With the arrival of cooler fall weather our tastes our definitely shifting towards reds.  And with the holidays around the core now is a great time to flesh out the wine collection before all the guests arrive.  We’ve reviewed three cabernets over the last few weeks and found two that definitely deserve your attention and one you should avoid.  They’re all available at your local grocery store (ours came from Vons aka Safeway) and all are under $15.

Geyser Peak Cabernet Sauvignon ($14)
Let’s get the bad news out of the way first.  Geyser Peak is known for its Sauvignon Blanc, so when I saw the Cab was on sale for under $10 I thought it would be worth a shot.  Unfortunately, we were disappointed.  It seemed a bit lifeless without any real distinguishing characteristics.  There are better options available (for example see below).

Dancing Bull Cabernet Sauvignon ($9)
The Dancing Bull cab was new to us when we picked it up for the first time a few months back, but it has become a weeknight staple.  And since it can frequently be found on sale for well under the $9 list price this one is down right cheap.  The flavors are of black cherry with maybe a hint of chocolate.  We’ve always liked the Rancho Zabaco zinfandel’s, and Dancing Bull is Rancho Zabaco’s sub brand, made by the same team but with grapes from outside of the Sonoma area that Rancho Zabaco normally pulls from.  The benefit to you is a a great wine at a bargain price.

Red Diamond Cabernet Sauvignon ($12)
Quick!  If you live near a Safeway or Vons go and buy a bottle of this right now.  It’s on sale for $8!  Alright, now that you’re back, here’s the rest of the review:  Pronounced blackberry and black cherry flavors combine with a silky texture to make this one worthy of sharing with guests or treating yourself to a little “the kids are finally in bed” celebration.  We’d somehow overlooked Red Diamond until recently when the wine guy at our local grocery store mentioned he can barely keep it on the shelf.  We’ve now tried it a number of times and continue to be impressed.  Based in Washington, Red Diamond has put together a great wine and even at the $12 list price this one is well worth it.

Interested in some other options?  Take a look at some other posts by clicking here.

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Last night I arrived home to find a bottle of Francis Ford Coppola Ivory Label Cabernet Sauvignon breathing on the counter.  I’ve been curious to try the Coppola wines, wondering if Coppola’s star power was the main selling point or if there is actually something there.  Since they’re not particularly cheap (averaging $15-$20) I’ve always opted for an alternative.  But since Amy did the grocery shopping, price is no object (thank goodness the really expensive stuff is locked in a glass case!).  So, after tasting the wine independently (that is, while trying to get the kids ready for bed and not actually having time to make eye contact), Amy and I convened a meeting of the San Diego Grocery Wine Society.  Our verdict: undecided (although we had no trouble finishing the bottle).  The Coppola cab’s flavors were a bit unexpected.  Have you tried it?  What’re your thoughts on Coppola’s wine’s overall?  Vote in the poll, check the results and sound off in the comments!

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We’d seen the J. Lohr Seven Oaks Cabernet on a few wine lists at local restaurants so getting it on sale at Vons for under $12 seemed like a no brainer.  We pulled the cork and let it breath a bit… and were thoroughly unimpressed.  It’s definitely drinkable, tastes of currant and black pepper but despite this the overall effect is a bit flat.  There are definitely other more impressive wines available, (many of them cheaper).  The only bright side: we didn’t pay the restaurant price!

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“A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken.”  -James Dent

We’ve got a couple of requirements for wine on a summer afternoon: cold, refreshing, unfussy and in our glass.  As the day winds down We’re not interested in seeing how a wine’s “bouquet matures”.  We’re more concerned with seeing how it helps a great afternoon mature into a great evening.

Although, Barefoot Wines are fairly commonplace and have a loyal following we’d never tasted one.  For whatever reason the big footprint on the label always struck us as being a bit tacky.  This plus the relatively cheap price combined to convince us this wine wasn’t worth our time.  Recently though We’d had a number of people independently recommend a Barefoot wine and when we saw Safeway (aka Vons) had it on sale for a super cheap $5.50 (regularly $7.50) We decided to take the plunge.  The reward was a delicious glass of Pinot Grigio which embodies everything we look for in a summer wine.  A light acidity cut through the summer heat, delivering cool hints of honey and lemon and perhaps some green apple.  Suddenly, I found myself energized enough to leap from my chair, stride boldly across the patio, take hold of the lawnmower and fling it out of the way as I called loudly into the house for someone to refill my glass immediately!

p.s.  Turns out Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher, wine columnists at the Wall Street Journal, agree with our recommendation.  The Barefoot Pinot Grigio was featured in a recent column.  You can read it here.

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In our house the 4th of July means burgers will be hitting the grill.  With that decided we can devote all of our energy to determining what wines to have with dinner.  Usually, I’d stay up late for months trying to come up with the perfect pairing for our burgers (not really), tasting thousands of wines (I wish), eating hundreds of burgers (no comment).  This year though my fine friends over at Wine Spectator agreed to my request to write a couple of articles on the subject (I actually never spoke with them but I was thinking about it and then the articles were there so I still say it was my idea).  Included on their list of wines for the 4th are a few grocery store staples which you should have no trouble finding at the local Safeway, Kroger, Vons, Ralphs, etc.  Best of all there are a number of relatively cheap wines on the list with reds ranging in price from $11-$16 and whites from $9-$12.  Listed below are our picks from the Wine Spectator articles.  Enjoy and happy 4th!

Cabernet Sauvignons (from “Burgers and Red Wine for July Fourth” by Laurie Woolever at Wine Spectator)

COLUMBIA CREST Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley Grand Estates $11
CHATEAU STE. MICHELLE Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley $16
RANCHO ZABACO Cabernet Sauvignon California Dancing Bull Winemaker’s Reserve $12
BOGLE Cabernet Sauvignon California $11

Two White Options (from “Cooking Up a Fourth of July Feast” by Laurie Woolever at Wine Spectator)
HOGUE Pinot Grigio Columbia Valley $9
GEYSER PEAK Sauvignon Blanc California $12

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I’ll just start this off by saying, I’m known for my child like innocence, and I wouldn’t dare use the name of this wine to attempt to lure Amy into a conversation which might throw her off balance.  With that disclaimer here’s how a recent phone call went (totally innocent! I swear!):

Phil:  “Hey, when I get home let’s try that Menage a Trois.”
Amy:  “In your dreams!”
Phil:  “No seriously, it’s been a long day and what better way to relax?  I heard it’s great!”
Amy:  “Oh yeah?  From who?”
Phil:  “Some guy at the grocery store.”
Amy:  “You’ve been drinking haven’t you?”

With that I went ahead and clarified that I was talking about the Menage a Trois Red Wine from Napa Valley’s Folie A Deux Winery.  I never did get Amy to tell me what she thought I was talking about

Alright, enough with the innuendos here’s the scoop on the Menage a Trois Red Wine.  To be frank the name is the best thing about this relatively cheap wine (Under $10 on sale at Safeway or Vons).  Being a blend of California Zinfandel, Merlot, and Cabernet I expected something hearty.  Unfortunately the end result was thin and lifeless.

Despite the unimpressive wine, I’m tempted to buy it again for the sole purpose of serving it to guests.  Imagine people’s reactions when you call for their attention and say “Who would like a little Menage a Trois before dinner?”

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Do you usually drink Cristal Champagne but darn it the grocery store doesn’t carry it?  Never fear!  Both Costco and Vons currently have the excellent Roederer Estate Brut Champagne (technically, a sparkling wine) which is made by the same family that makes Cristal.  And although the price of Cristal is of no concern for you and I  ($300 a bottle?  Well shoot, just give me the whole case!) this great California wine is a bit cheaper slipping in at $20 at Costco and on sale at Safeway (aka Vons) for $20.83.  Roederer is a long time favorite of ours and we were thrilled to find it becoming more readily available.  We rushed home from the store and tossed it in the freezer to quickly chill it (a little research reveals this is a terrible idea but hey it worked for us).  The question then became how long do we need to leave it in there for.  Amy was the first to crack, at the 40 minute mark she suggested we take it out.

“What if it’s not cold enough yet?”  I asked.

She responded, “Then I’ll say: It even tastes good warm!”

Lucky for us it was plenty cold and we didn’t have to test the taste of tepid Champagne.

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The La Crema Chardonnay is part of the problem.  Here’s the funny thing, if you asked us if we prefer reds or whites we’d say “reds” without hesitation.  But as I look at which wines we’re reviewing the white’s section is definitely filling out much more quickly than the reds.  Awesome California Chardonnay like La Crema take a good chunk of the blame.  With a price just under $16 (on sale) this wine’s not as cheap as some wines but the end result is a buttery wine with just enough sweetness to allow it to be paired with food or to enjoy on it’s own.  This one can be found at most grocery stores (Vons, Ralphs, Kroger, Safeway) and at Costco.  Vons currently has the La Crema Chardonnay on sale until June 24th.

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Firefly Ridge wines have become fairly popular over the course of the last six months and so when it went on sale at Vons I was eager to try it and write up a review.  As it turns out the most interesting aspect of this California Cabernet Sauvignon is that it is named “Firefly Ridge” and as far as I know there are no fireflies in California (although virtually every kid growing up here wishes there were).  The Firefly Cabernet is just “okay”.  It’s drinkable – don’t throw it out if you already have a bottle – but seeing how it isn’t particularly cheap there are quite a few other cabs out there that warrant more attention than this one.

Interested in a better option?  Take a look at some of the other wines we’ve reviewed from Safeway/Vons by clicking here.

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It’s Friday and what better way to celebrate than by swinging by the grocery store on your way home and picking up a bottle or five of wine.  Listed below are our picks for the week.

1. Champagne – Gloria Ferrer (on sale $15.98 at Safeway / Vons until 6/10)
2. Chardonnay – Bogle (on sale $8.98 at Safeway / Vons until 6/24)
3. Sauvignon Blanc – Dry Creek Vineyard (available at Safeway / Vons)
4. Cabernet Sauvignon – BV (on sale $7.76 at Safeway / Vons until 6/10)
5. Zinfandel – Edmeades (Costco)

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