Budget Vino

The perfect budget beverage to bring to a Sunday brunch- Cava and OJ

2009-10-28T18:01:13-07:00

This past Sunday, my friend Melissa invited me to join her and some friends at a nearby park for an ad hoc brunch. It was pretty last minute, but I was hungry, and it was so darn nice outside. I should have stayed home and worked, but I convinced myself that a few hours away from my laptop wasn't going to hurt me in the long run.

Completely unprepared, I ran to the nearby Safeway, where I pondered what I should bring with me to the park. I walked the aisles a few times, struggling to make a decision. Then, as I was about to give up, I passed the alcohol section. Suddenly it hit me- Mimosas. I'd bring Mimosas. Everyone loves Mimosas! (orange juice and sparkling white wine for those of you who have never heard of mimosas before). The question was, how could I get mimosa fixins for everyone, while also staying within a reasonable budget. The answer was a $7 bottle of Cava (a Spanish version of champagne/ sparkling wine) called Cristalino.

A Budget Vino tip

When looking for budget sparkling bottles, Cava is usually your best bet. Your options are typically cheaper than your French or American choices, and the product is similar in quality and taste.

Back to the Cristalino...

This Cava was perfect for a mimosa. In mimosas, orange juice usually overpowers the sparkling wine, so you don't need to go overboard. The Cristalino had the perfect quality, and it came at the perfect price.

I never tasted the Cristalino on its own, so I can't comment on its standalone quality. What I can recommend is that if you're going to a brunch, bring a good OJ and a bottle of Cristalino Cava. Your friends will thank you, and so will your wallet.

VIDEO ALERT!!- "$10 (or less) wine"

2009-09-17T18:28:30-07:00

Its been a couple weeks, and the Commonwealth Club finally posted the "$10 (or less) Wine" panel discussion on YouTube. Give it a watch if you have some time. It's pretty enjoyable if I do say so myself. Definitely let me know what you think. It was my first panel so don't be overly critical. :)

Panel Summary- article in SF Examiner

2009-09-13T17:34:57-07:00

I was hoping to have a link to the Commonwealth Club panel to share, but it's yet to be loaded onto You Tube. The minute I the Club sends it too me, I'll make sure to post it. Overall, the panel was great fun. I'm curious to see what you all think.

In the meantime, here's a link to an article written about the event. Quick point about the article- it should have read "under $10." Not sure where the author came up with $12.

Enjoy.

Back to wine reviews this week....

Budget Vino selected to join Commonwealth Club panel on $10 and under wines!

2009-08-18T15:16:37-07:00

I am really excited to announce that we have been selected to join a panel discussing $10 and under wines at the Commonwealth Club on August 26th. The panel discussion will be recorded and syndicated on NPR and other stations countrywide.

This is a pretty big deal for us as The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. The club was founded in 1903, and has played host to a diverse and distinctive array of speakers, from Teddy Roosevelt in 1911 to Erin Brockovich in 2001. Along the way, Martin Luther King, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and Bill Gates have all given landmark speeches at The Club. Exciting!!!

I'll make sure to post a link to the recorded session as soon as I have it. Stay tuned.

Insatiable by name, but not by taste

2009-08-04T12:19:59-07:00

A couple weeks ago, I was tasked with selecting some budget wines for a Minnesota style hot dish party. I knew there would be some serious cheese and meat, so some heavier wines were definitely in order. I was in a serious rush, so I ran to the Safeway grocery store a block away. While there, this random woman started talking with me about wine selections. At first, I had no idea what her motivation was, but then realized that she was a Safeway employee, responsible for helping shoppers in the wine aisle.

She asked if I had ever tried a wine called "Insatiable." Supposedly, at only $6.50, it is one of Safeway's top sellers. The wine is a blend of cabernet sauvignon, barbera, zinfandel and syrah. With a blend of so many heavy reds, I thought it would be the perfect wine for the hot dish madness. And, with a name like that, I wondered how I could go wrong. Turns out, it wasn't that hard.

I got to the party a few minutes late, but was received well when I showed up with a bag of wine. When you bring alcohol, people tend to cut you some slack! I quickly opened the Insatiable, let it breath for a few minutes, then poured a couple glasses. Insatiable it was not. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either. I felt a little cheated. Maybe the woman at the store hyped it too much. Maybe my expectations were unrealistic. Regardless, it really wasn't worth my time or money. It was heavy, but without character. It was just dull and boring. I was not left wanting more. They should really consider renaming this wine "Mediocre."

Recommendation- Don't buy it

Another great budget bottle- Pascual Toso Malbec from Argentina

2009-05-19T19:23:32-07:00

A year ago, I discovered the incredible Pascual Toso Malbec from Argentina at a local San Francisco store- K&L Wines. K&L is arguably my favorite wine store in the world. I may have many more places to travel, but I seriously doubt I will ever find a place as incredible as this. Their selection is truly amazing, and it has no boundaries. From the most obscure wines to the mainstream, K&L has always delivered for me.

I subscribe to K&L's email list, which often features wines under $10. When they featured this wine (currently their best seller of all time), I figured I had to give it a try. It was amazing. A little spicy, amazingly smooth, and beautifully rich in color. I was tempted to write about it, but felt it was such an obscure wine, that I would simply be tempting you all with something you might never have the opportunity to try. Then last Wednesday happened...

I went to Costco with my friend Sarah to grab supplies for my buddy (and her husband) Jared's 30th birthday party. As we were perusing the pretty robust alcohol section (my apologies to my Canadian parents and friends who have alcohol-less Costco's), I was shocked to find this wine being featured at the end of the wine aisle. I convinced Sarah to grab a couple bottles, and of course I didn't leave empty handed. I got home and poured myself a glass. It was just as delicious as I remember it being a year prior. The new vintage was just as good as the old. A rare feat for some wineries.

While i'm yet to hear what Sarah thought, I'm confident that she and you will enjoy this wine. I encourage you to look for it the next time you hit up your local Costco. At $8.50 a bottle it is a true bargain.

Final Recommendation- Definitely buy it

The greatest go-to budget wine- St. Francis Red

2009-05-04T19:15:54-07:00

For over 2 years now I have searched for the best budget wines. Recently, I found what I’ve always been looking for. The wine is simply called “RED”, and is produced by the St. Francis Winery. Given the crappy economy, this find could not have come at a better time!

The first time I tried this wine went like this…

I had a bad day. I wanted some wine. I went to the Safeway near my house. I was on a mission. Always a sucker for a good looking bottle, I saw RED and felt compelled to give it a try. I took the bottle home, let it breathe for a few minutes, then poured myself a hefty glass. Actually, hefty doesn’t quite convey how big this pour was. It was huge. I started to drink this wine for which I had no idea the blend, and amazingly enough, found myself in love. It was so good. I was in shock.

I went online and found the producers website (http://www.stfrancisred.com). I read about the wine, uncovered the blend (pretty much all red varietals grown in California), and even perused the recipe section (I was intrigued by this). Anyway, by the time I finished my glass, I was hooked.

This wine is now my absolute go-to budget wine. Whenever asked about what I would recommend for under $10, this is now the first name I speak. It’s just that good.

Try it and let me know what you think.

Final rating- Definitely buy it (over and over again)

A new year. A new Budget Vino.

2009-01-16T16:14:38-08:00

Over the past year, I have continued to enjoy wines that cost less than $10. However, I have also found myself loving some wines that are often a few dollars above that threshold. I’ve been hesitant to write about them as my site has always been for “the $10 and under crowd.” As a result, I have written less.

It was during the holidays that I had a Budget Vino revelation. I realized that I should continue to dedicate the site to $10 and under wines, but that I should also give myself the opportunity to discuss amazing bargain bottles that I find during my regular trips to the grocery store or local wine shop. When I stumble upon a great bottle of wine that costs $15, I see no reason to keep it to myself. So with that in mind, I would like to introduce the new Budget Vino site tagline-

“The webs best source for budget wines and bargain bottles”

Rest assured that even with the tagline change, the site will continue to focus on wines costing less than $10. The difference is that the content will expand to give you more options.

We can all agree that economic times are tough, and under $10 wines are more important than ever. As our credit markets crumble and the word “bailout” has become the punchline in a joke we never wanted to hear but seem unable to avoid, we should always be able to enjoy a nice glass of wine and at a reasonable cost.

Yet even in this recession, or depression, or whatever you want to call it, I still sometimes find myself with a desire to splurge (but not too great excess). My day to day wines are almost always under $10, but when I’m presented with a great bargain bottle, or a special occasion arises and I want to treat myself to something special, I simply can’t help myself. I have to give the bottle a try. If you too like to splurge from time to time, I’m hoping that before you go to the store, you’ll make a visit to Budget Vino. I want the site to be your best source for budget wines and bargain bottles.

Here’s to a happy and healthy 2009!

Dorian

Drewism: 2008 Harvest Report, At Least One Good Australian Shiraz, and California ‘Shock’

2008-09-08T09:29:06-07:00

Well, the 2008 harvest is finally here, after a very long, hot, dry and smoky summer. I’m certainly looking forward to bringing in all of our fruit, and wrapping up what looks to be another stellar year for Californian wine. Despite the early frost events which damaged vines up and down the state, the 2008 growing season has been more or less ideal for much of the central coast, even with a few late heat spikes and numerous wildfires contributing to horrendous air quality for several weeks.

A lot of people have been asking me if I think wildfire smoke will have an effect on the grapes and subsequently the wines coming from them. I can only say that there is very little evidence where that has been shown to be the case. I recently read an article out of U.C. Davis that discussed the interaction of grape skins with smoke residue, ash and grime, and how through prolonged exposure, the grape itself might actually absorb these substances during the early phases of its maturation process. I doubt this could have taken place in much of Monterey, even though several of my vineyards are located very near to wear the Ventana Wilderness Fire and Basin Complex Fires took place. The smoke from these fires simply didn’t hang around long enough to coat the grape berries much if at all, and regardless, I think that the berries’ skins were still too tough and turgid at the time for any absorption to take place. But we will have to wait and see. Other wine regions adjacent to longer-lasting wildfires (such as in the Sierra foothills and far North Coast ) could see much different effects on their wines. The truth will be told in the glass, I guess. Smokey aftertastes, did you say?

In any event, this years’ harvest looks to be comparable in quality to last years, if not more so. Extremely low rainfall (yet again) produced some very small berries, and these are resulting in much more concentrated fruit flavors than in ’07 (smaller juice to skin ratio). But tonnages are down by as much as 25% in many places statewide, indicating that prices will be much higher when the 2008 vintage eventually comes out. We’ll have to wait and see if the lower yields produce the quality in Pinot Noir that we’re striving for, but my winemaker is extremely confident that it will. Lower yields, for those who don’t know, means less fruit is produced per vine, which means that a single vine puts that much more effort into developing and maturing each berry cluster. Thus, each cluster should be that much more intense in flavor and in tannin, and (hopefully) so should the wine. Typical Pinot Noir yields in the Central Coast are between 5 and 6 tons per acre, but this year could see barely half that. There’s already that indication from the Pinot we picked last week for Sparkling wine (7 tons/acre in 2007 vs. 4.5 this year). What does this mean to you? Your bottle of 2008 California Pinot Noir in the $10-15 range will be an extremely good buy (see Chalone Monterey Pinot Noir, Concannon Central Coast Pinot Noir, Melville Pinot Noir). What does it mean to your wallet? It will no longer cost $10-15.

Very quickly, I wanted to share with you a great wine that I had the other night. After bashing Australian Shiraz in a previous column, I thought it fitting to recommend one here. I picked up the 06 McWilliam’s Hanwood Estate Shiraz at Safeway because it was $6.99 on special, and because I hadn’t had a good Shiraz in a while (not that I was expecting much, especially for $6.99). But I took the gamble. And guess what? It was really good! Lots of dark cherry fruit, with plum, currant, tobacco, and cedar, and even a hint of mint chocolate at the end. Overall, the flavors were well-balanced, and the wine was not overly oaked (as is the case with most Australian Shiraz, at least to this drinker). It was a very pleasing wine, and at 13.5% alcohol, you could actually drink this one by itself (whereas most Aussie Shiraz needs a slab of meat alongside to balance the searing alcohol levels). Interesting tidbit: that very same day I opened up a recent issue of Wine Spectator and saw this exact wine in the Smart Buys section, reviewed at 91 pts. Not too shabby.

Switching gears again, I saw the movie “Bottle Shock” last month. Though I was pretty appalled at the portrayal of various characters in the story (read George Taber’s book Judgment of Paris: California vs. France and the Historic 1976 Paris Tasting That Revolutionized Wine for a more accurate representation of Steven Spurrier, et al), it was nice to finally see Napa Valley wineries, and Chateau Montelena in particular, finally get some widespread credit for their triumph at the now-famous 1976 Paris Tasting. For those who don’t know the story, Montelena and several other then-fledgling California wineries went up against the big boys of Burgundy and Bordeaux in a blind tasting before a panel of entirely French judges, with California winning top honors in both the red and white categories. The movie loosely follows this tale of how the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay outscored the competition, while humbling the French at their own game. Proprietor Jim Barrett, his son Bo, and their winemaker at the time, Mike Grgich, leveraged those 1976 results to become some of the most familiar names in Napa Valley (though Grgich is left out of the movie completely).

Fast forward 32 years and Chateau Montelena is now sold to the owner of the legendary Bordeaux property Cos d'Estournel. Rumors of the sale had been circulating through Wine Country for several months, but the potential deal conveniently came just days before "Bottle Shock" opened in early August. "Everybody who knows me knows I've made a long and happy career of getting back at the French," Jim Barrett said in an interview with The SF Chronicle, immediately following the release of “Bottle Shock”. Financial details for the deal were not disclosed, though this article claimed “despite initial reports of a sale price of $110 million…estimates placed it as high as $150 million.” The Barretts will continue to work hand in hand with the new owners through 2010, but its future after that remains a mystery.

The sale is only the latest in several high-profile sales of well-known California wineries. Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, whose Cabernet was the other big winner in the Paris tasting, and Duckhorn Wine Company (my old stomping grounds), were sold about a year ago for $185 million and a reported $250 million or more, respectively. Duckhorn, in particular, was sold to Paris-based spirits retailer Pernod Ricard, a company who this year also announced the acquisition of Swedish-based V&S Group (which includes the Absolut Vodka brand), making it the world's largest beverage group next to Diageo. The Robert Mondavi Winery was sold to global conglomerate Constellation Brands in 2004 for roughly $1.35 billion.

I can’t help but feel that this particular sale is a little like the French trying to buy back their dignity, though it also serves as a reminder to those of us in the wine biz that the weak dollar has made even the most American of brands appealing to foreign investors, especially ones with deep pockets. Wines from California no longer seem to have that young, fresh and exuberant style they did 30 years ago. The establishment has been shaken; the so-called “new” wines coming out of California 3 decades ago were only considered as such because they were, well, not French. But today, that is only the tip of the iceberg. More and more buyers are looking to foreign markets for investment in even ‘newer’ new-world wines (see South Africa, Chile/Argentina, Australia/New Zealand). We are seeing some wonderful new expressions of both traditional French varietals as well as lesser known ones from all of these places, and I have no doubt that other, less-traditional regions will also be explored in the future.

This is not to say that Californian wines are over-the-hill; quite the opposite in fact. In the last decade there has been an infusion of new blood in the California wine world, with many unknown regions producing high-caliber wines from varietals never before planted. This is certainly the case with Bonny Doon Vineyards, based in Santa Cruz, whose proprietor and maniacal uber-hippie Randall Graham is churning out some glorious Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Syrah Noir, and Marsanne (some from vineyards I manage), as well as Cal-Ital crossovers such as Nebbiolo and Barbera. Greg Brewer and Steve Clifton are creating a new definition for California Chardonnay from their low-yielding vineyards in Santa Barbara County , and Paso Robles is widely considered nowadays to be one of the best areas for growing Zinfandel statewide. Even Lodi and the Livermore valley are producing some very high quality Cabernets and Merlots, and at a fraction of the cost of their counterparts in Napa and Sonoma.

So don’t give up on California just yet, even if the French are buying it all back. This phase of selling wineries to foreign holders, though tragic, may actually turn out for the best, especially in cases like Chateau Montelena (who has had a hard time turning a profit in recent years because of money woes). California is firmly etched on the international wine map, and with a vision for producing new wines from new varietals, should only strengthen its reputation as a world-class wine producer for years to come.

A somewhat decent Pinot from the Valle Central- Pepperwood Grove 2006 Pinot Noir

2008-08-12T18:14:53-07:00

The other night was pasta night. Not just any pasta, but fresh ravioli from Molinari's- one of San Francisco's greatest pasta shops. Located in the Ferry Building, this place is just awesome. Their ricotta cheese and spinach ravioli rivals anything I've ever ordered in any restaurant.

Anyway, I find that nothing goes better with pasta then a nice red wine. The Italian's have known this for an eternity. It's an amazing partnership. Knowing that we were having pasta, Tom, one of the dinner attendees, brought a bottle of Pepperwood Grove 2006 Pinot Noir. Initially, he thought the producers of the wine were trying to make their offering seem more classy by calling the Central Valley of California the "Valle Central." We quickly pointed out that it was not an attempt to glamorize an otherwise unglamorous part of California, but rather it came from the Valle Central, a part of Chile. We had a good laugh, then poured the wine.

The wine was okay- not bad, but not great either. I think my biggest gripe about the Pepperwood Grove Pinot Noir was that it was way too thin. I tend to like thicker reds, and have found some Pinot's that really hit the mark. Unfortunately, this was not one of them. Don't get me wrong. I can appreciate a thinner Pinot. However, this Pinot was thin both in heaviness and in taste. 2 big strikes against it.

I think if I was in a bind, I'd consider buying this wine. However, I'd always look for a better option first. One that I would recommend is the Mont Pellier Pinot Noir. It's one of my top choices!

Recommendation: Consider buying it (if in a bind and you need a budget wine asap)