Sunday, August 25, 2013

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.