Parade of holiday cheapies

 One thing I like during the holidays is having affordable wines that don't taste like crap.....I'm sure that everyone will be on board with that plan. This is the time of the year when I look for sub-$10.00 bottles that are good enough that visitors will be very happy to quaff......and I'll be happy because I can afford to have a lot of this type of wine around. #1 is the 2011 Boeger  cab from Trader Joes at $ 9.99. I reviewed the zin awhile ago and liked it-the cab is even better-7 swiggs.

Here's one that might be tougher to find at Trader Joes-this 2009 Powers Columbia Valley cab is a bit nicer than the Boeger and $8.99-a dollar less. I give it 7 1/2 swiggs and recommend  it highly.

This one should be in good supply at T.J's -the Vintjs 2011 Paso Robles Petit Sirah. I reviewed the Lodi Zin from this label and was impressed. The Petit Sirah is just as good and at $ 7.99 a real buy. 7 swiggs. All three of these wines are definitely above average in quality at the price range and distinctive enough to keep people coming back for more.

Wine shipment from Tobin James arrives

Yes, last year we joined a wine club. Tobin James winery is just outside of Paso Robles -a good stopping point between L.A. and Santa Cruz or parts eastward like Yosemite. This is the first bottle out of the box of nine that arrived yesterday. This is the Tobin James "James gang reserve" 2009 Paso Robles zinfandel. This was a big meaty red almost like a Syrah. There's a ton of flavor to balance the high 15.8% alcohol. We had this a bit after dinner so I can't say how it would go with food but hey, it was so good I had to write about it. I'll give it a 9 1/2 swigg rating......with some age it might be a 10. It would be hard to find a better wine of this type. $ 28.00 from the winery-20% case discount for us club members.

Grenache blend from Santa Barbara county

I looked at the blend of grapes in this wine and thought " Chateuaneuf du Pape" . The Curtis 'Heritage Cuvee' pretty much delivered on the promise of a nice southern Rhone style blend. The dry red wine is very nice with food and will cost barely half of what you would pay for the same blend from France. Granted, new world wines will not have the same exact style even if the varietals are the same but still, this is a really nice blend of Grenache 39%, Mourvedre 26%, Cinsault 19% and Syrah 16%. I was hoping for of a bit more of the Syrah to come through but that isn't a deal breaker for me. I really enjoyed the wine. 8 swiggs and it is $ 16.95 at Shoppers corner.

Italian red from prestigeous area

One of the most sought after wines from Italy is Bolgheri. I have seen these wines for sale but have not been able to afford one until now. The Greppicante 2008 Bolgheri is only $ 19.95 at Shoppers corner and really is a treat. I like the dry richness of this wine. It isn't as pruny or tannic and some of the other top-flight Italian offerings and it went well with our dinner of pasta and salad. I'll give it a solid 8 swiggs and recommend that you pick up a bottle for a weekend dinner some time.

It doesn't get much better than this

I like Tobin James wines pretty much across the board but this one is a knockout. Of course, it isn't cheap at $ 55 , but if you join the wine club there is a really hefty discount on this and other flagship offerings from thei Paso Robles institution. The 'Fatboy' 2010 Zinfandel is crafted from 50+ year old vines and is a big bodied monster of a wine, registering  15.4 % alcohol. I think it really shined after dinner when the dessert had been served. There was another bottle open on the table but I didn't need or want to have more wine. I don't think anything can follow this act. Available at the winery. 9 1/2 swiggs.

Monterey Primitivo

Looking for a red for the hot summer afternoons ? This isn't bad for the money. The Mica 2009 Boar's skull vinyard Monterey county Primitivo is tasty and light , not like the big bold Zins from central California. The wine is light body and not high in alcohol at 13.9% so it won't overpower your food or make you feel a bit slow the next morning. Even though I was expecting something different I was still pretty happy with this $ 9.99 wine and will give it 6 1/2 swiggs, definitely above average at this price and a real deal for a 'vinyard designated' wine. -From Shoppers corner.

Cassone again !

Yes, it's another Cassone wine but this time it is a Malbec. The reserva 2007 Malbec is definitely a great wine for folks who really like the taste of a wine that has had a few years in the bottle. The flavor reminds me of Bordeaux wines I used to enjoy before the prices became too high. Yeah, I know it is a Malbec but honestly, the flavors speak to something a bit more than what you normally associate with a Malbec. This is available at Shoppers corner and is right now $ 14.99 putting it in the weekend category. That said, I would stock up. It is super good right now. The label states that it will be enjoyable until 2016 -I think it is perfect as of this week. 8 1/2 swiggs.