Rosé wine is one of the best things about summer! It’s cold and fresh and bright and crisp and lighter than the big juicy red wines. And, it’s a fun pink color. One of the best values in this space this summer is a growing favorite: the Kirkland Signature Côte de Provence Rosé – 2019. Rosé derives its pink or salmon hue from when the grape skins contact the grape juice and seeds from red grapes. This could be simply…
What the heck is Carmeneré?!? That’s a great question. Glad you asked. And yes, you should drink it. It is a lost Bordeaux grape that migrated to Chile in the 1800s—likely during all of the phyloxera bru-ha-ha in Europe. It likely came over with Merlot and got mixed up and for years was believed to be Merlot. Apparently, the vines and grapes look very similar. There are some distinct differences, however, which make it strange that folks closer to the…
OK, François Labet’s Crémant de Bourgogne is not champagne. But if it were from the Champagne region, it would not fit in the cheap wino’s budget. This is a great sparkling wine from the Burgandy appelation made in the champagne method (methode champenoise). It is made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay (2 of the 3 champagne grapes, the third is Pinot Meuneir). The two varietals make up the essential, and essentially are, the two grapes found in the Bourgogne region…
Rosé has taken on a bad wrap for some. Primarily due to the overly sweet, cheep wines that are pink. Sincérité is not one of those wines. Thank goodness! So, how are higher quality Rosé wines different? And, why are they pink? Great questions. There are a number of factors involved. One biggest is that think of your typical red wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Pinot Noir and envision a lighter bodied version of that. Typically, the winemaker will leave…
We all know that Costco is The Cheap Wino’s dear friend. They have done it again! This Merlot-Cab blend from Washington State is a great way to step into the big, oaked, Bordeaux-style blends of Washington State for a fraction of the price. Thank you Costco! I have a confession. I am not a big fan of Merlot. However, I prefer right-bank Bordeauxs that blend more merlot with cabernet sauvignon and I like oaked Washington State Merlot-Cabernet blends. Go figure….
You’ve probably already figured out that my pretentions were dropped immediately at the use of the adjective “cheap” in the name of this blog. So keep that in mind as I insert my cheap wino ways into a very upscale Dallas restaurant, Fearing’s. A good friend of mine was in town from NYC and he loves the restaurant Fearing’s (www.fearingsrestaurant.com) when he comes to Dallas. I get it. Dean Fearing does a masterful job of blending old standards with new…
The Gentle Giants, as it translates to English, is just that. While this wine is from Tuscany and it tastes very Italian, it is interesting that it is comprised of zero sangiovese grapes. It is actually a Cab-Merlot blend with thirty percent Alicante Bouschet mixed in. What is that? Well, it is a grape that is a cross of Petit Bouschet and Grenache. 1 The Alicante Bouschet lends a deep red hardiness to the blend. In a similar fashion to…
I love big Washington State red wines! I get that they oak the hell out of them. At the same time, these talented wine makers craft sophisticated blends that even in the $30-50 price range rival well renowned wines from Napa, Australia and even Bordeaux that cost 2 and 3 times more. In fact, many of them have Bordeaux-style blends. Chateau Ste Michelle is ground zero for the Washington State wine biz. While most of the Chateau Ste Michelle wines…
You always hear that Riesling is a common “go-to” for sommeliers because of its versatility and ability to complement a wide range of food. Chateau Ste Michelle’s Columbia Valley Riesling is a dry white wine that lives up to that expectation and it does so at a wallet-friendly $8.99. And just in the event you happen to win the lottery but just can’t completely break free of your thriftiness, you can join the Chateau Ste Michelle Bottle Club and get…
If you aren’t a big drinker of French wines or even chardonnay for that matter, this is a great place to jump in. Chabli is typically a more delicate version of chardonnay and while it can still have a hint of cream or butter that you get with oaked chardonnays out of California, the minerality rounds out the wine and provides a nice balance. This is great chilled 46-48˚F. We had it with Chicken Couscous, a French dish with a…