Everyday Wines

[rich]

I've found two (one red, one white) that I currently use as everyday wine.

2000 Ravenswood Zinfandel, Cailfornia Appelation. At $8 a bottle this Zin has fruit, some tannin and a long finish. It stand up to pasta sauces (tomato) and grilled meats. The best $8 red I ever had.

The 2000 Obsession from Ironside Vineyards is a white made from the Symphony grape. That grpae was developed in California in the 60's from Grenache Gris and Muscat. The wine is off-dry, with a full fruit finish. Goes well with lighter fare and sauces. The cost is $7.

[Ron Johnson]

These are my everday wines:

Reds

Cote du Rhone (variety of producers)

Languedoc (Corbieres, Minervois, etc.)

Cru level Beaujolais (mainly in the summer slightly chilled)

Loire Cab Francs (Chinon and Bourgueil)

Some non-AOC Rhones such as an Alary Syrah from L'Orange

Whites

Vermentino

Vernaccia di San Gimignano

Gruner Veltliner

Albarino

Alsatian Riesling (non-luxury cuvees)

Loire: Muscadet, Sancerre, Cheverny, and some Vouvray.

[jaybee]

Great topic. I look forward to the answers.

Here are some this summer's everyday picks:

Alsatian whites (specifics later),

Cheverny,

Montagny,

Chianti Classico '97,

Ayala Brut Champagne,

[Fat Guy]

The lesson I've learned is that if you want to keep up on the really good, value-oriented, everyday drinking wines you need to be flexible. The strategy of identifying a bottle and going back for it again and again doesn't hold up at that level of the market, at least not for me. So I'm always buying new and different everyday wines. The strategy I use is to get the occasional mixed case from my local wine place (K&D), not because it's the world's greatest store but because they sort of recognize that I shop there often, based on the advice of one of the reliable salespeople. I taste the bottles very soon and go back for larger quantities of my favorites.

[tommy]

a great topic, and i think we did it before. i had better go back to make sure my answers match

cote du rhones

ravenswood zins

chianti classicos

unoaked sauvignon blanc (generally new zealand or CA, some loire)

pinot blanc from alsace

liore cab francs (mostly chinon)

basically, i try to not go over 15 dollars, no oak in whites, and low tanins in reds.

[rich]

FG - I couldn't agree more. I found some Pepperwood Spring Cabernet Franc and Syrah that was very good and then couldn't find it again. That's when I found the two I mentioned. I bought two cases of each after tasting (went back later the same day). At least that will last the summer.

[GordonCooks]

Not a huge consumer but my house is the starting point for Fri & Sat night outings with friends.

Usually, it's whatever I have the most of...This week's menu

Trimbach Pinot Gris

Guigal Cote du Rhone Rose'

Cave Spring Rsv Chard

Hogue Late Harvest Reisling

Belvedere Dry Creek Zin

Louis Bernard Cote du Rhone

I like to keep some bottles of 82 Le Pin on hand for Sangria

[mogsob]

Currently, I am drinking Val d'Orbieu's La Cuvee Mythique (4.99 pounds at Waitrose) and JJ Prum's Bernkastler Badstube Riesling Kabinett.

Like Steven, I range all over the world for everyday wine, but more often than not I find myself buying wine from the Languedoc (generally Coteaux), Provence (Bandol), Loire (Muscadet, Sancerre), the Veneto (Valpos), Piedmont (Barberas), Germany (Kabinetts), Austria (GVs) and Southern Italy in general, which may be the most exciting region in the world right now.

BTW, Steven, if you want to venture out from K&D, the Wine Shop on 1st/83rd has a truly remarkable selection at very fair prices (their reliance on WS as the standard bearer notwithstanding). Particularly in the 20-30 dollar range they are very strong indeed.

[MartyL]

Cuvee Mythique is indeed a nice quaffer.

Some reds on the lighter style that I like for casual summer drinking include:

2001 Terres D'Orees Beaujolais "L'Ancien" from J.P. Brun

The same producer's Bourgogne Pinot Noir is a nice light summer red too.

In the Loire, I like Breton's Chinon Les Picasses, but now we're in $20 or so territory.

In whites, Huet's Demi Sec is really nice (again, $20 territory, but well worth it).

[rich]

Here are a couple of places I found with great selections and excellent prices:

Grand Wine & Liquor: Astoria (30th Ave. & 31 St.) - wines from all over the world - outstanding selection & Prices.

Bottle King - Hackensack off Route 17 (the others don't seem as well stocked) - unique selections - great prices.

Stew Leonard's - Yonkers off NY Thruway - never been to the CT store. Excellent prices

[tommy]

Bottle King - Hackensack off Route 17 (the others don't seem as well stocked) - unique selections - great prices.

rich, try Total Vines in hackensack. very large selection, very inexpensive. it lacks in a few areas, but good overall.

[bushey]

I second Ravenswood Zinfandel -- I usually pick up the Vintner's Blend for $9.99 -- as a great summer bbq wine. We've been trying a few cheapo Spanish wines and found a good one in Protocolo Tinto for $4.99. For whites I like Trimbach Riesling and the German Ockfener Scharzberg (sp?) at $4.99 which is incredibly delicious well-chilled. The last bottle we had opened with a *pop*! There was some secondary fermentation going on in the bottle so we had a lovely sparkling Riesling on a hot summer night.

[Liz Johnson]

When choosing unfamiliar everyday wines, does anyone look at the importer/distributor? I've found, in New York, that Wildman & Sons often has good wines for under $10 or $15. I've never checked to see if they deal in more expensive bottles too.

[tommy]

When choosing unfamiliar everyday wines, does anyone look at the importer/distributor? I've found, in New York, that Wildman & Sons often has good wines for under $10 or $15. I've never checked to see if they deal in more expensive bottles too.

i don't go out of my way to, but in theory, i'd like to. anything that willie gluckstern suggests (with his nice sticker on it) is a wine that i'm sure i want to drink.

[helenas]

a great topic, and i think we did it before.  i had better go back to make sure my answers match  

to address the first part: here is the link to the previous discussion on the subject...

[Ron Johnson]

When choosing unfamiliar everyday wines, does anyone look at the importer/distributor? I've found, in New York, that Wildman & Sons often has good wines for under $10 or $15. I've never checked to see if they deal in more expensive bottles too.

That is a great idea. Once you find an importer whose tastes match yours, that is a good way to find new wines. I always buy wines imported by Lynch, Weygandt, Solomon, and Kacher, and I am rarely disappointed.

[Robert Schonfeld]

The one good quality wine under $10. I find consistently is Perrin Reserve Cote du Rhone. As little as $7.49 on sale at Garnet, as much as $11 in local retail shops. Red and white.

When I order something I am familiar with, I often ask the salesperson to put together a mixed case of things in the same price range that he or she thinks are good quality for the money. This has resulted in lots of good surprises and very few disappointments.

[tommy]

to address the first part: here is the link to the previous discussion on the subject...

HA!!! i'm consistent. errr, predictable.

[Liza]

Speaking of Gruner Veltliners (ahem), Glenn from Crossroads on 14th St. in NYC called me with news: some of the new 2001s are in! I'll do my best to drink a few this weekend and report back.

Egullet: you drink, we analyse.

[Robert Nesta Marley]

liza, the 2001s are sooooooooo aromatic--therein lies a lot of the adventure. brundlemeyer is especially suprising in 2001; for such a big producer his offerings really are compelling. look for heidler's maximum (somewhat late harvest fruit) bottling, although i heard skurnik didn't order any because they didn't get any requests for it (other than mine)......glenn can really get some gems, though. hirsch and nigl also rock in 2001.

have fun. wish i could spend my weekend drinking gruner.

other good quaffing summer wine: german Qba riesling. energetically dry.

gavi di gavi, man.

beaujolais morgon. alsatian pinot blanc, or robert sinskey's spicier version.

rhone rose. bandol if i want to spend more than 9 or 10 dollars.

quarter bottle of pommery pop........ha ha

[mogsob]

Forgot to add Rioja Crianzas. The 98 Montecillo is particularly good value.

On a related note, I have never seen the allure of CDR (except for cooking, where it really shines) or, for that matter, anything from Ravenswood. These wines, in my opinion, lack balance and are overly tannic (CDR, including the much vaunted paralelle 45 and guigal) or too big for their structure (Ravenswood). I think there are much better wines to be had at this price.

[oraklet]

it is great fun reading the answers. they are informative, and besides they show how rich you guys are!

for me, 4$ would be the limit of cheap, or everyday, wine. and at that price i drink red ventoux or northern italian, with, as it was said, low tanins. white wine is alsace.

but i would love to have morgon and sancerre as everyday wine!

[Lreda]

These are my every day wines cause I sell em' by the glass.

Sole X Chard '00 $10 Calif, Sonoma, Light in oak, lots of fruit

Taleman Bay '01 $9 New Zealand, Crisp, great with fish

Zenato Pinot Gregio '01 $6 Italy, also crisp but clean

Newton Claret '98$13 Napa, Great body, low in tanins, hold up well to steak & pork but now heavy on the lips.

Talus Merlot'99 $7( Calif) Not my favorite but a good value

Ravenswood Zin '99 (Calif) Low cost zin that is good with tuna which is sometimes difficult to pair

Salice Salentino '98 $7. Italy. Fantastic wine for the cost, bit hard on the 1st sip but balances well.

Not looking to promote here, just explaining why my liver hurts in the morning.

[rich]

Taleman Bay '01 $9 New Zealand, Crisp, great with fish

Never heard of this one. Is it a Sauvignon Blanc?

[Lreda]

Sorry Rich, Talman Bay is a Sav Balnc from New Zealand.