Well, it was fun.

Hello, Folks. Looks like the ol' Swiggtator will be shutting down. I am turning my household into an alcohol-free zone. Yes, no more drinking for me- maybe forever. I have really enjoyed looking high and low for all the best deals in wine out there- I have gotten an chance to meet some really great people in the winemaking business and elsewhere. I am sad that I have had to end my blog and my memberships to the two wine clubs that have provided me with some of the best wines of the decade.
I have no regrets about all the wine I have had in my life- It definitely made for some good times over the years. Now I am on a different course and I'll be just a spectator now, no longer a proper Swiggtator. Keep on swiggin' and finding those sub $ 10.00 gems !

Cheers, Paul.

Local zin is a good one

We went to a tasting at Bottle Jack/ Silver Mountain last weekend. Having done the Silver Mountain tasting a few months ago we opted for Bottle Jack this time- it also helped that we had a comped tasting from the owner. Even if it was not free, this place had been on my radar to visit as I had tried a couple of the wines at events and was really impressed. We took home a 2015 zin  -$ 29 at the winery. This is more than I usually spend for a weekend wine, or any wine for that matter but since they had spotted us the tasting ( which included six wines and was excellent ) I figured that buying a couple of bottles was the right thing to do- especially as the wines were top notch.
The zin is not huge but still very flavorful- keeps you wanting more. It is really ready to drink and not in need of cellaring in my opinion. I'll give it 8 1/2 swiggs- go by and do a tasting- you won't be disappointed.

Wild thing

I have not had a Carol Shelton wine I have not liked and this "Wild thing" Mendocino Zin is no exception. It has a very nice balance and is not as heavy handed as a sierra foothills Zin, even though I'm a big fan of Amador and other Zins from that region. At $ 17.99 this is a really good weekend wine - I'll give it 8 swiggs. We had it with some very hot Szechuan food and the wine held up to all the spices and chilis. You can find it a lot of places but this price was from New Leaf markets and it is a bit lower than what I have seen elsewhere.

$ 2.99 ???

Yes, that is correct- a Paso Robles Rhone blend for $ 2.99 at Trader Joes . Do they have any more ? Doubtful, but worth a look. It turns out that this "Le Grande Cote" is actually Rabbit Ridge. It might be their "allure de Robles" blend or a Syrah. You can see the Rabbit Ridge brand on the cork and the logo on the foil. My guess is that this wine was re-labeled to hide the fact that a large brand was dumping a good amount of 2014 red wine through Trader Joes. I took two bottles home in November not knowing the real origin of the wine. When I drank it I was really impressed with the quality .....it was $ 3.99 then. I went back to Trader Joes a few days later and it was gone.
A few weeks went by and to my surprise, stacks of cases of this wine were at Trader Joes again. I bought three cases as not the price was $ 2.99. Since then I have had a few bottles- it is just as good as the first bottle- hope that you find some. I'll give it 8 swiggs- an outstanding wine at a giveaway price.

Rutherford Lane- a taste of Napa

Trader Joes form time to time has $ 19.99 Napa wines often enough but not many as good as this one. Rutherford is very much the center of high quality Cabernet in Napa Valley. There are other good areas for sure in the valley but this region gets my vote for my favorite Cabernet bottles 90% of the time. This 2015 Rutherford Lane Cabernet truly has the taste of the spot- complex, rich and easy to drink. At nearly $ 20.00 I only have this one every now and then as I'm pretty thrifty and don't want to go broke drinking fine wine. That said, I don't mind being a little more broke after enjoying this particular bottle. While it may not be the typical under $ 10.00 swiggtator deal, it represents a heck of a deal for what it is- a great Napa Cabernet. 9 swiggs.

Tobin James knocks it out of the park again

We are members of this wine club so I'm not sure what this bottle costs - it is worth whatever they are charging. This 2014 James Gang reserve primitivo really is an improvement over the last one I had a year ago. I didn't like the 2013 as I found it overly tart. This one displays non of the tartness and has big rich flavors and complexity. I'm sure that it would be fine if left to age for another 5 years or so. That said, it is sensational now. Be prepared for a huge wine- 9 swiggs.

Very good Spanish red

Got this one at new leaf and had it with paella- perfect match. It might be a 2016 but it is ready to drink- tastes mature and very dry- perfect with food. This Finca Resalso 2016 is mostly Tepranillo and is $ 16.95. I would give it  8 1/2 swiggs easily- an excellent alternative to domestic wines if you are looking for a less alcoholic and over-saturated red.

Puma Road

Every once in awhile I like to give a shout out to some of my favorite spots to taste wine. Puma Road is not far from here, about 1 hour south in the Salinas Valley. If you drive south on River Road you will see numerous wineries on the road between Hwy. 68 and Greenfield. Puma Road is one of them- a really great place to taste excellent wine. This Meritage was on sale- I don't remember the price but whatever it was it was well worth it. I would give this blend a solid 9 swiggs- very much the perfect blend of Bordeaux grapes and ready to drink now. Their Malbec might be the best I have ever had. Check it out.

Deal of the month

I know that we have only just started July but I think I have the deal of the month already. This is some old world goodness at a really low price. This Paniza Reserva is already 6 years old- this makes it ready to enjoy now. Mostly Tempranillo,  ( with 15% Cabernet and 5% Grenache) this blend is seemingly simple when you first open the bottle but with some exposure to the air it turns a bit earthy and more complex. It's not a really big or dense wine but has ample flavor to keep you coming back. I'll give it 7 1/2-8 swiggs.....remarkable for a $ 6.99 wine. It is at Trader Joes currently and looks to be on the shelves for at least another week or two.

Napa Cabernet deal

Not sure if you can still get this one but it is worth a look. This Technique Atlas Peak 2014 cabernet is very appealing with some bold fruit flavors and not too much tannins. At $ 14.95  ( at least that's what I remember..) it is unusual to find an AVA designated Napa wine like this one. The label does not say much about how the wine was made but at this price it isn't really an issue.

We had the wine with some Gnocci with a bold red sauce with Italian sausage, chili flakes, garlic and parsley. It turned out to be an excellent pairing. This wine was purchased at Trader Joes- I'll give it 8 swiggs.....not outstanding but really good for the price.

April lineup

Here's a Chianti that is really good and only $6.99 at Trader Joes. The Fior de Vino Riserva really has those nice earthy Chianti notes- a true-to-its-origin dry red. I'll give it 7 swiggs.

 Here's a shout out to a winery I visited in Paso Robles a couple of weeks ago. Rio Seco is a family owned winery that was built in an old building that used to be a marijuana growing room ! it's kind of funny now as that particular business is coming back now that California has de-criminalized it. Rio Seco though is sticking with growing grapes and making some affordable blends like the one pictured here, along with some really spectacular varietals such as Cabernet Franc and Petit Sirah , the latter being one of the best I have ever had. The flagship wines and not cheap but they are a good value for the quality they offer. The winery is a great place to visit- much smaller and more down-home than many in the area. The owner was a wonderful woman who was actually working the tasting room that day- a rare treat to get pours from the boss herself.

I have not been posting much new wine as I have not been getting very many new unrated bottles. When you find some good wines that are affordable there's two things that happen: # 1, you tend to stick with that wine for a few weeks. # 2, Once you review it, the wine mysteriously gets sold out never to return. I don't know about you but this frustrates the hell out of me. -That said, I can't blame people for liking the same good deals that I like. Case in point: Flux red wine at Trader Joes. If you can find it, get it- there's no more around here. It was $ 7.99 and easily 8 swiggs- one of the winners you hope to fine once a year if you are lucky. 

So here's one you still can find. The St. Hallett is a Shiraz at $9.99 from Shopper's Corner. It is almost fizzy but the flavor is like most Barossa reds- big and fruity. I do recommend it- I'll give it 7 swiggs. 

Good pick for Turkey day

Pinot is what a lot of people drink with turkey on Thanksgiving so it is timely that I find one that delivers at a low price. This Estancia was $ 29.00 on release but Shopper's corner landed a good amount of it and it is on the shelves for only $ 9.95. This is a single vineyard wine from the Santa Lucia highlands- you can't get much better than that for Pinot.....it's like a new world Burgundy with all the subtle flavors . Since it is a 2011 it is very much ready to drink-I would not set this one aside for aging as it is perfect right now. We scored this one 8 1/2 swiggs.

malbec with a bite

This is a new one for me....even though it is a bit of an old bottle. I have not had Altos las Hormigas before but have known of its pedigree for awhile. The price kept me away for years but I found it on sale at Shopper's Corner for only $ 14.99 , about half price for the current release. This one had some age so I was eager to try it. I really liked it although it won't please everyone. It has some pretty chunky tannins and should be had with hearty food-otherwise it kind of rips the roof of your mouth a bit. I don't mind the tannins because the complex earthy flavors are pretty amazing. I'll give it 8 1/2 swiggs even if my wife was not too keen on it.

Syrah from Calif

I really like the wines from Burrell School for the most part. They make an outstanding Zin and a good Merlot. I wanted to see what they could do with Syrah. I have to be frank-this wine is really tart. It isn't horrible, just off balance. It could have been really great but for some reason Burrell School made a really tart wine here. Even being a '12,-pretty much ready to drink , it kind of hits you with a real tart sensation in the middle of all the good fruit flavors. At $ 17.95 I would hope for better but we gave it 5 1/2 swiggs, not nearly what the Zin would have gotten. -From New Leaf market.

Blockbuster Syrah from Washington state

Here's what I call a seriously great Syrah. This is a really rich, full bodied big-ass killer red-exactly what I like in a new world Syrah. This Watermill Walla Walla valley Syrah 2010 is good now but will probably be fine in 5 years as well. We had it with a pasta and it was fine but it really shined when dessert came out. It was a great counterpoint to the chocolate. It is not a sweet wine like Zin , it just works with a variety of foods. This was from Shopper's corner and was reduced from $ 26.95 to $ 17.95. There's also a Merlot from the same winery I'll want to try soon.9 swiggs.

Summer reds roundup

 Being really busy it has been difficult for me to find the time to review all the wines we have-also, we are tending to drink some old favorites often so there's nothing new on the dinner table most of the time. Here are some notable recent wines for you to consider. This one above is the Wheelhouse Dry Creek zin. At  $9.95 it really is a steal and can be found at Shopper's corner. We gave this one 9 swiggs....exceptional for a wine at this price but it was originally around $ 27.00. Shopper's can and does come through with some terrific deals now and then.

 I like a good Rioja and here's one at $ 9.95 from Trader Joes. It's not a real heavy wine but is rich enough. it is a 'Reserva' from 2012 and is ready to drink now. We gave it 8 swiggs, very good for a wine in this price range. Not a blockbuster, but a real authentic Spanish wine at a good price.

 19 Crimes " The Banished". Sounds Australian because it is-definitely a loud and brash sledgehammer of fruit but buy is it good. This is also a $ 9.95 wine from Trader Joes. If you like really big flavor this is your drink. 7 1/2 swiggs.

 I'm not sure where this Secret Cellars is sold or what the price is as it was a gift but I do recommend it. It is a classic Paso Robles deeply colored Cabernet that won't disappoint. We gave it 8 1/2 swiggs.

La Paca 2013 Garnacha is a good mid week wine , almost like a Cote Du Rhone but not quite as dry-maybe tasting a little more like a new world version of Grenache. This is well under $ 10.00 at Trader joes and scores a solid 7 swiggs.This is a really good food wine in that it won't overpower the meal.

Local winery using Napa grapes

This winery is two blocks from my shop and about 9 blocks from where I live. We have tasted wines there a few years ago but haven't bought any for some time. This one is on sale at Shopper's Corner for $ 17.95 , a really good price for a St. Helena Cabernet. It lives up to the pedigree for the most part-not super rich but still a really classy medium body red. I'll give it 8 1/2 swiggs-a great score for any wine at this price.

A few years makes a difference

About 5-6 years ago I was getting the '08 Ursa Sierra foothills Syrah at the local liquor store for about $8.95. and really enjoying it. After awhile the store ran out and eventually replaced it with this 2010 edition. I was not as impressed with the '10 and it had a new price of $ 17.99.  This was a couple of years ago - just yesterday I decided to give the '10 another try- my patience was rewarded with something really great. This wine has all the broad spectrum of flavors that mark the best offerings from the Sierra foothills. I don't think that this one is widely available but it is worth the search. It is one of the best of the year so far. We gave it a strong 8 1/2 swiggs.....very good for a sub-$ 20.00 wine. If I take a trip  up to that area of Calif. I will try to stop by the winery and see what they have.

Sonoma bitch ! a good one....

While getting some office supplies at CVS I wandered into the wine section. You never know what they might have on sale and I was rewarded with this St. Francis Sonoma Cabernet 2013 for only $ 13.95 . I have generally been a fan of St. Francis, especially the hard to find Merlot-these wines are always pretty good but this one is really,really good-maybe a touch tannic but very rich and full for a Sonoma wine at this price. Go find it-maybe it is still on sale !   8 1/2 swiggs.

Nice price on a Napa stalwart

We don't get to drink this one very often as it is usually priced out of the Swiggtator comfort zone. Trader Joes has this 2012 Freemark Abbey Napa Merlot for $ 21.99 , about $ 16.00 less than the winery price. The wine is dark and rich as one would expect from this very established winery-a bit tannic and dry but still really good. I am going to see if the Cabernet is also at Trader Joes....I have seen it there on occasion. I am sure that it will be a bit more but if it is under $ 30.00 it represents a really good deal for a top-tier wine. We had this one with pasta and a salad, probably not what one would typically associate pairing with such a dense wine but it worked well enough for us. The price makes is a weekend treat and too spendy for most occasions but this is coming into the holidays so what the heck......give it a try. 9 swiggs.