Budget Vino

Menage a Trois? No thanks. This time I’ll pass

I never thought I would find myself in a situation where I’d turn down a Menage a Trois. So, when I was in a small grocery store in Point Reyes Station, CA searching for a new bottle of wine to try, and I saw one called Menage a Trois, I was confident I had found a winner. As I was to find out hours later, I was wrong.

Menage a Trois 2005 is a red table wine, made from Zinfandel, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. For the most part, I find red "table" wines to be flavor neutral. They go well with most foods, but they don’t have much character. That’s not to say that I’m anti-table wine. Given the right one, I can be a big fan. Menage a Trois is not one of them.

Why?

This wine is overly sweet- so much so that I questioned whether I would be able to finish the glass I poured and salvage my $10 investment. Determined to work through this wine, I started pairing it with every food I thought would balance the sweet. Nothing worked. I tried bread. I tried cheese. I even tried strawberries. In the end, I surrendered, admitted defeat, and did whatever I could to enjoy this wine. As I powered through my glass, I couldn’t help but hope that the next time I am faced with a Menage a Trois, the results are a little more positive.

Recommendation: Consider buying it (if you like sweet wines)

5 budget wines to bolster your BBQ

If you live in the US, this weekend is Memorial Day- the annual barbecue season kickoff weekend. If you don't live in the US, it's still a great weekend to pull out the old BBQ, grab some fresh meat or fish, and get grilling.

I believe that the best compliment to a barbecue is a nice bottle of budget wine. To help you quickly select a wine that is sure to bolster your BBQ, I am providing my 5 top choices below.

1. La Ferme Julien 2005
2. Coppola Rosso Classic
3. Rancho Zabaco Dancing Bull 2003 Zin
4. Geyser Peak Sauvignon Blanc
5. Silver Ridge Barrel Select Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

Have a great weekend, and enjoy the BBQ!
  

 

 

Wines till sold out?

A Budget Vino reader recently sent this link my way. It's a site that sells unique wines at huge discounts. For the most part, the wines are way more than $10. Not today.

Here's a link to the site.

Wines Till Sold Out

I check the site everyday looking for bargains. Give it a look if you have a moment. Their sales are really quite impressive.

Use a Rose to thicken a Pinot

Before I provide this tip that I serendipitously discovered the other day, I should clarify that when I use the word "rose", I am not referring to the flower, but rather to a type of wine. Unfortunately, the location on my keyboard of the French accent required on top of the "e" is eluding me, so I have to go with this somewhat incorrect spelling.

This tip is quick and easy, and is perfect for those of us who enjoy the taste of a Pinot Noir, but are often left disappointed when they are too thin. For only $4.99, here is how you make that Pinot taste thick and rich...

1. Go out and buy a Rose. I suggest the one I reviewed on Monday- La Ferme Julien.
2. Have a glass or two of the Rose.
3. Open the Pinot. Let it breathe for 30 minutes or so.
4. Pour yourself a glass of the Pinot. You should immediately notice that it tastes thick abnormally thick.

While having a glass of white wine may have a similar impact, there is something about the Rose that really drives this one home. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

A rose even I enjoyed!- La Ferme Julien 2005

I'll paint the picture for you. San Francisco is hit by a record breaking heat wave. Without air conditioning to provide relief from the stifling temperature, people are forced to complain ad nauseum about how hot and sweaty they are. In such relentless heat, what is a red wine lover wine supposed to do? The only thing he or she can do- give a rose a try. The one I'd recommend- La Ferme Julien Cotes de Ventoux 2005.

If you've read this blog before, you know that I am a great lover of red wine, and not much else. To keep things balanced, I rely on my friends to review the whites and sparklings. That is why I was surprised the other day when I was served a glass of the La Ferme Julien Cotes de Ventoux 2005 rose, and found myself asking for a refill. This rose was light, mild, and darn tasty. It wasn't overly syrupy or sweet. It went perfectly with the scorching sun (and cheese platter).

As summer is fast approaching and temperatures are most surely rising, I would definitely recommend you give this rose a try- especially if you also share my dislike of white wines.

Recommendation: Definitely buy it

This forest aint that great!- Trinity Oaks 2003 Merlot

For me, the benefits of the BevMo 5 cent sale continue to payoff. I bought a bunch of wine a month ago, and I'm still churning through my inventory. One of the wines I bought at the sale and decided to open the other night was the Trinity Oaks 2003 Merlot.

Here's my thoughts...both pre and post first sips.

PRE
I like the label on the back of the bottle. It gives some pairing tips...very creative. Makes me kind of excited to give this wine a try.

POST
Okay, I tried it. It reminds me of an above average airplane wine. It's not quite as good as the Just wine I reviewed months ago, but it sure isn't as bad as La Palma Cabernet Sauvignon. Not sure why I'm thinking airplane, but darnit, I can't get the comparison out of my head.

I bet this would make a nice follow up wine.
Probably not such a bad wine to pick up if I was in a real pinch.

Recommendation: Consider buying it

Budget Wine goes best with Bocce Ball

I freely admit that I am a Bocce Ball addict. I also love wine. When the two come together, it's a marriage of perfection.

This morning, my good friend Jared (a regular Budget Vino contributor) sent along a link to all the known wineries in Northern California that also have Bocce Ball courts. I acknowledge that this list is of no value to those living outside of Northern California, so I apologize in advance. I also assume that these wineries do not sell wines under $10. However, a list like this is just too good to pass up. I just have to post it. I hope you understand.

http://www.winecountrygetaways.com/bocce-ball-wineries.html

One tasty barrel- Silver Ridge Barrel Select Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

Last night, I finished dinner and was craving some wine. Problem was, I had no bottles at home to choose from. My wine stash was empty. So, with no other options available, I ran off to the local corner store. I scanned the options, and couldn't make up my mind. Then I saw a little sign that recognized one particular wine as a gold medal winner. I don't usually pay too much attention to these signs, as I feel like these days every wine has won an award at some competition or another. However, given my indecisiveness, I decided that selecting this wine was probably the easiest path to follow. I bought the wine and was on my way.

The gold medal wine was the 2003 Silver Ridge Barrel Select Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine definitely lived up to its award. It was really good. It was well balanced, wasn't too heavy, and had a really nice aftertaste. It was the perfect after dinner sipping wine. It was so good, that by the end of the evening, there was no need to pull out the wine vacuum and store the leftovers!

Recommendation: Definitely buy it

I love my wine vacuum

Last week, I wrote about how to make a budget bottle of red wine last longer. In the post, I mainly focused on the benefits of utilizing the fridge to extend the life of your unfinished bottle. Thinking back on it, I don't think I gave the wine vacuum it's due. I've been using two different wine vacuums religiously over the past couple weeks, and I have to say, they are simply awesome. My leftover wine has never tasted fresher.

If you often find yourself with leftover wine, I really encourage you to buy a wine vacuum. My favorite is the Vacu Vin. Their Wine Saver gift package comes with the vacuum pump and 2 corks. Best of all, it's on sale at Amazon for $9.99- which makes it a great budget option.

For your convenience, I'm including a link to the Amazon buy page. Give it a look. It's definitely worth your $10.

Vacu Vin Wine Saver