Hard Times, Great Wines

My first post! It seems only fitting that in these hard economic times, we look at some Great 90+ point wines guaranteed to keep you happy even if your 401k isn't. First things first what does the wine point system mean? Ratings reflect how tasters regard each wine. These ratings typically represent the overall quality of a wine including smell taste and look. There are so many different point systems out there and no matter what they say I would always encourage you to rate it yourself and keep notes of what you like best. How's it taste? sweet? sour? fruity? did it dry out your tongue? how long did the taste last in your mouth? Can you describe how it smelled? These are just some of the things you would think about when you taste. So go ahead take a sip and give it a minute, how would you rate it?

Now back to the points! typical ratings read as follows:
95-100: WOW! no words to describe
90-94: Fantastic! one of the best wines I have ever tasted
85-89: Very good! a special wine
80-84: Not bad! holding its own
75-79: ehhh! I've had better
50-74: No thank you!

Obviously these are the descriptions I would give to the wines I have tasted but I believe them to be very accurate for the way most people feel when tasting.

I'm going to start with my favorite Grape, zinfandel! Boy I love me some zinfandel. My favorite is a beautiful "WOW" bottle of turley, long lasting fruit taste! But in these times rather than opting for a 90+ dollar bottle of wine I have chosen to review Four Vines Zinfandel Paso Robles "The Biker" 2006. At $25.00 a bottle you are getting a 93 point wine in my estimation with great fruit flavor on the sweeter side, lasting finish and beautiful red coloring. Perfect for everyday drinking and goes well with almost any meal!

Our friends in Spain have been producing amazing wines being rated by the "experts" at 90+ points for the past 3 years. These wines are consistently priced under $30.00dollars. One that stands out in my mind is the 89 point Bodegas Ateca Garnacha de fuego 2007. For 8-10 dollars your are getting a 100% Grenache grape in this wine. Typically this grape is blended with other grapes to create wines you may have heard of such as Syrah and Spain's very popular Temparnillo. This wine produces a beautiful ruby/purple color and at first sip displays some spice but finishes tasting like a wild cherry less sweet but full of yum! and for 8-10 bucks how can you go wrong.

What about a wine you may be more familiar with like a Chardonnay. Pretty popular typically described as full bodied and oaky. Now I have to admit, I am not a fan of oaky chardonnays. I typically lean towards unoaked fresh, light chardonnays like a 2001 Mazzocco! But after tasting the 2007 Neyers Chardonnay Caneros, I may have a change of heart! $29.00 for a great 93-94 point bottle of wine. Definitely a full bodied wine with citrus flavors and some acidity on the tongue. Long lasting finish, I was still tasting it 1 minute after the sip. Very delicate towards the end.

It is also important to note that the wine maker for Neyer is the same for Turley which as I said is my favorite wine but at a rate of 90+ dollars per bottle, try the Neyer for similasr quality and taste!

There you have it three very different, very fantastic and very inexpensive wines all under 30 dollars for these hard economic times.

-2006 Four Vines Zinfandel Paso Robles "The Biker" - 93 points for $25.00
-2007 Bodegas Ateca Garnacha de fuego - 89 points for $8-10.00
-2007 Neyers Chardonnay Caneros - 93-94 points for $29.00

So head out to your favorite wine store and pick up a bottle or if you are like me 6 bottles, doesnt hurt for the your tasting practice!

Also for great dinner recipes to pair with these wines check out Lara's blog at:

http://goodcookdoris.blogspot.com/

-A