New! New! Not.

We’ve been going through a phase. We’re actually a little tired of trying new this, new that, in search of another good affordable everyday wine. We’ve just been buying our known favorites – two of this, three of that, maybe even a case of something just to have Old Reliable on hand.

Thus, we don’t have a lot of new reviews we’re excited about (although we do have a backlog of tasting notes still to post). So we thought we’d list – for you and as a reminder for ourselves – some of our current all-time-favorite fallback affordable wines. These are the wines we’re buying in multiple quantities and keeping on hand for everyday drinking.

• Castle Rock Pinot Noir – California
• Barnard Griffin Syrah – Washington
• Red Diamond Syrah – Washington
• Concannon Petite Sirah – California
• Barnard Griffin Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot – Washington
• Tapeña Garnacha (Grenache) – Spain
• Tapeña Tempranillo – Spain
• Beringer White Zinfandel – California
• Brancott Sauvignon Blanc – New Zealand
• Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc – New Zealand
• Barnard Griffin Sauvignon Blanc – Washington
• Covey Run Fume (Sauvignon) Blanc – Washington
• B&G Vouvray (Chenin Blanc) – France
• Kiona Chenin Blanc – Washington
• Columbia Crest Pinot Grigio – Washington
• Ryan Patrick Naked Chardonnay – Washington
• Barnard Griffin Chardonnay – Washington
• Bogel Petite Sirah – California
• Bogel Old Vine Zinfandel – California

All of the wines on the above list should be readily available for under $15, many even for $10 or less. And they all should be widely available.

You might notice, sadly, that there aren’t any affordable Zinfandels on that list. We absolutely adore Zin, yet have been disappointed with several (many) sub-$15 wines we previously enjoyed. The closest we have come are Dancing Bull and Ravenswood (for when we don’t want to break out a Ridge or Turley; both of which are generally in the $30+ range), but we just don’t think they quite make this list. It’s also unfortunate that there are so few nice Pinot Noirs in our “affordable” price range. We could drink Pinot Noir every day – if we could find a few in our everyday-budget range. UPDATE: We've added Bogel's Old Vine Zin to our list – the best "cheap" Zin we're recently discovered.

Finally, note that there are four Sauvignon Blancs on the list – probably because it’s summer and we love those wines this time of year. The two New Zealand wines are bright, crisp, and grassy – typical NZ styles. The two Washington wines are more mellow but still fresh and lively – excellent summer dinner wines.

Columbia Crest Shiraz – Grand Estates 2006 and Two Vines 2005 – Washington

We’ve generally believed that many high-volume production wines vary little from year to year. We’ve been buying these two Columbia Crest Syrahs for several years, but when we opened these last two bottles they tasted a bit “different” from what our taste buds remembered. So we judged them again, and only later went back to see our postings about the 2003 Grand Estates and the 2003 Two Vines (the only vintages we’ve published online).


The 2005 Two Vines wine was tight and earthy. We didn’t finish it the first night, and it definitely softened and “improved” the following evening. On that second evening, we opened the 2006 Grand Estates wine (about $3-4 more expensive). It was certainly more integrated, and this time Francesca liked the Grand Estates wine better – the last time we reviewed these, she preferred the Two Vines.


The significant difference from the older vintages is that these newer ones are more earthy and less fruity. That could be from the grapes and growing conditions from the different years, or it could also be an intentional stylistic change by the winemaker.

We’d certainly buy either of these Syrahs no matter what the vintage year on the label. These are still solid Washington state Syrahs, and they remain on our House wine list, despite the slight changes in these latest vintages. Change is not a bad thing – these wines are just as good, just different.

Chateau St. Michele Syrah 2003 – Washington

This has a nice spicy and blackberry nose. The tastes are creamy, rather soft for a Syrah, with blackberries and blueberries and a hint of lemon. There’s also some prune and leather in there somewhere. It’s kind of thick and jammy, with soft acids and mild tannins. Yes/Maybe. $11 on sale, $15 regularly.

Robert Mondavi Private Selection Syrah 2006 – California

At one time, the Mondavi winery produced the premier wines of Napa Valley. You might not have liked a particular wine, but they were always well made and well regarded. Now, Mondavi is owned by Constellation, and sources grapes from places far removed from Napa Valley. This wine tastes like nothing so much as ... Red Wine; industrial stuff out of a common vat. Nose: red wine. Taste: red wine, like an inexpensive Bordeaux blend with a few oak chips thrown in for a bit of depth and tannin. There is no hint of Syrah that we can find, except for the fact that it isn’t light and watery. There’s no reason this should be a “No” wine, for it’s not really bad. It’s just so absolutely sad and ... boring. Maybe/No. $8 on sale, regularly $12.

Barnard Griffin Syrah 2006 – Washington

We keep being impressed with every Barnard Griffin wine we try. This opens with a nose of black cherries and peppery spice. It’s smooth, fruity, with just the right amount of velvety tannins. A very fruity Syrah style, with tastes of black cherry and pepper and maybe a hint of chocolate. Very nice. House. $13-16 on sale, usually about $18-19.


UPDATE: The April 30, 2009 issue of Wine Spectator rated the 2007 bottling of this wine 90 points.

Wines of the Year

We thought we’d jump on the end-of-year bandwagon, and offer our top new wines we enjoyed this year.

Grgich Hills Fume Blanc 2006

Cathedral Ridge Riesling 2007

d.A. (Domaines Astruc) Shiraz/Viogner 2006

Columbia Crest Vineyard 10 Rose 2007

Wines for Comfort in the (Financial) Storm

It’s coming up toward the season for holiday dinners, sharing wines, and watching your portfolio’s meltdown. To help you make it through the financial storm, especially at this time of year, we present our suggestions for the best Financial Comfort Wines. These are wines that are soft and soothing, yet are also affordable (especially affordable). They have some depth to them, much more so than light, fruity, summer sipping wines. All are readily available and under $10 (either regular retail or so frequently on sale that you shouldn’t have any problem finding them for less than $10). Even an inexpensive wine can make you feel rich, or at least happy. (We have previously reviewed many of these wines – see our archives for specific reviews.)

REDS
Columbia Crest Syrah – Washington
Fruity, smoky, goes down easy.

Ravenswood Zinfandel – California
Full, dark, spicy, and fruity.

Red Diamond Syrah – Washington
Plums, black cherries, depth.

Bernard Griffin Cabernet-Merlot – Washington
Filling to go with winter stews and chilis.

WHITES
B&G Vouvray – France
A white with weight, but lots of character.

Columbia Crest Pinot Grigio – Washington
Fresh, yet depth to match with food.

A-Z Pinot Gris – Oregon
Smooth, easy drinking, but firm structure.

SPARKLING
Cristalino Rose Cava – Spain
Not big, not serious, just fun.

Rayun Syrah 2006 – Chile

Nice. A good touch of cedar on the nose. Tastes of cedar, pepper, and mint; dark but not too dark. Dry and just the right amount of tannins. Very smooth and well integrated for an inexpensive Syrah. House/Yes. $13

Columbia Winery Syrah 2004 – Washington

Nose of dark cherry and blackberry. This is one of the darker, smoky, peppery, and spicy Syrahs. We like both this style, and the fruiter style such as seen in the Columbia Crest and Red Diamond Syrahs we've previously reviewed. There is, still, some blackberry notes in this, as well as nice tannins and acidity. A Yes for Ken; Maybe for Francesca. $10 on sale, regularly about $17.

Beringer Founders Estate Shiraz 2004 – California

Following our own advice, we began sampling other wines from a winery where we liked one particular wine. We really enjoy the Beringer Founders’ Estate Pinot Noir (California) – in fact, it’s one of our House wines. Yet we were disappointed with both this, and a Cabernet Sauvignon we reviewed previously. This does have some bold, zingy acids, and some green pepper and black pepper spice. It’s just not special enough, and not too well integrated. Maybe. $8 on sale, retail $13.
(Note: The Beringer Pinot has changed, to several different wines. It's now made from French or Italian grapes. We've sampled the French wine, and were ambivalent - good but not great. We haven't yet tried the Italian.)

Avery Lane Shiraz 2003 – Washington

Green pepper on the nose, and a range of tastes including mint, lemon balm, paprika, and spice. Ken thought it almost like a Petite Sirah (which is a different but related grape). This is quite different from most Washington state Shiraz, but a nice change. There is almost a tomato-like acidity. Strange, but good. Yes. $5 on sale, usually about $11.

Columbia Crest Shiraz 2003 Grand Estates – Washington

Smoother, deeper, richer, more integrated than the Columbia Crest Two Vines Syrah (previously reviewed, and a House wine). Is it worth 50% more? It’s up to you. Ken thinks so; Francesca thinks that the Two Vines is just as good. Francesca Yes; Ken House. $10 on sale, usually about $13.

d.A. (Domaines Astruc) Shiraz/Viogner 2006 – France

This was a pleasant surprise from the “value” section of our local wine shop. Floral notes and violets on the nose (which we’d attribute to the 20% Viogner), and well-integrated tastes of earth, mushrooms, and a tiny bit of tangerine on the mid palate. We’re constantly surprised by the French winemakers who are finally catering to an American market by listing grape varieties, but this wine lists the classic French Syrah grape with the trendy Aussie spelling! House/Yes. $10

Louis Bernard Cotes du Rhone 2006 – France

As much as we like French wine styles, we really wanted to like this red. But... This Grenache/Syrah blend has a nose that’s almost alcohol-y, and tastes that have little fruit (a hint of dark plum), but lots of minerals, earth, acids, and tannins. Somewhat harsh (maybe young). A Maybe, at best. $13

Lost River Syrah & Pumpkin Soup

WINE
Lost River Syrah 2005 – Washington
This is another nicely made wine from our closest local winery. It exhibits good Syrah character, in a style that the winemaker describes as between California and France. It’s nice to see a winemaker not just imitating California or Australia. Black cherries and spice on the nose, tastes of spice, chocolate, and very dark berry fruit. Yes. $22

DINNER
Pumpkin Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• Fresh pumpkin (about 1/3 of a medium pumpkin)
• Desired spices
• Butter
• Carrot – 1 large sliced
• Onion – half medium thick chopped
• Chicken or Veggie stock – about 4 cups
• Olive oil

Method

• Cut pumpkin into manageable size pieces
• Sprinkle with spices and drizzle with melted butter
• Bake in 350 degree oven until tender
• Scoop out flesh and cut into 1-inch cubes
• Sauté onion and carrot in olive oil until start to soften
• Add stock and cook another 15-20 minutes
• Add pumpkin and cook another 5 minutes
• Remove about half of soup, and blend until smooth
• Return blended soup to pot

Serve with crusty bread or a side salad.

Rosemount Estate Shiraz Grenache 2004 – Australia

When we first tried this wine years ago, it was Grenache/Shiraz, probably indicating that the blend was more Grenache than Shiraz. Now it’s 55% Shiraz, probably because of Shiraz’s ascendancy in popularity. It’s pretty close in taste to a pure Syrah (see our Columbia Crest review), and has almost a beefy nose. Plumy tastes, fresh and fruity. A House wine for all these years, and still so. About $10.

Red Diamond Syrah & Crepes

WINE
Red Diamond Shiraz 2002 – Washington
This was a nice surprise. Full of plum and black cherry notes. Also some nice edge – as if it had a tinge of Viogner in it (which some winemakers blend in sparingly) – that gave it almost an apple-skin tang. A House wine. $8 on sale (usually about $12).

DINNER
Breton Crepes. Whole wheat crepes, with sautéed vegetables and fried egg on top. Spinach side salad.

Carlson Syrah/Cabernet & Beringer Chenin Blanc & Tuna

On July 20, 2007
WINES
Carlson Cougar Run Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 (Colorado)
Ken was into a red tonight, so had this chewy Cabernet/Syrah blend (much more on the Cabernet flavor side, to me). Firm tannins, almost a Bordeaux style, but not as smoothly integrated. A Yes/Maybe wine. We got it at the winery at a closeout price, but more recent vintages should retail for about $14.

Beringer Chenin Blanc 2006 California
Francesca finished the rest of a Chenin Blanc we’d opened a few nights before. We think Chenin is a hugely under-appreciated grape, in any of its forms (it’s also the Vouvray of France) and wherever it’s from (South Africa is getting known for Chenin). That generally makes it quite affordable. This Beringer has some definite softness, but is still good with food. It’s also an excellent “adult Kool-Aid” summer sipper. Feint notes of pear, with a floral overlay. A Yes wine (almost a House wine at its price), about $6-7.

Wine note: We generally find that opened but unfinished white wines seem to keep just fine in our refrigerator for several days.

DINNER
Tuna steaks pan braised in a sake-wasabi sauce. Asparagus with a gorgonzola-thyme cream sauce.

Food note: The “wasabi” found in delis and most Japanese restaurants (even some supposedly very good ones) usually isn’t the real stuff. It may have some horseradish powder and green coloring, but it’s not the real deal. Authentic wasabi can be found in some Japanese food stores and through sources online.

Columbia Crest Shiraz & Beringer White Zinfandel & Chili Casserole

On July 4, 2007
WINES
Columbia Crest Shiraz Two Vines 2003 Columbia Valley (Washington)
Ken went with a red. This is already one of our House Wines – affordable, quality wines we turn to on a regular basis. Plum, dark cherry, a bit of spice, and nice fruit. Even a nice mildly tannic finish. About $10.

[Update: As previously mentioned, if we find a wine rated elsewhere, we will note those ratings – but only after we write our reviews. This wine in the 2004 vintage received an 86 from Wine Spectator.]

Beringer 2006 White Zinfandel (California)
Still another House Wine. Francesca turned to this to accompany our dinner. White Zin gets a bad rap, but this is a fun, fruity, soft wine. Strawberries on the nose and palate, a bare hint of acidity, but mostly pleasant softness that goes well with spicy food. About $7.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT DINNER
(For an overview of our “Wednesday Night Dinners,” scroll to the bottom of these posts.)
Francesca lost (won?), so she cooked a Green Chili Quinoa Casserole. Excellent layers of taste, with tortillas, quinoa, tomatoes, green chili, cilantro, and cheeses. Both wines went well with the dinner.

Yalumba Shiraz and Quiche

On July 1, 2007
WINE
Yalumba Y Series South Australia 2005 Shiraz 94%, Viogner 6%
Classic Rhone blend, with Viogner giving some softness to the Aussie-style Shiraz (although I always think of it as “Syrah”). Some spice, bright acidity. We first had this in Banff, Canada, last winter, and enjoyed it enough to purchase again. Very good everyday wine, not quite there for our house-wine list. A Yes wine. $11 retail in our area.

DINNER
Whatever’s-in-the-frig Quiche. Arugula, wild onion flowers (from a hike today), thin sliced red peppers. 5 eggs, some half-and-half, Asiago and Fontina cheeses, sage, thyme, dash of nutmeg, Dijon mustard. All in a frozen pie shell. Good mix of tastes. Not one of our greatest Quiches (we do them somewhat frequently and fairly well), but very good.