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.

The Good, The Bad And the Ugly — Trader Joe’s Under $10 Reds

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

Since Laurie Cavanaugh asked about good, cheap reds, I thought I’d see if I could provide the answer. So off to my local TJ’s I went, in search of likely candidates. I came home with nine bottles, ranging from $4.99 to $9.99. Two Cotes du Rhones, two Cabernets, one Merlot, three Zinfandels, and one Petite Sirah.

With the exception of the Petite Sirah, all of these wines came from a specific place. None were generic Californians, they all were grown in well-known wine regions, with good track records for producing great examples of each wine. OK, the Russian River Valley really isn’t known for great Merlot, but it makes great wines, so I took a shot. Shit, it was only $6.99.

All of the chosen ones were lower alcohol versions of their types. Why, because that’s what I like, and no way do I sniff, sip, swirl and spit my way through nine wines I know I won’t like. And yes, I did spit each taste out, some more happily than others. In between slurps I also noshed on bits of nice La Brea bread.

I tasted each on Saturday, corked them up (without gas) overnight, and tasted them again on Sunday. This was to find out how the wines changed with a good breath of air. I did this because most of them were young wines, and needed a bit of air.

Each wine was judged on its color, nose, taste and finish. Then I rated them on the whole with 0 to 5 stars, and added over all thoughts on each wine. All that said, here’s how the corks fell. Some excelled, some failed, some just laid there. But there were definitely a few I can recommend. Have a look & see what you think.

The Wines

Trader Joe’s Grower’s Reserve Petite Sirah CA 2010 — 13% Alc $4.99

COLOR — Deep purple red, with very slight fading to pink on the edges.

NOSE — Plums, black cherry with a touch of orange peel

TASTE — Black & tart cherry, a touch of plums with bright acid & Med body. A bit light for a Petit Sirah (they’re usually teeth-staining monsters), but very nice.

FINISH — Tart cherry with a touch of orange zest on the juicy, medium length finish. No real tannins.

RATE —  3.5 Stars. Great sip for $4.99 Try it. A good way to discover Petite Sirah.

Perrin Reserve Cotes du Rhone 2009 — 13% Alc $9.99

COLOR — Purple red of med depth

NOSE — Plums black cherry, with a touch of soy sauce, lavender and pepper

TASTE — Deep red cherry & plums with a touch of soy sauce, brush and stones

FINISH — Juicy red cherry, with slight tannins medium weight and length

RATE — 4 Stars Buy it. There are better Cotes du Rhone out there, but for the money, this is a great way to learn about the wine.

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

Three Knights Russian River Valley Merlot 2007 — 13.1% Alc $6.99

COLOR — Deep garnet red all the way to the edges

NOSE — Dusty red cherry with a touch of sage and a little vanilla from oak (oak faded with air, and that’s a good sign).

TASTE —Big dusty sweet cherries with a touch of mocha and vanilla, mouth filling (opened overnight, so give this some breath time before drinking).

FINISH — Bright and juicy, very light tannins, cherry/vanilla is the last taste, medium. length Will improve with about two years, but doesn’t need time.

RATE — 4 stars. Buy it. This is silly good for $6.99 I might think it was from Napa. What Merlot should be.

Spiral Wines Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 — 13% Alc $4.99

COLOR — Clear garnet, medium-light depth

NOSE — Vegetal red cherry with a bit of funk. Maybe slightly corked?

TASTE — Vanilla red cherry simple not deep. Nothing to make you think Napa

FINISH — Tart cherry fades quickly with nothing extra. .Some tannins, some bright juiciness

RATE — 1.5 Stars Skip it. Goes to show you can’t get good Napa Cab for $4.99

Trader Joe’s Reserve Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 — 13.7% Alc $9.99

COLOR — Med deep garnet all the way to the edges

NOSE — Dusty, deep currents and red cherries with a bit of sage.

TASTE —Currents and black cherries a hint of vanilla and brush, with a touch of  velvety tannins. Smooth, deep and dark.

FINISH —Black cherries & currents and a kiss of vanilla, a touch of dusty tannins at the end, medium body & longer velvety finish

RATE — 4.5 Stars Buy it! Stupid value. An amazing Alex Cab for $9.99! Almost Silver Oak Alex (big, world-famous cab), and I used to collect that wine, at $32+ a bottle! (I quit after`95 because the price jumped & the quality dropped, IMHO) Wine of the First Night. Drank it with dinner.

Hamilton Steven’s Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2009 — 14.5% Alc $8.99

COLOR — Deep red/purple all the way to the edges

NOSE — Vegetal & green, funky a hint of red fruit. This is a Zin?

TASTE — Better than it smells. Vanilla dominates some red cherries. Lots of oak on this, with just a hint of pepper

FINISH — Vanilla & wood from the oak and something green

RATE — 1.5 Stars Skip it. Especially for $9.99 A disappointment.

Trader Joe’s Grower’s Reserve Paso Robles Zinfandel 2010 — 13.5% Alc $4.99

COLOR — Purple medium depth, no fading

NOSE — Crushed red berries, candied cherries and bit of brush

TASTE — Fruity red berries with a bit of vanilla from oak. Simple but nice. Fills the mouth

FINISH — Bright berries and vanilla. Slight tannins. Medium length

RATE — 1.5 Stars Eh. A decent drink for $4.99. Cheerful but nothing special.

Stonehedge Reserve Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2008 — 14.5% Alc $9.99

COLOR — Deep purple/red All the way to the edges

NOSE — Minty red cherries, odd for a Zin then green veg

TASTE — Plumy with a bit of red cherries, then lots of vanilla/oak

FINISH — Green and not nice

RATE —0 Stars Skip it Worst wine of the lot. Dumped it out!

Forget speed, heat kills wine.

Odds are I don’t have to tell you it’s Summer. But here’s a little tid-bit you may not be clued into — HEAT KILLS WINE! And it don’t take long to do it, either. Temps of 80F can “cook” wine in as little as ten minutes. What does a “cooked” wine taste like? It’s not pretty, unless you really like stewed prunes. And if it doesn’t cook it right away, that kind of heat can really cripple a wine for aging. This is why those bottles you’ve kept in a rack over the fridge for a couple of years don’t taste very good when you get around to opening them.

But forget about the rack over the fridge, the most dangerous place for wine in summer is your car. Let’s say you find a favorite bottle in a store, one August afternoon. You throw it in the car, but on the way home you stop to get dog food. You’ve just started that vino’s Death Clock. I actually know someone who boiled a very fine bottle of Zin while transporting it, on a hot day, in the cab of her truck. By the time she got it to my apartment, it was dead as the proverbial doornail.

Don’t sweat it, getting around this is fairly easy, once you know about it. I live in HELL (otherwise known as Las Vegas), and when God’s convection oven is running full blast, I throw a cooler with ice packs in the trunk. I toss my winey purchases into the chill-chest, and they’re safe as can be. Note, I use ice packs, and not loose ice, so I don’t soak the labels. But then I’m a geek about that sort of thing.

While I’m on the subject of vinous-destructous, there’s another wine killer out there — The Sun. Direct sunlight will do a number on your wine, essentially “skunking” it like it does beer. You’ve seen those Sam Adams TV spots, right? So keep your wine away from your sunny windows, and nobody gets hurt.

Now, here’s a little shopping tip that combines both of these facts. If you’re in a store where the wine is exposed to the sun, or if the temp is 80F or higher, give it a miss. Especially any bottles that look like they’ve been there a while. You’ll save yourself cash and disappointment. Look for a store that’s pleasantly air conditioned, where the wine isn’t in the sun.

In case you’re wondering, “ideal” storage temp is 57F. But in all honesty anything in the mid 60s will do, unless you plan on aging the bottles for the long term.

Cheers!

Low-Buck Reds, Part 1 — Old Standbys.

As a self-proclaimed Wine Geek, I’m often asked, “Hey, what’s a good red for under $10?” It’s always $10 bucks, by the way. Never $11.95, or something. But so what? I’m more than happy help someone find a nice wine they can enjoy without worrying about the price. Thing is reds I can enthusiastically recommend under $10 are a tough get. Whites, no problem! There’s a slew of nice New Zealand Savignon Blancs, and decent French and CA whites I can name, just like that. But the reds, that’s another matter.

First off, It’s gotta be something I can stand to drink myself. Second it’s gotta be something a regular person can find. Not some obscure bottle I’ve found in one of the hard-core-wine-geek shops I lurk in. Typically, I point them to something at good ol’ Trader Joe’s. So that’s what I’m gonna do now. Here are three of my JT’s standbys:

1. Il Tarocco Chianti Classico — $8.99 @ TJ’s. If you’ve never had a fine Italian red, this is a good place to start. Strawberry & red cherry fruit, a bit of crushed flowers, spice and earth (in a good way). Plenty of acid to go with most meats & hard cheeses.

2. Rendition Alexander Valley Zinfandel — $8.99 (or maybe $9.99) @ TJ’s. A nice, juicy Zin, with plenty of red & black berry fruit and a hint of Chinese white pepper. Not a bit, alcoholic fruit soup, but plenty ripe for non-Zin Freaks. Great with everything from ribs to cheeseburgers.

3. Perrin et Fils Cotes du Rhone — Around $8.99 @ TJ’s. This one’s French. “Cotes du Rhone” is a kind of wine that uses any combination of three main grapes, Granache, Syrah & Mourvedre. This is the little brother wine of famed wine Chateauneuf du Pape. Very complex red berry, plum and earth flavors. Great will all kinds of meats 7 cheeses.

ONE TO SKIP.

At a diner party this weekend I was poured a glass of Cupcake Red Table Wine. We’ve all seen this one all over the grocery store. It wasn’t terrible, just nothing special. A fruity, easy-drinking, generic red, with no tannins to offend. If that’s what you’re looking for, try it. I just can’t recommend it for the price. I didn't have a second glass.

OK that’s it for now. Not much I know, but I haven’t had time to buy and taste a bunch. Don’t worry, I will. Then I’ll let you know what I think.

Cheers!