Deal Alert: 93 WS $15 Spanish Red

It might be lost in the excitement surrounding the highly acclaimed 2009 California Pinot Noir vintage, but if you look on page 87 of the October 15, 2011 issue of Wine Spectator you'll see a round up of Top Wines from Spain.

In the midst of a number of wines rated 93 points, wedged in between a $200 Numanthia-Termes and a $250 Bodegas Roda is the 2004 Bodegas Resalte de Penafiel Ribera del Duero de Restia Crianza Selected Harvest at $15.

What do I know about this wine? Nothing. But I know where to buy it.

While I was trying to track the wine down I received an email from The Spirit Shoppe (a WWP advertsier) offering it at a fair price. I asked owner Devin Vollmer what was up with this wine? Why was a 2004 just being rated? He answered on their Facebook page that most Crianza is cellared for 2 years (so 09s are being released for the most part) but this wine was just arriving in the states.

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As of now The Spirit Shoppe is the only place in the country I see offering this wine. It's $18.69 per bottle with free shipping in MA if you buy a mixed case of wine. Check out their assortment of 09 CdPs, CdRs, and domestic Pinot Noir to round out a case:

Buy this wine online at The Spirit Shoppe 

Question of the Day: Have you tried this wine or other vintages?

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Ride Wine & Dine Event this Friday at The Boston Harbor Hotel

This Friday, September 9th, 2011 is the eighth annual Ride Wine & Dine Fund Raiser at the Boston Harbor Hotel. Proceeds benefit the Dana Farber Cancer Institute by way of the Pan Mass Challenge.

The event is sponsored by The Martignetti Companies (the wine and spirits distributor) and The Boston Harbor Hotel and includes food and wine from around the world along with a silent auction of wine and live entertainment. Here's the schedule:

6:30pm
Champagne Reception & Registration

7:00-9:00pm
International Wine & Food Tasting
Silent Auction Bidding

9:00pm
Close of Silent Auction
Begin Live Auction

9:30-11:00-pm
Music & Dancing


I attended the event last year so let me know if you have any questions on the format. The International Tasting consisted of about 6 different stations offering food and wine pairings from countries like France, Italy, etc.

The silent auction offers an opportunity to bid on an assortment of individual bottles and curated lots from around the world - all of which are available to take home that night. I noticed that famous brands tended to attract high bids while lesser known (but probably higher quality) wines could be had at attractive price points.

Towards the end of the silent auction I noticed fellow hard core wine geek deal hounds lurking around the table lording over the items they had their eye on. My bid $425 on this lot of Napa Cab was eclipsed at just the last moment but I did manage to score a signed magnum of 2007 O'Shaughnessy Cab for $150.

Over the last 7 years the event has raised more than $750,000 to fight cancer. Their goal is to raise more than $200,000 for the third year in a row.

Tickets cost $160 and are available online and at the door.
For more information visit: http://pmcwinebenefit.org

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Best Summer Sangria

This is a guest post from my wife Deanna who serves as the CMO of the Wellesley Wine Press. She also blogs at Casa Dwyer and you can follow her on Twitter.

Let's be honest. Not every bottle of wine is worthy of drinking on its own. I believe it's why Sangria was invented. This Summer I found myself craving a cool red drink that was approachable and delicious. I used several recipes and came up with what I think is a flavorful rendition wine lovers and newbies will both adore. I haven't yet seen my partner drink it, but, really, what does he know? *giggle*

Best Summer Sangria
(makes enough for 4 glasses)
Use a glass wine carafe like this one.

3 oranges, 2 juiced, 1 halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1 lemon, 1/2 juiced, half thinly sliced crosswise
a small handful of fresh raspberries
1/4 cup blue agave sweetener
1/3 cup Amaretto (I like Amaretto di Saronno)
1 bottle dry red wine, chilled
Ice cubes, for serving

Directions
In a large pitcher, combine fresh orange juice, blue agave, and amaretto; stir well. Add wine, orange slices, lemon slices and raspberries. Fill glasses with ice before serving.

Enjoy!

Editor's Note: Any red wine will do. I like to sacrifice pick an affordable juicy red like Grenache, Malbec or Monastrell, but really pretty much anything will work - even Two Buck Chuck. Like choosing your tequila when making a frozen margarita - it doesn't matter nearly as much when you're drinking it straight. Cheers.

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A $6.99 Cali Cab Franc from Trader Joe's: Lightning in a Bottle?

"I've come to never expect greatness from a Cab Franc, and this one's no exception."
-Miles in Sideways

I stopped in at Trader Joe's the other day to see if they had any new interesting wines. The Gypsy and Lost Sonnet were long gone but they still had some Cocobon. I spotted a new wine in an interesting looking bottle - the 2010 Lazy Bones Paso Robles Cabernet Franc.

I've been doing a lot of LIFO drinking lately - last bottle in is the first out. I've got about 250 bottles on hand here but like cable television it sometimes seems like I'm not in the mood for any of them. Maybe that's because I'm thinking of new releases to write about here on the blog. Maybe it's because I'm looking for juicy delicious daily drinkers.

Who knows for sure, but I was interested in this Lazy Bones Cab Franc for two reasons:

First, I remember trying a Chimney Rock Napa Cab Franc about 10 years ago and really liking it. I also liked McKenzie-Mueller's Cab Franc, but both were kind of pricey ($30-$50 if I recall correctly). I liked the idea of revisiting this grape at the $6.99 price point.

Second, I remembered the line in Sideways quoted above where Miles expresses his lack of enthusiasm for Cab Franc. It's not as famous as his line about Merlot but given that he says it when in a Santa Ynez tasting room (I think it's Kalyra) I thought tasting this affordable Cab Franc from not-too-far-away Paso Robles would be interesting.

Along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Carmenere, Cabernet Franc is one of the six Bordeaux grape varieties. It's primarily a blending grape but most successfully produced as a single varietal wine in Chinon from France's Loire Valley. We also see it produced in the northeastern United States a bit. When it struggles it's because of overly vegetal aromas and/or extreme barnyard funk. When it's done well it can be beautiful.

What a build-up, right? I may have found lightning in a bottle! Unfortunately, the Lazy Bones was hard to get through. A single glass dumper-outer.

2010 Lazy Bones Cabernet Franc
$6.99
13.6% Alcohol

This stuff is pretty awful. Stewy aromas with a watery transparent mid-palate. Even worse the second day. Avoid.

62/100 WWP: Not Recommended

That's not to say you can't find a great bottle of wine at Trader Joe's. Here's one I found for $5.99 I've been enjoying again and again. It even stood up under a stopper over the course of three nights. It displays characteristics I more readily associate with wines costing $30 and up. It's from Italy and it's readily available. I think the 2009 has come around and is drinking nicely. Check it out.

Question of the Day: Any recent discoveries in your local Trader Joe's?

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