Value

This may a good time to write a little bit about value. Our present economic condition is making many of us rethinking our wine purchases. What is a value wine? Is it just a cheap wine? I don’t think so. I have had many $5 bottles of wine, that I thought were worth ….$5. There was no value in many of these wines. For me a value wine is one that delivers more taste then the price would dictate. I have a few wineries that I think offer good value.

Bogle Vineyards are considered one of the best value brands in the market. Don’t take my word, the Wall Street Journal, Wine Spectator and the Wine Advocate, all have proclaimed Bogle as a great value brand. Bogle produces a Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet and an Old Vines Zinfandel. The latest addition to the Bogle line is a Riesling. This is an intensely fruity wine, with just a kiss of sweetness on the finish. The Bogle wines are all around the $10 price point. I would compare these wines to other brands priced in the $20 range.

Another winery, I think gives good value is Rutherford Ranch. Rutherford Ranch is a Napa Valley producer. There is not a lot of value that comes out of Napa Valley. There is a lot of ego that keeps prices high. Rutherford Ranch has been in the grape business for 70 years. They are not concerned about putting their name on the bottle. They are concerned about putting good wine in the bottle and charging a good price for the wine. Rutherford Ranch wines are in the $12 - $18 a bottle. Their Napa Valley Cabernet is a particularly delicious wine. They also produce a Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot and Zinfandel, all well worth the price.

I think you cannot go wrong with either one of these brands. You will fine quality in these wines that you would normally find in wines double the price.
Now go try them!

In the last few weeks I have had several wine tastings with my friends. It has made me realize how important wine has been in my life. Almost every one of my friends, became my friends, do to our mutual interest in wine. These friends come from many different backgrounds. If not for our interest in wine, our paths might never have crossed. That would have been sad.

As many of you know I have a Pinot Noir club. We started in 2001. The plan was to have a group gather and discuss wine. We would try to form a lexicon on wine. This way we would know what each other was saying, when we described what we tasted. Well, eight years later we still don’t know what the other guy is talking about. But you know, it does not matter. What has happened is a bunch of guys have become good friends. These friends get together monthly; we laugh and tease each other unmercifully. Most of the time is spent talking about things other than wine.

When I think about it, I would not want it any other way.

I have been hearing from several sources how good the 2007 vintage was in Spain. They are calling it the best in 30 years. I always take this with a grain of salt. Wine makers tend to be in love with their latest vintage. Then the wines started to come in and the fact is, they are delicious.


One of the tasty ones I have had is Nekeas El Chapparral Grenache. This wine comes from the Jumilla region of Spain. This wine has a bright ruby color. It has an extremely rich nose with wisps of black raspberry, plum and flowers. You call this wine juicy, with a hint of pepper on the palate. The wine finishes with red and dark berry flavors. If you like big, bold, red wines you will love this wine.

So, you are going to order a pizza tonight and you want a wine to go with it. What is a good pizza wine? It is a red wine, with a nice fruity character (we all now people like this, but I am talking about wine). You want a little bit of tannins and a little bit of acidity; these factors will let the flavor of the wine cut through to the palate. You also are having pizza, not exactly breaking the bank on dinner, so obviously you don’t want to spend a fortune on the wine.

Anyway, here are a couple of choices. First up, is Rutherford Ranch Zinfandel, this is a quintessential pizza wine. Zinfandel has a cherry/berry flavor profile. The Rutherford Ranch is a well rounded, even supple wine, but there is enough oomph (oomph is a technical wine term) to it, so it can stand up to a pepperoni pizza. Track it down should cost you about $15 bucks.


Another winner is the Bogle Petite Syrah. The Bogle wines have always been a favorite of mine. The wines are full and fruity (you expect me to make a crack here don’t you?) and the prices are great. The Petite Syrah is no different, it begins with a raspberry character then segues (segues for those who are products of the California school system, means to move into or through) (now calm down, this is just a crack at a good friend who is a teacher. I know he gets this e-mail, so I am just having a little fun) (Of course I know other teachers get this e-mail so I guess there goes those sales) into a rich texture and smooth and pleasing finish. This wine will go down easy. And priced at around ten bucks it will be easy on the wallet. It is probably cheaper then your pizza!

Cheaper will be very good in 2009!