TOP 25 UNDER $25 OF 2019!!!!!

My dear Wineaux: my annual “Top 20 Under $20” is so popular (thank you!) I’ve been pondering for a few years now to stretch the budget to $25. Merely because there are SO many extraordinary gems in the $20-25 range, and, frankly, if you’re gonna drop $18, 19, 20 on a wine, a few more bucks is NOTHING, amiright?It’s all about the value, whether it’s five or twenty-five, so enjoy this expanded edition. Tell me what you think about these wines, and if you find other budget-loving faves!

BUBBLY:

2014 Cerro Chapeu Sust Brut Nature, Uruguay

Folks, Uruguay is where it’s AT! Wines from this South American country are exponentially rising in quality. Take this floral, yeasty, citrus, tropical, exotic fruit-ed sparkler from 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir. It spent 36 months on the lees. Dense and herby, this is refreshing and concentrated. What an eye-opener! ~$22

2018 Ch. Peybonhomme L’Amour du Risque, Bordeaux France

This is a Pètillant Naturel from Bordeaux, which makes it kind of a unicorn. (I could put it under "orange" below, but its zesty froth seems bubblier than usual for a Pèt-Nat, so here it goes!) Melon, orange rind, ginger ale, great presence and quaffability, just really tasty, and I could probably suck down the bottle in one minute. ~$22

NV Jacqueline Leonne Rosé Methode Champenoise, New Mexico

From the folks at Gruet, this is another New Mexican bubbly direct to Total Wine. This rosé is elegant, with attractive flavors of strawberry, lime, and herbs. Great value! Slurp this one up all year round, but especially in summer. ~$17

NV Cleto Chiarli Pruno Nero Lambrusco, Italy

I love a Lambrusco; gone are the days of those sicky-sweet red sparklers from central Italy. This is dry, relatively low alcohol (11%,) with velvety blackberry jam, violets, and a pleasant mossy dirt scenario. Totally quaffable, refreshing, and delish. Yummers! ~$17

WHITE:

 

2018 Garzón Albariño Reserva, Uruguay

Yup, another Uruguayan wine made the list. Spain’s Albariño really shines here, with dusty florals, light white peach, chewy stone fruit in the mouth, and a grippy texture from a little oak contact. Interesting wine, with a great, balanced length. This winery only started in 2009 and is already a standard-bearer. Watch out! ~$17

2017 Trapiche Costa & Pampa Albariño, Argentina

Look at this: another Albariño NOT from Spain! Trapiche is the leading wine-making group in Argentina, but that doesn’t mean this is mass-market at all. Basket of mountain flowers, tart green fruit, but really cheeky and nice, plus its juicy, steely acid keeps it driving. Whiff of petrol, some salinity. Delish. ~$20

2018 Ch. Peybonhomme Les Tours Le Blanc Bonhomme Blaye Ct. du Bdx, France

(I just realized that Peybonhomme has TWO wines that cracked the list, I don’t think that’s ever happened before! Bravo, team.) 50-50 Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon. Interesting nose! Pear, almost oxidized/sherry thing. This sees some barrel fermentation, which adds a creamy/honeyed character. Nice weight, still light and fresh but different personality. Kind of love this! Long finish. Great value at ~$14.

2014 Vini Mura “Sienda” Vermentino di Gallura Superiore DOCG, Sardinia

(Ok, including this is NOT fair because I sampled one of the last FOUR bottles left of this wine in the world, sorrynotsorry. But it was just tops, and maybe you’ll run into one of its relatives!!) Yellow and white flowers, whiff of petrol, weighty, textured, like a sun-baked afternoon on the beach. Spicy finish. Solid acid and light tannins from oak aging and 15 days skin contact. Creamy, heady. Delish. Love. ~$20

2018 Bodegas Etchart Cafayate Gran Linaje Torrontés, Argentina

More deliciousness from Argentina, here from the oldest operating winery in Cafayate, and the country’s “signature” white grape. Very pale, water-white color. Gewurztraminer-like nose, with its super-aromatic rose petals. Nice grip and weight, good tang. Floral and little bitter, but really super-duper tasty! ~$25

2018 Contra Soarda Vespaiolo, Veneto Italy

Cool indigenous variety of Veneto in NE Italy; named for the wasps (“vespa”) that would feed on the ripe grapes. This old variety used to make sun-dried-grape “Passito” wines, now its modern table wines are really compelling; bruised pear, overripe peach, barnyardy funk, like an ugly-sexy Mick Jagger in a glass. Fans of Grüner Veltiner will be interested. ~$20

ORANGE:

2018 Dom. Glinavos Paleokerisio, Greece

I don’t order the list anymore, but if I did, this would probably be my #1. I always love an orange wine (which is really just a white wine with skin contact, so they tend to have an orange-ish hue, plus tannins from the time on skins.) But this one’s just special all-around: it is 1) slightly sparkling 2) skin-contact 3) from indigenous Greek grapes 4) that has a hint of sweetness. Whaat? That little residual sugar balances the bitterness gorgeously, and the slight fizz and festive fruit make a party in your mouth. The value can’t be beat, and I’ve yet to meet a person who didn’t fall in love with this wacky yet approachable gem. ~$13/500ml

ROSÉ:

2018 Muri Gries Lagrein Rosato, Italy

From Alto Adige in northeastern Italy, this wine proves that rosé is not just for summer! It’s bright pinky-red and is bursting with red cherry-berry fruit, fresh florals, plus savory herbs, salinity, and a hint of balsamic. It is so tasty you should probably just go ahead and get two bottles because it’ll be gone before you know it. ~$16

2018 Lange Twins Winery & Vineyards Aglianico Rosé, Lodi CA

Lodi is the region of 100 grapes. Truth! Pretty much any grape grows stunningly there, and Aglianico of southern Italy is no exception. The deep garnet-y pink hue of this wine may turn off some used to the paleness of Provence rosés, but Aglianico is a thick-skinned, dark grape variety so it makes a powerful rosé! No wimps allowed here, with super SHPICY rose petals and raspberry-strawberry fruit. Yum. ~$20 

2018 Amity Vineyards White Pinot Noir, Oregon

I put this as a rosé though they call it “white,” but, to me, a white wine from red grapes is “rosé,” but let’s not worry about semantics! Oregon is a perfect home for Pinot Noir, and this is made from some of the oldest vines in the state. There is white peach, underripe strawberry, and also lush tropical fruit (melon, pineapple,) with a tangy salinity to balance it. Tasty and intriguing. ~$23

2018 Channing Daughters Rosato of Cabernet Franc, New York

Ironically, I’m out on Long Island as I put the finishing touches on this post, and here’s a wine from a stone’s throw away! I typically love Channing Daughters wines, and this pale pink rosé of Cab Franc is elegant and floral-perfumey with pink grapefruit, spiced watermelon, and a minerally underlayer. Num, num, num. ~$17

2018 Pascal & Nicolas Reverdy Sancerre Rosé Maimbray, Loire France

From France’s Loire Valley, touted as a blanc de noir still wine, this is tart yet juicy, with a pleasant whiff of smoke, berries with herbs, ooh, just tightly wound fruit wrapped in a lightly tannic and fresh acidic embrace, with a grippy, nicely balanced finish. ~$22

RED:

2016 Clos Martinet “Menut” Priorat, Spain

This Garnacha from Spain is simply amaze. Blueberries and ripe blackberries JUMP out of the glass, with a nice brambly funk to balance the fruit. Add Dr. Pepper, milk chocolate, bushels of lavender and violets, and a firmly present but not overbearing structure, and I couldn’t keep my hands offa this. Garnacha can get alky, but while this wine’s 15% alcohol is up there, it doesn’t feel “hot” or put you to sleep. Fruit-lovers will faint. YUMMERS. ~$22

2017 Domaine D’Andezon Côtes du Rhône Unfiltered, France

This Southern France Syrah-based red blend is teeming with blackberry, dark plum, and blueberry fruit, bushels of purple flowers, a hint of dark chocolate, and some rock dust minerality. It’s powerful, but also tempered by its lifting acidity and excellently balanced tannins. The finish goes on and on. And on! ~$14

2017 FP by Filipa Pato Baga, Bairrada Portugal

Really interesting nose of smoke, chalk, mocha, purple flowers and lavender, lil’ barnyard funk... but juicy-tangy and fresh in the mouth, very quaffable, purple-y cheekiness but subtlety well-structured. (I botched a question about Portugal’s Baga grape on my very first wine exam, you know I won’t do that again!) ~$17

2016 Montes Alpha Carmenère, Colchagua Valley Chile

This Carmenère (a grape long-confused with Merlot,) from Chile is smoky and spicy with dense red fruit, aromatic lilac, mocha and dried herbs, but is smooth to drink, with balanced acid and soft tannins. Extra points cus it’s sustainably dry farmed (!) from a reputable producer who has an array of tasty wines (including the more $$ Purple Angel.) ~$21

2016 Mettler Family Pinotage, CA

Even though this is another Lodi wine, and I know global grapes shine there, I have never had a Pinotage NOT from South Africa, so I was understandably wary. Welp, color me pleasantly surprised! This was super-complex and gorgeously balanced; blueberry, mocha, violet florals, with tangy acidity and light, grippy tannins. Intriguing all around. ~$25

2015 Terras de Baco VR Alentejano, Portugal

From indigenous Portuguese grapes Trincadeira, Aragonez, and Castelão, this powerhouse has rich flavors of raspberry, mocha powder, blackberry, a little herb stem, and is tannic and HEAVY duty. For FIVE BUCKS. (See, this balances out the $25 ones!) Definitely needs meat/cheese, or it might knock you over. Wowzers. ~$5

2006 Château Simard, St-Émilion, France

Um, seriously, a killer 13-year old Bordeaux for around twenty bucks?!? Whaaaat? Gorgeous nose of lavender florals and spice box dust, with lush fruit on palate, and tannins that are smoothing out but still quite supportive. There are values to be found in Bordeaux, but it takes a lot to search them out; here is the needle in the haystack for sure! ~$21

2018 Alpha Crucis “Titan” Cabernet Sauvignon McLaren Vale, Australia

Yes, Australia and Shiraz are like Bert and Ernie or Mac and Cheese; they just go together. But when you branch out a bit, you can also find genius. This Oz Cab tastes like it cost two or three times as much, and delivers dark fruits, cedar, graphite, and violets. Dense and huge, but elegant. Not overly tannic but solid support; this is exactly why I stretched the budget this year! ~$25

2017 Raul Perez Bierzo Mencia Ultreia Saint Jacques, Spain

Mencia is a great grape for wine lovers – it typically exhibits blue-black fruits, violets, and maybe a mocha chalkiness, but has lovely fresh acid which keeps it from getting too heavy. This is a field blend with Bastardo and Garnacha Tintorera, plus some white grapes to boot, which keeps the focus on crunchy blueberry/cranberry fruit and heady florals, supported by bright acid and subtle, linear tannins.  ~$20

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There you go, friends! Did I whet your whistles? What did I miss? Post below and tell me about some incredible-valued wines YOU sipped on during 2019.

There might have been a lot of unfamiliar grapes, places, and styles above, but I exhort you (as I always do!) to add "Branch Out My Wine Exploration" to your New Year's Resolutions for 2020. One of my FAVORITE things about wine is that there's always something new to discover! I wish you and yours a happy, healthy holiday season, and warm wishes for 2020.

Cheers!

JHUZZH Up Your Turkey Day With These Amazing Wines!

It's that time of the year... all the wine writers' Thanksgiving recommendations! There are a lot of great ones out there, sure, and by all means heed whichever suggestions you want, but let me REALLY break it down for you:

Thanksgiving food is boring. Seriously, without that pop of cranberry, and maybe some green(ish) beans, the entire meal is a neutral palette. Nothing has spice or personality. So your wine has to jhuzzh up the entire feast… without overwhelming it!

This means pretty much any wine that’s not too heavy or overly fruity with gobs of acidity will do the trick — which gives you a LOT of options!!

Here are some of the Minx’s personal faves:

BUBBLY

Kind of a no-brainer. A) it’s a holiday, so let's celebrate! Plus b) the zippy acid and lively bubbles will complement every single kind of delish beige mush on your plate.

SAVE: NV Gruet Blanc de Noirs, New Mexico

A blend of 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay, this fizz will have a scootch more round red fruit and depth, while still maintaining its freshness. Plus, it’s from New Mexico, so… ‘Murica! ~$17

SPLURGE: 2004 Dom Ruinart Rosé Champagne, France

This was the “meatiest,” most savory Champy I’ve ever had. (Might be due to an unusually high percentage of still red wine added in? Either way…) Utterly captivating. Roasted orange peels, iodine, fresh herb garden, sweet summer strawberries, toasty brioche, candied ginger, dried rose petals… total splurge, but worth every penny. ~$325

CHARDONNAY

But get a good one. Chard is a kind of neutral grape, but it can sing if coaxed into its own by a deft winemaker. A more mineral-driven, lean style (say Chablis) will vibrate through the meal like a plucked high piano string, while one with more oak influence will bring out the spice of the sweet potato and pies.

SAVE: 2017 Charles Smith Eve Chardonnay, WA

I tell you over and over to snap up Smith’s value offerings because they always deliver! This Washington State Chard ticks all the boxes — fruit, acid, bright but with depth — at a price that can’t be beat. ~$10

SPLURGE: 2015 Kistler Les Noisetiers Chardonnay, CA

Big and round with buckets of rich fruit; peach, apricot, pear, a meadow full of white flowers, some baked apple pie… perhaps a hint of grilled pineapple and some dried herbs  too — this Kistler Chard with a few years of age will be a meal unto itself. ~$65

OTHER WHITES:

I also love a Grüner Veltliner or Furmint for Thanksgiving; they can have savory notes like celery and white pepper or ginger and spice, and both have strong acidic backbones. 

SAVE: 2017 Evolúció Tokaji Furmint, Hungary ~$12

SPLURGE: 2017 FX Pichler M Smaragd Gruner Veltliner, Austria ~$80

ROSÉ

How many times do I have to say it? Rosé is a red wine in a white wine’s body — the best of both worlds! You could literally have ANY quality rosé on Turkey Day and you’ll be happy. I might pop these:

SAVE: 2018 Anthony Road Rosé of Cabernet Franc, NY

This Fingerlakes producer coaxes the perfect balance of red cherry fruit and herbs out of Cab Franc; supremely quaffable all year round. It's so slurp-worthy, I'm drooling just writing this. ~$16

SPLURGE(ISH): 2018 Hersly “Mae” Rosé, CA

100% Merlot, from a small single vineyard in Calistoga, this juicy, vibrant rosé is packed with fruit, yet has plenty of structure to hold it all together. The Herslys are a husband-wife team producing some seriously good juice; this, their first rosé, is named after their sushi-loving dog Mae, who is featured on the label. (She was a rescue, so portions of the sales of this wine go to support animal rescues and shelters!) ~$28

RED

Here’s where the fun happens! Yes, Pinot Noir is the classic high-acid, zesty, cherry-berry and herby-earthy, low-tannin red, and you can find great examples from the Willamette Valley in Oregon or from New Zealand, not to mention the rhapsodic icons of Burgundy. But why not try something a little different this year?

SAVE: 2017 Hillinger Zweigelt, Austria

An Austrian specialty, Zweigelt is a crossing of St-Laurent and Blaufrankish (< also good for Turkey Day!) Like a lighter Pinot Noir, expect spicy cherry notes, maybe a bit of cinnamon. Lip-smaking! ~$16

SAVE: 2015 Pietro Caciorgna Etna Rosso Ciauria, Sicily

Red wines from Sicily’s Mt. Etna region are based on Nerello Mascalese, which thrives in the volcanic soil there. This has crunchy red fruit and great woodsy earth and herbs, buoyed by rose florals. While fresh and invigorating now, it also has serious staying power (grab a few bottles, and see how it evolves next year!) ~$22

SAVE: 2016 Avancia Mencia Cuvee de O, Spain

Mencia is one of those grapes you wonder why everyone doesn’t know about it already. This one is like a bowl of blackberries dusted with mocha powder and black pepper that you eat in a freshly-tilled field. More on the oomphy side, but still kept fresh by its acidity. ~$15

No matter what you decide, I hope you spend a wonderful Thanksgiving with your friends and family. Let me know what you end up popping, and how you enjoyed jhuzzhing up the big meal! 

Cheers.

WOW: CAMPANIA WHITES CAN AGE!!

Friends, this is no revelation about a burgeoning wine region or indigenous grape variety... this is a revelation that quality white wines from the southern region of Campania in Italy not only CAN age, but are even BETTER with age. 

Who'd a-thunk? Not this Minx.

First of all, Fiano di Avellino and Greco di Tufo are not grape varieties that most wine drinkers are familiar with, unless you happen to live next door to an Italian wine bar. As with many Italian varieties, they are indigenous to that part of the country, along with around 100 others; check out this great map I stole from vineyards.com that shows the main pockets (the two varieties in question are in the more center grouping:)

Secondly, most white table wines are meant to be consumed within a few years of release, that's just the nature of the beast. (I tell my wine students to be wary of a white that's 5-10 years old on the shop shelves because it's probably been sitting gathering dust way too long and will be B-A-D, bad.)

NOT THESE BABIES. I am seriously considering running out to every store in Manhattan in the vain hope that they might have one of these still lying around! That is the one caveat -- stores likely won't sell the older versions because they do typically get drunk up earlier. So, listen to the Minx's sage advice:

• You should buy a case right now of a good vintage.
• Enjoy a bottle every now and then.
• But put six bottles in the corner of your cellar and forget about them.
• Set a reminder on your iPhone for 2029.
• Then start popping one a year for the next six years. 

YOU 👏🏻 WILL 👏🏻 NOT 👏🏻 REGRET 👏🏻 IT👏🏻!

And... you can afford to do this little experiment, because these wines are available for about $16-19 bucks. The return on this investment would make Wall Street envious!

Let me show you what I mean...

Recently I tasted three vintages of Azienda Agricola Petilia & Solina's Greco di Tufo. The 2015 was linear, clean, with fresh notes of lemongrass and light apple, juicy but lean. The 2014 had a delectable nose of green plum, with a minerally, herby zing, and it developed a lemony richness in the glass. But the 2009 had gorgeous perfume of dried mountain flowers, was dense and complex, with layers of flavors of straw, citrus, fruit, and in no way seemed ten years old.

I also had a flight of Donnachiara's Fiano di Avellino. The 2013 had caramel apple, lemon, high tone herbs, ginger, was a bit savory, with sneaky-uppy acid, and a little bitterness on the finish like that of menthol/ eucalyptus. The 2009 was not a great vintage for Fiano, so this one was a bit oxidized, though still sound, with a steely-brassy feel; less "taut," though had good tingly acid and a long finish. But the 2007 had a gorgeous nose of yellow flowers, brown butter, lemon curd, with spry acidity, and a juicy, honeyed richness. My notes say, "wow -- stunning." Again, no earthly clue that this was a TWELVE year old white table wine.

Both winemakers happened to be women, which I appreciate tremendously, and there is a history of grapegrowers-turning-winemakers in the southern half of Italy so they both come from a long family line. The Petilia wines are a bit harder to find in the U.S., though Donnachiara has good availability. They both also make plenty of other wines (Petilia does a Greco and Donnachiara does a Fiano, for example, but both portfolios also include the iconic Campanian Taurasi -- a red wine from Aglianico that [less-surprisingly] can also age well -- among many others.)

So the point is: knock aside your perceptions that slurpable table wines are only meant to be consumed immediately, as I have, and try and get your hands on some of these killer bottles to set aside. If you have the patience (I know, it's HARD,) the rewards will pay off tremendously... in a decade or so!

Cheers.

ISRAEL is WHERE IT'S AT!

Bear with me if I sound like a broken record, but you know I go nutso over wines from less-common locales, and here's another one! I have long enjoyed wines from Israel, but two recent tastings catapulted the country to the forefront of my mind; the quality is amazing, the potential is HUGE, and the value is incredible. So banish those thoughts that Israel only makes grape-juicy Kosher wines already and get with the program!

It's a little funny that in one sense Israel is absolutely "Old World" -- it's one of the very first places ancient people grew grapes. But it's certainly "New World" in guts and style.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

• There really is no clear "signature" grape of the region. In fact, Grenache was first planted only about ten years ago and is making some of the world's best already! As knowledge, experimentation, and technology grow, so will the quality and variety of Israeli wines.
• Many bold Israeli reds are actually super-approachable, meaning they're not overly-structured and require years of cellaring before you pop them. These are meant to be drunk now!
• This is a group of winemakers who are forging forward, breaking conventions, and doing it all with passion and a strong intellectual and environmental basis. They are Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and non-religious to boot. 
• There are only about 35 commercial wineries, but around 250 boutique ones, and this number is rising as grape-growers peel off to make their own wines. Some of which are already achieving "cult" status!

Here are some of my standouts from those recent tastings:

2018 Five Stones “D vs G” White (David v Goliath) 

Appellation laws are fairly relaxed in Israel, so they have a lot of options for experimentation with blends. I initially had a "hmmmmm" reaction to this 60% Gewurztraminer 40% Sauvignon Blanc blend, as who thinks to put those two grapes together?! And I did feel it kind of butted itself in the head, BUT boy how it would go with the spiced and spicy food of the region. Typical "grandma's boudoir" Gewurz notes of dusty rose perfume with litchi, accompanied by SB's green, linear acidity. Outrageously long finish. I definitely warmed up to it! ~$30

2017 Recanati Winery Reserve Marawi 

Marawi is one of the indigenous varieties of the area now getting resurrected. This was first commercially released in 2014, and is the tricky story of a Palestinian grower who sells the grapes grown in his backyard to an Israeli company. (His name isn't released because they have had death threats on both sides, yikes.) Recanati also has their own vineyards, and produce a Roussane/Marsanne blend and an old bush vine Carignan, all farmed biodynamically. This had yellow fruit, sweet brioche, juicy apricot, lanolin, honeysuckle, and a little spice with smoky, flinty minerality. Long yet mild finish. Little Chenin Blanc-like. 1 year in French oak. ~$34

2011 Somek Carignan

This is from a single vineyard with 40-year old vines. The Someks are 5th generation winemaker-grapegrowers, so this is a family vineyard since 1882; the winery itself was founded in 2002. The family does it all, including marketing and distribution. This Carignan is aged 24 months in French oak and 2 years in bottle. Definitely earthy, terroir-driven. Cola, hi-tone blueberry, mocha dust, minerally, with licorice, brambly berries, wild sage, a little spicy, and has tightly wound, balanced tannins over a super long finish. Continues to be tangy after 7 years! And it's still kind of a baby. This will be fascinating in a few more years! ~$35

2016 Hayotzer Lyrica

Arza, Hayotzer's parent company, started in 1847! Here we have a GSM blend (40% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 25% Mourvedre.) Soft red and pink flowers, crunchy red fruit, white pepper, smooth and sexy, plush but juicy, whiff of smoke on finish, not super-complex but really tasty and I wanted to slurp it uuuup. ~$40

2016 Gvaot Masada

Shiva Drori, Gvaot's winemaker, is interested in the academic side of making wine; he does DNA testing, studies wine at a high level, and brings that information back to the vineyards and winery. The Masada is a blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 22% Petit Verdot, from rocky, steep, mountainous vineyards, with a huge diurnal swing; the elevation and diurnal keep the temperature in check and preserve the grapes' freshness and acidity. At my tasting, I thought this wine glass was not properly clean, muting the wine's aroma, and so this showed merely dusty on the nose. But in the mouth there was loads of tightly wound purple fruit (that PV really jumps forward!) leading to a big and structured, but balanced wine. Wow. ~$75

2016 Covenant Syrah

Covenant brought winemaker Jeff Morgan from Napa over to consult, and that has led to its growing cult status. This wine is 90% Syrah with a dash (10%) of Cabernet Sauvignon. It presents as liquid red fruit, spicy and juicy and lush and sexy, pepper, light savory notes, super balance of fruit/savory/spice/oak use plushness, wow! Lifted tang on long finish. Chewy. It brings voluptuousness without blousy-ness. ~$75

2016 Tura “Mountain Peak” Red

Another cult comes from the husband/wife team Vered and Erez Ben Sa'adon (she's the winemaker.) The Mountain Peak red is a blend of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Petit Verdot. Cassis, cedar, herbal liqueur, pyrazine, good acid once again, tangy juicy outrageously long finish. This is definitely a creative take on a CS-based Bordeaux-style blend. ~$75

2016 Segal “Unfiltered” Cabernet Sauvignon

The Israeli cults just keep on coming! Winemaker Avi Feldstein has boldly produced an unfiltered Cab since the days when that was a kind of blasphemy. This is a super-interesting wine, with cassis liqueur, bright red fruit, mocha, toasted coconut, a bit of shortbread. Wow. Really “red,” dense and intense. Long finish. Big but plush/approachable. Segal is owned by the large company Barcan — "big kids" in Israel sometimes acquire or start small wineries to have a garagiste offering. ~$60

2014 Golan Heights Winery Yarden “2T” 

Golan Height is one of the coldest areas in Israel, and much like the U.S.'s Old West, there are wild horses galloping along wide volcanic plains. This is one of the country's more classic wineries, and here they're showcasing how Portuguese varieties can shine in Israel. A blend of 69%Touriga Nacional and 31% Tinta Cão sourced from 2 vineyards in Golan Heights: Springs Vineyard at 700 meters elevation, and Geshur Vineyard at 400m. Aged 18 mo in 40% new French oak. Smoky, spicy mocha, black plum, blackberry, black cherry, lots of peppery spice on finish. Good combo of juicy, approachable fruit, some more savory notes, and balanced acid and subtle tannins on long, balanced finish.  ~$33

2014 Tabor Winery Malkiya Single Vineyard CS 

Tabor was founded in 1999 by four families of growers that have working there for five generations. This Cab is from a single vineyard at 726 meters elevation with Terra Rossa (the most famous soil of Coonawarra in Australia,) under topsoil, and lots of limestone rocks they refer to as “a lot of stars.” Viticulturist Michal Ackerman found this area and she convinced them to make wine there! Her vines' roots go down 20 feet so they have access to water and unusually for Israel don’t need irrigation. She’s also planting Malbec and Chenin Blanc in the Negev desert, so watch for those.  These Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are hand picked, they use only free-run juice, and it is aged 18 months in new French oak with an additional 1 year in bottle. Smoky, cassis, cedar, cloves, wow, VERY tasty, with the red fruit coming out more on the palate. Tightly wound, and it releases layers of flavors over an incredibly long, balanced finish. Would be fun to blind taste this on some smarty somms! ~$60

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I don't know about you, but I am definitely planning to seek out more of these amazing wines from Israel. At the high end, maybe $60-75 bucks seems like a lot, but you'd be paying $150-300 for a similar wine from Napa, so these actually are a steal! Ask your merchants and somms about providing more quality wines from Israel; they may appreciate your "insider" know-how, but they also need to know you're interested in trying these stunning offerings. (Seriously, there was hardly a dud in the bunch, and I sampled over FIFTY wines.) I look forward to my next "visit" to Israel, for sure!

Cheers.

The Diverse Treasures of LODI

(thanks @WorldAtlas.com!)

I have long believed that the wine region of Lodi in California holds a tremendous amount of possibility; it seems that every single grape in the world grows well there. Sure, you'll find Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and a host of other familiar names, but there is also everything from Albariño to Zinfandel; over 100 vitis vinifera grapes are grown in the area. And yes -- that is pretty darn unusual!

Lodi, located inland from San Francisco Bay, has a mild Mediterranean climate, and benefits from cooling breezes funneled in from the Pacific Ocean. Its local geography is so diverse, they can grow grapes from all over the globe in numerous plots and pockets boasting various microclimates. The winemakers of Lodi are leaders in sustainable winegrowing as well, and there is a palpable sense of them working together to advance the reputation of the region (not battling it out in competition.)

One may never master the incredible array of wines produced in Lodi, but a recent tasting reconfirmed the absolute deliciousness at every turn. Notes on some favorites are below (and I have added the "home base" for the varietals used just for funsies.)

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2018 Acquiesce Winery & Vineyards Ingenue:
Very intriguing!! Blend of the white Rhône varietals 35% Clairette Blanche, 35% Grenache Blanc, 20% Bourboulenc, 10% Picpoul Blanc. But don't worry about the grapes, just enjoy the dense, rich aromas and flavors of nectarine, straw, and ginger, layered over balanced acidity, leading to a tangy and intense wine. I admit I pre-judged the wine because of the abnormal bottle, but it delivers the goods! $32 (S France)

2018 Lange Twins Winery & Vineyards Aglianico Rosé:
This deep garnet-y pink may turn off some used to the paleness of Provence rosés, but Aglianico is a thick-skinned and dark grape variety so it makes a powerful rosé! No wimps allowed here, with super SHPICY rose petals and raspberry-strawberry fruit. Yum. $20 (Italy)

2016 Mettler Family Pinotage:
I have never had a Pinotage NOT from South Africa, so I was understandably wary. Welp, color me pleasantly surprised! This was super-complex and gorgeously balanced; blueberry, mocha, violet florals, with tangy acidity and light, grippy tannins. Intriguing all around. I shared it with a bunch of chefs I'd just done a wine class for and it was hands down wine of the night for them! $25 (South Africa)

2016 PRIE Winery Ancient Vine (1900) Block 4 Speaker Ranch Carignane:
Lose the wine-geekiness and just slurp up this delish bottle. Bright crunchy red and black cherry fruit, zingy acid, some spice and a whiff of florals. Just keep my glass full, please. $29 (S France/Spain)

2016 Michael David Winery Inkblot Cabernet Franc:
Y'all know I love a sexxxy wine, and this fits the bill! Dark, rich, dense, blackberry pie, cocoa/mocha, graphite, bit of herby earthiness, violets. Cab Franc can sometimes be a little too light or a little too green, and this has a dose of 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Petit Sirah to ground it. Intense and rich with subtle tannins. $29 (Loire)

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Perhaps the amazing diversity of Lodi's wines will make it harder for the region to be given its due, as there is no recognizable specialty. But this diversity is precisely what makes Lodi wonderful. (And the price-per-quality ratio isn't bad either! While there were no "bargains" per se in this lineup, the quality here absolutely justified the cost.) So next time you want to try something a little unusual, by all means give Lodi a look -- I look forward to hearing about your discoveries, from Kerner, to Marzemino, to Zweigelt, and beyond!

Wines provided for review by snooth.com

Is Prosecco Unethical? The Latest Debate...

A friend of mine shared the following Guardian article with me on Facebook today:

Should You Stop Drinking Prosecco for Ethical Reasons?

And it bugged me so much, I was immediately spurred to a verbose reply, which quickly veered this way and that way as I attempted to convey all the sudden feels.

Go take a peek at the article, and then come back.

Okay, so my first thought: has Prosecco's popularity caused over-production? Absolutely. But this is not a new trend. Prosecco is Italy's largest DOC (controlled area of production,) producing over 300 million bottles a year. There are very high permitted yields to be able to reach that number. What is the downside of high yields? Loss of quality. Do higher-yielding vines cause more erosion than lower-yielding vines? Questionable. In the Northern Rhône in France, which has quite low production and yields, soil erosion is a big problem, especially in Hermitage. (There are areas of the Northern Rhône that are so steep and so eroded that they have a pulley system with carts to tote soil back up the hill after it's cascaded down!) Perhaps elevated production means increased human and mechanical traffic, and that might affect erosion, but there's no way to unequivocally know. (I don't have time or money to do a study, but would be happy to, once I'm done with my Diploma, if anyone wants to fund me!)

Then -- the article mentions possible fixes, like the planting of grass in-between rows. They question if producers would embrace that. HELLO: wine-grape growers have used cover crops since the dawn of winemaking for various reasons. Cross-pollination, encouraging useful pests, indicator crops, etc. So, also not a new trend. If they feel soil erosion is a big problem, I'm sure planting grass to halt it would be a no-brainer. And let's talk about nutrients for a minute... poorer soils that cause the vines to struggle actually create better wine (if wine vines get everything they need, they're not really motivated to produce greatness, kinda like some humans.) Common fertilizers can replace nutrients to a degree that they will nourish the vine but not spoil it rotten. And the question of pesticides moving downstream? That would happen in ANY vineyard near a water source that uses pesticides.

There are holes all over this article, and it's no wonder that the paper it's based on has not yet been peer-reviewed. So here's the thing: if you REALLY want to be an ethical consumer of wine, here are a few things you can do.

• Buy wine from sustainable and/or organic producers.

These producers embrace practices both in the vineyard and the winery that reduce their carbon footprint and treat the environment with care. 

•  Seek out wines with alternative packaging.

The thing is, glass is HEAVY. And bulky. So shipping it all over the world causes more carbon emissions, and uses more fuel. Unfortunately, many wines with alternative packaging are associated with lower-quality because it's all about saving money on the production end, but movement is afoot. 

• Recycle your wine bottles.

This should go without saying, but if you're consuming wine in a glass bottle, you'd better be recycling that baby when it's empty!

• Seek out individual producers.

Wines made by many big brands or producers may be easy to find and are recognizable in the supermarket, but a lot of them are such large-scale operators that they sacrifice quality to quantity. This also means occasional unscrupulous activities (like the addition of grape concentrate Mega Purple to dye the wine's color to something consumers might find more appealing and to cover up "off" flavors) and lack of attention to detail in the vineyard. Better to go with a smaller producer who is more hands-on and aware of how every step in the winemaking process affects his or her product. 

So don't banish Prosecco to the "don't buy" list just because of this article. But do look for quality producers and learn more about the way they grow grapes and make wine, in Prosecco and in every wine region you "frequent." 

And just so you know, the Prosecco consortium is very concerned with sustainability.  

Cheers!