VinoForLess.com

Treasure hunts have become a regular affair at VinoForLess this Fall. We believe we’ve discovered yet another. While we think that we originally picked this one up at Trader Joe’s, we looked up pricing at another local seller. Here’s what we found.

Klinker Brick Winery
2005 Lodi Old Vine Zin
Where to Buy: K&L Wine Merchants
Price: $14.99

Named after a uniquely colored brick found on many buildings in Lodi, this wine has a serious nose that reminds us of spicy pumpkin pie. It’s great dark fruit flavors give it an elegant finish. K&L got it right in saying that it also has a nuance of mint and clove. We found it to be delightful with a bittersweet dark chocolate, which brings out the berry notes. Decant this one and serve it at Thanksgiving dinner.

Steve and Lori Felten are fifth generation grape growers in the Lodi region and owners of Klinker Brick. Winemaker Barry Gnekow crafts the wines, and is considered part of the extended Felton family. Klinker Brick has a Lodi tasting room that we hope to visit soon. Maybe our friends at TheCaliforniaWineryExperience.com can give us a hint what to expect.
~r

We found an interesting Franc/Merlot blend with hint of Petite Sirah at TJ’s this weekend.

The California Wine Party
2006 Paso Robles
Price: $4.99 at Trader Joe’s
Varietal: 70% Cabernet Franc, 26% Merlot, 4% Petite Sirah

Although not very fruit forward, it’s super drinkable and has an interesting nose that perhaps someone can help us out with. We got cocoa, although I found others on Cork’d picked up a number of herbs including rosemary, basil and oregano. I tend to agree with one of those reviews in that it’s not as earthy as a typical Cab Franc. Definitely more than you’d expect out of a $5 wine. I’m not sure what the inventory on this wine is, so look for it soon. We liked it so much, that we’re planning a run back for more.
~r

Let me start by saying that this wine will be a hard find, but if you happen to be in the San Francisco bay area and act quickly, you may score a bottle. At a tasting hosted by The Wine Club, I browsed the store selection and thought to myself that I really need to branch out of California. Lying in a “While Supply Lasts” bin, I luckily chose this one.

Château Beau-Sejour Grand Vin de Bordeaux
Vintage: 2004
Region: Montagne Saint Emillion Appellation
Price: $13.99
Where to Buy: The Wine Club, and hopefully your local wine retailer

I was looking for something that could take me back to 2007 in Paris. On this particular trip, a great friend graciously let me and the wife stay at his flat, while he was on honeymoon. Said friend also left us with a great selection of French wine. I’ll be honest in saying that I really don’t know French regions as I should, and that I’m not sure how or if to compare this find to what he left us. This wine was marked as being best after ‘08, and I figured, what the hell; we’re almost there, right? After about an hour of breathing time, I was definitely reminiscing about the Champs-ElysÈes.

The nose is earthy, yet floral, and there are some very subtle elements that reminded me of cranberry, ash and a slight mustiness. It’s not as fruit forward as reds that I typically drink, and it struck me as lightly tannic, but I found it most drinkable. I didn’t kill the bottle last night, and I’m so looking forward to tasting it again this evening! Hopefully you can find this gem at your local spirits store. I’m envious if you happen to have a bottle lying down in your personal cellar.

~r

Another great summer white wine.  I found this at Safeway on sale for $7.36 per bottle (with my Safeway card). 

2006 California Sauvignon Blanc
Beringer Vineyards
Where to buy: Safeway and various other places
Street Price: $11.00

It has quite a bit of citrus in both the nose and on the pallet. The nose also offers up notes of pineapple that lead to a subtle melon finish on the pallet.  A strong salty cheese really brings out the fruit, which makes this the perfect wine for a long, lazy summer afternoon.  This wine also pairs well with grilled artichoke and portobello mushroom. 

Beringer is still too much associated with White Zinfandel in my mind, but their reserve wines keep reminding me that this winery has a lot more to offer than the pink stuff!  (Not that there’s anything wrong with the pink stuff.) 

Sami