$10 Tuesday: Great little go-to white

Here's the current top-pick in our weekly what wine to pour with Sunday chicken quandary. Chicken should be easy to pair, right? Well, red wine lovers that we are, we tend to run lean on the white selection (we've had our fair share of chicken with Pinot Noir nights). Sometimes even red wine lovers want white wine with chicken!

This golden Saumur Chenin Blanc 2008 from Caves de Saumur fits the bill. It offers a nice full mouthfeel for the Chardonnay fans, while still delivering the food-friendly acidity so notably missing from typical Chardonnays. I believe this bottle retails in the $9 to $12 range.

In the glass, aromas of pear and citrus are laced with almond and hay. There's just a wisp of vanilla that quickly blows off. The zingy attack is citrusy: Lemon and grapefruit are followed by mouth-filling apple which then gives way to a slightly mineral finish. It's got a little something for everyone.

We've already enjoyed a few bottles but this is the first opportunity I've had to post about it because the bottle is usually drained before the tasting notes can be written!

A good Pinot under $10? Hellz ya.

That's right folks, this is the best Pinot Noir under $10 that I can remember having. Of course it's French (the best source for food-friendly Pinot IMHO), and also of course a Vin de Pays.

This is seriously good fall food wine: Dynamite with beef stew or butternut squash lasagna. Not sure if you can tell from the picture, but the bottle is empty...yeah so...don't really have much in the way of tasting notes for you other than that it tastes like Pinot: Nice bright fruit on the attack with lots of subtle beef-stew-complimenting cocoa and spice in a mellow yet undulating finish.

We never buy wine by the case but, we might just have to get at least a half a case of this stuff. I love love love butternut squash dishes in the fall and sure, any Pinot would be good with butternut squash but, *this* Pinot is GOOD and CHEAP. What's not to love?

Bouchard Aîné & Fils

Vintage: 2007
Grape: Pinot Noir
Appellation: Vin de Pays D'OC
Aromas: Cherry, garrigue, vanilla
Flavors: good, try it.

$10 Tuesday: Go-to Garnacha

Here is another damn fine under ten dollar wine from Bodegas Borsao (Campo de Borja D.O.). We paid $8 but, I've seen it for as low as six and change.

The 2007 vintage is all about the blackberry: A hint of tobacco and stewed cinnamon stick and blackberry, blackberry, blackberry. It's super fruity but still shows best when paired with bold spicy dishes with lots of garlic. Great pizza wine!

This is my new favorite go-to eight dollar red!

$10 Tuesday: Taking the "Blah" Out of "Wine Blog"

Right, so this week I was supposed to post that $9 Côtes du Ventoux I couldn’t face last week, but…oops! Somebody drank it all. (wasn’t me!) As I recall, it smelled like Grenache and tasted like grapefruit. If I were tasting it blind, I may have guessed it was a white wine. Well, Côtes du Ventoux is known for being a light red so, I guess this one was right on the money. I have nothing to compare it to though as I have not had another Côtes du Ventoux. At any rate, this particular bottle was not really my style. It seemed surprisingly flabby with food but, apparently it was quaffable (judging by the now empty bottle).

Meanwhile, one week and two days after TasteCamp East, I think I’m almost ready to open another bottle of wine! In all honesty, I think I got in over my head going to Long Island with a bunch of professional wine tasters. Okay, okay…only half of them were actual professional wine tasters in the sense that wine tasting is listed in their job description—the other half totally could be professionals though. One thing they all have in common: They all got chops!

Yep, I was spitting [almost] everything at TasteCamp but, I think the wine was somehow soaking into my bloodstream through my cheek tissue or something (I believe I’ve heard of that kind of thing happening). Anyway, I have spent the last week+ just trying to dry out. Rest assured people: I’m pretty sure I will drink wine again. I am merely unable to venture a guess as to when. Soon, I’m sure! But, on that note, I would like to announce a change to the $10 Tuesday format.

Life's too short to drink cheap wine.

–Anonymous

…Cheap wine; bad wine; no matter how you phrase it, nobody wins from the Tasters A & B tossing the dice on a $10 bottle of wine and losing. It seems to me that there actually are a lot of pretty uninteresting wines available in the $10-and-under category and finding one that is worth mentioning is luck of the draw. Being as we don’t have the resources (or inclination) to taste through dozens of $10 wines every week in order to distill the field down to a weekly gem, $10 Tuesday will no longer be a weekly feature.

Worry not value-minded Reader: whenever we do run into a fun or interesting $10 wine, we’ll post a $10 Tuesday to let you know about it. I’m just not going to kill my liver trying to seek one out every single week. If you know of a producer or a region producing attention-worthy wines in the $10 price range, please feel free to pass your recommendations on to us. We’re always happy to find such values in wine. In the meantime, I’ve got a cellar full of 15-35 dollar wines that needs my attention. ;)

$10 Tuesday: Tempranillo

This week's ten dollar wine is actually only eight bucks. What a deal! We love red wine, and we really like some of the lighter reds like Tempranillo that you can drink on a warmer day without getting cottonmouth.

Reinares

Vino de la Tierra de Castilla
Vintage: 2007
Grape: Tempranillo
Alcohol: 13%

Aromas: Cherry, bramble, spice, strawberry, neroli
Flavors: Cherry, strawberry, allspice,fig

Summary: This country wine is not bad for eight bones. It's not terribly complex and it's a little shy on acidity which makes the tannins seem a little more dominant but, these are small quibbles. Really, there's not much bad I can say about an eight dollar Spanish Tempranillo (yes, I'm biased). The only thing that I didn't like about this wine was that it seemed kind of yeasty.

$10 Tuesday: White Côtes du Rhône

We've had this label before in a Rosé and been quite pleased with it so we thought what the heck, let's try the white.

Le Pas de la Beaume
White Côtes du Rhône

Vintage: 2008
Alcohol: 13.5%
Grapes: Grenache Blanc (65%), Clairette (20%), Marsanne (15%)
Price: ~$10

Aromas: Green apple, honeydew, tropical fruit
Flavors: Green apple, lemon, mineral, butter
Acidity: moderate
Sweetness: ultra-dry
Mouthfeel: round

On the nose is crisp green apple, honeydew, and something tropical--like starfruit. But, it could be that I just have starfruit on the brain because dhonig said it...(have I ever even had starfruit?) The flavor is quite starkly mineral, with a rather incongruous buttery finish and, as one observer put it, it is "dryer than a cork." This is a food wine, and does have adequate acidity to serve that purpose.

I don't know, I wasn't all that inspired by this one. It's a decent good table wine that goes well with food, but I don't have much to say about it. I know people who like this wine. I think I prefer the Rosé. I couldn't remember having a Grenache Blanc before but, checking back, I see indeed we have, and it seems we enjoyed that one a bit more.

$10 Tuesday: Perrin Côtes du Rhône

Perrin Reserve
Red Côtes du Rhône

Vintage: 2006
Alcohol: 13%
Grapes: Grenache (60%), Syrah (20%), Mourvedre & Cinsault (10%)
Price: ~$9

Aromas: Bramble, wet stone, garrigue, violet, pepper, raspberry
Flavors: Cherry, orange, coffee, pepper
Acidity: moderate
Mouthfeel: suede


Summary: This is great everyday table wine with plenty of CdR character. The great thing about a cheap Côtes du Rhône is it has so much more interest than a similarly priced mass produced new world wine. It is not as plush and may take some getting used to if you are accustomed to something more homogenized but, I really recommend getting out of your comfort zone and trying something like this with a meal. Personally, I find a lot of the mass produced wines give me heartburn, whereas, a wine like this has the opposite effect. Overall, this is a pleasant, not overly complex or bold wine with a velvety peppery finish.
You can read more about the 2006 harvest over at Beaucastel Blog.

$10 Tuesday, Zorvino Winery

Those of you that follow this blog will remember that I just had a jones this spring. I just had to go back to my roots and get to a maple sugar house and stick my head into the steam. I found a sugar house up in Chester, New Hampshire one Sunday that was sugaring and I just had to go. B was doing homework and I was on a mission to find an arc, feel the heat on my jeans, smell the sap boiling and after 30 years, just find someone else that just understands what it means to sugar.

Driving up the back road in Sandown, New Hampshire, just five miles from my target I saw a sign by the road that said, “Wine Tasting”. I almost sprained my ankle jumping on the breaks. What is this, I’m in the middle of Southern New Hampshire? Well, let me fill you in about Zorvino Vineyards.

I walked into the tasting room and got a cheery, hello and welcome from Rue (right) and Sally who were operating the tasting room. We sat down and started to chat about the wines and the vineyard, and what I learned rocked my universe about business models for making wine.

This part of New Hampshire is not buffered by the ocean like Jewell Towne is, so the weather is, well New England weather. Thus it is difficult to find a grape to produce quality wines. But you are Jim Zanello, and you have a heritage of wine making. What do you do? You source your grapes. You source your grapes from Tuscany, Northern California and South America. Check this out, it’s like having two harvest seasons! Right off the bat, I have affinity for this winery. But can they make wine? Yes.

Zorvino Vineyards makes small batches in stainless steel. They are using modern techniques, to make wines in a style that are very flavorful, full bodied, beautifully extracted and just great values.

They are very open about where the grapes are sourced. On the tasting sheet, they list the growing region. They do not barrel age, but they do use chips. The result is a very mildly wooded wine that is similar to the styles of Chile, Argentina and Italy.

I brought two bottles home, the 2007 Chardonnay made with grapes sourced from the Curico Valley of Chile and the 2008 Carmenere, grapes also sourced from the Curico Valley of Chile.

Chardonnay 2007
Zorvino Vuneyards

Alcohol: 12.3%
Price: $10.00

Color: Straw Yellow
Intensity: Pale
Aromas: Vanilla, melon, honey, butterscotch, malt, oak
Flavors: Lemon, mango, butterscotch, oak, mineral, stone, lime zest
Acidity: Moderate
Sweetness: Dry
Finish: Long

Summary: This is a rather refreshing experience. Here in central, southern New Hampshire, I have found a chardonnay that I actually like. I’m not a big Chardonnay fan, I prefer Sauvignon Blanc. Here is a Chardonnay that is moderately buttery, mildly oaked, ever so slightly toasted that was very enjoyable. Nothing in this wine is overpowering. It is not trying to be the world’s best Chardonnay. Like a good friend that stopped over to shoot the breeze, it’s just a pleasurable experience.

We are having this tonight with baked potatoes. This will go good with anything you’d serve Chardonnay with, and you’ll like it.

Back at the Vineyard, I tasted the Dry Mascato, Pinot Grigio, the Chardonnay (above), Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Merlot. Chatting with Rue, I told him about my Italian heritage and how I have Sangiovese in my blood. At that point, he took me back to the tank for a special barrel tasting of the Sangiovese that Zorvino is making. It’s going to be real gooood and I’ll have to make a trip up when it is released.


Carmenere
Zorvino Vineyards

Vintage: 2008
Alcohol: 12.5
Price: $15.00

Color: Garnett
Intensity: Dark
Aromas: Cherry, blueberry, smoked meat, black pepper, hay, American oak, rose
Flavors: Cherry, chocolate, licorice, tobacco, allspice, cinnamon, blueberry,
Body: Full
Sweetness: Dry
Tannins: Soft
Finish: Moderately long

Summary: This is a big surprise. Who would have thought that a good carmernere could be made in New Hampshire. We opened this wine with a tomato based vegetable pasta dish. It complemented the spicy dish very well. The flavors are bold even though the aromas are a little tight. Once it opened up, it became floral. The wood notes are complimentary, not dominant, meaning that it is not overpowered oak and smoke. This leaves the flavors and aromas unfettered by over oaking.

This is a good valued table wine made by an emerging winery, right here in New England.


I would have this with Mediterranean lamb dishes, Italian tomato or roasted meat dishes, pizza or Mexican. It is an easy wine to have with heavier foods.

$10 Tuesday: Chilean Sauvignon Blanc

Okay, I cheated this week because this wine is technically $12 but, most of us should be able to find this for a little less...

oops Cheeky Little White
Sauvignon Blanc

Vintage: 2008
Growing Area: Valle Central, Chile
Alcohol: 13 %
Price: ~$12

Color: straw
Intensity: medium
Aromas: pear, grass, honeydew, blood orange
Flavors: melon, lemon, dust, allspice, granny smith
Body: viscous
Acidity: crisp
Sweetness: dry
Finish: moderate

Summary: This is not a bad Sauvignon Blanc at the SRP of $12 but, I'm pretty sure you can find it for closer to $10 which is even better. We tried this side by side with the 2008 Casillero del Diablo Sauvignon Blanc which is at the same price point and considerably more plonky tasting.

The oops Sauvignon Blanc has nice minerality, and good acidity (even when slightly warm). It's very dusty almost leaving a starchy coating similar to a green granny smith apple. We had this with a pork roast glazed with a honey-orange-lignonberry sauce. The tarragon and cardamom in the sauce complimented the wine nicely. This will be a very refreshing Sauvignon Blanc for summer 2009.

$10 Tuesday: Prosperity Chardonnay

Once, again I’ve been successfully marketed to by a wine label. I just couldn’t resist the message of prosperity or the under $8 price tag. That’s right: We’re saving you two dollars and change this week. Also, we haven’t had any Santa Barbara Chards that I can recall so, this was an easy sell.

Sniffing the Cork author, Judy Beardsall, wrote that she never pays more that $25 for a domestic white. I’m with her on that one, especially when it comes to Chardonnay which can tend to be a bit bland. This wine is exceptionally un-bland, and has great body and acidity, unlike some flabby chards that sell for two or three times as much.

Prosperity Chardonnay
Prosperity Wines

Vintage: NV
AVA: Santa Barbara County
Alcohol: 13.5 %
Price: $7.29

Color: golden
Intensity: medium
Aromas: apple, butter, melon, pear, banana-bread
Flavors: apple, pear, lemon essence, nutmeg
Body: viscous
Acidity: crisp
Sweetness: dry
Finish: moderate

Summary: This Chard works hard so you don’t have to. It’s crisp and clean yet smells like banana bread! If you like to keep an inexpensive Chardonnay on hand, this is one that will fit the bill without breaking the bank. I’m going to stop right here because I can see that I’ve slipped into slogan-writing mode… ”Here’s a stimulus package for your senses. Just chill, serve and relax! You just spent less on this bottle than most people spent on one day’s worth of caramel macchiatos in 2008. You work hard, and this year you told the kids they have to pay for their own text messages. So indulge yourself--you can afford to. Prosperity…It’s a way of life.”

$10 Tuesday, Taking a Chance in the Spanish Aisle

We are running lean and mean in the wine cellar. We have some nice bottles left in the cellar, but I’m coming off from a two week shutdown and I have another shutdown facing me in the near future. Now isn’t the time to be plopping down big buck for over the top wines. I was driving home from doing research for my maple post and realized that I need a $10 wine for Tuesday.

Driving down I-95 through New Hampshire, you hit a stretch where there are two state owned liquor stores, one for the north bound traffic, one for the south bound traffic. I normally don’t see the point of shopping at the state stores. I have my favorite wine shops where I know the folks behind the counter and I can count on getting something really good. I may pay a buck or two more, but I’m giving my money to a store owner, not the government. The government will be getting its 5 pounds of flesh from us in five weeks, thank you very much.

The salient point is that I was thinking about our readers. I know times are tough, but I want our readers to find values without feeling like they have to run around barefoot with penguins and kangaroos. For me, that would be sad. Realizing that I have the same problem as many out there, what advice do I have to give? Be adventurous and try new things.

Italy, Spain, Chile, Argentina are all cranking out some really good values these days. I headed to the Italian section and saw three or four wines that would be good. We are having pork, so I don’t want a big, bold Chilean or Argentinean wine. Australia is out. Too big for what B is going to make. B’s recipe is going to be mildly spiced and flavorful. It’s time to walk down the Spanish wine aisle.

On my way, I walked by a nice selection of Bordeaux and Cotes du Rhone wines; a couple of Sangiovese wines... You see, there are plenty of great candidates for a $10 Tuesday wine. And then, there it was…something that I had no idea what it was! 2006 Protocolo Vino de la Tierra de Castilla. Red wine from the north of Spain, $7.99. What the hell is this stuff? I have no clue. It’s either going to be good or not. Let’s see how it did.

Protocolo
Vino de la Tierra de Castilla
(country wine of Castilla)

Vintage: 2006
Alcohol: 13.5
Price: $7.99

Color: Garnet
Intensity: Dark
Aromas: Dust, prune, raisin, cherry, blueberry, earth,
Flavors: Cherry, raspberry, pomegranate, cranberry, allspice, tobacco, chocolate, chestnut wood
Body: Full
Sweetness: Dry
Tannins: Leather
Finish: Long

Summary: I’m very happy with this wine. It is big but will yield for B’s pork and roasted sweet potatoes. The first whiff was dusty, earthy and spicy. Then the wine opened up with dried fruit and spices. This is good. For me, this is the best wine experience: Walking down the aisles, making an educated guess and then being surprised at how good it really is.


This will go well with pork, red Mexican dishes, roasted anything, Mediterranean, and Moroccan.

Later, curiosity was killing me. What is this stuff? I had to find out. A little work uncovered that it’s Tempranillo!

$10 Tuesday: Mendoza Malbec

I got kind of burned out on super-extracted Dimetapp Malbecs last year so I haven't had one for a while. Fortunately, the Finca El Retiro 2006 Malbec isn't like that.

This Malbec is purple and fruit-forward as you would expect but, it doesn't have the concentrated fruit syrup finish you sometimes find on South American Malbecs. The label recommends decanting which is always sound advice. There's a lot of dark berry, some chocolate, and toasty almond on the nose.

On the palate we find blackberry, bramble, black cherry, raspberry, and more toasted almond. In terms of mouthfeel, I am reminded of something Temudjin's father told him to look for in a wife--"a round flat face." When paired with a marsala sauce, some anise characteristics made a brief but vivid appearance. There's also some mild meatiness on the finish.

Apparently, this wine might be hard to get in the UK. It seems that in 2002, the British importer Liberty Wines broke their commercial relationship with Tittarelli stating "we felt they no longer had a place on the UK market." We on the other hand, feel that there is always room for a new world Malbec that shows the above-average restraint in the genre that this wine does--especially, with a price tag of ten bucks.

$10 Tuesday: Rioja Dry White

I wish I had some shrimp scampi or fried clams for this week's $10 Tuesday. Tonight we have a dry white Rioja made from 100% Viura grapes.

This is the kind of wine you want to pair with briney seafood period. To serve anything else is to do this wine a disservice (not to mention yourself!)

On the nose we find ample pineapple, a little mushroom, and a hint of butter (actually, it's closer to the residual memory of the idea of butter). There's also an overall citrus theme cutting straight through from the zesty attack to the orange peel pith finish. I wouldn't call the finish velvety because there's so much tongue-dancing citrus going on but, the overall texture is moderately viscous. It's supremely dry--a real tongue duster.

I don't recommend anyone buying this wine willy-nilly for an average Tuesday night. I mean you can but, I think it's a recipe for disappointment, and I hate to see a wine dismissed due to improper context. I would hope that the majority of this wine will be consumed in Spanish seaside tavernas where it can be properly married with sun, salt, sea, and copious little plates of tastiness.

$10 Tuesday: White Bordeaux

Fruity, clean, and crisp: That about sums up this Mouton Cadet Bordeaux 2007. Chateau Mouton Rothschild sells 15 million bottles of Mouton Cadet annually. Most of it is for export. Apparently, they commissioned a consumer survey in 2003 in which they learned that the consumer wanted a more fruit driven wine; and that is what they've delivered with this wine.

We found pear, honeydew, and lemon on the nose. There is also the most subtle hint of mushroom, or is it smoke... (smoked mushroom, perhaps) but, it's really subtle--hardly worth mentioning.

The palate is clean with a crisp attack, pleasant citrus notes, and a hint of mineral on the finish. A little more mineral would have been nice. This is an easy, versatile white wine that pairs well with a variety of foods. We had it with thai peanut spring rolls over the weekend. We also served it with lemon spaghetti with shrimp in a tomato, garlic, caper sauce. The acidity in this wine holds up nicely. There is really nothing to dislike in this wine. A solid performance.

$10 Tuesday: Navarra Tempranillo Garnacha

We were in the $10 section of the package store and zeroed in on some Garnacha blends. There were three or four to pick from and I picked this one. Why? That's right: It was the awesome label. I admit it. That's what the label is for... Besides, I have to photograph a lot of wine bottles so aesthetics count! But, enough justifying my purchase decisions...

I never pass up a Garnacha. I love the way the aroma of Garnacha twists toward fig and bbq peach, and the flavor is so light and easy. This Garnacha Tempranillo blend sounded like a sure bet for $10, and it was. The nose has nice dark berry fruit with a spicy mole aroma going on in the background. It has refreshing acidity, more of that deep berry mid-palate, and then a nice spicy finish--very peppery capsaicin finish. The tannins and acidity are nicely balanced and stand up to a meal.

This wine would be a great choice for tapas involving chorizo or things wrapped in bacon. It also passed my olive test: It held it's own with both the feta stuffed, and the garlic stuffed olives. We just had plain old spaghetti but, the wine inspired me to add a little chili powder and cayenne pepper to the sauce. I would serve this wine with chili too...or a nice earthy mole.

Red Guitar

DOC: Navarra
Grapes: Tempranillo %55, Garnacha 45%
Price: $9.99
Alcohol: 14%
Aromas: Blackberry, earth, peach, mole
Flavors: Blackberry, blueberry, black cherry, chili pepper


In case you couldn't tell, we liked this wine.

$10 Tuesday: Viognier Mate

This week we have an Australian Viognier from Deen De Bortoli. Interestingly, all of the Viognier we have written up on this blog have been in the $10 range. I wouldn't rate this as the best of the group but I will say that this is certainly a "safe" wine with mass appeal.

There is lots of ripe tropical fruit and butter on the nose. It's citrusy on the palate with pretty good acidity. It goes very flat in the mid-palate and has a short finish but, it's quite an adequate wine when paired with broiled salmon, rice and broccoli in a lemon-butter sauce. Even though I wasn't overly impressed with this wine, I'll admit I was slugging it down with the salmon; I was thirsty.

So to recap: Most people would like this wine; most wine people wouldn't; not bad for ten bucks; then again, for ten bucks there are a lot of good choices in Viognier. So, maybe try this one instead. I could have looked past the ubiquitous butteriness of this wine, if it weren't for the disappearing act on the mid-palate.

$10 Tuesday: Dom Burnet Pinot Noir

Putting up a $10 wine once a week has it's challenges. Unlike the glossies, we can't just bring 60 bottles in here and start tasting, picking only the best of the bunch to share with you. We are actually purchasing and drinking these bottles just like you. So, sometimes we pick a winner and sometimes, well...

That being said, this week's $10 selection is a Vin de Pays Pinot Noir. I know, I know--a Pinot Noir for $10? It can't be good, right? I don't know about you but, I've arbitrarily chosen $18.99 as my rock-bottom Pinot Noir price point. But, this is also Vin de Pays with a price ceiling of $11.99. The upshot? This may not be a killer Pinot Noir, but it's a pretty good $10 wine.

Dom Brunet

Pinot Noir
2007
Vin de Pays
Alcohol: 13%
Price: $10
Aromas: Bramble, cherry, anise, cola
Flavors: Cherry, mineral, anise, blueberry, clove

Summary: DECANT! DECANT! DECANT! I can't stress that enough. Without air this is a tight, metallic, tough little wine. A couple of hours of decanting makes a world of difference. Better yet, save most of the bottle for a couple of nights after you first open it--some of the mellower Pinot Noir nuances start to appear at that point. Properly aired, this is the best $10 Pinot Noir I've tried. Of course, it's nothing like a new world $9-$15 Pinot which is typically all soft, creamy and one-dimensional. This wine is a little more angular which I like, because it goes well with food and it's somewhat dynamic. The color is dark fuschia and the body is light and dominated by high-toned cherry flavors mixed with bramble with a spicy light-tannin finish. As a Pinot Noir, this wine ain't half bad--as a table wine, it's darn good.


Happy Inauguration Day

$10 Tuesday: PietraLuna Negramaro 2006

Pietraluna

Negramaro del Salento 2006
Alcohol: 13%
Price: $9.60 (at Bin Ends)
Aromas: Raspberry, dulce de leche, blackberry, sour plum, licorice
Flavors: Blackberry, cinnamon stick, cherry, dust

Summary: This is our first Negramaro del Salento (the heel of the boot). Negro Amaro translates to "black and bitter" which sets the stage when sampling this wine for the first time. The ripe juicy nose with hints of herbal notes actually reminds me of some Greek wines we've had. There is a distinctive aroma I can't quite place (persimmon?) The body is light (a little flat in the mid-palate) with a spicy finish and acidity that melds nicely with a tomato sauce. It's tempting to want to serve this wine to with Tapas but, be advised: It really gets it's ass kicked by a salty garlic-stuffed olive in vinegar (maybe olives packed in oil would be a better choice). Overall, an interesting and affordable example of a lesser known sub-variety from Southern Italy.

NPR reports on trend toward less expensive wines

So far this month the big story circulating in the wine world is the falloff of higher end wine sales, and an increase in wine purchases made in grocery stores and under the $10 mark. Today, the story even makes NPR. K&L is featured along with one of their customers. Also mentioned is Bon Apetit's new Best Wines Under $10 list. We've begun reviewing $10 wine on a weekly basis here, as well, and so you can add our reviews to Bon Apetit's list.

$10 Tuesday: Red Côtes du Ventoux

The Côtes du Ventoux AOC is located in the southeastern region of the region of the Rhône wine region of France. The geology has limestone soils giving the wines a good mineral balance and lighter touch.

Red wines are made from, Syrah, Cinsault, Mourvèdre, and Carignan (maximum 30%). White wines are produced from Clairette, Bourboulenc, and Grenache Blanc, and a maximum 30% Roussane. There is an interesting article about the 2000 years of wine production history on the Côtes du Ventoux website.

The wines from this region are made to be enjoyed young. This one is four years old, purchased past its pundit declared prime of 2007. How did it do? Is it past its prime?

Côtes du Ventoux AOC
Chapelle St. Arnoux

Vintage: 2004
Alcohol: 14%
Price: $10.00

Color: Ruby
Intensity: Deep
Aromas: Blackberry, cherry, plum, earth, slight smoked meat
Flavors: Cherry, raspberry, blackberry, cherry, plum, earth, stuck flint, anise, oak, coffee, cassis, sandalwood, black pepper
Body: Full
Acidity: Moderate
Sweetness: Dry
Tannins: Suede
Finish: Long

Summary: Very long finish starting with the fruit flavors working to an earthy-spicy taste. The tannins have mellowed out a bit leaving a very pleasant feel. This wine was supposed to be past its prime? I think we caught it before it declined. No, it doesn’t taste young. It is very enjoyable, maybe a little mellower than in its younger day, but I’m thoroughly enjoying it. This has a good enough tannin structure to hold up. If you got one in the back of the cellar, pull it out and enjoy it right now.


This will go well with anything; a good hard cheese, grilled meats and veggies, Mediterranean food, or a darn good cheeseburger made with sharp cheddar cheese. Try some dark chocolate too.