TOP 20 UNDER $20 of 2012!!

This is it!  The post you've all been anxiously waiting for!  My annual list of amazing and AFFORDABLE wines is finally here.

I made the list actually 21 this year, since one of my faves might not yet be available in the U.S.  But we get new imports all the time, and it's reallllly good, so I had to include it.  In 2012, it seems as if Spain and Italy (and Washington State!) were the places to go for value finds.  Also I came across a lot of rosés that were outstanding values.  (If you’re not a big rosé drinker, it’s definitely time to start experimenting!  Do not unfairly judge the PINK.)  And my two TOP PICKS were both from Portugal, where I’ve long tried to steer Wineaux to find amazing wines at great values.  I tasted hundreds of different wines this year, always looking for the best bangs for the buck… and here they are.  There’s a little something for everyone, including some slightly more unusual finds.  You know I like “weird” wines, and some of these really show how enjoyable oddballs can be!  Cheers.

WHITE:

2011 Domaine de Belle Vue Sauvignon Gris, Loire, France $14 – Sauv Gris is a Sauv Blanc cousin from the Loire. Gorgeous balance of round mouthfeel and high citrusy acidity.   Pear and lemongrass on nose, minerally with white peach/tangerine in mouth and a grassy finish.  Clean but warm.  Sounds schitzo but isn't!

It sure LOOKS like a European label, doesn't it?
These guys are a little whimsical.
And cheeky.

2011 Independent Producers Dionysus Vineyard Chardonnay, Washington State $14 - Rich & viscous US Chard with no oak but lots of oomph.  Loads of spice and minerality balance the pear and stone fruit flavors.  Very long finish. >>

2010 La Miranda de Secastilla Garnacha Blanca, Viñas del Vero, DO Somontano, Spain $15 - Heady nose of florals and peachy nectar.  Perfectly balanced acidity.  Rich but clean and food friendly.  Loads of fruit and florals.  Yum.

2010 Jed Steele Shooting Star Aligoté, Washington State $16 - Aligoté is the oft-overshadowed second white grape of Burgundy – this one hails from Washington state and is appley/citrusy with a smooooth finish, unusual and verrrry yummy.

ROSÉ:

2011 Viñaluz Rosado, Bodegas Real, Spain $3 - Yes, three dollars.  Granted, I got it on sale (down from a whopping $7,) but either way, this wine is a stupid-crazy value. Bright, rich, great berry/cherry notes, lip-smacking.

NV Dürnberg Brut Sparkling Rosé, Austria $10 - You know I love sparklers. This is made from the red Zwigelt Austrian grape, and is floral and lightly fruity but dry dry dry.  Great for a party! 

2011 Ontañón Vetiver Rosado DOCa Rioja, Spain $12 - Bright pink.  Earth, minerals and strawberry on the nose.  Chewy fruit, not "too sweet" seeming.  Balanced with herby elements and good acidity.  Very nice.

<< 2011 Heredade do Esporão, Defesa Rosé, Portugal $13 – A lot of depth of flavor.  Minerality, berries, a bit of meatiness…  Just fantastic!  It quenches your thirst and yet you race back to the bottle - so satisfying, I could drink it all day.  TOP PICK.

 

2011 Wolffer Rosé $15 from Long Island, NY  Pale salmon pink, with underripe strawberry, minerality, salinity.  Very scrumptious for such a light wine.  Good acidity with florals, bitter herbs, minerals, tart cherries.  Dependable and food-friendly. >>

RED:

2010 Bodegas Real "Nazares" Tempranillo, Spain $6 – The quality of entry level Tempranillos can be tough to navigate; this one is absolutely yummy – especially at this price!  Crafted in a more youthful style for drinking now, it has soft and round berry salad flavors.

2011 Cantina Vallebelbo Sparkling Brachetto d'Acqui DOCG, Italy $12 - light rose and berries with a SLIGHT sweetness, gorgeous balance of herbs and fruit and freshness.  Party wine, easy quaffer, fun and flirty.  Might not yet be available in the US.  (I’m working on it!)

<< 2011 Edgebaston The Pepper Pot, South Africa $13 – A blend of Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Grenache, Tannat, AND Viognier, this inky red is rich and spicy with loads of pepper and dark fruits.  Structured, but smooooth – and, dare I say, sexy?!  Pretty heavy-duty but not overpowering, and a bit unusual.

2009 Cortes de Cima Red, Portugal $15 – Dark fruits, good integrated tannins, rich and full but velvety.  Very nice - this is so huge, it cries out for food!  This blend of Syrah, Aragonez (Tempranillo), Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Touriga Nacional and Alicante Bouschet is a great value.  TOP PICK.

2007 Martínez Lacuesta Crianza DOCa Rioja, Spain $16 - Spicy!  Smoky, good fruit, meaty with lush ripe cherry.  Good balance of fruit and earthier elements, and a nice finish.  

Sorry about the candle wax - I had this on hand
when the lights went out during Hurricane Sandy.

2010 Montalbera Grignolino d'Asti, Italy $17 - Unusual color, pale orangey/brick-y.  Cherry cola nose, wonderfully strange!  Light but complex flavors of black cherry, some herbs and a bit peppery.  Good acid and yet smooth.  So interesting and unusual - Pinot Noir fans must try! >>

<< 2008 Weinhof Scheu Pinot Noir, Germany $17 – Riesling is the star in Germany, but this Pinot is a lovely find.  Incredibly light seeming but with a strong presence of cherry, earth, pepper and tea rose floral notes.

2011 Conti di Buscareto Lacrima di Morro D'Alba, Italy $18 - Not the Alba in Piedmont, but in Marche.  Dark bright magenta.  Florals - lavender, roses!  Very smooth, super light acidity, hint of supple tannins.  Violets and dark cherries in mouth.  Kind of like a Beaujolais Gamay... but not at all like it too!

2010 Mas des Chimères Oeillade Languedoc, France $19 - A meaty earthiness with dusty spice on the nose, this 100% Grenache has dark berries, minerals, a hint of charcoal, rose, smoked meat and herbs.  Medium-bodied, but spicy richness and long length in the mouth.  Bring on the funk.

The Barbera on this list is on the left.
Alas the Barbera on the right is NOT under $20. 

2010 Qupé Syrah Central Coast, California $19 - Very herbalicious!  Lots of rosemary, light, yet very well-structured.  It's hard to find a “Rhône Ranger” Syrah with this much personality at this price point.

2009 Vietti Barbera d'Asti Tre Vigne, Italy $19 - CHERRY! Black cherry liqueur, herbs and cola.  Very perfumey in mouth, bright crunchy forward fruit.  Good tart acidity but smooth finish.  Somewhat of a masculine style from vineyards abutting legendary Barolo. >>

Well, Wineaux, there you have it.  Please let me know if you try any of these amazing finds!  And always let me know if you come across some superb under-$20 values yourself... everyone's wallet will thank you.

Cheers!

GIVING THANKS: FOR WINE.

photo via How to Roast a Turkey (The Simple Way)by Aimee of Simple Bites

Oh, Wineaux - this is the perennial question: what, oh what, to serve with Thanksgiving dinner?!?!

This question transcends the usual food-and-wine-pairing quandaries.  Thanksgiving dinner is arguably the most scrutinized meal of the year for American families.  It is a gathering fraught with family-dynamic stresses.  Not to mention culinary ones: cooking a large turkey can be a pain in the rear.

Even if you have a relatively harmonious group of relatives and a sure-fire way of brining your bird, the fact of the matter is that Thanksgiving dinner is a pretty bland affair.

Boring turkey, fatty gravy, bready stuffing, other starchy sides mashed within an inch of their lives... maybe, just maybe, a tang of cranberry.  "What in the world do you pair with this?"  Wineaux ask me every year.

The answer is not that helpful:

"Pretty much anything."

Before you fling a spoonful of mashed potatoes in my face, hear me out.  With the exception of a humongous, hearty red wine, almost any other wine will stand up to this blob of boring, starchy food.

A white with a lot of acidity will cut through the fat of the gravy and butter-infused starches.  A heartier white with maybe less acidity will balance out the bland turkey (I mean, come on - even if it's juicy, turkey is pretty bland, people.)  A light red with good acidity and even a medium-bodied red will enliven the table of beige in front of you.

But wait - before you whine, "That Minx is no help at ALL, so we'll just open that Cheapo Chard Aunt Maud brought," let me implore you to have some fun with your wine choices this Thanksgiving!

You put an array of food out there on the table in front of you, why not do the same with wine?  Grab a few extra glasses off the shelf and let your guests pour a few different wines to sample with their meal.  Each guest can have a smorgasbord of food-and-wine-pairing options in front of him or her!

Here are some ideas to get you started:

Champagne or other sparkling wine: (White or Rosé)
Champagne is festive, Thanksgiving is festive, Champagne is Thanksgiving, QED.  Plus, the bubbles and acidity will perk up the food.  If your budget is tight, try a sparkling Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley, a Spanish Cava, or an American bubbly like my faves Gruet (from New Mexico, of all places!) and Domaine Chandon.

Grüner Veltliner from Austria: (White)
With light, citrus fruit and a characteristic note of white pepper, GV is an easy-drinking and affordable white option.  Just call it "Groo-ner."  While many people, myself included, usually think of Grüners as a summertime quaffer, they are a good wine to have on hand as a lighter option in this kind of array.

Alsatian Riesling, Gewürztraminer or Pinot Blanc: (White)
I have twice in the past month enjoyed outstanding wines from Alsace with my meal.  The 2005 Domaine Weinbach Riesling Clos des Capucins was viscous and rich with outrageously heady florals - a party in its own right, and perfect to pair with food.  (~$60)  Also, scroll down to the prior Hurricane post for my reports on some of MaisonTrimbach's amazing offerings.  Gewürz-es will have rounder fruit and spice, and the Pinot Blancs will show more clean citrus when they're young and gain a special complexity as they age.

Beaujolais (Beaujolais Nouveau): (Red)
Beaujolais is a region in France near Burgundy and it is where the Gamay grape shines.  Gamay is one of the lightest, flirtiest red grapes out there.  And later this week (Nov 15 to be exact,) le Beaujolais Nouveau will be arrivée!  The Nouveau is the first wine - from anywhere - released from this year's harvest, because the freshness of this grape requires no aging.  It is made to be consumed straightaway, so it coincides wonderfully with our Thanksgiving holiday, and darned if it doesn't go perfectly with this kind of meal.

Spanish Grenache: (Red)
Another favorite grape for the crunchy red berry, cranberry, pomegranate experience.  In many cases, it will also exhibit spicy notes, chocolate, and dark fruits for a richer experience.  Ask your wine merchant for a recommendation - as Grenache is a less-common solo grape variety, chances are your purveyor has hand-picked his or her selections and will be very familiar with their personalities.  These should also be quite affordable with many good options under $20.

The Boom Boom Syrah, a rosé from Provence,
and a bubbly (Cava) that is ALSO rosé!

New World Syrah: (Red)
Like our friend Grenache, Syrah wines can swing far into the spicy, meaty, big and bold range.  But there are some, like the 2011 Charles Smith Boom Boom Syrah from Washington state, that gloriously exhibit a berry salad of fruit.  I have written about this wine before, and return to it again and again for its fun personality and brightness.

Viognier: (White)
A white grape that should have more fans, Viognier is naturally lower in acid so often ends up as a richer wine-drinking experience in the glass.  Some styles are light and floral, but there are others - many from CA or Australia - that are quite complex.  And many from the South of France have intense herb and earthy notes.

Rosé: (erm, Rosé)
Finally people are catching on to the idea that rosé wines aren't just for the summer.  Since they can be made well from almost every red grape, just imagine the array of styles out there!  With the lightness of a white wine and the oomph from the red grape skins and personalities, you have to try at least one rosé with your Bird.  I did a post in 2011 highlighting a number of different styles if you need a few ideas: Rosé Around the World, or, Not Yo' Momma's White Zin.

Me: "Maggie, put the bottle down before you
drink it all, I need to get a picture for my blog!"

And, please, skip the White Zin - if you want something a little sweet, try a German Riesling Auslese or a slightly sweet Brachetto from Italy, like the NV Banfi Rosa Regale.  Muuuuuuch better.

Here's hoping your Thanksgiving is a glorious celebration with family and friends, and if it is also an opportunity to sample a few different wines, so much the better!

Cheers!