Tom and Melody's wine blog » Under $10

Pepperwood Grove Cabernet Sauvignon (2008)

Tom & Melody — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 23:51:38 +0000

Here we are . . .a clear, sunny and hot July evening in Michigan. Home after a day of work. I was in the mood for a comforting meal so I stopped at the grocery store on the way home and bought groceries, including 6 bottles of red wine, one of which we are having tonight. For dinner, I made a dozen meatballs and homemade tomato sauce. The sauce is simmering and I just added the meatballs. Nothing complicated. . .I sauteed onion and garlic in my cast-iron skillet and added canned tomatoes, salt & pepper, a little sugar, basil and oregano. After that simmered for 90 minutes I added the meatballs (ground beef mixed with italian bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt & pepper and an egg. I have also made a salad with romaine lettuce, a chopped orange pepper, freshly-picked cherry tomatoes and green onions from my garden, avocado, cucumbers and my homemade salad dressing. A meal for the soul, or so I like to think!

Now, back to the wine. One of our readers recommended the Pepperwood Grove Pinot Noir, which we enjoyed so I thought we should try the Cabernet. (Also, it didn’t hurt that this wine was on sale and I was, truthfully, looking for wines that were priced right.) I would conclude this is a good value for a great wine. Quite delicious with a cheerful ruby color and a nose of raspberries and wood. The taste is a delightful blend of blackberries, oatmeal, rosemary and caramel. The finish is wonderful. There’s nothing not to like for a mid-week red wine (or even a special occasion, actually).

Savanha Pinotage/Shiraz (2008)

Tom & Melody — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 00:54:43 +0000

This South African blend of Pinotage and Shiraz is our choice for this hot summer Friday night. This is a spicy, plummy, bold-flavored wine that is an impeccable choice to accompany our sausage-red potato-cabbage skillet dinner. I particularly appreciate the finish — velvety, spicy and crisp. Here’s to a fun summer weekend!

Dancing Bull Cabernet Sauvignon (2007)

Tom & Melody — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 01:56:48 +0000

We are back from our summer vacation/family reunion and ready to get back in the blogging groove. We had the most fabulous, wonderful time in Texas with the Werner family: Host & hostess Bob & Suzanne and sons Matt, Dan & Ben (and dogs Callie and Jake); Bill & Linda and middle son, Michael; Pat and Bob and dogs Molly & Bella; Steve and Janet and daughters Emily and Katie; Tom & I and our sons Tommy & Tony, and the king and queen of the Werner family, Joe & Mary. All 20 of us stayed with Bob & Suzanne and we all loved every minute. Speaking for myself, this family reunion was one of the best times of my life!

We arrived home last night and unpacked. Today we were both back to work. On my way home, I stopped at Kroger’s and did grocery shopping and, natch, I looked at the wine. This Dancing Bull was on sale for $6 if purchasing 4 or more bottles (normally $13.99). So, I bought 3 of the Cabernet and 1 Zinfandel. I opened this Cabernet tonight to go with our dinner of hamburgers on the grill and salad. (By the way, we are under a heat advisory up here in Michigan; it was in the mid-90′s today.)

I like this wine. The nose has some leather along with strawberries and dark chocolate. The taste is very fruity — more so than most Cabernet’s for which I am familiar, but I think this would be a real draw for wine drinkers who generally drink and enjoy Australian fruity reds. The fruit is plummy with strawberries. The slightly smoky finish is enjoyable. This is a great wine to accompany your cookout with grilled meats.

Cheers to the Werner family. We miss you . . .

Latitud 34 Cabernet Sauvignon (2008)

Tom & Melody — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 01:15:19 +0000

Here we are and June is nearly over. Where did it go? It’s a very warm Monday night; the grass is very green, the birds are chirping and the flowers are blooming. We’ve had a lot of rain this summer but the payoff is the vivid colors in the yard.

Tonight Tom volunteered to finish off the bottle of “Quail Creek” Cabernet Sauvignon, which was good but a little heavy on the caramel taste and a tad too sweet for me. Happily, I opened this bottle of Argentine Cabernet Sauvignon. This has a nice complexity of flavors, including blackberries and pine needles. I really like the grippy tannins and the peppery finish.

For dinner I put some leftover (delicious) baked chicken in the oven to reheat. . .and I served it with a pasta side dish that was scrumptious. Basically, this is the recipe: I sauteed minced garlic and onions in olive oil and added about a half pound of asparagus (cut into 1″ pieces). I tossed everything in the hot oil and once the asparagus was crisp tender, I added everything to freshly cooked, drained, thin-spaghetti pasta. I mixed everything with olive oil, Parmesan cheese and freshly ground salt & pepper. Delicious! It really extended the life of the baked chicken; I didn’t think we would have enough but it was more than enough for the three of us.

Glass Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon (2007)

Tom & Melody — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 23:52:06 +0000

We are on our third official day of summer, June 23. We had a thunderstorm today and I understand there was an earthquake in Canada that was felt in metro Detroit. Some weather!

I started my day with a run with our youngest son, Tony, who is home briefly. We had a great run in the pre-storm, hot, sticky air. I then continued on with a very enjoyable day (I am on vacation this week), including lots of reading, which I love to do during stormy weather. This afternoon, I attended a visitation service for Joel Gentz , a hero in our hometown. Joel was a classmate of our oldest son, Tommy. Joel was killed in action in Afghanistan. I knew Joel when he was a baby and I have been friends with his parents. My heart goes out tonight especially to Joel’s mom, Judy. My heart is heavy for her. She and her husband, Steve, are strong but I know their hearts are breaking.

I am looking forward to tomorrow when my friend, Pat, will be coming over for a 9:00 a.m. run and then we’re going to ZouZou’s for coffee and catching up. I LOVE my vacays!!

So, tonight we are going to have hamburgers on the grill and salad. I asked Tony to pick the wine tonight and he chose this California Cabernet. Yum. It is excellent. Predominantly blackberries on the palate with licorice mingling with fruit on the finish. Nothing not to like with this wine. Absolutely scrumptious.

Placido Chianti (2008)

Tom & Melody — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 00:10:15 +0000

A beautiful June Michigan evening. The sun is shining brightly at 8:00 p.m., the birds are chirping and the temperature is in the high 70′s. Tom & I just finished our (last Friday’s) Wall Street Journal crossword puzzle. I am mentioning this tonight because we sailed through this particular puzzle. So, therefore, we are celebrating (natch).

We are very much enjoying this Placido Chianti 2008. We bought this wine at our local grocery store for $8.95. It’s very good. Placido Chianti is a fun, light-hearted quaff with a touch of floral on the nose. The taste is dry and slightly tannic.

For dinner tonight, we are having some leftover casserole that I made a few nights ago. The casserole was made with ground beef, onions, tomatoes, potatoes, cheese, etc.,. . .all yummy ingredients. That is reheating and I am making a fresh salad with lettuce and green onions from my garden (and my homemade vinaigrette).

Tom: This Placido Chianti 2008 is a very pleasant red, quite dry, with a floral (I’m copying Melody’s word) and peppery nose and a medium body. Very drinkable. I’m sure this wine is very Italian food-friendly: fragrant, pleasantly acidic. A fun discovery for $9.

Cupcake Vineyards Malbec (2008)

Tom & Melody — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 23:13:57 +0000

Another lovely June evening in Michigan. Tonight is windy and cloudy but so nice for sitting on the patio and feeling the breeze and listening to the birds. We are having a glass of this Argentine Malbec from the Mendoza region. What an interesting wine. I find this to be mellower than what I would expect in a Malbec. I am finding it difficult to find the right words to describe this wine but here is my best shot: The nose is smoked meat — bologna, I think. The taste is robust and predominantly berries. The finish is vanilla.I am enjoying it. This is one reason I enjoy wine; every wine has the potential for many different tastes, smells and textures. I love the challenge of identifying these sensory experiences with descriptive words.

Beringer Founders’ Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (2006)

Tom & Melody — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:36:59 +0000

It’s Monday night and I went back to work today after a week off. As is to be expected, I worked like a fiend for about nine straight hours. . .there is always that first day back that is brutal. But now I am home and I have dinner on the stove. We had a martini and then Tom brought me a glass of this Beringer Founder’s Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 that he bought locally — probably on sale. Amusingly, when I blogged about this wine previously, we had also had it on a Monday night. I think that is because we kind of “live it up” on the weekends (and open more expensive wines) and then drink our more modestly-priced wines during the week.

The wine is very nice. It is a good value. I’ve had better — but at a higher price. I’ve had other wines at this price that were too simple or downright objectionable. This one is good. The predominant taste is blackberries with a vanilla finish. A very adequate California Cabernet.

For dinner, I am reheating a leftover grilled pork chop (we will split it), some freshly mashed red potatoes, a leftover homemade biscuit (again, we’ll split) and a fresh salad. I also have homemade chocolate/walnut brownies. I’m going to hand my computer over to Tom to get his thoughts. . .

Tom: Big blackberry fruit on the nose of this Beringer Founder’s Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2006. Very nice; not at all skunky or hot. A pleasant, fruity, medium-tannic, New-World cab. A nice Monday table wine.

Walnut Crest Cabernet Sauvignon (2008)

Tom & Melody — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 00:27:31 +0000

Okay, this Walnut Crest Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 is a cheap wine that my husband bought at our local grocery store (I believe he said it was around $6). So, being a little bit of a wine snob (or so I like to think) I was prepared to not like it. Well, I like it. Granted, I am not going to rave about it, but it is pleasant. This will go well with a simple meal I have prepared — a savoury casserole of ground beef, onions, peppers, potatoes, corn, cheese, etc. . .a simple wine for a simple meal! The predominant taste is cranberries with notes of thyme and sage. The finish is a little hotter than I would like, but not bad at all.

Sadly, this is my last day on vacation and I am back to work on Monday. Usually, I am celebrating “TGIF” but tonight I am sorry to see Friday arrive. . .however, it’s been a delicious week for me and I enjoyed every minute. And, while I hate to see it end, I will enjoy getting back to work (once I get there- haha).

Tom: A friend, calling from a supermarket wine aisle, recently asked for a wine recommendation and I said, “Anything from Chile is good.” My thinking was that more-expensive Chilean wines, both reds and whites, are great and the less-expensive are at least OK. This Walnut Crest Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 is a test case. It was under$6. I think it proves the rule. It’s at least OK. It has dark fruit and some tannins (although a bit too much sweetness). But it’s an OK table wine, and better than many other fruit bombs that your $6 -$7 could buy. If you’re underwhelmed, for $11-$12 you can pick up a Casillero del Diablo Carminere and have a pretty darn good Chilean.

Santa Ema Cabernet Sauvignon (2007)

Tom & Melody — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 00:10:54 +0000

A gorgeous Thursday evening in Michigan. The sun is shining, the birds are singing and the breeze is coming softly through our open window. Long and tough day at work, though, and I am glad to be home in relaxation mode. I have a casserole in the oven. We have been reading the newspapers and relaxing and probably won’t get to dinner until 8:30-ish.

Tom chose this wine Santa Ema Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 from Chile tonight. He didn’t say why — just brought me a glass. It’s a good one. A nice nose — fresh and spicy. The palate is fruity in a subtle way with notes of coffee and tobacco. Nice structured tannins . . .a good choice for a potato/beef casserole. I’ll hand over the computer to Tom for his opinion, which is always top notch (in my humble opinion).

Tom: This Santa Ema Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 is a pleasant, fruity, fairly tannic, young-tasting red with just a bit of caramel. Pleasant, not especially remarkable, but very drinkable. An above-average wine for mid-week.