Top Ten Wine Gems Under $10.

Today marks the end of my 14-part Kiwi Wineau series reviewing wines under $10. While I have not entirely exhausted the subject, I have examined it pretty thoroughly for the past seven months.

So it's time to wrap up. Don't worry I will continue to review cocktails and wines of all prices. Oh, the research just never stops, my friends... So picked from all the reviews - the Top Ten!

They are in order of the most recently reviewed and prices are at time of review. I have tried to pick a range of varietals but many others were very drinkable too. For example, all the sparklings were excellent for the price. I've listed specifically where to buy in the East Bay but I'm sure many are easily purchasable in your area too.

Press here for Youtube videos of our tastings.

1. Martin Fierro Malbec 2008, Argentina ($8) from Vintage Berkeley.
Smells and tastes of cherries and the holidays, cinnamon. Very peppery and deep. Best with fatty piece of ribeye steak. Kevin: "Needs to be opened up an hour before drinking" 
Full review

2. Dashwood Sauvignon Blanc 2010, Marlborough, NZ ($9.99) from BevMo and large supermarkets
Lots of lime, hint of passion fruit, great with a range of food including Thai or as friend Reece says: "very meaty BBQ."
Full review

3. Woodbridge Chardonnay 2009, Lodi, California ($7.99) from most supermarkets and drug stores
Smells and tastes of pear pie as promised. Easy drinking with a touch of butter and fruit. Kevin: "You won't wow your guest with this, but it's perfectly fine."
Full review

4. Glory Days Viognier 2008, Lodi, California ($8.99) from Mulberry's, Piedmont
Nostalgic label has old photos of baseball scenes. Full, rich and complex. Apples with a sharp aftertaste. My husband expanding on the baseball theme: "Not as rich as an expensive Viognier but gets on you faster than you'd expect and has some good movement."
Full review

5. Barokes Mix-Pak, Australia ($9.99 for pack of four cans) from Broadway Wines, Oakland and College Avenue Wines, Berkeley
Shiraz: Rich red depth. Smell reminds you of when you were a kid picking blackberries off the side of the road. My friend Sue: "Cheeky little number."
Full review

6. Delmas Blanquette de Limoux Cuvee Berlene 2007, France, ($9.99) from Wine Mine, Oakland
Offers hints of green apple and lemon with a slight dryness and a creamy nuttiness at the finish. Bubbles small and persistent and very festive. Me: "These people have been making bubbles for ages!"
Full review

7. Rosso, Tintero, Italy, ($8.95) from Kermit Lynch, Berkeley
Light and bright with red berry juiciness, like an old-style chianti. Very quaffable. Says friend Ross: "Would go well with pizza and spaghetti."
Full review

8. Schmitt Sohne Relax Riesling, Germany ($7.99) from BevMo
Complexity and fullness, redolent of flowers and fruit. Slight acidity balanced by a sweet lingering finish. Me: "Pretty blue bottle."
Full review

9. Red Diamond Merlot, 2007, Washington ($8.99) from Berkeley Bowl
Dark and wintry wine; juicy plums and blackberries. Tad minty with caramel. Friend David: "Berrydelicious!"
Full review

10. Casal Garcia Vinho Verdo, Rose, Portugal ($7) from Wine Mine
Invigorating spritz of bubbles in the background, bit of a bite at the end. Friend Kenny: "Good enough to sit on the patio and just suck down by itself."
Full review

So it's Goodnight Kiwi Wineau!

Kiwi Wineau: Reds from Argentina

Kia Ora, this is me, Kiwi Wineau, reviewing wines under $10.
This week we reviewed three reds from Argentina. Which was the best?

Find out by clicking on our YouTube tasting.

And below you can read my East Bay Express column on the tasting.


Discovering Argentinean Reds
They're all the better for the pepper, and plenty earthy.
By Jody Brettkelly

It seems all my friends and family either have recently been or are imminently headed to Argentina. No mystery there: It's an incredibly romantic place of rolling green hills, swooping polo players, stunningly beautiful people, and a bleached-blonde dictator whose rule improbably inspired a Broadway musical and a terrible movie by Madonna.

I was surprised to discover that Argentina is also the fifth-largest wine-producing nation in the world, which means it should have some good moderately priced wines. The first two we found were both Malbecs, a Bordeaux variety that is usually inky and opaque, with moderate intensity. Malbecs are supposed to be fairly full-bodied, with hints of dark berries or plum and sometimes mocha.

First came the Martin Fierro Malbec 2008 from Valle del Tulum, San Juan ($8), which I bought from Vintage Berkeley, a wine boutique in Berkeley's Elmwood neighborhood (2949 College Ave.). This is such a pleasant place to visit — a boutique atmosphere with flowers and champagne in bathtubs, wines you've never seen or heard of, and employees who are truly passionate about wine.

The bottle had a very elegant gold-and-black label, and the wine smelled and tasted of cherries and was very, very peppery. My first thought was that it tasted and smelled of Christmas, which must have been the hint of cinnamon. There was also something woodsy about it all, especially in the strong, bitter aftertaste. It was ultimately too much to simply sip on its own, and would go best with a tasty ribeye steak with a decent amount of fat.

The second wine up was a Bodega Norton Malbec 2010 from Mendoza ($7.99), which I found at Trader Joe's in Rockridge (5727 College Ave., Oakland). It possessed a very strong smell that I couldn't quite put my finger on, and after some consideration we decided it was a mustiness like a gym locker. Hmm. Must be another form of earthiness coming through. There was also a hint of blackberries after a while, as well as other fruits, but it was never smooth. It had less complexity than the Martin Fierro, and was likewise in need of a pairing with strong-tasting meats.

Finally we got to the Pampa De Baco Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 from Mendoza ($4.99), which I bought from Uptown Oakland's Grocery Outlet (2900 Broadway). The Grocery Outlet has some amazing bargains if you know your wines or don't mind taking what they have that week. This wine was definitely not a full-bodied or complex Cab Sav, but was inoffensive and smooth enough to sip on its own.

Of the three, the Martin Fierro holds the most appeal. But all of the bottles need to be opened for at least an hour beforehand to deepen the fruit and ease out the earth ... well, the gym socks anyway.

Kiwi Wineau: New Zealand Whites

Hi, this is me, Kiwi Wineau, reviewing wines under US$10.

While I was in New Zealand we tasted three cheap Kiwi white wines - also available in the East Bay, California for under $10.

Which was the best? Find out by clicking into our Youtube tasting.

  

And below you can read my East Bay Express column on the tasting.


New Zealand Floral
Doesn't rest on its laurels.
By Jody Brettkelly

I was heading back home to New Zealand for two weeks and instead of writing this column before I left, I thought how very nice it would be to taste some Kiwi wines right where they were born. Of course, everyone saw my excuse: It was pure and simple procrastination. As one old mate said, in the kindest possible way, "Jody, you're still that nineteen-year-old Uni student constantly asking for essay extensions!"

But my procrastination resulted in hours of extra work, as I searched the wine aisles of every supermarket along the coast. One might think it'd be easy to find three Kiwi whites under $10 that are sold both in the East Bay and in New Zealand. Impossible. The exchange rate, which now favors New Zealand, and the fact that many companies re-brand their wine for America meant I could barely scrape up three bottles after searching stores the length of the North Island, from Auckland to Wellington. Meanwhile, back in Oakland, my long-suffering husband put in loads of calls to East Bay stores.

And that's how I found myself in the Auckland apartment of my friends Kerry and Reece doing a Kiwi wine tasting, hours before my plane left for the United States.

First up was a Dashwood 2010 Sauvignon Blanc from Malborough, which can be bought at Beverages & More (multiple East Bay locations) for $9.99. The wine had been recommended by New Zealand's Cuisine magazine: people who know what they are doing, Reece promised. The bottle says it should taste of passionfruit and lime; there is a lot of lime, but I would have loved to taste and smell more passionfruit. "It won't stand a lot of scrutiny," said Reece, "but good enough." We agreed it would suit a meaty barbecue, including lamb.

Next was Monkey Bay 2010 Sauvignon Blanc from Hawkes Bay. With the exchange fluctuating, Monkey Bay can be purchased in the East Bay from BevMo and large supermarkets for under $10 when it's on sale. We found it pleasantly citrusy, but a lot thinner than the Dashwood, which would trump it every time. There was no discernible scent to it. Reece said it was "doing what is was supposed to, but not that interesting."

Finally came the Villa Maria 2009 Riesling from Malborough, which can be bought for $9.99 from Costco in Richmond (4801 Central Ave.). "I usually don't like Rieslings," Reece said. "But this is the go." No better recommendation from a Kiwi guy who knows his wines. Kerry found some floral, but not as much as you would expect from a Riesling. She said it was unusual enough to pair with fish and crayfish.

In the end, we were back and forth about first place. After being open to the air a few minutes longer, the Dashwood proved more complex. But, ultimately, the Riesling was the most different and surprising. Monkey Bay took third place.

Kiwi Wineau: Chardonnays

How did these three Chardonnays under $10 from Berkeley Bowl taste?

Find out by watching the YouTube video of our tasting.

And below you can read all the details of our tasting in my Wineau (wines under $10) column for the East Bay Express.

  

Chardonnays: Butter, Fruit, or Tin?
Is innovation always a good thing?
By Jody Brettkelly

It's high-time to take a good, hard look at Chardonnays. They are not my favorite type of wine; I prefer Sauvignon Blancs, which are crisper and fresher. But I have come around to Chardonnays and have noticed that fruit-forward seems to be the modern approach — though I always thought the buttery ones were pleasant, too. So I asked my friend Anne and her husband Barry, who drink Chards and really know them, to help with the tasting.

It was a madhouse at Berkeley Bowl West (920 Heinz Ave., Berkeley) just before Thanksgiving when I asked one of the employees in the wine department for three of their best Chardonnays under $10. She seemed very decisive in her choices, and driving home I had high hopes.

The first was a Calina 2009 from Chile ($8.99), a winery owned by California's Kendall-Jackson. Both Anne and I agreed it didn't have any nose at all. We also picked out a metallic, tinny taste. Barry said it was "like a Sauvignon Blanc, a little bit grassy and even like a Fume Blanc." It wouldn't be ideal on its own or paired with a light dish like fish, but needs something flavorful and substantial — like a fiery Indian curry. In past years this wine has been well reviewed, and one reviewer even gushed over the 2009 bottle: "If this were a California Chardonnay it would cost two or three time the price." I cannot be so enthusiastic.

Next up was the Lockwood 2009 from Southern Monterey County ($9.95), a cool climate that promised us "delicious expressions." Anne found the wine to have a "very limited bouquet." She detected a tiny bit of oakiness, which was pleasant enough, while Barry said it was softer, with hints of white nectarines or peaches. We agreed it would do well with something really tasty like spicy Lemongrass prawns or a Tom Yum Goong soup. But don't all white wines go well with spicy Asian food? It's a great fit for inoffensively wan wines and for wines that have a little bit of something wrong with them.

Next up was the Domaine de Bernier 2008 from Loire Valley, France ($7.99). Again we could detect little scent, but then I thought I could smell shoe polish. Anne replied: "I know what you mean about the polish, but it's silver polish." Barry wondered if it had a little bit of a rotten squash: "Sometimes you can get that smell, but it's usually with sweeter wines." I found it tangy, not buttery at all, and just a tad fruity. We all agreed: It was hands-down the worst of the three.

We decided the second wine, the Lockwood from Monterey, was not so offensive and could be sipped with strong foods. But across the board, we found an unsettling tininess in place of the fleshy ripeness of fruit. Chardonnays need to bring back the butter, big time.

Kiwi Wineau: Woodbridge Wines

Have you ever tried those wines you find everywhere, even in Pharmacies?

Below is my East Bay Express Wineau column (wines under $10) on Woodbridge wines. Does easy to find equal peace of mind?

Press here for Youtube video of the tasting.

Woodbridge and the Path More Taken
Do easy-to-find wines equal peace of mind?
By Jody Brettkelly

Some bargain wines you see so frequently and in so many places that they become a piece of the shopping wallpaper. And somehow, you never end up buying them. For me, Woodbridge wines by Robert Mondavi are the perfect example. They're instantly recognizable to even casual wine shoppers and bear a simple but classic label featuring a tranquil scene from Lodi, California, of a bridge over untroubled waters and undulating hills of vineyards.

These wines can be found seemingly everywhere for $7.99: Try BevMo, Walmart, Rite Aid, Target, Trader Joe's, Safeway, or CVS, for a few. Because they're so ubiquitous, they may not have earned a place on your shopping list. But in the interests of good journalism, I felt I really should get to the bottom of Woodbridge's wines.

Reading the PR bumph for the wines, I immediately warmed to the philosophy espoused by Robert Mondavi, who died two years ago. He founded Woodbridge Winery at his home in Lodi in 1979, aiming to make wines that could be enjoyed as a part of daily life. A glass of "everyday wine" on as many tables as possible seems to me a refreshingly democratic ambition.

The label on the 2009 Chardonnay says it should smell and taste of pear pie, and it did slightly. It was a very easy drink with a touch of butter and fruit. As my husband Kevin put it, "You won't wow your guests with this, but it's perfectly fine."

With the 2008 Zinfandel, I could smell and taste pepper and a hint of chocolate and cranberry. It was very soft, smooth, and drinkable. Kevin agreed it was peppery and smooth, but less like a Zin than a "peppery Pinot."

The smell and taste of cloves and boysenberry dominated the 2009 Merlot. It was much deeper and richer than the Zin. I generally liked it, but Kevin did not go for the overlay of cloves: "The cloves are an unusual taste; reminds me of mulled wine," he said. "I like mulled wine sometimes when it's cold out, but I don't want to be reminded of it when sipping Merlot."

None of the wines were as full, complex, and tasty as what you'd normally expect of these varietals — but they were very drinkable. Sometimes what you need for the night is right under your nose.

Kiwi Wineau: Glory Days Wines

Are you still celebrating the San Francisco Giant's World Series win? Still? Me too.

My Wineau (wines under $10) column below in the East Bay Express reviews three Glory Days wines.  And press here for the Youtube video of the actual tasting.

Glory Days Wines
Fit for remembering good times at a good price.
By Jody Brettkelly


For those of us still celebrating the Giants' World Series win — and, let's face it, the toasting could go on for some time — I wanted to find some wines ripe for reliving those great moments.

I was having a bit of a Mayberry day when I came across three Glory Days wines at the peaceful little market Mulberry's in leafy Piedmont (335 Highland Ave.). All of the labels feature nostalgic old black-and-white photos of baseball games, planes, and tractors, making that appealing link to times that we'd like to believe were more simple and idyllic, but probably weren't.

The Van Ruiten family has been making wines in Lodi, California, for more than fifty years, but has been producing its own wine only since 2000. One year after launching its own label, the three-generation family set up a large tasting room in Lodi, which is midway between the Sierra foothills and the Delta. Since then, the business has been moving toward more eco-friendly practices such as building nesting boxes for owls, which keep down the rodent population without the need for poisons in the soil.

It was just me and my cameraman-slash-husband Kevin for the tasting. Kevin's mastery of baseball clichés was bound to be handy, as I am very much a fair-weather baseball fan, with "good eye good eye" being my best offering.

First was the 2008 Viognier ($8.99), which tasted of apples with a certain sharp aftertaste. "It's very good," Kevin said. "Not as rich as a more expensive Viognier, but it gets on you faster than expected and has some good movement."

The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon ($8.99) smelled and tasted chocolatey, warm, and rich, with blackcurrants. It was very drinkable and quite an opulent wine for the price. "It's like a batter with a smooth swing, not necessarily a home-run hitter, but one you can count on to make solid contact," Kevin noted. Like most decent Cabs, it seemed custom-made for the backyard grill, even though we keep seeing rain with the shine.

The 2008 Chardonnay ($8.99) was strangely tangy, with little aftertaste. It was neither buttery nor fruit-forward, leading Kevin to announce: "You're ready for contact with the ball, but then it gets popped up." I also have to add that after enjoying twist tops in past weeks, the corks on Glory Days felt more like an impediment than an old-fashioned touch.Playing coach, Kevin summed it up: "If I were putting these wines in a batting order, I would lead off with the Cab, then the Viognier, and pinch hit for the Chardonnay." For those of us without his command of baseball banter, the first two of these wines are good for reliving our own glory days, for a couple of hours at least.

And with opening day only five months away, there are more good memories ahead to toast.

Kiwi Wineau: Sparkling Wines

With the holidays coming up - and a World Series win for the San Francisco Giants! - there's never been a better time to crack open the bubbly.

Sparkling wines have come a long way since the days of Cold Duck served in broad-bowled glasses (falsely) attributed to Marie Antoinette's breasts.

This week in my Wineau column (wines under $10) for the East Bay Express we taste three fun and frisky sparklers.

Press here for the full report in the East Bay Express.  And press here for the You Tube video of the actual tasting.


Fun and Frisky Bubbles 
Three fine ten-dollar sparklers for the holidays.
By Jody Brettkelly

On a Saturday night in October, a group of us pulled on our poshest frocks and sharpest tuxes and headed off to the Human Rights Campaign Gala in San Francisco's glitzy Fairmont Hotel. With the fanciness of the evening and holidays coming up, it seemed a fine time to try out three sparkling wines.

During what turned out to be a night of silliness and shenanigans, I lost my camera, which contained the filming of our tasting (some might venture that was a good thing), but those are the sort of wild evenings you're often in for when drinking bubbly. Fortunately, we're (mostly) the better for it. Bit of a ring-tailed tooter, as my Southern friend Ross calls it.

Bubblies have come a long way baby since the days of Cold Duck served in broad-bowled champagne saucers, the shape of which has been falsely attributed to the shape of Marie Antoinette's breasts. I was looking for some really smashing sparklers, rather than ones that cried out for the cover of orange juice, so I headed for the Wine Mine (5427 Telegraph Ave., Oakland), which I already knew has a good selection.

The first we tasted was a Cava from Spain, Segura Viudas Brut Reserva ($8), which was created from a blend of reserve and non-vintage wines and aged for at least three years. It's the one we often use for large parties at our house, or for mimosas, and is very clean and delicate with a hint of yeast. It's not a big bubbly, but good enough to drink by itself.

Next came a Delmas Banquette de Limoux Cuvee Berlene (2007) from France ($9.99). It offered hints of green apple and lemon with a slight dryness and a creamy nuttiness at the finish. The bubbles caught our eye; they were small, persistent, and very festive. I can see why this wine inspired one British journalist to ask, "And why is it, did you say, that champagne is so expensive?" You can see why it is so complex: These people have been making bubbles for ages. Limoux was the first in the world to produce bottle-fermented sparkling wine, some 137 years before Dom Pérignon took credit for the discovery.


The third was a Charles De Fère Blanc de Blancs Brut ($9.99), from the Loire Valley in France. Made from Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc, it's pale-gold in color and has tropical fruit aromas. We liked the even balance between acidity and sweetness, and again the bubbles lasted a nice, long time.

So three good choices, at less than ten bucks a pop. After my hoot and a half of a night I won't be drinking bubbly for a very, very long time. Until this Saturday night at least. Be rude not to — it's the festive season!

Kiwi Wineau: Piemonte

Every two weeks I taste three wines under $10 for the East Bay Express.

This week we had reservations for a new-ish Sixties-inspired restaurant in San Francisco called Thermidor.

So in keeping with the evening's Mad Men theme I decided to go with the kind of wine Mad Men's Betty Draper would have chosen for one of her Round-The-World dinners.

Three wines from the same vineyard in Piemonte, Italy seemed to fit the bill for the evening. How nostalgic would they be?

Press here for the full report in the East Bay Express.

Press here for the Youtube video of the actual tasting.

Betty Draper Picks 

Sampling nostalgic wines from Piemonte.

By Jody Brettkelly

Last Saturday night, we had dinner reservations at a newish, Sixties-inspired restaurant in San Francisco called Thermidor. In keeping with the evening's Mad Men theme, for our pre-dinner tasting I selected the sort of wines Betty Draper would have chosen for one of her Round-the-World dinner parties.

Berkeley's Kermit Lynch (1605 San Pablo Ave.) does not have a huge selection of wines under $10, but the staff was very helpful and we found three wines from the same winery in Piemonte, Italy — Tintero.

As another writer points out, Elvio Tintero's wines are a staple of the Italian table, or tavola, "meant to be gulped and not sipped ... treasured for their simple elegance and loved for their price." His steep vineyards, first planted in 1946 in the Langhe, are in a rolling Italian heartland amid hilltop towns.

On one of the hilltops is the tiny town of Mango, both a former WWII resistance garrison and the 13th-century stronghold of shifting alliances between Alba and Asti. One writer visiting the secret passages from which the villagers escaped the sieges mused, "perhaps earlier generations of the Tintero family were there providing the fearful with libations."

The first wine we tasted was Moscato D'Asti 2009 ($9.95), which was pale gold and sparkling. It smelled of flowers. Mike said it was like a Prosecco, sweet and bubbly. We wondered if it was too sweet and too much like grape juice. Kenny was not a huge fan, but the rest of us felt it was a good wine to drink with dessert or on a hot summer's day.

Next came Grangia ($8.00), a white, also a little frizzante, with a bitter aftertaste. It was dry and very minerally. If you like mineral water, you will love this wine. Kenny found it was the most interesting of the three and that it cut the cheese perfectly. Ross disagreed, saying he disliked the mineral taste. "It's like quinine," he said. "Maybe you could use it to treat malaria."

The third Tintero wine we tasted, Rosso ($8.95), was a deep, rich red; we all thought it was going to be a heavy wine. But it tasted light and bright, with a red-berry juiciness like an old-style Chianti. Definitely the most quaffable of the three, and good with pizza or spaghetti.

So off we went into the night on our mid-century adventure, wondering just what that would entail. "Not sure" said Mike, "but it's not the Seventies yet, so no key-swapping involved!" Phew!

Kiwi Wineau: German Rieslings

Every two weeks I review three wines under $10 for the East Bay Express. This week I decided to taste three medium sweet wines (Rieslings) from Germany.

I called some of my friends to come join me. No one turned up. Clearly, sweet wines have a poor reputation...but is it earned?

Press here for the full review in the East Bay Express.

Press here for the Youtube video of the actual tasting.

Rieslings: Sweet Wunderbar-ish Wines 
But should we say Ja! to them?
By Jody Brettkelly

I sent an e-mail to all my friends: "Come join me! Tonight we're tasting sweet wines." There was silence on the other end. Sweet wines do that to people. They think Liebfraumilch, Sixties without the swing, the sickly stuff your mother used to drink. I'd chosen Rieslings, which are medium-sweet, but still, I was on my own.

It was a boiling hot fall evening and I was drinking by myself in the near-dark. Is there a sadder sight? I had bought the wines earlier that day from BevMo in Oakland's Jack London Square. All three were screw caps, which is just right for cheaper wines, as they're easier to take to the outdoors.

They were also all of German origin, the undisputed master of sweet. In fact, each came from Mosel, a stunning region of winding rivers and blue slate. Two of the bottles came in cobalt blue, which some might consider too casual for serious wines, but the color marks these bottles as more fun and accessible.

First up, in a blue bottle with Klimt-like roses, was Blufeld 2009 ($9.99). It smelled of peaches and had a light apple taste with only a slice of sweetness: perfect on its own or with spicy Thai Yom Yum Goong soup, which I happened to be eating.

The second was Clean Slate 2008 ($8.99), which had a lemony aroma and a taste of apples with more complexity than Blufeld, plus a lemon finish. Third came Schmitt Sohne Relax ($7.99). Even on first sip, it completely surpassed the other two. The wine had a complexity and fullness the others lacked and was much redolent of flowers and fruit. Its slight acidity was balanced by a sweet, lingering finish.


After sitting out for half an hour, all three wines became much tastier. Straight from the fridge, they were thin and had little aroma. We tend to serve our white wines too cold — better to pull them out of the fridge well before serving. (This does not apply to anything sparkling, which needs to be as cold as possible.) My wines were even fuller the next day.

The web site for Relax, LittleGerman.com, is enormously bent on an Oktoberfest frenzy of fun and silliness, which is a bit disarming. The brand is embodied by a "little German" dressed in lederhosen who will teach you "zee chicken dance" and generally how to "Get your Ja-Jas." I don't know what to make of this, and it doesn't quite match the "Relax" name, but I probably won't be buying one of the "diva" T-shirts bearing the slogan "Say Ja to Wine" in genuine Swarovski crystals. But then, the site's quiz has already pronounced me "Not even remotely German."

In the end, it was not such a bad evening all by myself, and next time I'm going to serve Relax to my friends. Maybe after a few glasses, they'll join me in a round of the chicken dance. I wonder how many replies I'll get to that invite. Prost!

Kiwi Wineau: cans from Australia

Every two weeks I write a column for the East Bay Express called Wineau, reviewing wines under $10. This week we tasted four little canned Australian wines in a picnic pack...the Barokes "Mix-Pak".

Press here for the full report in the East Bay Express.

Press her for the You Tube video log (vlog) of the actual tasting which took place by a pool in Sacramento.

Cracking Little Cans 

By Jody Brettkelly

Has the world turned upside down? It seems so when two Kiwi birds happily agree to drink wine from Australia. My friend Sue and I, who attended university together in New Zealand, were keen to taste these little Aussie numbers. But what was most interesting about the Barokes "Mix-Pak" is the presentation: four shiny cans in a cardboard picnic carrier.

It's marketed as an attractive convenience. Great for the outdoors, including boating, picnics, backpacking, and camping — and good around pools, where you worry about glass breakages. The single-serving idea is also handy if you live alone. You can chill them quickly and they are 100 percent recyclable.

The cans are also slim and cool, and the web site promotes impossibly chic places to do your sipping: in the mountains, at the beach, or seated on iconic mid-century chairs, under designer lamps. You are not just buying a can, but a whole lifestyle ... and possibly a hairstyle. The company says it spent ten years developing the patented technology to can wine safely without an aluminum or tinny taste, and that the wine is equivalent in quality to a $15 to $18 bottle. Apparently, you can't just walk up to a wine barrel and empty it into a can.

This picnic packet of four can be purchased for $9.99 from Broadway Wines and Spirits in Oakland or College Avenue Wines in Berkeley. The first can we tried was a Chardonnay, which looked "very buttery yellow," said Sue. Tom, her American husband, said it smelled "very alcohol-y." We agreed it was very light. "It's full initially, with a very short aftertaste," added Sue. Tom wasn't impressed, but I thought it was inoffensive enough to serve again.

The second was a Shiraz with a rich, red depth. The color and smell reminded me of picking blackberries off the side of the road when we were kids. Tom could taste cherries and we all agreed it was very smooth. "A smooth operator," said Sue. "This really is a dangerous little cheeky number, as it's so very drinkable," she added.

The Blanc de Noirs was a sparkling red and Sue felt it was "quite metallic. It tastes like the metal in the cans is coming through on the wine." But, she noticed, "It has a lot of oomph."

Now floating in Sue and Tom's pool at their home in Sacramento, we decided this was as good a place as any to try the Blanc de Blanc sparkling white. It divided us a bit. Sue said: "It's just the Chardonnay with the bubbles in it — it's odd." Tom and I preferred it with the bubbles. Sue could taste some honey in it, and we agreed it needed to be consumed with strong dishes like salmon and spicy gumbo.

Admittedly, this was a grudge match with two Kiwi birds tasting Aussie wine, but we were won over by the novelty of the cans. The wines themselves? Workaday rather than stellar.

Wineau column: Merlots under $10

This week it was Back To School week, so a bit of a partaay whoohoo moment was in order. Not that I don't love my kids, but 10 weeks of quality time together begged for some quality time apart. The best under $10 wines for the job were Merlots, all chosen from the Berkeley Bowl.

Press here for the full article in the East Bay Express.

Press here for the video blog of the actual tasting, Kiwi Wineau.

Merlots Go Back to School 

These partay reds earn a B+ average.

By Jody Brettkelly

With the kids going back to school this week, some parents may feel the need for a woohoo! party moment. Don't get me wrong; I love my kids as much as the next person. But after ten weeks together, let's celebrate some quality time ... apart.

I thought the best big reds to review at our woohoo! gathering would be Merlots (all purchased at Berkeley Bowl). That would be appropriate, as we've just returned from Santa Barbara, where Merlots first got their bad rap. In the movie Sideways, droopy Miles declares, "I am NOT drinking any f****** Merlot!" The ironic truth behind this is a best-kept secret: The special wine that Miles drinks at the end of the film is Chateau Cheval Blanc (1961), a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. And because of this movie, Merlots are often undervalued. But their softness makes them an easy alternative to the more tannic Bordeaux varieties.

It was the usual Friday-night suspects of Kenny and Mike and David and Martin, plus some parents from the school. The first wine we tried was Makia Estate 2009, from Mendoza, Argentina ($9.95). It had light tannins, with a bit of oak and cherry. It was one of the staff picks at Berkeley Bowl, but Kenny found it to have a chalky aftertaste. More of a solid B. We decided we were being too studiously serious, and ventured to the backyard, where the kids were playing soccer.

Fully exposed to the late-afternoon sun, we poured the second wine, the Red Diamond 2007 from Washington ($8.99). It is a dark and wintry looking wine, very nearly black, and incredibly fruity and juicy with all the usual plums and blackberries associated with Merlots.

One of us tasted a little bit of mint, which is often found in Merlots. I don't know if it was being around the kids nonstop for so long, but I could fathom just a touch of caramel. Everyone decided this was much richer by far, leaving a longer taste in the mouth. Kenny ventured that it actually tasted a bit Pinot-ish, and David said it was "berrydelicious."

The third wine was Nobos 2005 from Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma ($9.95). It's usually $30 to $35, so this was a veritable bargain. The back of the label reads, "No BS — All value with no pretense," which I liked. Berkeley Bowl says we should taste black cherry — which we did — and a hint of tobacco. "Much heavier tannins and better with food," said Kenny. At least a B+ for the price.

Suddenly a wintry wind blew up the garden skirts, fluttering all the plants. We sipped some more and lapsed into guffaws about what the cold wind does and where. The next day, we would begin the back-to-school bustle of supplies, speeches, and meetings. Nice to have an oasis of kiddy silliness for the adults. Berrydelicious.

Wineau column: Pretty label wines under $10

Every two weeks I write a column for the East Bay Express called Wineau, reviewing three wines under $10. This week we tasted three whites with beautiful labels. Are they as pretty on the inside?

Also press here for Kiwi Wineau, my video log of the actual tasting which this time took place in Santa Barbara.

Pretty Label Wines 

But are they beautiful on the inside?

By Jody Brettkelly

Many of us occasionally buy wines because they have a gorgeous label, but few of us admit to it. We were heading for a week's vacation in Santa Barbara, which is surely the supermodel of seaside towns. This may have something to do with the orange-tiled Spanish buildings, lush-green hills, and shiny, wide, pearly-white beaches. So it's only fitting that I would choose three wines based on their labels. At Paul Marcus Wines at Oakland's Market Hall, I found three whites that appeared outwardly glamorous and luxe in very different ways.

Ten of our vacationing friends in Santa Barbara gathered for the task. Our portentous challenge was to determine if these wines taste as good as they look, or if their charms are only skin deep. First on the catwalk was Rocaberdi from Catalonia in Spain ($7.99). The yellow leaves on the bottle looked very "fashion-forward," said Melinda. There were some mixed feelings about this wine. Sally and Barry are partial to the plus-size range of wines such as loud reds and kick-butt Chards, rather than the willowy thin ones. They found this almost tasteless. "Thank goodness Spain has a great soccer team, because this is not good," quipped Barry.

But five of the others liked it better. Everyone categorized it as grassy and a bit acidic, and found it calling for a pairing with something stronger like spicy tuna rolls to counteract the acidity. "No finish at all, though," Tom said.

The second was Vestini Pecorino Terre di Chieti from Italy ($7.99). The label features young, Spartacus-like males cavorting nearly naked, clearly dancing to the tune of the devil in the background. "It looks like an orgy," Sally observed. But her enjoyment was short-lived: "The label is deceptive because there is no flavor in there at all."

However, a few of the rest of us agreed with Anne's take: "It's much smoother than the first, and I can imagine sipping it around a pool and eating shrimp." Obviously the saucy, naughty label was making poets of all of us — Melinda and I agreed it could be sipped on its own by a pool in the Hamptons, though neither of us had ever been to the Hamptons.

The third was Consono Verdichio Dei Castelli di Jesi (2009), from Italy ($9.89 on sale). Its label features a Mondrian-like astrologer with a checkered, Dali-esque scene behind. So a range of artistic bases are covered, but does it have any interior complexity? No one liked the scent of it, very rotting tropical. Tom found it flat: "There's something off about it."

At last, the Santa Barbara sun set on our three beauties. How did they fare beyond their modeling careers? Anne said the first and third "need to go to rehab," but the second, the Vestini, is an "up and comer, quite lovely tasting." A beauty with a nice character? Now that's a keeper.

Wineau column: Rosés under $10

Today is my second Wineau column for the East Bay Express. Every two weeks I taste three wines under $10. This week it's Rosés.


 


Here is also the link to my second video log for Kiwi Wineau on Youtube

Rosé, Whatever the Weather
Think pink to break through the marine layer.
By Jody Brettkelly

I had been waiting for a bright, sunshiny day to taste the three rosés bought from The Wine Mine in Oakland's Temescal neighborhood. But what is it with this summer? The fog and cold never cease. So we decided to put the wine to the true test: Do these rosés go well with our now-infamous marine layer? To find out, we crossed the bridge with friends Kenny and Mike for a barbecue at my brother's house in San Francisco. The fog there was dense and chilly, worse than Oakland.

All three of these rosés, with their peony pink transparency, are redolent of mid-morning Monaco. Making their casual charm even easier, they are all twist-tops. But will this evening's weather render them more ho-hum than ooh là là?

First of the three was Chateau de Campuget 2009 ($9.50) from France's Costieres de Nimes. It's composed of 70 percent Syrah and 30 percent Grenache and is made by a family in a small Riviera town. Mike found it "salmony" in color, with a taste and smell of strawberries. I could smell something peachy. Kenny joked that he hasn't been able to smell anything since the Eighties. But he did find it to have a clean up-front taste, making it very drinkable. Historically, in Europe, rosés were always a delicate dry wine. After World War II, there was a fashion for sweeter ones, but now the pendulum has swung toward a drier, bigger style. In France, rosés have even exceeded white wines in sales.

The second was the Casal Garcia Vinho Verde from Portugal ($7). Like the rest of us, Mike noticed "bubbles in the background." It felt like an invigorating spritz. My brother Tony said it was "sharper, with a bit of a bite."

"You don't need food with this one, you could sit on the patio and suck it down," said Kenny. "Or sip it!" we chorused, keeping it seemly.

The third was the Mulderbosch Cab Sav Rosé 2009 ($8.50) from the Coastal region of South Africa. For a "new world" wine, this has not a little history. The winery dates back to 1692, and the family who took it over twenty years ago were pressing grapes in Yugoslavia for 300 years. The family is apparently dedicated to preserving the pristine vineyard through holistic farming. Kenny pronounced it "forward fruit" and "a lot more up on the upper roof of the mouth and lips," but without much finish. Its complexity suits it best to summer food, he said. The rest of us collapsed into gales of laughter at his fanciness: We had had our ooh là là moment.

After a barbecue dinner, Kenny returned to the tasting table for one final glass of rosé. I joined him, declaring with that particular kind of wisdom acquired on a wine-tasting evening: "The true test of a rosé is if you want to still drink it at the end of a long, dark, cold night."

Kiwi wineau

Today was the first of my Wineau columns for the East Bay Express. Every two weeks I taste three bottles of wine under $10. This week it was New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

For my new video blog on YouTube, Kiwi Wineau, press here.

From a Land Down Under
New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs: decent wines for feeling fine.

By Jody Brettkelly

King Shag! I was chortling like a schoolboy when I picked out this New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc from Trader Joe's on College Avenue in Oakland. Feeling not a little shady, I buried this wine under the pita bread in my basket and snortled some more. In the land "down under," the word "shag" means just that — doing things ... down under. But when my friend pointed out that the word doesn't necessarily have the same meaning here, I realized that what I thought was marketing genius is really just a bottle of wine named after a rare bird from Marlborough.

I must confess that I am a Kiwi who loves New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc — so perhaps not the most impartial person to be reviewing three bottles of Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc, albeit $7 ones. Besides King Shag 2009 ($6.99), I also bought a Picton Bay 2009 ($7.99) and a Sauvignon Republic 2009 ($6.99), making it a hat-trick of wines from Marlborough.

My fellow taster and I looked for the grassiness that New Zealand whites are known for as we sipped, but smelled something else we couldn't place. Then I got an e-mail from New Zealand. It's a best-kept secret that Sauvys smell like cat's urine, my childhood friend said. We sniffed again. Oooh no! Thaaat's what it is!

Marlborough is on the northeastern edge of the South Island, known for low-lying valleys that were used by the indigenous Maori traders. The area's 65 wineries and 290 vineyards grow everything from Riesling to Pinot Noir.

But Sauvignon Blanc is its signature wine, as the valley offers good drainage and low-fertility soils, which are ideal for that grape. Sauvys are made from green grapes, and their name comes from the word sauvage, meaning wild, and blanc, or white. Like the Hollywood starlet of the wine world, they are usually consumed young and rarely benefit from aging.King Shag and Picton Bay were similar — very white and thin. There was some minerality, with a bright acidity to finish. On first taste we found them inoffensive but wan. Yet after a couple of sips I could taste a subtle star fruit in the King Shag.

The Picton Bay had a hint of Asian pear and a squeeze of grapefruit. There was also a hint of effervescence, which can sometimes be used to cover dodgy flavors, but in this case was sort of charming. I know these wines are supposed to be eaten with fish, fruit salads, and chicken, but we found them too light to pair with a plate of plain chicken and green pepper kebob. They are both best with a stronger dish like my tikka masala.

The tastiest was the Sauvignon Republic, which was more golden and complex, with citrus and passion fruit flavors. It would be the best for sipping on its own. Not brilliant, but more like a box of budgies (in Kiwi parlance, "pretty good"). Especially if you're feeling a bit skint.