The Wine Curmudgeon

Kendall-Jackson: Solid wines, but little respect

Talk to a reasonably well educated wine drinker –  or even a wine professional – and ask them what they think of Kendall-Jackson. “Oh, it’s OK, but. …” they’ll say.

And the but? Usually something along the lines of K-J is OK for grocery store wine, or that people who like it don’t know a lot about wine, or it’s not my style of wine – anything to point out the difference between themselves and people who like Kendall-Jackson.

Well, those buts are mostly wrong.

Wine trends: What we're drinking and why, part III

This is the third of a three-part series about wine consumption in the United States. Part I is here; part II is here.

Obviously, wine consumption in the U.S. differs by region. People in New York are going to drink differently from people in Alabama who are going to drink differently from people in Oregon. But those consumption patterns are even more different than you might imagine.

That was perhaps the most intriguing bit of information in he 2007 Nielsen Beverage Alcohol Overview. It’s just not different – it’s quite a bit different, and there doesn’t seem to be any real reason. In the 52 weeks ended Jan. 12, 2008, for example, wine sales increased 15.6 percent in Dallas and decreased 6.3 percent in Birmingham, Ala.

Wine of the week: Smoking Loon Old Vine Zinfandel 2006

Frankly, the Wine Curmudgeon didn’t think he’d like this. So what happened when I tasted it? I was quite taken with its quality – a well-made, varietally-correct zinfandel for about $8 at most grocery stores. It’s hard to beat that (and proves, once again, not to pre-judge wine).

Unlike some zinfandels, the Smoking Loon wasn’t especially fruity. I’m beginning to think that lack of fruit is a function of the 2006 vintage in California, since this wasn’t the first time I’ve noticed it. But this was not a problem, since the wine was spicy and brambly –- just the way zinfandel should be. It’s a contender for next year’s $10 Hall of Fame. Serve this with barbecue, pizza and burgers.

Technorati Tags: Smoking Loon,zinfandel,$10 wine,cheap wine

Roses: The good, the best, and the better

If it’s summer and you have $10, you can buy a pretty good rose – and sometimes even get change back. In fact, this may be the best rose season in memory. The Wine Curmudgeon can’t remember when he has seen more quality pink wine at an affordable price.

For some reason, the slowing economy and the weak dollar, which have pushed up a variety of other wine prices, haven’t done the same for rose. In addition, the “rose is hip, so let’s charge $20 a bottle” trend, which has been big the past couple of summers, seems to be running out of steam. There are still pink wines that cost that much, but the focus has returned to where it should be – quality stuff for $15 and much less.

Wine review: Rosenblum Cellars Pickett Road Vinyard Petite Sirah 2006

The Wine Curmudgeon likes petite sirah a lot. The grape isn’t well known, it usually offers lots of value (see the Bogle petite sirah), and it’s mostly a dark, interesting wine that isn’t as over the top as shiraz. It should be noted here that petite sirah and syrah and shiraz are related, but not the same grape, and that it's actually the U.S. version of a French cross called durif.

So it wasn’t difficult to enjoy this wine, made by Kent Rosenblum, the wine world’s most famous veterinarian and one of its newest millionaires. The Pickett Road has a chocolate and almost chalky finish, with big cherry fruit in the front. I prefer a little darker style of petite sirah, with less bright flavors. But these grapes come from the Napa Valley, and I suppose this is what happens when one uses luscious, rich Napa fruit to make petite sirah. I paired it with a smoked turkey breast for a July 4 barbecue, and it was quite effective.

The drawback? This is a $25 wine, which is a bit pricey for what it offers. It’s well made, certainly, but you run into all sorts of metaphysical pricing questions when a wine costs this much. Such as: Should one spend $25 for a petite sirah?

Technorati Tags: Rosenblum Cellars,Pickett Road,petite sirah,wine reviews

Zinfandel, and why it matters

Zinfandel drinkers of the world, it’s time to unite. The wine world, it appears, is conspiring against us.

On the one hand, the establishment, which has always looked down on zinfandel as something inferior to cabernet sauvignon and merlot, continues to do so. One world-class wine maker, an otherwise fine fellow, compared it to South Africa’s pinotage -- which is the definition of an acquired taste.

On the other hand, the hipsters and social climbers who are always looking for the next groovy thing have discovered zinfandel.in a big way – as in big and alcoholic. They’re touting wines that have as much as 25 percent more alcohol than traditional zinfandels, which makes them almost as boozy as fortified wines like port, Night Train and Thunderbird.

It's entire possible to make lovely, food-friendly wines at 14 percent or less. See any of the Nalle zinfandels, for example. Not to fear, though. The Wine Curmudgeon can shine a light at the end of this tunnel.

Tuesday tidbits 31

• Texas wine winners: It was quite a competition for Brennan Vineyards in Commanche. The winery's 2007 viognier (white wines) and rose (pink wines) were Grand Star winners at the 2008 Lone Star International Wine competition. That means the wines were the best of the best in their categories. The complete list of winners is here.

• Say no to higher alcohol: I popped open a rose the other day, as the temperature reached 100 for the first time this summer. The wine was quite undrinkable, and I dumped it down the drain. The culprit, which I smelled as soon as the cork came off, was the alcohol level -- 14 percent is much too high for a pink wine. Rose is supposed to be refreshing, not hangover inducing. No need to mention the California winery; it knows who it is, and I hope it it knows better next time.

• Wine ice cream: And why not? It's a novelty in upstate New York -- and regulated by the state. Ice cream makers won't need a liquor license, according to a new law, but they can't sell to anyone under 21 and their products can't contain more than 5 percent alcohol.

Technorati Tags: wine ice cream,Texas wine competion awards,high alcohol wine

Wine of the week: Avalon Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Time was, the Avalon was $10. The Wine Curmudgeon used to drink it by the case, buy it for visiting wine types and make them guess how much it cost (one of these days I'll have to share the story about the Avalon and the visiting Australian wine marketer), and recommend it at every opportunity.

It's not $10 any more (closer to $15, though you can find it for $12 every once in a while). But it's still one of the best values in the wine world, with almost all of the rich, fruity character of Napa cabernet at one-half to one-third the price.

How does Avalon do it? For one thing, the company only makes cabernet. For another, it doesn't own land or  touristy production facilities. It's based on the French negociant model, which allows it to keep costs -- and prices -- down.

Serve this with a Father's Day barbecue. Or buy a case and toast Dad with it throughout the year.

Technorati Tags: red wine,cabernet sauvignon,Avalon,Napa Valley,Father's Day

Barefoot wines: Value or just cheap?

Barefoot Cellars wines get a lot more publicity than most inexpensive wines. The $6 cabernet sauvignon and merlot showed up on The Wine Trials' top 100 list. The $6 pinot grigio earned raves last week from the Wall Street Journal's respected wine columnists, John Brecher and Dorothy Gaiter. And the $10 extra dry sparkling wine got a gold medal at the prestigious Dallas Morning News competition this spring.

Is it time for the Wine Curmudgeon to take another look at Barefoot?

Wine of the week: Hey Mambo Sultry Red 2006

Simple, fruity red blends from California are not what they once were. This is upsetting, because  the Wine Curmudgeon appreciates simple and fruity wines quite a bit. Not every occasion requires a $50 bottle of wine. But prices for simple, fruity red blends have gone up or quality has gone down, or both, in the last couple of years.

The Mambo (about $13), though, has remained consistently satisfying. It's a six-grape blend (no cabernet sauvignon or merlot, thankfully) that offers dark fruit and medium tannins. Serve it with Italian food, hamburgers or anything else that requires a simple, fruity wine.

And yes, it has a silly closure called a zork that does seem to do the job -- and without need of a corkscrew.

Technorati Tags: Hey Mambo,California wine,red wine blends,inexpensive wine