Regional French red

Eery once in awhile Trader Joes gets a limited amount of small production wine from the south of France. I just liked the label and had a Minervois before that I had enjoyed so I decided to try this one, Chateau Vaissiere. It is really nice, drinks well for a 2011 and at $ 9.95 is a nice departure from Calif. reds. It isn't super bold but it has plenty of flavor and isn't as bone-dry as you would think. I'll give it 7 1/2 swiggs and recommend it highly for folks looking for something that is a departure from the norm.

New years eve lineup

Here it is, our humble little NYE selection. We had a few guests over that were really keen on Zins. We started with a split of Schramsberg sparkling wine, then went on to the Storrs central coast 2008 zin....a great drink. Not to be outdone  we also opened up a Wilson 2010 Molly's vineyard zin , a great compliment to the Storrs. The last bottle was the Unti 2008 grenache, something a little less intense to finish off the night. I was in bed by 10:15........when you have wines with  15% alcohol it can make for a short evening ! Cheers, the Swiggtator.

Cab from Mendoza delivers

There's a lot of buzz about the Mendoza valley in Argentina producing great reds-the classic Bordeaux varietals. Me, I have not had many of these wines and despite the critics going nuts over them, I have not really been impressed....that is until now. The Cassone Mendoza 2009 Cabernet is excellent-not only that, it is only $ 8.99 at Shopper's corner in Santa Cruz -this makes it into my 'weekday' price level . The wine is complex and not overly sweet like some Aussie and Calif. reds so it pairs well with main dishes rather than dessert. I'll give it 8 1/2 swiggs and say that it merits weekend status in spite of it's sub-$ 10.00 price.

Piedmont on the cheap from Trader Joe's.

Here are two Italian reds from very well regarded areas that usually are out of my price range.
Wine # 1 is the 2008 Barolo from Rocca Dell'Olmo. This might not be the deep rich Barolo that you would pay $ 40-60 for, but then it is $ 13.99 so you won't have a reason to complain. It isn't really complex but it is a nice dinner drink for the money. I'll give it 7 swiggs.
Wine # 2 is also from Rocca Dell'Olmo but it is a 2009 Barbaresco-lighter, fruitier and has a lot more going on flavor wise. I really feel that this is the killer deal of the two, only $ 9.99 and definitely more attractive than the Barolo. I really liked the black cherry flavors and depth of the wine, even though it was a lighter body and color than the Barolo. Normally, I would pick a Barolo over a Barbaresco hands down but this is an exception. I'll give it 8 swiggs-definitely the pick of the litter.

Two weekday gems from T.J.'s.

 Wine # 1 is the Napa Station 2008 Cabernet. The grapes are supposedly from the Atlas peak area-this is textbook Napa Cab for $ 9.99 and it is ready to drink. I'm always on the lookout for wines like this-a big red you won't want every night but something to pair with hearty food. I'll give it 8 swiggs.

Wine # 2 is the Black Shiraz Barossa Berton vineyard 2010. Most wines from Barossa ( Australia) are big and jammy-this one is maybe a bit more understated and possibly a more versatile wine as a result. Reds from Barossa at under $ 10 are really rare, so this one at $ 6.99 is a steal. It is a bit lighter bodied than the Cab but has bold flavors that are charcteristic of the region. I'll give it 7 1/2 swiggs-a real weekday bargain.

Local Pinot is a blockbuster !

All the wines from Storr's in Santa Cruz are big and intense-even this 2008 Santa Cruz mtns. Pinot . These wines live by a different set of rules than most. The intensity of the flavors rivals wine from hotter climates such as the Sierra Foothills. I am very partial to this winery and find them to be extremely reliable from year to year for their quality and consistency. If you want big, look no further-this is no delicate Pinot. I'll give it 9 swiggs. Available at local stores and the winery.

Ravenswood Zin comes through

I had this wine at a wedding last month and was pleasantly surprised with the quality-so much so that I bought a bottle to try to see if it would be a good budget weekday red. I think it passed the test. This Ravenswood old vine 2010 Zin  isn't a blockbuster but at $ 6.99 it delivers some good flavors. I think it is better than a lot of similarly priced wines and I'll give it 6 swiggs. From Trader Joes.