The Wine Curmudgeon

Wine of the week: Chateau Bonnet Blanc 2010

This white blend from Bordeaux has been in and out of the $10 Hall since I started it for a Dallas magazine 10 years ago -- but not because of quality. Rather, what once was a $10 wine has been as expensive as $15 in Dallas, and though I like it a lot, it's not a $15 wine.

The good news is that Spec's, the largest retailer in Texas, has opened in Dallas, and they carry the Bonnet  (purchased) for $10. So it's back at a good price and eligible again for the $10 Hall of Fame -- the newest version of which will be announced in two days. Have a suggestion for the Hall? Leave it in the comments or send me an email.

But I'm not sure this vintage of the Bonnet is a Hall of Fame wine. This is not to say that it's not well made, because it is, crisp and fresh with lots of citrus fruit like lemon and grapefruit, and there is nothing off about it. It just doesn't taste very Bordeaux-like. Call me picky (that's a harsh charge for the Wine Curmudgeon, no?), but when wine is from Bordeaux I want a little minerality and not quite so much fruit. If I want this style of wine, I'll buy any of the equally fine $10 sauvignon blancs from New Zealand.

This doesn't mean the Bonnet isn't a fine $10 wine, and it doesn't mean that I won't buy it again. I will, and drink it chilled on its own or with almost any white wine dish that doesn't have a big sauce. What it does mean is that wines that make the Hall have to better than this; it is the Hall of Fame, after all.

Winebits 210: Cheap wine edition

It's not that easy finding blogs and websites that do cheap wine. There aren't many to begin with, and those that do exist are usually shilling for on-line wine retailers or are abandoned or infrequently updated. Here are three, though, that do cheap wine well in the run-up to the 2012 $10 Hall of Fame:

• GoodCheapWines.com: Not sure where this one comes from or how the wines on it were selected, but it seems reasonably legitimate for a site apparently designed to drive traffic to an on-line  retailer. Most of the wines are $12 or less, and include some regulars here -- Cristalino, Evodia and La Vielle Ferme among them. The commentary isn't bad, either. Consider this description of Pennywise Pinot Noir (which sounds like I wrote it and is spot on): "As long as you’re not uptight about what a Pinot Noir should be, you will enjoy this very fruity, almost poppy wine. A great wine for non wine drinkers."

• Good wine under $20: This review site has won a variety of awards for its content, including two prestigious American Wine Blog awards. The format is tight and concise, it isn't afraid to review grocery store brands, and the wines hit the price points as they should (though I'd argue that it's not that hard to find good wine for $20). One surprise, though: The blog has not been updated since the end of October, which may mean its creator, Deb Harkness, has moved on to other things.

• The Reverse Wine Snob: This Minneapolis-based blog, which focuses on reviews, believes that "Wine doesn't have to be expensive to be good!" Which, other than the exclamation point, is a fine sentiment. The upper level is $20, but there are plenty of $10 and grocery store wines on the blog, including Smoking Loon, Woodbrige and Flip Flop, a Barefoot knockoff. Jon Thorsen, who runs the blog, makes a serious effort to find inexpensive wine (which I know isn't easy).

Wine trends in 2012

The wine business is eagerly looking forward to 2012, if only because it sees prices recovering (and more about that on Thursday). But the New Year will also bring other changes, not all of which will be good for the business -- or for consumers. After the jump, a few thoughts about those changes and what they will mean.