Sometimes the critics are right.

I have walked past the Layer Cake wines thinking that they were probably generic supermarket-style characterless and boring. Lat week I read that the critics were lauding this particular bottle so I became interested....not interested enough to pay the $ 15.95 , though. As luck would have it, a friend dropped by a couple bottles as a gift and upon drinking it, my wife and I were inpressed. I'll give this 2009 Shiraz 8 swiggs and reccmend it highly. It is available at Trader Joes among other places.

A taste of the Ventoux , without the pain

The Mont Ventoux has been long known as a supreme challenge for cyclists pretty much since the beginning of the last century.This giant mountian rises high above the northern border of Provence and can be seen from many miles away. While it might be known as a meeca for masochistic bike riders, it is also blessed with many acres of grapevines , mostly Grenache, Syrah and the other popular varietels that make up the Rhone blends. This VMV cotes du Ventoux is a wonderful taste of the south of France and it's dry, spicy tastes suit food better than most harder-hitting domestic products. Also, there's more going on tastewise in a wine such as this compared to similarly priced editions from the local market. If you can find it, it is only $ 8.99 and authentically French. 7 1/2 swiggs , from Shopper's Corner.

Beyond catagory

Just when I thought that I had found the ceiling...the absolute best of what I could put on the table , along comes a wine with class beyond the rest. I am without adaquate words to describe the completeness and beauty of the Ridge '04 Santa Cruz mtns. blend. All I can say is that for as long as I have been drinking wine, Ridge has always stood out as a benchmark , something to compare not only domestic wines to, but all wines from all over the world. This blend of the classic Bordeaux varietels goes beyond anything that I have tasted from Cailfornia. This is not to say that it is better, just mor complete, more sophisticated and timeless. Ridge does not appear to follow trends or pay attention to what cult winemakers are doing elswhere in the state. Ridge wines seldom cost more than $ 40, except for thier Monte Bello estate Cabernet, a very rare and coveted wine. I bought this bottle a few years ago at the winery and saved it until last weekend. My reward was a perfectly aged wine experience that I'll not forget.Seek this one out......it is probably the best red wine you'll ever have.

Zin from the Sierra foothills

It's not difficult to find a nice rich flavorful Zin from Amador county in the Sierra foothills but it is tough to find an affordable one that really has the intensity and full body that charcterizes the best from this region. The Karly 2008 Pokerville Zin is seldom available here in Santa Cruz but it is here now at New Leaf market for the price of $ 11.95. I believe this wine compares well with pricier versions in the $ 20-30 range and beats out most of the wines under $ 15 for flavor. I'll give it a solid 8 swiggs, good enough for the weekend, inexpensive enough to stock up on.

Sierra foothills cab. franc

I like a lot of Sierra foothills zins and syrahs-they are often ultra-ripe and flavorful. With this thought I picked this wine, the Raven Oaks cabernet franc 2003 thinking that it might be a nice dark earthy wine to have with a mushroom pasta I was maikng that night. While the wine may have been pretty good, it wasn't earthy at all but fruity and almost like a petit sirah. I was a little disappointed that it wasn't what I thought I was getting but I still have to say that for $ 9.95 it is a good wine. The Raven Oaks is barrel aged for 22 months in new oak so it really should cost quite a bit more. Available at Shoppers corner. 6 1/2 swiggs.

No photo of the bottle ! For shame.....

Well, it isn't a perfect world and I took this excellent bottle to a restaurant and didn't get a photo of it. I'll just have to tell you that the Raymond Generations 2004 red wine is one to seek out. This is a real testimony to what quality Napa can produce .This Bordeaux style blend is good to drink right now and excellent with food. We really took our time with this bottle and it was improving as the dinner went on. I'll give it 10 swiggs without hesitation. This is a fairly widely distributed brand and can be found at better wine shops across the country.

Look out, it's a blockbuster !

Maybe its just hometown pride but I have to say, this is one heck of an impressive bottle from Storrs. The Lion Oaks Zinfandel is their flagship of that grape, which is saying a lot as Zins are what Storrs are all about. One of several bottlings , this 2005 Lion Oaks is a huge wine, almost like a vintage prt except for the fact that you can enjoy it with dinner, provided that the fare is up to the robust character of this wine. While it isn't cheap at $ 32.99 , it will rival many wines costing 2-3 times as much. We probably only get to drink this wine 3-4 times a year but it is very consistant from year to year. I doubt you'll find a more impressive Zin than this one . 10 swiggs.