This Time, I'm Thinking IN the Box

Boxed wine has a terrible reputation in some circles. Critics charge that boxed wines lack distinction and have a manufactured taste.

In other circles, however, boxed wines are preferable. And this doesn't just include folks who throw lots of big parties. Single drinkers who live alone and can have problems keeping a wine from oxidizing before they have a chance to drink it also like boxed wines because the packaging often ensures that the wine inside is free from air contact--thereby keeping the wine as fresh tasting as possible.

So just in time for big Labor Day parties or for unpacking the belongings in your new studio apartment, I've got reviews of two wines that are packaged in Octavins. These are eight-sided boxes that contain a bag of wine with a spout that you poke through the front when you are ready to open your wine. You can learn more about the packaging here. The spouts themselves have a nifty and sturdy turning mechanism that makes them easy to pour and (more importantly) easy to turn off again. Inside each Octavin container is the equivalent of four bottles of wine, and the average cost for an Octavin nationally is around $20-$24--which makes the wine inside a genuine bargain--and for the two wines that I tasted, excellent QPR.

First up is the 2008 BOHO Vineyards Zinfandel Old Vines from California. This wine had a nice mix of blackberry fruit, some pepper, and some spice. It was very smooth in the mouth, and though definitely on the jammy side it still had some acidity and lightness which is to be prized in a wine of this price. Though not terribly complex, it is a nice, drinkable red that will go wonderfully with barbecue, grilled sausages or steaks, and hamburgers and hot dogs.

Next up is the 2009 Silver Birch Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand's Marlborough region. This was another example of a great wine for the price, with abundant grapefruit and bitter lemon aromas and flavors, accompanied by a bit of lime. There was none of the grassiness that often comes with higher priced bottlings from this part of the world, but it was nonetheless a refreshing and nicely balanced example of a citrusy Sauvignon Blanc that would pair nicely with grilled fish, chicken, or salads.

Full Disclosure: I received these wines as samples.

Keeping It Light with a German Riesling

This week's posts are dedicated to making the hectic transition into fall. For those of us who are teachers, or have kids, this marks the beginning of the academic year with all the running around and organization that requires. So my mantra right now is: keep things simple, keep things light. I covered simple on Monday. Today I turn to something light. In the wine department, nothing says "light" to me like a bright refreshing Riesling.

The 2009 Weingut Baron Knyphausen Riesling Kabinett Baron K' (available for $13-$18) is epitomizes the light, enjoyable charms of the grape. This is not a dry wine, but instead has a decidedly sweet edge to the flavors, with rich peach and apple notes. When you take a sniff, you may get a whiff of honey and when you sip it a bit of stoniness flirts with all those rich orchard fruits. Good QPR.

This wine is ideal for pairing with spicy foods--the spicier the better!--which can be a real treat in these late summer days. We paired the wine with an absolutely delicious plate of shrimp that had been soaking in a coconut-lemongrass marinade for four hours and then popped on the grill. The marinade's rich coconut and spicy Fresno pepper flavors were a perfect counterpoint to the wine's sweetness, while the lemongrass and lime juice added some welcome acidity to the wine's flavors. (This marinade would be terrific on firm, white fish like halibut, too).

Full Disclosure: I received this wine as a sample.

Keeping It Simple with a Cabernet from Down Under

It's back to school time at GWU$20, so life is more than usually hectic as I settle into the new routines and rhythms of the semester. During transitional moments such as these, it's wise to remember to keep it simple and keep it light--otherwise the stress can get to you. So that's my theme for this week's blog posts.

When it comes to wine, keeping it simple doesn't mean settling for a bland or boring example of a particular grape. But it does mean not spending much money, not worrying about whether this is the best "X" you've ever tasted, and not trying to impress your friends and family with something staggeringly complex and deserving of three hours of wine geek conversation. Keeping it simple means getting a good bottle, for a good price, and having a good time while you drink it.

Cabernet Sauvignon may seem like the wrong option if you're needing to keep things simple, but this bottle just may change your mind. The 2008 McWilliam's Cabernet Sauvignon Hanwood Estate is made with grapes from South Eastern Australia. (suggested retail, $11; available for under $10 in many markets) This is a very nice Cabernet Sauvignon for the price--and it actually tastes like Cabernet, rather than just "red wine." It has a characteristic aroma and flavor profile: red currants, blackberries, and white pepper. I detected a hint of something more like green pepper when it was first opened--which I happen to enjoy--but this note mellowed out very quickly. Very good QPR for a bottle that will remind you how good Cabernet can be when the maker doesn't out-think the test question and is content to let the juice shine.

The wine has smooth tannins, making it a good pairing for grilled meats yet it still stands up to something like eggplant that can overwhelm a lesser wine. Try this with this zesty pasta dish with grilled marinated eggplant, if you are looking for a satisfying vegetarian option to pair with Cabernet Sauvignon or similarly tannic grapes.

Full Disclosure: I received this wine as a sample.

Note to Self: Syrah Can Be Stunning

Because of my special niche in the world of wine reviews, there are times when I have to deliberately uncork a bottle of wine that is MORE than $20. It usually happens when I've sipped 15 terrible/insipid/manufactured iterations of grape X and can no longer remember what the hell it's supposed to taste like.

This recently happened with Syrah. I love Syrah. It is arguably my preferred red grape, and appears in my favorite red blends from the Rhone. Bad Syrah, however, is nasty. As in cough syrup nasty. And after a dozen bottles of nasty, I just swear off the stuff for a while because it hurts my heart to see people treat grapes--especially grapes from the Rhone--badly.

I was touting up what I'd tasted so far this year and realized I'd only found four bottles of Syrah that were remotely drinkable. So I plucked out a bottle I was pretty sure would deliver a reminder of how stunning Syrah can be: the 2006 Zaca Mesa Syrah from the Santa Ynez Valley. (suggested retail $23; available for $15-23) This is not a gentle Syrah, but a big, rich, in-your-face, mouth-coating wine that is a total steal for the price, delivers excellent QPR, and drinks like a wine that costs twice or three times what you will have paid for it. My only caveat about this wine is this: do not even think about having a glass of it and trying to walk in a straight line. The label says 15% alc./vol. and I believe it--and then some.

In the taste department, expect exotic aromas of summery flowers and plums, with a bit of clove around the edges. There are more plum and clove notes in the flavors, along with allspice and mocha. There's a nifty mocha jolt in the aftertaste, too. Very good, nicely made, and a reminder of what Syrah can be all about.

Most people reach for Cabernet when they're making steak, but I love Syrah with cuts like skirt steak that have been marinated for a long time and then popped on the grill. We paired this bottle with a skirt steak marinated in orange and ale and the spicy, coffee, and clove notes in the Syrah were just lovely with the citrus in the marinade. And the robust wine handled the beef nicely.

Full Disclosure: I received this wine as a sample.

Another New White Grape: Torrontés

Last week I had a new grape to help get me out of my white wine rut, and I'm continuing with another new white grape this week. Torrontés is grown in Argentina, and has been planted for a very long time. It may have been Spanish colonists who brought the grape to the area, and the grape itself has been shown through DNA testing to be a cross of Muscat Alexandria and the ubiquitous Mission grape. It produces wines that are similar in some respects to Viognier and Gewurztraminer.

The 2009 Bodega Catena Zapata Torrontés Alamos has the characteristic floral aromas and flavors of associated with the grape without the waxy, soapy notes that sometimes can creep in. (suggested retail, $13; available for $7-$12) It tastes fresh, but feels rather weighty in the mouth which makes it a good partner for richer seafood dishes, and the floral elements make it a good substitute for Gewurztraminer. Expect to first detect floral aromas (lemon blossom, white flowers, honeysuckle). These will give way to a palate of citrus (Meyer Lemon and lime), along with fuller flavors of melon and peach. The overall impression of the wine is dry, despite those fruit and flower elements. Good QPR.

We had the Torrontés with crab tostadas one night--a fast, easy pairing that brought out the best of both the food and the wine. The next night, it went with a chilled Indian tomato shorba--think Indian gazpacho, and you won't be far off--and some warm whole wheat naan. While the shorba was also excellent with the wine (which brought out the warm, spicy garam masala that was used in the soup), the crab tostadas were spectacular.

Full Disclosure: I received this wine as a sample.