We can't think of any California wineries that have much respect for a five
dollar bill. Many in Napa ask you for $5 merely for the privilege of them
"allowing" you to taste their wines (in hopes you'll spend the king's
ransom it takes to secure a bottle of wine).
We probably have the best selection of Five Buck wines in the Bay Area, as we
think it's important for a good bottle of wine to be available for small money.
The San Francisco Chronicle printed an article on "Bargain Wines" and
our little wine emporium was cited as being a Bay Area leader in value-priced
wines.
Here are some suggestions from our current offerings:
BORSAO Still SALE PRICED $5.49
From
the Aragón region of Spain comes this amazingly "soulful" wine.
It's dark in color and teeming with berryish fruit and a mildly spice note.
A blend of Garnacha and Tempranillo....the 2005 is delicious!
Please note: Aside from the fact that this is a dynamite bottle of wine for five
bucks, it makes a superb Sangria!
VIU MANENT CABERNET SAUVIGNON
SALE PRICE $4.99
We're
big fans of this producer. While you can buy thin, watery, sweet wine from
California's Central Valley under labels such as Mondavi's Woodbridge, here's a
dry, medium-full bodied red of exceptional intensity in this price range.
No oak. A couple of weeks' maceration on the skins, so this even has a bit
of tannin!
LURTON
PINOT GRIS SALE $6.99
The
Lurton brothers are French, with winemaking projects around the
world.
We've been mighty impressed with their work with Pinot Gris at their Argentinean
winery. This is a rather dry white that is remarkably classy and comes
close to capturing the fruit of good Pinot Gris from France's Alsace region
CHARAMBA
SALE PRICE $4.79
Here's a dynamite red
wine from Portugal's Douro Valley, a region that's famous for Port.
This is made of some of the same grapes that go into Port, except the wine is
vinified dry.
You'll find some wonderfully spicy, peppery notes here as we liken this to a
good Côtes du Rhône.
If you pour this into a fancy decanter and give it an hour or two to
"breathe," your wine 'geek' friends will all guess this as something
far more noble than a five buck red wine.
FALLING STAR
Produced by the large
Trapiche wine concern, this label offers a couple of really remarkable
little wines for a very modest price.
The 2004 vintage of white wine, a Sauvignon Blanc blended with 10% Semillon,
is a lovely, citrusy example of remarkable quality for such a small price.
It's a shame California does not make nearly as good a wine at anything
remotely close in price! - Currently available:
- Falling Star Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon $4.99
-
CAVES PRIMAVERA
At
one time the wines of the Dão region were thought to be Portugal's most
prestigious reds. That's changed as other areas have certainly caught up
and are making compelling wines.
But we can still look to Dão for quality and, in this instance, value.
The Caves Primavera was founded by Vial and Lucenio de Almeida in the
1940s. The family still owns this large producer, which deals in wines
from around Portugal.
Here's a nice little red which has a bit of bottle
aging. There's a woodsy tone to it, though I'm not sure what kind of
cooperage they use. The bottom line is it's a good, medium-bodied red of
modest alcohol and very impressive for five bucks.
- Currently in stock: 2003 PRIMAVERA Dão
Reserva SALE $4.99
SANTA RITA
The
2005 "120" Series of Cabernet is not going to remind a connoisseur
much of Mouton-Rothschild or Haut Brion.
But it is a delicious little red wine.
Though vinified from Cabernet, the wine is not tannic and it's smooth enough
to drink now. Think of it as "Cabernet meets Beaujolais."
In fact, we like it served lightly chilled. -
- Currently in stock: 2005 SANTA RITA "120" CABERNET
SAUVIGNON SALE $5.99
ABEL CLEMENT 2006 Côtes du Rhône Blanc $6.99
Grenache Blanc is the predominant grape is this
remarkably delicious dry white wine. If a California vintner made this it
would cost $30 and critics would proclaim the winemaker to be a hero for making
such a good wine at such a reasonable price.
It's terrific.
ROSHAMBO
"Rock Paper Scissors" RED $8.99
The
Brilliant Naomi Brilliant of Sonoma's edgy Roshambo winery has a nifty red table
wine.
The small print says it's made of Merlot, but we view it more as just "good
red table wine."
It comes in a screw-capped bottle, so it's probably too new-age for old codgers
and curmudgeonly wine buyers.
Roshambo is the "Frank Johnson Vineyard"...Naomi's grand-pappy planted
grapes in Sonoma County many years ago and his name has graced wines from
Chateau St. Jean and Pedroncelli wineries.
Nice wine. Good value and it knocks wines such as various
"Coastal" bottlings and Lodi offerings for a loop!
As the young generation of winedrinkers is wont to say "This wine
rocks." But it also papers and scissors.
MASCIARELLI
"MONTEPULCIANO d'ABRUZZO" SALE
$6.99
Gianni Masciarelli's wine is well-known in Italy and yet it's one of the best
kept secrets here in the U.S.
This is another one of those wines that, served in a decanter, tastes like a
seriously more costly bottle of wine. Medium to medium-full bodied.
MARQUES
DE DAROCA 2005 GRENACHE/SYRAH Blend $6.99
Here's a
fairly full-bodied red from Spain made from Syrah and Garnacha vines. The French
call the latter grape Grenache and when you buy it from fancy-schmancy (that's a technical
term) places such as Châteauneuf-du-Pape, bring your wife or husband, your pink
slip and your checkbook.
This is a lovely example of a Rhône-styled blend...berryish, a hint of an earthy note and
some spice (but not really peppery like some Grenache wines...more black and red
fruit notes here).
Perfect for grilled or roasted red meats.
HUGUES BEAULIEU 2006 "PICPOUL DE PINET" SALE $7.99
The Picpoul grape is
cultivated to a very minor extent here in California.
It's known as "Folle Blanche" and the Louis Martini winery in Napa was
its major proponent.
Now that Martini sold the place, lock, stock and redwood tank to the Gallo
family, we expect Folle Blanche will pretty much disappear from the California
wine scene.
Happily, it's got a home in the south of France where the Cave de Pomerols is
the leader of a small pack of Picpoul producers.
The
2006 is the current vintage, the wine showing the crisp, tangy zest that makes
it such a good seafood white. In the Languedoc, fresh oysters are the
suggested food accompaniment. We like the citrusy aromas of this
wine. Very good and quite reasonably priced.
MALLORIO MONTEPULCIANO d'ABRUZZO $7.99
From a large grower's cooperative in Abruzzo, this is a remarkably good,
hearty Italian red.
DOMAINE DE LA GUICHARDE 2004 CÔTES du RHÔNE SALE $8.99
Here's
a really satisfying, simple Côtes du Rhône from a modest-sized estate.
The wine is made for rather immediate consumption, but it's not a
Beaujolais-styled rendition...traditionally made, medium-bodied, mildly spicy
Grenache...The new 2004 is amazingly good. Really a lot of fruit and spice
in that wine.
We like this served at cool cellar temp in the warm summer weather. Great
with grilled meats.
CORTENOVA PINOT GRIGIO SALE $7.99
I believe this is made by the Pasqua winery near Verona in Northern
Italy. They make a lot of wine, nothing especially complex or of
connoisseur quality, but for six bucks and change, this is a bargain!
It's dry, fresh, fruity on the nose and aromatic. Good cocktail white.
CONDE DE SIRUELA 2004 RIBERA DEL DUERO $9.99
Okay...it's
ten bucks, but what a nice glass of wine for about what you'd pay just to have a
"taste" at some famous Napa wineries!
It's from the Ribera del Duero region, a high rent neighborhood filled with many
expensive bottles of wine. Some are worth their lofty prices, but this
Conde de Siruela bottling is one of the few bargains in that region.
The wine is made entirely of Tempranillo and gets a brief pass in small American
oak. We like the dark fruit aromas and nice, cedary, woodsy tones on the
nose and palate.
VIU MANENT 2004 MALBEC SALE 5.99
Most people return after buying a bottle and
leave with a 12-pack of this remarkably fine Chilean Malbec. You won't
find lots of wood in this wine, but you will find a robust red with plenty of
dark fruit notes.
LYETH "L de LYETH" CABERNET
SAUVIGNON $8.99
Sonoma County Cabernet for $8.99? This wine puts to shame lots of far
more costly bottles we've tasted...lots.
McMANIS CABERNET SAUVIGNON SALE
$8.99
McMANIS SYRAH
SALE $8.99
The
McManis family has extensive acreage in the Central Valley, south of Lodi.
Winemaker Jeff Runquist, whose Runquist wines are very popular here at the shop,
runs the cellar with another winemaker, Mike Robustelli.
These guys create some amazingly good and surprisingly stylish wines.
We're fans of their Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The Syrah is a dark, deep colored wine with lots of blackberry fruit and a touch
of wood. It's low in acidity and tannin, so drinking it now is ideal.
The Cabernet is as smooth as most commercial Merlots, but has a bit more body
and richness. It, too, is nicely oaked.
MORANDE CHILEAN SYRAH $6.99
Here's a wine which resembles many California Syrahs...
It's rather like many nice Napa reds...dark in color, packed with black fruit
aromas and flavors...Ellen says she gets a bit of spice here, but I find mostly
berries. It even seems to have a hint of wood. And it's not $50 like
most Napa Syrahs.
Impressive at this price.
CALDERONA 2004 "TINTO ROBLE" SPANISH RED $7.99
Lightly oaked Tempranillo, this is about the weight of a
medium-intensity Merlot. Nice woodsy fragrances.
MURUVE 2004 "TINTO ROBLE" SPANISH RED $8.99
From Spain's Toro region, Muruve's little Tempranillo spent about 4
months in oak. You'll find interesting notes of mocha and coffee on the
nose. Dry, soft and remarkably long on the palate.
PELLEHAUT 2006 CÔTES de GASCOGNE $8.99
The Beraut brothers make a sensational dry white wine
in the southwestern part of France...superb. No oak.
VIÑA MOREJONA 2005 SPANISH WHITE $7.99
A satisfying, non-oaked dry white that's principally Verdejo with a
modest amount of Palomino and Viura. It's a wonderful cocktail white and
it pairs handsomely with seafood, especially steamed clams.
SALVALAI 2005 PINOT GRIGIO Sale $7.99
From Italy's Veneto region, this is a dry, light, simple, fresh Pinot
Grigio. Remarkably good.
MARK WEST 2005 California PINOT NOIR (Sale) $9.99
The Vino Fino boys had this wine in a recent blind-tasting of Pinot
Noirs from Burgundy and California. I insisted on including a $25 ringer
from Chile and it won the tasting. But the second place wine, finishing
ahead of Burgundy from Tollot-Beaut and Ramonet was this lovely, charming little
California wine. The winemaker used to work at the Peter Michael Winery
and produced wines which cost more for a single bottle than this costs for a
case.
It's not a hugely profound wine, but it is a delightful, sort of Beaujolais
styled, exuberantly strawberryish Pinot. Very nice.
GUIGAL 2003 CÔTES du RHÔNE (Sale) $9.99
Guigal
has grown into a large producer and many wine geeks find the brand is no longer
interesting since the wines are available without your having to beg for
them.
Yet the wine is remarkably good and you can impress your wine-savvy friends if
you serve the wine in a decanter and don't tell them what it is.
Even better, lead them astray by telling them it's from a "Rhone
Ranger" producer (these tend to be small California vintners who often
charge an arm and a leg for wines which don't measure up to this ten buck
bottle).
CONCHA Y TORO CARMENERE $7.99
I
tasted a really nice example of Carmenere and it's reasonably priced at eight
bucks.
Medium bodied, there's a nice dark fruit character here with a nice touch of
oak.
Smooth on the finish, too.
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