Category:California wine

Mother’s Day wine 2021

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

mother's day 2021
“Remember — buy me what you think I’ll like, and not what you think I should drink.”

Four suggestions — white, sparkling, rose, and red — for Mother’s Day 2021

The blog’s 15th annual Mother’s Day wine post reminds me of a couple of things, but mostly that I always need to write about wines that my mom will enjoy (and won’t have too much trouble finding in a store near her).

So, as always, the emphasis is on valuer and quality, with the reminder that we should buy Mom something she will enjoy and not something we think she should drink. These Mother’s Day wine suggestions should get you started:

• Balletto Sauvignon Blanc 2020 ($20, sample, 13.1%): This is classic California sauvignon blanc, which isn’t easy to find any more. That means a wonderful aroma of grassiness with a hint of melon, lemon fruit but not particularly tart, and a long, minerally finish. Highly recommended (and even worth doing a Zoom tasting to sample).

• Ackerman Marquis de la Tour Brut NV ($10, purchased, 11%): Terrific cheap bubbly from France’s Loire that’s made with chardonnay, chenin blanc, and – believe it or not – ugni blanc. It’s soft, a little sweet (honey?), with lemon and apple fruit. But the bubbles are tight, even though it’s charmat. Very nicely done. Imported by Palm Bay International

• Bonny Doon Vin Gris de Cigare 2020 ($15, sample, 13.5%): This California pink, always one of my favorites, was a little less Doonish last vintage. But this is as it should be: Stony, almost austere, with a hint of barely ripe strawberry fruit to remind you it’s rose, as well as a very long and very clean finish. Highly recommended.

• Tinto Negro Malbec 2019 ($10, sample, 13.5%): I’ve probably tasted more Argentine malbecs during the pandemic than the past couple of years combined; the quality, as with this wine, has been much better than expected. It’s a bright, fresh and not too jammy red, with lots of blueberry fruit. But it’s not overdone and there is plenty of acidity and even a little spice to back it up. Very professional rendering of this style. Imported by Vineyard Brands

Photo: Thiago Cerqueira, via Unsplash

More about Mother’s Day wine:
• Mother’s Day wine 2020
• Mother’s Day wine 2019
• Mother’s Day wine 2018
• Expensive wine 140: WillaKenzie Estate Chardonnay 2018
• Wine of the week: Garofoli Macrina 2019

Wine to drink when you’ve had quite enough of spam phone calls

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

spam phone calls
Did we get spam calls on those old, black dial phones?

Three quality cheap wines to drink so you don’t break the phone, hurt the dog, or destroy a lamp

Spam phone calls, already annoying, have blown up in Dallas in the past month since our deadly winter storm. We were already getting them for auto warranties, home improvement, Google business search, credit offers (“Don’t hang up!”), and people who want to buy your house. The storm added more home improvement calls, as well as those for solar panels (“Never be without electricity again!”)

Ah, how post-modern and entrepreneurial is that, scamming money out of death and misery? Because, of course, being rich is all that matters.

The Wine Curmudgeon understands why we can’t stop stop spam. But I also have to answer the phone when it rings, even if I don’t recognize the number. Editors don’t take kindly to being ignored.

So I’ve decided to solve the problem as only the Wine Curmudgeon can – wine to drink when you’ve had quite enough of spam phone calls. The idea is to keep quality cheap wine on hand so that, if the calls become too overwhelming, you have a way to calm down. It’s much less counter-productive to drink a glass of wine than to throw the phone across the room and break it – as well as a lamp and possibly the dog’s head.

So here are three wines to drink if you’ve had quite enough of spam phone calls:

• Scarpetta Frico Rosato 2019 ($10, purchased, 12%): Italian rose that is so well-made that I don’t even mind the pig on the label. It’s almost savory, with lemon and unripe dark berry fruit, as well as clean and long on the finish. Highly recommended. Imported by USA Wine West

• Cellier des Dauphins Reserve Blanc 2019 ($10, purchased, 14%): This French white from the Rhone is almost geeky – some oiliness from the viognier in the blend, some lime from the grenache blanc, and even a bit of spice. Imported by Plume Ridge

• Chronic Cellars Sir Real Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 ($15, sample, 14.8%): This California red seems to be everything I can’t stand about 21st century wine – high alcohol, too cute name, and even more too cute label. Which is why the first rule of wine criticism is to drink the wine before you judge it. In fact, the Sir Real is not hot, not full of sweet fruit, and even has the proper sort of tannins. It’s firmly in the Paso Robles style, which means rich and full, but also very well done. Highly recommended.

Photo: “Yesterday’s Call” by Vincent_AF is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Mini-reviews 143: Citra, albarino, Lucky Rock, Chianti

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

“I need to get some of that albarino the WC likes.”

Reviews of wines that don’t need their own post, but are worth noting for one reason or another. Look for it on the fourth Friday of each month.

• Citra Trebbiano d’Abruzzo 2019 ($10, sample, 12%): This Italian white is more tart, more stemmy, and cheaper tasting than the 2018, which seemed to signal a quality cheap wine worth buying regularly. This vintage, though, is closer to a $6. Disappointing. Imported by Winebow

• Lagar de Cervera Albarino 2018 ($20, purchased, 12.5%): This is what albarino, a Spanish white, should taste like — some citrus, almost savory, clean, and fresh. It’s not simple, not over done, and speaks to so much that is wonderful about wine. I just don’t understand why it needs to cost $20. Imported by Favorite Brands

• Lucky Rock Wine Co. Pinot Noir Country Cuvee 2019 ($22, sample, 14.3%): This California red is hot and sweet, firmly part of the pinot noir should taste like a cocktail movement and cost $20. For which, going by the critical raves for this wine, there is tremendous demand.

• Coltibuono Chianti Classico RS 2018 ($12, sample, 13.5%): An old-fashioned and tart Italian red made with sangiovese. It reminds me of the house wine at a not very good spaghetti house. Imported by Dallas Terra

Photo: “veryserious wine drinker” by BRANDIlane is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Expensive wine 142: Eden Rift Estate Pinot Noir 2018

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

eden riftThe Eden Rift Estate pinot noir is traditional in style and more than enjoyable

Pinot noir may be the most controversial subject among wine geeks today. Should it taste like pinot noir – earthy and spicy, with more reserved fruit, or is it OK to taste like a fruity red blend (and even sweet)?

Regular visitors will know where the Wine Curmudgeon stands in this debate, and the Eden Rift Estate pinot noir is a marvelous example of what traditional pinot noir should – and can – taste like.

Even more surprising: The Eden Rift ($48, sample, 13.8%) is a California wine, from the less well known Cienega Valley, a couple of hours south of San Francisco. California, of course, invented the second style of pinot noir.

In this, there is much to appreciate about the Eden Rift. Look for a little earth – just enough to let you know it’s pinot noir, but not to make you think it’s from Burgundy. Plus, there’s dark, tart fruit (cranberry? blackberry?), some pepper, and more than a little minerality on the finish. The tnnins are tucked nicely in the background, just as they should be for pinot noir.

Highly recommended. Yes, $48 is a lot to pay, but given the middling quality of so many pinot noirs in this price range, it’s a decent value.

Wine and food pairings 12: Hot dogs (because everyone refuses to believe it can be done)

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

hot dogsThe Wine Curmudgeon pairs wine with some of his favorite recipes in this occasional feature. This edition: three wines with hot dogs — a fancy version, but hot dogs nonetheless.

The Wine Curmudgeon once hosted a weekend cookout where the main dish was hot dogs. To which one of the guests sneered: “I’d like to see that — drinking wine with hot dogs.”

Oh ye of little faith. Wine is not reserved for $100 dinners or dishes made with three sauces. Wine is for dinner — no matter what dinner is. Which, of course, has been the point of the blog for almost 14 years. Hence, wine with hot dogs, which is something I’ve wanted to write about since my Cordon Bleu teaching days. We did part of a class where the students paired wine with fast food, to show people learning haute cuisine that wine didn’t have to be haute.

This version, called Hot Dog Boats and adapted from the Tastemade/Tasty cooking hegemony, is much fancier than those 8 for 99 cent hot dogs served on the buns that fall apart as soon as you pick them up. A compound butter, and par-baking the buns even. But it’s well worth the effort — think of it as a chili cheese dog for people who want to take the hot dog to the next level.

Click here to download or print a PDF of the recipe. Pairing hot dogs isn’t as difficult or as goofy as it seems. It’s a sausage, after all, and the Germans and the French in Alsace have doing wine and sausages for centuries. These wines will get you started:

• Old Soul Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 ($12, sample, 13.7%): This is a simple, Lodi-style cab, so there’s lots of sweet berry fruit. But it’s more than just another sweet red wine, with a bit of heft in the back for balance. A fine value.

• Inazio Urruzola Rosado 2019 ($16, sample, 10.5%): Interesting Spanish rose from the Basque region that’s made with truly obscure grapes. It’s  lemony and savory, and not what most people expect. Imported by Winesellers, Ltd

• August Kesseler Riesling Kabinett 2018 ($13, purchased, 10.5%): Zippy, oily, and sweetish German riesling, with some lime and stone fruit. Because riesling with sausages. Highly recommended. Imported by Vineyard Brands

Blog associate editor Churro contributed to this post.

Full disclosure: One of these days, I’ll remember take a picture of the dish; the one accompanying the post is from Tasty.

More about wine and food pairings:
• Wine and food pairings 11: Croque monsieur, turkey style
• Wine and food pairings 10: Lemon rosemary roasted turkey thighs
• Wine and food pairings 9: Mushroom ragu

Slider photo: “Rome Elite Event: wine, food and nice people” by Yelp.com is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Mini-reviews 142: Dueling Pistols, Grgich, Frenzy, Louis Jadot

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

dueling pistolsReviews of wines that don’t need their own post, but are worth noting for one reason or another. Look for it on the fourth Friday of each month.

• Dueling Pistols Red Blend 2016 ($50, sample, 14%): Surprisingly restrained red blend from California’s Paso Robles, with more juiciness than sweet fruit. Look for cherry fruit, a long, almost stony finish, and and fine, almost earthy tannins. Very nicely done.

• Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignom 2014 ($72, sample, 14.5%): This red from one of California’s most respected long-time producers is everything it should be – fruity (dark berries?), rich, complex, and age worthy.

• Frenzy Sauvignon Blanc 2019 ($12 purchased, 12.5%): Typical “meh” supermarket New Zealand sauvignon blanc – lots of grapefruit and not much else. Imported by Wilson Daniels

• Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages 2019 ($12, purchased, 13%): This French red might taste better when and if you try it; I found it fruity (cherries?), but so tart as to be unpleasant. This producer’s quality control has become notoriously inconsistent. Imported by Kobrand

Mini-reviews 141: Be Human, Carmel Road, Brancott, Mulderbosch

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

Be HumanReviews of wines that don’t need their own post, but are worth noting for one reason or another. Look for it on the fourth Friday of each month. This month, bring on the residual sugar!

• Be Human Merlot 2018 ($17, sample, 14.5%): Slightly sweet Washington red, with lots of fake chocolate and fake cherry. Somehow, one review described this as a dry, cheap wine. Sigh.

• Carmel Road Chardonnay 2019 ($15, sample, 13.%): A California white that is about as typical a $15 supermarket wine as you’ll find: Pleasant and a touch sweet, the kind of wine that will leave you wondering what you saw in it after you finish the bottle.

• Brancott Flight Song Pinot Grigio 2019 ($12, purchased, 9%): This New Zealand white gives new meaning to the term post-modern. It’s a riesling-style pinot grigio, so it’s sweet – and its selling point is that it’s lower in calories than “regular” pinot grigio. Not so much gross as just annoying. Imported by Pernod Ricard USA

• Mulderbosch Cabernet Franc 2017 ($39, sample, 13%): South Africa’s Mulderbosch has found a way to add sweetness to a pricey red wine. Who knew? Otherwise, it’s a sort of New World cabernet franc, which means less graphite and more red fruit, and not much else. Imported by Third Leaf Wines

Photo: “A couple drinking wine” by freestocks.org is marked with CC0 1.0