comfortable with a label or region they know?   Your choice can be easily refined by knowing how it will be appreciated by the intended beneficiary of your wine selection.   Some enjoy adventure, while others prefer the safety of the recognizable.

Rule 3: Is the host worthy of a splurge?  One of my favorite Seinfeld episodes had Elaine stressing over whether her pending dates were “sponge worthy” or not, based upon a dwindling supply of her favorite contraceptive device.  Admittedly the storyline was a little crass but pretty stinking funny nonetheless.   The same general concept applies here.   Will your host appreciate a nuanced Burgundy pinot noir or will a solid value bottle from Sonoma Valley work equally well?  Are you trying to impress a wine aficionado, or is your host just starting to enjoy wine?    Did your boss invite you for dinner on Friday night, or is the occasion just a Wednesday pizza night with casual buddies?  It’s your call.

Using just the three simple guidelines above will take the elegant gesture of bringing a bottle of wine to your host to a whole new level.  Plus, it may well allow you to save a few extra pennies and still feel good about your choice.  Keep in mind that our mantra that Life Is Too Short To Drink Bad Wine is ever present in this process.  Hopefully over the past nine chapters we have established that there are some terrific value wines available with just a bit of research.  Let’s face it, I love my relatives, but very few of them enjoy wine enough to know the difference between a very expensive French Chardonnay and a value version from Chile, for example.   On the other hand, a thoughtful bottle choice given to a wine lover can plant the seeds of a beautiful friendship!   Cheers!

Now, it’s time to look at this month’s recommendations, both for you and your host!

Value Wine No. 1:   The Value Cab from Paso Robles

I have to give a shout out to my wine buddy Sheri on this month’s Value Wine No. 1:   the 2009 Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon from the Paso Robles region of California.  This vineyard has been serving solid but not spectacular wines over the past few years, but they have stepped up their program for the 2009 vintage.  Available in widespread distribution for a mere $12 per bottle, this overachieving red wine was awarded a score of 90 and position number 3 in the Wine Enthusiast Top 100 Best Buys of 2012.  This Liberty School offering blows a major hole in the theory that you can’t get a quality California cab at this price point.  In reviewing the Liberty School, Wine Enthusiast raved thusly:  “You get a lot of pleasure from this affordable Cab…Elegantly constructed, it is one of the best cabernets of the vintage at this price.”  The 2009 Liberty School is a medium bodied wine that gives a decent dose of dark fruit with a touch of smoky oak on the balanced finish. Does anyone need a new house cabernet?  Run, don’t walk, to get a case at this price!

Value Wine No. 2:  The Surprising White Spaniard

We have not yet sung the praises of fine white Spanish wines made from unique varietals as an alternative to the garden variety whites.  It is clearly time to remedy that oversight this month.   Value Wine No. 2 is the tongue twisting 2011 Marques de Caceres Albarino Rias Baixas Deusa Nai.  This unique Spanish white varietal was named a Smart Buy and awarded a stellar 90 in the December issue of Wine Spectator.  The Marques de Caceres Albarino is a dry white wine that Wine Spectator reviewed as having “…an alluring mix of orange blossom, wild herb and seaside notes, with a silky texture and tangy acidity for grip.”  I’m thinking a spicy, Mediterranean seafood pasta dish to pair the Albarino with.  And did I mention that it is widely available for $16?  Can you say, “Ole!?”

Worth a Splurge Wine of the Month: Chilean Poetry in a Bottle

This month our featured wines range from the Paso Robles region of California, the Rioja region of Spain, and, finally, the Colchagua Valley of Chile.  I am happy to report that this month’s Worth a Splurge Wine is the 2010 Casa Lapostolle Cabernet Sauvignon Cuvee Alexandre from the Colchugua Valley.  The good news for your wallet is that this elegant Chilean retails for a mere $25, a price point not far from this month’s Value Wines.  The Casa Lapostolle vineyard has made some major waves in the world wine market in its past few vintages, even producing a number 1 ranking in Wine Spectator’s Top 100 just a few years ago. This 2011 dark red offering garnered a 92 rating and the following praise:  “Polished, with a long, savory aftertaste of spice, cured olive and underbrush.”   I would pair this cab with a lean, medium rare filet and some sautéed mushrooms and nearly reach gastronomic nirvana!   A quick late flash—this great Chilean is being advertised for under $20 on several online retailers.   Just sayin’….

Thought for the Day:  More Classic Wine Quotes.

OK, now I’m starting to get addicted to these.   Enjoy!

Wine makes every meal an occasion, every table more elegant, every day more civilized.
Andre Simon

Wine the thinking person’s health drink.
Dr Philip Norrie

Wine cheers the sad, revives the old, inspires the young, makes weariness forget his toil.
Lord Byron

 Until next month– Cheers!

© The Wine Bargain Sleuth 2012—All Rights Reserved