What happens when a wine falls from grace? You get a good bottle for $10

Slate ^ | 3/26/2002 | Kelly Alexander

[time4good]

Santa Rita from Chile
What a hoot!! I saw this wine at the local gourmet deli around the corner. I'm a once-in-a-while and usually liking a Chianti Ruffino Reserva Ducale but this Santa Rita was so smooth that my neighbor and I each ordered a case. His was gone in a month. I still have two bottles but enjoy it every time. Best little find in a long time.

[stumpy]

I remember being broke at Camp Pendleton, when we'd pool our resources and buy a 1/2 gallon jug of "red mountain" wine at the grocery store in Oceanside for $2.49.

Made for some bad hangovers.

[Sen Jack S. Fogbound]

A couple of years ago, the Consumer Report magazine recommended "Walnut Crest" Merlot. "Taste like $25 wine!"

I tried it for $5.87 and found it to be quite good.

[krogers58]

Does anyone have any good links where the "winologically" naive amongst us, could go, to get an "education"?

[CatoRenasci]

Depending on how many years ago that was, it was a Gallon of Red Mountain for $1.49 or so.

Back before about 1970, Red Mountain jugs didn't say "wine" on them anywhere. The rumor in the industry was that Red Mountain wasn't even made from grapes! At any rate, around 1969 or 70, the jugs started to say "100% grape wine" on them. The statement was true, Red Mountain (whether the 'burgundy' 'chianti' 'chablis' or 'pink chablis') was made from grapes now! All of it from same grape: the "noble" Thompson Seedless, the table grape we all know and love. It makes a fairly innocuous 'commercial' grade of wine, that can be turned into many different things with proper natural flavorings and coloring.

True Story from the a 4th generation CA wine family!

[Verax]

If your a regular Merlot drinker...try Canyon Road ($9.99) You will love it. If you're looking for even cheaper, try Barefoot ($6.99) Both of these are Gold medal winners.

[ImaGraftedBranch]

Having made wines for years, held taste-testings, etc., I have some experience with the headaches.

Potassium Chlor or Sodium Clor. Some wineries are infamous for setting off migraines with these preservatives.

[rintense]

I love merlot and will be sure to try these. I've heard that Chilean wines are exceptional. I'm also a fan of white merlot- a cross between white zin and merlot. After tasting this, I can't drink white zin anymore because it's too sweet.

[CatoRenasci]

I'm envious re the Ornellaia Masseto (but wasn't it infaticide?)

How would you compare it with really signficant Cabs though? First Growth Bordeaux at full maturity in good years? Top California Cabernets in good years (e.g. 1970 Heitz or BV Latour, 1941 Inglenook Cask or BV Latour, 1955 Martini Special Selection -- these are my personal benchmark wines for California Cab -- nothing has come close to these wines at their peaks)

[ex-Texan]

(e.g. 1970 Heitz or BV Latour, 1941 Inglenook Cask or BV Latour, 1955 Martini Special Selection -- these are my personal benchmark wines for California Cab -- nothing has come close to these wines at their peaks)

You really do know your wines! Back in the 1970's I used to go to these wineries about three times a year. The Inglenook Estate Cab and BV Estate Cab were among my all time favorites.

My wife and I used to stay at The Heritage House in Mendocino and have them open up a bottle about an hour before dinner. Then we would just enjoy ...

[SAJ]

First, I entirely agree with you.

Second, there are exactly two kinds of wine: those that taste good (in context, naturally), and those that don't.

Geben sie mir ein anderos bier! (pls pardon the bad German ...(g!)).

[sockmonkey]

Out here in the cedar breaks of the TX Hill Country, sterno is popular, however, William Lectric Shave, strained through stale white bread has a good nose, and is perfect for festive occasions.

[oyez]

Dave Barry's review: "Taste like bat urine." Funny, nobody finished theirs.

[capitan_refugio]

"... being half-scot and halb-deutsch ..."

Loch du lieber!

[CatoRenasci]

Brings back memories! I grew up in Sonoma County, 4th generation in a California wine family, stepped in the traditions, visiting the owners and winemakers all over Napa and Sonoma Counties with my grandfather and great uncles, being guided in my tasting by those who knew wine and those who made it from an age when most kids are still drinking pop and haven't even thought about drinking beer (or those execrable 'pop' wines of the 50's and 60's). It was great, you could really know just about everyone who was active in the business.

Did you ever go to Simi's tasting room when Isabelle Haigh was still around? The '35 Simi Cab was available and rationed at $25 a bottle (a lot of money in 1969), one per customer. But she liked my Dad (they'd known each other in the '20s) and me, so she'd slip severl bottles of the '35 into whatever case I was getting. A very great wine, but not quite at the level of the 41's, which to my Californian trained palate were comparable in quality (though not quite as refined) as the '28 and '29 Pauilliacs my grandfather used as benchmarks for post-phyloxera Bordeaux (he said the pre-1885 wines were really much, much better -- I don't know, I never tasted them)

[LouD]

Merlot is OK in a pinch, but it always seemed sort of bland to me.

I prefer Chianti or Barolo, or a Shiraz for something lighter...

[Grim]

I have no idea if these cheap merlots will age well. Anyone know?

No, they won't. But they'll last a few years if stored properly. Prolonged aging will not improve them, though.

[Grim]

Potassium Chlor or Sodium Clor. Some wineries are infamous for setting off migraines with these preservatives.

Potassium chloride is a supplement used for treating potassium deficincies in humans.

I think the chemical you're referring to is potassium metabisulfite, also known as meta or S02, i.e., sulfer.

Wineries use different amounts of the stuff in winemaking and there are federally imposed limits on total amounts allowed.

As some people are allergic to sulfites, this may be what causes headaches. At any rate, that's why all wine in the US is labeled with a warning that the product contains sulfies.

The stuff, incidentally, is used as an antiseptic, to preserve color, bouquet, etc and for it's properties in halting fermentation. Sulfites are also produced naturally in the fermentation process.

[Grim]

(e.g. 1970 Heitz or BV Latour, 1941 Inglenook Cask or BV Latour, 1955 Martini Special Selection -- these are my personal benchmark wines for California Cab -- nothing has come close to these wines at their peaks)

Stags Leap "Fay" Vineyard, Freemark Abbey "Bosche" Vineyard, and the Robert Mondavi Special Reserve (Grapes from To-Kalon Vineyard) are also three consistently superior Napa cabernets.

[EggsAckley]

Hmmm....what an interesting post to find at half past eleven right here in "Cowtown."
Thanks for the ping. Trouble brewing,    but      what else is new??!!