So many wines, so little time.
I’ve decided to keep a running tally of the delicious wines I taste, wines that I call Wow Wines. That’s not “wow” as in prestigious, expensive, rare or fabled. Rather, I’m talking about a wine that makes my eyes open wide and my mouth break into a big smile. It’s usually a fruit-forward wine, a fragrant wine, a wine that goes well with food. It’s also usually a good value, often under $15, rarely over $30.
When you get right down to it, there are a lot of wines out there that are “just fine, thanks.” Perfectly tasty, but nothing to write home about. I’d guess that 4 out of 5 that I open each week fit that category. Wow Wines will be a journal of wines worth writing home about, or at least writing on this blog about.
My newest love is a rather oddball blend that I discovered at Costco. I was attracted to the the Shiraz-Viognier from Domaine Terlato & Chapoutier because I interviewed Monsieur Chapoutier about 20 years ago while I was biking through France’s Rhone Valley and was impressed with that operation.
From what I understand, the young Michel Chapoutier teamed up in about 2000 with Anthony Terlato of Terlato Wine Group, which imports Chapoutier wines into the U.S. Together the men created a winery in the Pyrenees vineyards of Australia’s Western Central Victoria region. In 2004 they released their first vintage of Malakoff Vineyard Shiraz which won a 90-92 rating from Robert M. Parker, Jr. The current vintages of the wine retail for about $35 a bottle.
Their Shiraz-Viognier, on the other hand, goes for about 12 bucks at Costco. I love the wine’s balance of spice and pepper with in-your-face fruit. It’s lush and velvety and food-friendly. It's so yummy I think I'll open another bottle tonight with our dinner of pan-fried Alaskan halibut and fresh white corn sauteed with diced bell peppers, bacon and maple syrup.
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