Budget Vino

Baseball and Budget Wine? Who knew...

A number of people have sent this link to me today. It's an article written by San Francisco Chronicle Staff Writer W. Blake Gray. In it, he provides his list of favorite wines under $10. Articles like this are constantly surfacing on the internet, but this one is a little different.

W. Blake's article is called "Bargain All- Stars." In a fun way, he contrasts the world of budget wines with the world of baseball. The timing of the article is of course not coincidental, as the baseball all-star game is in San Francisco this upcoming Tuesday. It's a great read, and if you like baseball, you'll enjoy it that much more. Again, the link is:

Bargain All-Stars

Buy a bottle, support a charity

This posting is provided by Jennifer Benz, and it is most definitely worth a read. I have always felt that it is possible in business to create a balance between profitability and social responsibility. The wine company that produces the wine that Jen reviews has found a fantastic way to make this balance a reality.
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If you've read my earlier postings, you know I don't think any excuse is needed to open a bottle of wine--sparkling or otherwise--any time or for any reason. But, for those of you who might need a little more "justification" I have the perfect solution: wine for charity!

I discovered 2 Brothers Big Tattoo Wines on a last-minute way-too-rushed trip to pick up dinner party snacks and a bottle of wine at Whole Foods in Chicago. The store was hosting a wine tasting and when I asked the server for a nice white, he gave me a sip of Big Tattoo. He also gave me the skinny: the wine comes from two brothers, a wine importer and a tattoo artist. They created Big Tattoo White in honor of their mother who died from cancer in 2000 (the label is her favorite symbol, the Fleur de Lys). The brothers donate 50 cents of every bottle to breast cancer related charities. To date, they have raised $944,000--and, they brilliantly work their distributor network to make an impact on local charities [http://www.bigtattoored.com/charities/] where their wines are sold.

So, how does it taste, you ask? Pretty good. We drank it with a typical cheese-and-cracker dinner party appetizer plate and it went down very nicely. It is a white that would appeal to even a non-white-wine drinker:  flavorful and fragrant with a nice balance of fruit and citrus. The tasting notes say the grapes are a blend of Riesling and Pinot Blanc, so no surprise that it is a touch sweet.

We'll have to try out their Syrah and Red too. In the meantime, please leave a comment if you know any other wine makers who donate a portion of their proceeds to charity--we need to do our part to make sure everyone has enough excuses to try another bottle of wine.

Recommendation: Definitely buy it (if for nothing else, you'll be giving back while enjoying a glass!)

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

Riesling, Thai food, and 24- Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Riesling

As football season was coming to a close, a different Monday night obsession took over. That obsession? Fox's 24. The story lines seem to be blurring between the seasons, but I could care less. The action always keeps me interested- especially when I’m 2 or 3 wine glasses deep!

This past Monday, my good friend Brett and his wife Kory invited me over for dinner and 24. He informed me in advance that we’d be eating Thai food. Immediately, I suggested I bring over a bottle of Riesling. I often mention in this blog that I am not a big fan of white wine. However, there is an exception. I love a good Riesling when I eat spicy foods like Thai or Indian. In my mind, when eating these types of food, Riesling tops any red wine option out there. It has this unique sweetness that balances out the spicy aspect of these foods perfectly. If you’ve never enjoyed a Riesling with spicy food, I encourage you to do so the next time you find yourself placing an order.

So, getting back to the story, I went to the store and bought the only non-Mondavi Riesling they had- Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley (If you’ve read my past review of a Mondavi wine, you know that I am not a big fan of theirs).  I went to Brett and Kory’s place, packed a plate full of Thai food, and Kory poured us both glasses of wine. As a side note, Kory is pregnant, so it was up to Brett and I to drink the entire bottle. Immediately, Brett pointed out that the Riesling had a scent of pears. I didn’t notice at first, but once he put the thought out there, I started to pick up the scent. Pears or no pears, it just smelt good. As we ate our Thai food, we both agreed that the wine was a great match to our meal. It was the perfect type of sweet, and definitely tasty. Brett asked me if I would buy the wine again, and I said that I would, but only on the condition that I was accompanying it with a spicy meal. I would not buy this wine to sip on as I watched TV or mulled about the house. It’s just not that type of wine. If you try it, I'm sure you'll agree.

Recommendation: Definitely buy it (but only if eating a spicy meal)

Consider spending some time in the Big House- 2004 Red Table Wine

A couple weeks ago, a Budget Wino reader asked me to review Big House red. This was not the first time someone had mentioned this wine. It seems to be a pretty popular red table wine. It also is a great example of how different people’s palettes can influence wine impressions. Some people love this wine- I mean truly adore it. Me? Not so much.

The day I tried this wine I was definitely on a mission. I was going to cook myself dinner. My recipe of choice? -Chicken Picatta. You need to understand that it’s a rare occasion that I get the impulse to cook. As the impulse arose, I decided to run with it. I went to my local grocery store and bought my ingredients. While there, I passed the wine section. The first wine that caught my eye was The Big House.  Remembering the reader request, I bought a bottle and went on my way.

I got home and started cooking. I was going to hold off on the wine until dinner, but I couldn’t resist the urge to give the Big House a try. I poured a glass, and as I sipped away I found myself disappointed. It was okay, but not the great wine I had hoped it would be. This wine seemed to have so much hype, but there I was- unimpressed. I found the Big House to be a little too thin and a bit too fruity.  I hoped that my so-so opinion would change as my palette adjusted, but that didn’t happen. I tried drinking a glass with dinner, but combining it with food didn’t improve my opinion. In the end, this wine reminded me of a movie that is totally overrated. You go see it, and even though the movie is good, it never lives up to the expectations. Maybe if I had discovered this wine without any outside influence I would have enjoyed it more. I guess we’ll never know.

Recommendation: Consider buying it

Go for the goat!- Goats do Roam 2005 red wine

I just got back from a week without cell phone coverage and email access. It was great! To settle back into the real world I reinstated my Monday Night Football tradition. I had some good friends over, we prepared a spread of greasy food, and cracked open a bottle of red wine. This weeks choice was Goats do Roam (a wordplay off the Cotes Du Rhone wine region of France.)

Goats do Roam is a really drinkable wine from South Africa. Its fun and fresh and really tasty. I shared the bottle with my friend Sara, and we both agreed that while it pairs really well with a nice Monday Night Football food spread, it also tastes pretty good on its own. It's fruity, but the wine's injection of a little spice nicely balances the fruit.

Like the Gotham wine, this wine is also screw top wine that defies the stereotype.

Recommendation: Definitely buy it.

A terrible French wine- Chateau Haut Perthus Bergerac

Last night I flew home from visiting relatives on the east coast of the United States. This time, I did not make the same mistake I made a week before. Unlike last week, this week I did not order wine on the plane. Instead I opted to sleep for the entire 4 hour flight.

When I got home, I was totally motivated to unpack, go through my mail, and tidy up a little bit. I think the nap on the plane gave me a big burst of energy. As I started unpacking, I felt that something was missing. What was missing? A big glass of wine of course.

To reconcile the situation, I opened a bottle of wine I bought a few weeks ago at the BevMo 5 cent sale. The wine was a Chateau Haut Perthus Bergerac.
It was absolutely terrible. Now I'm not exageratting here. It reminded me of a really bad wine you'd get at a crappy Irish pub. It was bitter and tasted vinegary- and I'm positive it hadn't turned yet. It was bad enought that I did what is usually unthinkable for me- I dumped it. I figured if I kept drinking it, I would not only be annoyed by how bad it was, but I'd also be assured a massive hangover in the morning. Definitely avoid this one!

Recommendation: Don't buy it

A great Bordeaux to end the month

I have drunk a lot of wine lately. Not sure why that is, but lets just say I have a backlog of reviews to post. Some were good, some were great, some were just bloody awful.

Last night, as I scrolled through the list of wines, I found myself contemplating which wine should close out the month of October. I decided to go with my favorite of the bunch- in order to end the month on a high note. So, to close out October 2006, I have selected a great Bordeaux wine- Chateau Latour- Laguens 2003.

I truly enjoyed this wine. It was a little thin, which made it taste like a delicious Pinot (my favorite varietal). I drank it alone, and also with some lavash bread and cheese. With food or without, it was simply great. I bought this wine a couple weeks ago at Trader Joe's, and I'll definitely be going back for a refill. At $4.99 a bottle, it is a true value wine. Give it a try, it's worth your time.

Recommendation: Definitely buy it.

A Bordeaux budget red- Mouton Cadet

As I've mentioned in the past, I often find myself found in the California wine rut. I think this is a function of a couple of factors. First off, I live in California. The wines created locally are easy to find, and easy to buy.  Secondly, I tend to gravitate towards things I know or recognize. I have gone on many a wine tasting tour, and over the years have become very familiar with the offerings of California vineyards. So, when faced with brands I recognize versus international wines that I have never seen before, I tend to go with what I know. Writing this blog is definitely forcing me to modify my behavior- and I think I'm all the better off for it.

So in the tradition of looking at new and international wines, and in staying with the Trader Joe's theme, today I will be reviewing a Bordeaux red wine called Mouton Cadet. Trader Joe's claims it is one of their best sellers, so I thought I'd give it a try.

Mouton Cadet is a blend of three varietals- 65% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Cabernet Franc. Like the Rosso Classic (reviewed here), this wine is quite fruity. It's not as fruity as the Rosso, but it is fruity nonetheless.

After removing the cork, the one thing I realized very quickly is that when paired with the right food, this wine is dangerously easy to drink. For example, last night I cooked up some leftover chicken, poured myself some wine, and plopped down in front of my TV. I watched some junky reruns, ate my diner (which paired excellently with the wine), and drank my Mouton Cadet- slowly filling the glass as I neared the stem. Before I knew it, my dinner was gone, and so was the bottle of wine. I thought I was at most 2 glasses in. I was wrong- dead wrong.

Overall, I think this wine is pretty good on its own, and even better with a meaty kind of meal. I think anything overly spiced- like a curry dish, would taste awful with it. However, if you stick to the old meat and potatoes, you should be well on your way to a pretty enjoyable wine experience.

This wine sells at Trader Joes for $6.99 on the West Coast.

Recommendation: Definitely buy it

Weekend wine recommendation- Amaicha Bonarda

Given this is Trader Joe's week, it's only appropriate that I recommend a wine that is part of their extensive inventory.

This weeks Budget Wino weekend wine recommendation is Amaicha Bonarda. This is an Argentinian wine that is definitely worth a look. It sells at Trader Joe's for only $3.99- an incredible price for the quality of the wine you get. It comes with a black cork, and a nice little bite to it.

Give it a try this weekend and let me know what you think. I'm convinced this wine is a HUGE bargain. It can easily be passed off as a much more expensive wine at dinner parties (if you're looking to save some cash this weekend).

note: Thanks to Pelog blog (link on the right navigation) for the Amancha Bonarda wine image.