Did you ever
go into a wine shop, ready to buy a good tasting bottle of wine and run
into that dreaded “wine snob” attitude?
Well, we probably all have, and I just don’t understand it. If you
went into a Ferrari dealership and let on that you didn’t quite understand
how electronic ignition or fuel injection worked, no salesman would ever
act snooty. They’d tell you to just get in, drive the car and enjoy,
right?
That’s why I work hard at picking out my Best Buys every month: so
you can just open a bottle, pour a glass and enjoy it, knowing that you
got a great deal, too.
Every month I taste at least 200 wines, searching out the real values
for you, and one way I bring them to you is in my Best Buys selection:
four delicious wines that I sell for less that $10 each that 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 order 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.
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. Terrific wines, great
prices … and no attitude!
Darrin’s Best Buys for February
Plaimont, Les Vignes Retrouvées Organically grown! Made from Gros
Manseng, Courbu and Arrufiac, (rediscovered vines) grapes native to its
home of Gascony, this crisp, dry white has plenty of citrus flavor and
fresh, mouthwatering acidity. The nose is enchanting, with lovely fruit
& florals.
Gran Solbiera, Ribeiro Ribeiro, in the northwest Spain on the Portugese
border, is undergoing a winemaking Renaissance because of wines like this!
Made from a blend of Treixadura (tastes like Albariño, at half
the price!) and Torrontes, this refreshing white is an all-around seafood
wine. Great with shellfish!
Condamine Bertrand, Coteaux du Languedoc from a family that makes some
of the most highly regarded wines in Languedoc, this classic blend of
Grenache, Syrah, Carignane & Mourvedre is deep red with purple highlights.
Flavors of red currant, plum and cherries, full bodied and silky in texture.
Spicy, crystallized fruit aromas. You can taste the sunshine in your glass!
Cheapskate, Skinflint Please, don’t hold on to any preconceived prejudices
about rosé wines! This one is nothing at all like the sweet “blush”
soft drinks passing as wine. Made from a Bordeaux style blend of Cabernets
Franc and Sauvignon, this is serious (and seriously good!) wine, made
to be drink chilled with almost anything! Here’s proof that you don’t
have to spend big to drink well!
