Wine Value - It's not a focus it's a way of life!

2012 Monte Antico IGT. $18 or so? Delicious Sangiovese dominated blend, with Cab and Merlot???? Plums, red cherry, quite a nice hit of funkyness. Went well with roasted tomato soup at The Rind in Midtown Sacramento!

2013 Rudolf May Retzstadter Langenberg Silvaner Der Schäfer 16€

Clean nose, reminiscent of pear and green tea. Creamy, silky texture on the palate, restrained fruit (pear again), good minerality. Hints of new oak on the finish (the wine has been 9 month in a new 1200 lt barrel made of oak from the Spessart). Perfect match for a tarte made of chard and Jerusalem artichoke with lambchops. Very good.

Posted from http://www.cellartracker.com

Is this wine from Baden?

Is this wine from Baden?

No, it is from Franken (Retzstadt, north of Würzburg).

I think, Silvaner is best from Franken.

Winfried

Southern Rhône is the source of many fine value wines and the young négociant firm, Dauvergne Ranvier, is a rising star in the whole Rhône valley up to Vienne. They are getting favourable notices in the French wine press and their wines are found both in supermarkets and at cavistes. So far I have only tried their entry level wines and have been impressed by purity of flavours appropriate to the place. I hope that they resist the temptation of overloading wines from the more famous names. They do a good job with this simple red from Lirac, not a village which I instinctively reach for from the shelves.

2012 Dauvergne Ranvier Lirac - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Lirac (3/19/2015)
Lirac is often quite heavy but this one is fleeter of foot than most while retaining medium/full body, savoury fruit, good acidity, fine tannins and a firm leathery tang on the finish. Good wine and excellent QPR at €6.

Posted from CellarTracker

Rep from Jed Steel was in town today and I managed to try a few samples at the tasting bar at Devines downtown. The wine that really impressed me was the Writers Block Counoise. Not too tannic, light floral nose and red and black berries appealed to me. Think it is around $22 Cdn which is a very good price for this neck of the woods. Lake County appellation I believe.

http://www.steelewines.com/store/w/id/1 ... etails.asp

$20 may be the new break point for interesting wines but here is a site listing over 100 wines for $10.

http://thatusefulwinesite.com/winebargains.php

Some of them aren't bad either. The wines are listed alphabetically by varietal. Clicking on a wine takes you to either WineSearcher or 1000 Corks showing you stores carrying the wine and the current price. Some prices have risen since the list last was revised. Have fun!

Brian: I can remember when Monte Antico ran me about $5-$6/bottle..Have been drinking it since the late 1980's..At one time, it was a buy by the case--or 2,wine for us..It has changed quite a bit over the years..I believe it is selling in the $12 range here on the right coast.

Hello everyone!

Probably I'll write a bit off topic, but I know that wine lovers are really friendly people. Sorry for any inconvenience!

I'm writing a dissertation about the wine tourism in Moldova. You, wine lovers, probably know about Moldova and if not you can discover a new destination with good wine and food!

I'll ask you very kindly to take part in my survey, it will take only 5 minutes, but will be of great help!

I wish you a Happy Easter! Thank you!

Here is the link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1FtcFhc ... U/viewform

Another survey, did you speak with the moderator?

To go from the sublime to the really inexpensive, I've purchased many bottles of the '12 Bogle Essential Red; not fancy, but great for an Italian BYO (in NJ, many places allow that), and friends all study the label because it's such an enjoyable wine. Not fancy, just food-friendly, and a step above (I think) "plonk", at a less-than-$10 pricetag.

(vintage not listed on the menu but similar from year to year IMHO)
La Yunta Torrontes, Argentina. I dined outside at Blue Moon Café in downtown Fayetteville (NC) yesterday on a warm day and had a glass of this wine with their signature salad and with fig jam, goat cheese and caramelized onions crostini. The cost of a glass was about 2/3 of what a bottle of this costs at some shops (under $10 for a bottle) so it wasn't such a value at restaurant prices but could be at a wine store.
Pale, with transparency. Aromatic as Torrontes tends to be. Scent of white peach. Not too oaky--fruit takes the lead. Served well chilled, it was refreshing on a warm day and, as the wine list asserts, companionable with a variety of food items.

Two Vines, 2013 Gewurz (Washington State), 11.5% abv

~ $8.00

I love gewurztraminers...from Alsace, Germany, Austria. (Although lately even fewer from these, as the oft discussed change of style corrupts more and more bottlers.) Across the board though, I've never had an American gewurz that I've liked at all. Too sweet, too glycerin slick, too flabby, just too, too everything except what I want in a gewurz. I have to admit I haven't tried a lot though, since the first few convinced me to save my money for the Europeans.

So when our family friend brought over a bottle of this Two Vines last night, I braced myself to force a smile and drink it gamely. I know Ste. Michelle had Two Vines break away from Columbia Crest in 2013, so I guess this was from their first stand alone offering. They're trucking up their red grapes from CA if I recall, but their whites are Washington I believe.

I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. It was no Trimbach, but for an American gewurz it wasn't too, too...American. Reasonable acidity and minerality, medium legs instead of the gloop I'm used to from domestics, and a nice non-cloying floral nose and finish. And considering my friend said she only paid around 8 dollars for it, I was even more impressed. I'll probably pick myself up a bottle or two in the future, particularly as my wife was quite enamored of it.

(BTW, through sheer coincidence she also brought along another Ste. Michelle offering: a 2005 Red Diamond merlot. That was also quite nice - very fresh and lively after 10 years - but I don't know what she paid for it.)

[Jenise]

So when our family friend brought over a bottle of this Two Vines last night, I braced myself to force a smile and drink it gamely. I know Ste. Michelle had Two Vines break away from Columbia Crest in 2013, so I guess this was from their first stand alone offering. They're trucking up their red grapes from CA if I recall, but their whites are Washington I believe.

This surprised so I looked into it. Indeed, the brand has a few CA reds in their corral, but the majority are Washington now. I was surprised they have so many labels--I'm not a buyer and haven't kept track of what they've been up to. Glad you found an American gewurz you liked. Sure, most won't hold a candle to their Euro cousins, but if you shop the lean/cooler vintages you might occasionally find a gem.

[David M. Bueker]

Navarro and Tercero both made very credible Gewürztraminer in California.

Navarro and Tercero both made very credible Gewürztraminer in California.

Is that the same Navarro as Navarro Correas from Argentina, David? I used to really like their cabs.

[Jenise]

Tom, no he's talking about a winery in Anderson Valley, California, who specialize in exceptional and nervy white wines like Gewurz. I'm sure they're the most Alsatian of any California (or Washington) producers who try their hand at this grape. They also make pinot noir but that's really beside the point.

[David M. Bueker]

Their Pinot Noir is not at all beside the point. Their Deep End and l'Ancienne are both outstanding wines.

Tom, no he's talking about a winery in Anderson Valley, California, who specialize in exceptional and nervy white wines like Gewurz. I'm sure they're the most Alsatian of any California (or Washington) producers who try their hand at this grape. They also make pinot noir but that's really beside the point.

Ah. Thanks, Jenise! I'll have to look for them now.

[David M. Bueker]

Navarro has a big value advantage in that they often offer 1 cent shipping.

[Jenise]

Their Pinot Noir is not at all beside the point. Their Deep End and l'Ancienne are both outstanding wines.

I didn't mean they were worthless. But the topic was Alsatian whites....

[David M. Bueker]

Their Pinot Noir is not at all beside the point. Their Deep End and l'Ancienne are both outstanding wines.

I didn't mean they were worthless. But the topic was Alsatian whites....

Yeah, sorry. I figured that out after I finished my coffee.

Brian: I can remember when Monte Antico ran me about $5-$6/bottle..Have been drinking it since the late 1980's..At one time, it was a buy by the case--or 2,wine for us..It has changed quite a bit over the years..I believe it is selling in the $12 range here on the right coast.

Missed your response, Jon, from a couple of mmonths ago.

I should clarify that this was the restaurant price, so I would guess its cheaper retail.

appreciate the feedback, Brian..At $18, that is a very fair resto price