As I’ve mentioned a couple of times here, I’ve lately been tasting through a slew of under-$20 California Merlots. And as I’ve also said, it hasn’t been pretty… But I did manage to unearth a handful that I genuinely enjoyed — nothing cough-syrupy about these: Kendall-Jackson 2007 Merlot Sonoma County Vintner’s Reserve ($19). Very nice, actually, with [...]

Sometimes grilling is an activity to feed a crowd — burgers, hot dogs and the like — and a slew of bargain wines is the order of the day. Then there are those evenings when you have a couple of well-marbled, bone-in ribeyes (for example) and you plan on sharing the feast with just that one [...]

I know, I know, there are people who get bent out of shape when I “relegate” Zinfandel to being a BBQ wine. But I really don’t mean it as an insult. To me, this is what the grape is meant to do — just fulfilling its noble destiny if you think about it. Cuz really, [...]

Here’s where I run into trouble with Merlot… I’m just really more of a Cabernet Sauvignon person. I like the structure and tannins and masculine intensity of Cab, so smooth Merlot — with a quite similar fruit profile much of the time — just hits me as wimpy by comparison. In all honesty, the lower-priced Merlots [...]

Look, I agree with the critics (critical consumers included) who bemoan the uber-ripe, sweet, heavy Chardonnays that are still hitting the shelves. But that doesn’t mean that all big, ripe Chardonnays are bad — as long as they have some balancing brightness and complexity, count me in. Granted, a big, ripe creamy Chardonnay is not [...]

Looking for an everyday Chardonnay for summer sipping? Here are a few — all priced under $20 — that I’ve enjoyed lately: Acre 2008 Chardonnay Central Coast ($16). Ripe, tropical citrus mingles with juicy green apple, picks up creamy oak influence mid-palate, then finishes crisp and dry. Food-friendly — and a good value! Ready to [...]

This is a nice sweet spot, price wise, for Cabernet Sauvignon. You typically get a whole lot more wine for the money than at the $25 range — in complexity but also in terms of cellaring potential – so if you’re willing to up the ante by $15, it tends to pay off! Here are a few [...]