When I’m in a hurry at the liqour store or in doubt as to what to get or conscious of my wine budget I most always seem to pick up one or more bottles of the Yellow tail Shiraz.

Gloria and I both drink this wine regularly. I like to have a bottle on hand and we regularly serve it to our friends when they drop by. Everyone always seems to enjoy it. We often take this wine camping. At $5.99/bottle it is a budget pleaser.

This wine has a nice balance of tannins, plenty of fruit, and hints of licorice and berry aromas on the nose. While inexpensive, it is nonetheless “big enough” to stand up to hearty meat dishes, although I regularly drink this wine pre-dinner with bread and cheese. When camping, it is an end of the day wine to be enjoyed while watching the sunset.

This wine is definitely one of my personal best buys and I would encourage you to try this as well as Yellow tail’s other red wines.

A recent “Sips and Tips” on-line article led me to try a Carmanere with its selected pairing of BBQ country style pork chops. The featured Carmanere was good as was the BBQ recipe. I had actually bought three different Carmaneres to try and as it turned out my preference was the Casa Silva.

Then, having noted the hint of chocolate and cinnamon on the palate in this wine, I took the pairing a “big” step forward, at least in my opinion, and paired the Casa Silva with my own mole.

Over time I have been tweaking my years old mole recipe until I’m almost there. I need to find a local store that carries black chilis or chilis negro and then, coupled with a couple of “secret” ingredients, I will share the recipe - but first, I want to try it on Kelly.

The Casa Silva is very smooth. It is a very balanced Carmanere. It is dark in color, plenty of fruit on the nose - a little coffee?, a rounded palate of dark berries with hints of cinnamon and chocolate, a little oak and a soft finish. About $12-$13/bottle.

This wine should pair well with spicy Mexican food, roasted meats and BBQ.

The 2004 Mercury Head cabernet sauvignon from Napa Valley is a delicious full bodied cab evidencing lots of ripe fruit (cherry, berries), subtle oak and outstanding structure.

I served this last night, Valentine’s Day, for Gloria and I to enjoy alongside a grilled lean ribeye and grilled asparagus. The wine was definitely the hit of the meal. It just got better and better as the evening progressed.

I checked the winery’s web site and the 2004 is sold out, so get to your favorite liquor store/wine merchant and pick some up before it too late. I know we will. About $75 - $80.

If you’re a pinot lover pay attention!

Wine Enthusiast, March 2008 issue, is reporting that the 2005 California pinot noirs may be the best ever. And, better yet, some of their top rated picks are affordable - around $50.00/bottle.

I for one enjoy a good complex full bodied pinot noir. I shied away from pinots after all the talk about pinots following that movie that everyone talked about, but I have to admit that a good pinot paired with a roasted pork loin or roasted duck is wonderful! With a full bodied pinot you may want to try lamb (one of my favorites).

Check with your favorite wine outlet/liquor store and let me know what you find. There’s going to be more available than just those listed in Wine Enthusiast and I find that most good wine outlets have tasted their wines and are well informed.

Drink on…

I recently received the latest Food and Wine magazine and the beef rib roast on the front cover immediately caught my eye. I have to admit that a full bodied red wine paired with red meat is one of my favorite wine and food combinations. I also must admit that I often start planning a menu with the main course wine and then choose the food. Priorities, right? That night while lying in bed, I picked up the magazine and checked out the rib roast recipe where I found a complete menu, including the horseradish herb crusted rib roast, and immediately exclaimed to Gloria: “this is what I want to fix for Christmas dinner.” In no way could I ever pull off that complete menu, but the chined and frenched rib roast with a full bodied and complex cab would be wonderful for any special occassion.

As I looked over the menu I found that the main course wine pairing was a 2004 Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Being a fan of Robert Mondavi cabs, and not ever having had the 2004, my interest was immediately piqued.

I have two bottles of the 1996 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Reserve left in my makeshift wine cellar (OK, go ahead and laugh, my cellar consists of wine boxes turned on edge with a number of bottles stored away on a shelf against a cool concrete wall in my basement laundry room). The 1996 is a wonderful wine and I thought at $100.00/bottle Gloria and I were stretching the budget to have those, not to mention the three bottles we had already enjoyed on special occassions. I have also had the 1999 which I also thought was a very good wine, although it didn’t reach the complexity and depth that characterizes the 1996.

So, I jumped on to the Robert Mondavi web site the following morning and found the 2004 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (Napa Valley) at $125.00/bottle (I did not find a 2004 non-reserve cab). The Robert Mondavi Winery describes this wine with words like “polished but assertive”; and “ripe black fruit aromas merge with hints of cedar, black licorice and a pinch of nutmeg and clove” on the nose; “dense, fleshy flavors of balckberry, black plum and cassis” on the mid-palate; “elegantly powerful tannins.” The wine is 86% cabernet sauvignon, 12% cabernet franc, and 2% petit verdot.

I haven’t yet seen the 2004 in the liquor store I frequent but at $125.00/bottle all I would probably do is look at it anyway. But, I would very much like to add a bottle or two to my makeshift wine cellar and maybe one of these days I will.

In any event, if any of you have had the opportunity to try this wine, I would really appreciate your comments.

I found the 2004 Lapis Luna California Cabernet Sauvignon on the bottom shelf of my favorite liquor store a couple of weeks ago and was immediatley impressed, especially with its price. At $9.99/bottle this one is hard to beat. Taken from the tasting notes on the winery web site, this cab has plenty of “black cherry” on the nose, subtle hints of “pepper” and “ginger” on the mid-palate and a noticeable finish of “dark chocolate”. I would agree.

The wine paired well with a lamb shanks on pasta. Lamb shanks on pasta?

Well yes. Here’s what I did: I sauteed 3 lamb shanks in olive oil to add some caramelization to them prior to a long slow simmer. After browning, I removed the shanks from the pot, added a little more olive oil, 2 coarsley chopped onions, 2 handfuls of chopped carrots, 2 handfuls of chopped celery, 8 - 12 oz. portabella mushrooms cut into bite size pieces and 3-4 cloves of garlic. Once sauteed, 4-5 minutes, I added 2 cups marsala wine, a 15 oz. can of chicken broth, a 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes, a package of sun dried tomatoes and plenty of black olives. I used California pitted whole black olives but my personal preference would have been Greek black olives. I then put the lamb shanks back in the pot, added plenty of fresh ground black pepper, sea salt to taste, and fresh thyme and rosemary. I simmered the lamb shanks for several hours until very tender. I removed the lamb shanks to a warm oven and reduced the broth somewhat before serving over pasta. I intentionally left the broth thin however.

Now, I don’t get scientific about pairings, and I don’t really know much about the rules of pairing wine and food, but I do like to eat and I do like to drink wine and so the rest was easy! Cook. Pop a cork. Eat and drink. Enjoy the flavors. Enjoy the company.

By the way, I have found many 2004 and 2005 California “drink now” cabs at a reasonable price that have all been vey good. What would be some of your recommendations?

I wish you all the very best this holiday season.

I wanted to get past the traditional roasted turkey this coming Thanksgiving and in particular was craving a roasted leg of lamb. Having had the 2005 Justin Cab about a month ago at Randy’s, a Durango, CO restaurant, with grilled Colorado lamb chops, I knew I had found the perfect pairing.

The 2005 Justin Cab (about $26) not only fits my budget but will pair perfectly with the lamb. With plenty of dark cherry, plum and oak on the nose, a lush palate of dark fruit, some spice and a little earth on the palate, and a soft velvety finish this one is sure to be a hit for family and guests.

I have had my eye on the 2001 Penfolds Grange sitting on the top shelf of the Australian shiraz section of my favorite local liquor store for several months now. I almost bought one last weekend but just couldn’t justify the $260.00/bottle.

I suspect that in the coming month I’ll break down and buy a bottle to bring out in 7 1/2 years for my 65th birthday.

That, together with my cellared 2000 Grahams Vintage Porto, will make for one heck of a celebration.

If any of you have tried any of the many fine vintages of the Penfolds Grange Hermitage, please comment.

From Stoney Mesa Winery and Ptarmigan Vineyards in Cedaredge, Colorado comes a wonderful young but rich port at $15.99/bottle.

The 2003 Ptarmigan Vineyards Merlot Port has plenty of chocolate and cherry on the palate with hints of licorice and spice.

And speaking of chocolate, this port is wonderful with rich chocolate desserts but would certainly stand alone with maybe a little cheese or a simple cookie. It is sure to be a big hit with company after a fine meal. But, its not just for dessert. Share this port late at night with your favorite person(s) on the back deck or wherever and whenever the mood presents itself.

I’ve enjoyed this port slightly chilled at Lake Powell in the middle of the afternoon while drifting in the shade of a canyon wall and munching chocolate cookies.

Stoney Mesa Winery and Ptarmigan Vineyards is located at 16199 Happy Hollow Road, Cedaredge, Colorado 81413, just off Colorado Highway 65 in Cedaredge. They have daily tastings between 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. On the premises is a gazebo which is great for a picnic lunch and a bottle of wine with friends.

Visit their website.