Bargain Pink Wine

I found myself bargain hunting again. I keep telling myself to keep my eyes on the upper shelves, but the lure of a beautiful rosé for hardly any money is too much for me to resist.

The 2024 Castle Rock Winery Rosé of Pinot Noir is made from grapes grown in Monterey County, so I figured I couldn't go wrong. Winemaker Meghan Daniels Rech has her signature on the label. Alcohol stays at 13% abv and it costs only $5 at Trader Joe's. 

This wine has a beautiful, rich salmon color, and great clarity. The nose is subtle, but it shows hints of strawberry, cherry, peach and citrus. The palate displays a medium acidity and feels crisp and refreshing in the mouth. Red fruit dominates the flavor profile, yet the complexity leaves something to be desired. For the $5 price, it’s hard to complain about a wine that tastes good, but I do wish there was more to think about while sipping it. By the pool? Certainly. With a pasta salad? Go for it. I roasted some walnuts while sipping it, and the wine paired well with them. 

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Blood Of The Vines - One Battle After Another

Pairing‌‌‌ ‌‌‌wine‌‌‌ ‌‌‌with‌‌‌ ‌‌‌movies!‌‌‌  ‌‌‌See‌‌‌ ‌‌‌the‌‌‌ ‌‌‌trailers‌‌‌ ‌‌‌and‌‌‌ ‌‌‌hear‌‌‌ ‌‌‌the‌‌‌ ‌‌‌fascinating‌‌‌ ‌‌‌commentary‌‌‌ ‌‌‌for‌‌‌ ‌‌‌these‌‌‌ movies‌,‌‌ ‌‌‌and‌‌‌ ‌‌‌many‌‌‌ ‌‌‌more‌,‌‌ ‌‌‌at‌‌‌ ‌‌‌Trailers‌‌‌ ‌‌‌From‌‌‌ ‌‌‌Hell.‌‌‌ ‌This week, our films center on battlefields of one type or another. After the fight, a wine pairing for each.

The Battle of Algiers is a 1966 Italian-Algerian film, co-written and directed by Gillo Pontecorvo. It’s about the brutal two-year stretch in the Algerian War that pitted the rebels of the FLN, National Liberation Front, against French authorities. The film was shot in black and white, using hand-held cameras to simulate style of newsreel documentaries. The battle served as the outline for urban guerrilla warfare. Civilians were targeted regularly by both sides. Torture was commonplace as the French struggled to put down the fight for independence. 

The film is so realistic, it's easy to forget that it's not real. It's also not an easy picture to watch, as the depiction of inhuman cruelty takes its toll on the viewer. It is, however, considered one of the greatest films ever made. Italy lauded it as one of a hundred films that changed the nation's collective memory. It is definitely not light entertainment. 

Before the 1950s, Algeria was reportedly the largest exporter of wine in the world. I know, that had me scratching my head, too. The country's exports went largely to France, as a blending agent. Those sales fell off drastically after Algeria won its independence. Many of the grapes used in Algerian wine are, not surprisingly, of French origin. 

Koutoubia Red comes from the Mascara wine region, a blend of Grenache, Cinsault, and Alicante. It sounds like a great item to pick up if you're ever in Algeria. Sorry, shipping to the U.S. is said to be unavailable or restricted. An easier to find option for Algerian wine is Cuvee du President Rouge, but the shipping is likely to cost more than the wine itself.

The 2000 film Battle Royale may have inspired Squid Game. At least, that's my thinking. Directed by Kinji Fukasaku, the film is about a group of Japanese school children who are sent away for a game of survivor. They are instructed to kill each other, the winner being the last kid standing. Battle Royale might be a trigger for anyone who has endured school violence. 

The movie got Japan's harshest rating and it has been banned in several countries. I'm not surprised to find out that Quentin Tarantino reportedly considers Battle Royale one of his favorite films of recent years. Director Fukasaku died of cancer after undertaking a sequel to this movie. 

Michelle Kazumi Sakazaki makes wine in Napa Valley. To honor her heritage, her Kazumi Wines is the first American brand to grow and produce wine from the ancient Japanese grape, Koshu. The Kazumi Napa Valley Koshu sells for $65.

1962's Battle Beyond the Sun is actually a Soviet sci-fi from a few years earlier. It was re-edited and re-dubbed by a young Francis Ford Coppola, who also shot some new footage. Roger Corman had acquired the film and hired film student Coppola to turn it into something suitable for American audiences. 

The plot centers on two nations involved in a space race, each trying to be the first to reach Mars. The countries are given fictional names and all the characters' names were Americanized. The two competing missions encounter all sorts of outer space trouble as they head for Mars, cosmic debris, fuel shortage, and landing on an asteroid for repairs among them. Who knew there were service stations on asteroids? Oh, and what unplanned landing on a rock in space would be complete without a couple of monsters slugging it out? 

Who gets to Mars first? Who cares? It's a fun ride for those who cut their movie teeth on terrible sci-fi movies of the 1950s. For those who didn't, it's probably a complete bore.

Space Age Rosé is a pink blend of Grenache, Cinsault, and Carignane grapes created by Josh Phelps in California's Central Coast. 

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Another Bargain Wine From Trader Joe's

If you have a Trader Joe's market near you, I probably don't have to explain how many good bargain wines are on the shelves there. Anything around the $10 mark or less is worth a shot. The more expensive wines don't disappoint, but if you're a bargain hunter you will be impressed.

The 2025 Trader Joe's Reserve Paso Robles Grenache Blanc Lot #281 is one of those nice bargain wines. It looks like it may have some age, or oak, on it, but it's young and clean. Alcohol sits at 13.2% abv and the price is $10.

This wine has a beautiful golden tint in the glass, which in a young wine might suggest some oak treatment. That is not apparent on the nose or palate here, though. The clarity is exceptional. The somewhat subdued nose gives hints of pear, citrus, and honeydew melon. Minerality does not show in the aroma package, but it does in the flavor profile. The sip has more plentiful notes of lemon, apricot, peach, and a very nice level of acidity. The fruit carries over in a lengthy finish. This is a great sipper, but pair it with shrimp or a tomato sandwich. 

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Jammy Zinfandel At Trader Joe's

Trader Joe's has several lines of branded wines, and they are mostly all thought of fairly highly. The 2024 Trader Joe's Grower's Reserve Zinfandel is cheap, but at TJ's that doesn't mean you should avoid it. The store has a reputation as a good outlet for bargain wines. 

I understand that ASV Wines, the winemaker here, gets organic grapes from the Santa Clara Valley, but they also have addresses in Kern County. The source of the Zinfandel grapes here is not disclosed. The alcohol content is disclosed, 14% abv, and the price is $7 at Trader Joe's.

This wine is colored medium ruby in the glass. The nose is massive, with brilliant red cherry aromas, joined by the smell of red vine candy and an herbal aspect that's a bit like parsley or cilantro. It's a big nose. The palate is just as huge. The red fruit flavors lead the way, with a spearmint note that's especially notable on the jammy finish. There is a moderate acidity and grippy tannins. This wine is made for a meat-lover's pizza, or barbecued pork, dripping with sauce. 

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Blood Of The Vines - Farewell, Tim Curry

Pairing‌‌‌ ‌‌‌wine‌‌‌ ‌‌‌with‌‌‌ ‌‌‌movies!‌‌‌  ‌‌‌See‌‌‌ ‌‌‌the‌‌‌ ‌‌‌trailers‌‌‌ ‌‌‌and‌‌‌ ‌‌‌hear‌‌‌ ‌‌‌the‌‌‌ ‌‌‌fascinating‌‌‌ ‌‌‌commentary‌‌‌ ‌‌‌for‌‌‌ ‌‌‌these‌‌‌ movies‌,‌‌ ‌‌‌and‌‌‌ ‌‌‌many‌‌‌ ‌‌‌more‌,‌‌ ‌‌‌at‌‌‌ ‌‌‌Trailers‌‌‌ ‌‌‌From‌‌‌ ‌‌‌Hell.‌‌‌ ‌This week we mourn the passing of Tim Curry, with film and wine. 

Not only was Curry's film career solid, but he was also a heck of a musician. His 1981 song "Working On My Tan" was a mainstay in the summer-themed mix tapes that were my obsession back in the day.

His film debut came in 1975, in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, in which he displayed his singing and acting chops. His characterization of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, the transvestite mad scientist, is one of many highlights in the film. There probably isn't a more quoted movie, thanks to the audience participation aspect that has kept it alive and kicking for more than 50 years. Has anyone ever known someone named Janet, and not had the phrase Dammit Janet come up?

Talking back to the screen comes just above ice-rattling and popcorn crunching on my list of movie house hates, but for Rocky Horror, it works. The costume designer reportedly takes credit for popularizing punk fashion styles like wildly colored hair and ripped fishnet stockings. No one ever heard the word anticipation the same way after hearing Tim Curry sing it. In his memory, let's all do the Time Warp.

Domaine Curry is related to Tim Curry in name only, but their Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is as red as the Rocky Horror lips and maybe just as tasty. $100.

1985's Clue starred Curry alongside a smorgasbord of great talent. Eileen Brennan, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Martin Mull and Lesley Ann Warren add depth to what, at first glance, might appear to be a bit of a ripoff. A movie based on a board game? C'mon. 

As in Rocky Horror, Curry welcomes guests to a mansion, this time as Wadsworth the butler. There's a murder, and the game is afoot. Three different endings were shot, with three different characters responsible for several killings. It was a great idea for getting people to see it more than once, but I don't think it worked as well as the producer had hoped. I guess producers are hard to please. 

Mano's Wines and Hasbro teamed up for a revamped board game, Clue: Murder at the Winery. It comes with an etched bottle of Clue Wine, a Cabernet Sauvignon. Is the killer Lord Malbec in the barrel room with the corkscrew? Perhaps Professor Prosecco with the broken wine bottle in the tasting room. The bottle is $45, the game set is $65. You and your wine sleuth friends will die for it. 

The Shadow, from 1994, has Curry in a supporting role. Alec Baldwin leads the cast, in his leading man days. Funny how he became an even bigger star by doing Trump impersonations. In The Shadow, even when he's invisible, you'll know it's him. 

Curry gets to play a comic book superhero villain here, the sleazy Farley Claymore. It's just a guess, but I would imagine actors love portraying an over-the-top villain. Stand back when he goes through the window. You don't want to get any on ya. 

Monterey's Shadow Point Vineyards Pinot Noir sounds like a clean wine, even in the shadows of the mountains. It was fermented in steel and only 30% of it was aged in French oak. The price averages out to just under $20, depending on your dealer. 

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An Easy Pizza Wine

On the Brigaldara website, there is information on a number of wines, but the one I picked up at my local grocery is absent from the list. That happens to me a lot when I go looking for bargains. 

While Brigaldara focuses on Valpolicella and Amarone, they also apparently bottle a Chianti, made from Tuscan Sangiovese grapes. There is little more I can offer in the way of information. The 2024 Case Vecie Chianti has alcohol at 12% abv and it runs $12 at Whole Foods Market. 

This wine is medium dark ruby in the glass. The nose features dark notes of black cherry, plum, cassis, and a hint of eucalyptus. The palate is dark as well, with cherry, raspberry, and some oak spice to liven it up a bit. The tannins are firm without stinging, and the acidity is lively. Meaty pasta dishes are an easy pairing idea. It's a great wine for a pizza, and you can use it with barbecue, if you like. 

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