Good Cabernet for $15??
Most people say that it is easy to buy a good bottle of cabernet for $50. The real challenge is finding the good bottle for much less. Well, given the challenge, I had to post this for your palate and pocket experience. This comes from Wine Spectator Advance; and, after reading about it, I had to share it with you.
Columbia Crest
Cabernet Sauvignon Horse Heaven Hills H3 2012
92 points | $15 | 162,000 cases made | Red
“Dark and spicy, billowing with plum, currant and white chocolate flavors, picking up pear and white tea notes as the finish lingers with refinement. The tannins are submerged. Drink now through 2018.” —H.S.
2012 Tres Picos Garnacha: A Great Buy and Now Available
This is an alert! I had written about the 2012 Tres Picos Garnacha many months ago as a great value. I had read the review and how well it was regarded. I have been eagerly awaiting the distribution, and I found it today in my local supermarket!!! Here is a refresher on what has been written about this wine, which usually costs under $20. I tasted this wine this evening. Right after pulling the cork, it was lush and fruity. Look for it near your home – a wonderful buy!
Reading and Sharing About Wine — Almost As Much Fun As Tasting
One of my favorite pastimes is tasting wine. It is a pleasure to sip and discover what is in the glass. That is the obvious first choice as a path to exploring new wines. I also savor reading about wines as a second path. In my recent reading, I found a couple wines that I wanted to share with you. These both have large enough productions that you may be able to find them at retailers in your area. I found these in the Wine Spectator sneak preview buying guide. Again, it’s not completely about the rating; yet, with a good one, it makes it worth trying,
Go with “Pride”
This past Sunday, we enjoyed a ride up the mountain to tour and taste at Pride Mountain Vineyards. This famous winery is located atop Spring Mountain and provides glorious views of Mount St. Helena and the Mayacamas Range. The expanse of vines provides picture perfect scenery for the photographer in you. Many times I have visited and never tire of the beauty of the setting.
While I am doing my best to explore the 500 wineries in Napa County and almost 450 in Sonoma County (yes, that is a lot), there is one winery I always seem to come back to — and that is Pride Mountain Vineyards. It is the winery I have the longest history with and always enjoy visiting. The people are gracious, the views are lovely and the wine – oh, yes, the wine is quite pleasurable to drink.
A Great Value out of Washington State
I wanted to do a quick post to tell you about a wine that I can readily recommend based on past purchases and drinking enjoyment. It’s the Baer Winery Star from 2011, which comes from Columbia Valley, Washington. This winery has a history of having its wines make Wine Spectator’s Top 100 List.
Trust me, I do not go by scores alone, since there are many times I feel very differently about wines that are highly rated by Robert Parker or Wine Spectator. I really appreciate, though, that I can feel relatively confident that a wine with a good score is a good direction to venture in and explore for myself.
Napa: Press On!
I am a native Californian and have grown up with earthquakes. I learned how to seek shelter under a table or stand in the doorway, because doorways are the last to fall. I am sure this sounds strange to many of my friends across the states. We have learned, as natives of the state, to take it in stride – no different than folks who live in areas of other natural disasters. Even so, it is a tragedy to see cracks in roadways, fallen bricks, and damage to homes and businesses as a measure of the magnitude of force that exists in nature.
Many people were injured this past Sunday when the 6.1 earthquake hit in American Canyon, which is the city just south of the city of Napa. I am sure that all saw the pictures of fallen buildings, damaged facades of old structures, and some fires as a result of gas leaks. The pictures of broken bottles and fallen barrels filled the TV screens. What we are fortunate for is that, for all the energy that was unleashed with the movement of earth, there were no fatalities. I know that is not the only measure of the extent of damage from an event, yet it is very lucky. Sympathies are extended to those who were hurt, and we all know that if the quake had hit in the daytime, the loss of life and the number of injured would have been much greater. That it did take place in the middle of the night is a blessing. Still many people have been injured and suffered. The loss of a home is a horrible experience. Again, sympathies to each for your loss and the challenges you must bear on the road back.
Time to Check the Temperature at Home
The ideal temperature for wine storage has always been touted as between 55 and 57 degrees. This is the best temperature for reds to age gracefully over the long term. Well, now we have a scientific study to document what happens when we keep wine in warmer temperatures, such as would be normal for a home. Now scientists have done a study showing that wine stored in a typical home can age four times as fast as wine kept under ideal conditions.
The experiment was conducted with 400 bottles of Sangiovese. 200 of the bottles were stored in the ideal conditions, while the other 200 were kept at temperatures typical of the home environment.
Wine — In a Flash
Everybody loves a good deal. In today’s market, there are opportunities to purchase wine at discounts from 10 to 20% or even as much as 40% off retail. These opportunities can be found at something called Flash Wine Sites. They typically offer limited quantities of wines at discounts. The wine is offered for a limited time – hence the name “Flash.” This can be a great bargain. Akin to Tuesday Morning or other discount stores, the situation is not one of searching for a particular label or brand – you need to be open to what is being offered. There are bargains to be had if you know your wineries and what the vintage being sold has to offer. If so, this may be right up your alley.
This is the market place born out of the excess inventory of wineries. For wineries with an excess, it makes a lot of sense to offer their inventory to a flash site to move it efficiently and quickly. In just a few short years, this segment of the wine market has grown to about 100 million dollars in annual sales. This accounts for approximately 25% of the online wine market, according to an estimate by the wine industry-consulting firm VinTank.
Just Say No — to Bad Wine
Travel and being on the road can be tedious at times. While many hotels do their best to be hip and even provide wine tasting hours, many fall short. It can be a real challenge to get a good glass of wine while traveling and staying in hotels. Ordering wine by the glass in the restaurant can be frustrating as well. Recently, I have had some experiences that have taxed my taste buds.
Just recently, I was staying at a hotel in Los Angeles, and their steak house had a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. I was by myself and ordered a glass of wine off the wine list. The list touted a Washington wine from a very good vintage, and I was excited to try it. They had good crystal on the table, so I expected a great glass. Upon arrival, the wine had no aromatics; the taste was flaccid and bitter. This was unacceptable.
Hot Summer — Cool, Refreshing White Wine!
The forecast for the West Coast is hotter than usual. By now, that is no surprise for many who live here. The thermometer has been over 100 degrees in Sacramento several days this summer, and it is only July. Hot daytime temperatures make us all a little thirsty. A great, refreshing white to “pound on down on the patio” is Pinot Grigio, as the Italians call it. It is also known as Pinot Gris in other parts of the world. In fact, this little grape is produced all around the world and has many different titles depending on whether you are in France, Germany, Austria, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, or Australia. This is a lovely white wine that hails from around the world.
The Pinot Grigio I’d like to tell you about today is grown in Napa. It’s lightly honeyed, with a hint of spice and minerality. It’s darn good and refreshing! It is the perfect apéritif to start the evening and set up the palate for dinner or simply to enjoy in the afternoon with no food at all. I unfortunately have drunk all that we bought and must go back for more.