AlaWine.com/value

Pend d'Oreille Winery 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 20:29:58 -0700

Delicious, and a very good value at $18. Winery notes: "Aromas of boysenberry and vanilla open to flavors of cassis and juicy blackberries. This wine carries a lengthy finish of fennel root and many more layers of tannins. Enjoy this wine with steak, prime rib or blackened salmon."

Giving Merlot a Good Name, 2006 Dry Creek Valley Merlot

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:46:04 -0700

A rich wine in a smooth mouth, with highly desirable cherry and chocolate flavor notes; quite quaffable. A very nice wine, and even better value at $19, from Dry Creek Vineyard.

Hob Nob 2006 Shiraz, a Value Pick for #Winewednesday

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 16:16:00 -0700

Hob Nob 2006 Shiraz is a quite quaffable table wine, with a very nice nose, good fruit flavors and moderate tannins. Likely to please a wide range of dinner guest palates.

Winery Notes: "As a succulent as a dark chocolate covered cherry. Cherry aromas, velvety palate, hints of vanilla. Pair with mushroom sauces, pizza, swiss cheese burger and sushi."

Some Bargain Picks from the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 08:14:18 -0800

"While I liked the overall sweepstakes winners, I would rather highlight some of the great bargain finds I personally blind-tasted." The Gray Market Report

Value Wines Update

Sat, 09 Jan 2010 07:22:56 -0800

A Weekend Treat: Flying Horse Napa Valley Petite Sirah 2006 « Just ...
I feel compelled to do so because this is not only a great value wine, but it represents the difference between thought, care, and passion on one side, and mass market, simplification, and dumbing down on the other. ...

Spirit of Wine: ** $$ Schild Estate Shiraz, Barossa, Australia ...
I believe it would crowd out other wines for me for an evening, yielding four stars on the five-star Spirit of Wine scale. Outstanding value. Wine Spectator thought highly of this too, awarding 92 points, and reporting, "Polished and ...

The Wine Tipster: Cotes du Rhone 2007 and value.
This is the weblog for Neil Phillips a.k.a. Monty Phillips The WineTipster. The Wine Tipster runs Phillips-Hill Wine Marketing, PR & Events www.phillips-hill.co.uk with Louise Hill. The Wine Tipster supports responsible drinking. ...

Wine Sense Two Cents - January 7th, 2010 Wine of ...
His focus is on over-delivering quality of wine at a reasonable price. An incredible value for under $20. Definitely one of my top 5 California Cabs for under $20. It actually wouldn't surprise me if someone told me the wine was $25-$35 ...

Show 50: A tremendous value shiraz from South Africa
Enjoy wine from various vineyards throughout the world. however, I also need to purchase Kosher wines for both my personal use as well as holidays. Would welcome your comments on both Israeli (some wonderful selections) as well asother ...

Does good wine have to be expensive » Food Chex
If $13-18 is an acceptable price range, by my lights the best value/quality ratio is in that range — New Zealand whites, South African Whites, Chilean reds, some south-of-France and Tuscan reds. Let a local merchant be your guide. ...

How to Drink Much Better for Not Much More – Louisville Juice
Great though it may be, there's more to the wine world than the Napa Valley. Remarkable value is produced by less well-known appellations, like Spain, Chile and places in the United States you may not have heard of. ...

Spirit of Wine: Best Wine Values: Fourth Quarter of 2009
What are the best wine values - and thus best bargains for the FOURTH quarter of 2009? See how we select best value wines in this earlier article. We can't predict the type of wine you'll enjoy most. But choose one from one of these and ...

Strictly Tastings: The 500 Best Value Wines 2010: 1 Tasted of 9
With one exception the ratings of 4½ and 5 stars are equivalent to WineAdvocate range of 90 to 100. The exception is that a ½ Star, the equivalent of 2 to 3 points, can be added to represent a wine's value. The WineAdvocate system ...

Discovering the Best Wine Values
Another white selection for the non red wine drinker – the ideal fruity will be Chardonnay enriched with the tastes of melon, sweet fig, apple, pear and pineapple. For the best red wine value, make wine at home! ...

Value Wines, Sunset Magazine 2009 Wine Awards

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:25:30 -0800

Sunset Magazine's panel of wine pros nominated more than 200 wines, tasted them blind, and found a red and a white winner in various price categories, with 40 runners-up. The Top wines selected in the low-price category include:

"Steals - $15 or less (our people’s choice awards, tasted by Sunset wine club members)

Top wines are:
White: Edna Valley Vineyard Paragon Chardonnay 2007 (San Luis Obispo County; $12) Why we chose it: All the apple, spice, and lemon brulee a good Chard needs.
Red: Cycles Gladiator Syrah 2007 (Central Coast; $9.99) Why we chose it: Juicy blueberries spiked with white pepper make your mouth water.

Runners up include:

White Wines:
Bogle Chardonnay 2007 (Clarksburg and Monterey County; $9)
Evesham Wood Chardonnay 2008 (Willamette Valley; $13)
Geyser Peak Sauvignon Blanc 2008 (California; $12)
Justin Sauvignon Blanc 2008 (Paso Robles; $15)
Sokol Blosser “Evolution” White Blend Nonvintage (United States; $15)
Uvaggio Vermentino 2008 (Lodi; $14)

Red Wines:
Big Ass Zin 2006 (Sonoma County; $15)
Columbia Crest “H3” Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 (Horse Heaven Hills; $15)
Easton “H” House Red Blend 2005 (California; $10)
Four Vines “Old Vine Cuvee” Zinfandel 2006 (California; $14)

QPR Update

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:04:28 -0700

Wine around the world » Blog Archive » La Brancaia Il Blu 2006
Despite this it was very clear to see that this was a very special wineand after some time to breath I can say that, for 2009 so far, this is the best QPR wine of the year. If you love Italian wines you have to seek this out, ...

A Plethora of Pinot « Luscious Lushes
I really enjoyed this wine and for $26 it has fabulous QPR and is an absolute BUY. 2007 Signaterra Giusti Ranch Pinot Noir – is from the Russian River Valley, and earned my #1 spot in this tasting. It was rich and luxurious, ...

2007 Bodegas Borsao Red Wine
Helping you match your palate. Home · About. "@Idrinkonthejob good question. try the Cono Sur or Natura brands. very good QPR" — palatematch · 2007 Bodegas Borsao Red Wine. On 10.23.09, In Red, By dcpatton. Today, I am tasting the 2007 Red Wine ...

** $ E. Guigal Cotes du Rhone, 2003, France – Wine Review and ...
by admin on Oct.24, 2009, under Wine. Original Review, October, 2006: E. Guigal Cotes du Rhone is a potential high-QPR from France. That's a pretty cool concept right there. For the 2003 vintage, the E. Guigal is a composition of 55% ...

How Do You Value Wine? | Wine Tonite!
... some fabulous wines with a high QPR (Quality:Price Ratio). But, that still doesn't fix the fact you may still have to wait a little while for some of those wines to age to truly enjoy and experience what was intended in that wine. ...

Wines of Distinction from J et R & Hand Picked Selections | Gang ...
2008 Alfredo Roca Pinot Noir Mendoza, $11.49: Nice medium dark color, with rich, ripe black cherry and plum shaded with some subtle smoke; varietally correct, with good weight and depth, offering great QPR. Find this wine...

Five for Friday, Including Passing References to QPR and the ...
And the extraordinary QPR for a wine of this provenance and quality continues to astound me. Lovely stuff. Côtes du Jura, Jean Bourdy 2005 $26. 12.5% alcohol. Cork. Importer: A Thomas Calder Selection, Potomac Selections, Landover, MD. ...

Italian Wine Blog - Wine90: Fontanafredda Barbera Briccotondo 2007
As an Italian Wine Blogger I've come into contact with Fontanafredda many many times having sampled their Barolo, Barbaresco, Dolcetto, Langhe and Gavi on numerous occasions. Their Barbera though stands out in terms of QPR . ...

portlandoregonwine: Wine Review- Libra Wine
Dry, strong acids make it a very good food wine and very good QPR at $14. 2007 Pinot Noir - Again, simple but not dull, very smooth and subtle. I enjoyed this wine because it was not over the top, it had subtle nuances that showed up on ...

Kori | Wine Tasting Dinner: Washington Pinot Gris | WineCHATr
In fact, four of the six wines in this tasting earned QPR ratings of 5 bangs for your buck. While everyone enjoyed all of the wines and we would recommend all six, the top three clearly stood out. The 2008 Jones of Washington Pinot Gris ...

Brazenly Lucid Wines :: TEN WINES UNDER TEN BUCKS IN OCTOBER...
This juice had the weight of a much more expensive bottle of wine and the finish to back it up. This was a winner in my book and an excellent QPR. (Quality to Price Ratio) 90 points. Acacia Red Blend I am a nut for this wine. ...

Sean Minor Napa Valley 4 Bears Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 at WineLog.net
The problem with professional wine rating systems is that the score of the wine depends on the person doing the rating. So, while you may use these professional ratings as some indication of the wine's quality, we urge you to place more weight on ...

St. Supéry Napa Valley Merlot 2003 at WineLog.net
... acid and tannins that are fully integrated. Fruit is still bright with no hint of age other than the good savory characteristics in the mid-palate and towards the long cherry finish. Great QPR! Posted by drxeno on October 5th, 2009 at 11:43am | ...

ComfortWinery.com: 2001 Beringer 'Private Reserve' Cabernet ...
This wine is exciting and vibrant now but will age for another 10 years and likely improve throughout. While it didn't contend for wine of the night honors, it is easily the best QPR wine we tasted (of 22): $110; 94+ points.

ComfortWinery.com: 2000 Chateau Quinault L'Enclos Saint Emilion
Seems like it's drinking at or near peak maturity already -- the tannic structure doesn't imply that this wine will be better after another 15 or 20 years in the cellar. This was the best QPR wine on the French side of our tasting. ...

Kevin Kossowan: 4 Wines & A Plate - Cabernet Sauvignon
The ringer was a pleaser, offering tremendous QPR. Buy it. Preferences were all over the map, so my scores and preferences didn't highly correlate with the group rankings and scores. And last but not least: a Canadian wine took the top ...

Vines on the Marycrest 2005 My Generation - Zinfandel Blend
QPR ALERT: With a great QPR (quality to Price Ratio), today's selection from Vines on the Marycrest deserves special recognition as a providing exceptional drinking at an exceptional price. superior wine. If you love Paso red blends, ...

Kori | Wine Blogging Wednesday #62: A Grape By Any Other Name ...
Medium-bodied with soft tannins and a long, smooth, yet slightly hot, finish. Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5) QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5) Where to Buy: Esquin Wine Merchants (Seattle), $16.99; Available elsewhere, $16 to $19 ...

Whole Foods wine tasting 10/10/09 | Atlanta Wine Guy
2007 Yalumba Bush Vine Grenache Barossa Valley, Australia – $17.99 (sale $13.99): This was the best QPR of the day for me. It was juicy, with bright red fruits that had a nice peppery spice in them, making this a great selection for ...

BrixChicks: Wine Blogging Wednesday #62: "You say Mourvedre. I say ...
All in all, this wine had great QPR and was the most likely to me to be a good tapas wine. I was curious how cool Alicante was compared to Jumilla, but could only drill down that the m2 came from "Zone 8". It was bottled in Monovar in ...

Pelz On Wine: 1998 Bodegas Riojanas Rioja Monte Real Gran Reserva ...
Texture is silky and acidity zippy, but the fruit is generous yet very elegant. Pretty finish on a pretty wine. For just over $30, this is a massive QPR. Even my wife commented "...this is good wine...". A case buy. ...

Good Wine Under $20: Mighty Good Malbecs
Bodegas Escorihuela Gascón has a new label for their popular wine, but there's still the same very good QPR wine inside. You'll start off smelling blackberry and blueberry, along with a strong hit of coffee. The berry fruit continues ...

Brooklynguy's Wine and Food Blog: Fruits of the Tasting Season
But the gem of the portfolio, QPR-wise anyway, is the Aloxe-Corton. It is a wine that is unmistakably of its place - masculine, the tannins tough, the fruit deep and dark, a brooding earthy pungency already starting to show. ...

Cuvée Corner Wine Blog: Grape Expectations, The Montes Live Taste!
One of the best things about this wine is the very approachble price tag, weighing in at the $19-$23 price range which makes this wine another QPRwinner. I even liked this wine better than its more expensive cousin, it could be that ...

Bob on Sonoma: Sonoma County Harvest Fair
Views of a local who is in the wine biz. Mostly general comments on the California wine business. Sometimes there's nothing like a good Sonoma Whine! If you don't take my comments too seriously then neither will I. After all, it's only wine . ...

Syrah Wine — Good Wine and Champagnes
Purchased 2007 Lucia Syrah Susan's Hill – #winehttp://cellartracker.com/w?695537. Wine Review of the Day: 06 @Barrel27Wines Right Hand Man Syrah – Great QPR http://bit.ly/pMEuU. New York State Wines – news, events, notes, and more. ...

Wine Advice by GPCi - Where Passion Meets Reason...: GPCi for Oct ...
I like their wines for their QPR. For $14 it doesn't get any better than this for Syrah. I'd buy 3-12 bottles. Australia (Barossa) 2006 ST. HALLETT BLACKWELL SHIRAZ - $29.95. JH=96 ; until 2026 GPCi - If you're looking for a very good ...

Dezel's Vine Spot: Quick Sip: (Kluge) Albemarle Simply Red 2004
I find this wine to be a very good QPR (quality-to-price-ratio) winethat won't break the bank at the low price of $11.99. But don't let that low price tag fool you - this is a nice everyday wine to sip on its own or enjoy with pizza, ...

Washington Wine Guy: 3 from the Evergreen State...
Hefty finish leads me to think this wine will improve with short term cellaring but plenty tasty now, so why wait? Terrific QPR as well. 92pts. 2001 Barons V Cabernet First vintage of this cab and it seems a bit long in the proverbial ...

Napa Cabs Need to Watch Their Backs (Washington Wine on the Rise ...
Thanks, Jeff. Not sure I'm willing write off Napa, but there's no denying that WA is producing some stunning QPR in their wines right now. Marlene Rossman Says: September 30th, 2009 at 5:25 pm. As a wine columnist (Chef magazine), ...

Good Wine Under $20: Good Pinot Noir--Under $28
Very good QPR designates a wine with strong varietal characteristics and a less attractive price point for that varietal OR moderate varietal characteristics and an attractive price point. Good QPR designates a wine that is average in ...

Platinum Bargains from 2009 Sommelier Challenge

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:47:14 -0700

Here are seven wines, $5-$15, that won top-honor Platinum Awards at the recently completed 2009 Sommelier Challenge International Wine Competition:

Clayhouse Vineyard
2006 Syrah Paso Robles $15

Gallo Family Vineyards Twin Valley
White Zinfandel California $4.99
Merlot California $4.99

Bella Sera
2007 Pinot Noir Pavia $6.99

Concannon Vineyard
2007 Petite Sirah, Conservancy Livermore Valley $15

Jacob's Creek
2007 Chardonnay, Reserve South Australia $13

Kate & Cassie
NV Red California $12

Top Value Wines for 2009

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 08:43:26 -0700

"As the holiday season approaches, many cost-conscious wine lovers are shuddering at the thought of lackluster celebrations and skimpy gift giving. Well, it turns out frugality is nothing to fear. BTI's 2009 World Value Wine Challenge (WVWC) found high quality and low cost aren't mutually exclusive as it guides prudent buyers to scores of wines worth enjoying at $20 and under. The 2009 results also show an encouraging new trend: some of the best-tasting wines from the competition fall into the lower price-range categories of '$10 and under' and '$8 and under.' Conclusion? In tough times, a well-informed wine consumer can come out a winner." From: Beverage Testing Institute (BTI) press release.

A few standouts:
Reds Under $10 Ravenswood 2007 Vintner's Blend, 92 pts
Reds Under $8 L'Enclave des Papes 2007 Cuvee Prestige, 93 pts
Whites Under $15 Daniel Gehrs 2008 Chenin Blanc, 93 pts
Whites Under $10 Hogue 2008 Riesling, 90 pts
Top Value 'Box Wine' Black Box 2007 Shiraz, 90 pts
Top Value Sparkling Cavit NV Lunetta, 88 pts
For more information, click here.

Six Prong 2007 Chardonnay, QPR: 2.87

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 10:00:34 -0700

Six Prong 2007 Chardonnay. Winery Notes: "Not your typical Northwest Chardonnay. Reminiscent of the Chablis style, and perfectly food-friendly. Lean, but zingy with a big sliver of chalky wet basalt slicing through bright gooseberry & kiwi flavors, finishing crisp & clean with nuances of white pepper and the slightest hint of vanillin oak. Very refreshing."

AlaWine Points: 86
Suggested retail price: $10
AlaWine QPR: 2.87