Viticulture Discoveries

“Good wine is a necessity of life for me.” – Thomas Jefferson.

When I left Wisconsin in 1968 to attend Cornell University in upstate New York, I transferred from a 21-year-old drinking state to one that sold wine to 18 year olds. During my first day on campus, I bumped into a kind, nurturing wine shop owner who patiently treated me much as a heroin dealer would handle a new client. Every few days, he would steer my naive palate toward a new viticulture discovery. Thereafter, many of my checks were written out to the East Hill Supply Company, which my parents assumed was a book store.

Slowly over the next few months, my tastes evolved from Great Western champagne (priced at a lofty $3), Boone’s Farm, Mateus Rose and similar plonk into more sophisticated offerings such as Chateau Carbonnieux from France. I was getting deeply hooked, and it ultimately led to teaching the wine course on campus. Universally popular, the course afforded the chance to learn about and sample wines during class, thus inducing a marvelously mellow outlook on university life.

The other thing I learned was that the true enjoyment of wine needn’t be overly sophisticated or complicated. Pleasant wine should complement food and life in general, hence the reason for this column. I will comb the offerings of Milwaukee’s sundry retailers, sample a variety of wines and recommend those that fit a solid price and value equation.

Recently, I braved the crowds and shopped the enticing wine selection at Trader Joe’s in the Bay Shore shopping center. Home to the famous “Two Buck Chuck” (wines originally made by Charles Shaw winery in Napa and sold to Franzia when the industry got overbuilt), which now retails for $3, the chain of stores has built a dandy reputation using the nicely made Shaw as a centerpiece. They really offer a decent value for the money.

In no time, I filled my cart with a panoply of goodies, all priced at fewer than $10 per bottle. Here are my abbreviated tasting notes, in no particular order, along with prices and grades on an “A”-“F” scale:

1) Ironstone Obsession 2008, $4.99: Light body with fruity, clean finish. B-

2) JW Morris California Riesling 2009, $3.99: Medium body with flowery, sweet notes. C

3) Joseph Handler Riesling, Germany 2008, $4.99: Lightly elegant. C+

4) JW Morris Gewurztraminer California, $3.99: Fragrant, spicy notes. C-

5) Chalk Creek Gewurztraminer Alexander Valley, California 2007, $5.99: Wonderfully spicy nose and lightly fruity with a touch of bitterness. C+

6) Beringer Founder’s Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2008, $8.99: Medium nose, clean. B-

7) Trader Joe’s Coastal Sauvignon Blanc 2008, $4.99: Clean and lightly fruity. C-

8) Trader Joe’s Organic Chardonnay 2008, $5.99: Nice wine. B

9) Project Happiness Chardonnay 2008, $5.99: Medium body with clean finish. C+

10) Cellier DuRhone White Cotes Du Rhone, France 2008, $5.99: Very nice. B+

11) Los Vascos Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile 2007, $8.99: Decent. D

12) Villa Cerrina Montepulciano D’Abruzzo, Italy 2008, $4.99: Nice! B+

The winners were Cellier Du Rhone White Cotes from France and the Villa Cerrina Montepulciano D’Abruzzo from Italy. Both are wonderful food wines in their category, and both offer outstanding price and value.

Cheers!