VINTJS Sauvignon Blanc Knights Valley 2012

Upon our return from the Wine Bloggers Conference in Penticton, British Columbia, the latest Trader Joe’s Fearless Flyer was in our mail. Needing to replenish our pantry and refrigerator, I went off to Trader Joe’s. The Fearless Flyer highlighted a newly-stocked wine, VINTJS Knights Valley 2012 Sauvignon Blanc. The Fearless Flyer describes the wine as a great summertime wine. I decided that at $7.99 is was worth a try.

I love traveling through Knights Valley on Highway 128, a beautiful backroad between Calistoga and Healdsburg. It is one we often take on our wine country travels. Joe Montana owns a house along this stretch that has been for sale since 2009. Knights Valley is a prime wine growing region with several top name wineries having vineyards in this area.

Knights Valley with Mt. St. Helena in background

VINTJS Sauvignon Blanc Knights Valley 2012

I found this wine to be very enjoyable. Let the wine sit and warm up slightly out of the fridge. The aroma comes through much better. I find the citrus flavors to be very gentle and pleasant with just a tad of oak coming through. The wine is very tasty in the mouth, full but at the same time refreshing. The finish is surprisingly long and agreeable. As mentioned in my post a couple of weeks ago, there are several styles of Sauvignon Blanc. This one has its own spin with the oak and full-mouth feel. You don’t get the deep Gooseberry and heavy grapefruit as you would in a New Zealand style of S.B. It is not as fresh and crisp as a stainless steel S.B., but it’s somewhere in between. I would say this is more of a lunch or dinner wine than an aperitif or an outdoor weather wine. The alcohol is 14.6%. I judge it at 87 Points.

On the back label of the wine, it indicates the wine was Vinted and Bottled by Golden West Winery of Sonoma. “Vinted and Bottled” means the winery on the label may have had little to do with the making of this wine. This is another one of those mystery wineries that may not really exist. I did an online search for the winery and absolutely no results came up specific to this winery’s name.

Vote your favorite summer wine

Wine Bloggers Conference 2014 to be held in the Santa Barbara wine country.

The post VINTJS Sauvignon Blanc Knights Valley 2012 appeared first on Wine Values and Bargains.

We spent from Wednesday to Sunday last week participating in the 6th annual North American Wine Bloggers Conference. We spent a day and a half in the Lake Chelan AVA of Washington State and the remainder of the time in the Okanagan wine region of British Columbia. Prior to leaving on our wine country excursion, we did have time to taste a couple of wines and one of these I can highly recommend. You must try it!

I Locations Wine Italy
There are three wines in the Locations series, one each from Spain, France and Italy. Dave Phinney (Prisoner wine) is the winemaker and has carefully selected vineyards for each of these “Location” wines. I previously reviewed the E wine from Spain and enjoyed the wine immensely. When I spotted the I wine at BevMo for $16.99, I did not hesitate to give it a try.

The I Locations wine is another masterful job by Dave Phinney and carries a great price value for what the wine has to offer in quality. This is an Italian red wine blend of Negoamaro, Nero d’ Avola, Barbera and other native varietals from Puglia, Italy. I like the many fruit flavors that come across both in the nose and mouth. It’s the type of wine you like to savor and hold in your mouth before swallowing. It has a fresh style and is quite different from any Italian wine that I have tasted. The I Locations wine will go with many dishes. Fowl, pizza, pasta, lamb, or a juicy steak will match very well with this intriguing red. 90 Pts.

BevMo also carries the E wine from Spain and the F wine from France for $16.99. My local BevMo was sold out of the F wine; otherwise I would’ve tried that wine as well.

Delicious Italian blend

More on the Wines from the Wine Bloggers Conference
We tasted many good wines but, sad to say, none in the value and bargain wine category. At Lake Chelan we tasted many good sparkling wines, Alsatian-style wines, and fantastic red wines. The red wines were my favorite wines, but all of them in the $35 to $50 category. Most of the wineries in the Lake Chelan wine region are very small producers, so few bottles leave the State.

Tinhorn Creek in Okanagan, B.C.

The Okanagan wine we tasted varied greatly in quality. There are some spectacular Rieslings in the bunch. These wineries are mostly small producers and nearly all their wines are sold in British Columbia. The most difficult obstacle for wineries is the high tax rate on each bottle of wine. The price listed on a bottle of wine includes the tax. So a $25 bottle includes the hefty tax rate. I was told that the tax on a bottle of wine could be as much as 30%. Thankfully, we do not have to pay those taxes in California.

June Wine Poll – Vote for your favorite summer wine

The post Dave Phinney and I Locations Wine appeared first on Wine Values and Bargains.

With these first two Zinfandel wines, Janelle and I did a side-by-side comparison munching on spicy baby back ribs. The third wine recommendation is from Vintage Wine Taster Mike who is very excited about his Rosé find for summer drinking.

Wild Thing Zinfandel 2009 Mendocino County by Carol Shelton
There is much to like about this wine. The grapes are all from sustainably-farmed vineyards and the wine is wild yeast fermented. Wild Thing Zinfandel is 78% Zinfandel from Mendocino County along with 12% Carignane, 7% Petite Sirah and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. The retail price on this wine is $19 but if you purchase six, mix or match at the Safeway, you can get this wine for $12.49. I found this wine at the Safeway in Burlingame, but it may not be available in other Safeway stores. This wine is loaded with delicious spices in the nose and the mouth. We also have some lovely raspberry and other fruit flavors to savor and a long finish to enjoy. The wine is medium bodied with some zip on the palate. Tim Fish of the Wine Spectator rates the Wild Thing Zindandel at 90 points and I could not agree more.

Wild Thing Zinfandel 2009 Mendocino County

Artizen Zinfandel 2011 Mendocino County
There are some similarities in this wine to the Wild Thing Zinfandel. The grapes are from sustainably-farmed vineyards in the Ukiah Valley, 90% Zinfandel and 10% Petite Sirah. The Artezin is also a spicy Zinfandel and, like the Wild Thing, moderate in style. Perhaps the spicy notes of both wines are a character of Mendocino-grown Zinfandel. Artezin rocks with black pepper and red fruit characteristics. I purchased this wine at the Burlingame Safeway Sale for $11.96 when I mixed and matched six bottles. By comparison, BevMo is selling this wine for $17.99 (not part of BevMo 5 Cent Sale). I like this wine very much and rate it at 88 Points. For about a half dollar more, the Carol Shelton Wild Thing is even a better deal.

Artezin 2011 Mendocino Zinfandel

Charles & Charles 2012 Rosé – Mike’s Recommendation

Great summer Rosé

This wine is available at Burlingame Safeway for $7.55 as part of a six-pack purchase. I have had the Carol Shelton Mendocino Zin Rosé and, while very good, it does not match the complex flavors of the C&C. Rosé wines are almost always flavorful and pleasant, but this one stands out as complex and tasty. I give it 89 pts.

Favorite Summer Wine

Did you take our June Poll? It will only take you five seconds to tell us what your “go to” white wine is for the summer weather. Vote for your summer wine.

The post Wild Thing Zinfandel appeared first on Wine Values and Bargains.

June marks the beginning of summer vacations and outdoor cooking and dining. I thought it might a fun idea to see what everyone’s favorite wine choice is for warm weather, backyard dining and picnicking. This will be a white wine only choice. I do believe folks like red wine in warm weather, but I think for pre-dinner wines or afternoon wines, white wine is the preferred choice.

Your favorite white wine for summer fun?

If June poll does not appear in this article click to view and vote.

Results of the May Poll on paring Mexcian food with wine.

Apparently not many of the 389 folks that visited the May Poll were into eating Mexican food, or perhaps they like Mexican food but just not with wine. We only had 35 votes. That not a big enough sample to tell us much, but nonetheless here are the results:

Zinfandel – 7 votes
Rosé – 5 votes
Sparkling wine – 4 votes
Sauvignon Blanc – 4 votes
Syrah – 4 votes
Riesling – 2 votes
Gerwurztraminer – 2 votes
Pinot Grigio – 2 votes
Pinot Noir – 0 votes
Other received 4 votes

Safeway Sale News
Safeway has some amazing wine bargains, especially at the Safeway store in Burlingame. A few examples of prices when you mix or match 6 or more bottles of wine.

Carol Shelton Wine Things Mendocino Old Vine 2009 – $12.59
Gruet Brut or Brut Rosé Sparling wine – $11.33
Louis Martini Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon – $9.89
Artezin Mendocino Zinfandel 2011 – $11.96

Wild Thing Old Vine Zinfandel $12.59

The post Favorite Summer Wine appeared first on Wine Values and Bargains.

This week we had a houseguest from England who is fascinated with New Zealand style Sauvignon Blanc. During the week I poured her a New Zealand style S. B. and two different California Sauvignon Blanc wines.

Sauvignon Republic $7.99 – Trader Joe’s
This wine has the classic grapefruit and gooseberry characteristics found in most New Zealand styles of Sauvignon Blanc wine. For me this wine was just a little over the top in these two characteristics. I enjoyed the first few sips but after that I found the wine unsatisfying. But for our houseguest Jane, this was just the style of wine she was looking for. The Wine Spectator recently rated this wine at 86 points and I will agree with that score.

Patianna 2010 Sauvignon Blanc $9.99 – BevMo

Patianna S.B. 2010

Whitehall Lane 2011 Sauvignon Blanc $13 to $19 – at various stores
This is one of my personal favorites and often part of the Safeway sale. Back in December I purchased a half case at the Safeway sale for $12.60 a bottle, and that is a stupendous price for this wine. I previously reviewed this wine and rated it at 89 points. The main difference from the Patianna wine is that 15% of Whitehall S.B. has the Semillon grape and a small amount of barrel fermentation. These two factors give the wine an entirely different mouth feel. The Patianna is crisp and clean, perhaps the ideal picnic wine, whereas the Whitehall Lane has more of a dinner wine feel to it.

So when it was all said and done, our British houseguest preferred the Sauvignon Republic to the other two wines. I must also admit that she is not an everyday wine drinker and one small glass suits her just fine. It just better be a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

The post Three styles of Sauvignon Blanc appeared first on Wine Values and Bargains.

BevMo 5 Cent Sale

Some say the BevMo 5 Cent Sale is not really a sale but just a gimmick, and the prices are totally the same when the 5 Cent Sale is not on. I disagree, you do get a small discount, but of course you must buy the two bottles to make the sale work for you. Case in point: A few days ago I purchased the MontGras Carmenere for $9.99. During the BevMo 5 Cent Sale the price for two bottles of the same wine averages out to $9.02, almost a 10% discount. So if you need to stock up on wine, the BevMo 5 Cent Sale may be to your benefit if you can find wines that you rate as delicious. That is the key.

My recommendations for the current BevMo 5 Cent Sale, showing first the full price and then the price for each bottle when you buy in pairs.

• Bodega Norton Malbec Barrel Select ’10 $19.99 – $10.02
• Lillie’s Sauvignon Blanc ’12 $14.99 – $7.52
• MontGras Carmenere Reserva ’12 $17.99 – $9.02
• Navarro Lopez Crianza ’08 $19.99 – $10.02
• Sextant Chardonnay Central Coast ’10 $17.99 – $9.02
• Vigilance Chardonnay ’11 $16.99 – $8.52
• Vigilance Sauvignon Blanc ’11 $14.99 – $7.52
• Zaca Mesa Chardonnay ’09 $17.99 – $9.02
• Zolo Gaucho Select Bonarda ’12 $15.99 – $8.02
• Zolo Gaucho Select Reserve Cabernet ’09

MontGras Carmenere

One more thing: If you purchase a wine and you do not like it for whatever reason, you can bring back the open bottle with the undrunk wine and the second bottle and get a full refund. Ask the clerk at the check out counter and that is what they will tell you. Be sure to keep your receipt. Please offer your BevMo recommendations or not in the comment section below.

Link to previous BevMo 5 Cent Sale article.
One last time to vote on a wine you like with Mexican Food.
Check out this article on the book “Into Wine.”

The post BevMo 5 Cent Sale Reviews appeared first on Wine Values and Bargains.

The Costco stores in Foster City and Redwood City carry several delicious Malbec wines, many of which I have reviewed in the past including: Urban Uco, Pascual Toso and Mapema. We also did a blind tasting in 2012 of six Malbec wines.

This past week I did a side-by-side comparison of two current Malbec wines now available on the Costco shelves.

Battle of Malbec Wines

BenMarco 2011 Malbec – $14.89
The BenMarco Malbec is a very delicious wine with nice aroma and characteristics of blueberry and other black fruit flavors. It has complexity and depth in the mouth and a decent aftertaste. This wine is layered for enjoyment, and will go with just about any red meat dish. Steve Tanzer gives it 90 Points, 89 for the Wine Spectator and we will also go with the 89 score. K&L Wines also carries this wine but at a hefty $19.99.

Bodegas Esmeralda Tilia 2011 Malbec – $7.49
This wine has a typical Malbec aroma with just a tad of an herb character. There is a load of spice throughout and it carries on in the aftertaste. For the price, we think this wine is a great deal. It lacks the depth and complexity of the BenMarco. but you still get a lot of “bang for the buck” in this wine. If your wine budget seeks out good wines under the $10 mark, you will like this wine very much. I give it 87 points.

I just posted on YouTube one of my favorite recipes: Linguine with clams and pancetta. It is very easy to make but the results are stupendous. I think either the BenMarco or the Tilia will be a perfect match for this dish. The pancetta in this recipe adds another dimension, and I think a medium-bodied red is just perfect with this dish.

“Quick and Dirty” recipe for Linguine with clams and pancetta

This is the last week to take the five second poll on matching wine with Mexican cuisine. Please take the poll.

The post Battle of the Malbec Wines appeared first on Wine Values and Bargains.

Value Wines of the Week

Losen-Bockstanz Riesling 2011 – $10.99
When was the last time you tried a German Riesling wine? For me it’s been several months, and whenever I try one I wonder why I do not drink these wines more often. They are refreshing, tasty and a change of pace from the usual California popular white wines. This Riesling is only 10% alcohol, with just a tad of sweetness. The wine packs a beautiful aroma of fruits and a good amount of structure on the palate. The acidity and sweetness of the wine counter one another. I like this wine as an aperitif or for just sipping while on the deck enjoying life. 88 Points.

Losen-Bockstanz Riesling

Masciarelli 2010 Montepulciano D”Abruzzo – $8.99

Masciarelli Montepulciano

Viu Manet Sauvignon Blanc 2012 – $6.99

Viu Manent Sauvignon Blanc – Chile

Charbono Wine

While shopping at Weimax, I could not pass up on a wine just above the $20 mark. It was the Summers Estate Charbono 2010 from the Napa Valley. I recently tasted the Duxoup Napa Valley Charbono, so I decided I needed another try at Charbono wine. The Charbono origin is the French Corbeau grape grown in the Savoie wine region of eastern France. It is also grown widely in Argentina, where it is called Bonarda. It is a delicious, medium-bodied red wine loaded with black fruit flavors. It sells at Weimax for $20.99 and at Beltramo’s for $19.99. The Summers Estate winery sells it for $32, so it’s quite a savings at our nearby markets. Here is the article we wrote on the Napa Valley Blog on Charbono wine in the Napa Valley.

Safeway Wine Sale
Last week I recommended the Gruet Rosé for $13.99 to $16.99 at various stores. The following Wednesday the Gruet went on sale at Safeway. I purchased six for $11.49. What a deal. This current sale at the Burlingame Safeway runs through Tuesday, May 14.

The post Value Wines of the Week May 13 appeared first on Wine Values and Bargains.

Gruet Brut Rosé
You can find this bubbly at Weimax in Burlingame, K&L Wines, BevMo and the Safeway. The best price that I could find is at K&L Wines where is sells for $13.99.

Gilbert Gruet, who founded the Gruet Winery in Albuquerque, New Mexico, started his winemaking career in his native France. There he made Champagne, but on a trip to the U.S. in 1983, he discovered the southwest and found the ideal location at 4300 feet elevation to grow grapes and make wine. All of the Gruet sparkling wine is made exactly like it is made in Champagne, using the traditional méthode champenoise. For more information on méthode champenoise, see this article.

This sparkling Rosé pops with red fruit flavors of strawberry and raspberry. It is dry but quite refreshing and tasty throughout. The wine is a fabulous choice for an aperitif or a toast to Mom. With this tasty sparkling wine, it will be difficult for you and your guests to limit yourselves to just one glass. It’s best to stock up with several bottles of the Gruet Brut Rosé.

Gruet Brut Rosé

I know a lot of wine drinkers who tell me that they are not fond of sparkling wines. I say, you must’ve gone to some weddings way back and had some bad sparkling wine. In our household, sparkling wine is our favorite wine apertif. And this one is so good, I rate Gruet Brut Rosé 89 Points.

Bodegas Beronia Tempranillo Rioja Elaboración Especial 2008 – $14.99 Weimax

Beronia 2008

Don’t forget about the May Wine Poll. It will take less than 10 seconds of your time.

The post Gruet Brut Rosé appeared first on Wine Values and Bargains.

What wine with tacos?

Take the Poll: Mexican Food and Wine Pairing

Ceja Vineyards is one of the leading Mexican-owned wineries in the Napa Valley and on their Website they have an extensive recipe list of Mexican dishes, complete with suggested wines to accompany the dish. If you are interested in cooking up an authentic Mexican dish, try one of their recipes. Most of the recipes are on video so that makes it easy to understand and duplicate.

Previously, I posted my recipe for Guacamole on Good Cheap Vino. Here it is again. It is the perfect appetizer for your Mexican dinner on Cinco de Mayo. How to Make Guacamole.

Winning Guacamole

The post Mexican Food and Wine Pairing – The May 2013 Poll appeared first on Wine Values and Bargains.