Is there a business that can seem snootier than the wine business? You know what I mean: that dreaded “wine snob” attitude that some shops seem to thrive on? Some clerk finds out that you aren’t conversant in, oh, let’s say the different soils of the right bank of the Dordogne River and he gives you “Are you sure you’re ready for a Bordeaux?” Give me a break! This is just so sad, because wine people whom I deal with, the grape growers, wine makers and importers I buy from are not like that at all! They’re the kind of people who you’d love to sit down and have a glass of wine with, and every one of them detests that phony “wine snob” attitude as much as you and I do. Every month I taste more than 200 wines, searching out the real values for you, and one way I bring some of my favorites to you is in my Best Buys selection: four delicious wines that I can usually sell for less than $10 each that will taste like you paid more for them. Sometimes, one may be a wine that usually sells for 3, 4 or even 5 dollars more, but I’ve bought a big enough shipment to bring down the price. Sometime one may be the end of a vintage, drinking well, but that the wholesaler needed to move out to make room for an incoming shipment. Another may be a new find: a wine that I’ve just come across that is delicious and I can sell for a song! What remains constant is that every one of these Best Buys is a wine that I drink myself. The write-ups are my own, too. I tell you what I think of the wines, and what you can expect from them. No “wine speak”, just plain English. Terrific wines, great prices… and no attitude! Now, this is what a crisp, refreshing wine should taste like! Straw yellow in color, the wine has beautiful citrus aromas of grapefruit and orange rind. Silky and soft in the mouth with tropical fruit flavors and perfectly balanced bright acidity. Perfect “as is”, this wine is a delight to drink with fish, shellfish and chicken. Try it with shrimp risotto! $9.95 Our good friend Jodi Stern imports this wine, and we just love it! Made from Trebbiano with a splash of Malvasia for aroma and complexity, you’ll find an enchanting bouquet of orange blossoms, Bartlett pears and peaches. Nothing hot or heavy here, just plenty of the kinds of fresh, light flavor that we look for in a white wine when the weather is hot and the summer sun is high. $8.95 Summer is here, and it’s time for dry rosé wines! In the sunny south of France, traditional red grapes, planted here since the time of the Romans, are picked late in the year, crushed, the skins allowed to soak in their juice to impart color and flavor. The finished wine ages on its lees for four months, resulting in a wine with exceptional depth of character and flavor. This is picnic wine! $10.49 Remember those “Year in Provençe” books? This is the wine they drank! Easy to enjoy with any dish, you’ll find refreshing notes of raspberry, cherry and plum on the nose and on the tongue. This wine is as smooth and soft as a summer breeze, with structure to hold up well with grilled foods. $8.95 Buy Darrin’s Best Buys 4 Pack and Save 10% $34.52
Darrin’s Best Buys for June
Condessa de Leganza, Sauvignon Blanc
Caldora, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo
Les Vignes Retrouvées Rosé
Secret de Campane
