Red Wine

This Italian red is ready for Autumn. When I was a kid, Thursdays were designated pasta nights (actually spaghetti or macaroni, in my neighborhood nobody called it “pasta” back then). Whether it was traditional spaghetti and meatballs, or my Moms’ all-American version of Goulash - basically an Italian style meat and tomato sauce with elbow macaroni opposed to the true Hungarian style which is a very different animal – Thursdays always smelled great in our house.

At first look, this wine had me shaking my head in dismay. I found myself groaning over the fact that I’d be tasting another uninspiring, thin, ho-hum cheap Bordeaux. There is no shortage of such creatures; in fact I’ve had difficulty finding good Bordeaux for under $15.00 with the exception of those I had in France.

The Domaine de L’Ameillaud 2011 Vin De Pays is an undervalued import from David Bowler that over delivers. An exceptional Rhone style from the village of Cairanne, the 2011 L’Ameillaud is a blend of 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 20% Carignan.

If you are looking for a good everyday Cabernet that isn’t too thin or tastes like it came out of a chemists’ lab, try the 2012 Cedar Springs Cabernet Sauvignon.

We have been singing the praises of French and Spanish value wines over the last few months and rightly so, but we should not ignore the underrated and low-priced Portuguese wines.

Your spouse called and said your in-laws are coming for a casual dinner and you need to bring home a bottle or two of wine. It seems simple enough, except the mother-in-law likes sophisticated wines that are usually French and the old man tends to like easy drinking reds on the dry side. So what do you do now?

Memorial Day weekend is here and the air around western New York will be full of smoky, aromatic goodness from a variety of foods grilling away in thousands of backyards. Of course plenty of beer will be consumed, but for us wine folk there are terrific choices to be made for grilled food.

What if you had to choose one wine that could fit the bill for a vast amount of grilled foods? If you factor in the most popular foods over the weekend you’d probably find steak, ribs, burgers, hot dogs, sausage, ka-bobs, and BBQ chicken. So what could possibly pair well with any of these favorites?

A few weeks back, I tried a delicious Medoc that impressed me a great deal. The wine was beautifully balanced at a terrific price. It is rare that a Bordeaux of that quality comes in under twenty dollars.

This week I was pleasantly surprised once again by another terrific Bordeaux for $14.99. This one is a Graves that is a fifty-fifty blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a delicate nose but don’t let that fool you. This red has wonderful fruit. It has very concentrated black currant, blackberry and plum flavors. Underneath, there is a bit of licorice and a touch of vanilla and spice. The finish is smooth with soft tannins.

Often the word velvety is over used to describe the mouth feel of fine wines, but in this case, I believe the descriptor is quite accurate. Give this wine sufficient time to breathe in order to get the full effect of the fruit.
This wine will pair very easily with many assorted meat dishes including beef, pork, or turkey and chicken.

Even before you taste this wine, or open the bottle for that matter, you will be intrigued by the nostalgic label reminiscent of an illustration from a boy’s adventure novel from the 1930’s. The label and even the name, hints at a mysterious cellar, possibly in a desert region. But make no mistake; there is nothing old or dusty about this wine. It is vibrant and complex with a satisfying finish.

The snow has stopped…. for now, and while we are itching for Spring, cool weather still prevails and reds are still high in demand. Stews are still being consumed with other meaty comfort foods like meatloaf and chili. There are many reds that pair well with these dishes. However, I personally love a strong, fruit driven spicy Malbec.
The 2010 Jelu Malbec is a very dark purple, nearly black wine with a deep plum aroma and spice with plum and chocolate flavors with more spice on the palate. It will be difficult to have just one glass so if you are sharing, I advise you to buy at least two bottles at the terrific bargain price of $8.99 a bottle. Try this wine with nachos and salsa. Delicious.
Note: Due to the fact that many of the wines I have tasted lately and wish to share with you are slightly over the $10.00 mark that I originally intended for this blog, I have changed the name to Great Value Wines. This will give me more flexibility when choosing great wines that may