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| Friday, January 20 |
| Surprising Blend - Rosso Classic 2004 |
 Not much was expected at $6.99, but what a great surprise; Francis Ford Coppola Presents Rosso Classic 2004, a blend of Zinfandel (47%), Cab (32%), and Syrah (21%). The 2004 Rosso has aromas of currants, engaging dark fruit and spicy clove, with a very soft tannins.
A terrific value wine for home! And best of all, VERY easy to find.
Ratings in the 80's.
Day 2 Rating: B
VR
wine food and drink value wine everyday wine wine snob wine news |
posted by VINORATER (aka VR) @ 7:49 PM   |
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| Friday, January 13 |
| Sebastiani Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County 2002 |
 Gosh, it's hard to fine interesting Cabs at VinoRater's price point (one of the reasons this blog exists)! And admittedly, this is a bit of cheat, because it can be tough to find at under $12 (or even under $15), but if you can find (I did!) it it's worth the trouble! Nicely balanced, with dominating flavors of cherry and plum, this wine is smooth delight to drink. About 52,000 cases made. Pair it with a sirloin burger topped with blue cheese and grilled onions!
http://www.sebastiani.com/home.asp
Ratings generally 90 and above
"Day 2 Rating": A
Best,
Vino Rater
wine food and drink value wine everyday wine wine snob wine news |
| posted by VINORATER (aka VR) @ 8:51 PM |
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| Wednesday, January 11 |
| Another Pinot |
Just discovered a great Pinot Noir, at a great price ($9.99). Its the Indigo Hills, 2003 California Pinot Noir. Its a very delicate Pinot, with a nice taste of fruit without being sweet. So far, one of the best Pinots under $12 I've found. Hope you can find it in your area as well. I'm out to buy a few more...
Ratings generally high 80s
"Day 2" Rating: A-
Best,
VinoRater
wine food and drink value wine everyday wine wine snob wine news |
| posted by VINORATER (aka VR) @ 10:20 PM |
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| Ramsay - Pinot Noir |
Kent Rasmussen, a Napa Valley specialist in pinot noir, makes a low-price second-label pinot, called Ramsay, that comes from grapes blended from North Coast vineyards. Strawberries, vanilla, earthy, slightly tannic.
Ratings vary from high 80s to 91
VinoRater's "Day 2 Rating" : B
$12wine food and drink value wine everyday wine wine snob wine news |
| posted by VINORATER (aka VR) @ 10:18 PM |
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| It's cold, serve the chili and pass the wine !! |
Check out this hearty COTO de HAYAS CRIANZA 2002, from Spain's Campo de Borja region. Full of spicy fruit fruit with a dry finish, this Spanish Grenache(60%)/Tempranillo(40%) blend hits the spot, and goes well with intense flavors.
High 80s, $10, Day 2 Rating: A
best,
VinoRater
wine food and drink value wine everyday wine wine snob wine news |
| posted by VINORATER (aka VR) @ 10:17 PM |
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| Castle Rock 2003 Central Coast Syrah |
Wow. What a great surprise. I love this wine! Brawny, with earthy pomegranate flavors. Loads of vanilla, cedar linger on the finish, with chewy tannins! Packs a whollup!
Ratings generally in the high 80s
VinoRater Day 2 rating: A-
About $9
About the Winery: Since its inception in 1994, Castle Rock Winery has built an enviable reputation for producing high quality wines at affordable prices for discerning wine lovers. This winning formula is highly successful as proven by an increasing number of customers and members of the wine press, who have given the wines glowing reviews. The company is one of the fastest growing in the industry, having sold 200,000 cases of wine in 2004, and expecting to sell 250,000 cases in 2005.
Castle Rock's wines are carefully made from grapes grown in the most prestigious areas of the West Coast states - California (Napa Valley, Sonoma County, and Alexander Valley etc.), Oregon (Willamette Valley), and Washington (Columbia Valley). The company has always focused on making wines with specific appellations in order to allow the local qualities of the wine to be appreciated by connoisseurs. |
| posted by VINORATER (aka VR) @ 3:34 PM |
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| WINE VIDEO |
Push Play To See "No Wine Before Its Time" or Click Here For Other Wine Video |
October 5th, 2006 Weekly Wine News Selections
How To Order Wine For A Business Dinner - Forbes.com: "The rules for handling wine at an important business dinner are pretty much commonsense and not very different from the rules for any kind of successful entertaining--be prepared, plan ahead and use the resources at your disposal"
A Vintner's Joy : "Harvest is a busy, crucial time as owners --and customers-- gather the crop "
CRITICS' PICKS: The Wine Country HARVEST BOON: "Grape expectations Now is the richest time to see -- and smell -- Wine Country in Napa and Sonoma. Harvest has begun. "
Web wine: A bountiful harvest for online shoppers: "Lately, thanks in part to a Supreme Court ruling, state law changes and Americans' growing comfort with the Web, the online wine business has been undergoing a sea change: There's a surge in the number and quality of sites devoted to educating consumers, highlighting unusual regions and, mostly, selling a lot of wine.
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The Pour: Decanting Robert Parker: "Thirty years of influence haven't curbed his thirst for wine, or a fight."
Study shows red wine cuts Alzheimer's risk : "Researchers have uncovered yet another reason to toast red wine: A glass a day could keep Alzheimer's disease at bay."
| MORE WEEKLY WINE NEWS |
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| ABOUT ME |
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Name: VINORATER (aka VR)
Home: California, United States
About Me: WHY THIS BLOG?
Truth is, it's getting harder to find good wine at an everyday price (around $12 and under). So I've trolled respectable sources far and wide (Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Food & Wine, Robert Parker, Stephen Tanzer, New York Times, and other strong reviewers) for the "best of the best-priced", and tried every wine personally before recommending it. I also only include wines that are fairly easy to find. Plus, I've added useful info on wine pairings, wine terms, and wine news and other interesting wine info.
Let's share, and please pass on any recommendations, thoughts and critics...
Cheers!
VinoRater
See my complete profile
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