With the down economy, there is even more incentive to look for
value wines. My picks this week are inexpensive and great-tasting.
The first three are found at Trader Joe’s.
With the down economy, there is even more incentive to look for value wines. My picks this week are inexpensive and great-tasting. The first three are found at Trader Joe’s.
I always enjoy talking to Rigo at the Trader Joe’s Morgan Hill store. He does all the wine ordering and is exceptionally knowledgeable on their wine selection. On Rigo’s recommendation, my friends and I tried three different bottles: a cabernet, a chardonnay and a blend.
The Trader Joe’s Coastal Cabernet is surprisingly smooth and delicious at only $3.99. It’s medium bodied with blackberry notes. It’s not very complex, but for the money, it’s a great buy. My taste-testing friends and I actually liked it better than the more expensive cabernets we sampled.
Equally as wonderful is the Trader Joe’s Coastal Chardonnay – especially at the same $3.99 price. It’s unoaked, more on the dry side, with notes of cantaloupe, peach and apple and has a relatively long finish. If you’re a fan of the two-buck-chuck wines, you will like these two “Coastal” wines even more.
Also from Trader Joe’s is the Cocoban, 2009 red wine. This wine is fun in a bottle for only $6.99. It is very smooth, has mocha and ripe cherry flavors with just the right hint of sweetness. You’ll want to stock up on it while it lasts because it is a limited offering.
For a few dollars more, my friend Ron recommends his favorite weeknight chardonnay, Wente “Riva Ranch,” 2009 from Monterey. My friends and I love its creamy and bright tropical flavors. It is on sale at Safeway for $10.99 (half the price of other retail stores) until Oct. 11.
Local Winery Buzz
On a tip from Leal Vineyard where we were wine tasting, we hopped in the car to visit a new winery that was “just around the block from Leal.” We drove “around the block” and followed a sign that pointed down a dirt road to Guerra Family Cellars, 500 John Smith Road in Hollister.
From our car, we couldn’t see the wine tasting facility. In fact, we couldn’t see anything but rolling hills and a few grazing cattle. We soon spotted a small sign on a barrel that confirmed we were “half-way there.” Sure enough, we arrived at a rustic barn-like tasting facility surrounded by unobstructed, spectacular mountain vistas. We knew we had stumbled upon something very special.
Inside the tasting facility, Janice, the delightful wine pourer, told us the wine tasting fee was only $5 and refundable with a purchase.
We fell in love with their viognier (white wine) – Hollister’s cool, foggy nights are perfect for this varietal. Guerras offers two vintages of viognier (both $24): the 2009 is mellow and rich and the 2010 is brighter with vibrant flavors of peach, vanilla and honeydew. They are both exceptional and you will be hard-pressed deciding which one you like best. Pair either with appetizers or spicy Asian food. The third offering is their Petite Sirah, which won Best of Class at the 2010 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. Described as “silky with aromas of blackberry pie and a fruity finish” – we could taste why it was a winner. A complimentary bowl of spicy walnuts is served with tastings.
I met with Al Guerra, the proprietor, and learned that in Hollister, the Guerra family roots go back to 1919. In the early ’80s, the Guerra family purchased the 600-acre “Pepper Tree Ranch.” By 2006, they partnered with neighboring Leal Vineyards to plant 20 acres of vineyard bordered by several acres of olive groves.
Immediately next to the tasting facility is an amphitheater for concerts from July through September.
With a copy of this column, get a free wine-tasting for up to eight people. Hurry down before the end of October when they close for the season. You’ll be in for a treat.
For more, call (831) 902-5354 or visit guerracellars.com. Open weekends through October, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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Wine Munchie of the Week
Al Guerra’s spicy walnuts: Mix all: 1/4 teaspoon each of cayenne pepper, powdered ginger, cinnamon, white pepper and 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, chili powder, curry powder and garlic salt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir in 2 cups of walnut halves/pieces. Spread in single layer on a baking sheet and bake 15 minutes at 325 degrees. Stir and watch carefully to avoid burning. Sprinkle with garlic salt. Fantastic with the viognier.
