Earlier in the year, I had the opportunity to taste through a lineup of current releases from Australia’s Torbreck winery. This famed Barossa Valley winery specializes in Shiraz, Grenache and Mataro (Mourvedre) and produces intense, rich, sometimes high-dollar wines that put a definitive Aussie spin on classic Northern and Southern Rhone single varietals and blends. Here are my notes on my favorites:

Torbreck 2008 Semillon Barossa Valley Woodcutter’s ($18). Light and bright, with moderate-intensity notes of pineapple, dried pineapple and melon, with touches of mineral and cream on the bright finish. A happy, easy wine that’s ready to drink now and over the next couple of years. Locate this wine online or in your area. (2010-07-02)

Torbreck 2008 Cuvee Juveniles Barossa Valley ($25). Intense, slightly jammy black raspberry, strawberry and plum flavors are slightly jammy but not overly alcoholic, with a long, concentrated, licorice-laced finish. A blend of Grenache (60%), Mataro (Mourvedre) (20%) and Shiraz. Ready to drink now and over the next three or four years. Locate this wine online or in your area. (2009-10-04)

Torbreck 2006 The Steading Barossa Valley ($37). This is the same fruit as the Cuvee Juveniles, but it gets 2 years in older barrels instead of the new oak treatment in the Juveniles. The result is quite different — more earthy, meaty aromas and accents to the fruit, which seems darker and deeper and less jammy here. Fascinating. Ready to drink now and over the next three or four years. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Torbreck 2006 Shiraz The Factor Barossa Valley ($115). Appealing touches of aromatic pepper and smoke accent ripe, smooth black cherry and berry fruit that stays focused and intense through the long finish, picking up savory roasted coffee and herbal notes along the way. Ready to drink now and over the next five or six years. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Torbreck 2006 Descendant Barossa Valley ($115). Shiraz cofermented with Viognier (8%), offering a “wow” nose — intense and elegant with a smoky sweetness accenting pretty blackberry and black currant fruit, with a slight savory accent on the mineral-laced, plummy finish. Very nice. Ready to drink now but should age beautifully over the next 7-10 years. Locate this wine online or in your area.

A few weeks ago, samples of a new line of gourmet goodies landed at my door. The “Gary” and “Kit” are Gary Erickson and Kit Crawford, owners of Clif Bar & Company, as well as Clif Family Winery, and the first products from Gary & Kit’s Gourmet are four varieties of Mountain Mix. These packaged jumbles of dried fruits, nuts and seasonings were created, they say, to pair with wines. (Particularly the Clif Family Wines, naturally enough.)

This was one of those times when all my expectations proved to be back to front. The variety that I thought would be my least favorite turned out to be the one I’m craving more of, and vice versa.

The four flavors of Mountain Mix are:

• Sundried Berry & Cherries with Roasted Almonds
• Smoked Paprika Almonds Sprinkled with Sea Salt
• Glazed Walnuts & Apricots with Bing Cherries
• Roasted Pistachios and Almonds Tossed with Rosemary

The suggested retail price on these is about $7 for a 5-ounce bag. Not too bad. My surprise favorite was the Glazed Walnuts & Apricots. Sounds simple, but not only is it delicious (particularly good with cheeses, too) but I’m not at all sure I could successfully recreate it – a good litmus test for someone like me who likes to cook. The other flavors were perfectly fine, too, it’s just that I tend to make my own toasted, flavored nut mixes, and I feel like I could throw together the Berry, Cherry, Almond mix pretty easily.

(As an aside, the company notes that “Always emphasizing the importance of local food sourcing and sustainability, the ingredients for Mountain Mix were sourced from California and each flavor is made with at least 70% organic ingredients.” I don’t really get the 70% thing — either the product is or isn’t organic, right? What good is 70% if you really care about this topic? I guess the assumption is that the other 30% isn’t too un-organic? From a marketing perspective, I’m not sure that would have been the stance I would have chosen…)

Anyhoo, try the Glazed Walnuts & Apricots Mountain Mix the next time you’re putting together a cheese and wine course. I dare say these tender apricots and lightly-sweet walnuts (the glazing somehow calms the bitter tannins of the nuts) could work with any wine (from Pinot Grigio to Cabernet Sauvignon to Port) and just about any cheese (from ripe Camembert to blues to aged Cheddar or Gouda).

Note: I was just about to revise this post to mention that Mountain Mix is available on the Clif Family Winery website, as well as some grocery stores in California and elsewhere, but then I noticed that my favorite flavor is not actually listed on the winery website. Not sure if they’re not offering it now, or if it sold out. Is it just me, or does this kind of thing happen to everybody?…

Here’s an interesting wine — a small production Bordeaux blend from select Argentina appellations that offers structure and bottle age at a considerably lower price than its left-bank distant cousin might fetch.

Bodega Navarro Correas 2004 Ultra Mendoza ($30). Appealing balance in this blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Merlot, offering layers of mature dark fruit — blackberry, black plum, currant — accented with roasted coffee, licorice, toast and mineral notes. With a long, intense finish that definitely has some grip. Ready to drink now and over the next couple of years. Locate this wine online or in your area.

If you have a special Chardonnay and are looking for a killer dish to pair it with — check out this recipe from the September 2002 Bon Appetit for Pasta with Lobster, Wild Mushrooms and Cream. I made it recently and it was luxuriously delish. Using lobster tails is an easy cheat — less expensive (and all together less harrowing) than the whole critter.

And here’s the kind of Chardonnay I’m talking about:

Chateau Montelena 2007 Chardonnay Napa Valley ($50). Bright and intensely concentrated, offering an elegant array of aromas and flavors — white peach, green pear, dried apple, mineral and light spice notes, with texture and style. Medium-bodied; complex, long finish. Ready to drink now but will age beautifully for 5-7 years, or more. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Here are 20 affordable wines to see you through the dog days of summer — enjoy!

RED
Hayman & Hill 2008 Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands Reserve Selection ($18). Nice price for this pedigree, offering youthful raspberry and red cherry flavors that are medium-bodied and strike a nice balance between delicate and racy. With floral, spice and toast accents and a smooth finish. Paired nicely with roasted chicken breasts and wilted spinach with glazed walnuts. Ready to drink now and over the next 2-3 years. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Quinta de Roriz 2007 Douro Prazo ($17). I loved this wine for its supple texture and rich flavors — deep plum, ripe red berry, smoky bittersweet chocolate, warm spices. It’s all carried on a medium-bodied frame and picks up appealing mineral notes on the bright finish. Ready to drink now and over the next 4-5 years. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Chateau Mont-Redon 2007 Cotes du Rhone ($15). Loved it — ripe and juicy, with concentrated black cherry, blackberry and currant fruit laced with anise, toasty oak, mineral and baking spices, with a long, focused finish. My idea of a picnic wine, especially at cellar temperature, with an array of French cheeses, baguettes, olives and the like. Ready to drink now and over the next couple of years. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Chateau Tanunda 2007 Shiraz Barossa Valley Grand Barossa ($19). A lot of wine for the money, with structure and balance. Offering intense, ripe black currant and berry flavors accented with aromatic brown spice, smoky oak and black pepper, with a lingering finish. Ready to drink now and over the next 2-3 years. Locate this wine online or in your area.

d’Arenberg 2007 Shiraz McLaren Vale The Footbolt ($19). Brawny and structured, with intense black currant and deep plum fruit accented with earth, eucalyptus and peppery spice, with chewy tannins throughout. Needs to breathe. Ready to drink now and over the next 3-4 years. Locate this wine online or in your area.

d’Arenberg 2006 Shiraz McLaren Vale The Love Grass ($19). Totally different than the Footbolt, this one is bright and racy, with medium-bodied red plum and berry fruit laced with savory tobacco, baking spices and toasty oak. Ready to drink now and over the next 3-4 years. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Bodega Navarro Correas 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Mendoza Coleccion Privada ($11). A nice surprise at this price — offering light eucalyptus and briar accents to the black currant and berry fruit flavors, with a toasty finish. Totally drinkable and worthy of something like a sliced skirt steak. Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Hayman & Hill 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Reserve Selection ($15). Ripe and juicy, with red cherry and berry flavors simply accented with toasty vanilla and peppery spices. Moderate, easy-drinking finish. Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Murphy-Goode 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon California ($14). A good burger wine, offering smooth blackberry and cherry aromas and flavors, with light spice and toasty oak accents. Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area.

PINK
Calera 2009 Vin Gris of Pinot Noir Central Coast ($16). Loved it — fresh, juicy, bright, dry and crisp, with delicate rose/floral accents to the red berry and cranberry flavors, with light spice notes on the crisp finish. Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Domaine de Fontsainte 2008 Corbieres Gris de Gris ($15). Crisp and minerally, with ripe raspberry and nectarine flavors that finish dry and balanced, with a hint of peppery spice. Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area.

WHITE
Parducci 2008 Sustainable White Mendocino County ($11). A juicy, quaffable blend of Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Muscat Canelli and Friulano, this has a bit of a fruit cocktail quality, but with bright, crisp acidity and a light mineral note that make it an appealing choice for hot summer days. Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Cupcake Vineyards 2009 Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough ($14). A Marlborough Sauv Blanc with the characteristic pungency dialed down — more lime, less grapefruit/gooseberry. Light but nice — a good poolside wine — with a fresh, clean finish. Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Napa Station 2008 Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley ($14). Bright and tangy, offering gooseberry and citrus aromas and flavors that are laced with light herbal notes that linger on the slightly creamy, melon-accented finish. Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Plantagenet 2008 Sauvignon Blanc Western Australia Omrah ($15). Delicious! With bright gooseberry, green plum and lemongrass aromas and flavors layered with juicy citrus over a complex, creamy core. Long, intense finish. Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Chateau Tanunda 2009 Riesling Barossa Valley Grand Barossa ($16). Crisp, dry and refreshing, with juicy lime and passion fruit aromas and flavors, picking up more weight and complexity through the finish. Ready to drink now and over the next 4-5 years. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Cupcake Vineyards 2009 Dry Riesling Columbia Valley ($15). An appealing little wine, with green apple and mineral accents to racy grapefruit, tangerine and crisp peach flavors. Food friendly, too — paired nicely with a pumpkin risotto studded with shrimp and pancetta. Ready to drink now and over the next couple of years. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Torbreck 2008 Semillon Barossa Valley Woodcutter’s ($18). Light and bright, with moderate-intensity notes of pineapple, dried pineapple and melon, with touches of mineral and cream on the bright finish. A happy, easy wine that’s ready to drink now and over the next couple of years. Locate this wine online or in your area. (2010-07-02)

Innocent Bystander 2009 Pinot Gris Victoria ($15). Really liked this one — for its crisp green apple and melon fruit, juicy citrus and cut grass accent that lingers on the moderate finish. Interesting! Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Innocent Bystander 2007 Chardonnay Victoria ($15). Bright and appealing, offering lemon curd accents to the clean apple and peach fruit, picking up cream and tropical citrus through the fresh finish. Ready to drink now and over the next couple of years. Locate this wine online or in your area.

I recently tasted a lineup of new releases from Napa Cellars. And although the Cab didn’t do much for me, I liked the other three for their balance and moderation. Nice acidity levels, ripe (but not overripe) fruit, easy to enjoy with or without food, widely available. (And I really like their logo, too, for what that’s worth!)

Napa Cellars 2008 Chardonnay Napa Valley ($24). Offers an appealing lemony tang alongside medium-bodied golden apple, ripe pear, and moderate touches of cream and spicy oak, with a moderate, clean finish. Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Napa Cellars 2007 Merlot Napa Valley ($22). Appealing for the sweet tobacco and baking spice accents to the smooth, lipsmacking red cherry and blueberry flavors, with a lush, lingering finish. Ready to drink now and over the next couple of years. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Napa Cellars 2007 Zinfandel Napa Valley ($22). Ripe red berry and black cherry fruit aromas and flavors are laced with warm spices, toasty oak and a touch of molasses, with a smooth finish. Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area.

It’s been another pricey week on the Wine Skinny, so I specifically scouted around my tasting notes for a bargain-priced wine for today’s pick.

This widely-available Pinot Grigio from Chianti powerhouse Ruffino is light and fresh and completely quaffable. Sip by (or in) the pool, on the patio, etc.

Ruffino 2008 Pinot Grigio Venezia Giulia Lumina ($12). Light and easy, offering soft melon character along with touches of pear, mineral and almond on the finish. Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area.