Budget Vino

Ah…the hiatus

So the last time I posted a Budget Vino review was a couple months ago. Not cool on my part. While I am not a man of excuses, there is a reason behind my hiatus.

A little while ago, I decided to focus purely on my physical health. Lots of reasons behind this, none of which I will get into here. Anyway, I got a killer personal trainer, started working out again regularly, and cut out a lot of stuff from my diet. Unfortunately, one of those things was wine. I know what you’re probably thinking- Isn’t red wine good for you? Answer- yes, it is (see linked article). However, under the guidance of my trainer, red wine got the boot (along with bacon- tragic I know).

The training is paying off. I feel great. I have crazy energy. I’m sleeping like a baby. While all this is good, I am seriously craving some red wine.  So, I’ve conferred with the trainer, and while bacon will continue to live on the “NO” list, red wine is coming back….and is coming back with a vengeance. I just picked up a sweet bottle of Merlot from BevMo, and I’ll be darned if I don’t crack it open this weekend.

So, Budget Vino readers, I apologize for the hiatus, but expect new reviews to start appearing next week.

Thanks for sticking around!

Drewism: There’s Better Stuff to Drink than [ kangaroo krap ]

Have you ever had a bottle of [ yellow tail ]? Come on, admit it. Everyone has. We all know that little kangaroo when we see it, and certainly know friends and family who have a bottle or two hanging around their kitchen. I myself am guilty of it as well. I even went so far as to share a bottle of Yellow Tail Reserve once in my life, and though it wasn’t an altogether awful experience, I must say that for $45 with corkage, I expected something a little more.

Yellow Tail, for those who have been under a rock for the last ten years, is an Australian wine brand, notable for its eye-catching label of a yellow-footed rock wallaby. A quick history: the brand was first developed in 2000 by the Casella family, originally of Sicily, who had relocated to New South Wales in the 1950s to start a new life for themselves. By 2003, the brand had become a behemoth - the number one imported wine to the US - and in that same time the original winery was forced to expand to nearly ten times its original size. Supply could barely keep up with demand. After only selling 112,000 cases in its first year, sales of Yellow Tail jumped to 7.5 million in 2005, helped in large part through distribution by low-cost retailers such as Costco. Also in that year, Yellow Tail became the first variety wine to move one million cases in a single month. At present, Yellowtail facilities have the capacity to store approximately 300 million liters (about 80 million gallons) on site with more wine produced and stored elsewhere.

Specializing in blended wine in the $8-10 range, Yellow Tail at first glance sounds like a dream: its quick to find, it sells well, and best of all, it’s cheap. From a marketing standpoint, Yellowtail hit the nail on the head. But they had the means to do so, with a large-scale distributor in Costco, financial backing through investors, and the hot Australian climate to load up its vines and churn out record crops each and every year. By mass-producing and mass-marketing Shiraz (same as Syrah, different name) and Chardonnay, Yellow Tail appealed to many casual wine drinkers worldwide who were desperate to try an entry red or an alternative to California chards, but who had neither the wine wherewithal nor the cash to pony up $15-20 a bottle for everyday dinner wine.

Today, Yellow Tail is one of the most recognized labels in the world.  Its annual revenues for the US alone are in the hundreds of millions of dollars, and it comprises over 40% of all imports from Australia by volume (2006 data). To put things in perspective, Australian wines claim a volume market share of 9 percent worldwide; if Yellow Tail were to be excluded, this figure would drop to 5 percent. The success story apparent, Yellow Tail markets premium blended wine at basement prices, while concurrently targeting younger drinkers by through its instantly recognizable wine labels. With so many wines struggling to sell in the late 90’s, combined with beer being the beverage of choice for most of America’s youth and college students, this was a great way to recruit younger oenophiles as the traditional base got older and stopped buying wine. With all the good things that the Yellow Tail “phenomenon” spawned, why do I object so much to buying it?

The answer, and the reason for my lengthy discussion on this topic, becomes clear – or rather unclear - in the glass (no pun intended). A bottle of Yellow Tail, in general, has such a plethora of different grapes blended together that it might in fact not legally be called wine, at least according to contemporary Australian wine laws.

Shiraz makes for an easy blend with other classic grapes such as Grenache and Mourvedre, or Cabernet and Merlot, among many others. A few examples include Shiraz-Cabernet, Cabernet-Shiraz-Merlot, Grenache-Cab-Merlot, and Grenache-Shiraz-Mourvedre. Though the latter blend is an exception and can certainly make for some delicious wines coming from down under, at the end of the day there really is no way to recognize true varietal in Yellow Tail’s overly blended mess. Most contemporary blends contain a maximum of 4 grapes in a Syrah-based blend, or 5 for a Cabernet-based blend, but some of Yellow Tail’s contain six or more different varietals, many of which may not even be grown in Australia! For all you know, you might be drinking fermented grape juice made from grapes that were grown in Africa, India, or elsewhere in the South Pacific! I’d love to tell you that I’m making this stuff up, but I’m not.

As a result, Yellowtail by and large lacks a product that has a distinction of place. The truth is apparent on the label. Australian wine-labeling law stipulates the following:

“A minimum of 85 percent of the grape variety stated on the label must be used [to make the wine]; if two different types of grapes are used in a blended wine and neither grape represents 85 percent of the blend, both grapes must be mentioned on the label in order of importance (e.g., a wine labeled Cabernet/Shiraz has more Cabernet than Shiraz).”

Source: Kolpan, Smith, Weiss, et al. Culinary Institute of America's Complete Guide to Wines of the World.

So by designating ‘Shiraz-Cabernet-Merlot’ on the label, the folks at Yellowtail are telling you that 85% of the grapes in the bottle come from those three varieties. The proportions are unknown, though Shiraz appears in slightly higher percentage than the other two. What’s more troubling is that the remaining 15% is also unknown. There are likely a handful of similar grapes thrown in for good measure, though what they are, and more importantly, where they come from, remains a mystery.

So what am I suggesting as an alternative? California Syrah, for one. California produced 110,000 tons of Syrah grapes statewide in 2007, a large percentage of which could be characterized as ‘cool climate’. These are grapes that come from the cool coastal regions of Sonoma, Monterey, and Carneros, and without a doubt many will produce fabulous wines. Though an entirely different beast than Shiraz, cool-climate Syrah, as it has come to be known, is largely underrated in the United States. The slower ripening process, longer growing season, and lower yields lead to a wine grape that is highly sought after by many wineries looking either for a single varietal wine or for a Rhone-style blend. Cline Cellars makes a fabulous 100% Cool-climate Syrah from the Sonoma Coast appellation that is only $12.

The resulting product has proven in recent years to be very good, and an incredible value at that. Many growers from Paso Robles have come to Monterey in recent years looking for cool-climate Syrah either to bottle alone or to balance out their hot Cabernets and Merlots from San Luis Obispo county. Not surprisingly, many of these growers have been loathe to plant Syrah simply because of the lack of water availability in this region. It has been shown that Syrah is very susceptible to “burn” when conditions are such that water demands are high and its availability is low, particularly in the summer months when temperatures push well into the 100s. Syrah is an incredibly water-demanding creature, and even under stress its stomata tend to stay open (called anisohydric in viticulture jargon) and they continue to use water despite the fact that they are killing their own tissue in the process. Conversely, varietals such as Grenache close down their stomates when water becomes scarce (they are isohydric), and they essentially shut down photosynthesis in an effort to save water. This innate need to conserve is why Grenache does so well in the hot and dry climates of central Spain, in the Rhone Valley of France, and in Australia for that matter!

So why haven’t the Aussies taken the hint that continuing to plant Shiraz isn’t the best idea in these hot and arid climates? Probably because they can’t afford not to. Yellow Tail is a multi-billion dollar behemoth, and for the last near decade the stuff has flown off the shelves at record pace. Yet in the process, Yellowtail has effectively murdered the image of Australian Shiraz as a unique and quality grape from down under, mass-producing it to the point of retail over-saturation. And Yellow Tail has not only lowered its own standard in the process, but lowered the world’s standard for what is to be expected of the varietal it champions. But that’s all about to change.

Australia is at present experiencing a 100-year drought, and over the last several years some growers have lost as much as half of their crop due to yield limitations from water scarcity. This will certainly have an effect on the quality of wines coming out of Australia in the near future, but it will also have a supply effect on the industry as a whole down the road.

We’ll start to see the 2007 Australian reds hit the shelves in the next 18 months, so I’ll be keeping a close eye on things when they do. In the meantime, my advice would be to stop picking up the Kangaroo simply because it’s eye-catching and because it’s a no brainer. Put some thought into your decision-making at the wine store and dare to be different. There’s better stuff on the shelves from our own country to be had, and for comparable prices. And even if we don’t have a cooky marsupial on the label, it’s the substance in the bottle that really matters.

A day at the park with 3 Blind Moose- Cabernet Sauvignon

Last Sunday started off in a cabin in Lake Tahoe, California. A bunch of us had made the trek from San Francisco on Friday afternoon, in the hopes of catching some great skiing on Saturday. We we're not at all disappointed. When Sunday morning came around, some of us were bumped and bruised (not me), and some of us felt compelled to get back to the city to spend time with their wife and daughter (not me either). As my ride was the one in a rush, I had no choice but to leave the cabin early.

During the course of the 3 hour drive back home, my friend's wife kept calling us with weather updates from a park near their house in San Francisco. The temperature was rising, and it was looking more and more like an ideal day to be outside. By the time we crossed the Bay Bridge, it was getting close to 70 degrees (pretty amazing for early March). We got to my friends house, made a b-line to the cellar, and contemplated what wine would go well with this warm day. There were a lot of options, but after about 10 minutes, we settled on 3 Blind Moose Cabernet Sauvignon. We threw a bottle in a bag, and headed off to meet up with his wife.

For some reason, the name of this wine rubs me the wrong way. I can't pinpoint why, it's just one of those things. There's no logic behind my aversion, I am just not a fan.  So, when I poured my first glass, it would be fair to say that my expectations were pretty low. I took my first sip, and was actually pleasantly surprised. The wine was not bad. It wasn't excellent, but it was far better than I could ever have imagined. It was relatively smooth, and the aftertaste wasn't too overpowering. It was definitely drinkable (we took down the bottle without any accompanying food), and I have to say that I did enjoy each glass.

I think if you are looking for a decent budget Cabernet, you might want to give this one a shot. Again, it's not as good as some of the others I've tried, but it's not bad.

Recommendation: Consider buying it

The Drew Review- 2005 Alexander and Fitch Cabernet Sauvignon

A fantastic review prepared by Budget Vino star contributor Drew Wolfe. Enjoy. Note that Drew insisted I include a picture of him, so if you're wondering who the guy is below, well, it's Drew.
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2005 Alexander and Fitch Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, CA

I first bought this wine on a whim several months back at Trader Joes, and though I normally don’t rely on TJ’s to provide the greatest finds in winedom, this is a rare exception. For $6 (up from $5 when I first bought it), you can enjoy a bottle of appellation-designate wine from Sonoma’s Alexander Valley, or just go all out and buy a case. For casual red wine drinkers, or for an everyday bottle of wine, A&F can’t be beat in terms of value. It’s an easy-going red, with a decent balance of flavors, decent structure, and an altogether tasty accompaniment to many dishes. Given my knowledge of the Alexander Valley, I really think that we won’t see this quality of wine at such a basement price for a long time coming. The reason for the incredible value is that 2005 was a year with a massive crop, and growers simply couldn’t find buyers for all their grapes. The result? Younger wineries like A&F, lacking their own vineyards, got premium winegrapes at a fraction of their normal cost. I’m sure that there’s a small percentage of grapes from Lodi or the Central Valley blended in here, but for $6, who’s counting? There is one downfall, however. I recently tried the 2006 that hit the shelves not too long ago, and its bland, flabby, and certainly too young. Maybe in a few months I’ll try it again with a better experience, but I’m not keeping my fingers crossed.

One other thing- Let this wine breathe a good 10 minutes after opening for best results.

Recommendation: If it’s the 2005, definitely buy it. If it’s the 2006, don’t buy it (at least not until I give it another try in a few months.)

By request- A Novella you can truly enjoy- Novella Synergy 2005

In a comment posted on January 27th, Budget Vino reader "Joel" recommended I pick up the Novella Synergy 2005 Paso Robles. In his comment, he mentioned that the Novella Synergy was a red wine blend made with the following mix- 45.7% Petite Syrah, 33.1% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Sangiovese, and 5.2% Petite Verdot. The next day, I commented back that I would go to the store and pick up a bottle that afternoon. That is exactly what I did. Unfortunately, the bottle warmed my wine rack for almost a month until I got around to giving it a try. The combination of working late, and a nasty flu that lasted almost a week had significantly reduced my wine consumption. It's pretty sad.

So after 3 plus weeks of no budget wine, I was really excited to give this bottle a try. I love getting requests from readers, as it is impossible for me to identify all the gems on my own. The world of budget wine is just too big.

As I worked away on a project for my current client, I poured myself a glass of the Novella Synergy, and let it breathe for about 10 minutes (I always recommend doing this for red wine, regardless of it's age). I took my first sip, and was blown away. This wine was fantastic. It was smooth and delicious with an awesome aftertaste. I was genuinely surprised by how good it was (and by how quickly I plowed through 2 big glasses).

The bottle was gone the next day, and I have Joel to thank! From his recommendation, I now have another great budget wine to add to my list. Many thanks Joel.

Do you have any favorite budget wines? Let me know and I'll give them a try.

Even a bad commute can't save this wine- Trellis 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon

As commuting goes, this week has been terrible. The company I am consulting for is located only 38 miles from my home in San Francisco, but since Tuesday, my average evening commute has lasted over 2 hours. On Tuesday, the main freeway from Silicon Valley to San Francisco was closed due to a tanker truck accident. Wednesday they were still cleaning up, and Thursday night we were blasted by a huge rain storm. I took it all in stride the first 2 days, but Thursday night put me over the edge. The drive is normally long enough at 1 hour 20 minutes. Add on an extra 40 minutes, and I am not a happy camper.

So, after over 2 hours of commuting on Thursday night, my mind was clearly focused on one thing- getting a glass of wine in my hands as fast as possible.   Luckily, I had bought a couple budget bottles last weekend, and I was yet to give either a try. I grabbed the first bottle I saw- the Trellis 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon. With great optimism, I opened the bottle and poured myself a hefty glass. In fact, I could hardly call it “a glass.” Using international serving guidelines, it would probably classify as 3 glasses.

The first sip was not good at all. It was rough, too sharp, and lacked any pleasant aftertaste. I contemplated dumping the glass, but then changed my mind- determined to get through this big glass. The wine improved marginally as I kept drinking, but I think it was more a case of me just accepting that I was drinking bad wine, rather than the wine actually getting better.

Knowing that tonight I’ll be going out for dinner and drinks, last night I vacuum sealed the Trellis and put it in my fridge. Who knows, after a big meal and a bunch of beverages, I might just numb my taste buds enough to make this wine a winner!!

Recommendation: Don’t buy it

Drewism #1- Scoring one for the home team

When it comes to watching football, I am most definitely not one of those guys on the couch you see in the beer commercials. There may be a couple of brews in the fridge for special occasions or for friends who demand them, but for me football on the tube is as much about wine as it is about the game — a chance to multitask with two things I really enjoy.

Dorian at Budget Vino asked me not too long ago to write a column about some of the interesting aspects of the wine business, and asked for my perspective as a vintner. Being involved in wine, and having to work with some people whose stock portfolios are almost as large as their egos has opened my eyes to many of the business’ idiosyncrasies, and painted a rather skewed image of the California wine industry as a whole. One of the most absurd things to me about this industry is that the type of wine that should being produced and what the public is actually interested in is not always the same thing. So as a result, the wine business as a whole finds a way to correct for the shortfall.

For instance, Chardonnay currently saturates the entire wine market from the North Coast all the way down to Santa Barbara, and it’s very difficult nowadays to go to any tasting room in the state and NOT find a Chardonnay on the list. Most wineries see Chardonnay as their “cash cow”, a guaranteed quick buck that will keep the revenue flowing in just enough for them to stay afloat, regardless of the quality of their wine. To them, it’s priceless to have simply because the American public eats it up. When I was watching the AFC championship game last weekend, I was damn sure there was going to be a commercial at some point during the game starring a certain Indianapolis Quarterback giving invaluable information. Priceless? I’m not so sure.

The problem with the average American wine drinker is that they dislike change. Chardonnay took off in
California 30 years ago; people liked it, and have been loathe to try something new ever since. Despite the incredible array (and quality) of Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Viognier, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Albarino and even Grenache Blanc and Roussanne produced here, it seems most drinkers like to stick with what they have always bought. Nobody wants to give something else a shot, even just once. As a result, winemakers are trying new ways to change Chardonnay to make it trendier, different, and just simply “less Chardonnay-like”, if that makes any sense (it doesn’t to me). “Un-oaked” Chardonnay is the new buzzword, and believe it or not, this still outsells practically every other white wine produced in California.

As you might guess, I’m pretty tired of Chardonnay. This is not to say that there aren’t good or even great Chardonnays out right now – and there are – but there is so much of it now on the market that what is being produced nowadays has really seen a dramatic decline in quality in my opinion. Consumers have been buying Chardonnay forever, producers know this, and as a result deliver a product that oftentimes barely makes the cut in quality by and large. But do consumers care? No. This is why there is no incentive for producers to increase the quality (and spend more money in the process) – the product sells by itself!

In my mind, there are only a handful of regions that can (and should) actually produce stellar Chardonnay here in California. So why then is it the most consumed wine in the United States? Chardonnay is a grape originally borne from the limestone soils of Burgundy, France, which is a cold, windy, mountainous place. Snow is very common in the winter. There aren’t too many places like that in California outside of the Sierras. And yet, Chardonnay is the #1 white grape produced in the Napa Valley, which has volcanic soils, typical summer temperatures over 100 degrees, and hardly ever sees snow in the winter. Nevertheless, it is still grown, and nevertheless, the public still buys it. Sure, it’s a different style of Chardonnay from the French style, but why settle? Why not grow a grape that can actually do well in the California climate? The answer is that up until about a decade ago, no one tried.

I recently tasted a few wines from 2006 and the early 2007s coming out of Sonoma, Napa, Monterey, and Lodi. Of the 52 wines we tasted, 20 were Chardonnays! That’s nearly one-half of an entire white AND red tasting. And how many Rieslings, Albarinos, Sauvignon Blancs, and other whites combined? 6. There is certainly a lag time between what types of wines are being produced and what is being consumed, and I think that with more and more Chardonnay being grafted to other varieties in recent years, we’ll see more alternative white wines replacing Chardonnay on your local BevMo shelf. But right now, in a nutshell, this is why the market is the way that it is, and why the consumer keeps on buying Chardonnay.

Of all of the wines I tasted, two stood out the most. Both where white, and both were not Chardonnay. One was a Riesling from Dos Hermanos vineyard in Lodi. It was off-dry and certainly had some minerality to it, with flavors of lemon, honeysuckle, limestone, and a metallic character to the finish that was very interesting and altogether pleasing. I am usually pretty repulsed by the often mouth-puckering sweetness of Riesling, but I’ve recently discovered several that have terrific balance between texture and body, like this one. I also really enjoy the effervescence that comes from Riesling wines, and this one was especially crisp and tangy and was overall a very satisfying wine. Also, Riesling is such a good food wine with non-traditional cuisines, so try it with a spicy Thai dish or Cajun food. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

The second wine was a Monterey County Albarino, and I’m not just tooting my own horn here. There are few places in America suited to grow this small white grape originally from the Basque region of Spain. Albarino requires a long, drawn-out ripening season and a cool maritime climate punctuated by ample sunshine. The Santa Lucia Mountains in Monterey provide a terrific setting for growing this grape stateside, as the cold wet winds coming off Monterey Bay chase early morning fog, allowing long summer days to ripen the grapes well into November. The wine is very flavorful, with nuances of grapefruit, orange citrus, leechi nut and a very slight creaminess that I’m sure will win over many Chardonnay drinkers.  It is great with fish and fowl alike, and in my opinion is as good for a picnic as it is for Thanksgiving dinner. Not much Albarino is being grown right now in California, so if you can find a bottle definitely buy it. However, I do believe we will start to see much more coming out of the Central Coast in years to come.

So how does this relate to football? Now that I think about it, it really doesn’t. But I will say this: Next Sunday, give the underdog a chance and root for the alternative. Chances are that the majority of America is getting pretty tired of New England winning it all (4 of the last 7 Superbowls), and the Pats are 14-point favorites this year. Is anybody really surprised that they are 18-0 and vying for a shot at history? It seems now that they are virtual shoo-ins to the playoffs, and though they certainly have the talent and the ability to go undefeated the entire year, I for one would like to see an upset. The Pats need to be knocked off their pedestal.

Because talent cycles so much in the NFL, I am convinced the Patriots’ domination will be short-lived. A future challenger awaits, and will one day take New England’s’ place. The public is similarly destined to find an alternative to the seemingly unbeatable Chardonnay, though it may take some time. Albarino or Riesling may not win this time around, but with enough public support, they just might down the road. 

As for me, I’ll be watching the Superbowl next weekend, hoping for a great game with another great bottle of wine.  And it most certainly will not be Chardonnay.

Introducing a new feature- Drew Wolfe's "Drewisms"

Today I am proud to introduce a new Budget Vino feature. Drew Wolfe , a viticulturist who manages vineyards in Monterey County, will be providing monthly insights on interesting tidbits and happenings in the wine world.  He studied Environmental Science and Analysis at Boston University, relocated to California in 2006, and has since been working in sustainable wine growing both in Napa and Monterey.

His column will be aptly titled "Drewisms", with his first entry to be posted today.

I am confident that you will enjoy Drew's unique wit and wisdom!

A blended red that really “holds up”- Pillar Box 2006 Red Table Wine

I’m about a month into a new consulting gig, and things are going pretty well. People are good, food is good, office is good…so on and so forth. Unfortunately, the commute is not. Roundtrip, it takes about 3 hours to get from my garage to the company parking lot. Without traffic, this drive is more than cut in half. Problem is that there is ALWAYS traffic (at least when I need to be at the office). My client offers a shuttle service from

San Francisco, but during my first few weeks, I opted to drive. This was a bad decision on my part (one which I have recently corrected). After battling traffic each day, I got back to the city aggravated and annoyed.

One day, as a winter rain storm battered the Bay Area and my drive time doubled, all I could think about was how badly I wanted a glass of wine. I didn’t need it per se, I just really wanted one! So, on my way home, I stopped off at the nearest BevMo and perused the featured reds. I came across a wine called “Pillar Box.” The label looked slick, and Robert Parker had given it a score of 91. I don’t usually give these scores much weight when making my buying decisions, but I was thirsty and really wanted to get to my couch. With no other evaluation criteria available, I decided to go with Mr. Parker’s words of praise. I bought the bottle, sped home, and finally got to relax after a frustrating trip through the rain. 

A little bit about “Pillar Box.” This wine is a 2006 red table wine from Australia. It is a blend of 53% Shiraz, 37% Cabernet, and 10% Merlot. While I have disagreed with Mr. Wilfred Wong on many occasions, I found myself completely in agreement with Mr. Robert Parker. This wine was great. It was smooth, dynamic, and just plain tasty. It was a great sipping wine, and it just got better as I drank more (for reasons other than my own tipsiness). Blended wines are always a bit of a gamble, but this one is a real winner.

Recommendation: Definitely buy it.

Top bargain wines of 2007- per the Wall Street Journal

A good buddy of mine sent this to me last night. It’s the Wall Street Journal’s list of top wine bargains of 2007. The article highlights 9 wines in total, of which 3 are under $10. (Note that the other 6 wines cost no more than $10.99, only $1 above the Budget Vino price cap.)

A comment in the article that I really appreciate is this one-

“there have never been as many genuinely good wines available at low prices. The trick, in most cases, is to look beyond the usual suspects. The world right now is awash in wine as country after country, from Austria to Uruguay, improves its winemaking and seeks to compete in the international marketplace”

I liked this comment for a couple reasons.

1. It acknowledges that budget wine can be great wine.
2. It confirms what many of my top choices seem to indicate- that great budget wine is coming from countries other than the US and France.

The article is a quick read, and I recommend giving it a look. The link is here.

Let me know what you think.