Value vino list number eleven
White
Nussberg, Alte Reben, 2001, Wiener Wein, $9.99 (sale price) Find this wine
Which European capital has the most vines? Paris? Prague? No, Vienna! Competing for expensive real estate with coffee shops and residences, 1700 acres of vines lie within the city limits. So it is small wonder that the Vienna wines are expensive, but is the terroir good? (A hint of tramway?) This white wine from the Nussberg vineyard on the banks of the Danube demonstrates why vines still tenaciously cling here: dry and crisp thanks to the steel tank fermentation, and excellent depth and complexity with notes of grapefruit and pears. This Gruner Veltliner knocks the socks off most whites and will no doubt impress even the most skeptical guests. Great match with seafood. Imported by VinDivino.
Big Reds
House Wine, Magnificent Wine Co, 2002. $9.49 Find this wine
Think of this wine as punk rock in a bottle with its loud label and fruit at high volume. Charles Smith, who used to manage a punk band in Demark, now owns K Vintners as well as the Magnificent Wine Co. in Walla Walla Washington. Although he is known for his Syrahs (including K Syrah–hahaha), this House Wine is mostly Cabernet. This “hedonistic fruit bomb” with juicy tannins and little oak influence is a steal at under $10.
Woop Woop, Shiraz, 2003. $9 (sale, $12 normal) Find
this wine
In my profile of Ben Hammerschalg of Epicurean Wines I discovered his excellent portfolio of wines from Australia. All of his wines represent a tremendous quality to price ratio but only this Woop Woop is around the Dr. Vino mark of $10. Usually it is around $12 but many wine shops have October sales so seize this opportunity to
scoop it up for under $10. With its colorful label, this wine has plenty of appeal with soft tannins and smooth notes of juicy blackberries and chocolate. Food friendly, try pairing it with grilled meats or salmon. The name is hard to forget and so is the wine. Importer: Epicurean Wines.
Nuhar, Rapitala, 2002. $8.99 Find
this wine
A struggle is underway in Sicily and it does not involve “la famiglia.” This struggle (as is playing out in much of the Old World) is over the use of local grape varietals versus more of an international style. This wine walks the fine line between these two camps and but ultimately falls onto the international side. The localists will be pleased with the presence of 70% Nero d’Avola while the internationalists will be pleased with the 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. Indeed, if you think Italian reds are too light-bodied this has additional heft with pleasant aromas of dark fruits. Goes great with pizza. Fredrick Wildman, importer.
Medium-bodied reds from off the
beaten path
Evel, Douro, 2001. $7 Find
this wine
The Duoro region of Portugal, once known almost exclusively abroad for producing the grapes for port, has had a recent shift to table wines. The reds are turning out quite well and they are generally good values. (It’s not that their importers have hedged the currency risk successfully; they’re just cheap with improving quality) This producer is emblematic of the transition: during the first century after its founding in 1756, Real Companhia Velha was a regulatory body for the Port trade, subsequently becoming a private company and very recently transitioning to table wines as well hiring a Californian, Jerry Luper, as winemaker and technical director. This least expensive wine in their portfolio has a relatively truncated flavor profile of red berries and some spice but is smooth and light to accompany food. Importer: Admiral Wine Merchants.
Rocche Costamagna, Dolcetto D’Alba, 2002. $8 Find this wine
The wines of Piedmont have escaped these pages for too long. One reason is obvious-although the Barolos and Barbarescos are fabulous wines in the glass, the often stratospheric pricing does not make them good values. Enter dolcetto. This full flavored red wine not only comes with an affordable price tag but also is a perfect accompaniment to autumnal cuisine. This week and next, I will feature affordable doclettos (or dolcetti to the cognoscenti). Big but not tannic, this Rocche Costamagna with notes of plum and spice will impress your guests with something from off the beaten path. Importer: Laird and Co.
Pira, Dolcetto D’Alba, Vigna Fornaci, 2002. $9. Find this wine
The steep hillsides of this Piedmont estate are evoked in a whimsical way on the label with the presence of a backpacker. But any hiker who brings this bottle along will no doubt have fellow hikers carry the pack home out of gratitude. Inky purple in color, this young wine has plenty of fruit and sees no oak aging—only in stainless steel and the bottle. Try it with mushroom dishes and shock your dining companions with the value since it tastes like a $25 bottle. Importer: Montecastelli selections.
