As you probably know by now, my favorite reference book for pairing information is What to Drink with What You Eat by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page. After looking up wines that pair well with chocolate and wines that pair well with mint, I then compared the two lists and selected two wines that appear on both lists—Cabernet Sauvignon and Moscato d’Asti. When possible, we enjoy trying very different wines in these challenges. And this time, we not only had a red wine versus a white wine but also a still wine versus a dessert. Since we were featuring inexpensive cookies rather than a gourmet entrée, we chose value-priced wines. The unanimous choice for the best pairing with the Thin Mints was the Cabernet Sauvignon. In fact, all four of us believed that the Thin Mints actually enhanced the taste of this particular Cab. On the other hand, while we love Moscato d’Asti, we found it to be too sweet with the Thin Mints.

We’d love for you to share in the comments what you would have paired with these cookies. And, as always, we welcome your suggestions for challenging wine pairings for us to try in the future.

Bon Appétit!

2010 14 Hands Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): Dark purplish red. Lots of oak, smoke, and burnt toast on the nose. Dark chocolate, smoke, black plum, black cherry, and a hint of coffee come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium to high tannins and a medium to long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington) $10.99; Available elsewhere, $8 to $12

2010 Villa Rosa Moscato d’Asti (Moscato d’Asti DOCG, Piedmont, Italy): Pale, greenish straw yellow. Aromatic with white peach and floral notes on the nose. White peach, apricot, and a touch of honey come through on the palate. Semi-sparkling and sweet, almost syrupy. Medium-bodied with lively acidity and a long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington) $11.79; Available elsewhere, $10 to $12

Challenging Wine Pairing: Girl Scout Cookies – Thin Mints was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

We decided to pair the pie with a Tawny Port and a Muscat, specifically the Taylor Fladgate 10 Year Old Tawny Porto and the 2008 Domaine de Durban Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise. Both of these wines were excellent! However, we all thought that the Tawny Port paired best with the German chocolate pie.

We’d love for you to share in the comments what you would have paired with this dessert. And, as always, we welcome your suggestions for challenging wine pairings for us to try in the future.

Bon Appétit!

Taylor Fladgate 10 Year Old Tawny Porto (Douro Valley, Portugal): Deep garnet color. Nice nose with black plum, caramel, and toffee aromas. Black plum, toffee, caramel, honey, and raisin come through on the palate. Medium sweet and medium to full-bodied. Well-balanced with good complexity and a long, smooth finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin Wine Merchants (Seattle, Washington), $28.99; Available elsewhere, $21 to $30

2008 Domaine de Durban Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise (Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise AOC, France): Pale to medium, greenish straw yellow. Very aromatic with honeysuckle, potpourri, and apricot on the nose. More apricot and floral notes come through on the palate. Sweet and medium-bodied with lively acidity. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin Wine Merchants (Seattle, Washington), $17.99 [375ml]; Available elsewhere, $14 to $15

Challenging Wine Pairing: German Chocolate Pie was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Our selection criteria include:

• A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
• A price tag of <=$15
• Must be widely available

I’ve told this story before when writing about a previous vintage of this wine, but it’s a good one so I hope you won’t mind if I tell it again. Our first experience with Nivole came by accident. We were dining at one of the premier steakhouses here in Seattle on a special occasion when the server accidentally spilled a bottle of red wine at our table, splattering everywhere, including all over my husband’s pants. After apologizing profusely to Colby, replacing the wine with a fresh bottle, offering to pay for cleaning the pants, and comping us on the meal, the manager had a bottle of Nivole sent to our table as a dessert wine. It hit the spot then and has continued to hit the spot for us since that time.

Coming from a line of seven generations of grape growers, Michele Chiarlo founded his namesake winery in 1956. Today, Mr. Chiarlo is a leading figure in the Piedmont wine industry. Michele Chiarlo is definitely a family business with Mr. Chiarlo’s sons, Alberto and Stefano, now playing key roles. Alberto directs marketing and sales while Stefano manages vineyard operations and serves as co-winemaker.

The name Nivole, which means “clouds” in the Piedmontese dialect, fits the wine’s light, elegant quality. We’ve tasted and reviewed four different vintages of Nivole, the 2004, 2005, 2007, and 2008. We’ve given each an excellent quality rating of 4 stars (out of 5). So even if you can’t find the 2008 where you live, I wouldn’t hesitate to purchase whichever vintage is available.

2008 Michele Chiarlo Nivole Moscato d’Asti (Piedmont, Italy): Pale, greenish straw yellow semi-sparkling wine. Beautiful nose with fresh, sweet aromas of honey, peach, and dried apricot. More honey, peach, and dried apricot as well as Asian pear come through on the palate. Sweet but not sickeningly sweet. Very crisp and refreshing. Well-balanced with a long finish. The perfect dessert wine (with or without any dessert).
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin (Seattle, Washington), $12.99 [375ml], Available elsewhere, $10 to $16

A Wine for Tonight: 2008 Michele Chiarlo Nivole Moscato d’Asti was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Our selection criteria include:

• A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
• A price tag of <=$15
• Must be widely available

Johann Gramp, a Bavarian immigrant, planted the first commercial vineyard in Australia’s Barossa Valley on the banks of Jacob’s Creek in 1847. In the early 1900’s, the company was registered as G. Gramp & Sons and the Orlando Wines trademark was established. In 1976, Orlando Wines officially launched the Jacob’s Creek brand. Bernard Hickin went to work for Orlando Wines that same year; he was promoted to Chief Winemaker in 2006. This 2010 Moscato is part of the Jacob’s Creek Classic Range of wines. Its semi-sparkling (or frizzante) style makes it a great wine to enjoy as an aperitif or with dessert. It also pairs nicely with popcorn, which makes it a fun option for a stay-at-home movie night.

“Attractive tropical and white peach aromas with undertones of honeysuckle and lemon. Light and refreshing on the palate. The delicate ‘frizzante’ style has a balance of zesty acidity and soft fruit sweetness.” –Jacob’s Creek

2010 Jacob’s Creek Classic Moscato (South Eastern Australia, Australia): Very pale straw yellow with slight green tinges. Nice nose with fresh cut grass and tropical fruit aromas. Tropical fruits, passion fruit, mango, and floral notes come through on the palate. Semi-sparkling and medium sweet. Light to medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a long, refreshing finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $8; Available elsewhere, $5 to $7

A Wine for Tonight: 2010 Jacob’s Creek Classic Moscato was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Due to its close proximity to Seattle, we have visited Woodinville several times in the last month or so. We focused our visits predominately on wineries whose current Woodinville tasting rooms we had not previously visited; although, in many cases, we have tasted their wines at one time or another. In addition to these visits, we also recently had an extended visit and interview with Rod and Leslie Balsley at William Church Winery and attended the Woodinville Wine Country “Taste for the Trade” event in Seattle. We capped off our most recent visit to Woodinville as guests of Chateau Ste. Michelle for a fabulous Harry Connick, Jr. concert that was a part of their Summer Concert Series.

If you haven’t made a Woodinville wine tasting trip yet, I highly encourage you to do so whether you live in Seattle and are looking for a fun afternoon outing or you are vacationing in the area. (Click here for our updated .pdf list of Woodinville wineries/tasting rooms including website, address, phone, and hours.)

Obviously with over 90 wineries and tasting rooms in Woodinville today, it is impossible to visit them all in an afternoon or even a long weekend. However, there are several areas with concentrations of wineries/tasting rooms within Woodinville that makes it easy to focus your visits on different areas. You may want to visit the warehouse district one day, the Hollywood Schoolhouse area another day, and the stand-alones (Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia, Novelty Hill/Januik, etc.) another day. No matter where in Woodinville you are going, if you do not like crowds and would rather avoid the limos carrying bachelorette partygoers, you might want to visit on a day other than Saturday.

Here’s a breakdown of the wines that we tasted during our recent visits to Woodinville. Under each Quality heading, the wine name and region will be listed along with price and QPR rating. Wines in bold type received a QPR rating of 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5).

Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
2008 Hollywood Hill Vineyards Mourvedre, Horse Heaven Hills, $34, QPR: 5
2008 Obelisco Estate Electrum Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain, $60, QPR: 5
2007 Mark Ryan Lonely Heart Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain, $75, QPR: 5
2008 Gorman Winery The Evil Twin Syrah/Cab, Red Mountain, $60, QPR: 4
2007 Gorman Winery The Albatross Cab/Petit Verdot, Red Mountain, $80, QPR: 3

Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
2006 Robert Ramsay Syrah, Horse Heaven Hills, $20, QPR: 5
2008 Alexandria Nicole Quarry Butte (Cab-based blend), Horse Heaven Hills, $20, QPR: 5
2009 Gorman Winery Late Harvest Chenin Blanc, Columbia Valley, $25 [375ml], QPR: 5
2008 Obelisco Estate Tejen Merlot, Red Mountain, $30, QPR: 5
2006 Ross Andrew Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $35, QPR: 5
2007 Robert Ramsay Upland Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Snipes Mountain, $38, QPR: 5
2007 Gorman Winery The Bully Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain, $42, QPR: 5
2007 Ross Andrew Boushey Vineyard Syrah, Yakima Valley, $28, QPR: 4
2006 Chatter Creek Clifton Hill Syrah, Wahluke Slope, $28, QPR: 4
2007 Pepper Bridge Merlot, Walla Walla Valley, $50, QPR: 4
2008 Alexandria Nicole Malbec, Horse Heaven Hills, $38, QPR: 3
2008 JM Cellars Longevity (Bordeaux-style blend), Columbia Valley, $38, QPR: 3
2007 Baer Winery Arctos (Cab-based blend), Columbia Valley, $41, QPR: 3
2008 Gorman Winery The Pixie Syrah, Red Mountain, $42, QPR: 3
2007 Robert Ramsay Mourvedre, Horse Heaven Hills, $42, QPR: 3
2008 Mark Ryan Wild Eyed Syrah, Red Mountain, $45, QPR: 3
2008 Mark Ryan Viognier, Columbia Valley, $28, QPR: 2
2008 Mark Ryan Crazy Mary Mourvedre, Red Mountain, $45, QPR: 2

Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
2008 Alexandria Nicole Steel Horse Sauvignon Blanc, Horse Heaven Hills, $14, QPR: 4
2009 Baer Winery Shard (unoaked Chardonnay), Columbia Valley, $21, QPR: 4
2008 Tempest Sol Syrah, Yakima Valley, $21, QPR: 4
2006 Chatter Creek Lonesome Spring Ranch Syrah, Yakima Valley, $22, QPR: 4
2008 Alexandria Nicole Gravity Merlot, Horse Heaven Hills, $24, QPR: 4
2007 Alexandria Nicole Jet Black Syrah, Columbia Valley, $25, QPR: 4
2008 JM Cellars Merlot, Red Mountain, $35, QPR: 4
2009 Flying Dreams Little Red Rosé, Columbia Valley, $18, QPR: 3
2008 Gecko Malbec, Wahluke Slope, $20, QPR: 3
2008 Mark Ryan Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, $28, QPR: 3
2007 Amavi Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, $28, QPR: 3
2008 Obelisco Estate Tejen Syrah, Red Mountain, $30, QPR: 3
2008 Obelisco Estate Tejen Red Blend, Red Mountain, $30, QPR: 3
2008 Mark Ryan The Dissident Red, Columbia Valley, $32, QPR: 3
2007 Pepper Bridge Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $55, QPR: 3
2006 Pepper Bridge Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $55, QPR: 3
2009 Alexandria Nicole Crawford Viognier, Columbia Valley, $20, QPR: 2
2009 Alexandria Nicole Shepherds Mark (Rouss/Marsanne/Viog), Horse Heaven Hills, $20, QPR: 2
2007 Michael Florentino Tempranillo, Columbia Valley, $28, QPR: 2
2008 Obelisco Estate Tejen Malbec, Red Mountain, $30, QPR: 2
2008 Hollywood Hill Vineyards Grenache, Horse Heaven Hills, $30, QPR: 2
2007 Baer Winery Ursa (Merlot-based blend), Columbia Valley, $35, QPR: 2
2009 Gorman Winery The Big Sissy Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, $35, QPR: 2
2006 JM Cellars Columbia Valley Cuvee (Bordeaux-style blend), Columbia Valley, $35, QPR: 2
2007 Robert Ramsay Boushey Vineyards Syrah, Yakima Valley, $38, QPR: 2
2007 Alexandria Nicole Duck Press Red, Horse Heaven Hills, $38, QPR: 2
2008 Alexandria Nicole Members Only (Rhone-style blend), Horse Heaven Hills, $42, QPR: 1
2007 JM Cellars Nietos (Red blend), Columbia Valley, $55, QPR: 1

Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
2008 Tempest Sol Rosé (Merlot), Columbia Valley, $15, QPR: 4
2007 Gecko Sangiovese, Columbia Valley, $17, QPR: 4
2008 Mark Ryan The Vincent Red Wine, Columbia Valley, $20, QPR: 4
2007 Amavi Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $28, QPR: 4
2009 Convergence Zone Riesling, Yakima Valley, $15, QPR: 3
2003 JM Cellars Syrah, Columbia Valley, $22, QPR: 3
2008 Tempest Sol Dusk (Merlot/Syrah), Yakima Valley, $24, QPR: 3
2006 Ross Andrew Syrah-Cabernet Blend, Columbia Valley, $25, QPR: 3
2009 Gecko Cellars Rosé, Columbia Valley, $15, QPR: 2
2009 Ross Andrew Celilo Vineyard Pinot Gris, Columbia Gorge, $18, QPR: 2
2007 Chatter Creek Viognier, Columbia Valley, $18, QPR: 2
2008 Chatter Creek Grenache, Columbia Valley, $18, QPR: 2
2008 Chatter Creek Orange Muscat, Lonesome Spring Ranch, Yakima Valley, $18, QPR: 2
2008 Gorman Winery Zachary’s Ladder Red Blend, Columbia Valley, $28, QPR: 2
2009 Flying Dreams Coquette Sauvignon Blanc, Spring Creek Vineyard, Columbia Valley, $20, QPR: 1
2009 JM Cellars Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, $35, QPR: 1

Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
2008 Ross Andrew Meadow (Pinot Blanc basically), Willamette Valley (OR), $16, QPR: NR
2009 Tempest Sol Riesling, Yakima Valley, $17, QPR: NR
2007 Michael Florentino Merlot, Columbia Valley, $18, QPR: NR
2009 Lion’s Oak Sauvignon Blanc, Red Mountain, $20, QPR: NR

Exploring Woodinville Wine Country was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Our selection criteria include:

• A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
• A price tag of <=$15
• Must be widely available

Our first experience with Nivole came by accident. We were dining at one of the premier steakhouses here in Seattle on a special occasion when the server accidentally spilled a bottle of red wine at our table, splattering everywhere, including all over my husband’s pants. After apologizing profusely to Colby, replacing the wine with a fresh bottle, offering to pay for cleaning the pants, and comping us on the meal, the manager had a bottle of Nivole sent to our table as a dessert wine.  It hit the spot then and has continued to hit the spot for us since that time.

We’ve tasted and reviewed three different vintages of Nivole, the 2004, 2005, and 2007. We’ve given each an excellent quality rating of 4 stars (out of 5). So even if you can’t find the 2007 where you live, I wouldn’t hesitate to purchase the 2008 or whichever vintage is available. Nivole’s low level of alcohol (usually 5.5-6%) makes it particularly light and fruity on the palate and great for drinking after dinner when higher alcohol wines have already been consumed. The name Nivole, which means “clouds” in the Piedmontese dialect, fits the wine’s light, elegant quality.

Coming from a line of seven generations of grape growers, Michele Chiarlo founded his namesake winery in 1956. Today, Mr. Chiarlo is a leading figure in the Piedmont wine industry. Michele Chiarlo is definitely a family business with Mr. Chiarlo’s sons, Alberto and Stefano, now playing key roles. Alberto directs marketing and sales while Stefano manages vineyard operations and serves as co-winemaker.

2007 Michele Chiarlo Nivole Moscato d’Asti (375 ml): A clear, bright, straw-colored semi-sparkling wine. Exhibits fresh, sweet aromas of apricots and Satsuma oranges. Lots of apricot comes through on the palate. Sweet but not sickeningly sweet. Very crisp and refreshing. The perfect dessert wine (with or without any dessert).
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin (Seattle, Washington), $12.99, Available elsewhere, $10 to $16

A Wine for Tonight: 2007 Michele Chiarlo Nivole Moscato d’Asti was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Today, I’m going to focus on Italy. I’ll have to admit that when I used to think of Italy and wine, I thought of the straw covered bottles of house Chianti served in most Italian restaurants during my young adult days. However, today it is a new ballgame. Today, not only does Italy produce a lot of wine, it produces a lot of good wine, too, with excellent QPRs as well.

Italy received great press and notoriety with their Super Tuscans, jazzing up their Sangiovese with Cabernet Sauvignon and other of the top international varietals. In Tuscany, the revolution spread to Chianti with vast improvements in Chianti and especially Chianti Classico wines. In Piedmont, Barolo and Barbaresco have always been respected, but now you see some good Barbera as well.

The ultimate compliment to Italian wines is that you are seeing so many wine producers in the United States experimenting with Italian varietals such as Sangiovese, Barbera, Pinot Grigio, and even Nebbiolo with varying degrees of success.

In our quest to qualify to join the ranks of the Wine Century Club last year, we tasted a number of Italian wine varietals that we had never tasted before and found several that we really liked to add to our list of Italian favorites. Below is a list of some Italian wines that not only are of very good quality but are good values (high QPRs) as well. (Quality: “x” stars out of 5, QPR: “x” bangs for your buck out of 5)

2001 Vietti Castiglione Barolo $30, Quality: 4, QPR: 5
2001 Felsina Fontalloro IGT (Super Tuscan), $35, Quality: 4, QPR: 4
1999 LaGerla Brunello di Montalcino, $20, Quality: 4, QPR: 5
2005 Pasetti Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, $13, Quality: 4, QPR: 5
2003 Cesari Amarone della Valpolicella, $37, Quality: 4, QPR: 4
2005 Michele Chiarlo Nivole Moscato d’Asti, $10, Quality: 4, QPR: 5

The best thing about Italian wines is that they pair so well with food and not just with Italian food. The crisp acidity of the whites and the tanginess of the reds make some of the most food-friendly wine anywhere. And everyone I’ve known that has visited Italy says that Italian wine country is one of the best tourist destinations in the world. It’s on our short list of future wine trips. If you go before we do, let us know what you think.

(Photo from Vietti)

Who is #1 in Wine? Italy Makes their Claim was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

1. While Texas is producing quite a few good wines, we were disappointed not to find at least one great wine on this trip.
2. Becker, Driftwood Estate, and Texas Hills remain our three favorite wineries from this trip, although Pillar Bluff had maybe the single best wine and Fall Creek had some good value (high QPR) wines.
3. Several factors seem to me to be keeping Texas from moving into the elite class of wine producing areas:
   • Pierce’s Disease is wrecking havoc in many Texas vineyards.
   • Erratic weather in the form of late freezes, hail, and even floods are causing producers to have smaller than normal crops in too many years for Texas to be able to produce the string of good vintages that is necessary to establish coveted terroir.
   • Because of the weather issues mentioned above, too many Texas producers are selling wines made from California, Washington, New Mexico, and even Australia grapes.
   • It is difficult to find Texas wines outside of Texas, and almost every Texas winery seems to have a different interpretation of wine shipping laws.
4. Despite the caveats mentioned above, I will stick with the conclusion I reached after last year’s visit to several Texas High Plains wineries that Texas is doing the best job of the states outside of the big four of California, Washington, Oregon, and New York.

Here’s a breakdown of all of the wines that we have tasted on this trip made with Texas grapes. Under each Quality heading, the wine name will be listed along with price and QPR rating. Wines in bold type received a QPR rating of 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5).

Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
2006 Driftwood Estate Syrah, $18, QPR: 5
2006 Pillar Bluff Boar Doe Red Wine, $21.55, QPR: 5
2007 Becker Vintage Port, $21.95, QPR: 5
2005 Lost Creek Buddy’s Select (Cab/Merlot/Shiraz), $22.95, QPR: 5
2007 Texas Hills KICK BUTT Cab, $25, QPR: 5
NV Dry Comal Creek 1096 Port (Black Spanish estate grapes), $75, QPR: 2

Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
2008 Fall Creek Chenin Blanc, $6.99, QPR: 5
NV Fall Creek White Riesling, $8.99, QPR: 5
2005 Sister Creek Merlot, $15.25, QPR: 5
2005 Texas Hills KICK BUTT Cab, $17.50, QPR: 5
2006 Driftwood Estate Super Texan (88% Sangiovese, 12% Merlot), $18, QPR: 5
2006 Driftwood Estate Lone Star Cab, $18, QPR: 5
2006 Texas Hills Port Rubino, $19.95, QPR: 5
NV Pillar Bluff Ruby Port, $20.61, QPR: 5
2002 Alamosa Texas Port (Grenache), $24, QPR: 5
2006 Becker Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, $24.95, QPR: 5
2007 Becker Chenin Blanc, $12.95, QPR: 4
2007 Becker Claret, $16.95, QPR: 4
2007 Becker Prairie Rotie, $16.95, QPR: 4
NV Flat Creek Buckin’ Horse Red, $17.95, QPR: 4
2007 Texas Hills Syrah, $19.95, QPR: 4
2004 Lost Creek Buddy’s Blend (Cab/Merlot/Shiraz), $20.95, QPR: 4
2007 Woodrose Zinfandel, Willmuth Vineyards, $21.95, QPR: 4
2007 Mandola Estate Zinfandel, $24, QPR: 4
NV Grape Creek Port, $29.95, QPR: 4
NV Flat Creek Mistella (fortified Muscat Canelli), $34.95, QPR: 4
2005 Texas Hills Orange Moscato, $17.50, QPR: 3
NV Flat Creek Buckin’ Horse White Viognier, $17.95, QPR: 3
2007Grape Creek Cabernet/Syrah, $26.95, QPR: 3
2005 Torre di Pietra Claret, $27.95, QPR: 3
NV Torre di Pietra Tango Port (Primitivo), $49.95, QPR: 3
2007 Pedernales Stonewall Viognier, $18.00, QPR: 2
NV Torre di Pietra Rosa Flamenco, $18.95, QPR: 2
2001 Alamosa El Guapo Grande Tempranillo, $28, QPR: 2
2006 Alamosa Palette Red Rhone Blend, $30, QPR: 2
2008 Dry Comal Creek Black Spanish (estate grapes), $30.99, QPR: 2
2006 Alamosa Scissortail (Marsanne/Viognier/Roussanne), $26, QPR: 1
2007 Pedernales Cellars Family Reserve, $49.00, QPR: 1

Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
2007 Spicewood Sweet Bluebonnet Flush (89% Merlot, 11% Cab), $9.99, QPR: 5
NV Fall Creek Granite Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, $9.99, QPR: 5
NV Fall Creek Merlot, $11.99, QPR: 5
2004 Texas Hills Cabernet Sauvignon, $14.95, QPR: 5
2002 McReynolds Wines Cabernet Sauvignon, $15, QPR: 5
2007 Texas Legato Cabernet Sauvignon, $17.95, QPR: 5
NV Alamosa Texas Port (Sangiovese), $18, QPR: 5
2007 Fall Creek Mission Sauvignon Blanc, $9.99, QPR: 4
2005 Texas Hills Syrah, $13.95, QPR: 4
2006 Driftwood Estate Longhorn Red, $18, QPR: 4
NV Fredericksburg Bach Burgundy, $18.95, QPR: 4
2007 Texas Legato Family Reunion Red Wine, $19.95, QPR: 4
2006 Flat Creek Super Texan (Sangiovese/Cab/Merlot), $19.95, QPR: 4
2007 Pedernales Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, $25.00, QPR: 4
2006 Stone House Scheming Beagle Port (Norton), $26.95, QPR: 4
NV Flat Creek Ruby Port, $29.95, QPR: 4
2007 Fall Creek Viognier, $12.99, QPR: 3
2008 Becker Viognier, $14.95, QPR: 3
NV Fall Creek Muscat Canelli, $14.99, QPR: 3
2007 Pillar Bluff Chardonnay, $18.74, QPR: 3
NV Torre di Pietra Texas Dirty Girl, $18.95, QPR: 3
2007 Grape Creek Merlot, $19.95, QPR: 3
2005 Alamosa Syrah Tio Pancho Ranch, $20, QPR: 3
2006 McReynolds Wines Merlot, $20, QPR: 3
2005 Messina Hof Private Reserve Cabernet Franc, $22, QPR: 3
2006 Messina Hof Private Reserve Tex-Zin, $22, QPR: 3
2007 Mandola Estate SPINO’-Montepulciano, $26, QPR: 3
2008 Alamosa Amigo White High Valley Vineyard, $15, QPR: 2
2008 Flat Creek Muscato D’ Arancia, $16.95, QPR: 2
2005 Lost Creek Blanc du Bois, $17.50, QPR: 2
2007 Mandola Estate Canto Felice, $18, QPR: 2
2005 Fredericksburg Merlot, $24.95, QPR: 2
2006 Woodrose Merlot, Hendericks Vineyards, $24.95, QPR: 2
NV Torre di Pietra Porto Blanco, $49.95, QPR: 2
2004 Alamosa El Guapo Tempranillo, $18, QPR: 1
NV Torre di Pietra Red Flirt (Cab/Syrah), $18.95, QPR: 1
2008 Driftwood Estate Cuve Blanc, $20, QPR: 1
2007 Torre di Pietra Texas Chenin Blanc, $21.95, QPR: 1
2008 Torre di Pietra Blanc du Bois, $21.95, QPR: 1
2008 Woodrose Texas Rain (Rose), Tanglewood Vineyards, $21.95, QPR: 1
2007 Alamosa Scissortail (Marsanne/Roussanne/Viognier), $22, QPR: 1
2006 Stone House Claros (Norton), $23.95, QPR: 1
2006 Torre di Pietra Mataro (Mourvedre), $24.95, QPR: 1
2007 TORO di Tejas (Tempranillo), $25, QPR: 1
2003 Fredericksburg Texitage, $34.50, QPR: 1

Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
NV Comfort Cellars Jalapeno Wine, $9.95, QPR: NR
NV Fall Creek Ed’s Smooth Red, $9.99, QPR: NR
2007 Fall Creek Mission Cabernet Sauvignon, $9.99, QPR: NR
2007 Spicewood Cabernet Claret, $9.99, QPR: NR
2007 Pillar Bluff Founder’s Red, $13.12, QPR: NR
2007 Spicewood Estate Chardonnay, $13.99, QPR: NR
2007 Texas Hills Pinot Grigio, $14.95, QPR: NR
2005 McReynolds Wines Chardonnay, $15, QPR: NR
2002 McReynolds Wines Merlot, $15, QPR: NR
2008 Pedernales Cellars Garnacha Rose, $15.00, QPR: NR
2007 Flat Creek Muscato Blanco, $16.95, QPR: NR
2008 Grape Creek Cuvee Blanc, $16.95, QPR: NR
2006 Mandola Estate Viognier, $18, QPR: NR
NV Torre di Pietra Classico, $18.95, QPR: NR
2005 Lost Creek Chardonnay (no oak), $19.95, QPR: NR
2004 Fredericksburg Rose of Cab, $19.95, QPR: NR
2007 Texas Legato Malbec, $19.95, QPR: NR
NV Texas Legato Sojourn Port, $19.95, QPR: NR
2008 Pedernales Cellars Vino Blanco, $20.00, QPR: NR
2005 Messina Hof Private Reflections (60% Cab Franc), $22, QPR: NR
2008 Woodrose Blanc du Bois, Tanglewood Vineyards, $23.95, QPR: NR
2007 Mandola Estate Dolcetto, $26, QPR: NR
2007 Woodrose Cabernet Sauvignon-Syrah, $26.95, QPR: NR
2007 Pedernales Cellars Tempranillo, $29.00, QPR: NR
2005 Torre di Pietra Sangiovese, $29.95, QPR: NR
2002 Comfort Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, $29.95, QPR: NR
2005 Torre di Pietra Touriga Nacional, $39.95, QPR: NR

Quality: 2 stars (out of 5)
2004 McReynolds Wines Merlot (76% Merlot, 24% Sangiovese), $10, QPR: NR
NV Comfort Cellars Chenin Blanc, $12.95, QPR: NR
2004 Cinque Vino Rosso, $12.95, QPR: NR
NV Comfort Cellars Orange Chardonnay, $14.95, QPR: NR
2008 Pillar Bluff Chenin Blanc, $14.99, QPR: NR
2007 Texas Legato Merlot, $15.95, QPR: NR
NV Fredericksburg Corderillas, $15.95, QPR: NR
2004 Alamosa Texaxaia (Sangiovese/Syrah/Tempranillo), $16, QPR: NR
2007 Grape Creek Viognier, $16.95, QPR: NR
2002 Comfort Cellars Pinot Noir, $18.95, QPR: NR
2005 Torre di Pietra Carignane, $18.95, QPR: NR
NV Fredericksburg F & N, $18.95, QPR: NR
2007 Texas Hills Rousanne, $19.95, QPR: NR
NV Comfort Cellars Sweet Rojo (Muscat/Merlot), $19.95, QPR: NR
2008 Texas Legato Sweet Peggy Sue White, $19.95, QPR: NR
2005 Messina Hof Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, $22, QPR: NR
2007 Mandola Estate Sangiovese, $24, QPR: NR

Texas Wine Country 2009, Part Two and Recap was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

1. Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay
2. Beringer Vineyards White Zinfandel
3. Cavit Pinot Grigio Italy
4. Sutter Home White Zinfandel
5. Inglenook Chablis
6. Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio Italy
7. Yellow Tail Chardonnay Australia
8. Copperidge Chardonnay
9. Yellow Tail Shiraz Australia
10. Franzia Winetaps Vintner Select White Zinfandel

Are you as shocked as I was when you read this list? Three White Zins. Only one red wine. I have a hard time envisioning any of our readers rushing out to buy these and especially not at restaurant prices. While the average retail price of these wines is only $6.50, restaurant customers buying these wines are paying two to three times that amount and buying these wines by the truckload. Unbelievable!

If you have been buying these wines, I won’t tell anyone; but let me make a couple of suggestions:

1. If you have to buy them, don’t buy them at a restaurant.
2. Broaden your horizons. Try more different varietals, both red and white.
3. Try some of the wines I’ve listed below. They are excellent wines that retail for $10 or less:

In these tough economic times, more and more of us are buying less and less wine at restaurants, and instead buying a bottle at a wine shop and taking it home to drink with our meal and/or sip by a fire. But if you still plan to have wine when dining out, you might want to refer back to our Ordering wine at a restaurant post for some helpful tips.

Good Alternatives to America’s Most Popular Restaurant Wines was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

We started out at Groot Constantia Estate, established in 1685. It was the only one of the five wine farms we visited that charged a tasting fee. The Constantia Valley is known primarily for its white wines, especially Sauvignon Blanc and Muscat dessert wine, but I actually thought a couple of their reds were better than their whites.

Our second stop was at Constantia Uitsig, the youngest wine farm that we visited but a producer of two of the best white wines that we tasted on this day trip. Constantia Uitsig was the site of the recent celebration of the 350th wine vintage in South Africa.

The third stop on our tour was Steenberg Vineyards, a Graham Beck property, founded in 1682. While the setting was beautiful and the service was great, the overall quality of the wines was the least of the five, although they did have a decent Shiraz.

Next we visited the famous Klein Constantia Estate, home of the most famous wine in the world in the 1700’s, the Vin de Constance (sweet Muscat). The tasting room hostess told us about a recent tasting of a bottle of Vin de Constance over 200 years old that was still in good drinking condition. Klein Constantia was the most impressive facility we saw in the Constantia Valley, combining the old and the new in impressive fashion. They may have also had the best overall wine lineup of the five, with no real clunkers. My two favorites were a Cab/Shiraz blend and the 2004 Vin de Constance.

Our final stop was at Buitenverwachting, established in 1796. It is a very old wine farm kept in excellent condition by owner Richard Mueller and his wife Christine. We had the opportunity to visit with Richard and get some of the interesting history of Buitenverwachting first hand. Buitenverwachting means “Beyond Expectation” in English, so their wine is labeled “Beyond” in the U.S. They also had a generally good set of wines as you will see in the ratings list below.

After completing the wine farm visits in the early afternoon, we had a leisurely and delicious three course lunch at Buitenverwachting Restaurant in a glass-enclosed terrace overlooking the vineyards with the mountains in the distance. It was an excellent ending to a great first day in South Africa’s wine country.

Please remember from my previous post on South African wines that because we are buying wines here at South African prices based on the rand (R), we decided that it would be misleading and of little value to our core constituency of readers in the U.S. to calculate a QPR rating unless it is a wine we can buy in the U.S. and is of good enough quality to want to buy. Therefore, for the purposes of the wine reviews on this trip, I will only calculate a QPR rating on a wine which I have given a Quality rating of 4 stars (out of 5) or higher and if I can find a U.S. vendor and price on which to base the QPR calculation. Wines that meet these criteria will be set apart from the others by bold type. Otherwise I’ll denote the QPR as Not Calculated (NC) if the Quality rating is 3 stars or higher or Not Recommended (NR) if the Quality rating is less than 3 stars.

Here’s a breakdown of the wines that we tasted in the Constantia Valley:

Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
2004 Klein Constantia Vin de Constance (sweet Muscat), R330, QPR: 4 [Sherry-Lehmann (New York), $46.95]
2008 Constantia Uitsig Sauvignon Blanc, R80, QPR: NC
2006 Buitenverwachting 1769 (Muscat), R80, QPR: NC
2007 Constantia Uitsig Constantia White, R112, QPR: NC
2006 Klein Constantia Anwilka (Cab/Shiraz), R190, QPR: NC
2005 Buitenverwachting Christine (Bordeaux blend), R200, QPR: NC

Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
2007 Klein Constantia KC Rose’, R38, QPR: NC
2008 Buitenverwachting Sauvignon Blanc H.V., R75, QPR: NC
2005 Groot Constantia Cape Ruby Port, R75, QPR: NC
2008 Klein Constantia Sauvignon Blanc, R85, QPR: NC
2006 Groot Constantia Shiraz, R91, QPR: NC
2007 Steenberg Shiraz, R110, QPR: NC
2006 Klein Constantia Marlbrook, R150, QPR: NC
2005 Groot Constantia Gouverneurs Reserve (Bordeaux blend), R175, QPR: NC

Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
2005 Buitenverwachting Meifort (Bordeaux blend), R50, QPR: NC
2008 Groot Constantia Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc, R52, QPR: NC
2008 Buitenverwachting Sauvignon Blanc, R63, QPR: NC
2008 Groot Constantia Sauvignon Blanc, R72, QPR: NC
2008 Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc, R82, QPR: NC
2007 Klein Constantia Rhine Riesling, R85, QPR: NC
2007 Steenberg Shiraz, R110, QPR: NC
2007 Steenberg Shiraz, R110, QPR: NC
2006 Klein Constantia Cabernet Sauvignon, R120, QPR: NC
2008 Steenberg Merlot, R125, QPR: NC

Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
2008 Klein Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc, R42, QPR: NR
2007 Groot Constantia Constantia Rood, R56, QPR: NR
2008 Constantia Uitsig Chardonnay (unwooded), R72, QPR: NR
2004 Buitenverwachting Cabernet Sauvignon, R85, QPR: NR
2006 Groot Constantia Merlot, R91, QPR: NR
2007 Groot Constantia Gouveneurs Chardonnay, R94, QPR: NR
2006 Groot Constantia Cabernet Sauvignon, R102, QPR: NR
NV Steenberg Brut 1682 Sparkling Wine, R105, QPR: NR
2004 Constantia Uitsig Constantia Red, R120, QPR: NR

Quality: 2 stars (out of 5)
2008 Klein Steenberg Rose’, R42, QPR: NR
2006 Klein Steenberg Bordeaux Blend, R55, QPR: NR

South Africa: Wines of Constantia Valley was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.