There are many great wines out there in the market today. There is no doubt that you can find great wines that cost anywhere from $20-$60 retail prices… let’s not even mention the restaurant prices and cult wines! But what about those real gems? You know the great tasting wines that you can get on sale, sometimes even under $10/bottle! There are a few great producers that come to mind, and there are always new ones that are coming on the market it seems like almost every month. I will do my best to give you 1 or 2 new ones every month, so you can go out there and enjoy, and still have money left over for a nice meal to enjoy it with… and please, give me your feedback, if you like one of my suggestions, let the people know… and if you don’t like it, let them know too, everyone’s palate is different. I will try to give you objective reviews and tasting notes, so you can judge whether you may like it based on my descriptions.
1.Blackstone Wineries
You can find most of their wines from under $15, yet they do make some higher end wines for the more sophisticated consumer with a few extra bones. More importantly, they don’t make a bad bottle of wine. My wife and I visited their vineyard and tried some of their Malviasia (which isn’t widely distributed) and loved it. It had Lychee and Citrus aromas, it was clean, crisp and refreshing to drink, so we packed 2 bottles in our suitcase and headed home. They are probably best know for their Merlot and for good reason… It is outstanding! Year after year the quality is consistently great, it is soft and easy drinking, and always affordably priced. I tried their 2008 Pinot Noir as well, and was very pleased with the quality for that price range: It had some typical Pinot Noir characteristics of sour cherry, with a healthy amount of oak which created a nice blend of spicy vanilla cherry aromas. Seemingly elegant on the palate, it had a peppery sweet spice finish. Not bad for a $12-$15 bottle of wine.
Now, I would say these wines are meant to drink right away, so I don’t recommend going too far back to past vintages or holding them for 5-10 years, but hey, you never know… and at the price, it’s worth holding on to a bottle for a year or 2…ya never know, just in case…
2. Sawtooth Riesling
If you are just getting into wine, switching from soda or other sweet beverages, this is the perfect introduction for you! This Riesling is off dry to medium sweet, yet it has a crisp clean, dry finish. It comes from Idaho…”no… you da ho!”… sorry, it had to be done :-). I love riesling in the summer, or to start off a night of drinking! I’ve found this wine on retail around $12 – $13.
Both of those wines can be found at Amazing Grapes in Pompton Plains, NJ. A very cool venue that also has a wine bar! How many wine stores can you buy a glass to try before you pick up a case? You’ll love her selection!
For more great quality recommendations, make sure to leave your comments and let me know what wine styles you like. I’ll go out and try them, just for you ;-). I should be getting a sample of great German Riesling soon to test out for you…and it should be a great price… be on the look out!
Cheers!
Notable Wine 