Speaking of Two Buck Chuck

I am sure the two buck charles has been done to death, however I had to include it since I am on a budget and this site makes us no money!

The 2005 Chardonnay from Trader Joes was my victim.

This wine could never be confused with a good bottle of wine in a million years. It lacks body, character, and oooomph. On the other hand I can understand the popularity as it is very sweet and unobtrusive. There are strong samples of pear and possibly lemon. This wine more closely resembles a champagne (minus the carbonation) then a chardonnay. It even has the pseudo I can’t believe it’s not butter aftertaste at the end.
I give it a 7.5 for value when used at the appropriate event/location. It is a 4.5 for taste. As such a cheap and sweet buzz, I am surprised that it hasn’t been picked up by the 18 but I think I am 27 crowd. Charles Shaw could really start a thriving campaign marketing to teens.

Please stay tuned for a taste of the cheap contest. We here at vinofriend.com plan to have a little blind taste test of all the cheapest wines to see who wins out.

Oktoberfest 2006!

San Francisco hosts an Oktoberfest bash every year at Fort Mason in Mid October... and this year I went. And I went big.
First of all, if not for the beer, then for the shennanigans, one must go to Oktoberfest. And even better would be for the fact that you can drink red wine in a giant beer stein and it's totally acceptable. You better believe I did just that.

I had a tasty cabernet-merlot blend that was probably the German equivalent of two Buck Chuck in the states... but that was ok. It held its own quite well. It had a full flavor--probably the cabernet side, with a smooth finish--the merlot side. Either way it was delish and got the job done: "Ich bin dicht!" (I am f***ed up!).

Echelon Syrah Versus Peter Lehmann Shiraz

For those that don’t know, the Shiraz is just the Australian word for Syrah. I thought it would a fun idea to pit these two well know wines against each other while paired with a syrah smothered steak.

We used a savory recipe meant for a port but wisely substituted for a soft but sweet Echelon Syrah. You would think the San Luis Obispo made Echelon would have the advantage being paired with a sauce of it’s kind, however the results were conclusive. The Australian Shiraz gave a much more enriching flavor and experience.

The 2002 Clarksburg Echelon Syrah was sweet with plum and blackberry but relatively thin. It just couldn’t stand up to the steak. My wife liked the sweetness and claimed it would have been a better test with a pork loin. I would give it a 7.5 on the Griffin Scale for taste (when pair appropriately). A 7 on the scale for value. This bottle can be found for as low as $6 and is a good addition at that price.

The 2003 Lehmann Shiraz was far more robust and had a thick oak base with a chocolate background. The finish was long yet lacked the normal spices associated with a cab or a syrah. It really lets you enjoy the full extent of your steak. I give it an 8.5 on the Griffin Scale for taste and an 7 for value. A superior vintage for 2002 can be found here:
Peter Lehmann 2002 Shiraz

Some Changes to the Site!

We've made some exciting changes to the site. The effort is to make this a fun place to visit. Eventually this site could be more than just a blog but a wine shopping portal.

The first change is to allow open comments. This means that you do not have to be a registered blogger to comment. I will still moderate for now to prevent spam and obsenities, however now you can be anonymous and leave us feedback, questions, or recommendations.

The second is that we are opening this blog to posts by our readers and fans! We want good content and will create as much as we can, however we also look for outside opinions. We will likely participate in some carnivals to get cross traffic. We will also give back links to those that provide us content as they deserve it!

The third change is that we do have a few sponsers. There is never obligation to use our sponsers (wine.com and winemessenger.com). If you are going to buy wine online anyway, then we can occasionally pass on to you discounts and offers they give us!

Some Links on savings and offers:

Save 10% on Gift Baskets at Wine.com using Promo Code OCTFALL

Free Gift with purchase using igift3 or Free Shipping on a Full Case of Wine-use code iship3 at checkout

2006 Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival

This festival has quickly become my favorite overcrowded event on the San Francisco Peninsula. The pumpkin pancakes and pie are a must!

The Half Moon Bay winery and half moon bay brewery are a few of the sponsors of the event and have multiple booths at key locations. Both charge about 10 bucks for a commemorative glass/mug with their specialty. The wine glass was just ugly with a nasty orange frosted stem. I preferred the mug. My wife even went so far as to ask if we could pay for the mug and substitute a glass worth of wine but they were unaccommodating. Instead I went with the Mavericks Pale Ale Oktoberfest version.

I sat down on a cloudy but lively Saturday afternoon holding a corndog with a ¼ inch thick batter. Nothing could have fit more perfect to wash it down than the Pale Ale with the not so subtle hint of pumpkin. I don’t drink beer that often these days, but sometimes you have to part from the wine. As a side note, Half Moon Bay Brewery is a terrific atmosphere to relax with friends. They have lots of outdoor seating with fire pits (bring warm clothes). They often host interesting country and jazz bands in their cozy bar. The restaurant itself is lively with views of the marina and food that satisfies the appetite.

Won't you be my Ballentine?

Wow that's a lot of cheese for just a bottle of wine. I probably could have gotten away with a title like that in February but...

This time I decided to try my luck with a highly rated and normally moderately priced wine at Cost Plus World Market. The 2002 Old Vines Ballentine Zinfandel was a silver medal winner at the recent 2006 San Francisco Wine Competition. Normally priced at $16 to $20 just about everywhere, I found it a steal at $7.99. I just had to get it.

The aroma was delightfully deep with rich cherry and cranberry. The taste was smooth and crisp for a red with a spicy finish. The only complaint I had was that there seemed to be a bit too much raspberry which created a hint of cough syrup hangover. I can see how this wine would be liked by many as it gives multiple facets with none being offensive. I would suggest that you pair it with a lightly seasoned red meat as it provides plenty of spice which may not mesh with some marinades or seasonings. No cheese needed as I provided plenty with the title above ;-).

Overall I would give it a 6.5 on the Griffin scale for taste and an 8 for value (at 7.99).

Italian Delight only in Northern California

It seems almost blasphemous to buy Italian wine in Northern California, however the Bianco Di Annibale is a real find at only 7.99. It’s exclusive to A. G. Ferrari which is a small Italian market only in Norcal.

This Tuscan white has proven to be a real chameleon. The fun comes from its ability to change in relation to the food. The first sip had a medium body with a warm buttery touch. After a little chicken, the taste switched to a sweet plum. Finally with a vinaigrette salad and a bit of time and the final sips were a tart citrus.

I truly enjoyed this wine, not because it had any great tastes, but because it play several parts well. I wasn’t aware of the price until after I had sampled and was surprised that it was such a value. I would definitely journey with this bottle of vino again in the future.

Thanks for the bottle Kinman! I give it a 6 on the griffin scale for taste, and a 7.5 for value. If there was a fun factor on the scale then it would get an 8. Hmm… something to implement? Let me know!

Louis M. Martini

My favorite cabernet Sauvignon is Louis M. Martini. Louis M. Martini specializes in cabernet and the wine is medium-full bodied with delicate layers, none of which are overpowering but blend into each other. The wine has a spicy side and a smooth side (think Justin Timberlake meets Tony Bennett... or Angelina Joli meets Liv Tyler...)

I was introduced to this label by a friend of mine in Sacramento whose roommate worked at a restaurant and had connections to a cheap CASE of this...and it was well worth buying the case. But if you're going to go traditional retail, Louis M. isn't pricey, usually ranging from $12-17 depending on where you go.

The downside? It won't last long. If you're just popping open a bottle for a single glass for yourself, don't do it. Wait until you can finish the bottle in one or two nights cause it doesn't sit well long. If you need a single serving every now and again, I would suggest Two Buck Chuck. If you have to waste it, it won't be a huge loss and it sits well. I opened a bottle of Merlot about a week ago and it's still going strong... well, maybe not strong but it's still going.

Bargain or Bar-loss?

The strategy was simple. Find the most heavily discounted wine at Safeway and see if it was a deal. My victim lay at the bottom of the chardonnay shelf. A heavily-reduced priced wine by Red Diamond of Washington.

The normal price was 12.99. Safeway had an unusal tag where it was going for only 5.09. Definitely worth a shot.

At 13 bucks red diamond leaves a lot to be desired. The initial wave of flavor was more like a trickle. The flavor aray was basic. Grape. The ending bite was fun but lacked staying power.

I would suggest it as an inexpensive gift to a party you don't care about (i.e. a dinner where you hardly know the host nor care to). I give it a 4 on the griffin scale for taste and a 5.5 for value.