Wine

May 17 2014

Grate Red Toscana Rosso

We should be working for Aldi. Yet another sub-$5 wine, this one a red that you can drink everyday.

“Product of Italy.” That should tell us a little something about this wine.

But it doesn’t tell us enough – Chianti? Montepulciano? Something else? A blend?

Aldi Strikes Again with an Everyday Red – Grate Red Toscana Rosso

In this particular case, the red wine from Aldi is NOT going to be something you save for that special occasion. In the “everyday wine” category, however, this shines – with the goal (at least for me) of having something that can stand up for a couple days in the bottle, and won’t make you feel insanely guilty if you have to pour the remainder out.

Grate Red Toscana Rosso Review

This is a non-vintage red. (No year.) It IS from Italy, and, if you look in the lower left corner of the photo up there, you’ll see all officially Italian markings on the cork. Adding to the cool factor.

Taste

Can’t pin this down – not a ton of fruit, actually, but the nose is strong and there’s a bit of pepper on the finish. THIS has to be why they say “An Italian wine perfect for anything grilled.”

We had it, night one, with pizza and that was a-okay. (Even if the pizza did not come right off the Weber.)

Profile

Red wine from Italy. ABV 12.5%. If you know the grapes at work here, let us know. Seriously.

Value

Again, where the above-average wine becomes worthy of the grade you’ll see below. Does this stand up to $30 bottles of Cab (like the Simi we reviewed this week)? No.

Is it an absolute steal at $4.99 at our local Aldi? Yes.

Metasip Grade: B+

Oct 28 2013

Cruz de Piedra 2011 Garnacha

Challenge: Spanish Red Wine with Italian Food.

Specifics of the challenge:

Well, I buy a decent amount of wine. (You should expect that, what with me running a wine, beer, and spirits review site. Right?)

Sometimes, I’ll pick something up specifically for a certain thing – a meal, or an event.

Other times, I grab something because the price is right…then I leave it in the cellar (which is a corner of my basement that’s dry and stays a pretty constant temperature all year) and wait for the right occasion.

Yesterday – the right occasion was lasagna that needed wine. And all I had were Spanish Reds. So this was the winner…but is it something you should check out?

To the review: Cruz de Piedra 2011 Garnacha.

Cruz de Piedra 2011 Garnacha Review

I’ll admit to forgetting what I spent on this wine – only vaguely remembering that I likely picked it up for less than $10 somewhere. (So I’m writing the review before Googling this wine and figuring out the price.)

Garnacha is the exact same thing as Grenache. Wikipedia says so!

Seriously, in France, a good chunk of the Southern Rhone Wines are Grenache. In Calatayud, where this particular wine is from, half the wine is Garnacha.

Taste

First round of tasting, the nose was very fruity – but the wine itself wasn’t overly so. It DEFINITELY needed a “long decant” – second round (hours later) yielded more fruit on the palate, with some black pepper, too. Blackberry and black cherry flavors are the winners, yet, on the “semi-dry” to “dry” spectrum, put this one over on the dry side.

Interestingly – and not totally what this palate experienced – the website for the folks behind these wines, Axial Wines, says Cruz de Piedra is known for “authentic Garnacha fruit flavors.” So we won’t totally argue – but it was still rather dry to us.

I’m imagining this wine as an easy-peasy pour with any tapas.

Or lasagna, which isn’t tapas.

Profile

This is a 2011 Garnacha, and it’s from Calatayud – one of Spain’s “DOs” (Denominacion de Origen). (You can learn more about the wines of Spain here: Wines From Spain.)

Value

Time to get to Googling…

Wine Searcher tells us we should expect to pay around $8. And, a check of the receipts shows us spending $6.97 at Costco. Score one for the value shopper!

Metasip Grade: B

This will not knock your socks off – but it won’t disappoint you, either. I think it’s a great value – if $7-$8 works for your “house red wine,” then you could do a lot worse.

Jul 28 2013

10 Wines Under 10 Dollars – White Wine Edition

It finally happened. I got stopped by someone on the street. And they took me to task for not reviewing white wines.

It’s not that I don’t drink whites. It’s not that I don’t like whites.

It’s just that I tend toward reds – I almost always have – and that’s just the nature of the beast.

But wait…haven’t I said you should expand your palate? YES. And haven’t I done a ton of tastings over the past several months – ones where other people voted with their pocketbooks on the best white wines? YES.

So, it’s time for…

10 Wines Under 10 Dollars – White Wine Edition

Ground rules: These wines are ones that can be found in stores in Illinois – my home base – so you may not have them in your state. Price, also, may vary – some of them were way under $10, others are on the edge (and, as you know, once something gets popular at $7, it disappears, then returns at $9).

You’re not going to get the more in-depth reviews that you get elsewhere on this site – the point of this post is to be as simple as possible and give you 10 wines that won’t break your piggy bank.

Here goes. (These are in no particular order, by the way…so, Number 1 is just the first one on the list.)

1. Sequin Pinot Grigio

The same person who asked why I don’t review any white wines asked specifically about Pinot Grigio. It’s a much-maligned grape, IMHO, because of Santa Margherita. (I’m not a big fan.)

These folks, though, champion the “Delicately Bubbled” version of Pinot Grigio. Good for them – and you. It’s pretty festive, if you’re looking for a festive white.

Expect to pay: About $9.

N.B. This stays in the white wine category – in spite of the bubbles. We’ll have the “10 Wines Under 10 Dollars – Sparkling Wine Edition” in early August.

2. Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc

New Zealand Wines — Photo from jambox998 on Flickr, used with Creative Commons license

“This stands up to Kim Crawford. And it’s under $10.”

Kim Crawford does good stuff, and the random comment above from someone in the Dominick’s wine aisle was good enough for us. Nobilo is a name that’s been around for awhile – and there’s a golf commentator with the same name.

Expect to pay $8 or less.

3. Alamos Torrontes

We reviewed this a couple weeks ago and it scored quite well. (Read the Alamos Torrontes review here.)

It is one of those wines that might change how you think about white wine. (They make other stuff, too – here’s a link to the Alamos web site.)

Expect to Pay around $9.

4. Coppola Diamond Collection Chardonnay

One of the things Francis Ford Coppola did well? Buy the old Inglenook estate, get into wine.

His Chardonnays are always a good value, and inexpensive.

Expect to pay $8-$10.

5. 120 Sauvignon Blanc

“Honoring 120 Patriots who helped lead Chile to Independence.”

AND…

Expect to pay under $7. (!)

6. Joel Gott Sauvignon Blanc

One of the best – and most alliterative names – in wine, pretty much any year Joel puts his name on will be a winner.

For the 2012 Sauvignon Blanc, expect to pay right under $10.

7. Menage a Trois Pinot Grigio

They make the unavoidable red – wherever you go in search of wine, there’s the Menage a Trois red blend. (And it’s almost always $7-$8.)

Here, then their Pinot Grigio. A little more expensive than the red blend.

Expect to pay $9-$10.

8. Naked Grape Pinot Grigio

Why not stay with the Pinot (Grigio)? Naked Grape is, well, a “supermarket wine” – at least, from my perch, you’ll have no problem finding their work at your local supermarket.

Expect to pay $6-ish.

9. Flip Flop Riesling

Another one of the semi-ubiquitous brands you’ll find at your local supermarket. Advantage to Flip Flop and number 8 above – if you’ve not tried them, you’re only out a few bucks to expand your palate.

Expect to pay $5-$6; we have seen it under $5.

10. Los Hermanos Moscato

This one might set you back close to the $10 mark – but Beringer’s own label that honors the name of the original 215-acre tract where the Beringer brothers set up shop in 1876. It’s also a nod to the rich Hispanic heritage of California’s Wine Country.

Expect to pay right around $10.

So there you go: 10 Wines Under 10 Dollars – White Wine Edition

Coming soon, Red Wine Edition and Sparkling Wine Edition.

Until then, we’d love to know in the comments what you think – if you’ve tried any of these, if you think we’re out of whack, or if you want us to add some for future lists.

Jul 17 2013

Alamos Torrontes 2012

How can a wine so young earn a grade so high? The secret is in the grape.

Greetings from Argentina! (Well, actually, you will think you’re in Argentina, maybe.) Country known for its red – and specifically its Malbec – gives you this white that it SHOULD be better known for.

(While we’re at it, let’s talk about how Malbec seemingly came out of nowhere. In fact, you can talk about a few other reds that aren’t household names – Tempranillo, Montepulciano, even Cabernet Franc – and get raised eyebrows these days – but EVERYONE knows Malbec, and immediately thinks “Argentina.”)

Anyway, it’s time to talk about what will be the next household name of grape from Argentina. Yes, Torrontes. Specifically the Alamos Torrontes 2012. To the review!

Alamos Torrontes 2012 Review

Taste

This is one of those rare finds in a wine. Not as dry as a chardonnay, but not as sweet as a riesling. Rarer still, the price: $8.99 at our local Dominick’s (try a Safeway, Von’s, or Tom Thumb). (More on the value equation thing in a bit.)

Serve chilled, of course – but not too cold. And the first sip is dry – not acidic at all. Floral notes, some of the stone fruit elements you’d expect (peach, apricot) but, again, not overly fruity.

Finish might be a tad on the sweet side. Just a tad.

Profile

13.5% ABV. The 2011, according to the Alamos Wines web page, was grown at just south of a mile-high elevation. (5,276 feet to be exact.) (Note to self: book trip to this winery.)

Value

Can we talk about the price of this wine? ARE YOU SERIOUS?

We did a tasting of this side-by-side with a Chardonnay (we won’t mention which Chardonnay) and we didn’t tell anyone the price. Average guess: $12 to $16.

$8.99. When we publish the “Best Wine Values Under $10” list, this is definitely on it.

Metasip Grade: A-

I should note: I am NOT a typical white wine drinker. I don’t go out of my way to drink it, and I don’t even search for it during the summer – in most cases, I’d rather drink a beer.

This wine gets an A- because it has changed the way I think about white wine. Seriously – it’s a complex grape that seems to change on you – and each sip is better than the last.

Get ye to a store and try some of this. Trust me.

Jul 11 2013

Why a $3 Wine from Aldi Is Worthwhile

Breaking from the usual review format to weigh in on a trend: Value Wine from Aldi.

So we opened up something called “Winking Owl Shiraz” last night.

And we were quite impressed. More on that particular vino in a second, but first, let’s talk about Value Wine from Aldi.

Really…what are you waiting for?

I’ve done more than my share of in-store wine tastings, wine demos and wine marketing over the past several years. I know that people have different preconceived notions, and those can be summed up in a few nice bullet points:

“All box wine is swill”
“I only drink [insert brand name here]”
“Unless you pay $10 for it, it’s cheap and undrinkable”

Not everyone is like this, mind you – but these are the “Big Three.”

(Item Four: “I have to taste it before I buy it.” Since some stores can’t – or won’t – allow you to actually taste the stuff, and since not all brands will do “wet tastings,” this is also one of those barriers to expanding one’s palate that is tough to overcome. In other words, if you’re not willing to take a chance on a wine (or a beer or a new spirit), then you’re likely only going to rely on what stores pour, and you’ll miss out.)

I can’t help you with point one…yet. We’re reviewing the box wines soon. Promise. Stay tuned.

Point two…well, that’s part of the problem with the business, especially wine. The big brands – let’s use Santa Margherita’s Pinot Grigio as an example – pour tons of money into marketing. You come to expect finding it on the shelves, and seeing it all over the place, and it becomes, say, the house white. And it feeds off itself, so it appears that’s all you see.

We’re all creatures of habit – and I’ve done it for years myself with what I consider the best beer known to man, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. It wasn’t until I thought to broaden my own horizons that I tried other things. And I’m glad I did.

So part of this rant – apologies – is to get you out of the habit of buying the same old stuff. And to get you, too, to broaden your own horizons.

Which brings us to point three – price.

I’ll only drink something that’s more than $10 a bottle.

Okay, then. But…what are you paying for, really? Are you paying for the wine itself? OR, more likely, are you paying for the marketing behind the wine?

Why IS “Two Buck Chuck” $2? And when is the last time you saw a Trader Joe’s billboard?

So, once you get beyond the fact that there may NOT be a ton of difference – even these days – between a $5 wine and a $50 wine, let’s talk about Aldi and its Winking Owl Shiraz.

Winking Owl Shiraz Review

At first blush, this wasn’t a typical shiraz. The nose was very shiraz-like, but it had a very peppery taste. At first.

Taste

It opened up after an hour or so, and we’re glad it did. Quite tasty, some fruit, but pretty dry. Good finish – blackberry, black pepper. (Label pictured below says “a hint of spice.” We agree.) Earthy as well.

Profile

Here’s where you just have to…well, throw caution into the wind. Bottle doesn’t say the alcohol content. Doesn’t say the year. In fact, it only says “California, USA.” Mmmmkay.

Value

I will sacrifice the above profile information for a bottle of wine that is MORE THAN DRINKABLE and only costs THREE DOLLARS. In fact, I’d wager that this would be the second-best value out there right now.

(Want to know more about the best value? Click here: Lil Koala.)

Metasip Grade: B+

Yes, you heard me. This wine cost us $3 and gets a B+.

So…now that you know we’re partial to Aldi wines and not afraid of trying something that’s $3 a bottle…where are you gonna shop next? Or what crazy thing are you gonna try? Let us know!