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Domaine Rose-Dieu Plan de Dieu, 2014
Domaine Rose-Dieu 2014 “Plan De Dieu”, 14.5% ABV, Approx $16/bottle in 2016. Most wine lovers have favorites when it comes to Côtes du Rhône village-level wines. This one I found locally for about $16, but I’ve seen as low as $12 online! Domaine Rose Dieu’s Plan De Dieu, a full-bodied, spicy blend of Grenache, Syrah, […]
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Troon Takes Orange Wine to the Next Level
Troon Vineyards 2019 Kubli Bench Amber, Estate Orange Wine; Applegate Valley AVA, OR. 13.3% ABV, MSRP $30/bottle. Kubli Bench Amber is an orange wine from Troon Vineyards, a Demeter BioDynamic, Certified Organic winery in the Applegate Valley AVA, located in the southwestern region of Oregon. The Kubli Bench Amber is a blend of 74% […]
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Smith Madrone: Blurring the Lines Between Old and New World Wines.
I recently had the opportunity to join in a live tasting of four wines I’d highly enjoyed a year ago. The winery, Smith-Madrone, is one of the best under-the-radar labels you can find. I’m still surprised their prices have not sky-rocketed, but their wines are selling out faster every year and their value is among […]
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Wines of the Dão
When I think about wines with tremendous value, my first reaction is the Iberian Peninsula. But move over Spain, the wines of Portugal are coming through! OK, so is this really new? Maybe you’ve tried some Portuguese wines before. But this IS new, unless you have truly paid serious attention to the wines of the Dão […]
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Old World Flavors From a New World Vineyard: Lucas & Lewellen Toccata Classico 2015
Lucas & Lewellen Toccata 2015 Classico Red Wine, Santa Barbara County, California, USA. 14.7%ABV, SRP is $29/bottle. Sample Provided. Winemaker Megan McGrath Gates blended 50% sangiovese, 30% cabernet sauvignon, and 5% each of merlot, cab franc, petite verdot, and freisa , from Santa Barbara County’s Los Alamos and Valley View vineyards. Color is a medium […]
Recent Reviews
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Troon Takes Orange Wine to the Next Level
Troon Vineyards 2019 Kubli Bench Amber, Estate Orange Wine; Applegate Valley AVA, OR. 13.3% ABV, MSRP $30/bottle. Kubli Bench Amber is an orange wine from Troon Vineyards, a Demeter BioDynamic, Certified Organic winery in the Applegate Valley AVA, located in the southwestern region of Oregon. The Kubli Bench Amber is a blend of 74% […]
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Smith Madrone: Blurring the Lines Between Old and New World Wines.
I recently had the opportunity to join in a live tasting of four wines I’d highly enjoyed a year ago. The winery, Smith-Madrone, is one of the best under-the-radar labels you can find. I’m still surprised their prices have not sky-rocketed, but their wines are selling out faster every year and their value is among […]
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Wines of the Dão
When I think about wines with tremendous value, my first reaction is the Iberian Peninsula. But move over Spain, the wines of Portugal are coming through! OK, so is this really new? Maybe you’ve tried some Portuguese wines before. But this IS new, unless you have truly paid serious attention to the wines of the Dão […]
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2016 Aridus Graciano and Syrah from Cochise County, Arizona
Aridus 2016 Graciano, Cochise County, Arizona. %14.4 ABV, SRP $37/bottle. By Jim vanBergen, JvBUnCorked. All Rights Reserved. Copyright by Jim van Bergen, JvB UnCorked 2019. May Not Be Duplicated Without Permission. Color is an opaque purple center with dark ruby edging. The nose shows black and blue fruit compote, eucalyptus, and a subtle herbal blend. […]
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Pazo Torrado Albariño Rias Baixas, Galicia
Pazo Torrado Albariño 2017, D.O. Rías Baixas, Galicia, Spain. 12.5%ABV, SRP around $11/bottle. All Rights Reserved. Copyright by Jim van Bergen, JvB UnCorked 2019. May Not Be Duplicated Without Permission. By Jim van Bergen, JvBUnCorked Color is a translucent medium straw. The nose offers a luxurious floral aroma, hyacinth, orchid and pineapple. […]
Recent Commentary:
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Evening Land 2011 Bourgogne Rouge
My love of pinot noir began with Burgundy and expanded rapidly around the world. More than ten years ago, I was attending an Oregon regional tasting and had been severely impressed with an Evening Land wine I tasted from the Eola-Amity Hills AVA of the Willamette Valley. When I found out they were also making […]
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Enjoying Aged White Wine & Pierre Morey 2011 Bourgogne Aligoté
Let me start with a wine review: Pierre Morey, 2011 Bourgogne Aligoté, Meursalt, Cote D’Or, France. 12% ABV; Case purchase in 2013 for $17/bottle. At nine years of age, the color has only slightly deepened to a maturing pale gold. Aroma is light and mellow, reductive of dried wildflowers and lemon zest. On the palate, the […]
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New Year’s Bottles and my “Dry” January
Several close friends decided to have a dry January. Everyone understands the idea, you’re dieting off the weight that got put on over the holidays, and your liver could use a break. While I had some time off from work, I saw my doctor and had my blood work done- so I know my liver […]
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Flattery in Wine?
When people make fun of your passions, or when personal and professional interests crossover, it must be a sign your blog is doing something right. Right? A friend of mine texted me today with this gem: It was funny, in a laughing-at-Sideways kind of moment. But now I’m suddenly feeling like a glass of merlot! […]
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What You Learn When Pouring for Others
I love pouring wine for others. I recently donated several cases of wine to a fundraiser, and in addition to the wine, I poured glasses to the attendees. They walked up to a wine bar, I asked them what they liked to drink, and then poured them a taste. Sometimes I poured them tastes from […]
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Two Buck Chuck
5 JanWe’ve all tried it: Two Buck Chuck from Trader Joe’s. But is it any good? Is it worth your time?
In spite of the fact that their wine should be called three buck chuck (prices have risen, but that moniker lacks onomatopoeia), I’ve had TJ’s wines at several functions and always deemed them “drinkable”. Ok, but does that mean you should drink it? No, you should drink what you like. Just because you CAN drink it doesn’t make it worthy. Hey, you could drink urine. I would never advocate it, but evidently it’s drinkable (gross!) in a matter of life and death. Thankfully, wine is NOT a matter of life and death.
Shaking off that tangent (and assuming you haven’t closed your browser) let’s consider TJ’s Wine. It’s my firm belief that Two Buck Chuck is an alternative to the $8-11 bottles you might find in a wine store: every day, drinkable table wine, kind of like how Uncle Ben’s Rice is an acceptable side dish. It serves a purpose, though you probably won’t be writing home about it.
I had a blast reading this article from Thillist by Ben Robinson who convinced pal Sam Lipp, the GM of Union Square Cafe, to casually rate TJ’s wines along with Robinson’s beer-drinking girlfriend while eating pizza. The blithe commentary is a hoot, with the girlfriend’s less-refined opinion carrying as much weight as Lipp’s in the storyline. It’s a fun read for anyone who loves wine, because we’ve all been there at some point in our lives: just hanging out and drinking whatever is laying around with your friends. Like drinking with your buddies, the notes get funnier as they go along.
On the other side of the spectrum is S. Irene Virbila’s article in the LA Times which expressed a former appreciation and now a certain disdain for TJ’s wine. But even if these wines are only useful for quaffing at barbecues or for quiet Tuesday night dinners at home, Virbila’s article expressed that in spite of finding a gem, TJ’s wine was truly a waste of time. I couldn’t help but notice that not one of the wines considered was in the generic two-buck-chuck category. Perhaps that was a mistake. But at what point do the best of the generic wines compare to the bottom of the name brand wines?
Everyone knows that I’m constantly looking for great value in wines. Well, I’ve never seen a decent amarone for under $20. Anatoli Levine (aka Talk-A-Vino on WordPress) shared his position on Amarone from Trader Joe’s which intrigued me. I look forward to tasting his picks, and I’d love to hear more opinions from anyone who has tried these wines!
Just because a wine is drinkable doesn’t make it good or even worth my time. This is why I constantly seek out great value in $8-13 bottles to share with you.
But if you enjoy it, if the wine gives you pleasure… well then isn’t that worth your time? If you would drink a $9 bottle of every day table wine, why not a $3 bottle from Trader Joe’s if all you want is a basic vin du table?
Knowing that every day won’t be a dinner of delicacy, sometimes you just throw together whatever you have laying around. So maybe we’ve found the perfect solution for pairing a white wine with a box of mac and cheese. In the end, it’s all about finding wines you like, and wines that give you pleasure.
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Tags: Commentary, Wine Commentary