Hess Allomi Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Last fall, when attending a distributor function at Julio's I sampled a California Cab. I confessed to the Hess representative that I generally drink Cabs from Chile. (Not that I'm opposed to other Cabs, it's just that the Chilean wines are much less expensive, generally reliable and I like them!) "Too earthy," he says to me. "Don't get me wrong," he says, "I went through a phase where I drank a lot of them, but I now prefer the California Cabs." I liked the sample and picked up a bottle - in the $18 range - although that was a special that night as it is generally around $22. I match in up with some mid-January charcoal grilled steaks. This is a "big hairy" red - and I'm beginning to see the distributors point. I love it and would recommend it to any of you big hairy cigar smokers out there. Mrs. Vino isn't a big fan - finding it just doesn't have any sweetness. I'll look for it! Shhh - Don't tell her. She'll learn to like this one. (Hey - ck out Brett "it is all about me" Fav-raa playing for the Vikings in the playoff game in the background. )

Cotes du Rhone - E Guigal 2005

Every time I read about Cotes du Rhone wines, the writer mentions E Guigal as a very reliable distributor. I match this $14 wine with Friday night pizza but I wouldn't hesitate to pair this with steak or lamb. My novice opinion says that blends - when done well - tend to be smoother than wines made from one variety. This one is 50% Granache and 50% Syrah, which are the traditional varietals of this region. I really didn't get any one berry or fruit flavor, although this one leans more towards berry flavors. I see this shipper and wine everywhere and plan to continue to pick it up.

Tuffeaux Bourgueil 2006

New rule. When your team is eliminated for the year - open a nice bottle of wine! (My football team - the Pats went down today - hard!) Back to the wine. On the nose I get smoke - unusual. Not a fruity wine - but that doesn't mean it doesn't have good flavor. Great tannins and length - I'm still tasting the wine minutes later. Pair this with almost anything. In fact, this would be a bottle I would drink on its own - without food. Mrs Vino would have it with an uber dark chocolate. She does say the wine is a bit bitter. I get that. I generally see Cab Franc as a blend - but if you want to try this varietal on its own - which actually grows well in New England (oohhh the NE Pats went down hard:() - I would look for this one - even though it is close to $20. (Hey - like the crackling fire in the photo background?)

Andeluna - Malbec - Mendoza Argentina

Tonight we're having ham. As we're driving home from errands, I say, "hmmm what wine goes with ham? Hey, we've got a bunch of Malbecs in the basement. (I must have meant cellar:) That would be good." Mrs. Vino is skeptical, but the first recommendation I see after Googling wines with ham suggests a Malbec from Argentina! Bingo!! Maybe I am learning something. My impression is that Malbecs consistently have great balance and structure and this wine fits that impression. I get a bit of blackberry with good acid. The back label references ten different flavors - including blackberry. Ten! Ridiculous. Maybe Miles from Sideways helped them out. Look for this one. It has been a while since I had the Norton Malbec, but I'm thinking the Andeluna is better at a very similar $10 price point. (Don't forget "7" the Malbec blend which is awesome.)

Ecco Domani

Mrs. Vino is making shrimp risoto and suggests a Pinot Grigio. Ooohhh - she's getting agressive. I like it. We had a leftover PG from our X-mas party and I had not taken the opportunity to sample it. I was expecially anxious to try this one after my recent positive experience with the Jermann PG. Unfortunately, the Ecco Domani was much blander and less flavorful . While there were no strong negatives and the wine paired well with the risoto, I would definitely seek out the Jermann PG next time - even at a 100% premium. (Jermann was $20 while the Ecco was $10.) In this instance, price matters.

Masciarelli - Montepulciano d' Abruzzo

My Italian rampage continues! This $8 wine comes from central Italy which apparently is home to regular, hard workin' folk - who make no-nonsense wine. This wine is a bit of a standard for us - and goes especially well with pizza - which we're having tonight. The oak is a bit strong on the nose, but still gives the wine a pleasant spice. I can't pick out any one fruit, when I taste it. Look for this one or just this grape varietal - but don't overpay.

Scharffenberger Brut Sparkling Wine (aka Champagne)

Here's a $15 California Brut Sparkling wine (aka champagne) that is as good as any $30+ bottle you'll find for your New Years celebration. 2/3rds Pinot Noir and 1/3rd Chardonnay. Bubbly, light, and not sweet. It has never failed my and Mrs Vino. Happy New Year!

Olivares - Altos de la Hoya 2007 Monastrell

I can't recall why I purchased 2 bottles of this $10 wine made from the "Monastrell" grape variety. A 'net search suggests this is an excellent "value" wine - selling at $10, but worth $20. Well, Julios wine store must have had a label to that effect, because you know that description would grab my attention! I smelled rubber and the tannins grabbed my toungue on the initial tasting. All the flavors quickly smoothed out as the wine must have needed some air. Mrs. Vino also noticed the tannins, but said, "it isn't like a sweater on my tounge." We polish it off in no time and we're clearly in mid-vaca week form. This smooth wine has subtle blackberry like flavors and nice acid for a red. The wine worked well with a chicken pasta dish. Look for this wine!

Monte Antico Toscana 2006

My brother gave me this wine (along with 4 other bottles!) for Christmas. We pulled it out for our Xmas dinner lamb chops and loved it. Another Italian wine for me. (Is he reading by blog?) 85% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot and 5% Cab. The oak was a bit strong on the nose, but nicely in the background on the toungue. A very smooth blend and I was certain my brother had splurged - as he often does. One 'net search tells me this is a $10 wine - showing his nose for value. I'll be looking for this wine and so should you.

Jermann Pinot Grigio

Picked up this Pinot Grigio when searching for a white for Mrs. Vino. Perfumy, fragant and a bit floral- similar to a Riesling. We pair it up with some scallops and the combo works. I'm starting to think I need to learn more about and start buying more Italian wines. And who knew I liked Pinot Grigio. Be warned however. For whatever reason white wines just aren't hangover free like reds. We didn't even finish the bottle and both had slight headaches this AM.