RUFFINO ORVIETO CLASSICO 2008

Los Angeles restaurant Luna Park on La Brea seems to attract Denise and me back time after time.  Lately we've been somewhat disenchanted with the volume at which the music is played in the restaurant.  Even at lunch, it has seemed overly loud and overburdened with all the '80s songs you know and hate.  This time, however, the music was at a comfortable level which allowed us to talk to each other without shouting.  The song selection didn't even seem too bad.

I might have just been in a good mood, because it was a half-price food day at Luna Park.  You have to be a real insider to know when those money-saving days are.  Or just do what I do - follow them on Twitter .  They give a secret word to tell the waitress, which allows you to save money while enjoying that under-the-table-speakeasy sort of vibe.

We love the food at Luna Park, and they have a pretty nice wine list, too.  This lunch, I chose an old reliable - Ruffino  Orvieto.  I've never been to Orvieto, but every time I read about the city, they call it beautiful.  Situated in Umbria between Rome and Florence, the area is blessed with a chalky, limestone soil which seems to be so good for white wine.

Ruffino sources their grapes from vineyards in Orvieto, 40% Grechetto, 20% Procanico and 40% a mixture of Verdello and Canaiolo Bianco.  The wine is 12.5% abv.

A nice straw yellow in the glass, the wine's nose is floral and fruity, with pear, apple and a lot of minerals present.  The taste is delicious, peaches and that wonderful minerality taking center stage, with a citrus note on the finish.  It's got great acidity that begs for food.  Fortunately, they have plenty of that at Luna Park.  This wine was a hit with the salmon on spaghetti aglio y olio, the yellow tomatoes and burrata - Orvieto goes very well with cheese - and the roasted cauliflower and capers.  It's great just to sip, too.

ALBERTONI CALIFORNIA CHARDONNAY 2009

Bargains aren't too hard to come by in the wine world these days. Most producers seem eager to move their product no matter what it takes.  Some producers were way ahead of the recession game, having branded themselves as "bargain wines" long ago.

With the Bronco Wine Company, Fred Franzia is one of those producers.  With a seemingly endless list of labels, Franzia has positioned himself as the mack daddy of cheap wine.  The pinnacle of his success in that effort is the notorious "Two-Buck Chuck," known on the bottle as Charles Shaw.  I tried a Charles Shaw wine once, and found it to be a decent drink with little else to recommend it.  Now I'm back at the Bronco trough for Albertoni Chardonnay.

On the label, there are references to Napa Valley and Sonoma County. I thought Franzia sourced his fruit from the Modesto area, though, so I suspect this may be a marketing ploy, if not an outright attempt at deception.  These days, though, what's the difference?  The wine is called "California Chardonnay" on the front label, so one can surmise it's probably from neither Napa nor Sonoma.

This wine has a 12.5% abv number and cost under $10.  Compared to some of the other Bronco offerings, this is positively top-shelf stuff at that price.

It's a very pale wine in the glass, with almost no color at all.   On the nose, pear juice meets vanilla, as the oak is fairly apparent.  The wood shows up even more on the palate.  A soft, buttery sheen rides over the pears - not to the extent of obliteration, but it's certainly not trying to stay out of the way.  If you like your Chardonnay to be a lean, mean, stainless machine, then this is not for you.  Fans of the big, oak-driven "California-style" wine will probably think it's just fine.

BORGHI VIN SANTO DEL CHIANTI 2002

Vin Santo wine is about as close as I'm likely to get to a religious experience. The Italian traditional wine - the wine of the saints - was made in small batches for family and church use for centuries. Many wine regions in Italy produce their own versions of Vin Santo, using a variety of local grapes. It didn't become a commercially exported product until the 1970s.

Grapes for Vin Santo are harvested by hand and hung from rafters to dry - this may take three months or so. Once dry, they are pressed and the juice is placed in small oak or chestnut barrels -caratelli - to ferment for up to 10 years, even longer. The wine is produced in sweet, dry or semi dry types.

The type I'm drinking - Borghi Vin Santo del Chianti 2002 - is a dry type, produced from a blend of 70% Trebbiano Toscano Bianco and 30% Malvasia del Chianti Tuscany. This dry white wine - brownish amber in color, actually - is a single vineyard and single vintage wine which is aged a minimum of three years in those little caratelli barriques. It's a strong wine at 16% abv.

It smells a lot like sherry to me. The alcohol is prevalent on the nose and the aroma of raisins cuts through the heat. On the palate, this Vin Santo tastes of dried fruit - not a surprise - and has a delicious sweetness, like caramel. It's a dry wine, to be sure, but it has a wonderful sweet edge to it. The finish lingers forever and leaves the sensation of an Irish whiskey, if you'll pardon the ethnic juxtaposition.

I may not buy much of what the Catholic church is selling, but drinking Vin Santo is pretty close to finding religion in a bottle.

BRANDER CUVÉE NATALIE 2008

Here's another in a semi-regular series of Friday Wine Treats.  In case you want to take a little extra time at lunch today and give your Los Angeles work week a great sendoff, I have a suggestion.  Akasha  in Culver City is a restaurant/bakery located where Culver Boulevard turns onto Washington Boulevard.  It has a heavy-duty, distressed rock bar that leads you into and around the dining area.  Take a seat at the bar and look up at the wine list.  It's on a chalkboard that looms over the bar area.

Akasha is a great spot for a week-ending glass of wine from anywhere, but Central Coast fans will be happy to note they have a number of good choices from Paso Robles, Edna Valley, Santa Barbara and the Santa Ynez Valley.  You can even get a summery glass of rosé from the region.  I was delighted to see Fiddlehead's "Pink Fiddle" and Fontes and Phillips' "Panky" - two of my favorite pinks - on the board.

My choice, though, was a white wine from a Los Olivos winery, the Brander Cuvée Natalie, an Alsace-style white blend.  Named after owner and winemaker Fred Brander's daughter, Natalie, this blend includes Sauvignon Blanc from the Brander Vineyard with Riesling and Pinot Gris from Kick On Ranch.  It's made completely in stainless steel and has the crisp, fresh edge to prove it.

Cuvée Natalie pours into the glass as a pale yellow with a greenish hue.  The nose is floral with a peachy aspect and it's not a surprise to find a little fresh-mown grass in the aroma profile.  The taste is laden with minerality.  Crunchy pears and a hint of melon are joined by a slight petrol note.  Big acidity should help make this wine as food-friendly as you want.  The finish is long and bright, with a zesty sense of lemon lingering long afterward.

COPPOLA SOFIA ROSÉ 2009

One of the great warm weather lunches in Los Angeles is found at Fabrocini Beverly Glen restaurant. I'll bet a good many of their dishes are wonderful, although I'll probably never find out since all I ever order there is the calamari and scungilli salad. I don't see this on many menus, so if you know of another restaurant that does this dish, I'd love to know about it. Please feel free to leave a comment alerting me to where else I can find it.

Celebrating the summer day even further, I ordered a rosé to go along with the salad. The Coppola Sofia rosé is of Pinot Noir grapes which are sourced from the Sonoma Coast appellation. The 11.5% alcohol content is nice for lunchtime. Fabrocini has it for $10 by the glass.

Sofia pours to the glass as a deep salmon color, a very dark pink. This is due to the 48 hours of color extraction before the juice is separated from the grape skins. The nose is floral and fruity but was obscured by the cold serving temperature. There is a taste of melon on the palate, along with hints of cranberry, strawberry, cherry and even a shimmering glimpse of a childhood taste memory from my soda-drinking days - Big Red. Please understand this is not a predominant factor, and it actually is quite pleasant.

The wine is bright and fresh tasting, with acidity perfect for my seafood salad. The finish lingers just this side of dry, and it's a smooth, easy drinking quaff. It paired very well with the food, and set off the lemon I squeezed over the plate. It was a darn good summertime lunch treat!

MELIPAL ROSÉ OF MALBEC 2009

Dinner with a couple of good friends at Il Forno Caldo in Beverly Hills brought that ugly bias against rosé into the light of the waning day. She said we could get a bottle and share and he agreed, quickly passing the wine book to me in honor of my interest in wine. When I mentioned that I was interested in the Malbec rosé, he didn't quite let go of the menu, pulling it back while explaining that they were red wine people. Oh well, drink what you like and like what you drink, I say. They ordered red by the glass while I sampled the pink one from Argentina.

A Mendoza rosé of Malbec, the Bodega Melipal  is nine dollars. It shows a deep, rich red color - but not deep enough to pass for a red wine. The restaurant serves it at cellar temperature, not completely refrigerated, so the fruity aromas of cherry and raspberry are easily accessible. The taste is very fresh with a bright acidity and a nice, dry finish.

It has a medium-full mouthfeel and is silky on the palate, with flavors of cherry and a hint of lemon zest I found pleasing and rather unusual. The freshness of both the nose and palate is delightful, even somewhat surprising. I didn't feel it was a terribly good match with my chopped salad, but it fit well with the tomato sauce on the eggplant appetizer. 

CHAMISAL VINEYARDS MORRITO EDNA VALLEY 2007

Some think uncorking a fine wine should be reserved for a special occasion.  I feel every day is a special occasion, but I still found myself holding on to this wine, waiting for a really special reason.  I recently reminisced about a trip to Edna Valley, a visit to Chamisal Vineyards with a group of journalists and the winemaker who gave me this wonderful bottle of wine.

Fintan du Fresne, Chamisal's winemaker, showed our group extraordinary generosity during our visit - not just with his wine, but with his time, too.  He spent nearly an entire day with a dozen or so of us, tromping around in the vineyards with us, drawing tastes from the barrel in the winery, eating lunch with us and hosting a wine tasting at a beach front resort.  And after all that, he hosted a winemaker's dinner for us.  Our group felt quite special at the end of that day.

So, as I reminisced, I decided it was a special enough occasion to justify uncorking that special wine.

Chamisal's Morrito is an Estate Pinot Noir, made with grapes that grow on a small hill - morrito - behind the winery, which produces particularly intense fruit.  Two clones are used, 2A and Archery Summit.  The alcohol content is listed as 14.6% and the wine spends 18 months in French Oak barrels.

Morrito is very dark for Pinot Noir, I can hardly see through it when holding to the light.  It has a very intense nose which simply explodes from the glass.  Black cherry, cola notes and spice are the major players.

The palate shows an earthy tone, which is dominant over a big cherry sensation.  The wine lasted over three nights, and on each night it required quite a bit of time after pouring to settle down, but once it did calm a bit the experience was wonderful.  On that third night, a slight herbaceous taste revealed itself which added to the complexity but did not detract one bit from the explosive fruit on the nose and palate.  If anything, the wine became darker and more brooding over the span of time.  It was a rather thrilling transformation.

SPANISH WINES

Santa Monica wine bar Pourtal welcomed a group of Spanish winemakers Sunday evening.  These producers were mostly very small wineries, many of them actually from the Canary Islands.  Kudos must go to Pourtal for bringing this wealth of winemaking talent to Santa Monica.  These winemakers are all so enthusiastic about their wines and are eager to talk about them.

Some of the winemakers are fluent in English, some are not.  I am not fluent in Spanish, so communication might have been a problem had those with good English skills not stepped in and helped those who lacked them.  Most of the time it was a combination of their English and my Spanish that made the communication barrier almost nonexistent.

In case you don’t know, the Canaries are not off the coast of Spain, but off Morocco, in Northern Africa.  The archipelago lies well south of Casablanca’s latitude and is an autonomous community of Spain.  The name derives not from huge flocks of small pet birds, but, according to Wikipedia, "Islas Canarias is likely derived from the Latin term Insula Canaria, meaning "Island of the Dogs."  This was probably because of the large population of seals once found there.  They aren’t found there anymore, though.  No canaries, no seals - it’s getting to be a bit of a disappointment.  I’d better get back to the wine.  There’s certainly no disappointment there.

Not all of the winemakers at this event are from the Canaries.  Four of the producers are from Galicia, there’s one from Rioja, one from Tierra de Leon and one from Alicante.  The wineries are represented by importer Jose Pastor .  Pastor has a knack for bringing to the U.S. some truly magnificent wines from areas like the Canaries and Galicia.  The wineries he represents are mostly small outfits which keep an eye on tradition while blazing new trails.  Things I heard often from these winemakers: very natural, no sulfur, unfiltered, local grapes.  They are reaching out to the American wine drinker by making wine the way they always have.  It's about time more people discovered that these folks don't need a re-invention.  They seem to be doing everything right.

Following are my notes on the wines I tasted at Pourtal.  As I am not extremely versatile in Spanish wines, it was a bit of a labor for me to get the information correct.  If I have committed any errors, please feel free to correct me in the comments.

1 Bermejos Malvasia Seco 2009 - ($24) - Anna poured a white from Lanzarote, in the Canaries. It has a grassy nose, tastes crisp and dry with grapefruit and a nice acidity. 100% Malvasia.

2 Hermanos Peciña Crianza 2003 - ($20) - Pedro Peciña offered a Rioja Tempranillo with 2 years in oak instead of the one required. It has a beautiful violet nose with smooth and bright mouthfeel. Clove and coffee notes rest on big, fruity palate.

3 - Preto Picudo Tinto 2007 ($18) - Gregory showed a wine made from Preto Picudo, taken from 12-20 year-old vines. Clay soil on a 1000-meter plateau contributes to a Tierra de Leon terroir Gregory is particularly proud to call his. This Tinto gets three months in wood to calm the tannins. This is one of several wines featured that boast indiginous grapes not seen very much on these shores. It's a great summertime red which really tasted nice gently chilled. I can imagine how good it is with a lamb dish.

4 Guimaro B2M 2007 - ($45) - Pedro had the Ribeira Sacra covered, with a Mencia wine from Galicia. A lovely floral nose leads to some spice on the palate and a dark edge to the fruit.

5 Viñatigo Gual 2008 - ($24) - Elena poured an all-steel white with an extremely grassy nose and a big grapefruit taste from the volcanic soil of the Canary Islands.

6 Fronton de Oro Joven 2009 - ($18) - Pedro (there are three Pedros in the group) had an interesting blend of negra comon (I hope I have that right - the notes took a little wear and tear as the tasting went on) and Tintilla. The nose is a little tight, but some nice smokness comes through. It's a very dry wine; differently delicious.

7 Carballo Negramoll 2008 - ($20) - Eliseo poured his La Palma wine like it was the only one on earth. And like it deserved to be. The nose is a bit tight, but its very dark flavor was immense. Even so, it felt bright in my mouth.

8 Tacande 2006 - ($48) - Jose told me tacande means "volcanic soil." That's where the wonderful violet nose comes from. It's very dry and grippy with dark tones. the grapes in the blend are Babaso, Vijariego, Tintilla, Negramoll.

9 Primitivo Quiles Cono 4 2008 ($12) - Francisco was effusive about his 100% Monastrell (known elsewhere as mourvedre). It's a big local grape, as all the reds in Alicante must be at least 50% Monastrell.

10 Laureano Serres L'Abeueador 2008 ($25) - This wine is 100% macabeu. It is a very cloudy white with nice acidity and a big citrus palate. It hails from Tarragona, in northeast Spain.

11 Pedralonga Albariño 2008 - ($27) - Miguel was so apologetic that this was the only one of his wines he had to offer. He needn't have been. All steel, grapefruit and tropical flavors, it's one of the better Albariños I've had. From Galicia.

12 German Prada Galgueira Mencia 2009 - ($17) - This winemaker was absent from the event, but Miguel was kind enough to give me a taste. It's a dark and moody red from Valdeorras, Galicia.

RIDEAU VINEYARD CREOLE BBQ FOR JULY 4TH 2010

If you are casting about for a good old, down home food, wine and music event for the Independence Day weekend, I'd suggest you take a trip to Solvang for anannual summer BBQ .  Saturday July 3rd, 2010 is the date and the party will run from 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  The Rideau Vineyard tasting room is at 1562 Alamo Pintado Road in Solvang, right in the heart of the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley.  Their phone number is 805.688.0717.

If you are not familiar with Rideau Vineyard , it was founded in 1997 by New Orleans native Iris Rideau.  She dedicated her vineyard to Rhone grape varieties in part because they are well suited to the terroir.  She also feels they go well with her beloved Creole cuisine.

Speaking of food, the menu for this shindig will feature BBQ chicken and ribs, red beans and rice with Andouille sausage, green salad, pecan cornbread and - a staple of any summertime get-together in the south - big, juicy watermelons.  The music will be in the jazz/blues vein from Lenny Kerley.

All this and southern hospitality, too, will cost $50, $40 for Rideau wine club members.  The price includes a wine tasting and a glass of wine of your choice.  If you are from the south and miss this kind of summer treat, it comes highly recommended.  If you are from some other geographical locale, this event will show you why people miss the south when they move away.

By the way, the Rideau wines are superb and the tasting room is as close to New Orleans decor as you are likely to find in the Central Coast.

DEEP CANYON CELLARS ROSÉ 2006

Deep Canyon Cellars  is a house label sold by Los Angeles wine shop Wally's.  According to Wally's website , "the group who produces it for us also makes one of the most expensive wines in the world, but that's all we can reveal!"  Very coy.  They do reveal that Au Bon Climat produces their Chaparral Chardonnay, so it's hard to dispute the quality of the name behind the label, whatever it is.  The grapes are from Santa Barbara County and, if memory serves, the price tag was about $12 for this rose.  It's made from Sangiovese.  I had this wine a couple of summers back, and it was delicious.

The nose shows a lot of fruit coming out of the glass, strawberry mostly.  I also detect a bit of a raspberry note.  The mouthfeel is a little heavier than most rosés.  If you don't mind that, and I certainly don't, you have a very refreshing drink that sips almost like a red with good acidity and a nice finish.  It's better chilled than not, so I would think it's well suited to summertime quaffing.  I find it gains a bit of complexity after it's been open a few days.

SPANISH WINE TASTING AT POURTAL

If Spanish wines are something you've been meaning to explore, you have a great opportunity to do so Sunday June 27, 2010 atPourtal in Santa Monica.

Fourteen Spanish winemakers, or agricultores, represented by importer José Pastor Selections will be on hand from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. to pour their wines and talk about their passion for making wine.  This stop at Pourtal appears to be a late entry in the lineup of the JPS Agricultores Tour which is underway now. 

It appears wines from the Canary Islands and Catalunya region will be well represented, although JPS has a rather extensive portfolio from which to draw.  If you have even a passing interest in Spanish wine, this sounds like an event you should really try to attend.

The cost is $20, which is dirt cheap considering the wealth of wine and wisdom you'll encounter there.

BEAULIEU VINEYARD TAPESTRY RESERVE 2005

T-Bones Chophouse is the steakhouse in the Red Rock Casino in Las Vegas.  It's a wonderful room, nice and sunny in the late afternoon just after opening at 5:00.  I have enjoyed several glasses at the bar, usually while watching a sporting event on which I hoped to make a killing.  The sports are shown on plenty of monitors just over the big, underlit onyx bar - much like the one at Terra Rossa, only with darker tones running through it.

I decided to try the Beaulieu Vineyard Tapestry Reserve '05.  It's a big Napa Valley red blend that goes for $14 by the glass.  The wines at T-Bones seemed to be a little pricier than the ones at Terra Rossa, ranging up to $28 for the Silver Oak Cab.  There is also a Sauternes on the T-Bones list, Chateau Rieussec Premier Grand Cru Classe, at $20.

Beaulieu's Tapestry is a blend of Bordeaux varietals: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot.

The nose is immense.  Black cherry dominates the aromas, with some spice and a huge chocolate sensation which comes out after the heat blows off.  This poured fairly hot and required a bit of time to calm down.

The taste is big and rich.  Cherry, baker's chocolate and licorice all play a part.  It's a pretty fabulous wine.  It's so good it almost makes you forget about your team not covering the point spread.  Almost.

BIBI GRAETZ TESTAMATTA CASAMATTA BIANCO 2008

Terra Rossa is the Italian restaurant in the Red Rock Casino in Las Vegas.  I always like to stop in for at least a glass of wine when I'm there, as their wine list offers lots of tasty Italian varietal wines.  The food's pretty good, too.

The underlit onyx bar is just past the maitre'd stand in the entrance from the casino floor.  Once inside, it's easy to get a break from the sound of the casino and spend a little of all that cash the slot machines and blackjack tables have been awarding.  (Pause for laughter.)

My most recent visit to Terra Rossa was in the early afternoon.  I seem to remember them opening later, around 5:00, so it was nice to see them open for lunch on Saturday.

I'm a sucker for Vermentino, and when I saw one on the menu, that's all it took to make up my mind.  It's from Bibi Graetz , Testamatta Casamatta Bianco.  A white wine from the Tuscan coast, this is one of Terra Rossa's less expensive wines by the glass at nine dollars.

The nose has bit of ocean air and a wonderful greenness to it, more like a plant than a flower.  There's a hint of petroleum in the aromas, too, which was a surprise.

The taste is heavy on the minerals with a canteloupe note and hint of lime.  Acidity isn't really a factor until the finish, but it does come along nicely there and linger awhile.  It should pair nicely with any kind of seafood.

CÔTES DE PROVENCE CUVÉE DU GOLFE DE ST. TROPEZ ROSÉ 2009

Another visit to Salades de Provence , an amazing French bistro on La Cienega at Holloway in Los Angeles, brought another satifying dinner that left Denise and me marvelling at how food so simple can be so very, very good.

Quiche addict that I am, I had the zucchini, tomato and feta pie, while Denise had a mushroom soup so big and hearty it made the delicate tomato and mozzarella crepe seem like overkill.

The big news for me concerned the wine, of course. The restaurant has replaced the rosé formerly on their menu  with another pinkie from Provence.

Cuvée du Golfe de St. Tropez is a Côtes de Provence offering which blends Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah into a rich, salmon-colored treat. The aromatics - constricted by the cold temperature at which it was served - were buried too deeply for me to figure out. The wonderful muted tastes of raspberry and strawberry, however, could not be hidden away. It's a dry wine, with a very bright acidity, made for food.

In fact, all the French wines on the list at Salades de Provence seem made for the food served there. Maybe it's the other way around. Whichever way it works, it works. Again and again I find the wine there goes hand in hand with the food.

SATURDAY IN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY

It looks like the upcoming weekend may just be the kind of Southern California summer day that makes people want to head to the Santa Barbara County wine country.  If so - and maybe I don't mention this enough - please either designate a non-drinking driver or make liberal use of the spit bucket.  Wine tasting will no doubt be doing a booming business this weekend at all the wineries.  There are a couple of special events you may want to check into as well.
Buttonwood Farm Winery and Longoria Wines will combine for the Red, White and Blues Festival Saturday June 26, 2010 in the vineyard at Buttonwood in Solvang.  It's an annual affair offering a celebration of wine and music.  Saturday from 3:00 - 7:00 p.m. you can bring a chair or blanket and a picnic and spend the afternoon with the blues sounds of Zac Harmon, who Blues Revue calls "latter-day Eric Clapton or Robert Cray with shades of Luther Allison and B.B. King."  I'm sold.  Tickets are $35 and proceeds benefit People Helping People.  Call 805.688.3032 for tickets.
Up around Santa Maria, Riverbench  will offer barrel tasting with winemaker Chuck Ortman Saturday June 26, 2010 from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.  Also on the menu is a cooking demonstration with Chef Brian Stein which will focus on products made with grape flour.  The cost is only $15.  
If your plans don't allow you to venture past the city, try the Santa Barbara Wine Festival at the Natural History Museum Saturday June 26, 2010 from 2:00 - 5:00 p.m.  75 wineries will pour and treats to eat will also be available.  Tickets are $95 at the door, but you get a price break if you order before Friday at 5:00.  Hit this site for info on the location and parking.

Whatever you decide to do, in whatever wine country you visit, please taste responsibly and get back safely.

VALUE WINE

The rough economic period we are going through has had a big effect on wine consumers.  Even high-end wine drinkers have scaled back the amount of wine they drink and the price they will pay for a bottle.  The goal now is to continue to enjoy wine, but devote less of your income to it.

I call this article Value Wine because while wine drinkers love to find value when they shop, that doesn't mean simply "look for something around five dollars."  However, if your five dollar wine tastes like a wine that costs 20 dollars, that's definitely value.  While it's not too easy to find great value at the five dollar price point, you can get a lot of wine for the money if you are willing to spend just a little more than that.

There are ways you can find lower prices for wine without sacrificing quality.

Location, Location, Location

You can often get great deals on wine by looking to wine-producing areas that fly under the radar.  Everyone knows and loves Napa Valley Cabernets, rich Burgundies, Bordeaux blends and Tuscan reds.  Have you ever tried a wine from Chile, Australia or Spain?  You can find big quality and low prices from those areas and many others.

Israel, Greece and Eastern Europe all have some great wines on the market.  Go domestic with Long Island or California's Temecula Valley, Lodi or Lake County.  A number of individual states besides the major producers - California, New York, Washington and Oregon - have burgeoning wine industries, too.

Who's Hungry?

Winemakers in unheralded areas on the verge of becoming noticed often price their wines in the bargain basement to try and gain exposure.   For instance, Malbec from Argentina has come from relative obscurity to wine list staple in a matter of just a few years, and still can be had inexpensively. You might try French wines from the Languedoc region or Italians from Sardegne.  Also, wine produced where land is very expensive will have the cost of that land reflected on the price tag.  

Variety Is The Spice Of Life

Try lesser-known grape varieties.  Demand is high for varietal wines like Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay, and that usually translates to higher prices.  If you're looking for a big, bold red wine, try a Petite Sirah, Cabernet Franc or Carménère.  Instead of an expensive Chardonnay, look into a nice Rhone blend, a Pinot Blanc or a Riesling.

Brand X

Second labels are an excellent way to find wine by respected producers, often at half the price.  Your wine merchant can help you find these value wines.  Many high-end wine producers offer second labels that cost far less than their big-hitting brethern.  Some wine stores have exclusive deals with big-name producers who label their wine specifically for the store - at deep discounts.  Trader Joe's market typically carries a lot of re-labeled wines, produced by wineries which allow the store to put their own label on it.  I can't vouch for all those store-brand wines, but I've had good luck with quite a few of them. 

Find Out What You Like

Speaking of your wine merchant, many wine stores offer weekly tastings.  Some make tastes available any time you like.  Wine bars often have a price structure that includes "taste-size" pours for less than a full glass.  Wine shows and festivals are also great ways to familiarize yourself with different brands and grape varieties.  Take advantage of these opportunities to learn more about what it is you like about wine.  It will make it easier to tell your wine merchant what it is you are looking for in a wine, and thus easier for the merchant to make useful suggestions.

Taste Rules

A wine deal isn't so good if you don't like the wine.  Hopefully you are able to taste different wines and gain knowledge about what sorts of flavors are most interesting to you.  If you don't get the chance to taste too much, ask for recommendations from people whose opinions you respect.   Read the “shelf talkers,” those little cards below a bottle of wine in the store that tells what sort of aromas and flavors to expect.  Find wines in that way which have flavor descriptions that sound delicious to you.  Reviews and other wine articles are also useful.  One thing to ignore: scores.  You won't necessarily like a 94-point wine better than an 88-point wine.

Stay On Course

Set a price you are willing to spend, then browse, looking only at wines in your price point.   It's easy to “buy up” when browsing – but it's hard to enjoy a wine which cost so much you are not able to eat this week.   Don't be afraid to try the cheaper wines, but don't live there either.  It's surprising how many good cheap wines there are, and just as surprising how much difference $10 can make. 

Discounts

Finally, as in any kind of shopping, look for sales.  BevMo has a regular sale which they run from time to time where you can buy a bottle and get a second bottle for a nickel.  Even in your regular ol' supermarket, select wines will be marked down in price.  I know Ralph's markets carry quite a few good brands, and they have tags on the sale wines that make it easy to see how much the price has been reduced (see image).  Usually the markdowns are in the one- to two-dollar range, but sometimes the savings are significant.  If you know what you want and you don't mind buying a lot of it, buy by the case.  A ten-percent discount on case purchases is just about the industry standard.

LA VIEILLE FERME COTES DU LUBERON 2008

We tried a new place for lunch recently, House on Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles. It's been open about six months and has a really comfortable vibe. The mix'n'match decor is highlighted by dark wood ceiling beams that look great against the white interior. The decor features a big clock here, an old Dr. Pepper sign there and a TV that can be seen from any table in the house. Wine crates are on high shelves near those ceiling beams. Their wine cellar is completely visible through lucite walls, a trend in wine-savvy restaurants of which I heartily approve. I have posted a couple of interior shots on the Now And Zin Facebook page. Take a look if you like.

The food's good, too. I had the House Chopped Salad, which is pretty much a Cobb salad, tossed. Denise had the short rib tacos, and the pork really melted in my mouth. The soft corn tortillas tasted homemade, too.

The wine list sported some interesting choices. There seem to be quite a few Spanish reds, which I like. On a warm afternoon, though, I opted for a French white wine from the Cotes du Luberon, the La Vieille Ferme 2008. The blend is 30% Grenache Blanc, 30% Bourboulenc, 30% Ugni Blanc and 10% Roussanne. 90% of the cool fermentation takes place in vats, while 10% is in new French oak. It then goes into stainless steel until bottled.

It's a pale wine with a yellow-green tint. The nose is rather herbaceous with a hint of wonderful funkiness. Denise detected some vanilla, but it was not apparent to me. On the palate, the wine is smooth, fresh and bracing all at once. Pears and melons are laced with a nutty flavor. The finish lingers pleasantly and reveals a nice acidity. It's a rather full-bodied white, and is quite refreshing.

CALIFORNIA WINE FESTIVAL: SANTA BARBARA

What is billed as California's most popular wine festival occurs July 15 - 17, 2010 by the beautiful Pacific Ocean in Santa Barbara.  The California Wine Festival will show off hundreds of the state's best reds, whites, pinks and sparklers along with food served by local chefs, artisan breads and cheeses, grilled meats, fruit and more.  Here's how the festivities line up:

Thursday, July 15
A tapas and wine tasting event from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. at De La Guerra Adobe Courtyard.  $49 advance, $55 gate

Friday, July 16th
Sunset rare and reserved wine tasting from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.  $99 advance, $125 gate

Saturday, July 17th
The main event - the beachside wine festival from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.  There's an 11:30 a.m. entrance for VIP/press/trade.  Every wine region in the state will be represented by hundreds of wineries pouring their wines.  There will be plenty to nosh on and live entertainment will keep the day interesting.  $65 advance, $75 gate

A VIP All Event Gold Pass offers the whole three-day experience at a discount, only $179.

The festival has been well-received by those who have attended in the past, and the event schedule certainly promises to be a lot of fun for those able to attend the full three-day schedule.  Even if you can only make it to Santa Barbara for the Saturday tasting, it sounds like a lot of fun for wine lovers.

Last Year
Last year's California Wine Festival was a great time for all concerned.  Exhibitors, vendors and guests all seemed to revel in the various pleasures laid out before them, not least among them being the fantastic Santa Barbara day.  When people all over the country think of what their "perfect summer day" would be, this day could be used as the example - clear blue sky, sunshine galore and just on the warm side of mild.  It could not have been better.

We took Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner from Burbank to Santa Barbara, avoiding all the hassle of the drive, the freeways, the parking and the necessity of a designated non-imbiber.  Neither of us had felt so free and unencumbered in ages.  We heartily recommend it.

The train station in Santa Barbara is right in the middle of the downtown area, and just a short trolley ride down Cabrillo Boulevard from the site of the festival.  The peaked white tents beckoned from afar and we entered without delay with our VIP tickets.  Later we could see that many people were in quite a line outside waiting to get in.

Denise threw herself into the condiments and gourmet items that were in wild abundance.  She busied herself with little tastes of fruit, cheese, olive oil and Balsamic vinegar while I strolled the grounds sampling the wonderful wines that were available about every ten feet or so.

Here are some of my favorites from last year's event:

Rosa D'Oro Vineyards, Lake County
Their dry Muscat Canelli was very aromatic and crisp.  The Rosato had a wild nose and a fabulous palate.  It was wine, Italian style, at 70% Sangiovese and 30% Barbera.

Michael-David, Lodi
Petite Petit was 100% Petite Sirah with a big, luscious nose full of dark fruit and oaky notes.

Ortman Family Vineyards, Paso Robles
The Sangiovese had a very fruity nose and rested very gently on the palate.

Oreana Winery, Santa Barbara
Oreana's Verdelho is the Portuguese version of the Spanish verdejo.  The nose was obscured by the barbecue stand nearby, but it was nice and easy to drink with a citrus profile.  Crisp.

Cambria, Paso Robles
The Katherine's vineyard Chardonnay was understated and crisp, the lighter of the two Chards they were pouring.

Municipal Winemakers, Santa Barbara County -
It was really nice seeing Dave Potter. Always nice to taste his wine, too!
His dry riesling is nearly as sweet as his sweet Riesling.  Both are noteworthy.  His bright red Grenache/Cinsaut/Syrah blend is a wine I like better every time I taste it, if that's possible.

Lone Madrone, Paso Robles
Here's one you don't see everyday: Picpoul Blanc.  It was full of minerals and a bit sour, like lemon.  Unusual but nice.  I'm a big fan of their La Mezcla, a blend of Grenache Blanc and Albarino.  Quite acidic and very unusual, the minerals really stand out and help shape a wonderful crispness.

Laetitia Vineyards, Arroyo Grande
Wow.  I had not ever tried their Tempranillo.  It was possibly the biggest taste from a Tempranillo in my experience.

Bridlewood Estate Winery, Santa Ynez
A really great syrah.

Santa Barbara wine retailer Winehound had a boothwhere they were pouring Qupe Dark Ride Syrah.  It was dark and earthy.

That was a lot of tasting for one afternoon!  I thoroughly enjoyed it and can't wait until the 2010 event.

After getting back near the Amtrak station, we found ourselves with quite a bit of time to kill before our train was due.  We made the mistake of stopping into Eladio's for a quick bite and a little resting.  It was some of the worst food we have ever been served.  The skewered shrimp were cold, as were the nachos.  Nachos!  They couldn't get nachos right!  The cheese was not completely melted and the sliced chiles that were sprinkled about on top tasted just awful.  What a disappointing meal.

Fortunately, dinner on Stearn's Wharf was at the other end of the spectrum.  The Harbor is as upscale as the Wharf gets, and they do a good job of maintaining their fine dining image despite the beachy surroundings.  I had the ahi tuna steak on a bed of wasabi mashed potatoes with the Sanford Chardonnay.  The wine paired with the dish perfectly.

SALUTE! BEER AND FOOD FESTIVAL

A lot has been said recently about the wines of summer.  For many, though, summer means beer.  Lager, amber ale, India pale ale, even a nice, cold porter - hot summer days seem to beg for them.  With plenty of hot summer days on the way, there is a Ventura, CA event beer fans will want to attend.

Salute!  is a celebration of craft beer and fine foods which will occur Saturday June 19, 2010 at San Buenaventua State Beach.  VIP attendees will have the grounds to themselves from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and general admission is from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.  The ticket price - $60/$135 VIP - will buy unlimited tastings of some 300 craft beers and 100 fine food purveyors.  All the proceeds will benefit Food Share of Ventura County .
Live music will accompany the festivities and experts in various fields will share their knowledge.  "Dr. Bill" Sysak of Stone Brewing Company will offer insights on the incredible beer and ale his outfit produces, while contributions are also planned from Jerret Gilden, the Ojai Beverage Company's chef, as well as Belgian beer experts John Fincioen and Claudine Von Massenhove and the director of "Beer Wars," Anat Baron.

Taste treats, music, experts and a beachside setting should make for an interesting afternoon in Ventura.  If you are there for the official kickoff between noon and 1:00 p.m., say hello to DJ Perry from local rock radio station The Octopus 95.9 FM, who is slated to help get the whole thing off to a rockin' start.

STARS OF PASO ROBLES BBQ 2010

Ian Blackburn's Learn About Wine (LAW) has another promising event on the horizon.  The Stars of Paso Robles BBQ will come to Beverly Hills and Orange County in mid-July.  The Beverly Hills event is set for Wednesday July 14th in familiar surroundings for Blackburn, the Peninsula Beverly Hills.  The Orange County stop will be at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort Thursday July 15th.

LAW's events always manage to find some pretty classy digs, and these two seem to be following suit.  Both events will feature a trade tasting session in the afternoon, with the main event - at which you'll find the BBQ - occuring from 7:00 - 9:30pm both nights.

The events will bring some great wineries from California's wonderful Paso Robles region to town.  You'll find some well-known names there as well as some smaller, undiscovered gems.  Around 30 wineries in all are expected to participate in the shows.  See the list below to find out who will be there.  The events will benefit the T.J. Martell Foundation for Cancer and AIDS Research .

The Peninsula Beverly Hills
9882 S. Santa Monica Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA

The St. Regis Monarch Beach
1 Monarch Beach Resort
Dana Point, CA

Participating Wineries:

Alta Colina
August Ridge
Bodegas M
Caliza
Cerro Prieto
Derby Wine Estates
Eberle
Ecluse
Four Vines
Hammersky
Hearthstone
Hug Cellars
J & J Cellars
JK Wine Company: Katin & Arada Wines
J. Lohr
L'Aventure
Minassian-Young
Mitchella
Nevarez
Miner
Ranchita Canyon
Rotta Winery
Roxo Port Cellars
Silver Horse
Terry Hoage
Treana/Hope Family Wines

more coming