Category Archives: Feature Story

‘Love at first sip’ for rosé wines in this season of flowers

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Love at first sip might be your reaction after trying a Patton Valley Vineyard Pinot Noir Rosé 2007.

At least, that was mine.

So much so that I just about stretched the limits of the Wine News Review fairly frugal affordability index.

That is, I plunked down $17 for a bottle of the Patton!

That was after a wine tasting this past weekend at one of my favorite wine shops in the D.C. area, Vienna Vintner.

Dry (forget the notion that rosés have to be sweet), ever so subtly frizzante with watermelonly tones and a slight acidic rush. But what I think got to me was its hint of flowers.

It is, after all, spring.

For more on the subject of spring and rosés, check out TODAY columnist Edward Deitch’s recent observations in an aptly headlined column “Stop and ‘smell’ the rosés.”

Deitch expounds on his affection for the season’s pinks and lists a couple of his finds, including one that fits rather nicely in the fairly frugal affordability index: a 2007 Roseum from Vina Robles in Paso Robles on California’s Central Coast (about $13).

Bonus info: Ever wonder why some wines are pink? The preferred method of producing them, according to my handy copy of The Oxford Companion to Wine, is to allow the juice of the grapes to linger with the dark-colored skins for only a brief period of time, several hours in some cases.

Want to find a perfectly priced bottle of wine? Give the Smarter Wine Search a try.

These tough economic times may just be the ‘greatest hour’ for boxed wines

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This one’s for Ray.

He’s a dear friend who keeps pestering — uh, I mean encouraging — me to explore boxed wines.

So, Ray, here are some recent observations of boxed wines.

They are courtesy of Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg at The Washington Post:

It’s tough enough to convince wine lovers that screw-cap closures are better than the traditional corks; unscrewing a bottle doesn’t inspire the same poetry as popping a cork. But convincing them that boxed wines are not inferior is even tougher, which might account for the lack of coverage.

However, because boxed wines are one of the fastest-growing segments of the wine market (up more than 40 percent over a year ago, according to the Nielsen Co.), that should change.

How good can a boxed wine be? Sipped at a party in 2005, a 2004 Dtour Macon ($37 for a three-liter cylinder, equal to about $9.25 a bottle) left Page and Dornenburg  “shocked by the quality that came out of this cardboard tube and the vacuum-sealed bag.”

Given the economic times, Ray may be on to something.

I did a quick survey on the Wine News Review aptly named Smarter Wine Search tool and came up with a couple helpful recent articles that include boxed-wine recommendation among a slew of other affordable picks:

  • CBSNews.com opines, “This just might be box-wines’ greatest hour!” The article serves up two three-liter selections: one from California (Black Box Chardonnay 2006, $28) and the other from Australia (Hardy’s Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, $24).
  • The San Jose Mercury News suggests the non-vintage Corbett Canyon Chardonnay, about $10 for three liters, translating to about $2.50 for a 750-milliliter bottle.

Thanks for the idea, Ray!

Get ready for summer with ‘young, fresh Sauvignon Blanc’ – and do it soon

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Summer will never have tasted so good if you follow some simple advice from Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher: “Stick with young, fresh Sauvignon Blanc from just about anywhere and it will be hard to go wrong.”

That tip comes from their recent Wall Street Journal article about the Flavors of Summer. Spotlighted are the luscious offerings of France, New Zealand, Chile, South Africa and the USA (at times called Fumé Blanc, “quite sophisticated, sometimes with some weight and mouthfeel, but still varietal — a neat trick that’s delicious to try”).

The piece examines the characteristics of the various products. It lists approximate prices. It draws on these consummate reviewers’ drinking experiences over the past decade. And it offers some timely guidance:

The wines from the 2008 vintage in the Southern Hemisphere will be here before too long. When these are brand new, they are particularly exciting and vibrant. Grab the first one you see.

Want to find a perfectly priced bottle of wine? Give the Smarter Wine Search a try.

Experts’ weekend wine bargains: From ‘succulent peach’ to French ‘gem’

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Comparing the picks: A survey of recent selections from popular wine experts, spotlighting bargains and best values among other choices at their websites.

Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Valley (Washington) Riesling 2007:
Paul Lukacs, Wine Review Online — An “amazing value,” it’s described as “off dry” but offering “succulent peach, apricot and citrus fruit flavors without ever seeming saccharine or sappy.” $10

Concha Y Toro Cabernet Sauvignon Central Valley Casillero del Diablo Reserve 2006:
James Molesworth, Wine Spectator Online — “Soft, with a straightforward mix of dark cherry, sweet toast and herb notes.” $14-$18

2006 Domaine du Tariquet, Vin de Pays des Cotes de Gascogne, France:
Jerry Shriver, USA TODAY — “The full name of this gem from southwestern France may be a mouthful but this graceful wine slips easily down your throat.” About $13

Inama, Vin Soave 2006 Soave Classico:
Jancis Robinson, JancisRobinson.com — “The nose is certainly vibrantly lemony but what really distinguishes it from more ordinary Soaves is its whoosh of real, ripe fruit concentration on the mid palate yet with no sacrifice of either delicacy or refreshment value.” $10.99

MacRostie 2006 Carneros Chardonnay:
Edward Deitch, MSNBC.com — Fresh and sophisticated, “a superb value, revealing lush fruit combined with exceptional balance.” About $23

Tip: Print out this list and bring it to your local wine shop — even if a specific favorite isn’t available, ask the salesperson to recommend something similar. Or try browsing the latest wine reports from this custom collection of hundreds of news websites — filtered for bargains, continuously updated, and quick and easy to scan:

  • Reds (from Beaujolais to Zinfandel)
  • Whites (from Chablis to Sauvignon Blanc)
  • Organic (red, white, in between)

To hit closer to home, try WNR’s Smarter Wine Search tool and see what wine finds columnists and wine experts may be writing about in your area. Once there, just type in your city and state (within quotation marks, as in, "Napa, California"), to get results ranked by relevance.

Or scroll down to the bottom of this page and dig into top wine lists from a variety of sources. You’ll also find links to everything from a food-pairing database to websites for comparative wine ratings.

The Web is about community. So take a moment to comment about your experience with a particular wine — to help steer others to or away from it. And of course, have a great weekend!

Green wines, with “stronger terroir,” may be the next big thing

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What’s all this about organic wines — some kind of “sustainable” fad?

Well, not quite.

Until about a hundred years ago, you either drank organic wines — or you didn’t drink wine. Meaning that over thousands of years (a span of time during which wine was an extremely popular beverage), grapes were grown without pesticides, additives or preservatives, as Wine Enthusiast Magazine points out in a tight, bright little primer about the aptly named “green wines.”

We also get an answer to the age-old question: But does it taste good???

The answer is a resounding yes. Green wines are said to have a stronger terroir than conventional varieties. “Some feel that organic wines…taste more flavorful and ‘cleaner,'” says The Organic Wine Company’s Veronique Raskin. Combine that with the health benefits, and you’ll realize why green notes might be the next big thing.

The article lists 10 labels to look for if/when you’re in the market for organic selections.

Want to find a perfectly priced bottle of wine? Give the Smarter Wine Search a try.