Check out my guest post on Executive Nomad!

I work with a brilliant and wonderful consultant, Eric McNulty, who asked me to guest post on his blog, Executive Nomad. It's an amazing resource for any business traveler. Check it out!

Please check out the post: http://executivenomad.com/2009/06/atlanta-uncorked/ Readmore »»

Picton Bay Sauv Blanc (Costs $10 less than it's worth!)

A Marlborough Sauv Blanc at $7.99 that drinks like an $17.99 wine? Is that even possible? Oh yes, the wine gods have answered my call (tough times -- I can't afford to drink like I used to!). I'm getting a few cases before Trader Joe's figures out that they left $10 off the price.

The Wine: Picton Bay
Grape: Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2008
Price: $7.99 in Atlanta's Trader Joe's (a total steal)

Where It's From: Marlborough, New Zealand -- land of the tastiness Sauvignon Blanc in the world.

Normal Description: If you are an aficionado of Marlborough Sauv Blanc you've got to get on this. I picked it up with trepidation, thinking lovingly of the Whitehaven that I used to be able to afford, and knowing that it couldn't possibly be close...

I love being wrong!

The wine is a nice light, golden color with just a touch of effervescence. I was worried when I saw the bubbles, because that's sometimes used in cheap wines to cover up the nasty flavors contained therein, but not here, my friends. The CO2 must have been used to keep it fresh.

The smell was Marlborough YUM -- the same green herb, grass, and gardenia that you would get from a much pricier wine. This one had a pronounced limey-ness too, almost like limeade. MMmmm. And the palate delivered too. Great acidity, a slight jalapeno burn (typical of the region), lime flavors, and a streamy-ness (like a babbling brook over rocks) what a great wine!

The wine shows its price with a bit of bitterness, and it lacks the layers and nuance that a fancier wine from this region would have, but for an everyday sipper -- bring it on, Trader Joe's!

Got snap or is it crap?: Sssssnnnnapppp. I love finding a good deal and here it is. If you can find this where you live, buy it, try it, and let me know what you think! Go kiwis! Way to be recession sensitive.

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Blah. A boring Australian Blend: Terra Barossa

Ok, so I have a propensity for European wines (aka, the Old World). I like the complexity. I like the dirt. I like the minerals. But I do appreciate a big fruit bomb from time to time (three delicious words: Clarendon Hills Grenache). But it takes an awesome New World Wine for me to fall in love...so I say to Terra Barossa, "um, I think we're better off as friends..."

The Wine: Terra-Barossa Cuvee (Thorn-Clarke is the producer), Estate Grown
Grape: It's a blend. I would guess Cab, Shiraz, and probably some Merlot or Cab Franc. I looked on the wine notes and it doesn't specify for this vintage.
Vintage: 2006
Price: $9.98 in Atlanta

Where it's from: Here's where it all gets murky. So the wine says that it's a product of Australia, but it also lists "Barossa Wines" somewhere else on the label. The Barossa Wines placement on the label looks like its part of the brand name. Quite confusing and there's a big distinction between Austalian Wine (usually bad) and the Barossa wine (usually fab). I should report them to the gov't...not that they would do anything about it...

Normal Description: This wine is uber dark, but lighter around the edges. Blends are cool animals -- colors are always pretty awesome to analyze (although, caveat emptor -- color normally doesn't say much about the wine's flavor). It's got a ton of sediment in it but don't be scared off by the particles collecting at the bottom of your glass. Embrace the nature...remember that wine is an agricultural product. Young, tannic wines can sometimes throw sediment. You can decant it if it will make you feel better.

I'm sure one of you is going to give me a hard time for turning into a Southerner, but I swear that this wine smells like fried chicken or fried turkey. It's got game (like chicken not basketball), for sure...not unpleasant but game-y and slightly greasy-smelling. What can you expect? That's Aussie Shiraz for you. I picked up cinnamon, coffee, and some unidentified perfume-y odor too, but the prominent scent was still chik-fil-et, despite all the second layer of normal wine smells.

So the other thing I should mention about this wine -- I have no cilia left in my nose. 14%+ alcohol will burn your nose (great for men. I guess you can throw away the clippers and just use this wine to take care of that issue).

Flavors were not what I expected and, honestly, not very good. Besides some acid and tannin there were hints of sour cherry, some slight vanilla and cinnamon. Mostly the wine was tart and not very fruity OR minerally. Blah.

Got snap or is it crap?: CRAP. There's so much other stuff out there to try. Spend your $10 on something tastier. I guarantee you can easily find something to top this for the same price or better.

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Safe Bets to Order in a Restaurant: Sometimes Vodka Collins is Your Best Bet

People are constantly asking me for "safe bets" to order in restaurants when they can't figure out what's on the wine list or when there are too many choices.

I have some bad news for you: I can't answer that question. And neither can any other wine dork out there.

Only YOU can answer that question because your palate is unique to you and things will taste delicious to you that taste like crap to me and vice versa. What I can do is offer the following tips:

TIPS

1. Cut a hole in the box...oops. Sorry. That's from another list (some of you will get this Justin Timberlake reference).
2. Scan the list and see if there is anything you recognize on it. If you see something you know and you want to be safe, order it. If you want to make me happy, don't order it and try something you've never had. Then tell me about it.
3. Get a sample if you're not sure. Usually the staff is happy to oblige. Don't wuss out -- the servers don't mind and would rather have you try and buy then say, "oh, I'll just have water." Trust me, I've waited tables and was happy to offer a taste if we had an open bottle (if it's by the glass you can easily get a taste, by the bottle you may have to take a chance so use the tips below to get more info on the wine).
   
4. If you see nothing you know, look for a grape that you DO know you like -- Zinfandel? Sauvignon Blanc? Sangiovese? Viognier? Then ASK the staff what it tastes like. If they waffle on the answer, refer to #3 or use the descriptors from this site to help you: Does it taste like minerals? Like dirt? Like fruit? Is it sweet? Sour? Is it tart? Like a barnyard? Get an answer before ordering.
   
5. Don't fear the blend. Don't fear European wines. Just ask. Or better yet, when you try an Italian wine that you like, write it down and reference it before you go out to an Italian restaurant. Please don't order house Chianti -- at that point, you may as well have grape juice.
   
6. If the wine list is complicated -- take a chance. Order a Moshifilero (Greek, white and light), a Spanna (the Nebbiolo grape, the very same that is in expensive Barolos), an Albarino (delicious coastal Spanish white), or a Saumur (Cab Franc based reds or Chenin Blanc based whites). Work with your waiter to figure it out, and refer to #3 to prevent wimping out.
7. You know, this is probably sacrilegious of me, but I don't care. If I go to a place where the wine list is atrocious (it's all grocery store brands and they are all bad brands) or it's really limited (chain restaurants), I just get the Vodka Collins or the beer. If you don't drink that stuff, just order a lemonade. It will still be better than ordering the bad stuff. Blech.

Keep track of what you like. Ask questions. Get a sample. It's cool to ask other people what they like, just live by the most important philosophy in life -- "know thyself."*

Note: I did not say "know Robert Parker," "know the Wine Spectator," "know your brother who is a real wine guy," "know your boss because he has an expensive cellar...." You get the point. If you like White Zin, drink it unabashedly. No shame there. Readmore »»

Vega Sindoa Chard: Is that SEAWEED?

I'm not kidding. Read on for the deets of my sad tasting experience...

The Wine: Vega Sindoa
Grape: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2007
Price: $11.99 in Atlanta

Where It's From: Navarra, Spain (up and coming region, just northeast of Rioja)

Normal Description: So, Navarra is a rising star in the world of Spanish wines. It's mostly known for phenomenal rose' (known as rosado) and for tempranillo and garnacha (which are the grapes in Rioja), but allegedly there are some fab chardonnays from there too. Apparently not this one.

The wine is full-on, sunflower yellow, so I knew the wine was aged in oak (tannin from the oak imparts color). I was worried that it was going to be an oak bomb, a la California chards, but upon raising it my nose I realized there was more of a Japanese influence...it smelled like seaweed. Seaweed and jasmine flowers, with just a little bit of tart granny smith.

So, basically I was diving into apple sushi. Nice.

My tasting experience did not conclude well. The wine felt rough, harsh and acidic in my mouth. The finish was herbal with notes of under ripe pineapple.

I'm sticking to Navarra's rosados and reds.

Got snap or is it crap?: I can't say this was a complete crap-fest. I know it sounds nasty but once I got past the smell of the thing, it was kind of a boring chard. It's highly mediocre. With all the chards out there, I'd skip this one in favor of something more delish any day of the week, but it's not total crap if you're forced to drink it.

*Special Bonus on this wine: Vega Sindoa is really excited about aging the wine sur lie (basically means the wine sits on the yeast's decaying, dead bodies, which ideally creates a nutty flavor, but here probably added to the swampiness). They tell you two times, one right after the other, that the wine is aged sur lie in barrel. If they can't proofread the label, I fear for the QC on the winemaking. Yikes!

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Garnacha de Fuego -- good stuff in a tacky bottle

So the marketers completely messed up on the packaging, making this look like an Elvis costume after everything went bad (there are flames on the bottle)...but the wine is pretty damn good so give it a shot.

The Wine: Garnacha de Fuego
Grape: Garnacha, aka Grenache, aka delicious
Vintage: 2007
Price: $7.99 in Atlanta

Where it's from: Calatayud, Spain (in the northeastern part of Spain, but inland)

Normal Description: As I mentioned, this bottle is so hein that I wasn't sure what to think. A gamble for sure. This woman in the shop that I sometimes go to recommended it, and, to be honest, I wanted to see what she defined as good so I could see if I could trust her taste (I'm bad, but I swear this is a good technique to test your local wine talent). Turns out -- she's not half bad.

The wine is no pansy garnacha with wimpy flavor or brown edges. It's kind of a big deal, actually, and that may be because it's made from old vines (story of why old vines make kick ass wine is for another time). The wine is super dark and plum colored. Good sign for a garnacha. The nose BOWLED me over. Unbelievable dark spice. M.C. Eis (my husband) and I were so excited about its nose that we hit the spice rack to figure out what we were smelling (YES, we are HUGE nerds). We came up with nutmeg, tamarind, and agreed that there were also some other non-curry Indian spices that we're too uncultured to know. The flavor was similar to the nose. Not much fruit character (typical of European wines. Even in a hot climate like the one this grew in, you still get less fruit and more mineral/earth flavors). Tons of spice and pepper, which is from the grape, and also from the oak barrel it was aged in. Such a good wine for grilled stuff, meats with brown sauces, or just sipping.

Got snap or is it crap?: SNAP. I hope it's consistent and the next bottle stands up to this one. I guess I'm a believer. Viva el Fuego...

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The S is for Supah...the U is for...

If you're old like me you totally will get this reference...if not...

The Wine: Unique
Grape: Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2006
Price: $11.99 in Atlanta

Where It's From: Loire Valley in France (wine snoots -- appellation is Vin de Pays du Jardin)

Normal Description: It was super light in color and it smelled pretty good. Loire wines usually have a lemony-lime quality and this one was on the money. I smelled mustard too (the plant, not the kind you get on your Subway footlong). I'm not gonna lie, my Francophile self was excited to get into this glass...and then...BLAH! Totally non-descript. Just some light floral notes and a boatload of CO2 to give it spritz and cover up the fact that there is no flavor. LAME.

Got snap or is it crap?: Pretty high on the crapometer, to be honest. This wine is FAR from Supersonic and not even touching Unique. I'm kind of bummed that Unique was such a snoozer and had none of that zing I like in my SB. On imports, I sometimes look at the importer to make sure some dude with one tooth didn't decide to import it on his tugboat. This one is Kermit Lynch, who's a pretty reputable importer. But, sorry Kermie -- if I were Miss Piggy you'd be a single dude now. Readmore »»

Cline Zin is Fine Vin

The Wine: Cline Cellars
Grape: Zinfandel
Vintage: 2007
Price: $9.99 in Atlanta's Trader Joe's

Where It's From: California (probably combo of sourcing from Sonoma, Lodi, and other inland spots)

Normal Description: Ok, this wine is pretty freaking good for a $10 bottle of zin. It's got a lot of the things that I love about zin -- initially it tastes like a raspberry briar (like the berries and then also kind of like the dirt they grow in --mmmmm), plus a good dose of vanilla (from the oak it gets aged in. I know you probably know this, but in case you don't, toasting oak gives the wood all sorts of flavors and the wine can take on those flavors when it hangs around in the barrel). I also love how it tastes like coffee and as it leaves my mouth it tastes like warm cinnamon spice. YUM.

Got snap or is it crap?: This was kind of surprisingly snappy. I had the previous vintage of this wine recently and I swore that I was drinking 2 buck chuck merlot. It was nast. This time they got it right. I really like it and will buy it again -- fitting perfectly with my motto "try everything twice." It will surely make an appearance when we grill out this summer. I may even have some with the baked falafel I'm having tonight (love spice and spice...)

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Joseph Drouhin Laforet Pinot Noir -- $14 Nectar of the Gods

How can this wine be so freakin' good? I seriously could not get enough of it. If you like Cali Pinots, caveat emptor. If you've got an open mind, for $14 this wine can rock your world as it did mine.

The Wine: Laforet
Grape: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2006
Price: $13.99 in Atlanta

Where It's From: Burgundy in France (wine snoots -- Appellation Bourgogne Controllee)

Normal Description: A little browned and light around the edge, it looked like maybe the oxygen had seeped in and I was worried that the wine may taste old (although its got a screw cap, so that usually prevents spoilage). I was totally wrong. It had this sour cherry character and there was some barnyard/game/what wine snots call brett (it's this bacteria that leads to a band-aid smell and taste, which sounds so freaking disgusting but is actually pretty delish). I loved that it was smooth but still kind of acidic and that it had this awesome sour cherry and spice flavor as it went down.

Got snap or is it crap?: I really don't even need to say that much more. I love this wine. Here's a case where the wine definitely lived up to the negociant's name (this is like the middle man between the farmer and the consumer. The definition varies, but in this case the wine maker and importer), Joseph Drouhin. SO worth the $$$. This is the closest I'm going to get to great Pinot until I hit the lottery...Let me know what you think about this one, friends. Would love to hear from you.

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