Water into Wino

Avila Pinot Noir 2003

Avila Pinot Noir 2003
Arroyo Grande AVA, San Luis Obisbo, California ($13)

Most serious pinot drinkers would be horrified to drink a $13 bottle of that little thin skinned grape. I, on the other hand, am thrilled to experiment with these hit but most commonly miss bottles. I don't often find interesting bottles under $15 from California but it took my local store being sold out of my favorite cheap Chilean pinot for myself to buy this one I knew nothing about.

Avila is the second label of the Arroyo Grande producer Laetitia. The appellation of Arroyo Grande Valley includes a 16 mile long valley in San Luis Obisbo County. The climate is moderated by coastal fog and Pacific breezes and Avila lies at the colder northern region of the AVA. This winery focuses on value wines and offerings include Chardonnay, Merlot, a Rhone Blend, Syrah, and a Cabernet. There were 10,000 cases of this Pinot produced.

Solid purple color that caught me by surprise. Floral aromas, but strawberry and cherry aromas dominate. The silky texture was another surprise and made me think the wine was under priced. There were some funky earth flavors that complimented as well. This wine had enough structure to stand up to my mustard crusted pork tenderloin and I wish I hadn't used a cup of it for my red wine reduction because it was that good for the dough. My grade: B

Concannon Petite Sirah 2004

Concannon Petite Sirah 2004
Central Coast, California ($12)

This wine looks and tastes purple. Come to think of it, smells like a purple magic marker. On the palate it tastes like a smokey, spicy concord wine. It's big and slightly hot. To be honest, it does have some olive notes that evolved after some time, but it never really hit the mark or showed any complexity. It's similar to a Spanish Monestrell in body and punch, and I think its worth it to save a couple bucks and drink Monestrell. Better than the Bogel Petite Syrah at the same price point though. All in all not my style at this point, maybe I would have dug it a few years ago or some 120 bottles ago.

Rooster vs Quail > Syrah under $10

From time to time I am called upon to bring a couple bottles to a social event with friends. In our circle we average about 3/4 bottle per person, down from the careless one bottle average of 2005. My unmatched enthusiasm encourages purchases of similar wines at the same price point. Let's face it... side by side tastings are the best way to really pinpoint what we like about a particular wine.

Since the wines are drank with dinner, we don't really spend a lot of time analyzing, but I do try to get a general consensus on which one was preferred. These wines most likely aren't decanted, and the order I drink them may not be ideal. Some may have been paired dreadfully or followed a whiskey or two.

My first head to head review is influenced by my recent interest in new world Syrah. I've had a couple $20 bottles that I'd drink again, but I can't afford that regularly. So I'm on the look out for a cheap Syrah in which I can rely. I want to stay away from obvious high alcohol stuff and the Aussie stuff for now. Both of the following wines are $10 or under.

Covey Run Syrah 2003
Columbia Valley, Washington State USA ($9)

I keep getting pleasant surprises from Washington wine. This Syrah was balanced and juicy. The nose didn't impress but it was overall a satisfying table wine that I can drink without frowning. The combination of a quick finish and moderate acidity makes for a good food wine. This winery is a mega producer and their $6 and $7 Merlots and Cab Suavignons are quaffable and easily found.

Hahn Estates Syrah 2003
Monterey County, California USA ($10)

Concentrated plum and toasty oak on the nose. This deep dark purple wine has lip smacking tannins and and some plum fruit. The oak steals the show as the fruit struggles to compete for tongue time. The finish is much longer than the Covey Run with a spice that ads complexity to an otherwise dull wine. It also seemed to dish up a little more heat. I remain on the look out for those "cool climate" Syrahs in California under $15.

My preference was for the Covey Run Syrah. Its juiciness and overall balance leaves nothing to regret for $9. A good friend of mine was moved by the finish of the Hahn Syrah though. She has been preferring bigger wines lately and her favorite was the the Monterey wine.

Wines for Winos

When you're walking the streets of New York with $5 burning a hole in your pocket, there are only a few places you can go to get a buzz. The frappuccino at Starbucks is a refreshing buzz. You can buy a couple Pabst Blue Ribbons for a five spot. I suppose if you're really desperate you can buy two cans of Ready Whip and inhale the nitrous, but that's not for everyone.

Last week Trader Joe's opened up its wine shop on 14th Street in Manhattan. There are dozens and dozens of bottles under $5. With all the buzz surrounding Two-Buck Chuck, I had to indulge in a bottle or two of the Cab Sav. I've tried the Shiraz before but it really had a barnyard scent to it and tasted totally flat. For two bucks though, you can't complain. I also found a Malbec for $4 there that seemed worth a try. So after I schlepped them back to Queens, I decided to open one bottle right away.

Charles Shaw Cabernet Sauvignon 2003
California, Napa ($3)

I opted for the infamous Three-Buck Chuck (it is New York after all). This Cab Sav is not all that bad. Very juicy with a tannic quality of a rose. There seemed to be nothing inherently bad about the taste. It just tasted like really good box wine. I had a bottle with a pizza and had no complaints. My girlfriend kept mentioning that she didn't feel any of the alcohol after polishing off a bottle in record time. It's as if I just downed a bottle of grape juice. Since it's actually cheaper than the Welch's stuff, I can't complain. My grade: C+

La Boca Malbec 2004
Argentina, Mendoza ($4)

The second bottle was a totally girly bottle of Malbec. The label has too many bright colors for me. This watered down Malbec had thin tannins and lacked any complexity. It tasted very flat and the finish brought some heat. On the bright side the alcohol was buzz inducing, but Malbec in general is usually a bargain buy, so I should have spent the extra $3 on the Septima Malbec they offered. The Charles Shaw was my favorite of the two, hands down. My grade: C-

Montevina Zinfandel 2001

Montevina Zinfandel 2001 California, Sierra Foothills ($9)

Along with all the wine I picked up this Christmas, I also picked up a cold that has made swallowing uncomfortable and left my taste buds in ruins. Since I won't let it keep me from blogging, I am posting a wine review from a few weeks ago. I typically don't go into wine stores looking for California wines, but on this occasion I just wanted a decent wine to compliment my dinner. Nothing fancy or expensive. just an easy drinking wine that I can trust. I choose a Zinfandel for only $9.

Overall a well balanced Zinfandel. Strawberry nose with juicy red fruits on the palate. More light bodied than most I've tried in the past with a soft lingering spice on the finish. Good wine for the price. My grade: B

Southern Style BBQ

International Night reared its hungry head at my place last week. It was my girlfriends turn to cook for us. Breaking away from the not so unusual themes of French, Italian, and Latin, she made BBQ pork sandwiches with cole slaw, baked beans, and roasted potato wedges.

My choice of wine for the dinner was one I had drank before. My recent Spanish wine kick taught me that a wine imported by Jorge Ordonez is never a let down. So I chose a $10 tempranillo at a neighborhood liquor store. A friend of mine brought over a California Rosso table wine and another brought an Australian Shiraz.

Niebaum-Coppola Francis Coppola Rosso Classic 2004 California ($9)

Deep violet color and medium bodied. Cherries and berries are evident with an almost refreshing fruity taste. Definetely not complex but a decent table wine. Had some sharp white chedder with it. Probably not a best buy at $9.

Penfolds Shiraz Thomas Hyland 2003 Australia, Southeastern ($15)

Dark berry nose with a fleshy plum and berry taste. Subtle spice and well rounded tannins make this a pleasurable wine that has a long satisfying finish. I tasted some spice at the end from the oak which was very well balanced with the fruit and alcohol. Went very well with my BBQ pork sandwich. A $15 price tag doesn't make this a best buy but a predictably good buy that delivers. My grade: B

Elaborado Y Embotellado Manoamano 2003 Spain, La Mancha ($10)

100% tempranillo aged in french oak for six months creates this well balanced robust wine that was just what I needed to down the last bites of my BBQ pork dinner. There wasn't as much spice as in the previous Shiraz, and wasn't velvety like the Shiraz, but it was as complex a wine as I would need as the night came to an end. I wouldn't dare try to score this wine because my judgement was overwhelmed from stuffing my face. It gets my nod of approval and it will end of on my table again in the future.

Rex Goliath Pinot Noir "Giant 47 lb Rooster" 2003

Rex Goliath Pinot Noir 2003 California, Central Coast ($10)

Picked this one up at one of three neighborhood liquor stores I frequent. I thought I had seen it reviewed by another wine blogger but I didn't remember the verdict. Surprisingly has a smell of maple syrup as well as red berries. Strawberry and cherry palate with good acid ratio. Very drinkable smooth texture. Finish was quick but satisfying. My grade: C+