June 2, 2011

Ever dream of traveling through time?  This week at Dickson Street Liquor, we’re making that dream come true.  No, I don’t mean driving 88 miles an hour in a DeLorean or spinning around in Doctor Who’s TARDIS, but I can assure you it’s the next best thing.  If you’re like me, you’ve probably gone to a store for some amazing sale only to realize you’ve missed it.  Here at DSL, we believe in second chances, so raise your glass for some great wines from the past.

Many people had the misfortune of missing out on 2008 Bridlewood Viognier because of our limited supply, but it’s back and is 5 dollars cheaper than before!  What’s that, Lassie?  Timmy’s drunk in the well again?  I guess he couldn’t resist a case of Bridlewood at only $5.99/bottle.  If you’ve never tried a Viognier, don’t miss this opportunity because the quality at this price is criminal.

Tasting Notes: Aromas of honeysuckle and orange.  The palate is peach driven with a little apricot.  It’s really interesting how different the smell is from the taste.  Lots of flavors packed into a tiny glass.  It pairs well with a wide variety of fruits and cheeses as well as seafood like lobster or shrimp.  It can also hold its own against spicy Asian foods like curry.

If you’re still celebrating World Malbec Day, you’ve come to the party very very late.  But that’s OK because we’re here for you with 2009 Finca El Origen Malbec at only $8.99/bottle.  (Regular Price $11.59). This is a serious Malbec at a not so serious price and is worth stepping into the Twilight Zone for a taste.  Really, this is a deal that I was very surprised to find.  I thought it was an absolute steal at $11.59, but two and half dollars cheaper just seems absurd.  You’ll be sure to impress your friends with this one because it blows away everything else in this price range.

Tasting Notes: Dark fruit on the nose.  On the palate we get plum, chocolate, and a little black pepper.  Try pairing it with dark chocolate for interesting results.

And last but far from least, lots of people have been asking if we could order another round ofEmiliana’s 2009 Natura Carmenere to slake the drought of good wine for cheap.  Originally I thought no, but I hate seeing sad faces, so I traveled to the 4th dimension and snagged another stack.  It’s back from the future at$7.99/bottle.  (Regular Price $11.99).

Tasting Notes: Bell pepper on the nose.  Cherries, Toffee, and cinnamon on the palate.  Round tannins.  Medium body and great balance.  It doesn’t taste unripe like a lot of inferior Carmenere on the market.  It’s everything it should be and more.

Common flavors associated with Carmenere are red fruits, bell pepper, toffee, and dark chocolate.  It also often has a pleasant smokiness to it.  Soft tannins make it a great match for poultry.  If you’re vegetarian, try it with asparagus, baked artichoke, or bell pepper.  The herbal qualities will really shine if you match it with the right foods and spices.  Very versatile.

Be sure to check out the links associated with each wine for full reviews if you happened to miss them.  Ciao!

(Sale prices for the week of June 2, 2011)

Want to try something that tastes like a really expensive Chardonnay but is only 11 dollars?  If yes, continue to the paragraph below.  If no, feel free to lick the cork of a $50 bottle of Cakebread while you stitch together a suit made out of money.

Actually, what we’re drinking this week isn’t Chardonnay at all.  It’s 2009 Valley of the Moon Pinot Blanc, and it’s fantastic.  If I had $15 dollars in my pocket and the choice between an $11 Chardonnay and an $11 Pinot Blanc, I’d pick the latter.  This isn’t because I’m a snob.  It’s because of the way popular grapes are planted in areas where they shouldn’t grow.  As with anything on the market that gets too much attention, quality declines as production increases.  This isn’t true with higher end wines, but quality in the budget bin can suffer as the word gets out.

Thankfully, we have some great ones out there that haven’t been exploited.  It pays to keep an ear low to the ground.

Pinot Blanc is a grape we don’t talk about much.  It tends to hide in the shadows of more popular varieties like Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio, but I assure you, it could run with the cool crowd if it weren’t so shy.

There isn’t much acreage for Pinot Blanc in California, which means it’s pretty low production and is great for people looking for a bargain.  All the fruit comes from the right areas and usually carries a reasonable price tag (hence the low demand).

Tasting Notes: Honey on the nose.  Creamy peach and lime with a touch of spice on the palate.  Racy acidity.  It has body and depth that most wines in this price range lack.

Sometimes it can be dangerous to say the word “Merlot” in a room crowded with wine snobs, which is why I avoid those rooms.  But it’s sad to see this lovely grape associated only with generic table wine.  The truth is that it can be so much more than a simple quaffer, but people tend to frown upon Merlot for reasons that are largely obsolete.

For the longest time, Merlot was so popular that growers were forced to squeeze their vines to the last drop just to keep up with production.  Even though Merlot thrives only in key areas of California, high demand caused it to be planted everywhere.  People ripped up good vineyards just to make room.  Quality wasn’t a concern.

In America, it wasn’t until the 1970s that Merlot became more than a common blending grape.  Like Citizen Kane, Merlot had a fairly nondescript upbringing, but a sudden rise to power forged the way for its inevitable decline.  Alas, its delightful Rosebud days were lost and nearly forgotten.

As with many things, success led to failure.  (And failure led to a Hollywood movie that brutally exploited all its shortcomings).  When popularity increased, quality suffered.  To make a distinction, bad Merlot tastes like unripe green beans, while the good tastes like some of best and most complex wine ever put in a bottle.

One of the things that makes Merlot so sought after is its approachability.  It doesn’t have the unforgiving tannins of a Cabernet Sauvignon, and it doesn’t have to age in a bottle for 10 years to be at its most delectable.  You’ll find, if made properly, Merlot has all the complexity of the finest wines but is still very fun and easy to drink.  The problem is mass production versus quality.  We just can’t have nice things (if we all want them at the same time).

Unexpectedly, the movie Sideways all but destroyed Merlot culture.  Miles Raymond’s fabled line “I’m not drinking any f–ing Merlot” swept the nation with fiery vengeance as Merlot drinkers, one by one, poured out their glasses in shame.  Miles had a point though.  Merlot was growing thin.

When the “Sideways effect” flooded the minds of casual drinkers and connoisseurs alike, Merlot sales sank faster than a man in cement shoes.  The movie was too convincing in its attack on the poor, defenseless grape.  The market shifted toward Pinot Noir, which was previously in low demand, and the Merlot craze was suddenly over.  It’s sad, I know, but sometimes things need to die in order to be reborn.

And rebirth is finally here, to some extent.  Thankfully, with fallen sales figures, Merlot has lost a lot of its weedy, overproduced personality and is starting to embrace its more luxurious side.

However, that doesn’t mean Merlot has drifted back into the great unknown.  Even though sales figures dropped, they never dropped off the map.  Bigger brands still produce underwhelming Merlot because of the recognizable name, and because they can make it cheaply by the truckload.  Sometimes we have to turn to the lesser known brands not only because they are “cooler”, but also because they often aren’t drained of quality like their consumer driven competitors.  One such brand is Ken Volk’s Aqua Pumpkin.  Don’t dog its silly name until you try it.  This is the very bottle that made me realize what a Merlot can be.  It is now among my favorite bottles of wine because it has a depth of flavor that hearkens back to the days when Merlot wasn’t pretending to be a lesser grape.  This one is made with a special ingredient.  Love.

Tasting Notes: Complex flavors of plum, cherry, cocoa, fig, and coffee.  Super silky texture.  Nice amount of spice.  This is a serious Merlot.  Rich!

Food Pairing: Merlot is kind of a jack-of-all-wines when it comes to food pairings.  Softer tannins make it more versatile with meats.  Too much tannin can overpower the food, but thankfully Merlot is somewhat restrained in that category.  Try it with steak or poultry, but avoid high acid foods like fish.  If you’re vegetarian, embrace the Portabella mushroom.

Every year, our spirits distributors create a closeout catalog full of wine that’s been “aging” in the warehouse.  There’s going to be some swill on the list, but if you look hard enough, you might find something to pour into that fancy goblet you keep lying around for special occasions.  This week, I’ve done my homework and sorted the good from the bad.  So why don’t we dust off a couple bottles and drink to their discovery?

As I scanned the list, the name Renwood caught my eye because I’m convinced they can’t make a bad bottle of wine.  The clearance item in question is their 2006 Zinfandel from the Sierra Foothills of California.  The thin soils in this area are a fantastic match for Zinfandel.  In fact, Zinfandel accounts for almost half of the total wine produced in this AVA.  On a historical note, wine grapes were originally introduced here in the 19th century because of the California Gold Rush.  Apparently, the only thing that rivals a lust for gold is a thirst for wine.

Now I know what you’re thinking, there’s a reason this wine is on clearance, right?  Sometimes there’s not an easy explanation for why a product fails to “turn the proverbial head,” but it’s usually because the good news has trouble getting out.  In this particular case, people must have had their eyes closed when they skimmed over the label, or maybe they confused it with their toothless uncle Renwood’s terrible moonshine.  Regardless, I’m happy to report that this wine isn’t the shameful relative “you don’t like to talk about.”  Its portrait can hang on the wall with the rest of its family because it’s a solid buy for 13 dollars.  And now the big secret: The clearance price is $8.99 (for a very limited time).

Tasting Notes: The color and texture is lighter than a lot of Zins you’ll see, but that’s not a bad thing by any means.  Many Zinfandels are too weighty and overly alcoholic, but this one is light to medium in body.  As a result, it pairs wonderfully with food, and it won’t overshadow some of the more delicate dishes.  (I loved it with lemon pepper chicken on rigatoni).  In terms of flavor, the wine is very cherry with a hint of nutmeg.  It doesn’t have a lot of the black pepper spice commonly associated with Zin; instead it finishes with a pleasant roundness.  An easy steal for 9 bucks.

Now, let’s move on to one of my favorite areas of all time, California’s Alexander Valley.  This AVA lies in Sonoma County’s northeastern corner and is one of the only places in Sonoma that gets warm enough for good Cabernet Sauvignon.  (Cab likes it hot!)  The Cabs from this area seem to have more restraint than their Napa cousins, so if you’re in the mood for some serious complexity without the in-your-face attitude, this is the place for you.

The bottle rescued from the distributor dungeon is Toasted Head’s 2006 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  I won’t lie, Toasted Head has never set my world on fire, which is ironic because the label is a fire breathing bear, but this deal was too good to pass up.  As a kid I learned to give bears a wide berth (especially ones of the fire belching persuasion).  However, I’m willing to make an exception for this wonderful Cab.

Both wines are great deals, but if there has to be a victor, it’s Toasted Head.  Normally retailing for around 20 dollars, we’re closing her out at$8.99.  I assure you, you will almost never see an Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon retailing for less than 20 dollars.  Ever heard of Jordan ($55-$60) or Silver Oak ($65-$70)?  Both of these wines hail from Alexander Valley and easily earn their respective price tags.

Tasting Notes: This wine’s silky texture is something you won’t find in many Napa Valley Cabernets.  I tasted savory chocolate up front, but the finish reminded me of fresh red bell pepper with a little added spice.  It’s also lighter in body than most Napa Cabs, and therefore, doesn’t demand a steak or cigar accompaniment.

Since these are low inventory close out items, ordering them felt like a live auction.  We didn’t quite get as much as we wanted, but it was too late to order more.  If you want to try these rare, beautiful wines at the ridiculous price of $8.99, hurry on over.

Hey friends.  This week we’re talking about Riesling and why we love it.  It’s true there are some not-so-good examples of this noble grape that litter the shelves of every liquor store, but today we’re going to sift through the duds and try something worth drinking.

A lot of times in America, when it comes to white wine, we talk dry and drink sweet.  In fact, the phrase I hear almost more than anything else is “I’m looking for a good white wine that isn’t sweet.”  Then they reach for the cheap Pinot Grigio or Riesling only to be disappointed.  This is a shame because there are some amazing sweeter wines out there that are completely overshadowed by syrupy, candy-coated table wines with a 7 dollar price tag.

The secret to any great wine is balance, and acidity is one end of the seesaw for sweeter white wine.  You need good levels of acidity to balance the residual sugar that’s left over after fermentation ends.  With enough acidity, sweeter wines often don’t taste sweet at all.  Instead, they can taste very concentrated and fruity (not syrupy and sticky like sweet wines with low acid).  Some of the best wines in the world are high acid dessert wines.

2010 Frisk “Prickly” Riesling is an example of the “good” kind of sweet wine.It’s also the kind of wine that’s often overlooked on the shelf because it doesn’t have a recognizable name or label.  (That’s ok because I’m here to fix that fear of the strange and unfamiliar).  Frisk is interesting because it is made in a lightly effervescent style, which means it has little bubbles that “prickle” your tongue.  It’s quite nice.  This effervescence also acts as a balancing scale against the 4% residual sugar in the wine.  The end result is a medium sweet wine that tastes extremely refreshing.  The best part: only $9.99!

Frisk hails from the southern end of Victoria, Australia which is perfect for Riesling’s cool climate demands.  It’s interesting to note that Riesling used to be the most widely  planted white grape in Australia before the Chardonnay craze hit.   Most of the vines were uprooted in favor of the more popular Chardonnay, but Riesling is slowly reclaiming its roots (Haha.  Roots, get it?  Bad Joke).

Tasting Notes: The nose is floral with a hint of lime.  Mango and Pear on the palate.  Higher levels of acidity make it pair amazingly well with spicy Asian foods.  And you’ll love the spritz on the finish.

Well, it’s nearly spring so it’s time to drink something refreshing, and I know the first thing that jumps into your mind has got to be Viognier, right?  Well, maybe not.  In fact, you might be wondering what the heck Viognier is.  But seriously, put down that Chardonnay for a second and show 2008 Bridlewood Viognier some love.

Viognier (Vee-on-yay) is an interesting grape because of its distinct flavors and aromas.  (So distinct that it’s easy to recognize even if you taste it blind).  It is very floral and can add a lot of character to blends.  On it’s own, it packs a big punch with flavors of ripe peach and apricot.  Viognier will surprise you because it tends to have very sweet “spring-like” aromas even though it typically tastes quite dry.  It’s also known for being higher in alcohol (above 13%), so be sure to bring it to your next kegger.

The Viognier grape originates from the northern Rhone valley in France where it stands on its own and is also blended in small amounts with Syrah.  It’s a super difficult grape to grow and, as a result, nearly faced extinction.  Thankfully it’s back for the attack and is taking the shelving space by storm.

2008 Bridlewood Viognier is a great introduction to this type of wine.  It’s full and carries a hefty 14.5% alcohol by volume that truly coats your entire mouth with flavor.  It’s a very beautiful, expressive wine, and I would strongly recommend letting it get some air for an hour or so before drinking.  Normally it retails for around 20 dollars, but we pulled some strings here at DSL, and we’re letting it go for only$10.99.  Sadly, we’ve got only one case, so try it while you can!

Tasting Notes: Aromas of honeysuckle and orange.  The palate is peach driven with a little apricot.  It’s really interesting how different the smell is from the taste.  Lots of flavors packed into a tiny glass.  It pairs well with a wide variety of fruits and cheeses as well as seafood like lobster or shrimp.  It can also hold its own against spicy Asian foods like curry.