To tag along with my Fave Red Wines of 2009, here are my star whites from this past year:

• Man Vintners Chenin Blanc – $9
• Minini Orvieto – $9
• Le Chat Rouge Chardonnay – $11
• Starborough Sauvignon Blanc – $12ish?
• Luna Argenta Prosecco (bubbly) – $12
• Kiona Vineyards Riesling – $12
• Cavas Hill Brut Rose Reserva Artesania Cava (bubbly) – $12
• Borgo Boschetto Pinot Grigio – $13
• Terra Antiga Vinho Verde – $13
• Pascual Toso “Toso” Brut (bubbly) – $13
• 071 Prosecco Veneto (bubbly) – $14
• Villa Cornaro Prosecco – $14 (this is the bubbly that went with Wyatt’s marriage proposal!)
• Fonty’s Pool Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon – $14
• Fonty’s Pool Chardonnay – $16
• Holly’s Garden Pinot Gris – $20
• Wolf Mountain Vineyards Plenitude Chardonnay-Viognier blend – $20
• Wolf Mountain Blanc de Blanc Brut (bubbly) – $25

Now that we’re a couple of months into 2010, I took a look back at the wines I tried in 2009 and present to you my list of Favorite Red Wines of 2009! Fave 2009 Whites coming soon!

• Pine & Post Cab Sauv – $9
• Simonnet-Febvre Pinot Noir – ~ $10
• Finca el Origen Malbec – $11
• Lucky Star Pinot Noir - $9
• Mark West Sonoma County Pinot Noir – $12
• Memo Montepulciano – $11
• Morande Pionero Pinot Noir – $10
• Spellbound Petite Syrah – $13
• Alexander Valley Vineyards Russian River Valley Pinot Noir – $?
• Angeline Russian River Valley Pinot Noir – $14
• Oyster Bay Pinot Noir – $15
• G5 Puerta Bonita Garnacha – $15
• Eos Estate Zinfandel and Petite Syrah – $15ish? and $16
• Bliss Cab Sauv – $15
• Chateau Fantin Bordeaux Superioeur – $16
• Big Fire Pinot Noir – $18
• Poppy Pinot Noir – $16
• Rivola Sardon de Duero Cab Sauv – $17
• Vina Robles Cav Sauv – ~ $18
• Le Signal Domaine Ligneres Carignan – $19
• Murphy-Goode Cab Sauv – $20
• Wirra Wirra Church Block Cab Sauv – $20
• Chateau Robin Cotes De Castillion – $22
• Louis M. Martini Cab Sauv – $15-$20
• L’Oustal Blanc Minervois – $21
• Twenty Rows Cab Sauv – $23
• Oberon Cab Sauv – $24
• Molnar Family Pinot Noir – $26
• Douglas Green Shiraz Reserve – $20ish?
• Obsidian Ridge Cab Sauv – $29
• Patricia Green Pinot Noir – $30
• Hartford Zinfandel – $30
• Chateau Rollan de By Medoc – $30
• Louis Latour Domaine de Valmoissine Pinot Noir – $??
• Anne Amie Pinot Noir – $??

I remember trying this wine for the first time a couple of years ago at New Year’s, and loving it. This wine is a great example of what two years of tasting some really excellent wines can do to your palate. I’ll tell you what… it makes this wine taste like a horrible fruit bomb, an extreme adult version of fruit punch.

I’d say, if you’re a newbie to wine, give this one a try. You might enjoy it. Otherwise, steer clear.

Either way, do go to their website and check out this extremely fun game – Ad Libs! W and I have found it’s really more fun the more inappropriate the words are that you put in.

Origin: Vin de Pays D’Oc, France
Where: Publix
Price: around $10
Next time: I’ll pass.

Wine number two from New Year’s Eve, the Simonnet-Febre Pinot Noir is a tasty, enjoyable Pinot from southern France, especially for the price. Price-wise, I’d compare this to something like a Jargon or a Hangtime, something affordable enough to drink often and without too much fuss. Taste-wise, it knocks those guys out of the water – great strawberry flavors as well as soft, yummy tannins with a great balance. This wine is tied with Lucky Star Pinot for my top economy Pinot.

Origin: Vin de Pays des Portes de Mediterranee, France
Where: Highland Wine
Price: Need to verify, but I think it was under $10
Next time: Get a case!

I was a little hesitant to try this wine at first – Skip from Highland Wine basically described Le Signal one as a huge blueberry aroma! I thought it was going to be a huge blueberry fruit bomb, totally weird, and what the heck would it go with. So this was a “let’s give it a shot” at Christmas-time when my parents visited. My dad and I compared Le Signal against the Eos Estate Petite Sirah (more on that one later). We also had fun comparing wines poured with and without his new Vintue Wine Aerator.

I’m a big fan of Sweetwater Beer’s Sweetwater Blue beer, with powerful hints of blueberry flavors. Having experienced – and enjoyed – that beer, it’s easy to pick up on the blueberry notes in this wine. Luckily, I don’t have the insanely powerful sense of smell that Skip has, so I wasn’t completely overwhelmed by a blueberry bomb going off in the kitchen.

My dad and I first tried this wine before dinner, with and without some baked brie and mushrooms appetizer. Without food, the tannins are pretty powerful and overwhelming. I’d suggest saving this one for a heavier appetizer or a nice dinner – we had a few delicious Cornish Hens as our Christmas dinner stars, and the wine was an excellent accompaniment. But before dinner, go for something lighter.

Now, on to the story of the wine. Label is iconic but not overly interesting. Two-toned icon of a truck with wine casks on the flat truck bed/trailer area. The story is interesting though – from the label and the website:

In the 1920’s, Louis Lignères delivered the domaine’s wines with his Berliet barrel-carrier truck to the Pyrenees Mountains. His customers couldn’t be impatient: it took him 22 hours at an average speed of 11km/h (6.8mph) to go from Alaric Mountain to Lourdes! And he announced his arrival with the Signal of the truck’s characteristic horn.

Pretty neat. And… I’m also intrigued by grapes I’m not very familiar with – this one being primarily Carignan (also spelled Carignane), a historically popular French grape. This blend is Carignan 80% , Grenache 10%, Syrah 5%, Mourvèdre 5%. I recently read an interesting article mentioning Carignan in Wine Spectator (by the way, I’m appalled by their obvious typos and grammatical errors in each issue) how it is being replaced with more popular New World grapes like Merlot and Syrah. Le Signal is a prime example of why traditional grape varieties should be preserved – and more importantly, why they should be flourishing!

So try something new – Carignan – and expect greatness; you’ll find it in Le Signal!

Origin: Chateau la Baronne, Montagne d’Alaric, France
Where: Highland Wine
Price: $19
Next time: Get a glass!

The other night, Highland Wine and DBA Barbecue hosted a great wine-tasting centered around wine-pairing with… you guessed it… BBQ! It was really fun, and I enjoyed snacking (making a meal) on the big variety of appetizers and sampler dishes they brought out.

Here’s what we tried:

N.V. Cavas Hill Brut Rose Reserva Artesania Cava ($12) to go with pulled pork and smoked chicken – This was my favorite wine of the night. Stunningly delicious – so fresh and crisp with light sweetness. Now that the weather’s getting chillier, this was a punch of springtime. I’m going back for some bottles of this!

2007 Petit Rimauresq Rose Grenache/Cinsault (Provence, France: $15) with wings and smoked turkey – This rose was more dense and mellow compared to the first wine. Less spring-like and crisp, it reminded me more of baked fruit, maybe like apricots in its heavier qualities. Not bad, but I’d rather have two bottles of the first one and skip this one next time.

2008 Bauer Haus Riesling QBA (Nahe, Germany: $13) to accompany white cheese and corn muffins with honey butter – SUPER SWEET! If your friend likes White Zinfandel, give her this instead. A little of this sweet wine would go a long way for me, but I think it would be really awesome with a spicy asian dish. I’d love a slightly less sweet version of this wine, but I would definitely not turn down a glass of this Riesling.

2008 Terra Antiga Vinho Verde (Portugal: $13) to pair with oysters on the half shell – Ah, one of my new favorite wines from this summer. It’s like honeysuckle. Go get a bottle if you haven’t already. It’s awesome. I didn’t try it with the oysters (they were out of season, and I don’t like raw oysters… enough said)

2007 Winzer Krems Gruner Veltliner (Austria: $13) with bacon wrapped shrimp and boiled peanuts – Nice light sweetness but high on the citrus flavors. It paired well with the shrimp, but overall I wanted less citrus and less acid.

2006 Flora Springs Barrel Fermented Chardonnay (Napa, CA: $21) to go with deviled eggs – I said “no, thanks” to the deviled eggs, but for folks who like a mild oaky, buttery Chardonnay, you’ll like this Flora Springs. For non-oaky, non-buttery Charddonay fans, skip this one and get a Le Chat Rouge instead.

2007 Umani Ronchi Montepulciano D’Abruzzo (Italy: $13) to accompany frog legs and grilled portabella sandwich – This was my favorite red wine of the tasting. It was mild and fruit-forward, not overpowering, just a great humble wine. I see a few bottles of this coming my way soon.

2007 Finca El Origen Malbec Reserva Mendoza (Argentina: $11) to pair with pulled pork salad – This wine packed a punch in terms of jammy and spicy. I didn’t dislike it but I never embraced it either.

2008 Penelop Sanchez tinto Joven (Spain: $14) with brunswick stew – As with most grenaches, the high tannins didn’t deliver the experience I wanted. When paired with a heavy stew, the tannins would be balanced better, but still…

2007 R&B Swingsville Zinfandel ($12) with andouille sausage, red beans, and rice – I think I tried this wine back in the summer at the Smyrna Wine Festival. Recommended.

2006 Vaca Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Small Lot Reserve ($14) with Texas beef brisket – EXCELLENT Cab. Medium tannins (but goes great with food), some spice but not overly so, and full-flavored. Go get some!

2005 d’Arenberg d’Arry’s Original Shiraz-Grenache (Australia: $17) to parnter wth Carolina-style spare ribs – This wine was enjoyable and it definitely goes great with a big piece of meat.

2007 Opolo Vineyards Summit Creek Zinfandel ($21) paired with baby back ribs – Reminded me of a port in its dessert wine similarities. Lots of caramel flavors. I prefer a lighter zinfandel to this dessert bomb but it was fun to drink. Skip mentioned it would pair with chocolate really well… I might have to try that one at some point. A Vosges Barcelona Bar would do the trick.

What a lovely Bordeaux blend! W says it’s his favorite wine – ever! I’m really wishing I had another bottle right now.

This delightful wine came from France to Highland Wine (seriously, if you’ve never been, go there tomorrow so that Skip, Sawyer, and Houston can set you up with some fabulous wine picks!). It’s 70% merlot (shocking, I know.. merlot!), 20% cabernet, and 10% Petit Verdot.

It has a healthy serving of tannins, and they blend so perfectly with the rest of the flavors. Many heavy-tannin wines seem to have tannins competing on one side against flavor on the other side… but they’re not collaborating together to make a great wine. This wine has two team players with the tannins and the great fruit flavors that mesh together like old friends. If you know French, check out the video linked from the top-right corner of their website.

I’m sure this Bordeaux would go great with a nice steak or other piece of red meat, but in my case it accompanied an improvisation to this fancy grits, chicken, and mushroom dish from Epicurious. I used Anson Mill grits made with milk, baked chicken breast cutlets with rosemary and garlic, topped with a sauce of beef and chicken stocks, white wine, mushrooms, shallots, and bacon. Super yum!

Origin: France
Where: Highland Wine
Next time: Get a case! / Special Occasion
Price: $29

Christian Tessier et Fils Cheverny “Cuvee des Quatorze Coins” … again, the French and their very long label names. I’m not even going to try pronouncing this one. However, I’ll be happy to drink a couple of glasses on a regular basis!

This Highland Wine Club offering was a pure delight! Absolute bliss! And no wonder – from the Christian Tessier & Sons website, it’s a blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay, two of my favorite fruity yet mellow grapes! This wine really fit the bill – really mellow but with a few smooth tannins to round it out. This one’s a keeper!

Origin: Loire Valley, France
Where: Highland Wine & Crystal
Next time: Get a glass!
Price: $17

Warning – link mania going on below!

I’ve always heard good things about wines from the Chateauneuf-du-Pape village of France – although “always heard” for me meaning a few issues of Wine Spectator and Jay McInerney’s Bacchus and Me. At any rate, I was excited to find this bottle at Highland Wine & Crystal – always a great afternoon jaunt!

The Clos Saint Jean was very bold! Without food, it was too bold for my taste. A bolstering of tannins and a punch of spice really gave this wine some real backbone. W made an absolutely delicious dinner from a new recipe to go with this new wine – Confetti Corn Bread-Crusted Shrimp in Creole Filling – similar to a shrimp jumbalaya with cornbread casserole. The new recipe is my new comfort food – phenomenal flavor with several layers of spice and the sweet, textured cornbread as well. But the wine seemed to be “okay” – not awful, not fabulous, just okay… overall just too bold and spicy. I wouldn’t go out of my way to try this particular one again but I would definitely give Chateauneuf-du-Pape another try!

In the meantime, enjoy the interesting history of the Chateauneuf-du-Pape region from Wikipedia:

Châteauneuf-du-Pape translates as “New Castle of the Pope,” and indeed, the history of this commune and its wine is firmly entwined with papal history. In 1308, Pope Clement V, former Archbishop of Bordeaux, relocated the papacy to the city of Avignon. Clement V and subsequent “Avignon Popes” were said to be great lovers of wine and did much to promote it during the seventy-year duration of the Avignon Papacy. …

Châteauneuf-du-Pape permits thirteen different varieties of grape; the blend is usually predominantly Grenache. Other red grapes include Cinsault, Counoise, Mourvèdre, Muscardin, Syrah, Terret Noir, and Vaccarèse. White grapes include Grenache Blanc, Bourboulenc, Clairette, Picardin, Roussanne, and Picpoul. In recent years, the trend has been to include fewer (or even none) of the allowed white varieties and rely heavily (or solely) upon the Grenache, Mourvedre, and Syrah. One may suspect that this is a response to international wine-market trends and the desire to have this sometimes-rustic wine appeal to a broader commercial audience.

Before wine critic Robert M. Parker, Jr. began promoting them, the wines of Châteauneuf were considered rustic and of limited appeal in the U.S. However, his influence increased their price more than fourfold in a decade. In gratitude, the Châteauneuf Winemakers Union pushed for his becoming an honorary citizen of the village.

Origin: Chateauneuf-du-Pape, France
Where: Highland Wine & Crystal
Price: $40-$50ish ??

PS – I found out after I tried this wine that it was more of a “keeper”… as in don’t drink for 5-10 years. Please completely ignore my opinion above and check back in 5-10 years. Let this be your “learn from others’ mistakes” moment. I’ve since gone out and purchased another bottle and labeled it appropriately so I won’t mess this one up again!

Not exactly a great flavor, but Cheers to Wishes Syrah! Will my wish come true? Only time will tell.

France
8.99
Harry’s

Next time: I’ll pass