In Search Of A Good Cab

by vmsteveo

While watching Wall St. Crisis and enjoying a 2006 Hyman Hill Cabernet ($11), I thought I would escape from my leadership research and archiving studies and talk about another topic near and dear to my heart. Wine. Finding a good, inexpensive wine is like going after the Holy Grail at Total Wine or any other discount wine store of your liking. A friend of mine who's father grew up during The Great Depression would drive 20 miles to save $.05 on a can of tuna fish. Hmmm, with gas prices these days I think that can of tuna would have doubled but then again, I completely understand its all about the mission. Either way regardless of the drive, finding that good bottle of wine at a great price is, well priceless. Keeping with the theme of my previous bullitized posts, here are a few pointers when looking for that diamond in the rough:

Introduce yourself to the wine steward or shop owner - Whether its at a fine restaurant or at a discount wine shop, introduce yourself to them. Let them know where you've been and what you are specifically looking for. Let them know if this is a special occasion or an evening where you want to hang with your peeps around the TV. Most importantly, tell them you don't want to spend too much money.

Go online and research value wines - There are great wines that are under $30 online. Just make sure you are looking at a reputable rating service. As a plug for my techie hommies Amazon.com is jumping into the wine selling business. With 81 million active customers Amazon might just be the one place to go for wine variety and good prices. Other websites include Winespectator.com, Wine.com and Redwinebuzz.com. Either way there is no substitute for striking up a conversation with a friendly wine expert to enlighten you with the latest tastes and trends at the locale wine bar or discount shop.

Here are a few good ones I have had a chance to taste:

B V Cabernet Rutherford 2005
Wine Spectator Rating: 88
Price: $27
California

Bishop's Peak Rock Solid Red Paso Robles 2004
Wine Spectator Rating: 87
Price: $12
California

J. Lohr Cabernet Paso Robles Seven Oaks 2004
Wine Spectator Rating: 87
Price: $15
California

Alamos Malbec Mendoza Seleccion 2007
Wine Spectator Rating: 90
Price: $15
Argentina

Fratelli Pighin Collio Pinot Grigio 2007
Wine Spectator Rating: NA
Price: $14
Italy

Serving Wine
Some food for thought or should I say wine for thought... Allow any wine to breathe at least 20-40 minutes either in a nice decanter or if you don't have one, slowly pour into a glass pitcher then after 20-40 minutes, pour it back in the bottle. Slightly chill reds and leave whites outside of the fridge at least 10 minutes before serving.

So here's the challenge. Most of the "bargain wines" never reach the shelf of your local Sam's Club or grocery store. Why? Because the good ones are usually snapped up by restaurants looking to sell these extraordinary wines at a huge profit. If you do find them, pick up a few for parties, gifts, etc. If all else fails, walk in to the shop without any expectations other than price, what you are in the mood for (aka red or white) and what you definitely want to stay away from and chances are you will walk away with a real find. One final note, if you do buy online, stay away from the counterfeits especially with the high end wines and if you do find that diamond in the rough we hope you will share with a quick reply...

See you in the trenches - vmsteveo