More often than not, a patio pounder – no food pairing necessary and retailing at a cheap price – is a chilled, crisp white wine. But what is a red-wine lover to do? I recently sipped two extremely affordable red wines that cost less than $7 a bottle.
René Barbier Mediterranean Red Wine (Catalunya, Spain, $5) is a blend of Tempranillo and Merlot, and due to its spicy notes would be great with take-out pizza or pizza on the grill. A hint of licorice on the finish as well as vanilla laced with black fruit makes it a soft, approachable wine. (www.renenbarbierusa.com)
.jpg)
Pepperwood Grove Groovy Green Bottle Pinot Noir (Valle Central, Chile, $7) is an excellent value, with silkiness on the end of the palate that not all Pinot Noirs possess, along with red fruit (mostly cranberries) that’s not overpowering yet peaks to present tart cherries on the finish before sliding into light tannins. Side note: there’s a Zork enclosure on this wine that I find to be, dare I say, groovy. (www.donandsons.com/ourwine/pepperwoodgrove)
WINE EVENT OF THE WEEK
Have you been inside the new Glorioso’s Italian Market on Brady Street? Each time I drop in for my Italian-foods fix (salted-caramel gelato, muffalotta sandwiches, you name it!) I’m still fascinated at the bright, airy new space, a major improvement from the cramped but charming storefront that was Glorioso’s home for many decades. Tonight (June 21) is its Summer Wine Tasting when more than 40 wines will be uncorked – and as you might suspect, most will be Italian (I hear a few American craft beers will be poured too). For a $35 admission fee (includes a $10 credit towards wine purchases and a Riedel wine glass to keep) you get to not only taste the wines but sample food prepared by Glorioso’s and, like I said, if you haven’t checked out the new establishment, what are you waiting for? Call 414-272-0540 to sign up.
WINE DEAL OF THE WEEK
In the mood for a drive to the lake? Jaclyn Stuart, a California native who cut her teeth in Wisconsin’s wine world as a sommelier at the American Club and Indulge, and continues to consult for Margaux in Sheboygan, recently opened her own wine shop in Elkhart Lake. At Vintage Elkhart Lake she’s got 30 bottles of wine priced under $14, a perfect excuse to browse through labels unknown to you and take a plunge on two or three. (Tip: if you do get up to Elkhart Lake, there’s a fantastic little bistro that does not believe in marking up wine as much as 200 percent, the standard for most restaurants. Drop by Lake Street Café.)
WINE OF THE WEEK
I like a buttery Chardonnay, and recently what made my palate sing was 2010 Raymond Vineyards Chardonnay Reserve Selection (Napa Valley, California, $20). Not just buttery, it’s a Chardonnay with excellent mouth feel and noticeable tropical-fruit notes, particularly guava. In a blind tasting, you probably wouldn’t bet that it’s $20; this drinks more like a $30-range Chardonnay.
