Veraz Garnacha 2008

OK. I don't know about the rest of you, but I totally get why 4 - 6 pm, Monday thru Friday, is called "Happy Hour." When I've had a hell of a day like I had today, I just want to come home, bust open the wine fridge & pour a glass or two of a school night wine. A school night wine, according to the wine lord Gary Vaynerchuk, is a "wine under ten bucks that goes well with soccer-mom stand-bys like pizza & pasta." This whole blog is dedicated to school night wines, but that's another matter.

This is a big, big wine on the nose. The scent of black pepper is out of control! It's the first thing I notice about this wine, even before its color, which is a gorgeous purple-ruby shade. On the glass, this wine sits for about 20 seconds, then begins to form legs. I smell some raspberries coming through after the black pepper, which I have to say is a nice combination. And I don't even smell the alcohol, which is a tough feat to accomplish, especially with this wine's 14% alcohol content.

On the palate, this wine has some big, bad-ass grape jam flavors, with that strong pepper component coming through on the finish. This wine has a great weight & mouthfeel (I freakin' HATE that word). If I were blind-folded & given this wine to drink, I would think it was an Australian shiraz in this $15 - $20 range, not a Spanish grenache for under $8. Truly, this is a great wine at a phenomenal price. Life-changing stuff. I highly recommend it to everyone. And if every winery made a wine like this one, with such complexity & good taste, with a higher alcohol content at a great price, well, we'd probably have world peace. I'll raise another glass to that.

Cheers!
Kate

2008 Bear Print Pinot Noir

OK. A history lesson here: the front of the bottle proclaims this message: "The first Bear Flag was created by William L. Todd, a nephew of Mary Todd, the wife of Abraham Lincoln. The bear was designed to be a symbol of strength and unyielding resistance." History lesson over. Not sure what this has to do with wine, but I'll roll with it.

I have to start by saying that this wine contains a 14% alcohol content. That's pretty good, considering this wine is under $10. It's really, really pretty in the glass, too. Like a dark rose wine. It smelled like blueberries when I was uncorking the bottle. I don't smell blueberries anymore, but I got that hint in the beginning.

In the glass, I smell fresh, field-ripe strawberries and a little bacon. That's pretty complex for a cheap wine, I think. And impressive - I've tasted wines that smelled far less impressive at a much higher price point. (Check out my other blog, Wine Diary, for more details.) It takes a minute for the legs to form down the side of the glass, but they do, meaning that this is a fairly heavy-bodied wine.

This wine tastes exactly as it smells. I really feel like I swallowed a piece of bacon topped with a slice - just a slice - of strawberry. It has a long, bacon-flavored finish. It's wild. I've never tasted such a complex wine at such an inexpensive price point. See, this is why I'm beginning to love pinot noir. When I get a cabernet, I know what to expect. When I get a petit verdot, I know what to expect. When I get a shiraz or a malbec or a tempranillo, I know (roughly) what to expect. Pinot noir? I learn something new with every new bottle.

I adore this wine. I didn't have high expectations for it, but I am in love. I bought this bottle at Stew Leonard's, but readers, ask for it. Look for it, ask for it, make it your own. As long as you like bacon, you won't be sorry.

Cheers!
Kate

2008 Yelcho Merlot Central Valley - Chile

OK. My cousin's getting married next weekend, which means that for the past three weeks, I have been making a Friday pilgrimage to White Dress By the Shore in Clinton, CT for my bridesmaid dress. There's a little package store on Route 81 that I notice every time I drive by. Today I stopped in & bought 2 bottles. This one had to be opened right away. It called me from the trunk of the car. Maybe I have a problem if the wine is talking to me, but whatever.

On the nose, this wine smells like a typical merlot. If you know wines at all, you know how each grape has its own scent, its own piquancy. The legs on the glass are interesting, to say the least - these stubby legs begin to form, and they get so stubby they run together & look like a ragged sheet falling down the side of the glass. And then, once you see this ragged sheet, new stubby legs begin to form & the process repeats itself.

On the palate, this wine tastes crazy. The first thing I tasted was barbecue sauce. Yes, barbecue sauce. Smoky. On the mid-palate there's a fancy chocolate flavor, salty & dark, but I lose it quickly to the smoky flavor on the aftertaste. This wine has a respectable alcohol content of 13.5%, but you'd never know it, because it glides down your throat so smoothly that you'd think you were drinking VitaminWater.

Yes, readers, this was a fabulous find & an exceptional steal at $8.99. And just so you know, I'm a Chilean red fan but not a merlot fan, and this wine makes me a believer. If you're looking for a great wine to buy in bulk to a) stock up your wine fridge and/or b) give out as Christmas gifts, you have to run out & find this wine. Learn more at www.ventisquero.com.

Cheers!
Kate

Paringa Sparkling Shiraz 2008

OK, confession time: this bottle was originally intended as a birthday gift. I hate when I buy someone a birthday gift, and then the gift never gets to the person it's intended for. That's why I make sure that the bulk of my gifts for out-of-towners are alcohol. Wine, preferably. That way I can always enjoy it myself if the receiver never gets the gift.

This was a pretty inexpensive gift at $8.99, but when I picked it up, I thought it would provide a lot of bang for the buck. It's unique - it's hard to find a sparkling shiraz out here in CT (way to go, Stew Leonard's) - and has a 13.5% alcohol content. Nice! It's like bubbly for the die-hard red drinkers.

From the first loud POP! when the cork came off, I knew this would be something fun. It's so cool to pour it into a champagne glass and watch this smashed-blueberry-colored foam rise to the top. And it tastes fun too: it tastes grapey. Like real grapes, purple and red grapes. It's tart, but in a nice way.

This wine makes me happy from the first sip, and after these last three weeks of hell that I've had lately, I'm so glad that there's a wine that makes me happy & I can take a momentary vacation with. Even though all that crap still awaits me when I return, this is definitely worth the trip. Find out more at www.paringa.net.

Cheers!
Kate

2006 Ashford Court Santa Barbara County Chardonnay

OK. I have a shoutout/confession here: I originally bought this wine, very well priced at $8.99, for the family's annual Memorial Day BBQ. In a sad twist of events, however, my poor Grandpa was hospitalized, so the annual BBQ never took place. SAD! So, shoutout & prayers to my beloved Grandpa. He's the bestest grandpa anyone could ever ask for.

Back to the wine. I'm drinking this wine at room temperature, and I've got to say, it's giving other chardonnays at even double the price point a run for the money. It's at once oakey & buttery without being overly so. It's smooth. And, with an alcohol content of 13.5%, it's no lightweight either.

I'm really starting to feel like all wines should be consumed at room temperature. I don't like my white wines chilled anymore. This one in particular almost feels like a red wine in my mouth. It's heavy, but there's no legs on the glass. It's one thick sheet that looks like it wants to form legs, but just doesn't have the ability to do it yet. But it wants to.

Kudos to this wine! This wine is proof that you can find a great, food-friendly, delicious chardonnay for under $10.

Cheers!
Kate

Korta Petit Verdot Rose 2009

OK. Confession time: I hate pink wine. God knows I've tried, but I just cannot love the pink wine. I don't care if you call it white zinfandel, blush, or rose. It brings me back to the days of my early 20s, when my folks & I used to have dinner at their country club & kill a bottle of Blossom Hill white zin. Don't shoot me. I was in school at the time & had no free time to learn about wines.

But I digress. I was in CT Beverage Mart with the hubby, looking at wine while he was buying beer for a Wii party (note to my readers: I don't care how calorie- or carb-conscious you are, do NOT, under any circumstances, purchase Budweiser's Select 55, the light beer with 55 calories. It tastes terrible, and this is coming from the girl who used to spend her free money on Bud Light in grad school. This might bring me to review beer on this blog too, but that's just a thought). That's when I saw this bottle. Hell, I adore Korta's straight-up PV, as you can tell from a previous blog of mine. And it's just $7.99. I figured, if Korta can't make pink wine taste great, nobody can.

Readers, I want to tell you that I overcame my distaste of pink wine. God, I want to tell you that Korta pulled out a trump card and made pink wine fabulous. But I can't. They didn't. I opened the bottle, poured some into a wineglass for myself, and smelled...nothing. It was as disappointing as sniffing the Bud 55. Only worse, because I have a hell of a lot more love for Korta than I do for Budweiser.

The taste of this wine was sweet. Maybe not sweet like DiGrazia Vineyard (a local CT vineyard) Anastasia's Blush or Nashoba Valley Winery (a local MA vineyard) Maiden's Blush, but sweet. I couldn't taste anything but sweet and perfume. Perfume like the old vintage Grandma used to wear. Sweet perfume. Now there's one for the records.

Despite the fact that I should've immediately performed alcohol abuse & dumped the rest of the bottle down the drain, I actually drank this entire bottle. Why? you might ask. Well, I'm a very loyal person, and I'm very loyal to Korta Vineyard in Chile. Maybe I was just drinking it because I kept hoping it would get better, but I am loyal to Korta, and even more loyal to PV. In my house, PV ain't ever going down the drain.

Cheers!
Kate

Agua de Piedra Gran Reserve Malbec 2009

OK. Sorry it's been awhile, kiddies. A lot happened in February/March & my wine has been a lot more expensive lately. Just so you get my drift, the last 6 weeks of my life have included a birthday present of 2002 Cristal (from my MA crew - adore you guys), 2005 Bommarito cabernet sauvignon ($60 on the menu at KO Prime SteakHouse @ Nine Zero hotel in Boston) & Krug Grand Cuvee for Easter. Delicious, but not cheap.

So, back to my wine on a budget.

I'm sorry I have no photos, but this wine is to DIE for. It's so good, I didn't do any of the usual routines that I do for this blog. I just want to drink this & enjoy my life, because for $9.99 at Stew Leonard's, this wine makes life so much more enjoyable.

The wine I'm referring to is Agua de Piedra's 2009 Gran Reserve malbec. It is SENSATIONAL! So what if there's only a couple of legs on the glass? So what if it smells like rubbing alcohol on the nose? One sip & I am thoroughly enjoying my life. Considering the fact that I just returned from a trip to David's Bridal (which is my least favorite place on earth, just ask the MA crew), this is a big accomplishment.

This wine is just stupid good, even more so for the price. I'm telling you, you need to find this wine.

Cheers!
Kate

Korta Barrel Selection Reserve Petit Verdot 2007

OK. I have to start this blog with a disclaimer: I've already tasted this wine, it's one of my favorites, and it's the wine that made me ADORE this particular grape. Petit Verdot is kind of an obscure grape in the wine world because it's pretty powerful. Try it and you'll agree.

But I digress. This bottle, which I feel is worth way more than it's $8.99 selling price (which, by the way, I can only find at the CT Beverage Mart on the Berlin Turnpike) is a fluke in the wine world - apparently, 2007 was a great year for PV in Chile & Korta Vineyards had such an excess that they made a straight-up Petit Verdot wine.

I pulled my usual tasting routine, pouring the first tasting into the regular wine glass & the second tasting into the red champagne coupe. Upon inspection, there are legs for days on this wine and a dark amethyst color. It's light in mouth feel like a pinot noir, but packs a more powerful punch. It's also 14% alcohol by volume. I always enjoy a wine that throws in just a little bit extra.

There is one word to describe the first sip: TART. It's almost like that candy SweetTarts, where you get that slight burning sensation down the back of your throat after swallowing. It's a very distinctive taste that I can't exactly describe, but, if you end up loving PV as much as I do, you can pick out this grape in almost any blend (for example, Petite Petit or Robert Mondavi's Meritage).

After a half-hour of decanting, I turn to glass #2. Surprisingly, the taste hasn't changed at all, it's still the same quirky, powerful taste as before, only it's a little mellower. (Is mellower a word?) There's no more burn down the back of my throat. It's just smooth, powerful, and satisfying.

Try it once & tell me you don't love this crazy little grape.

Cheers!
Kate

St. Francis 2008 Sonoma County Chardonnay

OK. Let me start out by saying this: I prefer red wine, but if I'm going to drink white, I'm drinking chardonnay. I'm not an ABC (anything but chardonnay) type of girl. Well, maybe this is an unfair statement. I'll try anything once. Perverts, keep your minds out of the gutter. I'm talking wine here.

I picked up this type of school-night wine at Stew Leonard's (God help me, I think I keep them in business) for $9.99. It fulfills my 10-bucks-or-less requirement, which I think is so important when reviewing cheap wine. The economy is bad, dammit! There should be more quality wines for under ten bucks on the market, if you ask me.

This chard came highly recommended at Stew's, so I had high hopes for it. I poured two glasses: one into the traditional all-purpose wine glass, the other into the fancy red champagne coupe for makeshift decanting. On the nose, this chard smells like a traditional, oakey chard, much like any other oak-aged chard worth twice its price or more. It's got a few legs on the glass, heavier than an ordinary white wine. Interesting. I like heavier wines. It's a personal thing.

On the first glass, I wasn't really impressed with this wine. It was kinda ho-hum, in its own way. Nothing spectacular, but nothing bad, either. It was an ordinary little wine. I was a little disappointed - it came so highly recommended! BOO!

Then, after waiting about a half hour, I tried the "decanted" glass in the wine coupe.

What a difference! It was smooth, silky & full-bodied. Now THIS is the type of chard I like to drink: buttery, oakey, not sharp. (By the way, what is the opposite of sharp? Smooth? I guess I said that already.) If I'm gonna stray to the white side, this is the type of chard I like to drink on a budget. Mission accomplished.

Thumbs up to St. Francis! They've made a pretty decent chardonnay to drink for under ten bucks. You can't argue with the logic there. I mean, I'm not a professional wine taster, but I know a pretty good wine when I taste it. This is a wine that I would definitely purchase & crack open again.

I would recommend decanting this one, though. An hour in the decanter & this one will blow the roof off.

In case you're interested, this wine is currently sitting on the counter, with the wine stopper that Julie bought me for my bridal shower firmly in place. Next time my husband is out of town (like he is tonight - he & his good buddy are going to see a Nets game in New Jersey), I'm going to take the whole bottle of this wine & decant it. It'll be worth the wait.

Cheers!
Kate

Geno Auriemma Pinot Noir 2008

OK. If you're from CT like Julie & me, you might know a thing or two about Geno Auriemma. One, he's the big man on campus as the coach of the UCONN women's basketball team. Two, he's got this fast-food restaurant called "Fast Break" in the Mohegan Sun casino. See, I like wine, I don't follow basketball, but I digress. Before I opened this bottle of wine, the only reason I knew anything at all about Geno is because he makes his own pasta sauce, sold locally in CT in a fresh-foods store called Stew Leonard's (which I am always in).

My favorite place to buy wine is Stew Leonard's, mostly because it doesn't remind me of a warehouse. I noticed Geno's wine for sale, and the manager assured me that it sells well - so well, he emptied 50 cases between Thanksgiving and New Year's. I wanted to try it, and it's a cheap buy at $8.99.

The night I opened this wine, I decided to pour two glasses - one in a traditional glass, one in a red champagne coupe to let the wine breathe. (I have a beautiful decanter, but I never use it when I'm by myself, only when I'm in the company of some serious wine afficionados.) Looking at the wine in the traditional glass, it's a beautiful, clear purpley-red color with maybe two legs. The weird thing is that this wine has almost no scent. It's unnerving.

Sadly, at first sip, this wine tasted like rat poison. It's acidic, thin & bitter-tasting. I waited 30 seconds, cleared my throat & tried again. This time, all I tasted was sugar water, like someone had emptied a couple of packets of Pez in a glass of water & let it dissolve.

Once I'd finished the first glass, I waited a good half hour before attempting the second glass (the one in the champagne coupe). Sadly, this glass tasted no different from the first. Geno's wine is not a fine wine that will mature or ripen with decanting.

On the bright side, this wine is so thin that it slides down your throat. It's low alcohol content (I believe it's 12.5%, but it could be 13%) and thin texture makes the wine feels like it's sliding down your throat. Despite its acidity, I easily swallowed down two glasses without it even registering that I was drinking two glasses of wine.

The upshot? After drinking the two glasses, I performed alcohol abuse & poured the rest of the bottle down the drain. Blasphemy, I know, but I also believe that there are better bottles of wine on the market for $10 or less. A few come to mind right now, ones that I will hopefully review in the future. Bottom line? Take your ten bucks and put it towards something else. Oh, Geno? You're a phenomenal coach & I love you for it. Don't quit that job.

Cheers!
Kate

PS: I don't know why the computer won't let me rotate photos. Live & learn for the next blog, I guess. Sorry about your necks, people.

Welcome!

Apparently you are one lucky person. You have found the cheap wine review. In the coming days, months, years, eons.... or whenever we drink enough or feel like writing we intend to bring you reviews of the best and worst cheap wines out there. Unlike other more uppity wine reviews we hope to reach out to all people who enjoy wine- even those who are not quite sure how people can taste wood and nuts in something that so obviously tastes like nothing but grapes. So, please, grab a glass of Yellow Tail and enjoy!