Espelt Garnacha /Espelt Grenache Old Vines Emporda Review
I’ve been thinking that I want to share more wines around the $10 price point that I feel offer great value. While some of the wines I’ve featured in recent posts have represented value in their own respect, they may have been a little out of reach as an everyday drinker. Wines around the $10 price point don’t have to be insipid and uninteresting, but sadly they often are.
Waterstone Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
I have to admit that I am a sucker for a good mystery, especially when it relates to wine and where the fruit is sourced. It’s always exciting to find a wine that is relatively inexpensive yet made with fruit from well pedigreed growers or producers that charge considerably more for their wines. Take the Pine Ridge Encantado Red Blend I recently reviewed for example.
I feel like these opportunities are few and far between in the wine world. As a consumer we usually have a good idea where the fruit used to make the wine was sourced (particularly when estate grown), or we have little to no idea (the winery sources their fruit from various growers). But with the Waterstone Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, it is rumored that the fruit was sourced from declassified Harlan Estate lots!
Rondel Brut Cava NV | Top Sparkling Wines Under $10
What Is Your Go-To Bargain Bubbly?
Sometimes Champagne can come across as a somewhat formal beverage. Traditionally it is a drink to be enjoyed when celebrating a major milestone such as an anniversary, wedding or perhaps even a life achievement. Then there is the issue of the price. Most Champagne’s start out in the $30-40, easily putting it out of range as a more casual everyday option for most consumers.
The French wine-making region of Champagne is small in comparison to other wine growing regions . It’s sought after real estate and wine-making doesn’t come cheap. Considering the cost of entry, I can understand why consumers might not be drinking Champagne often. But how about less-expensive alternative bubblies? The Rondel Brut Cava NV retails for under $10 and is easy to find at retailers nationwide.
Finca Villacreces Pruno 2010
Recently there has been a lot of buzz about this wine because of an interesting trifecta of superlatives. The estate of Finca Villacreces, in the Ribera del Duero region of Spain, lies on some very desirable land adjacent to one of the most famous Spanish wine producers in history: Vega Sicilia. Lauded by critics and highly sought after by collectors, the wines of this estate typically sell for several hundred dollars per bottle. Now you might be thinking that the Finca Villacreces Pruno 2010 is out of reach, but alas, it probably isn’t.
Should You Shop For Wine At Costco?
When the time comes to make a wine purchase, which options come to mind? Do you think of your local wine shop or your local liquor store, or maybe a large online retailer? Your options are varied and more extensive than you might think. Today I want to highlight one option you may have never considered or even knew existed. That place is Costco.
Costco is now the world’s largest wine vendor. Yes, the largest in the world. Costco sold just under 1.5 billion dollars (1.46 to be exact) worth of wine in 2013! But what makes it such a great place to buy wine?
Click here for our Comprehensive Guide to Costco Wine Prices!
Ardente Winery Cabernet Sauvingon ‘Grande Riserva’ 1997
Today I am excited for two reasons: This is my first post and I am drinking a 1997 Napa Cabernet. I thought to myself,”How better to inaugurate this blog than to open a Cabernet Sauvingon from one of Napa’s best vintages?”
The Vintage
Considered legendary by most, and overrated by some, Napa Valley’s 1997 vintage is certainly a memorable one. Many Napa cult Cabernet’s command significant premiums for the 1997 vintage versus other vintages. According to Napa Valley Vintner’s, which publishes a vintage recap on the growing conditions and the success of the harvest, “A temperate summer with moderate, steady temperatures allowed the fruit to reach optimum maturity with good hang time for the full development of character and flavors.”
