Bubbles-Case | $11 | The Perfect Pour | Fantastic value in a typical Spanish Cava. Pale, straw color with lively bubbles. Dry, but without making you pucker. 11.5% alcohol. I loved this Cava; almost perfect blend of fruit and spice, with a touch of citrus. Try it while you’re hanging out with friends in your kitchen on a warm spring or summer day, with a seafood dish or rich dessert. I think this may also work with some spicy Thai food. Factoring in the price, this wine is a must-have, especially as the weather is warming up.
Willm Pinot Gris Reserve Alsace France 2012
Whites-Case | $12 | Perfect Pour | Rarely does a white wine come across as affordable and crushable. This Pinot Gris will change your mind about the Italian version forever. Pear, honey and ginger… This wine is sweet but with a touch of effervescence and acid to balance. Buy a case at The Perfect Pour. $12 a bottle.
Montebuena Rioja 2010
Reds-Bottle | $9 | Decanter | Great Rioja. Had been burned out on Riojas from drinking too much Marques de Caceres and had forgotten that Tempranillo from the Rioja region is meant to have wide appeal. This Montebuena Rioja is a flavorful, easy-drinking red and would make a great base for some Sangria (just add some Sherry, Cointreau, orange slices, lemon slices). If you need an affordable, easy-drinking red that goes with a wide variety of food, grab a bottle or two of this.
Sophie Te Blanche Sauvignon Blanc 2012
Whites-Bottle | $15 | Decanter | Lovely South African Sauvignon Blanc. Don’t know why everybody went crazy for Kim Crawford’s Marlborough Pineapple infused version of Sauvignon Blanc, but this South African version is lovely with just subtle hints of citrus and flowers. Great wine with garlic roasted chicken or grilled chicken with a mango salsa. Probably not worth twice the cost of Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc but you could buy a bottle of each and see if you can taste the difference between an $8 Sauvignon Blanc (Monkey Bay – which is a great house white or buy by the case for wedding / party wine) and this $15 Sauvignon Blanc. Get some prosciutto and ripe cantaloupe and drink up!
Bogle Essential Red 2011 Old Vine Zinfandel Syrah Cabernet Sauvignon Petite Syrah
Reds-Glass | $9 | Decanter | Solid Big Red from California. Bogle makes great wines (their Petite Sirah varietal is awesome) but here they mixed their great wines into a good, solid blend. Blackberry, oak, medium tannin (inside of cheeks will feel dry and dusty after your swish inside) and long finish make this a great house big red if you like big flavor and medium-big tannins in your wines. Perfect for grilling steak or having with sharp cheese. NOTE: some people think tannins = headaches and that’s just not the case or at least not always. Tannins can come from oak barrels (subtle) and the grape skins themselves (big). If you think wine gives you a headache check to see if you have oak / tree allergy and steer towards wines fermented without barrels – you can taste the wood in this, and it is a solid wine that delivers good flavor at great value.
Hermit Crab d’Arenberg Viognier Marsanne 2009
Whites-Case | $18 | Total Wine | Wow. Just wow. Julie B is going to fuss at me for stealing her favorite white, but this is awesome. Perfect Seafood wine. Francophiles will argue that real Viognier can only come from France, that it grows best in Rhone valley in rows between huge rock (usually granite) outcroppings. Well this Australian version gets its name from the fossils found in the dead coral in the soil which makes it a perfect white for seafood. If you’re headed to Catonsville Gourmet and need to take a bottle of white, this is the one. Don’t know that I’ve ever had Marsanne grape anywhere else, but if it is the Marsanne that takes the sometimes too sweet Viognier edge off this wine, count me a fan.
Graff Riesling 2010
Whites-Case | $10 | Mail Order Only ? | Riesling is an amazing grape. It has at least as much character as any other white. The problem for many folks is it’s too sweet. Problem solved! This is a dryer Riesling that offers a lot of value for the price ($9.99 per bottle). A crowd pleaser for sure!
Daglia Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon 2011
Reds-Bottle | $18 | Total Wine | This recommendation is all about value. I must preface my opinion by disclosing that I suffer from cellar mouth. Seldom does any wine please my palette as much as a Napa Valley cab would. Based on prices, I assume others concur — a premium is levied on Napa’s wines, particularly its cabs. Even bad Napa cabs are usually pretty good. Good ones are typically $20 per bottle and great ones are $60 and up. For me, Daglia is better than good and less than great. At $18, it’s a better value than most in its class.
Camaraderie Cellars Merlot 2007
Reds-Bottle | $20 | Total Wine | I carry good news for those like me who have given up on Merlots because they are too thin and simplistic. This one is different! Rich, bold, robust, full-spectrum flavor. You’ll notice a difference in color as soon as it’s poured. Nose and flavor match. It’s cab-like but different.
Codici Salento Primitivo
Reds-Glass | $12 | Decanter | Nice big Italian red. 14% alcohol, tobacco / chocolately Southern Italian yummyness. From Salento in the region of Puglia – the heel of Italy’s boot. Trusted stand-by. Remember – Primitivo = Zinfandel, so if you like big California Zinfandels for your reds, try some Primitivos. You might find just as nice or nicer for less cost.