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• Thx 2 #followfriday friends! @kenpenny @superdupershark @cherryflambe @stemwarestore @spartacuswines @CinnamiNY @BourkePR @Diana605 #
• And of course, #followfriday love to my wine-blogger friends: @DailyWine @HipsterEnology @CtlCstUncorked #
• What'd we drink last night? A GREAT bottle of @LoneMadrone 2006 Bailey Ranch Zinfandel – bought just for this trip! Tonight? Sparkling red! #
• @marx3699 @LoneMadrone is in Paso Robles. @ireneivy Don't have a sparkling red for you yet, stay tuned. @spartacuswines It was a Zolo night! #
• @BluelegsTango Niagara makes some great Chardonnays. LCBO has some unoaked chard so you should be able to get some in Canada. Good luck! in reply to BluelegsTango #
• @gaspereauwine …screw caps represent less than 5% of all bottled wines. #winewednesday – I Bet that # is MUCH higher in Canada & AUS/NZ #
• @vinography EVERYONE has a frikkin wine club. That's why we love http://www.wineclubreviews.net — Gotta have someone to help you shop! #
• Almost done with a Halloween Wines post… what's your favorite Halloween-themed wine? Wineries, labels, names… it's all good. #
• http://twitpic.com/feuvq – My remaining letters in this tight game of Scrabble on Facebook… HA! #
• #FollowFriday our Halloween lovers @Diana605 @smittytab @AlishaBausone @StacyVonDoom – Check out halloween wine! http://bit.ly/10szTr #
• #FollowFriday our Halloween lovers @LanikaiStudio and @Wgwampatterns1 – Check out halloween wine! http://bit.ly/10szTr #
• #FollowFriday friends: @tuscanyi @supplewine @SurfCityJay @drloosenwines @pwrwines @zChefHeather @wineexperience @dhevel @elproximojuego #
• We <3 #FollowFriday @DailyWine @CtlCstUncorked @Shawn_Mullins @montalucewine @BreezyHills @HipsterEnology @MaryhillWinery @CUVEE_CORNER #

It may seem early to be talking about Halloween, but if I had to guess, a fair number of you are planning your costumes already. If you’re planning your costume this far in advance, why not bring the perfect accoutrement to your Halloween parties this year?

Whether you’ll be a guest or a host(ess),  you can make a great impression by bringing Halloween-styled wines. Here’s a fun selection of wines for you to choose from to make your Halloween spookarific, and some information for the serious wine-drinkers, too.

Oh, and since this blog focuses on bringing you value in your wine, we suggest you order now to avoid paying Halloween premium mark-ups on these wineries and labels that are just begging to make an appearance at your Halloween party and fit right into your Halloween decor.

Vampire Wines (shop it)

Vampires are all the rage right now and this winery’s name was either prescient, or they’re just really into it. Either way, they’ve got a fun About Us page. Located in Paso Robles, California, this winery is bottling wines under three spooktacular labels. They’re producing a variety of wines including:

Dracula Syrah, from Vampire Vineyards

• Vampire Merlot, $10 per bottle
  Tasting notes: Aged with a combination of both French and American oak, our Merlot develops graceful fruit flavors in the cellar, complemented by subtle shadings of vanilla and toast from the oak. At the completion of the aging process, this Merlot was carefully blended with 8% Cabernet Sauvignon for added depth and structure, as well as 8% Zinfandel, which adds a spicy note on the palate. Approachable now, Vampire Merlot is perfectly balanced for additional bottle aging.
• Vampire Cabernet Sauvignon, $10 per bottle
  Tasting notes: Judiciously blended with small amounts of Merlot for softness, and Syrah for added structure, our Cabernet displays ripe flavor character and a lovely aroma that will continue to develop with additional time in bottle. Ideal for grilled steaks and chops, or with rich red pasta dishes, our Cabernet Sauvignon is well-suited for the table, and is a wonderful complement to any fine meal.
• Vampire Pinot Noir, $10 per bottle Vin d’Pays DOC
• Vampire Pinot Grigio, $10 per bottle
  Tasting notes: Its fresh lime fruit aroma leads into an easy-drinking lively wine full of youthful, refreshing acidity. This wine is well suited to a wide range of food, especially pasta dishes with white sauces, seafood, salads and Asian cuisine (such as Thai style chicken with coriander and lime). It is also wonderful on its own. Sip the Blood of the Vine and Enjoy!
• Vampire White Zinfandel, $10 per bottle
  Winemaking notes: Night-picked from old-vine blocks of Zinfandel at our ranches near Paso Robles, the fruit is quickly but gently pressed from the skins, then cold-fermented in vat, preserving every nuance of this wine’s exotic character. The perfect wine for picnics, luncheons or lighter fare, our White Zinfandel is also an ideal aperitif or casual afternoon sipping wine. Enjoy with good food and great friends.
• Vampire Chardonnay, $10 per bottle
  Tasting notes: Crisp and refreshing, our Chardonnay is an ideal accompaniment to grilled seafood or poultry, and also complements mildly flavored cheeses. The wine’s rich texture, the result of regular stirring of the lees, further provides a big mouthfeel to this classically structured white wine.
• Dracula Zinfandel, $20 per bottle Paso Robles, California
  Tasting notes: This is an elegant wine — a tour de force. This Zinfandel is big, rich and expressive! This wine is full of deep plum flavors that lead to cracked pepper & spices, with a refined texture and concentration. On the palate it is powerful and yet elegant, finishing with polished tannins.
• Dracula Syrah, $18 per bottle
  Tasting notes: Reminiscent of the Master’s true love, this Syrah originates from the Rhone region in France, not far from his homeland. This Syrah has black cherry and dark chocolate flavors that launch into an intense, dark, rich and flavorful wine. Its perfect balance of spices sets up a silky texture and balanced, jammy finish.
• 2005 Château Du Vampire Bordeaux Style Cabernet Blend, $20 per bottle
  Blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 10% MalbecTasting notes: The result is a rich and well balanced wine, full bodied with aromas of black cherries, spices and chocolate. This is a complex wine that is focused, and yet displays brilliant fruit and soft tannins that lead to a lingering finish.

And of course, for you drinkers who want the full Vampire experience, you can try this one:

• TrueBlood Napa Valley Syrah, $30 per bottle
  Tasting notes: The inky black and blue color of the 2004 Trueblood Napa Valley Syrah is an indication of its power. This wine will bruise your soul with its palate crushing cherry, plum smoke and spice. Rich toasty oak and silky smooth tannins soften the blow enough for you take another sip. 220 cases produced.

PoiZin from Armida Winery – The Wine to Die for

This line started with a clever Zinfandel (one would assume) and now they’ve got Reserve wines that come packaged in an intricately adorned coffin! Choose from:

• 2007 PoiZin, $25 per bottle
  Zinfandel from Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma CaliforniaWinemaker’s notes: A little less deadly than our etched version of Poizin (not quite as light as a feather, though not as stiff as a board, either), this wine is blended to be soft, supple, and ready to enjoy NOW. The grapes come from Dry Creek Valley, the only real place to grow Zinfandel that’s worth anything. Bright fruit flavors are carried on a bed of soft tannins. Oooh, spooky.
• 2006 PoiZin Reserve, $60 per bottle 2006 PoiZin Reserve Gift Box, $120 for the set
  This awesome Halloween gift includes a bottle of the 2006 PoiZin Zinfandel Reserve and two wine glasses.  40 cases bottled in Summer 2007, Alcohol 15.0%, Aged 16 months in a combination of French Oak and American Oak.
  
  2006 Glitter Pink Reserve PoiZin, $90 for the coffin & bottle
  As with so many pink products out there, part of the proceeds from this reserve bottle go to benefit Breast Cancer Research.

  Tasting notes from PoiZin: Our reserve Zinfandel, and definitely a “wine to die for”. Each year we go through our best lots of Zinfandel and hand select the barrels that will make up the Poizin blend. In 2006 we chose some beautiful barrels from the Maple Vineyard Zinfandel, a couple of Tre Torrente Vineyard Zinfandel barrels, and a few Petite Sirah barrels from our own Estate Vineyard. This particular blend has a lot of dark fruit up front. Aromas of blackberry, plum and cassis jump out of the glass. The Petite Sirah adds structure and color, and gives this wine a lot of body. The oak flavors of vanilla and brown spice are integrating well with the lush fruit flavors.

• 2007 Antidote, $12 per bottle
  Pinot Gris from the Russian River Valley, Sonoma, California.Tasting notes from PoiZin: The perfect summer wine, our Antidote is very crisp and clean, with flavors of pear and blossoms. In the mouth, the bright acidity is accompanied with more pear flavors as well as citrus, and honeysuckle. The finish is refreshing, leaving hints of tropical fruits to linger on the palate.

For lefties and other sorts of spooky deviants:

Owen Roe Sinister Hand

• 2007 Owen Roe Sinister Hand, $20-25 per bottle
  Every year, this wine is an exuberant, lush, lively, juicy blend of Rhone varietals. This year it’s 52% Grenache, 39% Syrah, 7% Mourvedre, and 2% Counoise, all from Elerding Vineyard in Washington. The nose is appealingly bright and fresh, and the flavors are classic Rhone, with great lively, uplifting notes of red fruit. Flavors are of bright, red and black fruits, with lots of white pepper, good acidity and tannins and nothing out of place. Very well made and balanced. There’s lots of “back of the mouth” feel in the finish. The label shows the severed hand of Owen Roe O’Neil- the Irish patriot whose severed hand appears on the coat of arms of winemaker David O’Reilly’s family.

Evil & Pure Evil from R Wines

Evil Cabernet Sauvignon

• Evil Cabernet Sauvignon, $9-$12 per bottle
  100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Riverland, Australia
  Tasting Notes: A rich, opaque red-black color with a scarlet rim. Lifted nose of rich, jammy black currant with a smoky vanillin note. Complex palate of pickled black olive, smoky bacon, light pepper, red currants and hints of dark chocolate. Elegant, medium soft tannins.
• Pure Evil Chardonnay, $9-$12 per bottle
  100% Chardonnay from Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Riverland, Australia
  Vintage comments: A challenging vintage resulting in low yields of exceptional quality. Light winter rains (drought) and frost damage during the spring, followed by berry splitting (as a result of heavy rain over a two day period at a crucial stage of berry development) contributed to a yield almost half of that expected. In addition, the summer’s unusually high temperatures meant that the time between veraison and harvest was greatly reduced. These tough conditions resulted in the fruit’s concentrated flavors and beautifully structured wines. Tasting notes: Peach, melon, ripe tropical fruits and a hint of cashew. Creamy, luscious and lingering.

Casillero del Diablo by Concha y Toro (shop it)

Literally translates to Cellar of the Devil by Shell & Bull and comes from Chile

Line of Casillero del Diablo wines

There’s an entertaining story of how these wines came to bear this label:
Casillero del Diablo offers wine lovers the very special opportunity to participate in the propagation of a century old legend known throughout the world. In the 19th century, the founder of Concha y Toro, Don Melchor, discovered that his vineyard workers were sampling his greatest wines. To discourage this action, Don Melchor spread the rumor that his deepest, darkest cellar was the Casillero del Diablo (Cellar of the Devil), so that no one would dare go in there. It worked, and a legend was born. Today, this mysterious and legendary cellar continues to hold the finest, estate grown wines of Casillero del Diablo.

• Chardonnay, under $10 per bottle
  100% Chardonnay, Casablanca Valley, Chile
  Tasting notes: A medium bodied wine with a long, sweet finish. The wine has a lemon-yellow color. It is rich and appealing with heavy pineapple fruit, toasty oak and a creamy butter texture. It is an elegant, round and mouthfilling wine balanced by crisp acidity for a long and memorable finish. Excellent with seafood, poultry, medium-sauced pastas, as well as most cheeses. Serve slightly chilled.
• Sauvignon Blanc, $10-12 per bottle
  100% Sauvignon Blanc, Central Valley, Chile
  Tasting notes: Gentle, round and mouthfilling with crisp acidity. Flaxen gold color. A fresh and crisp bouquet. On the palate, the wine is elegant, round and mouth filling balanced by crisp acidity. This Sauvignon Blanc is elegant, round and of great volume. A clean and bright wine of astounding quality, this wine is best when served chilled. Enjoy with ceviche, oysters, and sush or serve as an aperitif.
• Cabernet Sauvignon, under $10 per bottle
  90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Carménère from Maipo Valley, Chile
  Tasting notes: Medium bodied with smooth and friendly tannins. Hints of plums and cherries and a generous touch of toasted American oak. The wine is endowed with a remarkable bouquet, complex overtones and a lingering finish. It is well structured, perfectly balanced and boasts a satisfying and lingering finish. Dark and deep red color. Appealing red cherries and black plums with a touch of toasty oak. This classic, well structured, perfectly balanced Cabernet Sauvignon goes well with the heartiest cuisine, including roasts, game, stews, spicy pasta dishes and robust cheeses.
• Merlot, under $10 per bottle
  90% Merlot, 10% Carménère from Central Valley, Chile
  Tasting notes: Smooth with great structure. Fruity taste and full body. Chocolate and herb accents add palate interest. Casillero del Diablo Merlot is big in volume and smooth, while exhibiting great structure. Dark and deep red color. Luscious fruit flavors: cherries, currants, berries and plums. On the palate, hints of mocha and herbs, generously framed by toasty American oak. It has a mouthfilling texture and is soft, but well structured. The wine is excellent with a variety of cheeses, meats and pasta dishes.
• Carménère, $12-$14 per bottle
  85% Carménère, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Syrah from Rapel Valley, Chile
  Tasting notes: Notes of dark plums and spice, generously framed by toasty American oak with a soft and well structured mouthfilling texture. Dark red crimson color. Notes of plums, black fruit, chocolate and spice on the nose. It is a well-balanced, round wine with firm tannins. Casillero del Diablo Carménère is excellent with fresh light dishes based in meats, vegetables and fresh herbs. Also a good accompaniment to ripe cheeses such as Gouda, Gruyere or a dry goat cheese.
• Riserva Privada, $13-$15 per bottle
  65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Syrah from Pirque, Maipo, Rucahue, and Rapel Valleys, Chile
  Tasting notes: Notes of dark plums and spice, generously framed by toasty American oak with a soft and well structured mouthfilling texture. Aged in French oak barrels for 14 months, this wine strikes the perfect balance between fruit and wood, yet retains vibrant acidity and supple tannins. Reserva Privada is the perfect match for finer recipes including grilled and roasted meats as well as for rich pasta dishes.

Don’t forget to buy spooky Halloween Wine Accessories!

Fast on the heels of Jessyca’s wedding wine recommendation request from Twitter, in this episode – dear readers – I thought I would take you on a journey to the land of Unoaked Chardonnay. Grab a glass, kick back and enjoy the ride!

My education on unoaked Chard started when Jess and I went to SummerTASTE at the Grove a few weeks ago. This LearnAboutWine event was co-sponsored by The Whisper Restaurant and Lounge, and focused – specifically – on unoaked wines. Naturally, most of the wines offered were white and fruity. I have to admit that a lot of them were also not my preference.

Then I wandered over to the Sweeney Canyon tasting table.

I was first poured a taste of 2008 Sweeney Canyon Chardonnay in order to contrast against future pours. This wine was presented only for contrast, and it was made clear that what I was drinking was not even available for purchase. Good thing! As the pourer promised, this wine was undrinkable: sour and harsh and unpalatable. The 2007 was worlds better. It was smoother and sweeter, with a fuller and richer – although oily – mouthfeel. The 2001 was, in my opinion, the best of the bunch. The 2000 I was poured last just did not match up with the quality of the 2001.

But here is what really got me: None of the Chardonnay at this table had ever touched wood. Nor had it undergone malolactic fermentation (MLF).

What I didn’t realize at the time is that this method of producing Chardonnay has been around for awhile, although most people are still familiar with the big, lush and buttery Chardonnays that are aged in oak barrels.

Let’s look at why this is:

Some of the world’s most renowned Chardonnay-based table wines come from the Burgundy region in France. Burgundy whites have a reputation for being complex and delicious…and aged in oak barrels, using malolactic fermentation. But Burgundy is Old World, with a cooler climate which makes it more difficult to bring the fruit to full ripening. These cool-weather grapes don’t see a lot of sun and are low in sugar and high in acid. French oak helps to round out the wine, making it more complex and balanced. The addition of  lactic acid bacteria (usually Oenococcus oeni or various species of Lactobacillus and Pediococcus) de-acidifies the wine, creating a much smoother, richer and buttery mouthfeel. Considering the amount of acid the grapes produce, malolactic conversion is almost a necessity in order to produce a palatable wine.

As more and more Americans developed a vigor for vino in the 1980s and early 1990s, they became enamored with the woody vanilla flavors of oaked whites – like those from Burgundy. To meet demand, New World producers began to age their Chardonnay in oak – typically American oak – which by nature tends to impart a stronger woodiness than the tight-grained French barrels. Considering New World Chardonnay grapes are already ripe and lush and packed with sugar (but little acid), the result of barrel-aging is a big wine which tends to overpower the taste of the fruit. The low acid levels leaves very little for the MLF to work with, and thins the structure of the wine. In the end, American-oaked New World Chardonnay is unlike Chardonnay from Bordeaux.

By the mid-1990s, people had begun to develop a new appreciation for less bulky whites, preferring instead crisp, fruit-forward wines like Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc. This led to an ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) backlash, and new buzzwords like steel tanked, un-oaked, unwooded and acero (Spanish for “steel”).

New Zealand, like many of the New World wine regions, produces large amounts of Chardonnay grapes, and they were the first region to embrace production of un-oaked Chard on a grand-scale. The trend took off, and here we are – more than a decade later – and the movement is growing more and more popular.

Big, rich, oaky Chardonnays are unlikely to disappear. But for those who are looking for the crisp acidity and liveliness of the Chardonnay grape – front and center – unwooded Chardonnay is the way to go.

And stay tuned! Next up – Arianna reviews three different unoaked Chardonnays: 2008 Kim Crawford Unoaked Chardonnay (from New Zealand, and one of the first mass-market unwooded Chardonnay producers), 2007 Toad Hollow Francine’s Selection Unoaked Chardonnay (Mendocino, California), and a 2007 Morgan Metallico Unoaked Chardonnay (from Monterey, California). Yum!

Vinavera Unoaked Chardonnay

This was a fun incoming request from Twitter:

@BluelegsTango Daughter’s wedding on a budget. Having Chinese.Can you recommend a dry white wine, $10 range, to appeal to a range of drinking tastes.Thanks – 11:11 AM Aug 22nd

Truthfully there aren’t that many whites under $10 I’d recommend to anyone. Some people out there think cheap white wines are more palatable than cheap reds, but honestly I think you have to spend more to get a decent white than a decent red, on average.

Something I’ve recently stumbled on is unoaked chardonnays. In keeping with my newly discovered preference for wines that are true to their varietals (meaning you can drink and know what grape it is, not have a guess what it is). I like the flavor of the chardonnay grape and even though I appreciate some oakiness, most California chards are too oaky. There’s definitely been a trend of late to downplay the oak that gets added, but the fascinating part is that there’s a natural gentle oakiness to Chardonnay anyway!

I recommended the Vinavera Unoaked Chardonnay to this inquirer. You can get it at Bevmo for $12.99 a bottle and it’s in their 5-cent sale, too. At the moment, the ClubBev price is $7.99!

You can also shop around and try some other unoaked chardonnays.

Coincidentally, I was at Crate & Barrel the other day and they’ve got empties as decoration around the store… what did they empty? Vinavera Unoaked wines of course! I wish I could have been the one to drink the wine they must have dumped

• just picked a bottle of sparkling red from @WineExpo in Santa Monica – $12.99 #
• Laments the end of the bottle. Ponders opening another. Heck, who needs to ponder? Bartender! Pour me another! #
• @WineEnthusiast We haven’t bought one yet simply because we don’t have anywhere to put it. Looking at Vinotemp credenza for living room. in reply to WineEnthusiast #
• @MacMcWong I always forget about Santorini. Contemplating writing a post about “the other white wines.” I’ll add it to my list! in reply to MacMcWong #
• Email from @snooth: California+Syrah http://bit.ly/Rc06t – Declares California Syrah a great value in wine… couldn’t agree more! #
• Went to Grace for Doughnut night (8 types of donuts, all to die for)… had an AMAZING glass of Zin… 2007 Turley Zinfandel Juvenile. WOW. #

Braised scallops with wild mushroom tapenade

Orris (2006 Sawtelle Boulevard) is one of my new favorite LA restaurants. They serve Franco-Japanese fusion small plates (everything subject to market availability), and I haven’t yet had a bad dish.

From their website:

Orris is the root of the iris plant, which in ancient times, when mixed with cinnamon and other spices, was believed to be a love potion. Consider Orris Restaurant to embrace the concept of sharing plates with the ones you love; food and wine is love.

I have to agree: Food and wine is love. Especially wine like the 2005 Field Stone Cabernet Sauvignon we ordered with dinner.

This blog is unabashedly pro Alexander Valley Cabernet, so it probably won’t come as a surprise that this is yet another entry singing its praises. But, truly, this was one of the most delicious wines I’ve tried.

Producer notes:

Here is a blend of mature fruit from all five of our distinctive estate Cabernet clones. The result is, in short, terrific. In character this ’05 release is a truly complex, expressive, Alexander Valley Cabernet which opens up with seductive, spicy, varietal aromas. Its equally expressive mouth-filling flavors of Bing cherries, plums, and crushed blackberries are bountiful and ripe, with characteristics typical of Field Stone’s definitive ‘Alexander Valley Style’: rich, fruit forward, with attractive notes of oak vanillin that never dominate. 2,000 cases produced.

After taking a few minutes to allow the wine to breathe, I “woke it up” by swirling it in the glass. It was a beautiful deep red-purple in color, with a nose of cherry and plum.

For dinner we started with Orris’ seared ahi sashimi with sweet onion soy. Beautiful, sparkling and vibrant flavors. So fresh. Our next course was braised duck breast with yuzu chili paste. Having been here before, I knew that my four-year-old loves this dish, so he actually got his very own – and ate it with chopsticks! After that we shared beets with Basque sheep milk cheese and balsamic sauce (the kid practically finished this one on his own, too. I really have to stop feeding him good food). Then we had Orris’ amazing squash blossoms with shrimp, then a shrimp mousse ravioli that caused all the adults to reach for any available substance to sop up the unbelievable shiitake mushroom sauce (filled with seductively rich sherry and earthy mushroom flavors). And, finally, the grown-ups shared the spectacular foie gras and Japanese eggplant with sweet soy. It was almost like a dreamy meat-flavored whipped cream! Light and savory and amazingly smooth.

And with every dish, the Field Stone was a perfect pairing. Even with the sashimi, which might be a little surprising.

Perhaps the wine blended so well because most of the sauces contained a subtle sweetness, between the sweet soy, the balsamic and the shiitake. On the tongue, the Field Stone Cabernet was bursting with blackberries and just the tiniest hint of spice – so it would seem the flavors of the meal and the wine would naturally pair perfectly. And they did.

For a tiny izaka-ya (Japanese pub) style restaurant, I was very impressed with the wine list (if you want to BYOB, there is an $18 corkage fee). I was impressed with everything, actually. If you’re in the LA-area, go. And enjoy.

• had a great time at rhone rangers! blog post coming soon #
• @LibArtsAndMinds Was it No.99 Wayne Gretzky? Or 1999? Answer that and I’ll write up a quick blog post to help you solve this puzzle in reply to LibArtsAndMinds #
• @HipsterEnology @CtlCstUncorked Sorry I missed you, too! Maybe we we’ll do an LA-area wine blogger get-together… in wine country! Or here. #
• @UrWineGuy Nice to meet you, too! #RhoneRangers was awesome & the wine was outstanding. Loved Kenneth Volk & Skylark! Dreaming of Roussane. in reply to UrWineGuy #
• @Osa_Mac No such thing as “the best brand of” any wine. Looking for under $20? From California? Not oaky? These are better goals for buying. in reply to Osa_Mac #
• Get 25% off great summer wines: Russian River Valley Chard & Rose from Oriel: http://bit.ly/GyIeQ use promo code LASTCASE #
• #FollowFriday friendlies: @MacMcWong @WineBooks @LangeTwins @NatalieMacLean @spartalacrosse @HipsterEnology @CtlCstUncorked @DailyWine #

[Editor's note: This post has been updated... at the end of the post]

Many moons ago, in a land far far away (90-ish miles south) I used to only buy wine at Cost Plus World Market. In those days the prices seemed good and you could sum up my wine knowledge/experience with a phrases like these, “1994 Chardonnay is good” and ” I think I like Pinot Grigio.” I was more of a tequila girl in those days and I really went to Cost Plus for those heavenly Belgian Chocolates (note: only heavenly if you like hazelnut and chocolates with creamy centers) and to buy a papasan chair.

Over the years, we’ve wandered in to the one near us a few times. We’ve discovered it’s a great place to purchase lightweight Christmas gifts that travel cross-continent in our luggage very well. We’ve also discovered that they have great prices on Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label around the holidays. I’m not sure why, but I added myself to their email list and over the last several months the company has been significantly gearing up the importance of wine in their stores and improving their online presence.

At first the wines scared me. I hadn’t heard of 95% of them, the prices were either ordinary or the wines were so cheap I didn’t trust them, and the mediocre ratings didn’t increase my likelihood of purchasing. But lately… the only thing stopping me from making a CPWM run is the 20-something bottles of wine I already have in the house.

Regardless, here are the pros and cons I’ve been weighing on the decision to go try wines from Cost Plus World Market.

Pro: Unbelievable prices. I’ve used a couple of wines that they sell to make assessments about their general prices (specifically in search of the answer to “how good is the deal?”). The aforementioned Veuve at $34.99 a bottle (sale price any time of year, including the holidays) made me sit up and take notice. I’ve consistently seen that their prices are under $15 for just about everything. Also, they’re constantly sending (seemingly) great deals that are even lower than their already-low prices.

Pro: The list of wines is starting to include wine regions I know and like: Today’s email caught my attention with a Tempranillo from Ribera del Duero (see my post about the Vina Santurnia Tempranillo) for $6.99 a bottle (normally $9.99). $9.99 is a low price (though not bargain-basement) for a Tempranillo from this region in Spain. $6.99 is a steal and I really want to try it.

Pro: The list of wines is starting to include wines I know and like. After catching my attention in the email, I browsed the website for a bit and was surprised to find these wines which I know and like

• Franciscan Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon (shop it)
• Conundrum (shop it)
• Simi Cabernet Sauvignon (shop it)
• Bodega Norton Reserve Malbec
• and many many more well known wines

Con: The website doesn’t publish a LOT of their prices. This is a con for two reasons. It requires me to go to the store to check out their prices, which I’d prefer to do at my computer because I live in a congested area and I’m not a fan of traffic. It’s also a con because it makes me think/know they’re adjusting prices based on local markets. This drives me batty. Why should I have to pay  more than the wine lover in Encinitas just because I live in Los Angeles? How can I figure out which stores have the best prices? These shouldn’t be questions I have to ask.

Con: They’re still carrying some skeevy wine labels. There are a couple of classes of wine I’m wary of… Wines with great marketing approaches (”Wine that loves chicken” and “Promisquous” come to mind). In my experience to date, these wines are all ordinary. It’s an attempt to sell a large volume of ordinary wine to unsuspecting consumers who might not know (or care) what good wine tastes like. Fine for them, not for me. The other group of wines are anything that’s regularly priced under $8. Mostly this is because these wines are almost always produced by the Bronco Wine Company (the esteemed makers of Charles Shaw a.k.a. Two-buck Chuck).

Con (if you don’t live in California or near an CPWM): Most of these deals are only available in California. It seems that they’re only selling wines (or trying these deals) in some states. I live in California so I have fantastic access to wines and I wouldn’t be surprised if the deals are extra special because it’s California.

Bottom line: It’s gotta be worth a visit if you live near a Cost Plus World Market and you like to find wine values by buying good wines at great prices.

Do you buy wine at Cost Plus World Market? Share your thoughts and leave a comment, please!

Update!

We stopped by World Market the next day (because my curiosity was insatiable) and picked up a six-pack (as I lovingly call them) to take for a test run. We had two shopping goals in mind here… The first was to see if World Market’s prices are low and bring great value or just low because they’ve purchased cheap wine. We also decided to further explore Tempranillos from Spain as it’s a region/varietal we’ve found some great values from in the past. We bought:

1. Campo Viejo Riserva, $12.99 per bottle – Haven’t tried it yet
2. 2007 Vivir, Vivir Tempranillo from Ribera del Duero, $6.99 per bottle
   This PROBABLY belongs on the “do not drink these wines” list. I was able to finish the bottle despite its finishless grapiness. Definitely will not be purchasing again. Would rather spend a few more dollars and like what I’m drinking.
3. Bodega Norton Malbec (x2), $7.99 per bottle
   This was a wine I had previously purchased at Costco more than once for $12-15ish per bottle. It’s a nice quality Malbec. Not something that jumps out at me in the $12-15ish range, but definitely a good value at $7.99 per bottle.
4. 2006 Etim Seleccion, $10.99 per bottle
   Robert Parker rated this wine 91. I thought it was okay and the price made it okayer. By now I’ve started to realize that not all Tempranillos from Ribera del Duero are good. This was an important realization because now I won’t just buy blindly when I see one… I’ll only do it for 2004 or 2005. Another lesson in why if you’re going to use ratings to buy wine, be sure you agree with the ratings system at least some of the time. I personally prefer Wine Spectator’s ratings and find them the most accurate for my palette.
5. Cortijo III Tinto, $7.99 per bottle- Haven’t tried it yet

Here’s an interesting exercise I was asked to do by one of our twitter followers (@LibArtsAndMinds): “@grapesmart Oh, do I need your help!Had Willow Heights Chard,’99 the other night. Divine doesn’t begin to describe.Can u think of 1 similar?”

Here’s my experience and thought process in trying to help her find another wine like the one she tried and loved.

My first thought was, “Wow, you had a Chardonnay from 1999? I wonder what that was like!” Next came, “How can I possibly answer this question? I’ve never had this wine.” Then the part of me that comes to life in the face of a good challenge lit up like a firecracker and I started searching.

The first order of business was to accurately identify the wine we’re trying to match. This was an easy, but curious challenge. With the information I had, the 99 seemed like a vintage, but I couldn’t find a Chardonnay from 1999 that also bore the name Willow Heights. I located a candidate called No.99 Wayne Gretzky Estates Chardonnay which CellarTracker thinks is somehow related to the Willow Heights Estate Winery.

Regardless, both wineries are located in the Niagara-Escarpment appellation of Ontario, Canada… an area I’m personally quite familiar with! My husband hails from the area and we visit a couple of times a year. Haven’t actually made it out to Niagara yet, but I’ve sampled many Ontario wines and had the pleasure of buying wine at the LCBO.

Note: It’s pretty likely that @LibArtsAndMinds hails from Ontario and she has to buy her wine through the LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario). They’re constantly changing their stock, subbing in some new wine for an older one, and they heavily prioritize Ontario wines. Odds are good a staff member at the LCBO headquarters could help her locate something similar. If she had it at a restaurant, it would be worth talking to the person who buys the wine for the restaurant and seeing what could be done. Lastly, contacting the winery directly to see if they have any more stashed away somewhere would be the easiest way to get more.

It turns out what she was really looking for is “Reserve 1999 Willow Heights Stefanik Vineyard” Chardonnay. As I alluded to earlier, searching for a 10-year old white wine is a bit of a challenge so the possibility of finding a hidden bottle of the exact wine is slim-to-none. My next choices would be two related groups of wines… 1) Other 1999 Chardonnays from the Niagara Escarpment 2) Newer Chardonnays from Willow Heights Stefanik Vineyard.

Here are some of those wines that I was able to locate online:

1. LCBO: 2006 Willow Heights Chardonnay Reserve
2. Catalpana (restaurant in Toront0) has several older Willow Heights Chardonnays on their wine list
3. Winery to Home had some useful information (confirmed the winery is now owned by Wayne Gretzky)

There are a couple more ways to go in searching for a wine to recreate the experience, but it seems like they would be the least reliable and most tedious methods… 1) Trying to get my hands on the original tasting notes for this wine and then trying to find other Chardonnays (especially from the Niagara Escarpment) that have the same or very similar tasting notes. 2) Looking for other wines produced from the grapes at Stefanik Vineyard. Since Willow Heights is an Estate Winery, I’m not sure I’d have any luck finding other wines sourced from Stefanik Vineyard grapes.

At the end of the day, we’ve ALL had this experience… we fell in love with some obscure bottle of wine and we won’t be able to find another. Here are my platitudes to help you cope:

1) Enjoy every sip while you can
2) Remember and appreciate the once-in-a-lifetime experience
3) Keep drinking! More gems are waiting for you!

Most people are familiar with the fruity red version of this tasty adult beverage. This recipe actually makes a light and refreshing white sangria.

I knew the basic components of this drink, but it took fiddling around in my test kitchen (and by “test kitchen” I mean the shoebox in my apartment where I reheat stuff), to get it just right. I also tried the recipe with two different wines (shush, Grandma – it’s not because I’m a lush and will find any excuse to drink!), to get it just right.

I mixed the first version with a 2008 Chateau Ste Michelle Pinot Gris but this was too dry for my taste. But for those who really enjoy a tart, dry white, Pinot Gris might help balance out the sweetness of the other ingredients.

WHITE SUMMER SANGRIA

4 oz. 2007 Geyser Peak Sauvignon Blanc

1 Tbsp brandy

1 Tbsp Peach Schnapps

2 oz. white cranberry juice

Serve chilled, with raspberries, strawberries, peach slices and thinly sliced granny smith apple to garnish (optional)

WHITE SUMMER “SIN-GRIA”

4 oz. white cranberry juice

2 oz. sparkling water

Serve chilled, with raspberries, strawberries, peach slices and thinly sliced granny smith apple to garnish (optional)

Makes a tasty treat for tots!