Winophilia

Great bargains from the southern Rhone

It’s no secret that prices for most of the better wines from France’s southern Rhône Valley have become uncomfortably high in recent years, especially those of Châteauneuf du Pape. Even Gigondas and Vacqueyras, which have long offered refuge for bargain-hunting fans of these grenache-based wines, are steadily creeping up in price. It’s difficult these days to find high-quality wines for under $20 from any of the big-name Rhône appellations, and it’s increasingly hard to even find them for under $25, which puts them outside the financial comfort zone of most wine drinkers. READ MORE »

Uncommon red wine bargains from Spain, part two

In the course of my tastings each year of thousands of new wine releases for the International Wine Cellar, I run into plenty of great values. But no other country offers as many as Spain does, or with such consistency. READ MORE »

Uncommon red wine bargains from Spain

For years I’ve been telling International Wine Cellar subscribers that no country or region on earth can match Spain for red wine values. If anything, I found even more remarkable buys during my annual tastings of new Spanish releases in recent months.

Spain has two key advantages that enable it to produce high-quality red wine across much of the country.  First, its mostly warm, dry climate produces consistently ripe grapes, prevents most vine diseases, and normally allows for a dry harvest. Second, large swaths of land are planted to older vines, which yield more concentrated, flavorful wines. Luckily for American wine drinkers, a growing number of American importers are latching onto Spain’s potential and now bringing in a variety of wines that deliver astonishing bang for the buck. READ MORE »

Spanish reds from Catalunya and Aragón

If there’s any region producing a greater number of outstanding red wine values than Spain’s Catalunya (Catalonia) and Aragón right now, I’m unaware of it. I’m reminded of their stunning quality/price rapport every year I conduct my annual tastings of new releases from Spain for my report in the International Wine Cellar (published in the current issue)—all the more so with the excellent 2009 and 2010 vintages on deck. Most of these wines are made from garnacha (grenache) and monastrell (mourvèdre, or mataró), emphasizing intense red and dark berry fruit, velvety texture and serious upfront appeal. In Catalunya a number of other varieties are grown, notably cariñena (carignan) but also cabernet sauvignon, syrah and merlot, among others. READ MORE »

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