The Wine Curmudgeon

Wine of the week: Tormaresca Neprica 2007

And it’s just as wonderful as last year, when the Neprica was the third best read post on the blog. And, in even better news, it’s apparently more widely available this year. (Thanks to Kathleen Talbert at Talbert Communications for tracking down availability.)

Why is this wine so wonderful? It’s cheap – list is $12, so it’s probably $10.99 or less at most stores. It’s well made, with typical Italian acidity and sour cherry fruit. It’s food friendly, pairing with anything from red sauce to sausages and grilled peppers and onions. Plus, it’s made with some interesting grapes, including the Italian varietals negroamaro and primitivo. The world does not revolve around cabernet sauvignon and merlot.

And why is the Neprica more available this year? Because, apparently, so many people asked about it. This is an example of consumers convincing retailers they should actually stock something more interesting than the usual bottles they stick on the shelves. A tip o’ the wine glass to everyone who asked about it. You made a difference.

Technorati Tags: $10 wine,Italian wine,Tormaresca Neprica,red wine,cheap wine,inexpensive wine,wine of the week,wine reviews

Tuesday wine bits 64: Wine web awards, Las Rocas, Aussie wildfires

• American Wine Blog Awards: There was some doubt this year whether the awards would happen, but apparently they’re on (with sponsors, even). I don’t mention this so you can support the Wine Curmudgeon, since I don’t think I was nominated -- I’m too shy to nominate himself. I mention this because the awards are a terrific way to see who is doing good wine writing on the Internet (or bad writing, as the case may be). In addition, if wine blogging is to advance in the world, we need to take it seriously, and these awards are one of doing that.

• Gallo buys Las Rocas: This is big news, and probably even more shocking than it is big. Las Rocas is a well respected Spanish label. Its $12 garnacha, with the makes a lot of best cheap wine lists). It was imported by the even more well respected Eric Solomon, who is one of the top names in Spanish wine. I don’t know anyone in the business who isn’t shocked that Solomon sold the brand. Whatever the reason, expect to see more sales like this as the recession deepens. Big producers like Gallo have the deep pockets to pick up labels if the owner needs cash.

• Wildfires scorch Aussie wine country: As if the Australians didn’t have enough problems, the wildfires that devastated the country and killed more than 180 people last week also destroyed vineyards and wineries, especially in the Yarra Valley. The Yarra is one of the most important regions in southeastern Australia.

Technorati Tags: American wine blog awards,Gallo,Las Rocas,Eric Solomon,wildfires,Australia,Yarra Valley

Valentine's Day wine

Wine writers hate Valentine’s Day, and this includes many who aren’t as cranky as the Wine Curmudgeon. We hate it because it’s annoyingly difficult to pair wine with the holiday’s basic food group, chocolate. As my pal Gil Kulers always says, “Chocolate and wine go together as well as the Hatfields and the McCoys at a Sunday barbecue.”

And we hate it because no one believes us when we say things like that. Or point out that it’s kind of silly to pair $50 cabernet sauvignon with $2 chocolate. (And this doesn’t take into account whether Valentine’s Day is a legitimate holiday that deserves wine suggestions.)

A less conscientious wine writer than the Wine Curmudgeon, in fact, wouldn’t even bother with Valentine’s Day. He or she would make a snotty comment, maybe link to someone else’s suggestions, and then talk about how wonderful they are.

I, of course, will soldier on. After the jump, some wines for Valentine’s Day that have nothing to do with chocolate.

Wine Curmudgeon winecast 2: John Griffin

John Griffin is the dining editor and the wine columnist for the Express-News newspaper in San Antonio. We talked about Texas wine, pairing wine and food, and judging the San Antonio wine competition. To download or stream the podcast, click here. It’s about 6 minutes and 5 1/2 MB.

I’ve worked out many of the technical kinks. The podcast is even in stereo, more or less, though the ending is a little rough. As always, comments and pointers are welcome.

Technorati Tags: wine podcasts,John Griffin,Texas wine,regional wine,food and wine pairings

Coming Friday, Winecast 2: John Griffin

John Griffin is the dining editor and the wine columnist for the Express-News newspaper in San Antonio. We talk about Texas wine, pairing wine and food, and judging the San Antonio wine competition.

Wine terms: Varietal

A varietal is the grape used to make the wine – nothing more complicated than that. Chardonnay is a varietal. So are cabernet sauvignon, merlot, sauvignon blanc and all the rest.

The strong of heart can check out this wine grape glossary, which details hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of varietals. Most varietals used to make wine are European-style grapes, sometimes referred to as vinifera (from the Latin term used to describe the species of grape). Wine in the U.S. is also made from native grapes like the concord and catawba, and hybrid grapes, which are crosses between vinifera and native grapes. It’s easier to make quality wine from vinifera, which is why it’s used most of the time.

After the jump, more about the term varietal:

Wine of the week: Domaines Francois Lurton Les Fumees Blanches 2006

This is the kind of wine that makes the Wine Curmudgeon walk a little quicker down the aisle at the store. That’s because as soon as I see it, my cheap wine radar goes off.

In this case, my radar worked perfectly. The Lurton is a sauvignon blanc from the Languedoc in southern France, where more and more great cheap wine is being made. (And the Lurtons are one of the great winemaking families of France, producing everything from Cheval Blanc to vin ordinaire like this.)

It probably has too much grapefruit flavor for a French wine, but that's picking nits. There is great stoniness and minerality, and this is about as close to classic white Bordeaux as one is going to find for $10. Even more surprising, this is not the current vintage. If you can find the 2007, it will probably taste a little fresher and a little more interesting. Regardless, it’s an early candidate for the 2010 $10 Hall of Fame.

Drink this chilled -- on its own, or with almost anything other than red meat.

Technorati Tags: $10 wine,cheap wine,inexpensive wine,French wine,sauvignon blanc,Domaines Francoise Lurton Fumees Blanches,white wine