5 Wine Steals to Buy Right Now - Wine of the Week

by Gretchen Roberts, Posted Apr 20th 2009 @ 3:00PM

For those who just did their taxes and are feeling a bit cash-poor, budget wines may be on the brain. Here are five wines that really deliver for the price.

1. Pacific Rim Sweet Riesling 2007 ($9). Normally I'm not a big sweet Riesling fan, but I brought this bottle to Easter dinner at a friend's house, where some of the diners prefer sweet wine. Sweet Riesling is a knockout with ham, and this Pacific Rim (at right) really delivered. My problem with most sweet Rieslings is their flabbiness, but this brand has an underlying backbone of acidity that perfectly balances the sugar. Riesling is a great spring wine with its aromatic bouquet that recalls the apple blossoms blooming in the northeast. At $9, it's a steal.

2. Graffigna Pinot Grigio 2008 ($13). Pinot Grigio has a bad rep as a wine without much character, but this Argentinian version turns that idea on its head. Its nose has a heady fragrance of flowers and peaches and the wine itself is zingy with a peachy taste. It's a dry vino, but so fruity it tastes almost sweet.

3. Korbel Brut Rose ($11): Lots of wine snobs dismiss Korbel, but I happen to think the Brut Rosé is one of the best sparkling values out there. It's a perfect aperitif, the kind of wine you hand your guests when they're walking in the door and dinner isn't quite ready -- it's like giving them a glass of strawberries to sip before dinner is served.

4. Castello Monachi Salice Salentino 2006 ($13): Hailing from Puglia in the heel of Italy's boot, this blend of 80 percent Negroamaro and 20 percent Malvasia Nero is dark, leathery and earthy with a typically slightly bitter Negroamaro finish. It's a very food-friendly red with high acidity and earthiness that seems to vanish into fruitiness when paired it with a red-sauced pasta dish or veal. Oh, and did I mention that Robert Parker gave this wine 90 points?

5. Castell del Remei Gotim Bru 2005 ($12): This Spanish blend of Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Garnacha is another surprise 90-pointer, this time from the International Wine Cellar. If you're ready to bust out the grill, this deep, dark wine will go perfectly with grilled red meat.

Got any favorite tax-time value wines? Spill in the comments!

Filed Under: Wine of the Week, Drink Recipes, Drinks
Tags: budget, champagne, wine, wine of the week

Chew on This

Royal Wedding Cake Details Revealed! - YumSugar

Make Your Own Pop Tarts - CHOW
Denny's Introduces a Maple Bacon Sundae - Eater
Whole Foods Opening Bars in Stores - USA Today
Rules Of Bar Etiquette -- For The Bartender - HuffPost Food

Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

4-20-2009 @4:54PM Kat Kinsman said... Curious - was the Pacific Rim previously a Bonny Doon, but spun off? I know they did that with Big House and a couple of others. Is it the case here as well?

Reply

Vote upVote downReport

4-20-2009 @6:34PM Gretchen Roberts said... Yep, Pacific Rim is (was?) a Bonny Doon brand. Can't tell if it still is--I know they moved operations to Washington but the part about whether they're now independent is vague. From the website: First released by Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon Vineyard in 1992, Pacific Rim Dry Riesling quickly gained a loyal following among Riesling lovers....In August of 2006, a small band of Bonny Doon expats moved to the Northwest from California with a common desire to craft the best Riesling in America... thus, Pacific Rim became its own winery.
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

4-21-2009 @1:03PM Shawn Bavaresco said... Gretchen -- I'm with Pacific Rim winery and I thought I could further clarify the question from your reader Kat Kinsman. Pacific Rim is a "spin off" from Bonny Doon but is still owned and supervised by Randall Grahm. Randall started the Pacific Rim brand in 1992. About three years ago Randall sold (and is no longer involved with) the Big House and Cardinal Zin brands. Because Riesling has been experiencing a true renaissance, Randall felt that to provide the brand the best opportunity to thrive, Pacific Rim should be its own brand separate from Bonny Doon (but again...still owned and supervised by Randall). In kind (following the sale of Big House and Cardinal Zin), Bonny Doon returned to it's boutique, premium roots with an emphasis on crafting fine biodynamic wines. I hope this helps. Thanks for your support of our Sweet Riesling. And remember...Riesling Rules....Shawn
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

4-21-2009 @1:30PM Kat Kinsman said... Shawn - thank you. I'm a longtime Bonny Doon devotee and DEWN member, and Pacific Rim Riesling is my go-to Chinese and Thai take-out wine. Glad to know Riesling is getting its due, and thrilled that P.R.R. still has Randall's imprimatur.
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

4-21-2009 @2:26PM Shawn Bavaresco said... Kat -- Thanks so much for your support of our wines. If you're passionate about Riesling (and it seems that you are), we offer a free, illustrated Riesling Rules book on our website...The book covers a range of topics from food pairing to growing regions to global producers. The book is available free for anyone and can be ordered at www.rieslingrules.com. Best....Shawn
Reply