GrapeSmart.net

Fun wine label makes for a great gift

The Daily Sip, the email newsletter from Bottlenotes, did a piece on Director’s Cut wines today. It reminded me that I like these wines, too and haven’t had one a while. I found them to be a good value under $20, especially the Cabernet Sauvignon (which is an Alexander Valley Cab and probably explains why I like it). I also like giving this wine as a gift because of the fun and unique label.

I’m excited to see they’ve come out with some new varietals, including Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, and Chardonnay, all of which will be on my “must try” list.

If you can’t wait for me to drink it and review it, here are some stores selling it online. I believe I purchased it at Cost Plus World Market, so if you’ve got one near you, might be worth taking a look.

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… wait… Rank: wait… Traffic: wait… Price: wait… C: wait…

Being a girl who likes her Cabernet from Alexander Valley (which is Sonoma), I’m always wondering what all the fuss is about Napa Cabs. I think people just like saying “Napa Cabs.” Reminds me of Napa Cabbage…

At any rate, to celebrate our anniversary Mitch and I planned a night of yummy pork at a local restaurant, Jiraffe, in Santa Monica. Since we knew what we’d be eating ahead of time, I did some wine research to find out what to drink with dinner.

I picked out a Pinot Noir off their list, and then some others as well. I’ve been to too many restaurants where the wine list on the website isn’t the same as the one in the restaurant. I used my standard method of picking regions and vintages for backup, and we settled on the 2005 Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon.

It was fantastic! Beautiful color, fruity nose, dry (14.5% alcohol) and smooth, nice long finish… I couldn’t have picked better if I’d tried. Oh wait, I did.

I found this great wine under $25 at K&L Wines. If you live near one (San Francisco Bay Area – Peninsula, or Hollywood), I’d recommend grabbing a bottle or two.

About a year ago I decided to try an experiment. It was this: use the Wine Spectator region/year rating system to pick out wines even when I’ve never heard of the vineyard or winemaker (which constitutes at least 90% of wines I encounter). I can honestly say I’ve never been disappointed with this wine-buying method.

The Vintage Ratings Chart at Wine Spectator (subscription required to view the chart)

Here are some example region-vintage combinations that I like, and the full list of winners as decided by Wine Spectator (who I trust for their wine reviews explicitly… better than Parker in my opinion).

• Australia: Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale 2003-2005
• Spain: Ribera del Duero 2004-2005
• California Pinot Noir: Anderson Valley 2003-2005, Sonoma 2004, Santa Barbara 2004
• California Cabernet Sauvignon: Napa 2004-2005 and (in my experience) you can never go wrong with a Cabernet from Alexander Valley in Sonoma
• California Syrah: Napa 1999-2006, Paso Robles 2004 and 2006, Sonoma 2002-2006
• Washington: 2005 and 2006

I keep this short list in mind as I peruse wine lists in restaurants and when I go to wine stores. This helps me pick out the best bargains. It’s led me to some of my favorites including:

• 2004 Vina Santurnia, Tempranillo from Ribera del Duero, Spain
• 2004 and 2005 Peter Lehmann Shiraz, from McLaren Vale, Australia (ok in all fairness, a friend brought a bottle of this over for dinner, bit I’ve continued to test the vintage/region combination and am pleased with it)
• 2005 Chateau Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon, from Washington

Last week I was out for happy hour with a friend at my favorite wine bar in town (Bodega Wine Bar in Santa Monica) and I ordered a bottle I’d never heard of, but it was a 2005 Tempranillo from Ribera del Duero and since I love that Vina Santurnia I figured it was worth a shot. We both enjoyed the wine!

Try this! If you don’t have a Wine Spectator online subscription and you don’t want to purchase one just to get your hands on this list, I found pre-printed copies of it at my favorite local wine store… yours might have them, too. It’s called the Vintage Ratings chart.

Editor’s note: This post was written on Mother’s Day

This morning I received the greatest gift a mother could get: My preschooler slept in. This bit of amazingness allowed me the opportunity to wash dishes and scrub the toilet. It’s Mother’s Day not Miracle Day – these things aren’t gonna clean themselves.

And so it went until I found myself at Target.

Let me be clear: Normally, I do not buy wine from household discount retailers! But I was there anyway, my son was in tow and I wasn’t about to drag him to another store, so I made the best of it.

And, actually, “making the best of it” was surprisingly easy.

As one would expect, Target has an incredibly small selection. The store where I was shopping carried fewer brands than my local grocery store. But, that being said, there was actually an okay selection of decent wineries, with prices starting at around $6 for a Barefoot Merlot and going all the way to $32 for a  2006 Stags Leap Merlot. Also on the shelves was a 2007  Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio  for $10, a 2007 Hess Chardonay for $11, a 2007 J Lohr Cab Sav for $14, and Moet & Chandon White Star Champagne for $37. Honestly, I was really just expecting a box of good ol’ Ernest and Julio Gallo.

I decided on a 2006 Ravenswood Vintners Blend Zinfandel. I happen to be a huge fan of Ravenswood Zin, and this one was even on sale! $6.99 marked down from $9.99.

I’m used to seeing these wines start at around $12 and go up from there. But lately I’ve noticed a preponderance of 2006 Ravenswood Zins on the market between $6 and $10, and I’ve wondered if 2006 was a bad year for them.

I think so. Probably.

The normally rich, mellow body seemed sharp and sour in this bottle – it tasted very, very “young.” Perhaps it would’ve been improved by more time to breathe, although the bottle was open for almost an hour before I could settle down and enjoy my first glass. It was still a delicious wine, but this one – the bottle of wine I bought on sale at Target, let me remind you – didn’t possess the depth and deliciousness I’ve come to expect from a winery that’s widely known to produce some of the best Zins on the market in the under $25 range.

This, of course, did not stop me from drinking the whole bottle. Happy Mother’s Day to me!

My take-away from all of this? 1) If a solid wine suddenly sells for far below its average retail price, there is probably a reason. Go for something known to be scrumptious on the less expensive side (stay tuned for that piece). Just because the winery is well-known for higher-end varietals, doesn’t mean their budget-priced products will be worth their salt 2) Target never stops proving its usefulness, and 3) It’s really hard to explain a cheap wine hangover to a four year-old.

It’s unfortunate, but every now and again we come across a wine that’s just not worth drinking. In recent memory there have been very few. Here are the ones that make the list (and why):

• 2006 BV Coastal Estates Pinot Noir
  Even at $5 a bottle (it was on sale and we had a coupon) it was undrinkable. Don’t waste your money on this one, whatever you do.
• PromisQuous Red
  Sigh… I had so much hope for this one. It’s regular retail price was $16.99, it had snazzy marketing and an expensively-printed label. Honestly, it’s only a little better than the BV Pinot. I’ll finish the bottle, though Mitch has said “no thanks, it’s all yours.” It’s a little too sweet for me and has nothing to offer my mouth but sweet. It almost tastes like they hoped all the different reds would cover each other up.
• 2005 Keltie Brook Merlot
  Yet another example of why when prices seem too good to be true, they probably are. I’m not generally a Merlot fan, but I thought I’d give this a whirl. Tasted too much like grape juice for me. It was almost without body, and it left a slightly dry and  ticky sensation in my mouth after it was gone.
• NEWEST BUZZ KILL: 2007 Shiloh Road Syrah
  I tweeted about this one, and I suppose if you like this sort of thing than maybe you shouldn’t listen to me on this one. I found this Syrah to 1) not taste like a Syrah 2) taste like a cherry bomb 3) have a grapey aftertaste 4) be overly acidic 5) lack depth. It’s available at BevMo and I feel like Wilfred Wong let me down here with his 90pt rating.

We’ll keep adding to this post over time, and refer to it in future posts, too.

Have some real stinkers on your mind? Add a comment below… and warn others! Life’s too short for bad wine!

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… wait… Rank: wait… Traffic: wait… Price: wait… C: wait…

Thanks to Facebook’s targeted advertising, I discovered a great new site today: Local Wine Events.com

They caught me with their newsletter called “Juice.” Their newsletter is basically a notification service of events in your area (or up 10 additional areas you’re interested in). I signed up for Los Angeles, San Diego, Central Coast, Sonoma, Napa, and a few others. I’m excited to start receiving them because I never remember to look for wine events, and now they’ll come right to me!

They also have wine, food, spirits, and beer events around the world. You can post your events, too. Ah, to host my own wine event some day.

This is a new feature I’m starting to show everyone how easy it is to buy great wine at fantastic prices. The only times I ever spend more than $20 on a bottle of wine are as follows:

1. When I’m out wine tasting in wine country somewhere.
   I’m usually caught up in the moment (buzzed if it’s the end of the day) and willing to pay full retail under these circumstances.
2. When I’m buying someone a gift (I’ll often spend $20-50 on a bottle for a friend)

Otherwise, there’s no reason to spend more than $20 on a bottle of wine. Ever.

It’s actually quite easy and here’s my recipe:

1. Find a store near you with great prices (there must be one) and visit it often (I like Safeway stores, best prices around, plus you get a 10% discount if you buy any six bottles)
2. Find a store near you that gets special deals (they buy large quantities of small-production wines) and get on their mailing list (I like the Wine House, best prices at a wine-specific store on this side of town)
3. Only buy on sale! (This is my all-time money-saving tip for everything… it stretches your dollars by however much you’ve saved)

My latest trip was especially triumphant… here’s the tally:

1. 2008 Bonterra Sauvignon Blanc (made from Organic grapes)
   Regular price: $14.99, Sale price: $11.90, Six-pack price: $10.71
2. 2006 Sanford Chardonnay (Flower label)
   Regular price: $21.99, Sale price: $15.39, Six-pack price: $13.85
3. 2006 Steelhead Sauvignon Blanc
   Regular price: $18.99, Sale price: $9.98, Six-pack price: $8.98
4. Promisquous Red
   Regular price: $16.99, Sale price: $9.98, Six-pack price: $8.98
   So-so. For $9 it’s okay.
5. 2006 Coppola Malbec
   Regular price: $18.49, Sale price: $13.98, Six-pack price: $12.58
6. 2005 Keltie Brook Merlot
   Regular price: $18.99, Sale price: $6.99, Six-pack price: $6.29

Grand total Regular price: $110.44
Grand total Sale price: $68.22
Price I paid: $61.39 (plus tax)

TOTAL SAVINGS: $49.05 (44%)
Price per Bottle: $10.23

Caveats: I’ve not had most of these, so I can’t yet vouch for their quality… I know the Sanford Chardonnay is good.  I don’t normally drink Merlot but that was too good a price to pass up just to see if it’s any good.

UPDATE

The 2008 Bonterra Sauvignon Blanc was great. It was light, not too acidic, and (as is my usual test for success) makes me want to drink/buy more of it. The Promisquous Red and the 2005 Keltie Brook Merlot were undrinkable. The Coppola Malbec was  much like the other Coppola wines (Director’s Cut excluded from this description)… decent but nothing to write home about for a fair price. The Steelhead went down smoothly, very fruity and tart, though not overly tart. I’d say the Steelhead is a classic-style reasonably well-balanced Sauvignon Blanc. It’s regular price feels steep, but the sale price was a “steel.” The Sanford Chardonnay was good as usual… That’s my go-to white wine.

2005 Chateau Souverain, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley

Last night we ate a nice little fish restaurant on the Malibu Pier (the Beachcomber). We ordered the 2005 Chateau Souverain Cabernet Sauvignon which I had had before and remember enjoying quite a bit. Mitch, who usually doesn’t love a cabernet really enjoyed this and said, “We should keep a couple bottles of this around.” That’s quite a compliment from him and it reminded me that it’s good to have a few staples that are widely available and that are so food-friendly you can crack ‘em open whenever.

This cabernet sauvignon from the Alexander Valley in Sonoma, CA definitely fits the bill. And at $15-20 per bottle, it gets a strong thumbs up for being smooth, flavorful but not overwhelming, and definitely a good value.

Now go get some Cabernet Sauvignon!

At least a year ago, Mitch and I had dinner at a great restaurant in one of my favorite local hotels. It’s a seafood restaurant called Catch and it’s located in the Hotel Casa del Mar in Santa Monica (beachfront, of course). Sometimes when we go to nice restaurants we like to ask the waiter for a suggestion on the wine, since they usually know better than we do what the wines are like. Our fantastic waiter (who had an equally fantastic assistant waiter) chose an Ortman Pinot Noir for us and we loved it. We loved it so much that it went on my list of wineries to visit when we get up to Paso Robles… and so we did.

Ortman Family Vineyards

The lovely tasting room is located in the middle of downtown Paso Robles (1317 Park Street, Paso Robles, CA 93446), a few doors down from Artisan (the restaurant we brunched at right before starting our tasting adventure for the day). The woman pouring the tasting was friendly and knowledgeable and was proud to be working for this winery. That’s a great start to any tasting!

From one of their brochures

The Ortman Family: Chuck, Matt, and Lisa

“We specialize in artisan wines crafted in the acclaimed “Ortman style,” which is founded on four decades and two generations of family winemaking experience.

The Ortman style emphasizes richness, elegance, and food friendliness, as guided by the father-and-son winemaking team of Chuck Ortman and Matt Ortman.

In order to achieve their winemaking vision, Chuck and Matt focus on varietals that excel in remarkable vineyards on California’s Central Coast, including Pinot Noir from Santa Rita Hills, Chardonnay from Edna Valley, and Rhone-style wines from Paso Robles.”

The standard tasting fee was $6 (not charged if you purchase wine) and I think they offered souvenir glasses but they were the stemless variety of which neither Mitch nor I are fans (plus we don’t have room in our tiny kitchen for more wine glasses, we already have at least 20 hanging around) so we left them behind. They also had a Reserve Tasting with a tasting fee of $10 which does include the Ortman logo Riedel glass, but does not get refunded if you purchase (at least that’s the formal policy, we didn’t pay for either tasting). Naturally we chose one of each so we could both sample the full selection and not be too blotto to move onto our next victim, er winery.

2007 Ortman Syrah Rose – Paso Robles, $16 per bottle, 150 cases produced

Wine bottle: Ortman Syrah Rose

What they say: This wine is crafted in the tradition of the dry roses that are favored in the warmer climates of Europe for their refreshing, food-friendly qualities. A round, supple texture bursts with fresh flavors of white peach, strawberry, and cinammon. Are you tough enough to drink pink?

What Jess said: Thumbs up! It’s a whole-tongue experience. A mix of sweet and dry. Playful. (I like dry roses from the Central Coast. I’m also a big fan of the Beckman Grenache Rose which should have been released by now and will soon be coming home with me.)

What Mitch said: Thumbs up! Bright clean bouquet with a fruity pucker.

2007 Ortman Chardonnay – Edna Valley, $24 per bottle, 1100 cases produced

Wine bottle: Ortman Chardonnay

What they say: They don’t call Chuck Ortman “Mr. Chardonnay” for nothing! From Firepeak Vineyard in Edna Valley, this Chardonnay exhibits the classic Ortman style—rich yet clean and impeccably balanced. Flavors of pear, apple, guava and caramel with mineral accents and refreshing acidity.

What Jess said: Thumbs up! Grapefruit/apple/pear (green fruit, light citrus) on the nose. Caramel, milky, a little oak and vanilla in the mouth.

What Mitch said: Mild velvety slide through the mouth. Subtle fruitiness.

2006 Ortman Pinot Noir – Santa Rita Hills, $36 per bottle, 750 cases produced

Wine bottle: Ortman Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills

What they say: From the famed Fiddlestix Vineyard. Aged for 11 months in French oak barrels (40% new). Bright and broad, with high-toned flavors of cherry, plum, spice, and creamy cola. This classically elegant Pinot Noir is made for enjoying with food. Take it for a walk on the wild side of the dinner table.

What Jess said: Smells like the ocean. Smooth at first with a long finish, but I didn’t like the finish.

What Mitch said: Surprisingly dry with a very fruity punch at the finish.

2006 Ortman Pinot Noir – Willamette Valley, $36 per bottle, 350 cases produced

Wine bottle: Ortman Pinot Noir Willamette Valley

What they say: Our passion for the Pinot Noir grape extends northward to Oregon’s Willamette Valley, where we seek an inspiring contrast to our Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir. The 2006 vintage comes from Temperance Hill and Parish Hill vineyards, which combine to yield a Pinot Noir with delicate complexity and firm natural structure.

What Jess said: Lighter on the nose. Tingly, nutty tannins. Reminds me of French wine (of which I have extraordinarily little experience drinking).

What Mitch said: Dry again. Puckery and acidic, but mild flavor.

2006 Ortman Sangiovese – Paso Robles, $22 per bottle, 500 cases produced

Wine bottle: Ortman Sangiovese

What they say: A taste of Italy from Algunas Dias Vineyard. Inspired by Matt Ortman’s winemaking travels in Italy. Lively integrated flavors of raspberry, cherry, and blackberry unfold along a smooth texture. Great with pizza and pastas. Buon appetito!

What Jess said: Thumbs up! Sweet, floral, and cinammon on the nose. Fruity and smooth, probably good with poultry.

What Mitch said: Thumbs up! Bright nose. Starts with a berry explosion and fades slowly to a nice dry finish.

2005 Ortman Syrah – Paso Robles, $22 per bottle, 350 cases produced

Wine bottle: Ortman Syrah

What they say: From Brave Oak Vineyard. Toasty aromas of blueberry, violets, and raspberry jam. Round and supple, with juicy flavors of black cherry, plum, smoked bacon, and oak spice. While it’s no sin to savor this yummy wine on its own, this Syrah will sing with skirt steak and lamb chops.

What Jess said: Very typical Syrah from the Paso Robles area. Delightful, light-touch, with a familiar terroir. A spicy finish.

What Mitch said: Nose goes all the way up. Minor tannins detectable, but it had a pleasant finish.

2007 Ortman Cuvee Eddy – Paso Robles, $24 per bottle, 1600 cases produced

Wine bottle: Ortman Cuvee Eddy

What they say: Contrary to rumor, this Rhone-style blend is not named after the Iron Maiden band mascot, but rather for the swirls on our label that represent two winemaking generations coming full circle. Still, this wine does rock with big, juicy flavors of blackberry, blueberry and raspberry, mocha and vanilla bean.

What Jess said: Thumbs up! Smoky on the nose. Dusty, sweet cherry and tobacco. Reasonably smooth.

What Mitch said: Mildly abrasive nose, dry! Largely smooth with a medium-level of berry intensity.

From the Reserve Tasting…

2006 Ortman Pinot Noir – Fiddlestix Vineyard, $50 per bottle, 140 cases produced

Wine bottle: Ortman Pinot Noir Fiddlestix

What they say: Five barrels were selected to exemplify the quality and character of Fiddlestix Vineyard. Flavors of black cherry, wild berry, cola and spice finish with soft, juicy acidity. This Pinot Noir will age gracefully over the next several years. In the meantime, the genie in this bottle will benefit from brief decanting.

What Jess said: Smells like Fiddlehead Pinot Noirs (in addition to Fiddlehead Pinot Noirs coming from the Fiddlestix vineyard, they also make Pinot Noirs from Willamette Valley, so due to my relatively small experience with Oregon Pinot Noirs and relatively large experience with Fiddlehead wines, it shouldn’t be surprising that I would make this connection). Very dry berry flavors are prominent.

What Mitch said: Berry, bright, not too dry, but sadly flat.

2003 Ortman Cabernet Sauvignon – Napa Valley, $45 per bottle, 350 cases produced

Wine bottle: Cabernet Sauvingon

What they say: Our connection to Napa Valley’s premier varietal dates back to Chuck Ortman’s earliest winemaking days, when he was a winemaking consultant to some of the valley’s top Cabernet producers. The 2003 vintage comes from White Cottage Ranch Vineyard on Howell Mountain. It offers juicy layered flavors of black cherry, plum, and vanilla.

What Jess said: Thumbs up! Dream-inducing nose. Tastes of salty (salami!), cloves, and blueberry with a spicy-hot finish (in a good way).

What Mitch said: Thumbs up! Dancing berries on the nose. Dry, with a burnt-like finish.

2006 Ortman Petite Sirah – Wittstrom Vineyard, $38 per bottle, 68 cases produced
What they say:The 2006 Petite Sirah marks our inaugural vintage for the varietal, which joins our small family of red wines from Paso Robles. Winemaker Matt Ortman has long been a fan of Petite Sirah, and he jumped at the chance to make it when fruit from Wittstrom Vineyard became available. This vineyard occupies and idea site for Petite Sirah, yielding a wine that is big yet elegant with lusciously intense flavors.

What Jess said: Makes me want to drink it with steak. Chalky.

What Mitch said: Heavy nose, bitter berry. Heavy but smooth.

Are you an Ortman fan?
Experience the Ortman Wine Lounge
The Ortman Wine Lounge is a virtual gathering place for friends of the Ortman Family Vineyards—and that means you!
This online social community features harvest videos, winemaker blogs, upcoming events, wine specials and other news, as well as opportunities to interact with us and other fellow wine enthusiasts.
Please join the fun at www.OrtmanWineLounge.com

Join the Ortman Generation Wine Club
As an artisan family winery, we craft our wines in small lots, many of which can be difficult to find. As a member of the Ortman Generation, however, you will enjoy access to all of our wines, conveniently delivered to your home or business.
Your complimentary membership entitles you to many exclusive benefits, including:

To join, please visit www.OrtmanVineyards.com or call us at (805) 237-9009