Dr Vino’s wine blog

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Reader Jeff J wrote in yesterday asking for a case of wine, probably red, about $150 - $200 to give to a friend in New York who recently got married.

Great question! And thoughtful gesture! Some retailers put together pre-fab cases but I have generally approached them with skepticism. Why? I probably don’t want one or two or three of the wines in the set case. And I suspect there’s something in there that the store might be trying to move for reasons other than necessarily serving the consumer.

But I put my skepticism aside and decided to put my money where my mouth is. I recommended Jeff check out Chambers Street Wines, which has a selection of pre-fab cases at $100 and $200 both red and mixed. I also recommended the mixed “Memorial Day” case at Le Du’s Wines in the West Village. Maybe it was the thought of grilling this weekend but for some reason I found myself clicking “buy now.”

Tuesday I clicked and Wednesday my doorbell rang. I have to confess a certain amount of excitement pulling out bottles I’ve never tried before. Even if I don’t know the producers’ names, the back labels sport the names of some very solid importers–Neal Rosenthal, Jon David Headrick, Classical Wines among others. And they were selected by the knowledgeable staff, headed by Jean-Luc Le Du, formerly the sommelier at the restaurant Daniel.

But the best part? $145.99! Free delivery in New York State. I’ll keep you posted on how the one-click convenience works out in the glass. The list follows below for your perusal. But if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to go put a bottle in the fridge since it is heading to 84 degrees today…

Sparkler
Giovinale Moscato d’Asti 2005 (find this wine at retail)
Moscato - Piedmont, Italy

Rosés
Docetanidos Rosado 2005 (find this wine at retail)
Tempranillo/Albillo/Sauvignon Blanc - Cigales, Spain

Commanderie de Peyrassol 2006 (find this wine at retail)
Cinsault/Mourvedre/Grenache/Syrah - Provence, France

Whites
Ermita Veracruz 2005 (find this wine at retail)
Verdejo - Rueda, Spain

Domaine Ogereau 2005 (find this wine at retail)
Chenin Blanc - Anjou, France

Desierto 2006 (find this wine at retail)
Sauvignon Blanc - Argentina

Chateau Virgile 2005 (find this wine at retail)
Marsanne/Rousanne - Costières de Nimes, France

Reds
San Romano 2004 (find this wine at retail)
Dolcetto - Piedmont, Italy

Burch Hall Winery 2003 (find this wine at retail)
Cabernet Sauvignon - Lodi, California

Camp Galhan “Les Perassières” 2005 (find this wine at retail)
Syrah/Grenache - Languedoc, France

Fonseca Periquita 2004 (find this wine at retail)
Castelhão Frances - Terras do Sado, Portugal

Vina Gormaz 2005 (find this wine at retail)
Tempranillo - Ribera del Duero, Spain