Budget Vino

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)

My trainer should read this! More proof that red wine is good for you.

2008-06-05T14:38:43-07:00

I recently noted that the cause of my blogging hiatus was the work of my over energized gym trainer. He banned wine from my diet for a short period of time, but after many discussions, he reluctantly agreed to let me put it back on the list- but only if I drank in limited quantities, and with great moderation.

Perusing the web today, I found an article that I will sure share with him the next chance I have. The Washington Post today reported that Resveratrol, a compound found in red wine, can actually help your heart and reduce aging. Awesome news. Something even my trainer can appreciate.

Link to the article is found here.

Drewism: Hawaiian Wine, How to Recognize a Wine Snob, and What I’ve Learned (Various Ramblings)

2008-06-04T12:29:09-07:00

I’m back. My utmost apologies for the extended hiatus I’ve been on, but work has consumed me as of late. Over the last several months I’ve overseen almost 400 acres of new vineyards planted in Monterey, and as such, I haven’t had a rest since my last post, more than 2 months ago. Wait about another 3-5 years and I can actually start talking about the wines that I had a hand in producing. I’ve only recently come back from a much-needed trip to Maui, where I spent several days doing absolutely nothing. It was fantastic. And no vineyards or wine in sight. Well, almost none.

On our second day in Maui, I found that there is a very obscure winery located on the eastern highlands side of the island called Tedeschi (website: www.mauiwine.com). I’ll leave you to read about it if you wish, but in my experience the wines are probably best to be avoided. Besides the fact that its 80 degrees year-round in Hawaii, I can’t imagine that winegrapes can actually ripen well in such a hot and humid climate. And, guess what, they can’t. The wines, as I learned, are made in large part from local fruit grown on the island (as opposed to traditional winegrapes), so what you get is white zin’s banished younger brother. Yummy. True story: the winery bottles a wine called Maui Blanc Pineapple Wine. ‘Nuff said. On to other things.

I promised Dorian that in contributing to this blog, I would give periodic updates and insight into the oftentimes crazy world of wine that I am a part of. But its not always fun and games, as many might expect. It’s a lot of hard work, certainly, though I’ve met many great people in the process, and I call several of them my closest friends. Many of the shakers and movers I interact with on a regular basis are extremely friendly, laid-back, and likeable people – not at all the types of people one would expect in the business of wine. Though I’m sure many could bore me to death with endless wine jargon, and at tastings most could overwhelm me with their knowledge of one varietals’ expression of place, most choose not to. Unless you ask. In an industry where the mantra is eat or be eaten (or more appropriately, drink or be drunk), its nice to be around good-natured people and talk wine without feeling as though you’re completely inferior.

Sometimes, however, I run into someone whom I would characterize as a wine snob. For me, this is a strong word: snob. Generally, this is someone so in need of finding a social niche through wine drinking, it’s not even about the wine. It’s pretty easy to tell the difference between a wine snob and a wine enthusiast. Wine snobs come in two flavors: the loud and boisterous, and the reserved. You’ll notice the boisterous snob right away when you walk into a tasting room, and he or she is blabbering exaggerated wine observations that you know they just pulled out of their ass or off the first page of the Chronicle’s Wine section. To be honest, it’s a pretty embarrassing sight to see. The quiet ones tend to keep their comments secret, hiding their tasting notes in public places (this actually happens, believe it or not), and making grandiose observations like “slightly angular with a hint of burnt tobacco leaf” to describe a wine. Most of us would just find this obnoxious and pretentious, myself included. In private, these types of people basically just sit around telling each other how great they are - I know because I’ve seen it happen on more than one occasion.

Enthusiasts, on the other hand, are fortunately the more common type of wine geek. They are usually more than happy to share some wine knowledge with you, and in my experience, no matter what your understanding or level of sophistication in wine, they are more than happy to talk with you for as long as you’d like. You’ve probably met this type of person perhaps at a winery or in a wine bar, the type who would never judge your choice in wine, taste, or assessment. And they would talk with you about wine instead of talking at you.

I like to consider myself the latter, as I’m sure every normal person would. So without further ado, I’d like to let you in on a few things I’ve learned about wine over the years. Some you’ll maybe find useful, others mildly ridiculous, but I hope you can go away feeling like you’ve learned something. And know that you’re not snobbier at all because of it – you’re merely becoming more of an enthusiast.

Nearly everybody likes Chardonnay. And California Chardonnay – in almost any price range – is the most idiot-proof wine in the world. Not necessarily subtle, however. But like a big greasy breakfast to cure a hangover, it gets the job done. Wine snobs love to bash it, though you can have it both ways by saying to your friends, “Its become fashionable to dump on Chardonnay, but we think this Casa New Oak flavor is hard to beat.” Viognier and Marsanne are way cooler, but you have to know what you’re doing.

Almost any zinfandel that starts with R is good. For instance, Ridge, Rafanelli Ravenswood, Rabbit Ridge, Rosenblum, Renwood. The same goes for any zin that ends in elli. Like Martinelli or Tofanelli. I’m speaking, of course, of red zinfandel. About white zinfandel, you have my permission to turn up your lip in condescension. Three-day-old bath water tastes better than that crap.

Avoid artichokes whenever you consume wine. I only recently found this out while reading an article that artichokes contain an acid called cynarin, which makes wine taste sweet. I’ll keep that in mind next time I try to bust out a bold cabernet with my BBQ steak and artichoke. Dangerous also with wine is asparagus, which contains phosphorus and mercaptan, turning most wines ugly, especially whites.

Every five years there’s a great worldwide vintage. Mind you, not every place in the world experiences the same years of greatness. For France in general, and Bordeaux in particular, ’85, ’90, and ’95 were all stellar, 2000 was otherworldly, and critics are touting 2005 as the “vintage of the 21^st century”, though I’m not entirely convinced yet. Stateside, ’93, ’97-98, and 2002 have been terrific vintages for Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa, 1997 having become world-renowned, and ridiculously expensive. Last year California had a phenomenal growing year (while Europe experienced one of the worst), and our 2007 Estate Pinot Noir (presently in barrel), appears to be one of the greatest wines my winemaker has made in over 30 years.

There’s no such thing as bad champagne. Unless, of course, its badly shipped or stored. By champagne, I mean the stuff that comes from the region of that name in northern France and is imported to the states. The bad ones don’t seem to get sent here (I wonder why). There are perfectly decent sparkling wines from other parts of the world, but why bother when you can get the real thing - a nonvintage brut - for practically the same price?

Any Italian wine that ends in the letters aia is very good, too. This seems to be the result of the fame of Sassicaia, the so-called Super Tuscan Cabernet, or so I’ve learned. Today, you can count on Ornellaia, Solaia, Lupicaia, Brancaia Tassinaia, and Piastraia. I don’t quite know why, but these producers seem to make excellent wines. If you have the time and money to seek them out, do so.

In a wine store, head straight for the South America section.Why? Because in 5-10 years you’re going to kick yourself for not buying that case of Argentinean Malbec or Chilean Carmenere that has since trebled in price. No where in the world can you find better value buys right now than from Chile and Argentina. I tell this to everyone who asks me what I buy, yet I still see Yellow Tail hanging around in people’s kitchens.

Wine ALWAYS makes for a great gift, regardless of the occasion. Keep in mind that people who usually give wine as a gift probably like wine as much as you do, if not more. Return the favor. Also, its always fun to find a bottle of wine that was made in your birth year, if you have the time and resources to look for it. I was lucky enough to be born in 1982, a vintage still considered today to be the one of the greatest for both Bordeaux and Champagne in more than a century. Keep that in mind, Mom.

White wine with fish, red with flesh is a pretty reliable rule. But any idiot can follow rules – it’s far cooler to break them. Pinot Noir can be great with salmon, particularly grilled salmon. And its wonderful with paella I’ve found. Sweetish German Riesling is always good with pork and/or veal; the same goes for Gewürztraminer and Thai food. Yet Chablis with oysters in my opinion is a match made in heaven.

Hope these tips help. Enjoy!

1 Merlot, 2 opinions- Harding Estates 2006 Merlot

2008-05-21T13:29:33-07:00

In my last post (where I discussed how a decision to start exercising with a trainer had put a serious dent in my wine consumption), I mentioned that I had picked up a bottle of red wine that I was very excited to try. The wine I was referring too was a Harding Estates 2006 Merlot. According to our old friend Wilfred Wong (wine rating guy), this wine was a 90 pointer. As he and I don’t always agree, I thought I’d see how our opinions would compare on this selection.

Back to the wine.

So one of my closest friends from Toronto was visiting this past weekend. He enjoys a nice glass of red (he tends to focus primarily on Italian offerings), and so I thought he would be the perfect person with which to crack open the Harding. As we sat on my couch, reminiscing about our University days (or College as is often referred to here in the US), we let the wine breath. After about 20 minutes, I poured two hefty glasses. As I hadn’t had any wine in a couple months, I got giddy with anticipation- and also extraordinarily thirsty. I took my first sip; nothing. No excitement, no 90 point flavor explosion, no aftertaste that I wanted to discuss after …nothing. I took another sip; nothing. The wine wasn’t bad, it just didn’t do anything for me.

My buddy took his first sip. You would think he had just discovered that the world was round (or flat if you’re Thomas Friedman). His first look was that of shock and surprise, with a little amazement thrown in. He loved it; absolutely loved it. He downed that glass of wine like no ones business, demanded another, and another, and another. Luckily for him, I had no problem giving up my portion.

As we discussed the wine afterwards, I found myself amazed at how different his reaction was from mine. It reminded me that wine really is about personal taste. It’s a great lesson to remember when people like me suggest what you should think and drink… :)

Recommendation: Me- Consider buying it. Friend- Definitely buy it

Ah…the hiatus

2008-05-09T17:21:27-07:00

So the last time I posted a Budget Vino review was a couple months ago. Not cool on my part. While I am not a man of excuses, there is a reason behind my hiatus.

A little while ago, I decided to focus purely on my physical health. Lots of reasons behind this, none of which I will get into here. Anyway, I got a killer personal trainer, started working out again regularly, and cut out a lot of stuff from my diet. Unfortunately, one of those things was wine. I know what you’re probably thinking- Isn’t red wine good for you? Answer- yes, it is (see linked article). However, under the guidance of my trainer, red wine got the boot (along with bacon- tragic I know).

The training is paying off. I feel great. I have crazy energy. I’m sleeping like a baby. While all this is good, I am seriously craving some red wine. So, I’ve conferred with the trainer, and while bacon will continue to live on the “NO” list, red wine is coming back….and is coming back with a vengeance. I just picked up a sweet bottle of Merlot from BevMo, and I’ll be darned if I don’t crack it open this weekend.

So, Budget Vino readers, I apologize for the hiatus, but expect new reviews to start appearing next week.

Thanks for sticking around!

Drewism: There’s Better Stuff to Drink than [ kangaroo krap ]

2008-03-17T10:47:46-07:00

Have you ever had a bottle of [ yellow tail ]? Come on, admit it. Everyone has. We all know that little kangaroo when we see it, and certainly know friends and family who have a bottle or two hanging around their kitchen. I myself am guilty of it as well. I even went so far as to share a bottle of Yellow Tail Reserve once in my life, and though it wasn’t an altogether awful experience, I must say that for $45 with corkage, I expected something a little more.

Yellow Tail, for those who have been under a rock for the last ten years, is an Australian wine brand, notable for its eye-catching label of a yellow-footed rock wallaby. A quick history: the brand was first developed in 2000 by the Casella family, originally of Sicily, who had relocated to New South Wales in the 1950s to start a new life for themselves. By 2003, the brand had become a behemoth - the number one imported wine to the US - and in that same time the original winery was forced to expand to nearly ten times its original size. Supply could barely keep up with demand. After only selling 112,000 cases in its first year, sales of Yellow Tail jumped to 7.5 million in 2005, helped in large part through distribution by low-cost retailers such as Costco. Also in that year, Yellow Tail became the first variety wine to move one million cases in a single month. At present, Yellowtail facilities have the capacity to store approximately 300 million liters (about 80 million gallons) on site with more wine produced and stored elsewhere.

Specializing in blended wine in the $8-10 range, Yellow Tail at first glance sounds like a dream: its quick to find, it sells well, and best of all, it’s cheap. From a marketing standpoint, Yellowtail hit the nail on the head. But they had the means to do so, with a large-scale distributor in Costco, financial backing through investors, and the hot Australian climate to load up its vines and churn out record crops each and every year. By mass-producing and mass-marketing Shiraz (same as Syrah, different name) and Chardonnay, Yellow Tail appealed to many casual wine drinkers worldwide who were desperate to try an entry red or an alternative to California chards, but who had neither the wine wherewithal nor the cash to pony up $15-20 a bottle for everyday dinner wine.

Today, Yellow Tail is one of the most recognized labels in the world. Its annual revenues for the US alone are in the hundreds of millions of dollars, and it comprises over 40% of all imports from Australia by volume (2006 data). To put things in perspective, Australian wines claim a volume market share of 9 percent worldwide; if Yellow Tail were to be excluded, this figure would drop to 5 percent. The success story apparent, Yellow Tail markets premium blended wine at basement prices, while concurrently targeting younger drinkers by through its instantly recognizable wine labels. With so many wines struggling to sell in the late 90’s, combined with beer being the beverage of choice for most of America’s youth and college students, this was a great way to recruit younger oenophiles as the traditional base got older and stopped buying wine. With all the good things that the Yellow Tail “phenomenon” spawned, why do I object so much to buying it?

The answer, and the reason for my lengthy discussion on this topic, becomes clear – or rather unclear - in the glass (no pun intended). A bottle of Yellow Tail, in general, has such a plethora of different grapes blended together that it might in fact not legally be called wine, at least according to contemporary Australian wine laws.

Shiraz makes for an easy blend with other classic grapes such as Grenache and Mourvedre, or Cabernet and Merlot, among many others. A few examples include Shiraz-Cabernet, Cabernet-Shiraz-Merlot, Grenache-Cab-Merlot, and Grenache-Shiraz-Mourvedre. Though the latter blend is an exception and can certainly make for some delicious wines coming from down under, at the end of the day there really is no way to recognize true varietal in Yellow Tail’s overly blended mess. Most contemporary blends contain a maximum of 4 grapes in a Syrah-based blend, or 5 for a Cabernet-based blend, but some of Yellow Tail’s contain six or more different varietals, many of which may not even be grown in Australia! For all you know, you might be drinking fermented grape juice made from grapes that were grown in Africa, India, or elsewhere in the South Pacific! I’d love to tell you that I’m making this stuff up, but I’m not.

As a result, Yellowtail by and large lacks a product that has a distinction of place. The truth is apparent on the label. Australian wine-labeling law stipulates the following:

“A minimum of 85 percent of the grape variety stated on the label must be used [to make the wine]; if two different types of grapes are used in a blended wine and neither grape represents 85 percent of the blend, both grapes must be mentioned on the label in order of importance (e.g., a wine labeled Cabernet/Shiraz has more Cabernet than Shiraz).”

Source: Kolpan, Smith, Weiss, et al. Culinary Institute of America's Complete Guide to Wines of the World.

So by designating ‘Shiraz-Cabernet-Merlot’ on the label, the folks at Yellowtail are telling you that 85% of the grapes in the bottle come from those three varieties. The proportions are unknown, though Shiraz appears in slightly higher percentage than the other two. What’s more troubling is that the remaining 15% is also unknown. There are likely a handful of similar grapes thrown in for good measure, though what they are, and more importantly, where they come from, remains a mystery.

So what am I suggesting as an alternative? California Syrah, for one. California produced 110,000 tons of Syrah grapes statewide in 2007, a large percentage of which could be characterized as ‘cool climate’. These are grapes that come from the cool coastal regions of Sonoma, Monterey, and Carneros, and without a doubt many will produce fabulous wines. Though an entirely different beast than Shiraz, cool-climate Syrah, as it has come to be known, is largely underrated in the United States. The slower ripening process, longer growing season, and lower yields lead to a wine grape that is highly sought after by many wineries looking either for a single varietal wine or for a Rhone-style blend. Cline Cellars makes a fabulous 100% Cool-climate Syrah from the Sonoma Coast appellation that is only $12.

The resulting product has proven in recent years to be very good, and an incredible value at that. Many growers from Paso Robles have come to Monterey in recent years looking for cool-climate Syrah either to bottle alone or to balance out their hot Cabernets and Merlots from San Luis Obispo county. Not surprisingly, many of these growers have been loathe to plant Syrah simply because of the lack of water availability in this region. It has been shown that Syrah is very susceptible to “burn” when conditions are such that water demands are high and its availability is low, particularly in the summer months when temperatures push well into the 100s. Syrah is an incredibly water-demanding creature, and even under stress its stomata tend to stay open (called anisohydric in viticulture jargon) and they continue to use water despite the fact that they are killing their own tissue in the process. Conversely, varietals such as Grenache close down their stomates when water becomes scarce (they are isohydric), and they essentially shut down photosynthesis in an effort to save water. This innate need to conserve is why Grenache does so well in the hot and dry climates of central Spain, in the Rhone Valley of France, and in Australia for that matter!

So why haven’t the Aussies taken the hint that continuing to plant Shiraz isn’t the best idea in these hot and arid climates? Probably because they can’t afford not to. Yellow Tail is a multi-billion dollar behemoth, and for the last near decade the stuff has flown off the shelves at record pace. Yet in the process, Yellowtail has effectively murdered the image of Australian Shiraz as a unique and quality grape from down under, mass-producing it to the point of retail over-saturation. And Yellow Tail has not only lowered its own standard in the process, but lowered the world’s standard for what is to be expected of the varietal it champions. But that’s all about to change.

Australia is at present experiencing a 100-year drought, and over the last several years some growers have lost as much as half of their crop due to yield limitations from water scarcity. This will certainly have an effect on the quality of wines coming out of Australia in the near future, but it will also have a supply effect on the industry as a whole down the road.

We’ll start to see the 2007 Australian reds hit the shelves in the next 18 months, so I’ll be keeping a close eye on things when they do. In the meantime, my advice would be to stop picking up the Kangaroo simply because it’s eye-catching and because it’s a no brainer. Put some thought into your decision-making at the wine store and dare to be different. There’s better stuff on the shelves from our own country to be had, and for comparable prices. And even if we don’t have a cooky marsupial on the label, it’s the substance in the bottle that really matters.