BYOB without looking like a dumb SOB

You may or may not already know this, but it is perfectly fine to bring your own bottle of wine to most nice restaurants. However there are a few Dos and Don’ts.

First off, with very few right-thinking exceptions, the restaurant will charge you to open your bottle. It’s called a “Corkage Fee,” and some are higher than others. Stupidly higher, in some cases. Here in Vegas, the range seems to be something between $35 to $50. Although I have seen as low as $15, in a few smarter places. Many eateries will waive the fee if you buy a bottle of their list, too.

Second, almost no restaurant will open your bottle if they already have it on their wine list. OK, that just plain makes sense. That would be like bringing your own steak for them to cook when they sell steaks. So check ahead of time, before you cruise in with a bottle they won’t touch.

So there you are, at the table with your prize wine. Here’s what should happen next. If the joint has a Sommelier, he/she will come over and either whisk the bottle away, or open it right there. Many will taste the wine. Hey, it’s their job, and traditional right. Don’t bitch, you’ll look like an ignorant dip. If the wine’s alright, they’ll pour a taste for you (just like with a bottle you’ve bought). If they don’t taste it, they’ll pour you a taste. By the way, if the bottle’s a young , big wine, or older, red wine, the Somm is likely to decant it. If it’s a white, the Somm will ask if you’d like an ice bucket. If the place doesn’t have a Somm, your waiter will open the bottle, and pour you a taste.

Now, there’s a little tradition lots of folks don’t know. It is considered polite to offer a glass to the Somm, or a taste to your waiter, depending on who pulled the cork. In the case of the waiter, it’s a good idea to ask them something like, “Do they let you taste, around here?” On more than one occasion, I’ve had Somms waive the corkage fee, when I gave them a glass. And they never pour a full glass because if they did that, they’d be slaughtered by the end of the night. Some Somms will turn you down. Don’t be insulted, they just don’t want to drink too much on the job.

That’s all there is to it! So grab that special bottle, and take it to someplace just as special. If it’s REALLY special, you might impress the Somm, and make a friend.

Cheers!

The White Hats Ride In — Trader Joe’s Under $10 Whites

When we last visited the TJ Ranch, a bunch of young reds were shooting it out. Some won, some lost. Then a trio of whites rode in to save the peace. C’mon, you know I couldn’t resist buying a few whites when I got those reds, right? After all, it’s Summer, here in Vegas.

That said, after looking at the all the mundane whites TJ’s sells, like Yellow Tail, I found three I thought were worth tasting. All under $10. And all of them from a specific place, no generic “California” etc. But this was an international crew. With one from CA’s Russian River Valley, one from France’s famed village of Chablis, and one from New Zealand’s South Island. And no, I didn’t waste my time with any Pinot Grigio! Puhleeeeazze.

The Wines:

Jacques Bourguignon Chablis 2009 — 12.5% Alc $7.99

COLOR — A medium pale straw yellow. Quite clear.

NOSE — Honey suckle, lemon-lime, with a touch of minerals, wet rocks. A bit shy, not a big nose.

TASTE — Green apple with lemon-lime fruits flavors, some honey and just a touch of minerals. Light-medium body & feel.

FINISH — Bright citrus and honey, medium length. Not much acid verve here, or minerality, like a Chablis should have. No oak what so ever.

RATE — 3 stars. Not bad, but not as good as the 2008. Missing a bit on the middle, and doesn’t have the zippy, lively finish a young Chablis should. Still, for $7.99, it’s not a bad intro to Chablis (Chardonnay grown in the village of Chablis, Burgundy, France).

Sauvignon Republic Marlborough New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc 2010 — 13% Alc $6.99

COLOR — Pale straw yellow. Quite clear.

NOSE — Fresh cut hay, grapefruit and lemon with a very slight hint of ammonia.

TASTE — Bright, juicy grapefruit, lemon, gooseberry, and a bit of cut grass. Medium body, with lively acid.

FINISH — Mouthwatering lemon-lime that lingers for a while. Medium length. Absolutely no oak!

RATE — 4 stars. A fine example of what Marlborough New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is about. Could have a bit more fruit, but at $6.99, it’s a steal. A terrific Summer sipper for grilled shrimp, salads, smoked salmon & goat cheese. Get you some! Perfect party wine.

Trader Joe’s Petite Reserve Russian Rive Chardonnay 2010 — 13.5 Alc $5.99

COLOR — Medium gold yellow. Clear.

NOSE — White peaches, nectarines and a bit of honey suckle and minerals.

TASTE — Peaches and yellow stone fruits, with a bit of lemon and wet stone. Medium body & round in the mouth.

FINISH — Peach skin and nectarines, a bit of jasmine. No oak on this. Not much acid. Goes on a while. Medium long.

RATE — 3.5 Stars. Well worth a try. Look, a good Russian River Valley Chard runs $20+, minimum. This is an honest RRV Chard for $5.99! It beats the hell out of that Cupcake crap, and all the rest of that generic CA Chardonnay. Just don’t drink it right out of the fridge, it’ll be closed down. Let it sit for like 20 minutes, or so. And it’ll open in the glass, too.

Cheers!

The Bad And the Ugly — Trader Joe’s Under $10 Reds Final Opinions

The question: Can you find a decent bottle of red wine at Trader Joe’s for less than ten bucks?

Right, so we’ve been over this, right? We’ll yes, and no. After drinking all the leftovers (except for the crap that got dumped on the first night because it was wretched) over the past week, something changed. And that’s part of what makes wine so great — it changes. At least the good stuff does.

After a full week under inert gas preservative, one wine changed for the better! This happens with young wines. They don’t show you everything on the first night because the tannic acids hide what’s underneath, that will come out as the tannins subside with time. And the einw that did that was… WAIT FOR IT!  The Valréas Cuvée Prestige Cotes du Rhone Villages 2009 — 14% Alc  @ $5.99! Here’s the original review and rating I gave this wine, a week ago:

Valréas Cuvée Prestige Cotes du Rhone Villages 2009 — 14% Alc $5.99

COLOR — Purple red with slight fading to pink on the edge, medium depth

NOSE — Red cherries, Mission Figs, a bit of lavender crushed black pepper

TASTE — Tart red cherry with a touch of plums, ginger & soy. Medium body

FINISH — Bright and juicy cherry, mouth-watering medium length some tannins

RATE — 3 Stars. Pretty good for $5.99 Try It. A good way to try a Cotes du Rhone

How’d it change? Well, it gained weight in the body, the flavors got bolder and darker. But the nose was a huge change! The lavender component really came out, with deep black cherries, and hints of soy, ginger and cracked pepper.

In the mouth, the red fruits got bigger and less tart, fuller, more mouth-filling. The texture grew more velvety, but the tannins showed a bit more, too.

The finish wasn’t tart anymore, but long and velvety, with currents, soy and pepper. Oh yeah, tannins. This wine actually needs a bit of time to show all its got.

Final verdict, 4 STARS! At $5.99, this is a no brainer bargain. In a great vintage, this underachiever, no-name wine hit a home run. YOU HAVE TO TRY TIHIS! But pour a glass, and let it sit for at least 45 minutes before you touch it. trust me on this. Or pour two glasses, drink one right away, and try the second after 45 minutes. You’ll be amazed what happens.

Cheers!

Let Your Heart Rhone — The Sud (that’s French for South).

Okay, I know the French have been the brunt of millions of jokes about all the battles they’ve lost. But when it comes to wine, one French wine region has put together a winning streak that would make Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant jealous. I’m talking about the Rhone Valley. Now, the first thing you gotta know about the Rhone Valley is that there are two parts to it, The North and The South. And they both make outstanding wines. This post is about The Southern Rhone, where the red wines are mainly blends of Grenache, Syrah & Mourvedre, but can also contain up to ten others — including a few white grapes! I know, that’s crazy. Trust me, it works.

So, what did I mean by “winning streak?” Well, Wine Spectator magazine has given the vintages of the Southern Rhone at least 90 points or higher (out of 100, of course) going back to 1998. Only 2002 (dismal 76 pts) and 2008 (a quite decent 88 pts) failed to hit at least 90 pts. This is a very general rating, but it means it can be pretty hard to go too far wrong with a red from the Sothern Rhone.

The BIG wine of the South is the famous Chateauneuf du Pape. There are several wineries that make amazing Chateauneuf, including La Nerth, Pegau, Vieux Telegraph, La Gardine, Beautcastel, E. Guigal and Pierre Usseglio (I have the La Gardine, E. Guigal & Beaucastel in my cellar). But they’re not cheap! Chateauneufs start in the mid $20 range, and go up to $100+ a bottle. I know, I know! However, there is a second (or little) red wine of the South called Cotes du Rhone, and they’re much more affordable. Those are the wines I’m really gonna talk about. (They make a Cotes du Rhone white blend, too. But that’s for later.)

Cotes du Rhones generally are blends of two or three red grapes, Grenache, Syrah & Mourvedre. Many of these wines are made up of grapes that didn’t quite make the grade for the winery’s Chateauneuf. Others are simply from vineyards on the wrong side of borders of Chateauneuf, so by law, they can’t be called Chateauneufs. Chateau de Beaucastel’s Cotes du Rhone is the best example. It’s called Coudelet de Beaucastel, and it embarrasses some Chateauneufs, but the vineyard it comes from is on the wrong side of a gravel road.

Anyway, Cotes du Rhones are a deep purple/red in color, smells like black cherries, red plums, cassis, ginger, soy sauce, cracked black pepper and sometimes lavender. Here’s the best part, it pretty much tastes like all that, too! If the Syrah content is really high, you might also get blueberries & some bacon. It’s a great wine with everything from pizza & burgers, to roasted chicken, grilled lamb and game. Way yummy stuff! And get this, they start at like $5.99 at Trader Joe’s, and run up to $30 something (Coudelet de Beaucastel). Names to look for include, E. Guigal (my fave), Perrin Reserve (the family that owns Beaucastel), Delas, Sata Duc, Chapoutier, Vidal Fluery and Rasteau. But there are tons more. And with the prices and long run of killer vintages you can take a chance on almost anything you find. Be adventurous. Taste a few. That’s what wine’s about!

Cheers.