End of Year Clearance!

The slide from Thanksgiving to New Year's is not just party season. It's also "DOORBUSTER DEALS SEASON!!!" How much footage have we seen of people lined up outside Best Buy at 4 am to snag a $50 Wii, outside a Hummer dealership for a free year of gasoline with the purchase of an H3, or outside K-Mart for a three-for-one pack of apple corers.

Aside from simply getting people into stores to flail about in a sea of crass Christmas commercialism, why do merchants go to all this trouble?

Inventory, of course. At year's end, old merchandise gets cleared out to make room for next year's styles, versions, colors, editions, etcetera. What's the best way to clear some space? Why, a sale, of course! Offer sharp discounts to get overwilling consumers to cart away your excess.

Wine stores are like the aforementioned car dealerships. This year's models are still on the lot when automakers prepare to ship next year's, so dealerships offer "end-of-model-year" closeouts. As wineries crank out vintages, the previous year's wines need to get moved off the shelves. The end of the year is a great time to pick up great values. Some things to keep in mind:

• Large wine producers deal in volume, so stores will have more product to sell before the next year's shipment comes in. You're more likely to find good deals on more common labels. These producers want to keep fresh product on the shelves

• Look for wines that need to be drunk soon. Not long ago, I found a Bordeaux that was normally about a $25 bottle on sale for $10. It was a 2000 -- so it might last a little while longer, but this particular type was at the height of drinkability and would be heading south soon, more than likely. I bought five bottles and went through them pretty quickly.

• In general, look for merlots, zinfandels, pinot noirs, and almost any white wines. You'll also find some cabernets and Italian wines that are nearing the end of their drinking peak that you can snap up cheaply.

This is also a great time to try some wines that would typically be a little more expensive than what you would normally get -- you'll be able to see if they're worth a splurge later on. Here are a few end-of-year sale wines that dropped themselves neatly into Vine range:

Ravenswood 2004 Old Vine Zinfandel -- Picked this up for $11, down from $17. I normally don't think of Zinfandels as "elegant," but this was as close as I've found. Rather than the usual 2x4 of fruit across the tongue, the Ravenswood is surprisingly restrained. There's a nice, not overwhelming, fragrance of plums and berries on the nose. The palate has some nice fruit also, but it's not as jammy as many Zins. Instead, there's a nice balance of fruit and tannin -- almost like a cabernet. The finish is also less fruity and more complex than I've run into with Ravenswood and many similar wines. Very pleasant.

Wente 2005 "Morning Fog" Chardonnay -- Wente Cellars made the first wine in California labeled as Chardonnay, and they're a very solid mid-line producer. This wine is normally around $18 a bottle. I got this one for $13. This full-bodied chardonnay starts you with a well-balanced nose of toasted oak and vanilla. The flavor is rich, a little citrusy, and oaky. The finish is long and a bit crisp for a chardonnay. Unlike many California chardonnays (which generally aren't my favorites) -- this one balances fruit, oak, and richness nicely. I enjoyed it.

Francis Coppola 2005 "Diamond Series Silver Label" Pinot Noir -- Honestly, I've stayed away from Coppola wines. I haven't done it because I've not liked them, but there's something about someone famous doing a "second career" as a winemaker that gave me pause. (I haven't tried any of the Greg Norman wines for a similar reason.) I figured that these might be overpriced, leaning on the Coppola name, but this one was $14, down from $20 -- so I figured, "Why not?" and I was pleasantly surprised. This is a very fragrant wine -- scents of strawberries, cherries, and something like leather. The body is very full for a pinot. A friend of mine once talked about how much he liked "chewy" pinots, and this one certainly fits the bill. Lots of berries and currant flavors, finishing with a thick, slightly dry flavor. A really nice pinot.

So, there you have it -- now is the time to try some of those wines you've thought about but thought they were just a tad too expensive. Get out there and Save! Save! Save!

(Hat tip to co-worker Kristan, her friend Emily, and the Sweet Partner in Crime for the column inspiration.)

Wine School! (Class #3 -- Pinot Noir)

Pinot Noir, the elegant grape.

The pleasure of learning about wine expands when you start to explore the differences that exist between wines made from the same grape. It's easy to tell a Pinot Noir from a Syrah, but learning how pinots themselves differ gives you the opportunity to find something you really like and to find the perfect wine for the right occasion, food, evening, gathering, person, etc.

We'll start with regional differences. The area in which a wine's grapes are grown is known as its terroir. (Pronounced tare-WAHR) Literally translated as "soil" in French, a wine's terroir changes the taste of a wine dramatically. Wines made in similar styles with identical grapes can taste radically different, even if those grapes are grown on adjacent plots of land. I find wine tastings of wines from a single growing region fascinating because of those differences.

However, we're not splitting flavors that fine here. Wines from a certain region tend to take on a certain character, and that character can often be food-driven. I've found that winemakers create wines to accompany their home's cuisine and lifestyle. If a regional diet includes a lot of earthy-tasting food, the wines will be earthy tasting. Lighter traditional menus will almost always yield lighter wines, and so on.

I think the best way to learn about a wine is to try several versions of the same grape. With that in mind, here are three markedly different pinots to pour side by side by side:

Tortoise Creek 2005 Pinot Noir -- The French may be slow to change, but they do know which way the wind blows. Over the last couple of decades, international demand for French wine has declined. While some blame American animosity towards France in the wake of 9/11, I believe that there's a simpler economic explanation: French wines are more expensive, difficult to unravel, and almost impossible for a beginner to grasp.

If you look at most bottles of French wine, the name of the grape is nowhere to be found. The French name their wines by region: Burgundy, Bordeaux, Sancerre, Chablis, etc. You'll typically see the name of the chateau where the wine is made, the region, the year -- and that's about it. I had a hard time initially with French wine because I didn't realize, for example, that most red Burgundy is actually pinot noir. (This is not to be confused with jug "Burgundy" of Gallo fame.) There's also white Burgundy, which bears no resemblance to white Zinfandel.

Anyway, the French wised up. While there is still an abundance of traditional French wines, some growers committed the heresy of putting the name of the grape on the label and marketing wines to…well…regular barbaric wine lovers like us. Tortoise Creek (which sounds like it should be from Australia, no?) is an example of one of these "Americanized" pinots.

This wine greets you with a nose of chocolate covered cherries. The flavor is extremely light with a little cherry fruit flavor and a somewhat chalky body. The finish is much drier than many pinot noirs that I've had. Interestingly, this wine reminded me more of Chianti (another wine named after a region) than a French wine. This wine would definitely be better with food. It would be excellent with any roasted or baked fish, or pasta in lighter red sauces. At $8-10, this is an excellent value.

Bogle 2004 Russian River Pinot Noir -- The Russian River valley in Sonoma is better known for bolder wines like Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon, but there are some very decent pinots tucked away among the bolder grapes. You'll get a wonderful terroir contrast here. French pinot noirs tend to be extremely light and slightly acidic, while wines from California tend to reflect the boldness of those wines. They're generally fuller and fruitier.

The Bogle is no exception. The nose is much stronger, with berry flavors jumping right out at you. The flavor is rich with a very round body. You might taste cherries and raspberries. The finish is dry, but much less acidic than the French version. I found this to be the most drinkable of the three wines. Since it's slightly heavier, it would go well with chicken, lighter meats, and pretty much any kind of red sauce short of one with sausage. $12-14 for a very nice wine.

Cono Sur 2005 Pinot Noir -- California, Oregon, and France may be best known for pinot, but some other places are trying with mixed success to break into the market. Chile, one of the current leaders in value wine, has started to produce pinot, including this entry from Cono Sur. These are surprisingly decent wines for the price, and you get the chance to be the "Cono Sur" at any gathering.

Cono Sur is the lightest of the three pinots in color but not flavor. The nose is slightly fruity and has a scent of earth. The flavor is certainly the most acidic of the three and a bit smoky. The finish is dry and slightly tannic -- unexpected in a pinot. This wine is the least "pinot" tasting to me. It's really neither fish nor fowl (although it would pair with both). It's supposed to be "new world styled," but it tasted more "Old World" -- meaning that the more earthy character stood out. I'd probably pair it with light gamey foods -- duck, for instance. Lamb or something along those lines would also work. It's worth trying for the difference, if nothing else. $9-11.

I think you get the idea -- while a rose is a rose is a rose, a pinot ain't a pinot ain't a pinot. The variance of a single grape among regions, styles, and flavors will keep you fascinated for years. Just don't blame me if it becomes an expensive habit. Just remember, home equity loans are not meant for stocking a wine cellar.

Next up is Sauvignon Blanc -- class dismissed…

Wine School! (Class #1 -- Reds, the basics)

When I started this little endeavor, I wanted to provide a resource for basic, everyday people to find basic, everyday wine and make the world of wine a little less intimidating.

I was having a conversation with the Sweet Partner in Crime the other day, and she made a great suggestion: "Why not do some stuff on wine basics? If you give people a base to work from, they'll appreciate your regular columns even more."

There's a reason she's the smart one in the relationship.

My plan for the next several installments (although I'll sprinkle in a few other topics here and there) is to provide a basic overview of the major wine varietals, how to recognize them, and what to expect when you do a tasting.

Generally speaking, there are six or seven major grape varietals. There are three reds: pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, and syrah. There are three whites: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Riesling. Merlot is the seventh varietal. Merlot was used largely as a blending grape until the last several decades, so it's usually left off the list. We'll focus on the main six for now. (But if you want some merlot information, go here.)

I'll do a brief overview of the grapes first, and I'll provide more in-depth coverage of the individual varietals as a follow up. I'll start with the reds.

For our first tastings, here are the wines I used:

Mirassou 2005 Pinot Noir ($7-8)
Rex Goliath 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon ($8-9)
Cline 2004 Syrah ($9-10)

You can, of course, use other wines from these varietals you may have lying around. Fetch three glasses, pour samples side by side by side, line them up, and proceed. Remember, if this process doesn't work as well as you'd like…simply refill the glasses and start again.

We begin with Pinot Noir. Pinot noir is the lightest major red varietal. Watch the wine as you pour -- almost translucent. As you swirl the wine (and the reason we do this is here), take a good look at it. It's very light, isn't it? Then take a big sniff. The nose of a pinot is generally soft and fragrant. You'll often smell flowers and cherries. Now a little taste. The taste mirrors the nose -- light and delicate. The finish (flavors left in your mouth after you've swallowed the wine) tends to be soft, especially in comparison to the other wines here. Wine folks (like those in Sideways) greatly appreciate this wine because the flavors are subtle and complex. Regardless of whether or not you're into pulling apart flavors, it's still a very pleasant tasting, drinkable wine. Pinot's flavors also change and intensify as you drink. After the first taste of the Mirassou, wait a minute or so and then take a second sip -- the flavor and finish becomes almost chocolaty at the end. If you're thinking about pairing pinot noir with food (or any wine, for that matter), the operative concept isn't the type of food -- it's the style of food that's more important. Light wines complement light food. A pinot, then, would go with poultry, pork, or fish. It will also work with a number of spicy or saucy foods, as it's an incredibly flexible food wine.

On to Cabernet Sauvignon. The first thing you'll notice is the color. The wine is a much deeper, darker purple. It looks much heavier bodied. When you take your first big sniff, you'll notice a smell sort-of-but-not-quite like blackberries. If you hear people talking about "cassis" or "blackcurrant" notes, that's what they're referring to (you can stick to calling it blackberry if you want). The taste is also immediately different. There's fruit and alcohol flavor is much stronger than the pinot when you take the first sip, but the real difference emerges a few seconds after. You'll feel your mouth start to "dry out" with this wine. Cabernet Sauvignon is known to be a very "tannic" wine. Tannin is a chemical naturally occuring in grape skin. Pinot noir is a very thin-skinned grape, thus the tannin concentration will be much lower than the thicker-skinned cabernet grape. The effect of the tannins is a sensation is called "astringency," which you'll also get from strong black tea. The finish of a cabernet is longer -- you'll taste the dryness for quite awhile after you swallow. Cabernet is the most tannic of the "major" varietals. That tannin is useful in pairing cabernet with fatty, earthy, or heavy foods. That tannin cuts through the heaviness, allowing the flavor of the wine and the food to complement each other. Grilled steaks, portabella mushrooms, big pastas and chocolates are classic cabernet pairings.

Finally, we arrive at Syrah -- the biggest of the reds. Not the driest…the biggest. You can see when you pour that the wine is the darkest and heaviest. The color is blackish purple, generally. (Wine folks call this "inky.") The nose of this wine is strong and fragrant, often full of plums and blackberries. When you taste, you'll immediately sense the "roundness" in comparison to the others. The flavor is usually full of berries, plums, and black cherries. The finish is fruity and not overly dry, and often has a licorice or chocolate flavor (which is why syrah is a fantastic chocolate pairing). You'll taste tannins in this wine, too -- but they're not as pronounced as the cabernet. A good syrah is generally defined as having "firm" tannins. Foodwise, syrah is best paired with just about anything you can put over fire. Grilled meats and vegetables, big stews -- anything with a rich flavor will go well with syrah's richness. Syrah is also a great wine for cool evenings. One other syrah note: you might see wines labeled Shiraz. The Australians called their syrah grapes "shiraz" after harvesting them for bit. Why? Who knows? Just know it's the same grape.

Differentiating between varietals is one of the keys to appreciating wine, pairing with food, or just finding something to fit your mood. Eventually, try side-by-side tastings with other varietals to see how they compare. You'll notice zinfandel, Chianti, tempranillo, malbec, merlot, etc. all have unique characteristics. For starters, though, stick with the basics. If you'd like, feel free to pass along what you find from your own tastings. I'd be interested to hear.

I hope this gives you a good starting point. Until next time…class dismissed…

Thanksgiving wine -- bottles to carve by

Ah, Thanksgiving. A time when families gather to give voice to their collective baggage, travelers delayed in airports scream at underpaid gate employees, highway traffic floods to a crawl, and somewhere in this madhouse of activity…dinner gets cooked.

Pairing a wine with a traditional Thanksgiving dinner can be a challenge. A big red won't work. The tannins will overwhelm most foods on your table. A usual white, like a chardonnay, usually doesn't have the strength to stand up with the oils in a turkey or pair with the variety of foods on the table -- from cranberries to stuffing to sweet potatoes. What do you want?

You want something that won't break the bank. You generally don't want anything too complex, as such a wine will usually be wasted as everyone gorges and then prepares for a long afternoon nap. So, where to go?

I've picked a few examples of varietals that tend to go well with a Thanksgiving (or other big cooking holiday of your choice) meal. This, of course, is not an exhaustive list, Vine readers should share their holiday wine faves in the comments for everyone to read.

Also, if you're hosting the meal, I recommend storing a small flask of Maker's Mark inconspicuously in the kitchen. For use in the sweet potatoes, of course…

Ca' del Solo 2005 Big House Pink -- Rosés are an excellent choice when you're entertaining for a number of folks. That is, once you get past the fear of pink. Rosés, as I've mentioned before, are extremely flexible, food friendly wines. A rosé generally has a little more body than a white, so it can go with heartier stuffings -- but the acidity that it brings to the table will cut through sauces and sweeter foods nicely. Turkey is a classic rose pairing. This entry from Ca' del Solo -- an alternate label of Bonny Doon Vineyard that produces some excellent, inexpensive blends -- will fill the bill at any such gathering. Remember, though, roses are best when not served ice-cold. You want to at least let it warm to 50 degrees or so. Once you unscrew this rose (and I'm going to do a feature on screwcaps a little down the line -- don't be afraid of them, either…) and pour a glass, you'll be greeted with a light, tropical fruit nose (I get pineapple from it). This wine has a nice "weight" in your mouth and has a well-balanced fruit flavor -- a little strawberry and a little grapefruit. The finish is tart and crisp. The Big House Pink is about $8-9 a bottle. If you have guests that can't decide between red and white, pour them this one. They'll appreciate you.

Covey Run 2005 Columbia Valley Riesling -- Thanksgiving dinner is about options. White meat or dark? Beans or greens? Stuffing or bread? Red or White? You're going to want flexibility, and there's no more flexible white than a decent Riesling. I focused on Riesling once before as a crowd pleaser -- and I'd hold to that if you're looking for a safe bet for your holiday table. For this particular selection -- Covey Run is a winery in Washington. Over the last ten years, Washington and Oregon have become major players in the American wine market, and their wines are some of the best values you'll see in domestic wines. The climate in Washington's Columbia Valley mirrors that of the Saar region in Germany. Some of the best Rieslings in the world are produced there. This wine certainly echoes its heritage. Covey Run's Riesling starts you with a fruity nose of apricots and peaches. This wine would not be considered a "dry" Riesling by any stretch. It's somewhat sweet, but there's a nice tartness that runs through the body of the wine. The finish is gentle and citrusy. This wine has enough interesting fruit flavor to satisfy any corkheads that may be at the table, while it's easy-drinking enough for your everyday guest. At $7-10, it's a great value.

Camelot 2005 Pinot Noir -- Pinot noir is a traditional Thanksgiving wine -- generally because it's a lighter, food friendly red that people can quaff without too much consideration. For a big meal, most folks will, again, generally be fine with a "mainline" pinot. (Personal note -- after the Santa Barbara jaunt, tasting inexpensive pinots was a bit of a shock to the system…) Camelot, although often shelved next to domestic pinot noirs, is actually French wine. It's certainly nowhere near the quality of red Burgundy (most of which are pinots) -- but for our purposes, it'll work. The Camelot has a light nose of cherries and herbs. It's a medium to light bodied pinot with a very nice, dark strawberry taste that slides into a long, semi-dry finish. There's nothing complicated about this wine -- it's just an easy drinking, well-balanced red that will pair with most anything you might have on the table. At $8-9, you can certainly leave a few bottles of this open on the table for copious consumption.

Il Faggeto 2005 Prosecco Veneto -- As I was putting this entry together, my sweet partner in crime asked me, "So, what would you drink with dessert?" Since I don't put The Vine together to discuss Alka-Seltzer, I needed to find something that would go with a pumpkin pie. A little looking around netted me a Prosecco. Prosecco is an Italian sparkling wine. Don't confuse it with champagne -- it's not nearly as carbonated or dry. Prosecco tends to be semi-dry and slightly fruity. As you may have noticed, I don't taste a lot of sparkling wine -- because, honestly, I don’t know the best way to really "taste" them. I see most sparklers as for…well…straight-up drinking. (Sparklers have their uses, which I'll get to at a later date.) Il Faggetto Prosecco is a fun wine. The carbonation gives it an interesting flavor -- there's more fruit pushed to your tongue than you would find in your average champagne. While it's a bit sweet initially, the finish slides towards dry. Why would this be a good wine with pumpkin pie? At the end of the meal, you need something that will a) cleanse your palate and b) not be too heavy. Il Faggetto fills the bill. The bubbles will cut through the numerous spices of said pie, while the fruit adds a nice complementary taste. In addition, you could also serve this as a aperitif (WineSpeak for "wine before you eat anything") since it's relatively low in alcohol and pairs nicely with cheeses and fruit. Best of all, you can find this for $8-10, so you can either get your guests warmed up or cooled down without worry.

By the way -- for the other traditional Thanksgiving dessert, pecan pie, there's only one proper pairing. Single-barrel Kentucky whiskey. I recommend Blanton's or Baker's bourbon, or Bernheim's single-barrel wheat whiskey. Accept no substitutes.

Until next time…save me the drumstick.

The Sideways Source

A bit of a departure from recent entries…

I’ve not read a wine writer yet who’s completely avoided referencing "Sideways.” Since this film became part of the popular culture, pinot noirs got expensive, people stopped drinking merlot, and tour buses by the hundreds descended on Santa Barbara County to follow the path blazed by Miles and Jack. There are readily available maps with which which you can hit every stop in the movie -- from the Hitching Post to "Frass Canyon Winery" (which is actually Fess Parker) where Miles dumped the spit bucket on his head to the Best Western where they stayed

I had the good fortune last week to travel LA to meet up with my sweet partner in crime as she was finishing a conference -- and we decided that we'd head north on the 101. (For those of you who have never been to Southern California, folks out there refer to freeways as something you find around the house -- the kitchen table, the family dog, the dishwasher, "the 5," "the 10," "the 405," "the 101," and so on…)

We did not wish to follow the Sideways trail. We did a little research beforehand and asked a few friends for recommendations. We ended up floating from winery to winery, sampling and learning as we went. My lessons from the trip?

* The best tasting rooms are at the wineries themselves.
* Tasting rooms specializing in local wineries without their own tasting rooms often yield gems.
* The pinot noirs out there are incredible wines. Corollary: The pinot noirs out there are also expensive wines in relation to what I usually write about.
* When I went to Sonoma last year, I barely drank zinfandel -- then I fell in love with the stuff. The same thing happened to me in Santa Barbara with syrah.
* There were actually some wines out there that fall into Vine price ranges -- and it would be unfair of me to simply keep them to myself. So, a few highlights in no particular order…

Cellar 205 -- One of our first stops, Cellar 205 is a wine co-op tucked away on a back street in Santa Barbara. Three different winemakers produce their wines here. Carr Winery specializes in pinot noir -- their pinot is very complex and range from delicate to chewy. They also make a very tasty sauvignon blanc. (We bought a bottle of the pinot for a special occasion.) Bargiel focuses more on syrah -- big, hearty wines. Our favorite was Oreana. Oreana makes a range of wines -- the most memorable, for me, was simply called "?" -- as it's made from a different blend of grapes every year. This wine was one of the more inexpensive we ran into out there -- $10 a bottle. For the price, it was unbeatable. This wine would be perfect to bring to a party, open in the evening with some chocolate, or just kick back and drink. Lots of berries and fruit, soft tannins, and hearty without being overpowering. We ended up with a case of the stuff.

Giessinger -- A funky little place on State Street in Santa Barbara, Giessinger made wines that, in the words of one of our tastresses (both of whom had the same birthday) are "not your average wines." I would echo that sentiment. We got a bottle of their syrah -- which actually had a fairly strong flavor of mint to it. I'm waiting to get some lamb chops for this wine, since we wouldn't need the mint jelly to go with it. At $10 a pop, it seemed like a pretty good investment to me. They made a few other very nice whites, as well Giessinger's specialty is dessert wines, which aren't usually my speed. But with wines named "Forgiveness" and "Surrender" -- trying them became a must.

Zaca Mesa -- Zaca Mesa, north of Los Olivos on Foxen Canyon Road, focuses on what are considered "Rhone varietals." The climate in that area is very much like the south of France -- blazing hot in the day, cool and breezy by night.They grow the same grapes there -- syrah, mourvedre, Grenache, rousanne, viognier, etc. Our new friend Brian led us through the tasting soon after an extended conversation with us about the Bengals being underdogs against the Ravens. They made a viognier that started with a wonderful floral and fruit nose, which then became wonderfully crisp and refreshing. Their blends, Z Cuvée and Z Three, were extraordinarily tasty and full wines. But their syrah stood alone on top. Syrah is normally a powerful, fruity, earthy wine. When you taste a syrah, you're going to get a very strong flavor of…well…something, generally – these are not meek wines. Zaca Mesa…these folks made a syrah that's very different. Their syrahs weren't overpowering in the slightest -- in fact, these wines had some of the best combinations and balances of flavors I've ever had. Almost all of their syrahs could be termed "elegant." Most of their wines are out of the Vine range -- but when we were there, they were selling off the last of the 2001 vintage -- which was an incredibly good wine, but needs to be drunk soon. We got it on sale -- so it came out to about $10 a bottle. If I need to take a bottle of wine somewhere in the next few months -- this is coming with me. It's astoundingly good.

Curtis -- Half a mile up the road from Zaca Mesa, Curtis Winery also focuses on Rhone varietals -- and our taster, Jason, showed us a very pleasant time while we were there. They also produce an exceptional syrah and small batches of various other Rhone wines. We were most struck by their cuvées. Cuvée is WineSpeak for "blend" and, as mentioned above -- these are usually very tasty, very up-front, easy drinking wines. Curtis makes three of them: the "Heritage Cuvée," a red with a smoky cherry and vanilla taste; the "Heritage Blanc," a white, somewhat like a viognier on the nose, but with a crisper taste and a longer finish; and their "Heritage rose," made from the same grapes as the red and striking you with tasty berries and grapefruit. All these wines were relatively inexpensive ($12-16) and make for a wonderful introduction to some of their other wines, which are a little pricier but, again, quite worth it.

And while the following wineries aren't in this column's price range, they certainly bear a mention: Sunstone -- the most attractive winery that we visited. Sunstone is just north of Solvang – best known as California's Dutch version of Gatlinburg. We tasted the best rose we'd ever had at Sunstone and a wine called "Eros" that was…well...exactly that. Shoestring is a new winery located smack dab on the road between Buellton and Solvang. They were tasting their first releases when we visited. If the early returns are any indication, this winery is certainly one to keep an eye on. Their syrah paired with dark chocolate was particularly divine. The winery also starred Scooter the Aussie, who kept an eye on the place from his perch atop one of the barrels in the warehouse. Finally, Foley, in the somewhat less radical climate west of Buellton on the way to Lompoc, produces absolutely marvelous pinot noir. We bought ourselves our favorite pinot on the trip at Foley.

If you'd like a taste of some of these wines, you can purchase most of them online. Be forewarned, we had a lot of trouble finding a winery that would ship directly to us in Kentucky. In Northern California wine country, they have visitors from all over and they've got "authorized third-party shippers" to deal with the weird blue laws in the Bluegrass and other states. In Southern California, most of their wine tasting traffic is local, so getting the permits isn't worth it. We had to find some hypothetically creative ways to get our booty home. (Best bet -- find a trustworthy friend in Ohio and ship there…you can ship unlimited quantities to places across the river.)

Pay the homepages of these wineries a visit and read their stories -- you'll like them. Each winery had a tale to tell -- and the thrill of firsthand discovery made for a very memorable mini-vacation.

Back to the reviews next time. Until then, don't drink and dial…

The Naked Vine sprouts

The August 2006 issue of Gourmet magazine has a sidebar – “Best Wines for Grilling.” Don’t get me wrong – I enjoy that magazine. I leaf through it every month. I’m an amateur foodie – and I love new ideas. That said, when the cheapest recommended selection on a rack of pinots to accompany your freshly flame-caressed breaded pork chop is close to $30, something’s amiss.

I love good wine. And I’m willing to splurge from time to time – but my basement doesn’t look like the wine cellar at DaVeed’s. I generally want something I can enjoy but also actually afford on an average salary. Truth be told, that’s not difficult – but guidance helps. A friend of mine whom I’ll shamelessly plagiarize, once said, “The trick isn’t finding a good $50 bottle. The trick is finding a good $10 bottle.”

I agree wholeheartedly. Thus, The Naked Vine is born.

If you’re someone who doesn’t want to worry about “notes of cigar box and elderberry” when it’s 90 degrees and you’re trying to keep your grilled corn from burning, or if you aren’t in search of a wine with the complexity of a Martin Scorsese film as you’re kicking back at the end of another crushing day at the office, my hope is that you'll find something useful here.

According to the California-based Wine Institute, of the 165.1 million cases of wine sold in the United States in 2005, only 11.5% of that total was in what was considered the "ultra premium" category -- upwards of $14 a bottle. However, those wines dominate most of the wine reviews you'll read. Perusing the major epicurean magazines (Gourmet, Food &Wine, Wine Spectator, etc.) a reader is hard pressed to find more than two or three bottles discussed under that price.

My goal is to offer you a couple of suggestions for everyday consumption each week or so. Everything I select for us will be under $15. I’ll be looking for wines that are easy to drink, easy to get to know, and generally easy to find. I won’t be writing exhaustive tasting notes. My aim isn't to pick up Paul Giamatti’s now-legendary “flutter of edam cheese.” I just want to give you a broad idea of what to expect – so take my analysis with a grain of salt (or a cracker).

This, logically, brings us back around to those first paragraph chops. To start, here are a few pretty flexible wines that hold their own with just about anything you want to put on the grill. Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel are the most common varietals to drink with grilled meats. (note: "varietal" is WineSpeak for "type of grape used in wine") I’ll leave them behind for now. I’ll come back to them when the weather cools a bit.

Castle Rock 2005 Pinot Noir – Thanks to the already referenced “Sideways” – pinot noir prices have gone through the roof in the last couple of years (counterbalanced by the plunge in demand for merlot – which is a subject for another day...). Inexpensive, good pinots have virtually disappeared from the market. When one comes along, it’s smart to enjoy it while you can. Got seasoned chicken or a nice pork chop – or even marinated, grilled tofu? Try this one. Castle Rock reminds me of a slow walk in a cherry orchard, fragrant and silky. I get a little plum in a flavor that’s “thicker” than a lot of pinots – perfect for the backyard. Nice and mild. A $10-12 bottle.

J. Lohr 2003 Riverstone Chardonnay – another winner at right around $10-12, The Lohr chardonnay – crisp, sweet nose – some apple, perhaps. A little sweet when it first hits your tongue, but that sweetness settles out quickly into the buttery taste and citrus that this chard is known for. The long oaky finish would go exceptionally well with grilled fish, chicken, pork, or veggies. Like most chardonnays (and most whites, for that matter), it shouldn’t be ice cold. Unlike the beer in your cooler, it’s best to let this wine warm up a little bit. Cold compresses the flavor of wine – you get the full flavor if it’s around 50 degrees or so.

Altos 2005 Malbec – Got meat? Love steak, ribs, or other big juicy slabs that hearken back to Neanderthal man? Altos Malbec, a great addition to the wine market from Argentina, is the perfect wine for you. Argentineans love big meat dishes – a friend of mine who journeyed there recently had a chance to dine on a 20 oz. filet. Malbec was used as a blending wine by the French and Spanish – but rarely stood on its own until something magical happened when the vine was imported to the Andes. While not as big as a cabernet sauvignon or a zinfandel (not white zinfandel, mind you) – this wine comes at you big and fruity – pepper and ripe berries. This wine has a nice amount of tannin (which is that not-quite-bitter taste you get from red wines), which allows it to accompany anything that’s been drawn over the coals. Altos tastes a little chocolatey, a little peppery, and gives you a nice additional dose of that berry taste. I’ve seen Altos for around $8 a bottle, which I believe is an absolute steal. Truth be told, this has been my favorite “grillin’ wine” for the last two summers.

Until next time…prost.