Would you like a quick suggestion for a good wine to drink tonight (or this weekend) that won’t break your budget and is widely available? Many of our readers have said this is something they would like, so here is this week’s selection, the 2009 Redwood Creek Mendoza Malbec from the Mendoza region of Argentina.

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

Redwood Creek is one of the brands in the E. & J. Gallo Winery portfolio. E. & J. Gallo Winery, headquartered in Modesto, California, is the world’s largest family-owned winery and the largest exporter of California wine. Sixteen family members spanning three generations of the Gallo family actively work at the winery. Redwood Creek’s winemaker, Cal Dennison, has been making wine for over 25 years. While the winery is located in California, the fruit for this Malbec was sourced from Argentina.

“The Redwood Creek Mendoza Malbec displays cherry and dark blackberry fruit with integrated brown spice and maple oak flavor notes. The wine has a soft texture but full in structure and fruit flavor. The finish is long and plush.” –Redwood Creek

2009 Redwood Creek Mendoza Malbec (Mendoza, Argentina): Deep red in color. Aromatic with blackberry, black cherry and spice on the nose. More black fruits and spice as well as black licorice come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and lively with medium to high tannins and a long, smooth 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 $7.99; Available elsewhere, $6 to $10

Cabernet Franc is generally thought of as the quiet little brother of Cabernet Sauvignon. Some people even refer to it as the “other” Cabernet. However, Cabernet Franc is actually one of the genealogical parents of Cabernet Sauvignon. Originating in Bordeaux, France, Cabernet Sauvignon is a cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc.

Well-known as a blending grape and often used in Bordeaux and Bordeaux-style blends, Cabernet Franc also has attracted a cult-like following for its single varietal wines. It has a similar flavor profile to Cabernet Sauvignon but generally has less tannin, is lighter in color, and tends to be more peppery and vegetal. The Loire Valley of France is known for its Cabernet Franc-based wines including those of Chinon and Bourgueil. In recent years, more wineries in the United States are producing single varietal Cabernet Franc. The weather in the state of Washington seems to be well-suited for Cabernet Franc. In 2008, Seattle Magazine selected Cabernet Franc as the Best Emerging Varietal in their Best of Washington Wine Awards.

“Traditionally known as a blending grape, Cabernet Franc, when grown in Washington—where long warm days allow it to ripen fully—approaches perfection when made into single varietal wines.” –Seattle Magazine

Last Friday, we featured Washington Cabernet Franc in our monthly wine tasting dinner. All six wines paired perfectly with Mom’s dinner of tomato basil soup, candied walnut gorgonzola salad, roasted pork tenderloin, multicolored potatoes with parsley butter, haricot verts (French green beans) with garlic and sliced almonds, and almond raspberry bars for dessert.

The overwhelming consensus favorite was the 2008 Fielding Hills Cabernet Franc. Once again, we were “wow-ed” by this wine. It is the best Cabernet Franc I’ve ever had. This was the second time I gave it a Quality rating of 5 stars (out of 5), both times in a blind tasting. It continues to amaze me the quality that Mike Wade of Fielding Hills is able to achieve across varietals and across vintages. If you have not yet tried any Fielding Hills wines, you definitely need to seek them out.

While the Fielding Hills stood out in this group, the 2007 Gilbert Cellars Cabernet Franc and the 2007 Watermill Winery Estate Cabernet Franc (technically, Watermill is an Oregon winery, but it is located just across the state line from Washington in the Walla Walla Valley AVA) also showed extremely well. And, in fact, we would recommend all six of these wines.

From 1st to last in the group consensus rankings:

2008 Fielding Hills Cabernet Franc (Riverbend Vineyard, Wahluke Slope, Washington): Deep, dark red in color. Gorgeous nose with red and black fruit, floral, herbal, cinnamon, and a hint of bell pepper aromas. Luscious red and black fruits, black cherry, spice box, herbal notes, and a hint of earth come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with crisp acidity and medium to high, drying tannins. Extremely well-balanced and smooth with good complexity and a very long, lingering finish. Still the best Cabernet Franc I’ve ever had. Wow!
Quality: 5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $30; Available elsewhere, $33

2007 Gilbert Cellars Cabernet Franc (Wahluke Slope, Washington): Deep, ruby red. Very aromatic with red fruits and floral notes on the nose. Red fruits, spice, floral notes, and a hint of vegetal flavors come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and lively with medium to high tannins. Well-balanced and smooth with a long finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Wine World (Seattle, Washington), $32; Available elsewhere, $31 to $32

2007 Watermill Winery Estate Cabernet Franc (Walla Walla Valley, Oregon): Deep, dark red. Nice nose with vegetal, bell pepper, red fruit, spice, and Red Vine aromas. More vegetal notes, red fruit, and spice on the palate. Medium-bodied with lively acidity and medium, drying tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $24; Available elsewhere, $24 to $28

2008 Owen Roe Rosa Mystica Cabernet Franc (Yakima Valley, Washington): Deep, garnet red in color. Aromatic with earthy, vegetal, and barnyard aromas. More barnyard and vegetal notes on the palate as well as red fruits. Medium to full-bodied and lively with medium tannins and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Wine World (Seattle, Washington), $44; Available elsewhere, $33 to $47

2008 Willow Crest Cabernet Franc (Minick Vineyard, Yakima Valley, Washington): Medium to deep, ruby red. Nose is a bit tight at first and then Red Vines come through. Flavors of red fruits, spice, and herbal notes. Medium to full-bodied with crisp acidity, medium to high tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Full Pull Wines (Seattle, Washington), $11; Available elsewhere, $13

2008 Barrister Cabernet Franc (Columbia Valley, Washington): Deep, dark ruby red. Jammy red fruits and oak dominate both the nose and palate. Medium to full-bodied and lively with medium tannins, and a medium to long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Wine World (Seattle, Washington), $26; Available elsewhere, $23 to $33

This week’s Wine Word of the Week is pruning.

Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
Pruning of vines involves cutting off unwanted vegetative parts in the form of canes in winter. …. Winter pruning is a vineyard practice developed primarily to produce fewer but larger bunches of riper grapes and is particularly important in cooler climates. More than 85 percent of each year’s shoot growth may be removed. There is an important relationship between vine pruning and vine training, as the pruning method used depends on the training system employed.

Layman’s terms from Kori:
Pruning is a canopy management technique in which portions of the previous season’s growth is removed so that the vine maintains a desired size and shape.

Rodney Strong founded Rodney Strong Vineyards, located in Healdsburg, California, in 1959. Current owner Tom Klein and the Klein family purchased the winery in 1989. In 2005, Klein added a “winery within a winery” concept to the Rodney Strong portfolio to focus on small-lot, artisan winemaking. The debut release from their Single Vineyards line was the 2005 Rockaway Cabernet Sauvignon. It was the first in a series of three single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons. The Brothers Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon debuted the following year with the 2006 vintage. Later this year, the third in the trio of wines will be released, the 2008 Alexander’s Crown Cabernet Sauvignon.

Recently, we had the opportunity to taste the 2007 vintage of both Rockaway and Brothers Ridge in a blind samples tasting. Both wines are very good, but we especially enjoyed the Rockaway.

The fruit for both wines comes from the Alexander Valley in California’s Sonoma County. Rockaway Vineyard is located in the eastern hills of the Alexander Valley, just south of Geyserville. Established in 1994, Rockaway is planted to all five of the classic Bordeaux varieties with the majority being Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Its soil is comprised of gravelly clay subsoil over fractured sandstone. Brothers Ridge is located in the eastern hills of Cloverdale, which is the warmest region of the Alexander Valley. Its 141 acres are planted mostly to Cabernet Sauvignon along with smaller amounts of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Its soil is comprised of well-drained loam with sandstone, shale, and ancient greenstone underneath.

If these Single Vineyards wines are out of your price range, Rodney Strong also offers a lineup of more moderately priced wines that we have found to be good with high QPRs.

2007 Rodney Strong Rockaway Cabernet Sauvignon (Rockaway Vineyard, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California): 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep, dark red in color. Nice nose with black fruit and black pepper aromas. Gorgeous black fruits, black pepper, spice, and licorice come through on the palate. Full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high, drying tannins. Well-balanced and smooth with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $75

2007 Rodney Strong Brothers Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon (Brothers Ridge Vineyard, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California): 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc. Deep, dark purplish red. Aromatic with black fruits and subtle earthy notes on the nose. Black fruits, earth, and a touch of spice on the palate. Full-bodied with lively acidity, high tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $75

Do you enjoy reading about witches, vampires, and daemons? Did you enjoy Harry Potter and Twilight? If you answered “yes” to either of these questions and are a reader of this blog (which means you should be 21 or older), A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness should be on your “must read” list. It is a novel about otherworldly creatures that live alongside humans but will definitely appeal to grown-up readers more than teens. Released last week on February 8th, A Discovery of Witches is already a bestseller, appearing in the #6 position on the Sunday Times Bestseller List in the UK for hardback fiction. As I write this, ADOW also occupies the #3 spot on Barnes & Noble and #4 on Amazon.com.

By now, I’m sure you are wondering why I’m recommending a fiction book about otherworldly creatures here on Wine Peeps. Well, author Deborah Harkness is a friend and fellow wine blogger. She writes as Dr. Debs on her award winning blog, Good Wine Under $20. She is a kindred spirit when it comes to finding wines that deliver excellent QPR. And given her love of wine, it is no surprise that the leading vampire in ADOW is a wine aficionado.

But make no mistake, I would not recommend this book just because Deb is a friend if it was not good. And believe me, this type of book is not a genre I typically read. However, Deb grabbed my attention in Chapter 1 and kept it. Be forewarned though, at 579 pages, ADOW is not a single afternoon read.

In addition to being a wine blogger, Deborah Harkness is a professor of history at the University of Southern California. She has received Fulbright, Guggenheim, and National Humanities Center fellowships, and has written a number of scholarly works. She used her knowledge of magic and science in European History and experience in academia to craft a riveting plot in A Discovery of Witches. This is her debut novel, and the first book in the All Souls trilogy.

Currently, Deb is on a nationwide book tour promoting A Discovery of Witches. For those of you who live here in the Seattle area, she will be at Elliott Bay Book Company on Capitol Hill on Tuesday (February 22nd) at 7pm. Hope to see you there!

Full Disclosure: We received this book as a review copy.

Would you like a quick suggestion for a good wine to drink tonight (or this weekend) that won’t break your budget and is widely available? Many of our readers have said this is something they would like, so here is this week’s selection, the NV Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut from the Columbia Valley of Washington State.

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

The Brut is one of an excellent array of value sparkling wines from Domaine Ste. Michelle. Producing sparkling wines for over thirty years, Domaine Ste. Michelle is one of the largest sparkling wine houses in the United States, producing more than 300,000 cases each year. Rick Casqueiro has been head winemaker since 1994. While this Brut is good enough to celebrate a special occasion, its price point makes it an excellent weeknight or Sunday brunch bubbly.

“Sparkling wine is a wonderful yet often overlooked accompaniment to food. Bright acidity and effervescence cleanses the palate, while the delicate flavors complement a wide array of dishes. Brut pairs very well with Japanese cuisine, my favorite is with sashimi. Sip with bagels and lox for a relaxing weekend brunch.” –Winemaker Rick Casqueiro

NV Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut (Columbia Valley, Washington): 88% Chardonnay and 12% Pinot Noir. Pale, straw yellow in color. Medium, fairly fast bead of bubbles. Nice nose with breadcrumb and yeasty aromas. White peach, lemon, and bread come through on the palate. Dry, medium-bodied and crisp with a long 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 $12; Available elsewhere, $7 to $12

Recently, many of you were so kind to respond to our Wine Peeps Survey. This month’s challenging wine pairing meal came directly as a result of that survey. It was suggested that we try a Thai pairing. We do not eat Thai food regularly so I had to do some research on Thai dishes and decided to prepare Pad See Ew. Pad See Ew (pronounced pad see you) is a noodle dish, preferably prepared with wide rice noodles, which basically means fried with soy sauce. Also, the dish includes meat (beef, chicken, pork) or tofu, a vegetable, and an egg. I used beef and broccoli. I’ve learned that Pad See Ew is a popular street food in Thailand, as well as a popular lunch dish here in the United States. I also found it to be an easy weeknight dinner dish. Another great thing about Pad See Ew, as with most Thai foods, is that it can be seasoned individually to the desired spiciness at the table with various sauces.

The complete menu for this pairing consisted of a Thai curry soup, a tossed green salad with a coconut milk, lime, and soy sauce dressing, and the Pad See Ew. The final step was to determine what wines to pair with the meal. Again, I referred to What to Drink with What You Eat by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page to assist me in making that decision. I decided to go with one white wine and one red wine. We enjoyed the 2009 Dowsett Family Gewurztraminer and the 2007 Dusted Valley Stained Tooth Syrah. Although our meal included beef, for which conventional wisdom would dictate a red wine, the unanimous choice as the best pairing with the Pad See Ew was the Gewurztraminer. The Gewurztraminer really seemed to bring out the flavors of the entire meal from soup to salad to entrée.

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

Bon Appétit!

2009 Dowsett Family Gewurztraminer (Celilo Vineyard, Columbia Gorge, Washington): Pale, greenish straw yellow in color. Nice nose with gorgeous pear and white peach aromas. More pear and white peach as well as floral notes come through on the palate. Slightly off-dry and medium-bodied with crisp acidity. Well-balanced with a long finish. Works extremely well with food, especially spice flavors.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Full Pull Wines (Seattle, Washington), $17.69; Available elsewhere, $21

2007 Dusted Valley Stained Tooth Syrah (Columbia Valley, Washington): Dark purple. Aromatic with dark black fruits, spice, and oak on the nose; more black fruits and oak as well as smoked meat on the palate. Full-bodied with lively acidity, high, drying tannins, and a long finish. Better the longer it’s open.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Full Pull Wines (Seattle, Washington), $17.99; Available elsewhere, $24 to $27

This week’s Wine Word of the Week is non-vintage.

Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
Non-vintage, often abbreviated to NV, is a blended wine, particularly champagne or sparkling wine, which may contain the produce of several different vintages, although in champagne-making practice it is usually substantially based on the most recent vintage, to which some additional ingredients from older years, often called ‘reserve wines’, may be added.

Within the European Union, basic table wine may not be sold with a vintage year on it and is in practice often a blend made throughout the year so that the first blend of the winter season, typically, may contain a mixture of wine from both the new and last year’s vintages.

Layman’s terms from Kori:
Non-vintage refers to a blended wine that is produced from grapes grown in two or more different years. This practice is common in sparkling wine production in order to achieve a house style that is consistent from year to year.

Boudreaux Cellars, located just outside Leavenworth, Washington, was founded by owner/winemaker Rob Newsom in 2001. A Louisiana native, Newsom has lived on the property that is home to both his log home and Boudreaux Cellars since 1981. He began making wine in his garage in 1998 and started building the winery facilities in 2001. Boudreaux currently produces about 2,000 cases per year. We have had the pleasure to get to know Rob and visit with him on a number of occasions. He is truly one of the great personalities in the Washington wine industry. In response to my recent Improve Your Tasting Skills post in which I suggested that readers taste at least one new wine a month, Rob sent me the following message:

Boudreaux says, ‘Taste at least one new wine per day.’

Recently, we had the opportunity to taste six of Boudreaux Cellars’ current releases in a blind samples tasting. Boudreaux Cellars is best known for its Cabernet Sauvignons that are excellent. The 2006 Merlot and 2008 Chardonnay also showed very well.

Since his site is not ideally suited for grape growing, Newsom sources his grapes from many different vineyards around the state. He is a master at blending. Most of his bottles are labeled simply Washington State and lists the vineyard sources for that particular wine.

In addition to making great wines, Boudreaux boasts a spectacular setting along the Icicle River in the Cascade Mountains. Since it is located four miles off the power grid, Boudreaux is the only winery in Washington State that is completely self-powered. Only open by appointment, Boudreaux is well worth a visit.

2006 Boudreaux Cellars Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Washington State): 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Fruit sourced from Champoux and Loess Vineyards. Deep, dark purplish red. Beautiful bouquet with blackberry, black cherry, black pepper, spice, and a hint of floral aromas on the nose. Blackberry, black cherry, licorice, leather, and spice come through on the palate. Full-bodied with crisp acidity and high, drying tannins. Well-balanced with good complexity and a very long, smooth finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $100; Available elsewhere, $100

2006 Boudreaux Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon (Washington State): Deep, dark red. Very aromatic with jammy black fruits on the nose. Fruit-forward with blackberry cobbler, black cherry, and leather on the palate. Full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $50; Available elsewhere, $49

2006 Boudreaux Cellars Merlot (Washington State): 100% Merlot. Fruit sourced from Dionysis, Pepper Bridge, Seven Hills, and Wallula Vineyards. Deep, dark red with slight browning. Very aromatic with black fruits, plum, molasses, and allspice on the nose. More molasses, cinnamon, earth, and black fruits come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with crisp acidity and medium, drying tannins. Well-balanced and smooth with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $40; Available elsewhere, $31

2008 Boudreaux Cellars Chardonnay (Washington State): Unfiltered. Medium, golden yellow in color. Aromatic with butterscotch and vanilla on the nose. Lemon, apple, and butterscotch flavors on the palate. Dry, medium-bodied and very crisp with a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $35

2009 Boudreaux Cellars Riesling (Gamache Vineyard, Washington State): Pale, straw yellow. Aromatic with fresh aromas of white peach and honey. More white peach and Asian pear come through on the palate. Slightly off-dry and light to medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a medium finish with a hint of effervescence on the back end.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $20

2007 Boudreaux Cellars JBO’s Frangio (Desert Hills Vineyard, Washington State): Deep, purplish red in color. Aromatic with red fruit and medicinal aromas. Bright red fruits come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium to high, drying tannins, and a long finish. Takes a while to open up.
Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $50

Would you like a quick suggestion for a good wine to drink tonight (or this weekend) that won’t break your budget and is widely available? Many of our readers have said this is something they would like, so here is this week’s selection, the 2010 Jacob’s Creek Classic Moscato from South Eastern Australia.

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