More wines that taste good for people with good taste

Well, it’s February, the month that writer Michael Dirda once described as “short and brutish, like the lives of early man.” But as long as we have good wine, even February is bearable. When we have good affordable wine and a fireplace, it’s more than bearable. Even though I skipped my usual pilgrimage to The Wine Merchant this week — writing a book review for the poetry magazine Chiron Review and this column took precedence — February in North Carolina has been quite a good month. 

For example, last week Trina and I went to nearby Hillsborough to have our taxes prepared. Never mind that once again I confirmed my suspicion that the IRS is sailing around out there flying the skull and crossbones and striking fear into the hearts of good citizens everywhere. Arrrr! So we put aside our fiscal sorrows and had a good meal at the Saratoga Grill. 

And because I must remain true to my words in this column — after all, why would you trust me if I didn’t — I ordered a glass of Cline Zinfandel to go with my steak. You’ll recall that last month this wine ranked #4 in my Top Ten of 2007 segment. My review said that it was “amazingly complex, showing dark cherries, raspberries and strawberries with a classic Zinfandel spiciness and a great vanilla-laced finish.” However, with the steak, it displayed even more depth … rich black cherries and a beautiful finish laced with nutmeg and cinnamon. So I’m telling you, readers — for nine or ten bucks, this one is a real keeper. And it’s widely available. 

And for anyone buying a bottle of the 2007 vintage of Cline’s Emma’s Ranch Zinfandel when it comes out in the summer of 2008, there’s an extra bonus. You will have the snob appeal of being able to say that you know the man who wrote the label. Yes, your favorite affordable wine columnist and winemaker Fred Cline’s daughter Emma co-authored the label on that wine! 

Featured winery: Barefoot Wines

Sometimes, the wines that I feature in Ten Dollar Tastings are not widely available. But this month's featured wines are readily available in supermarkets across the country. They're generally priced at about $5.99 a bottle — $10.99 for 1.5 liter. And while you won't find anything that threatens to crack the Wine Spectator Top 100, they're drinkable. They are generally light-bodied — perhaps to cater to American tastes? But if you have a supermarket close by, chances are they'll carry Barefoot Wines and you can save yourself a trip to that wine boutique you usually frequent. 

Here are my takes on some of the Barefoot line. All of them are non-vintage: 

• Barefoot Shiraz has won several gold medals at California wine tastings. It’s medium bodied with nice tannins and good balance. You get an interesting floral aroma that carries the promise of tobacco and jam. And it tastes jammy too, a nice blackberry note and on the finish, the tobacco comes back and blends with vanilla. As with most good Shirazes, it has some spiciness. More complex than you would expect for the price, but still pretty straightforward.
•  Barefoot Zinfandel. The tasting notes say that it's "big and inviting," and the bottle claims that it's "immense." No, it's not. If I want immense, I'll fork over 30-odd bucks for a bottle of one of Edmeades' Zins or even 12 for my beloved Campus Oaks. But once you get past the lack of immensity, it's not bad. Definite berry and briary notes, a touch of wildness but not as much as I like. It's tasty enough but too light-bodied for my tastes. There's a little gaminess in the aroma that adds interest. Trina liked this one more than I did. Still, very drinkable for $5.99.
• Barefoot Chardonnay. Now here's where the relative lack of body is a good thing. This is not one of those overly oaked California Chards that taste like you're gnawing on a barrel. It's light and fruity, but with floral aromas and light, restrained oaking. It's about as complex as my dog Alex, but its very lack of complexity make it a great, easy-drinking picnic wine. It hits you at mid-palate with green apple and canteloupe and has a short but pleasant finish. Both this and the Zinfandel have been recognized as Best Buys from Wine Enthusiast.

I also have a bottle of Barefoot California Champagne, priced at $9.99 and probably quite good. However, I haven't had a chance to sample it yet and I'm not going to this time around. (Mostly because it's mid-afternoon and I don't want to be hammered when my wife comes home.) Maybe in the next edition of Ten Dollar Tastings I'll review it. 

Get wild, woodsy and mouth-watering with Redwood Creek’s cook-off!

Last month, Ten Dollar Tastings featured the tasty, affordable and well-marketed wines of Redwood Creek®. In 2008, Redwood Creek is again sponsoring the popular Redwood Creek Wines Campfire Classic. Based on the premise that gourmet outdoor fare and a glass of rich, flavorful wine go hand in hand, the contest is looking for creative recipes that capture the flavor of great open spaces where they are so often enjoyed. Here’s more, adapted from a Redwood Creek press release: 

The Redwood Creek Campfire Classic is calling all “campicureans” to submit their original campfire recipes online at RedwoodCreek.com for the chance to win a $10,000 Grand Prize and a $5,000 donation to the national park of their choice. Recipe entries will be accepted from February 1st through April 15th, 2008 and must be paired with one of Redwood Creek’s seven adventurous wine varietals.

To find out more, or to enter, go to the Redwood Creek Campfire Classic Web site.

Last year's winner: Leah Lyon’s Coal Roasted Chuckbox Pozole-Stuffed Onions (Photo courtesy of Hunter Public Relations) 

 Bottle o' red, bottle o' white

My wife and I are the oenological counterpart of Jack Spratt and his wife. I tend to drink reds even in the summer, and Trina tends toward whites even in midwinter. ("Harry Calhoun could drink no white / his wife could drink no red …")  But she will taste my reds and give an opinion, and I taste her whites so that I can accurately report on the wines. (Boy, do I love this job!) Here are some good ones of each that we've had recently: 

• Indaba Sauvignon Blanc, 2005, $9.50. Interestingly full-bodied for a Sauvignon Blanc, with an almost peppery aroma and — hold on — what I described as "new vinyl" and my wife called "Barbie doll." Tropical fruit in abundance, with the classic Sauvignon grassy, herbaceous flavors. A nice finish, long and tart on the tongue. Everything is well balanced and the acidity provides perfect balance to the fuller body. A really interesting wine.
• Surazo Malbec, 2003, $7.99. Surazo claims to handpick their grapes in the predawn hours of the morning. Maybe that makes a difference, because they make some tasty wines that would be a steal at twice the price. Its got aromas of black jam and distinct notes of vanilla, chocolate and tobacco. This is a nice, jammy wine with lots of plum and berry, medium body and a hint of chocolate and great firm tannins.
• Dancing Bull Sauvignon Blanc, NV, $8.99. Another wine that you can find in the supermarket, Dancing Bull Sauvignon Blanc is crisp and clean and balanced. Like most good Sauvignons, what is so intriguing is the balance between fruit and acidity. The tangy grapefruit notes and that grassy herbaceous quality are here. So are apple, peach and lychee. The finish is crisp and tangy as well. As an added bonus, it comes in a screwcap.
• Marques de Riscal, 2005, $9.99, This 100 percent Tempranillo is from Spain's Castilla y Leon region, made using grapes from the best vineyards located on the gravelly soils of the Duero region. The wine is beautifully balanced, full of energy and displaying a dark cherry color. You'll be hooked on the aroma, with berries and cherries and a little smokehouse hint and balanced oak. This is an amazing intro to what Tempranillo is all about for the price, full-bodied, fruity and with firm tannins and a strong backbone. Also comes in a screwcap.

 Pick for Charlie

I've talked about Avalon Winery before, but I was so impressed by a bottle of their Avalon California Cabernet Sauvignon that I sampled recently that I have to insist that Charlie try this. Avalon only makes Cabernets and carry a slightly pricier version of Cabernet made from all Napa Valley. However, for $9.99 a bottle, you can't beat this one. I had the 2002 vintage. It was full-bodied and tasty, almost all Cabernet, with one percent Syrah and Tempranillo added. The wine is dark purplish red and redolent of berries and chocolate. It’s big enough but not intimidating, satisfying for the connoisseur, surprising for the everyday drinker and a thrifty spend for all. Charlie, grab yourself a couple bottles because as I found out, this one gets better with a little age on it. 

Digging deeper

One of the best wines I have ever had was an Australian tawny port that Trina and I enjoyed over the Christmas season. Penfolds Grandfather Fine Old Liqueur Tawny Port, $69.00 is so luscious as to be almost indescribable. However, the description on The Wine Merchant site does a pretty good job, so I'll leave it to them:  

In 1915, an oak cask containing a blend of the finest tawnies the company possessed was set aside for the exclusive use of the Penfold family. This became known as “the Grandfather” due to the great age of the oldest tawnies in the blend. Penfolds Grandfather Liqueur Tawny, a blend of the finest old tawnies and aged in small oak casks, honors this proud tradition and is Australia's leading example of this style. 

Deep amber - mahogany in color with the green gold tinges indicative of great age. The nose is extremely complex and fragrant, possessing an array of nutty, vanillin, aged characters melding seamlessly with hints of raisined fruit, malt and lifted spirit. The palate effortlessly displays the famed attributes of great liqueur tawny; luscious, rich and full flavored with mouthfilling viscosity and a slightly dry finish. 

What all this fancy talk means is that this stuff is so good, Trina and I saved up and laid down 70 bucks for the bottle, and it was worth every cent. 

Surf in for more Tastings next time …

Hope you've enjoyed the column this time around. I hope that by the time I write the next column, spring will be here — or at least springlike weather. Either way, we'll have lots more wine talk and some interesting trivia.

Until then, in vino veritas … and que syrah, syrah!

Thanks as always to The Wine Merchant for providing excellent wines, wine education and support. Prices are based on the author’s experience and may vary. 

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