A Good Value

Tough times call for a bit of belt-tightening. Never one to sacrifice quality for price, I'm excited to say that you can enjoy high-quality wine and keep within your budget. Here's a recommendation on an excellent, value-priced wine that I'm enjoying right now.

Bodegas Alto Almanzora Este Tinto 2006
I found this on an end-aisle display at the massive Applejack Wine & Spirits shop in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. Normally selling for $9.99, Applejack was running it on special at $8.99. I have a fondness for Spanish wines, so I gave it a second look. The 90-point rating from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate didn't hurt either. To make a long story short, this is some righteously good juice!

The aroma is beguiling, with layered fruit mingled with cedar-y perfume and camphor. Dark purple in color, the proprietary blend is reputedly heavy in Monastrell (Mourvedre), with a bit of Tempranillo, Grenache, and a few other varieties. The fruit is heavy, but seamless in the mid-palate, finishing off relatively strong and long. This wine would pair well with strongly-flavored foods. I'd be interested in trying it with some savory sausages or a good, hearty winter stew.

Point Ratings Run Amok!

I've been visiting wine stores in the Denver area, and I had a chance to visit a new store 15 miles south of downtown. There are a lot of "superstores" here that carry wine, beer, and hard liquor, and this place was like that - they had about 4,000 wine facings, and I took some time to peruse their wine offerings. I was reminded again of the famous saying, "caveat emptor", or "let the buyer beware".

It's common practice for wine stores to put up "shelf talkers", small tags that hang on the shelf below a bottle and describe the wine. A lot of the time, the shelf talker includes a rating from one of the well-known wine publications (Wine Spectator, Wine & Spirits, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, etc.). Most of the rating systems are based on a 100-point scale, with higher scores indicating higher quality wines (in the studied opinion of the reviewer). Ratings serve as good general guidelines when selecting a bottle of wine. Unless the listed ratings are patently false, incorrect, or out of date.

While looking through the Spanish wine selections, I was happy to see a familiar wine, Vina Borgia Garnacha. This is a simple, young Grenache imported by Jorge Ordonez. The bottle typically sells for $8 or less, and this shop had it priced at $6.99. I was flabbergasted when I noticed the shelf talker with the 96-point rating from Wine Spectator. A quick check on the internet shows that it received 85 points from Wine Spectator. I asked a sales person about it, but she didn't know anything, so I moved on. I noticed another 96-point wine, Paso a Paso tinto. This is another Spanish wine I'm familiar with, and it scores in the high 80s at best. An $8 Greek wine down the way had a 97-point rating. Something was clearly amiss.

I spoke with the Wine Manager and found out that the shop's suppliers provided the shelf talkers. I'll give the suppliers the benefit of the doubt and assume that they had cut-and-paste issues, rather than outright dishonesty issues. In any event, it gives one pause to consider. If you're using point ratings to narrow down your search for a good bottle of wine, keep these things in mind:

1. Compare the vintage on the shelf talker with the vintage of the bottle of wine on the shelf. If the vintages are different, then the rating is not useful. In the case of the shop that I visited, the shelf talkers didn't include vintage, so none of them were really useful.


2. Consider the rating agency. You may find your palate runs counter to a given publication, in which case its rating won't help you. Read several of these publications, try a few of their recommendations, and see how their tastes match yours.


3. Don't shy away from a wine if it garners less than 90 points (or some other arbitrary cutoff). The aforementioned Vina Borgia only scored 85 points, but it is a perfectly acceptable, pleasant, and inexpensive everyday wine.


4. Don't assume that you'll like highly-rated wines. In the end, it's up to your palate to decide.


5. If an inexpensive wine (under $10) has a relatively high rating (over 90 points), you might want to investigate further. There are some excellent quality, inexpensive wines that are highly rated, but they are the exception.

Take point ratings with a grain of salt and a bit of skepticism. Let your palate decide, because in the end, that's all that's important.

Viva Las Vegas!

I'm nearly recovered from a week in Las Vegas. It had been eight years or more since I had been there, and it had changed, becoming bigger and more brash than I remember. A dangerous place for a guy like me, but a much needed respite.

I'm a bit underemployed (OK, unemployed!) right now, so I kept hotel costs to a minimum in order to concentrate my meager funds on gambling, drinking and eating. The economy's put a hurt on Vegas, and most nights I was able to get a clean, comfortable room for less than $30, which is quite a bargain. The most memorable of my accommodations was The Plaza Hotel in old, historic downtown Las Vegas. While I'm all for historic preservation, in the case of The Plaza, I think it should be cleaned up or blown up. The hallways to the room were dirty and the room itself was barely passable, with burned matches littering the floor, even though it was a “non-smoking” room. Given that I found an unspent 45-caliber bullet on the bedside table (seriously, no joke), perhaps the previous occupants were smoking something other than cigarettes.

I splurged on dinner one night a The Strip House, a swanky steak joint in the Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino. The restaurant features bone-in steaks grilled to perfection, and my 22-ounce bone-in ribeye was prepared nicely. You can get nearly anything you want in Vegas if you're willing to pay for it, and the wine stocks at this restaurant and nearly any other in the city run broad and deep. However, at $15 and up for glass pours, I was having trouble picking something to go with dinner. Fortunately, they offered half-bottles at prices that seemed doable if you didn't think about it too much. I ended up with a half-bottle of Trefethen 2004 Oak Knoll District Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine was sublime, stealing the show away from the steak. Rich and powerful black cherry and cassis flavors were wrapped in these luscious, velvety tannins that carried the flavors through to a long, satisfying finish. At $54 the half-bottle, perhaps I should have just ordered up a full bottle! Nice dinner, fantastic wine.

If the Trefethen piqued your interest, stop in to Little Sonoma and pick up a bottle of Trefethen's Double T. It's one of the owner's favorite wines and almost always in stock. If you're heading to Vegas in the near future and have any questions I may be able to answer, drop me a line. Until then, sip some fine wine.

Wine in the Land of Beer

I'm in Denver, Colorado now, and if you've ever been to Colorado, you know that it's home to dozens of microbreweries and host of the annual Great American Beer Festival. While I am an admitted wine guy, I also lean pretty heavily in favor of beer, so I've been sampling the wares of the land.

I've long been a fan of India Pale Ale (IPA), a beer that typically exhibits a large measure of hoppiness, not to be confused with happiness, although most IPAs do bring happiness to the drinker. I like the hoppy, tart, and strong flavors of a good IPA. My favorite Colorado IPA is Odell Brewing Company's India Pale Ale. Extremely aromatic, with a wonderfully hoppy nose and complex flavors that linger long after the sip. This beer one a Gold Medal at the 2007 Great American Beer Festival and a Gold Medal at the 2008 World Beer Cup®. If you want something a bit less hoppy and more malty, give the 90 Shilling a shot. It's another favorite of mine. Odell is based in Fort Collins about an hour north of Denver.

Last night I was in the mood for a strong Belgian ale. I lingered at the imports section of the local beer store, but my conscience got the best of me, so I stepped down to the U.S. microbrew section. How could I have forgotten about my old love, the New Belgium Brewing Company?! Clearly I have been away from Colorado for too long. I picked up New Belgium's Trippel Belgian-style Ale. Trippel (also Tripel or Triple) ale is a strong brew that is typically high in alcohol. New Belgium Trippel carries 7.8% alcohol by volume and golden-amber in color with a profuse, creamy-white head. A bit of sweetness on the nose, with fresh, citrus flavors. I've also had a chance to try New Belgium's 2 Below Winter Ale, a good brew that'll keep you warm all winter long. New Belgium is most recognized for its Fat Tire Amber Ale, another extremely solid offering. New Belgium is based in Fort Collins.

I've tried too many other beers to enumerate here, but suffice it to say that Colorado is producing world-class beers.

I have had the opportunity to drink a bottle or three of wine while visiting Denver. One that stands out in my mind is Chateau Pesquie 2005 Cotes-du-Ventoux Les Terrasses, a blend of 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah. Deep purple in color, with rich, ripe aromas and flavors, the wine finishes long and strong. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate rates this wine 92 points. I paid about $12 retail in Denver. Cheers!

The Wandering Wine Guy Reports From the Field

I wanted to drop a line and let everyone know what I've been up to these last several weeks.

I've been away from Cincinnati for a bit less than a month now, and I've traveled through seven states – Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Missouri, Iowa, and Minnesota. At this rate, I'll have traveled the entire United States by Spring! Wasn't really my intention, but things happen. In large part, I blame my GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) system. I named her Christine, a la Stephen King's horror story about a possessed car. The damn thing keeps trying to drive me into brick walls and dark, dead-end streets!

On a more (or less, depending on how you look at it) fortuitous note, the GPS sent me within twenty miles of Tunica, Mississippi, the Southeast's premier gambling mecca. Needless to stay, I stopped to tempt lady luck. She had her way with me.

I am happy to report that Shawn & Jennifer Welch, formerly of Cincinnati and regulars at Little Sonoma, are alive and well in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Fayetteville, by the way, is an enchanting mid-sized city that lands on many “Best Cities” lists. Home to several billionaires compliments of its proximity to Wal-Mart's home city (Bentonville), Fayetteville has a diverse culture and the student-infused spirit of an active college town. The Welches have landed themselves in an absolutely beautiful home replete with a disco hot tub. Fortunately, they honored my tender sensibilities by keeping their clothes on when we went “tubbing” in the evenings. We put a hurt on several bottles of wine, including the 2005 vintages of Bogle Phantom and Veramonte Primus, both of which I strongly recommend.

After a week with the Welches, I had to find a spot to “dry out”, and I ended up in Des Moines, Iowa. If you've never been to Des Moines, you might be as surprised as I was. Lots of action in downtown, especially along Court Avenue in the old warehouse district. If you're down there, have a pint or three of the locally brewed beer available at Court Avenue Brewing Company, really yummy stuff! I stayed in West Des Moines, which was a very nice upscale area with copious shopping and dining opportunities. The local wine shop scene in Des Moines is pretty lame. There are a few wine/beer/liquor stores, but nothing too upscale as far as I could tell.

I'm in Minneapolis now, enjoying my sister's hospitality. She lives in a massive loft in the historic warehouse district, the hippest scene in the city. This place has more than all of the conveniences of home – big-screen TV, Wii, movies on demand, an outdoor deck (useful for checking the current accumulation of snow), and people who like to cook! Minneapolis, often dubbed the “Mini Apple” (versus NYC, the Big Apple), has a lot of culture, with endless dining and entertainment opportunities. I hit the aptly named Hell's Kitchen on Halloween morning, a nice way to start what would turn out to be a raucous, fun-filled day. I dressed up for Halloween and went to the local pubs with my nephew and a friend. Saturday morning came too soon.

The wine scene is pretty vibrant in Minneapolis. There are two wine bars (Bev's Wine Bar and Toast Wine Bar & Cafe) within two blocks of my sister's loft and many more further out. The retail liquor/wine/beer stores are well-stocked, although some of my favorites from Little Sonoma aren't on hand. Surdyk's is a local institution in the downtown area, with Haskell's being another favorite. Lots of smaller wine shops dot the landscapes of the surrounding neighborhoods and cities.

I haven't found gainful employment yet, so if anyone out there in the ether knows of any available wine jobs, please drop me a direct email at thewineguy@ix.netcom.com. I think I'll wander a bit more, but I won't be surprised if I end up back in the “mini apple”. Yes, it snows a lot, and yes, it's cold for several months of the year, but it also garnered the #3 spot on the Forbes Best Cities for Singles list, and I'm a ramblin' man looking to settle down. Besides, they have 2-for-1 happy hours pretty much every day of the week!

Until next time, See, Swirl, Sniff, and Sip.

Restrictive Wine Sampling Laws Impair Business

I recently sold my house in Cincinnati, left my "Wine Guy" job at Little Sonoma wine shop in West Chester, and hit the road in search of new adventures. So far I've traveled through Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi. I'm visiting friends in Fayetteville, Arkansas now, and if you haven't been to this northwestern part of Arkansas, I highly recommend it.

I like to visit wine stores in different parts of the country. It's amazing how the laws in the various states affect the wine trade. The Arkansas Legislature has enacted a law that limits wine sampling to three one-half ounce servings per customer per day. I don't know about you, but I have a hard time gauging the quality of a vinous beverage based on a one-half ounce sample. When I sample wine, I take a generous amount (an ounce or more) into my mouth and let it roll all over. A half-ounce sample is simply insufficient and would literally dissipate before I could complete my evaluation. The three-serving limit is also a problem. Consider the case in which you wish to compare several Chardonnays, say an unwooded Chardonnay, a classic California Chardonnay, a French Macon-Villages, and a Chilean Chardonnay. The three serving limit knocks one of these out of the tasting, and the one-half ounce serving makes it difficult to do side-by-side tastings of the remaining three contenders. I can see from my visits to area wine stores that the restrictuve laws have put the kibosh on any serious wine tastings.

Ohio's sampling laws are slightly more generous, allowing four two-ounce servings per customer per day. The two-ounce serving is nice, giving me the opportunity to fully evaluate a given sample. The four-serving limit is still somewhat restrictive.

I'm not sure what the state legislatures are striving for in passing restrictive laws. In the law cited above, Arkansas is certainly ensuring that no customer leaves the store inebriated from wine sampling, but it's also impinging on the store owner's ability to promote his or her products. Things are bound to get stickier as technology creeps into the retail wine trade. Automated tasting stations, first seen in Europe, are making their way into the United States. A typical tasting station allows a customer to insert a smart card into the station and taste one of eight wines, choosing a sample size ranging from one to four ounces. I think this is an interesting and inviting way to taste a wide range of wines, but I'm not sure how state laws will apply to such a system. I've toyed with the idea of opening a retail wine shop, and if I do, I'd like to install a wine automat, but you can be sure I'll pick a wine-friendly state before I make such an investment.

As for wine finds, here are a couple that I've enjoyed in the last few days:

Bogle 2005 Phantom Red Blend ~ $17.99 (Arkansas retail)

Big nose of bright cherry and raspberry fruits. Deep, rich dark fruit flavors end in a snappy finish with good acidity and chewy tannins. A blend of Petite Sirah, Old Vine Zinfandel, and Old Vine Mourvedre. Very drinkable now, but I think I'd put a bottle down for a year or two and try again.

Veramonte Primus Red Blend ~ $19.99 (Arkansas retail)

Incredibly smooth and velvety, with dark, ripe fruit flavors laced with earth and herb nuances. A blend of Carmenere, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. Rated 92 points by Wine & Spirits Magazine.

Wine Prospecting: Niche Shops Offer up Motherlode

I like wine, so I'm constantly on the lookout for bottles I've enjoyed but can no longer find at my local wine shop. Some of my best finds have been in small shops or markets that don't necessarily specialize in wine, but that do have a rich and diverse wine selection. I stumbled into such a shop today.

Awakenings Coffee & Tea Company is located in Hyde Park Square in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Cincinnati. When I think of Awakenings, I'm usually thinking about the high-quality cup of coffee that I desperately need. I sold my house last week, so I've been living with family. They're decaf people, and I'm barely surviving. Since I needed a caffeine fix this morning, I went to Awakenings. Every time I walk into this place, I'm surprised by the opulent tasting bar and racks of wine that line the walls. I guess for me it's a coffee shop first and foremost. Anyway, as I nursed by House Blend, I browsed the racks and was amazed to see several of my favorites, including a 2003 Les Cailloux Chateauneuf-du-Pape and a 2004 Alto Moncayo. This stuff is no longer available in my local wine store, and the wholesale distributor has been out for months or years. It must get overlooked here. Lucky for me.

I travel a lot, and one of my favorite out-of-town leisure time activities is scouting out small markets for obscure wine finds. I hit paydirt one day while in Toledo visiting family. Sofo Foods is an excellent Italian grocer located on Monroe Street in Toledo. They have a small wine section, and they had a case stack of Layer Cake Shiraz. My local wine shop had depleted its stocks weeks or months ago, leaving me high and dry. I bought every last bottle Sofos had and quite happily shared them with friends back home.

If there's a moral to this story, I guess it's that that small, out of the way shop you never gave a second thought to might be harboring a long lost vintage you've been searching for. Happy hunting!