Alice Feiring writes today in the Los Angeles Times that she’s quit drinking wine from California because, in her mind, the wines have become “overblown, over-alcoholed, over-oaked, overpriced and over-manipulated.”

It’s an old story, really: Some folks in the biz feel that certain critics (specifically Robert Parker) are being pandered to by winemakers who know what kind of wines they like. “Big wines” full of oak and heavy with alcohol are often the result.

It’s a fair point. There are wines that are so overdone that they are hard to drink. One wonders what critic actually enjoys them at all, but Parker seems to like them, and his ratings move cases.

But I disagree that California has lost its way. In fact, I find it’s easier than ever now to find outstanding wines with rich fruit and real terroir, wines that haven’t been manipulated and which will stand the test of time. Unfortunately there’s also plenty of average wine out there (and some downright bad wine, too). You just have to be willing to taste and taste a lot in order to find what works.

I take some issue with Feiring’s praise for Mike Dashe’s “un-Californian” wine which she defends vigorously. No, not that I’ve had Dashe’s wine, but that Feiring seems to have made up her mind about it based on how it was made before she tasted it. Ditto for Cathy Corison: Her praise seems largely based on low alcohol content than anything else. (I’m still trying to wrap my mind around how a wine can be “shockingly” elegant.) Really, isn’t Feiring simply subbing in her own prejudice for lighter style, less-alcoholic wines for Parker’s gut punchers? That old problem of “personal taste” rears its head again, proving that not all wines are for all drinkers, and that there really is something for everyone out there.

That is, after all, how White Zinfandel got started. Just ask Robert Parker what he thinks about that.

Thanks for the tip, Jairaj!

My earlier article on how wine is priced barely scratched the surface. If you really want to see wine pricing gone wild, check out Fortune’s story on how Bordeaux’s top chateaus price their wine, 90 percent of which is sold as futures before it ever gets into a bottle.

Every April some 5,000 buyers and wine professionals tour Bordeaux during “tasting week,” offering opinions on barrel samples and trying to judge how that wine might taste when it makes it to bottles. Producers take that feedback and price the wine based on “early orders and gut feelings.” Clearly, little of that pricing has anything to do with the actual cost of growing the grapes and making the wine. (In fact, it’s arguable that in “bad years,” when prices are depressed, the costs to make the wine are actually higher than in great years, since many producers have to keep grape quantities and bottle production down if the grape crop isn’t so hot.)

Supply and demand at work. Check out the full story at Fortune.

How good can something cheap really be? When last I broached this topic I found there was some correlation between wine prices and quality, but that it was fairly weak. But that analysis doesn’t really apply to the rock-bottom pricing that rules the world of jug wines, box wines, and stuff like Oak Leaf, a new label of “Extreme Value Wines” (their words), which sell in California Wal-Marts for $1.97 a bottle ($2.97 everywhere else).

By now few are surprised by $2 wine. Two-Buck Chuck (aka Charles Shaw) has been a massive seller in these parts for years. I even know people that swear by it. (I can’t stand the reds but, if forced, I can stomach the whites.) It isn’t surprising that other labels would like to grab a little of Chuck’s market share.

Oak Leaf Vineyards is the latest challenger, and the company’s selling Chardonnay, a Pinot Grigio/Chardonnay blend, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and White Zinfandel. I tried the Chardonnay and the Merlot (all the wines are non-vintage, with no year specified) just to answer the question: How good (or bad) could this stuff possibly be? (After all, the label has actually won at least four medals at various wine competitions!)

The answer: Surprising, but not in the way I expected. Though “cheap white” is usually a better bet than “cheap red,” the Chardonnay was a miss, lacking much structure at all and reminding me more of the kids’ apple juice that had sat out too long and fermented than of real wine. The punch of alcohol is strong, feeling almost like a fortified wine (or at least a doctored one). I give it a C- at best.

The surprise was the Merlot, which was immeasurably better than the Chard, though still nothing to write home about. An initially decent mouthful of light fruit is palatable, but it ultimately gives way to some bitterness and green, vegetal notes. Again, that punch of raw alcohol, though much slighter here than in the white. It’s passably drinkable in a way that the Chardonnay is not, but it’s hardly something to treasure and hang on to for when you’re grilling a filet mignon. Let’s call it a C+.

Would I go out of my way to pick up a bottle of Oak Leaf? No, but the sheer feat of getting wine into a bottle at retail for 197 cents is nothing short of impressive. I will add that extreme value wines like this do serve one important role in the beverage industry: They expose people who’d otherwise be drinking beer, soda, or something else to wine in a positive way, rather than the overwhelmingly negative one associated with, say, Thunderbird. Oak Leaf, I would hope, might give drinkers a taste for wine… and then encourage them to aim one shelf higher with their next purchase.

Rather than focus on a specific grape varietal, this event had the unique idea to get the word out about three small parts of Napa Valley, specifically, the mountain regions of Spring Mountain, Mount Veeder, and Diamond Mountain, which run one after another along the valley in the Mayacamas mountain range that makes up Napa’s western flank (and separating Napa from Sonoma). (A decent map can be found here.)

Tastings were broken up by region, with each AVA filling its own room in the Fort Mason Officer’s Club. Overall, the wines were extremely impressive. The focus across the board was on Cabernet, which does well in the mountains of Napa, with many single-vineyard wines being poured. And though these regions are only miles apart (and Diamond and Spring are virtually on top of each other), the differences among the wines were striking, with obvious character showing through for each region. Before I get to the highlights, one thing was clear: 2005 is shaping up as considerably better than 2004 for all of these regions. While good, even great, wines can be had from ‘04, it’s the ’05s that consistently knocked my socks off.

Spring Mountain - The largest number of wines could be had from Spring Mountain, and it’s obvious why this room was picked to house the snack table. Spring Mountain cabs are so thick and tannic that you can’t drink much without needing a slice of ham or something to cut through the tannin. If you’re looking for a “textbook” Cabernet, Spring Mountain is where it’s at. Highlights include Fantesca’s Chardonnay, the best white (of only few poured) I had at the event, full of grapefruit and perfume and only lightly oaked. Best of the reds go to Frias’ “Red Wine,” a $30 blend of Cab, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Syrah, an easy drinking wine overflowing with fruit that’s also a huge bargain. Another standout: Anything from Guillams (pronounced “gwilliams”) and Sherwin’s 2005 Cab (a $90 powerhouse full of blackberry flavor).

Mt. Veeder - These wines were much more earthy, more characteristic of Old World Burgundy at best, a little barnyardy at worst. Some standouts: Brandlin’s $80 2004 Cab, its first Cabernet bottling ever. Robert Craig’s 2005 Cab, which won’t be released until the fall, was also outstanding, a “big” wine that still managed to pack in a ton of fruit.

Diamond Mountain - I unwittingly saved the best for last: Diamond Mountain has historically been known for producing wines with a dark chocolate character, and nowhere was that more apparent than in Andrew Geoffrey’s 2004 Cabernet (pictured), a nutty, chocolatey, and rich wine that was probably my favorite wine of the event. Lots of other good, cocoa-toned wines, but nothing quite lived up to Geoffrey’s juice.

Prices were unavailable for many of the wines so I’m not including them in the full tasting report that follows.

Full Tasting Report

Spring Mountain
2004 Cain Five - C+
2004 Fantesca Cabernet Sauvignon Estate - B
2006 Fantesca Chardonnay - A
2005 Frias Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve - B+
2005 Frias Family Vineyard Red Wine - A
2004 Guilliams Merlot - A-
2004 Guilliams Cabernet Sauvignon - A
2006 Keenan Chardonnay - A-
2004 Keenan Cabernet Sauvignon - B
2004 Keenan Cabernet Reserve - A-
2004 Marston Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon - A-
2005 Sherwin Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate - A
2005 Terra Valentine Cabernet Sauvignon - A-
2005 Terra Valentine Cabernet Sauvignon Yverdon Vineyard - A
2005 Terra Valentine Cabernet Sauvignon Wurtele Vineyard - B
2004 Vineyard 7 & 8 Cabernet Sauvignon - B-

Mount Veeder
2004 Brandlin Cabernet Sauvignon - A
2004 The Hess Collection Cabernet Sauvignon - A-
2005 The Hess Collection 19 Block Cuvee - B
2005 Robert Craig Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder - A
2004 Robert Craig Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder - B
2005 Vinoce Cabernet Franc Blend - B+

Diamond Mountain
2004 Andrew Geoffrey Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon - A
2005 COHO Wines Cabernet Sauvignon SummitVine Ranch - B+
2005 COHO Wines Headwaters - A-
2004 J. Davies Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain - A-
2005 Reverie Cabernet Sauvignon Special Reserve - A-
2005 Reverie Cabernet Franc - B+
2005 von Strasser Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain - B+
2005 von Strasser Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Estate - A-

In the world of wine, Portugal is known for two major things: Expensive, fortified dessert wines (Vintage Port), and super-cheap whites (primarily from the Vinho Verde region). Recently, nearly 40 Portuguese wineries, importers, and distributors gathered in San Francisco to offer an updated perspective on the wines of Portugal. The verdict: About the same as it was in the ’70s.

That’s not meant as insult, and in fact I met a number of Portuguese winemakers who’d flown all the way here to show off their wines, standing stoic in their suits with nary a grin as they earnestly, yet calmly, intone that the wine you’re tasting costs 3 euros a bottle. It’s safe to say this is the only event I’ve attended where you could try both Mateus and Lancer’s — and yes, both brands are still around, though hardly as strong as they were 30 years ago.

On the other hand, a smattering of producers were on hand with Tawny and Vintage Ports, some of which were truly dazzling.

And then there were the oddities, wines made with every grape under the sun, many of which I’d never thought would work in Portugal — Pinot Noir!? — but far more that the average U.S. wine drinker will have never heard of: Trincadeira, Moreto, Bical. The list never stops.

I tasted nearly 40 wines at the event and, I’m sad to say, you won’t find a lot of them on the shelves at your local wine merchant. Many of these wines haven’t made it to the U.S. yet, and even fewer of them have arrived on the west coast. If you’re in New York, your odds are better, but I can’t imagine a lot of people will spend days seeking out a $12 bottle of Vinho Verde. (That’s pretty common here for Portuguese whites, though the dip as low as $6 or $7. Prices were unavailable for most of these bottlings and aren’t included below.)

Some highlights. A lot of Portuguese white is surprisingly good. At its best, Vinho Verde can be a refreshing, lemon- and apple-like wine with light floral notes and without that overpowering butter and woodiness in a lot of American whites. Look for wines made from Alvarinho grapes, if you can find them. My favorite of all, a bottle called Clemen Reserva (I doubt there’s a non-Reserva), which embodied all the characteristics I mentioned above; it’s a blend of Alvarinho and Trajadura grapes.

Some interesting reds emerged, too: Goanvi sells a full line of reds, and the two I tried were surprisingly nice. The cost of the Capote Velho Reserva, a blend of Syrah, Touriga Nacional, and Aragones? $6.

Naturally, there was plenty of Port to be had, though many of the major producers were absent from this event. Barros’ 1957 Colheita was a treat, a wonderful, caramel-and-chocolate sipper that has mellowed perfectly in 51 years. Quinta do Portal’s 2003 Vintage Port, while representing a much younger wine, was surprisingly mellow for being in the bottle for such a short time. If you are looking for Vintage Port to drink now and don’t want to pay out the nose (maybe $60, if you can find it), I highly recommend tracking this bottle down.

Bottom line: Looking for something light, easy, and fun? Serve a Vinho Verde and ask your guests to guess what it is. For a more unique experience, pick up a Portuguese red. Quality is all over the map, but you likely won’t spend a fortune on the experiment.

A full tasting report follows.

Vini Portugal Full Tasting Report

2005 Entre II Santos Doc Bairrada - B
2005 Campolargo Doc Bairrada - C
2005 Coisas Antigas Doc Bairrada - B+
2005 PV VT’05 DOC Douro - B
2007 Terras de Alter Fado - A-
2006 Terras de Alter Fado Reserva - B
2005 Ramos-Pinto Adriano White - B-
2006 Ramos-Pinto Adriano Red - B-
2004 Ramos-Pinto Duas Quintas Reserva - C+
NV Ramos-Pinto Porto Quinta Ervamoira 10 Years - B+
NV Ramos-Pinto Porto Quinta Ervamoira 20 Years - B+
NV Ramos-Pinto Porto Reserva Collector - B
1998 Krohn Colheita - B
1987 Krohn Colheita - B-
1978 Krohn Colheita - B+
NV Krohn Lagrima - B
2007 Catarina Regional Terras Do Sado Peninsula De Setubal - B+
2006 Casa Santos Lima Sousao, Regional Estremadura - C+
2006 Palha-Canas Regional Estremadura - C+
2005 Goanvi Capote Velho Reserva - A-
2006 Goanvi Terra Grande - A-
2003 Quinta do Portal Grande Reserva - B
NV Quinta do Portal Moscatel - A-
2003 Quinta do Portal Vintage Port - A
NV Quinta do Portal 30 Year Tawny - B+
NV Quinta do Portal 40 Year Tawny - A-
2007 Azul Vinho Verde - D
2006 Companhia Das Lezirias Fernao Pires - B+
2007 Clemen Reserva Vinho Verde - A
NV Barros Very Old Dry White Port - B
1957 Barros Colheita Port - A
1975 Barros Colheita Port - A-
1994 Barros Colheita Port - B
2005 Barros Vintage Port - A-
1995 Smith Woodhouse Late Bottled Vintage Port - B+
2005 Post Scriptum Douro - B
2005 Messias Vintage Port - B+

“Red Nosed Taster” writes: Tasting expensive but not so good wine on my trip to the wine country last weekend made me think… How do they price wines anyway? A recent study showed that in blind tastings, cheaper wines consistently do better than their more expensive brethren. I was hoping you could elaborate on this mysterious world in your blog.

Like any product, wine prices are determined by myriad inputs. It starts with the type of grapes used, where the grapes are grown, and what the yield of those grape vines are. (Grapes pruned down to two tons per acre are more expensive than those pruned to five tons per acre.) Then there’s who’s making the wine and how they make it. Everything from the type of barrels used to age the wine to whether cork or a screwcap is used to close up the bottle plays into it.

But all of that is academic. Of course, the real price of a bottle of wine ultimately comes down to what the market will bear. Wine pricing is one of the truer examples of pure supply and demand pricing you’ll find in economics. Because there’s a finite supply of any given wine in a year, and a new, but different, supply the following year, you’ll almost always see prices change for a wine from one year to the next as producers try to capture every last dollar for a given bottle of wine. If not all the wine sells one year, the price will go down or stay the same. If it sells out, watch it start to climb. I was drinking Caymus Cabernet for $20 a bottle in 1995. The wine became a big hit right about that time, and the 2005 vintage goes for about $70 today. That’s just simple economics: Caymus knows it can sell out even at 3 1/2 times the price. If it doesn’t it just knocks the price down a few bucks for 2006 and people think they’re getting a bargain.

For some real fun try tracking the price of a given bottle of wine on the secondary market. Auction prices fluctuate up and down just like the stock market. It’s fascinating stuff.

But to your other point, does a high price mean you’re getting a quality wine? Studies are studies, so I decided to look into my archives of wine ratings to see if there were any patterns in my own data. Below you’ll find the chart of all the ratings of wines that I’ve done where I had a reliable retail price available for the wine (which excluded a lot of older bottles, auction tastings, and restaurant wines). I ended up with about 1,800 data points. Because letter grades don’t plot very well, I converted everything to the widely-used 50-100 point scale. A+ got 100. F got 50.

The results are interesting, I think. There’s not a lot of order to the data for most wines; for wines under about $50, the ratings are all over the map. Things get more interesting when prices start to climb. I don’t have any ratings below a B- for a wine over about $50, with one exception. And as prices tend higher, the ratings tend to go up as well. That said, only one of my 100-point/A+ wines cost more than $50, and some cost in the $20s.

Overall, the trend line points vaguely upward, but even the cheapest wines merit an average rating of a solid B. Also interesting: Virtually all wines costing more than $80 fell below the expected trendline, so maybe the big takeaway is that yes, you can buy quality, but with each extra dollar you spend, you get only a marginally better wine.*

(click for full-size version)

* Fair warning: I’m not an economist by trade, and all data is based on my own tasting reports, which may very well be skewed, particularly since very few of my ratings are based on blind tastings. Ultimately it’s just one man’s data, but I have tried to be as honest and accurate as possible.

If it weren’t for the many gravel roads and all the snow, I would have sworn that, while touring Oregon’s Willamette Valley, the crown jewel of its growing wine operation, I was in the heart of Sonoma. Willamette has everything you’d expect from Northern California wineries: Gorgeous tasting rooms, courteous staff, weekday crowds, and even outrageous tasting fees at some locations. What I didn’t see that you can’t miss in Sonoma? Ubiquitous gift shops in every tasting room.

Getting around Oregon’s wine country isn’t easy, but it’s not impossible either. There’s a lot of confusing, dirt-and-gravel roads, little signage, and nothing that seems to run straight and flat. All those hills make for good Pinot Noir, but they don’t make it easy for you to get around if you’re not local.

The Willamette Valley is less than an hour’s drive from Portland, and though you’ll run into traffic, two-lane roads, and lots of stop lights, it isn’t unpleasant. If you’re anywhere near the area, I highly recommend a trip. Best advice: Order a free copy of this Oregon Wine Country brochure, which includes a huge and detailed map of the area. It’s far better than the one you’ll find in any guidebook or magazine, and you’ll need it if you go touring in the area.

Best wine of the five wineries we visited would have to go to Penner-Ash’s (pictured) 2006 Carabella Vineyard Pinot Noir (its first ever bottling as a vineyard designate), pricey at $55 but sedate and smooth like old Burgundy, and stripped of any barnyard tones. Also a real surprise: An Oregon Syrah, made from grapes from the south part of the state, and a rose Pinot Noir, the first of its ilk I’ve ever tried.

A close second as a favorite wine: WillaKenzie Estate’s 2005 Pinot Noir Emery ($45). (WillaKenzie, incidentally, was unique among the wineries in that it has no tasting fee.) It also scored an A in my book.

Nothing at all bad at Archery Summit except the prices. All of its 2005 and 2006 Pinots (see below for full list) scored A- from me, though some fetch up to $100 a pop. (Not pouring: The $150 Archery Summit Estate Pinot Noir.)

Putting aside the $15 tasting fee, Domaine Serene had some nice wines, though nothing that blew me away. A shocking laggard, however, was the vaunted (and pictured) Domaine Drouhin (which is run by Burgundy expatriates), which failed to impress with much in its brief, three-wine lineup.

Bonus tip: While waiting for your flight at PDX, check out “Made in Oregon” in concourse C, which sells Oregon wines (few of which I can find in California at all) for shockingly amazing prices. And yes, you can legally carry them on your flight with you if it’s direct. I bought four bottles here. Score!

Oh… that’s right… I mentioned snow back there. Did I mention the insane weather? Check out these two photos, shot a few miles and hours apart on the same day. (click for larger) If you’re heading to Willamette any other time but the dead of summer, bring a jacket!

Full Tasting Report

2006 Penner-Ash Dry White Riesling, $24, B
2006 Penner-Ash Dussin Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir, $60, B+
2006 Penner-Ash Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, $48, A-
2005 Penner-Ash Oregon Syrah, $32, A-
2006 Penner-Ash Roseo (Rose of Pinot Noir), $15, B
2006 Penner-Ash Goldschmidt Vineyard Pinot Noir, $55, A-
2006 Penner-Ash Carabella Vineyard Pinot Noir, $55, A

2006 WillaKenzie Estate Pinot Gris, $9 (375ml), B+
2006 WillaKenzie Estate Pinot Meunier, $23, B
2006 WillaKenzie Estate Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, $25, B+
2005 WillaKenzie Estate Pinot Noir Pierre Leon, $26, C+
2005 WillaKenzie Estate Pinot Noir Emery, $45, A

2006 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Chardonnay Arthur, $30, C+
2006 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, $45, B+
2004 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir Laurene Cuvee, $65, A-

2005 Domaine Serene “Cote Sud” Chardonnay, $45, A-
2005 Domaine Serene “Yamhill Cuvee” Pinot Noir, $40, A-
2005 Domaine Serene “Two Barns” Pinot Noir, $75, A-
2004 Domaine Serene Rockblock “Del Rio” Syrah, $45, B

2006 Archery Summit Premier Cuvee Pinot Noir, $48, A-
2005 Archery Summit Renegade Ridge Estate Pinot Noir, $85, A-
2005 Archery Summit Red Hills Estate Pinot Noir, $85, A-
2005 Archery Summit Arcus Estate Pinot Noir, $100, A

One of the most exhausting and exhaustive wine events around, San Francisco’s “Rhone Rangers” celebration of Rhone-style wines (and only Rhone-style wines) was a huge hit last weekend. The only problem: With about 100 wineries in attendance, many pouring 6 or 8 wines at their tables, sampling even one wine from each winery is pretty much impossible. You have to choose your battles… so, apologies to those whose wines I didn’t get to sample at the event. Here are some highlights of those whose wines I did get to try.

Four Vines (seen at right) had some interesting pours, but nothing was as charming as the Bailey Vineyard Syrah from, of all places, Amador County, rich with blueberry notes and wholly drinkable. Perhaps the best bottle of the whole event.

Also a serious highlight from the show: Longboard’s 2005 Dakine Vineyard Syrah, a rich blend of 91% Syrah that includes all kinds of juice in small proportions, including 3% Zinfandel and 2% Malbec(!). Very complex but easy to drink. Definitely worth seeking out, along with its other bottlings.

Greatly enjoyed the opportunity to meet both Tim Olson and John Ogden of Olson Ogden Wines. Really nice guys with three great, fruit-filled wines. My favorite was the 2006 Stagecoach Vineyard Syrah.

Andy Peay of Peay Vineyards was kind enough to correct a long-running Internet misconception about his winery. His name is really pronounced “Pay.” Remember that when ordering his wines. They were excellent, with the lighter La Bruma (”the fog”) Syrahs edging out, in my mind, the meatier, heftier Les Titans (”the giants”). All were great.

Met a very nice group at Prospect 772, whose “The Brat” and “The Brawler” earned their names. The raisiny Brat was my favorite, as the appropriately-nicknamed Brawler came across as a bit too young to be drinking today.

Rosenblum has long been known as a Zinfandel shop, and I was surprised to see they had a half-dozen Rhone style wines on sale now, too. In fact, they showed me a list of their full wine lineup, which stretches to about 70 different wines they are now producing, most very affordable and all pretty good. When I asked how they keep them straight, the woman behind the table just shrugged and said, “We just keep making more.”

Also had a nice chat with the Australian transplants from Summerwood Winery. Their “Diosa” Red Blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre was my favorite from their Paso Robles winery.

Complete ratings for what I tasted follow. Cheers!

2006 Four Vines Paso Robles Syrah, $20 - B+
2006 Four Vines “Peasant” Red Blend, $40 - B+
2006 Four Vines “Anarchy” Unconventional Red Blend, $40 - A-
2004 Four Vines Syrah Amador County Bailey Vineyard, $38 - A+
2005 JC Cellars Caldwell Vineyard Syrah, $45 - A
2005 Justin Winery “Savant” Red Blend, $45 - A
2003 Longboard Vineyards Russian River Valley Syrah, $28 - A
2004 Longboard Vineyards Russian River Valley Syrah, $28 - A-
2005 Longboard Vineyards Dakine Vineyard Syrah, $48 - A+
2006 Miner Family Vineyard Simpson Vineyard Viognier, $20 - C+
2006 Miner Family Vineyard Stagecoach Vineyard Syrah, $48 - B-
2005 Morgan Winery “Tierra Mar” Syrah, $40 - B-
2005 Novy Family Winery Judge Family Vineyard Grenache, Bennett Valley, $26 - B
2005 Novy Family Winery Page-Nord Vineyard Syrah, $32 - B+
2005 Novy Family Winery Christensen Family Vineyard Syrah, $29 - B+
2006 Olson Ogden Wines Sonoma and Napa Syrah, $28 - A-
2006 Olson Ogden Wines Unti Vineyard Syrah, $38 - A
2006 Olson Ogden Wines Stagecoach Vineyard Syrah, $52 - A
2004 Palmeri Van Ness Alexander Valley Syrah, $53 - B-
2004 Palmeri Stagecoach Syrah, $53 - B+
2003 Palmeri Stagecoach Red Blend, $53 - B
2006 Peay Vineyards La Bruma Estate Syrah, $45 - A
2006 Peay Vineyards Les Titans Estate Syrah, $45 - A
2005 Peay Vineyards La Bruma Estate Syrah, $45 - A
2005 Peay Vineyards Les Titans Estate Syrah, $45 - A-
2005 Prospect 772 “The Brat” Red Blend, $36 - A-
2005 Prospect 772 “The Brawler” Syrah, $36 - A-
2006 Red Car Winery “Speakeasy” Syrah, $55 - B
2005 Red Car Winery “Shake Rattle and Roll” Syrah, $NA - B
2005 Rocinante Wines Palindrome Vineyard Syrah, $35 - A-
2007 Rosenblum Cellars Kathy’s Cuvee Viognier, $18 - A-
2006 Rosenblum Cellars Fess Parker Vineyard Roussanne, $25 - A-
2005 Rosenblum Cellars Abba Vineyard Syrah, $25 - A-
2005 Rosenblum Cellars England-Shaw Vineyard Syrah, $35 - A
2005 Rosenblum Cellars Kick Ranch Reserve Syrah, $45 - A-
2005 Rosenblum Cellars Pickett Road Petite Sirah, $35 - A-
2006 Summerwood Winery Reserve Roussanne, $40 - B+
2006 Summerwood Winery “Diosa Blanc” White Blend, $45 - B+
2005 Summerwood Winery Red Blend GSM, $40 - A-
2005 Summerwood Winery “Diosa” Red Blend, $58 - A
2007 Summerwood Winery Viognier, $30 - A-
2006 Tablas Creek Vineyard “Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc” White Blend, $40 - A-
2006 Tablas Creek Vineyard “Esprit de Beaucastel” Red Blend, $45 - B+

My first challenge in this review is not how to describe what saké2me tastes like. It’s how to categorize it in this blog.

saké2me is a blend of sake, natural flavors, and sparkling water. It comes in ready-to-drink bottles 187ml in size and weighs in at a beer-like 7% alcohol, comparable to malt liquor-based beverages like Smirnoff Ice. So it’s a watered-down, flavored rice wine that has about the same kick as beer. Where would you categorize it, considering we don’t have a “wine cooler” section.

That issue put aside, saké2me is an intriguing concept, if a little underwhelming in the execution. In all four flavors, the ricey, alcohol flavor of sake comes through loud and clear. The carbonation is fairly light, considerably less than Champagne or soda, and all the bottles are sugar-sweetened to make them a little easier to drink. Pour a shot of sake into a 7-Up and you’ve got the basic idea here, sans the Asian flavorings.

So, about those flavorings. Well, here’s how they went down, in order of my personal preference. But if you are crazy for sake you’ll probably love all four flavors.

Yuzu Citrus - It looks like Gatorade but it tastes very different, lemony while also being distinctly Asian, with exotic spice in the blend. The sweetest of the bunch, it was my personal favorite. B+

Ginger Mango - The mango is very apparent, though watery. The ginger is less so. Still quite pleasant. B

Green Tea - An outlier in this collection, it really does taste like tea got in the sake along with a little sugar. Also quite pleasant, not bad at all, but very, very different than the other three bottles. This isn’t one to switch to on the fly. B

Asian Pear - Quite sour, like a Japanese radish (and no pear I’ve ever had). My wife (who declared this her favorite of the bunch), said it was “spicy,” which didn’t really register with me. B-

$13 gets you a four-pack of any flavor in those 187ml bottles.

sake2me.com

One doesn’t expect much from a bottle of wine that costs six bucks, but Beringer turns out a pretty drinkable product with this new bottling.

Beringer’s Chardonnay “California Collection” is distinguished by a distinct lack of oakiness. Instead, it’s rich with apple fruit, displaying both a nice acidity and a little buttery roundness on the finish. Nothing complex, of course, but something that went just fine with an afternoon by the fire after a tiring day on the ski slopes.

B / $6 / beringer.com