Trinchero Family Merlot 2003

"I cook with wine; sometimes I even add it to food."
- W. C. Fields







Trinchero Family
2003 Merlot
Monterey County
Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: $11.99
Rating: 6.5 out of 10


When the bottle was first opened, the room filled with an immediate grapey aroma and I thought "Oh, this is going to be good." But it wasn't for me. It was disappointing. I think the "Two Buck Chuck" Shiraz might have had a little more going for it. It first tasted strong, then really dry and bitter, followed by a thin grapiness which then turned into a metallic (think aluminum can) taste - YUCK! I hate that. All right, it was probably on par with the Two Buck Chuck due to its stronger immediate taste.


http://www.trincherowinery.com/

[The Guy's take]

7 out of 10
Would try a different year

This wine was not as bad as the first impression The Gal wrote... at least that's what I keep telling myself. When I bought it, I thought, Hmmm... nice label, Montery Country Merlot, 2003 vintage... It should be ok.

Contrary to the "Yuck" adjective used earlier, I'll say the wine was a bit musty, giving you that earthen smell in the glass. When you take a sip and let it sink in, the fruit is palpable, but the mustiness and the woody aroma is hard to get past.

While I generally prefer wines with this deep earthen smell to go along with the "tannins" most wines are supposed to have, I have to say the thing that stands out about this wine is it was very drinkable with a smooth finish. It didn't have a long finish, but it did have the same "bite" for me like it did for the Gal.

It's easy to see that this wine could be overpowered by spicey food, but you would think it would be complimentary to that type of meal.

From an online description of the Trinchero winery:

In 1948, Mario Trinchero brought his wife, two sons and daughter across America from New York City to the small town of St. Helena in California's Napa Valley. The year before, Mario and his brother John, emigrants from Italy in the 1920s, had purchased a long-abandoned winery called Sutter Home. As the Trincheros begin their second 50 years in the California wine business, they have set themselves a new challenge: to use their sizeable resources to produce wines that rival the finest made in Napa Valley, wines that will honor the memory of their father. The name of this new brand is M. Trinchero.

When I was hunting around for more info on this wine, there were a number of good things said about the reserve and the 2004. So it probably makes sense to try another from this vintner.

Clos du Bois Zinfandel 2004

Clos du Bois
2004 Zinfandel
North Coast

Geyersville, CA
closdubois.com
$11.99 / bottle

Rating: Would most likely drink again with the right cuisine.
7 out of 10 (I hate my weak rating system but it's quick and best for now though I'm consuming way too many 7's)

Not bad on its own, just doesn't knock my socks off either though. A little on the dryer and bitter side for me, slightly more pepper yet enough fruit to make me take another sip. This wine would probably taste great with the right food pairing - the bottle recommends an Italian Sausage or Grilled Lamb Chop pairing (neither of which are currently part of my diet).


*California Wine Fact: Early California winemakers sent their children to study oenology at Geisenheim (Germany) or Bordeaux (France). Today, many European winemakers send their children to the University of California at Davis and to Fresno State University.

*(Taken from Kevin Zraly's "Windows On The World Complete Wine Course")

From the Clos du Bois website on their Zindfandel:

Zinfandel at its best is full-bodied and brimming with ripe raspberry and blackberry flavors, followed by a long, peppery finish. Fantastic with all sorts of foods - red-sauced pasta, roasted meats or pizza. Look for blackberry, raspberry, jam, black pepper, cherries, plum with notes of nutmeg, smoke, black tea and cloves.

[The Guy's Take]

I rate the Clos du Bois higher usually because it's the type of wine I enjoy either in a glass by itself for sipping on the porch or with a meal.

For this one I'm inclined to give it 8 out of 10

The legs on the Zin were a lot better than some of the other wine we've been trying.

Cellar No. 8 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon

Cellar No. 8
Asti Winery
2004 Cabernet Sauvignon
Cost: $10.99 / bottle

Rating: 7.5/10
likely would buy again

The name of the wine is what attracted me to it in the wine shop. What I thought was a unique naming convention in my early days of discovering wine -- naming a wine after a bin or a lot -- is actually more common than I knew. Still, something about this No. 8 drew me to it. Maybe it was the price, maybe it was the label, maybe it was the idea that I had to try No. 8 because I wondered if the first seven were any good. Who knows. Regardless, I brought it home for the Gal and I to try as we wind our way though the wonderful world of wine blogging.

The initial impression of No. 8 wasn't what I had hoped for. It was a deep maroon color with hints of spice and a bit of fruit, but my initial taste wasn't a deep rich satisfying moment, it was more of a tart fruity sensation that left my mouth feeling a bit chalky after I swallowed. Of course I did the whole "Smell it three times in a deep wine glass" to get the wine's aroma down. I took a sip holding it in my mouth for the recommend 3-5 seconds (See Kevin Zraly's Windows On The World Complete Wine Course), and still something didn't feel right. I think I was trying to put too much thought into drinking the wine, and not just enjoying it.

So, to hell with the "how to drink" wine guidelines, I filled the glass and took in a mouthful of the deep red Cab to see if it was what I wanted to drink with dinner. As I swallowed, I felt the warm sensation follow the wine down my throat opening my senses to the peppery, fairly rich sensations the wine offered. Still though, it wasn't what I had hoped for. At least, not until I had it with something to eat.

The Gal brought home a fresh baked flax seed 9" round loaf from the bakery -- a treat we only rarely afford ourselves (fresh bread) as it's completely against every known diet recommendation, and we're actually trying to be good. The bread, dipped in virgin olive oil, was an excellent compliment to the wine. Add in a little pasta with red marinara sauce and the wine came to life. [What?!!! This, my friends, is "The Gal" proofing "The Guy's" grammar, etc. and he is SO not sure of what's going on with the bread I brought home - bought at my favorite "New Morning Country Store" literally taken off the truck from "Bantam Bread Company" - it is 100% completely organic wheat flour with flax seeds and oat and canola oil, etc., etc. , etc. NOT bad for you at all!!!!!! Of course, if you consume 3/4 of the loaf like he did, along with a half pound of pasta, it is bound to pack on the pounds]

When drinking the rest of my glass during dinner, I no longer noticed the unflattering dryness of the wine, nor the overabundant berry aroma. What I noticed was that it went well with dinner. Heavy foods like bread and a pasta with red sauce, put this wine firmly into the "will buy again" category after it's initial placement there was in doubt.

An interesting fact about the wine, aside being available under $15, is that it comes from a cellar founded by some old country Italians who settled in California and started a winery ... the Asti Winery. Now of course, what I've learned about the winery is that it was bought out by Beringer, and more recently by Fosters (yes the beer company). Not that that should turn you away from picking a wine, but it lost a little of it's personality, at least in my opinion, even though it still hails from a highly respected section of wine country in Sonoma County California.

From the label:
Cellar No. 8 wines are crafted at the historic Asti Winery in Somona County. Applying time-honored methods and expertise, founder Andrea Sbarboro[sic] and a group of Italian immigrants formed an entire community around the art of winemaking. Cellar No. 8 makes only red wines -- Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel -- which deliver rich flavors of cigar, spice, leather, earth and chocolate. Whether relaxing in your favorite leather chair or barbecuing with your friends, Cellar No. 8 is a great discovery which just might become your next tradition.

From an article on bay area winemaking covering North Bay communities such as Sonoma, Marin and Napa counties. NorthBayBiz.com, there was a bit more about Andrea Sbarbaro, and his establishment of the Asti Winery community:

Sbarbaro was a successful Italian immigrant in San Francisco. Among other ventures, he organized and managed numerous building and loan associations. Through his business acumen, the various organizations he headed were able to build over 2,500 homes in the Bay Area. Applying his building and loan principles to agriculture, Sbarbaro fashioned a plan for a grape growing and winemaking cooperative, but the families that settled in the villages of Asti and Chianti were not interested in shares of stock and commonly held property. They wanted their own land to farm and they were willing to save their wages to acquire it.

If you're a fan of Sonoma -- and you probably won't know till you try at least a half dozen different wines from the area -- then you may want to check out these other North County wineries or this map (right click to save/view in new window PDF)

After reviewing that list, I can honestly say I'm a fan and I never knew it. We (the gal and I) have had a number of wines from Sonoma including Simi, Ravenswood, Blackstone, Chateau St. Jean, Kendall-Jackson and more. It seems many of the hearty reds we tend to enjoy have their roots in Sonoma.

Back to Cellar No. 8.

Buy it, try it, it's worth the $10-12. You can get it online for under $10.00 and even less if you buy a half case or a case. I paid retail of $10.99. I wouldn't recommend it if it pushes the $15 barrier, there are too many other Cabernet Sauvignons out there at that price.

Francis Coppola ROSSO Classic vs. FISH EYE Cabernet

We held our own wine tasting with family members during our daughter's birthday dinner last night.

Francis Coppola ROSSO Classic
2005
California - 51% Zinfandel, 29% Syrah, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon

FISH EYE
2004
California Cabernet

We blind taste tested these two wines with our family members and then tried to guess which was which and discussed our various tastes. The ROSSO was taste tested by all to be mild and smooth. The FISH EYE had more of a bouquet and was taste tested by all to be slightly more acidic and heavy. Although prior to dinner they were close in flavor, everyone pretty much preferred the FISH EYE with our homemade pizza (chicken, sun-dried tomato, parmesean, fresh mozzarella and oregano and chicken sausage with red peppers, parmesean, shredded mozzarella and oregano). The peppery flavors in the FISH EYE were much more pronounced during dinner. The ROSSO flavor seemed to get lost on the pizza.

ROSSO
www.ffcpresents.com
$8.99 / bottle (750 ml)

FISH EYE
www.fisheyewines.com
$10.99 / bottle (1.5 L)

Speaking of Francis Coppola: Interesting vineyard facts from "Windows On The World Complete Wine Course":

"In 2002, Francis Ford Coppola, owner of Niebaum-Coppola Wine Estate, paid $350,000 an acre for vineyard land in Napa.

In 1970 the average price per acre in Napa was $5,000."

DOGAJOLO Sangiovese

Would not normally try again, but . . .

DOGAJOLO
Dry Red Table Wine of Tuscany
80% Sangiovese, 20% Cabarnet Sauvignon
2005

This was my first Sangiovese (pronounced "san-jo-VAY-zay"). It probably was not the best one to start with. It was way too dry for my tastes. It got me in the gizzards from the first mouthful. But its initial bouquet made my mouth water for beef burgundy (and I do not typically eat red meat). I normally wouldn't try this particular label again, but a Sangiovese is recommended on the "Wine Lover's" diet (we are semi-following) with the "Tuscan Beef Stew" recipe. I will buy Dogajolo again when I make the stew so I can see what a difference the "right" food pairing might make with this label - see if I can raise it from 5.5 out of 10 to anything at all higher. If it's still not good, I will buy a bottle of 2001 Antinoro Sangiovese Santa Cristina to give Sangiovese in general another try.

Carpineto S.N.C.
Greve in Chianti
Italy
$10.99 / bottle
www.carpineto.com

Jacob's Creek Shiraz Reserve - 2004

The world of wine is something that can be intimidating at first when you're not real sure of what you're doing. To be quite frank, the whole world of wine can be a bit snooty. You have the pretentious types who have a bit of wine with their $150 meal then blather on endlessly about the poor service of the restaurant they were at on Friday night, but that's them. They're snobs. Sure they drink wine, but you don't have to have that attitude to enjoy wine.

That's why we looked for a wine from the Outback for a bottle of wine without all the snobbery of a Manhattan eatery. Just a good hearty glass of red and a "G'day mate" was all we wanted.

We found it in the Jacob's Creek 2004 Shiraz Reserve.

We decided the Jacobs Creek would be a good wine to try as it fit our low cost, deep red preference to a “T”. It’s a South Australian wine that made it’s way onto the shelves of our local wine shops in the last couple years since the Anti-French movement began. Something we occasionally observe. It’s not that we have anything against the French people, only the move by their leader who stole a moment in the sun by attacking America. Great way to run a developed country, bash America...

This is not a political blog, so we’ll leave that discussion for other (Why Americans boycott French Products) pundits to debate. What you should know is that we tend to avoid anything French… well … just because. Great culture, crappy attitude, and this blog is about avoiding attitude.

So tonight, the gal prepared a nice baked boneless breast of chicken dish with brown whole grain rice and Parisienne carrots dish. And you thought we avoided everything French. Well it’s just the name, the carrots are actually from Stop and Shop and they were imported by a French Canadian firm out of Quebec from Belgium. Hmm… wait a minute, that’s too much attitude there. Good food though.

After asking the Gal if she got it from our book – you know, the one whose diet we’re following (The Wine Lover’s Healthy Weight Loss Plan by Dr. Tedd Goldfinger and Lynn F. Nicholson ) – the answer was “no, but it’s European”. Well if Carolina rice, chicken from Frank Purdue, Australian wine and some Parisienne carrots means it’s a Mediterranean meal, then I’m in.

Back to the wine.

$11.99 per bottle 750 ml.

Worth it? Well sort of.

You can drink the wine pre dinner, but it’s a bit harsh on an empty pallet. I firmly believe you have to have something to eat to with a wine to know if it’s any good. That’s why you’re buying it in the first place isn’t’ it? If you just wanted to catch a buzz or get drunk, then a bottle of Absolut would be the game plan.

We’ve had a bunch of Australian wine in the past year or so, but haven’t really found one we like. They tend to be a bit harsh, or flat. They start off strong, but when you finish your glass you typically think; “Was that really any good?” Most of the time you would label these as average, or run-of-the-mill. We hoped the Shiraz would be different and it was, for the most part.

If you’re going to buy Australian wine because, it’s less than $12 per bottle almost everywhere, then that’s a reason to save money, but not to buy a wine. The Shiraz, which typically tastes like grape juice at first, slowly warms the insides as it descends down your throat into your belly. This Reserve had none of the “grape juice” quality about it. Strong from the start through the finish, it’s a bold wine you will enjoy if you like strong reds. It went particularly well with the chicken and rice as they were heavier foods that take out the taste of weaker wines. Getting back to those Parisienne carrots, they went perfectly with the wine.

Would I buy it again? Probably. At $11.99 it’s on the high side of it’s Australian counterparts which typically go for $8-$10. I can think of a lot of other reds I’d prefer for $13.00, so the Shiraz is tempting fate with it’s pricing. It’s ok though. You won’t be mad you bought it, and you can certainly serve it to friends.

More about the Wine:

South Australia

Winemaking at our place has been a tradition since 1847 when Johann Gramp planted his first vineyard on the banks of Jacobs Creek

This Premium, full-bodied wine is an outstanding example of South Australian Shiraz, displaying ripe plum flavors with pepper spice, balanced by soft tannins and leading to a lingering smooth finish.

An ideal accompaniment to most red meats, game and cheeses. A wine that will develop further with cellaring.

Cellaring? What the heck is that?

From our friends at Fosters (the beer company) Appropriately Australian:
Cellaring Wine

Jacob’s Creek Winery
Barossa Valley Way, Australia
www.jacobscreek.com

Red. - 2002 Red Table Wine

Thursday, March 29, 2007
Red.
North Coast Red Table Wine
2002
Cost: $14.99/bottle NOTE: 1 liter size

Would Definitely Buy Again

As I peruse my local wine shop, I am lately aware of a small little black jug of wine simply called “Red.” I pass it by each week. Tonight I wanted a wine to accompany a very simple, albeit cheap, supper of rotini with spinach, garlic and tomato sauce.

After reading labels and looking at written reviews and recommendations, I was still undecided. The shop owner asked me if I’d like help. I told him my menu and asked if he had a suggestion. He said “Now, don’t laugh at me, but I’m going to take you over here to this little jug.” There it was. The little black “Red.” jug.

I must admit my heart sank, especially when I saw the screw-on cap! No way! I’m not buying that! All these thoughts ran through my head. Then I found myself thinking about the curiosity I felt briefly each week as I passed it by. I listened to the shop owner tell me that Martin Ray Winery puts out some decent stuff and he was hesitant when he was first introduced to the little jug himself. He had it with pizza and thought it was perfect. Because I was having a marinara sauce with my pasta, he made a calculated guess and thought it might be a match.

I was told to bring "Red." home, pour a glass and bring it back for my money if I didn’t like it. What did I have to lose? I brought it home. I must admit I thought I probably shouldn’t have a glass until my dinner is ready. I figured it quite possibly wouldn’t taste well on its own. Let me tell you, I was pleasantly surprised! You can imagine The Guy’s sarcasm when I introduced him to what I brought home. I told him the wine was on the table. He took one look at the little jug and said “This is the wine? It looks like a bottle of syrup!” THEN, he saw the dreaded screw-on cap! No way! I’m not drinking this!!!!! You can imagine the thoughts he experienced as I did myself. He too was pleasantly surprised. The flavor increased with our dinner and continues following dinner. Good pick for the price.

Martin Ray Winery
Santa Rosa, CA
http://www.martinray-winery.com/

CLINE - Ancient Vines Zinfandel

Monday, March 26, 2007
CLINE
Ancient Vines Zinfandel
Contra Coast County, 2005
Cost: $14.99 / bottle

Would Buy Again

Well, I initially bought this vino to serve with my baked ziti over the weekend. However, my husband (a.k.a. “The Guy”) drank it with his “bestest” college friend, Patricia, the night before my ziti dinner with my family. As a matter of fact, they consumed ALL of my bottles of wine and never went to bed (as well as half a bottle of Limoncello Patricia brought – to partake and/or read up on, visit: http://www.anticadistilleriarusso.com/). I did not mind at all as they had almost five year’s of catching up time to do. I was very happy to have her for dinner and in our company again (please check out her awesome website chronologizing her 3 months in Italy: http://www.pinopower.com/).

On to the amateur wine review: Although I intended to drink this with pasta, I made pizza and felt it was fairly well-paired (I sent The Guy out for another bottle following his overindulgence Friday night). Once again, however, I poured a glass while the pizza baked. I would give it yet another 5 on my 10-scale. Once served with the pizza, I would again apply a 7. Our pizza was just a plain cheese with roasted garlic crushed tomato topping, Sorrento part-skim mozzarella cheese, as well as fresh Parmesean and Pecorino-Reggiano our dear friend Patricia brought with her from an Italian import shop. The wine is “peppery” in taste but its flavor was accentuated with the pizza. I am continuing to enjoy its lingering flavor on the palette as I write here.

As a side note: I drank this wine previously in the fall. I remember thinking how well I thought it might pair at Thanksgiving with the turkey but I never did partake of it at that time (thanks to Uncle Bob’s fabulous “Turley” Zinfandel we had instead).

Cline Cellars
Sonoma, CA
http://www.clinecellars.com/

Merlotsoul

Why start this blog?

So I wanted to start a blog that detailed my exploits in finding something decent to drink with... whatever. Hell, I almost never know what we're going to eat on a given night, so how am I supposed to buy the right thing to drink with it?

OK, so I can't figure out what to buy to drink tonight, but why blog about it?

Well because I really got tired of trying to remember what the heck was good and what was, well, just average. I don't know about you, but I'm sick of plunking down 10, 20 even 30 dollars on what is supposed to be the "right" wine for a given dinner occasion, only to have it turn out to be a waste. The liquor store gets enough of my business, I don't have to pay them and then regret drinking what they sold me. They got their money, all I got was either a headache, or a crappy experience. I want something I can rely on.

One of the more quotable lines from the liquor store / wine shop owner is "I liked this one, but it depends on what you're having with it." Really? No Duh. Thanks for the wisdom.

So, I'm sitting here with a bottle of white wine the guy tried, sold to "The Gal", and I'm not enjoying it. OK, maybe because it was less than $20, and we ate it with Chinese food, but it was supposed to be good with Asian food... according to the wine shop guy.

See what I mean?

That was money we could have spent on something we actually really liked. Truth be told, the wine wasn't bad, but it didn't go well with my boneless spare ribs, Lo Mien and chicken nuggets. Maybe it was the hot sauce I poured all over the pile.

Well It makes sense to tell you my/our preferences, and you can take the reviews with that in mind.

Prefer

• Cabernet


• Deep Red Zinfandel


• Merlot


• Chilled Chardonnay


• Smooth Whites like Sauvingnon Blanc

Prefer Less

• Anything overpriced ($100 wine? why when a $40 one tastes close?)


• Port


• Riesling


• Snooty wine reviewers (Screw them, this is about drinking good stuff at a fair price)

Who are we? Just an average guy and his better than average gal. We're normal people who don't make a lot of cash, but when we have a little extra, we like to splurge on a bottle of wine or ingredients to make Marguerita's on the deck, or even a case of ice cold beer.

And your next question as you read this could be anything from:

a) Why link to snooty wine review magazines?

b) Why take the wine shop guy's advice?

c) Why not just join a wine forum or even MySpace and spout off?

To be honest, it's probably because:

a) Those are the only consistent measuring tools available to the average person
b) We do sometimes take such advice and sometimes it works out... sometimes being the key
c) Nothing worse then getting lost in an online message board or a world filled with 13 year olds pretending to be 17/18.

My (and The Gal's) time spent writing is worth the read, at least our friends think so. They know we like to have something nice to drink with dinner, and they always ask "What should I Drink tonight" Hence the title of the blog.

So that's pretty much the gist. No Hemingway write ups on what was the most succulent strip of filet Mignon my pallet was immersed in when the deep, bold sensation of deep crimson vintage that had been culled from the Bordeaux region in past 20 years washed it down in a smooth warm sensation that traveled the length of my breast and burst in my gut with the fury of a thousand foreign legions.

Not here.

It's good wine, good buy... or that stuff tasted like crap and you should save your money.

And in case you're wondering, we did the whole college thing trying to scrape up enough money for pizza by looking for change under the couch cushions. So we know what it's like when you're working on a budget, which is probably going to have a greater influence on future posts than I expect, but you never know until you read them.

One more thing: this isn't the first attempt to get something like this rolling. We ran a blog/site chronicling our South Beach Diet success, but the server tanked and we had to set it up all over again... and instead of going through hell with database conversion, I said screw it. I'll just blog here until we get the other one setup. If we can, we'll run both, but for now, this is the one that's the main thrust of what we're drinking.