Zinfandel: One for Now, One for Later

It's raining in Los Angeles, which means it's officially Zinfandel season. Every autumn, when the heat finally breaks, I look forward to making some soups, stews, and roasts and cracking open some excellent wine. Of course, Zinfandel season extends through the winter and even into the months of BBQ to come, so I've got one recommendation for now and one for you to put aside and drink in 6-24 months when the urge strikes you.

2008 Gnarly Head Zinfandel Old Vine is a very good QPR wine for the price (suggested retail $10.99; available for $6-$14) Autumnal blackberry and licorice aromas lead to a smooth, mouth-filling wine with blackberry, black cherry, and pepper notes in the flavors. The aftertaste rounded out the wine nicely, with more licorice and berry. Not as peppery and complex as some Zins, but it doesn't have the big, jammy quality that many have at this price point. Perfect for enjoying now, perhaps with a warm pot of minestrone if you are stuck at home giving out candy on Halloween.

The 2007 Guglielmo Family Winery Zinfandel Private Reserve is a good QPR bottling that I think will deliver very good QPR in time. (suggested retail $19; this new release is only available at this time through the winery) There are reticent berry aromas that can be coaxed forward with air, and lots of pepper and spicy clove on the palate. All are hints of great things to come for this wine, with its solid berry core. It is well-structured, has great acidity, and will start to shine in 6 months or so.

Full Disclosure: I received samples of these wines for review.

Classic, Classy California Chardonnay

California Chardonnay has a bad reputation. Years of overproduced, overly-oaked wines left a sour taste in the mouths of many wine drinkers. But a few (or a thousand) bad winemaking choices shouldn't make you abandon a grape entirely. Recently, I've seen many winemakers going back to classy Chardonnays that are more restrained in style and more focused on the characteristics of the grape.

The 2008 Fess Parker Chardonnay is one of those wines--and I think it may be the finest under $20 California Chardonnay I've ever tasted. (suggested retail $18; available for $14-$20) This is a beautiful example of what Chardonnay grapes can achieve in Santa Barbara. The wine introduces itself with buttered apple aromas. Creamy apple and melon flavors are followed by a toasted coconut note in the aftertaste. Rich and smooth, this wine represents excellent QPR and may restore your faith in California Chardonnay.

Try this wine with a seasonally appropriate soup of apples and parsnips, some Tandoori chicken legs cooked on the grill or roasted in the oven, or crab cakes accented with an apple-and-cilantro salad. The apple notes are a terrific companion to the warm spices and fresh flavors of all these foods, and as each recipe uses curry powder the coconut and melon accents in this wine are really brought forward.

Full Disclosure: I received a sample of this wine for review.

Bargains In Pinot Noir

(No, you are not hallucinating.)

Recently I sat down to taste samples of Pinot Noir. This normally fills me with dread. As you all know, I focus on wines under $20. There's not much good Pinot Noir to be had in that price bracket. Still, Pinot Noir is one of my favorite grapes so I often taste my way through the bottles I receive and get thoroughly disheartened with each new bottle.

This time, I was astonished to discover not one, not two, but three bottles under $20 that I felt delivered in terms of taste and quality. One of them has a suggested retail under $10, and all three can be found in the market for $7-$12. Interested? Read on.

2008 Cupcake Vineyards Pinot Noir comes from the Central Coast AVA and is typical of Pinot Noir from that region. (suggested retail $14; available for $7-$12) It has abundant warm cherry aromas, and flavors of cherry, allspice, and a touch of earth lending depth to the aftertaste. Very good QPR.

2008 McWilliam's Pinot Noir Hanwood Estate contains grapes from Australia's South Eastern region. (suggested retail $11; available for $7-$10) The aromas were an interesting mix of cherry and talc, with allspice, nutmeg, red berry, and cherry flavors. More complex than some at this price point, with a spicy aftertaste. Excellent QPR.

2009 Turning Leaf Vineyards Pinot Noir California represents very good QPR with a suggested retail of $8 and wide distribution throughout the US (no listings yet on the wine search engines as this is a new vintage, but you should be able to find it soon). This is a simple, drinkable Pinot Noir dominated by raspberry fruit and a slightly chalky note in the aftertaste. As the wine opens, higher toned notes of cranberry and pomegranate emerge.

If you're looking for a drinkable, enjoyable Pinot Noir, it's worth giving one or more of these bottles a taste and seeing if they suit your palate.

Full Disclosure: I received these wines as samples.

A Great Wine for Harvest Time

How does your garden grow? Mine is still going great guns, filled mainly with herbs like a mammoth Greek columnar basil, drifts of Thai basil, and piles of oregano and thyme. My friends who plant vegetables are swimming in tomatoes, zucchini, and late green beans.

Now that we're entering autumn in earnest, you might be looking for a wine that goes well with vegetables, foods that use up your abundant herbs, and other seasonal foods such as orchard fruits.

If so, keep your eyes peeled for the 2009 Schloss Saarstein Pinot Blanc (available for around $13). This excellent QPR wine greeted me with apple aromas and a bit of spritz on the tongue at first. There were richer apple and lemon custard notes in the flavors. The juiciness of fresh orchard fruits in the aftertaste encouraged me to come back to the glass for another sip--and another.

In addition to autumnal foods, this wine would be terrific with milder Asian cuisine. We had it with Thai curried noodles with pork and Thai basil straight from the garden. The apple and citrus flavors were a bright counterpoint to the aromatic spices of the dish.

Full Disclosure: I received a sample of this wine.

Celebrate Autumn with Cabernet Sauvignon

Today is the first day of autumn, when a person's thoughts turn to casseroles, soups, and red wine. Here in Los Angeles, the weather has been cool and foggy and very autumnal. Even though we're due for a last blast of summer temperatures over the weekend, my taste buds are ready for warming, comforting food and wine.

If your taste buds are turning in this direction, too, you might be looking for a good Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2007 Concannon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Conservancy is worth seeking out for its excellent QPR. (suggested retail $15, but you can find it in some markets for around $11) Warm, layered aromas of cassis, black cherry, and licorice invite you to sip the wine, and when you do these notes are echoed in the flavors. An herbal taste can be coaxed out as the wine gets some air, and the aftertaste is rich and plummy.

This Cabernet would go nicely with most autumn soups, stews, and roasts. We had it with a comforting, savory Shepherd's Pie topped with sweet potato. The savory gravy--made with Worcestershire and a dash of mustard--brought out the herbal flavors and the beef and potatoes were a nice pairing with the wine's rich fruit.

Full Disclosure: I received a sample of this wine.