Joe's One Page Red Wine Reference

I wrote this up in 2005 originally.  It still holds true today:
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Joe’s “One Page” Red Wine reference

Everyone has their own preferences.  Here, I’ve tried to compile the wines that in my experience, are delicious, and often under-appreciated, under-rated, and under-valued.   I hope, that in creating this list, it promotes better understanding of these lesser known, wonderful red wines.

France  (where every saint is delicious; and note that ’99, ’00, and ‘01 wines are generally more expensive)

Bordeaux – Bordeaux uses the well know cabernet sauvignon & merlot, as well as cabernet franc, malbec & petit verdot.  They are good alone, or with a meal.  Usually, they have stronger aspects to them than most other wines, and are best paired with more flavorful foods, but they certainly can be enjoyed without any food, and marveled at the complexities therein.  Château PÉTRUS, one of the most famous, starts at $500.  There are many Bordeaux wines that cost 1/50^th as much and that are delicious. 

Left Bank:  Médoc, St-Estèphe($), Pauillac ($$), St-Julien ($), Listrac, Moulis, Margaux ($$), Haut-Médoc, Pessac-Léognan, Graves.  These wines are bold, with usually powerful tannins, depth, intense character, amazing to a wine connoisseur, but will usually cost more than $25 for an average one, and well over $200 for a good one (Château Margaux).  If you see one that is priced less than $20, buy it before the shopkeeper realizes his tremendous labeling mistake.

Entre-Deux-Mers: (between 2 seas), middle Bordeaux.  Excellent wines here include Côtes de Bordeaux, Cadillac, Ste-Croix-du-Mont, and Bordeaux Supérieur.  Bergerac and Buzet are just east of this region, and excellent as well.  All of these are very high quality wines.  I’ll take a $10 Bordeaux Supérieur any day over a typical $8 merlot or cabernet.

Right Bank:  These are (admittedly) my favorite Bordeaux wines.  They include Côte de Bourg, Fronsac, Canon-Fronsac, Pomerol ($$$), Lalande-de-Pomerol, St-Emilion ($), Côtes de Castillon, Côte de Francs, and Bordeaux Supérieur.  Many wine snobs shun right bank wines as inferior with the exception of Pomerol and St-Emilion.  I think those snobs are fools, but thank them for not driving up the price of many delicious wines from this region.  Every bottle of wine I’ve enjoyed from this part of Bordeaux has been superb (and since 2005, I’ve had close to a hundred different bottles from the regions surrounding Pomerol).  The Côtes de Castillon, Canon, Supérieur bottles I’ve enjoyed have been less than $12 each, and I think are better than an over-priced $40 bottle of Sonoma or Napa any day.  Trader Joes carries many of these as well as a “Caves de Joseph” for $8 a bottle that is delicious!

Burgundy (central & eastern) aka Bourgogne, Beaune, – Burgundy uses alot of pinot noir.  People from Burgundy insist their wine is the best in the world, and they price much of it that way too.  A few of the less expensive ones are listed here: Chateau Tour d l’Ange Macon, Superior 03, Latour Pinot Noir, Ropiteau Hautes Cotes de Beaune 03. If you love Pinot Noir, you’ll enjoy Burgundy. The P.N. grape is harder to grow, more fragile, susceptible to hot and cold and more temperamental, so yields are often lower.

Beaujolais – this is actually as far south as you can go in the Burgundy region, before getting into the Rhone valle wines.  The Beaujolais are ranked: ok- Beaujolais, better – Beaujolais Villages, and best – Beaujolais Crus.  All of them are delicious.  Light, somewhat fruity, a good sipping wine, or aperitif, or table wine, or dessert wine.  Best served with lighter dishes that have milder tastes (turkey, roast chicken, etc).  The “Crus” are:  Chiroubles, Brouilly, Côte be Brouilly, Regnie, Chenas, Julienas, St. Amour, Fleurie, Morgon, and Moulin-a-Vent.   It’s hard to find a “bad Beaujolais”.  However, “Beaujolais Nouveaux”, comes out every November (3^rd week) and is VERY young wine (aged only 7 to 9 weeks), very sweet, not one of my favorites – more like a fortified grape juice than anything else.

Loire valle (western & central) – the main red appellations in the Loire valle are Saumur, Chinon, Saumur-Champigny, Sancerre Rouge, and Touraine.  All of these are very good wines, most are quite mild, without a “bite”, low acidity, lower levels of tannins.  I have frequently introduced Chinon wines to newcomers who might be curious about French red wines but who have had bad experiences with red wines in the past. (my thanks to my good friend François G for this practice)

Rhone valle – North Rhone($): Côte Rotie, Cornas, St. Joseph, Hermitage, and Crozes Hermitage are all nearly 100% Syrah grapes.  They are good, but hard to find under $15.  Southern Rhone:  Chateauneuf du Pape($$$), Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Côtes du Rhone, Côtes de Ventoux, Lirac, Nimes are a mix of marsanne, roussanne and viognier, as well as 23 other varietals of grapes, the further south you go.  Other than Ch de Pape, most of these wines are not expensive and are excellent values.  In general, Rhone wines have alot of tannins and go well with roasted or grilled pork, lamb, steak, blackened and smoky flavors, etc. 

Provence and Languedoc-Roussillon (south southwest) – these are some of the least appreciated and most undervalued wines in France.  Whites, rosés, and reds... there is a wide variety.  They are very good light wines (generally) that have broad flavors and depth of character.  Cousins to Provence include Corbieres, Côte de Roussillon, Fitou, Minervois, and Cahors.    One exception to the “light” description is Fitou, which is one The Strongest, most powerfully tannic wines I’ve ever tasted.  Fitou goes well with spicy, strong flavored foods.  Do not drink Fitou by itself. (Fitou is violet, compared to Chinon’s indigo)

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Italy  (avoid the flashy labels, mega producers [Ecco, Bolla, Bella Sera, Placido, Gabbiano] & there’s a wealth of delicious variety under $10)

Northern Italy – Piedmont:  Barolo ($$), Barbaresco ($), and Gattinara ($) are very good, but too expensive in general.  Barbera, Barbera d’Alba, Dolcetto and Nebbiolo are good wines with higher acidity that go well with heartier foods.   “Total Wine” carries a nice variety of these under $10.  Veneto:  Amarone ($$) &  Valpolicella are well known full bodied wines from this region – I am allergic to both.  Bardolino is a lighter Veneto wine, and better as far as I am concerned.  Tuscany:  Brunello ($$), Montalcino, Nobile, Morellino, Umbria and Montepulciano are very good, however I have found several Montepulcianos to be somewhat “mineral” with long finishes.  Chianti, Chianti Classico, & Sangiovese wines neighbor Tuscany, and it’s pretty hard to find a bad Chianti.  (Chianti is 70-95% Sangiovese, Umbria is 60% Montepulciano & 40% Sangiovese)  As with all wines, I try to stay away from the large mega bottlers and go with the smaller producers who bottle thousands, not 100s of thousands.

Southern Italy, Sicily & Sardinia – Apulia (Puglia = heel in Italian) Tiamo Rosso is delicious at $10.  Aglianico, Salice Salentino and Primativo grapes dominate the southern region of Italy; Cannonau in Sardinia and Nero d’Avola in Sicily.  I’ve had many bottles (< $10) and all have been wonderful.   These regions have not yet been discovered by the mass marketers – enjoy them now at reasonable prices while you can. Trader Joes and Total Wine both carry many of these underappreciated and under publicized delicious wines.

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Spain  (Not timid wines)

Spanish wines have 3 ascending classifications for quality and price:  Crianza, Reserva, and Gran Reserva.   The most commonly used grapes are garnacha & tempranillo – both have rather strong flavors, and a bite to them, that can over-power mild dishes.    Popular regions are Rioja, Ribera Del Duero, Penedes, but also delicious are Priorat, Tarragona, Cataluña, Toro, Navarra, and La Mancha.  These range in price from $50 to $4, and the Navarras, Riojas, Tarragona and Riberas at Crianza and Reserva quality levels that I’ve tried have all been very good.

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Argentina & Chile

Malbec – Malbec wines have somewhat of a “bite” to them.  Complimenting spicy foods, game, bbq, hamburgers, etc.  Not a ‘mild’ variety, usually.  Chile makes some wonderful cabernets, merlots, and carmeneres.  OK for table wines.  It’s usually easy to find good South American wines under $12.  Avoid the < $5 wines that are mass produced, and hit-or-miss quality (true everywhere, not just South.America).

Vignoble de Viognier - California Honeymoon

On my wall, in my office, I have a framed map of the different wine regions inside of Bordeaux France entitled "Vins de Bordeaux".  I enjoy looking at it - and memorizing it - during work related conference calls that are sometimes less than challenging.  On the map, there is a description that begins "Le vignobles du Bordeaux est incontestablement celui qui produit les vins fins les plus prestigieux du Monde." (The vineyards of Bordeaux is incontestably producing the best finished, prestigious wines in the World). In the regions of France where I've had the chance to speak to the local business men and natives who love their wine - Macon, Burgundy, Beajolais, Champagne, Cognac, Bordeaux - they each express the same pride and sentiment that their region's wine, is the BEST wine, not only in France, but in the entire world.  The Spanish and Italians I've spoken to at length about their wine have the same tribal perspective.  From this map, and my understanding of the French language, I permanently stored in my mental hard drive that "vignoble" = "vineyard", which is completely true.  But unfortunately, my human brain does not compartmentalize so well, and often the data storage 'bleeds over" or "leaks" from one storage location to another.

This data storage "bleed over" was recently illustrated when Dr Desert Flower purchased a Californian white wine (pictured to the right) from Trader Joe's, labeled as a "Viognier".  I'd seen "Viognier" wines before on store shelves, and I had always dismissed them as a sad attempt of some English speaking vineyard trying to "sound French" - like taking a wonderful blend of grape varietals and calling it "Meritage" - nearly every single French wine, is a "Meritage" by the blending definition, but Californians and most Americans have a hard time wrapping their head around a blend as being "as good as" or better than a mono-cultured grape, so they labeled anything like a Bordeaux (a mix of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Merlot, to name a few, depending on the appellation) as a "Meritage".  Pffft.  Sure Americans, call it whatever you like.  I'm not buying if it is overpriced and lower quality than what I can get from well regulated European vineyards.

So when I saw "Viognier" I INCORRECTLY thought that it was a feeble attempt of a Californian wine maker trying to again "sound French".  How wrong I was!  While vignoble =  vineyard, viognier DOES NOT equal vignoble.  With just a little bit of research, I found out that viognier grapes were originally grown in the Northern Burgundy region - a region famous for perfecting the very-difficult-to-grow pinot noir grape.  Viognier is a similar species to Gouais Blanc, which were grown in plots of land that Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir would have difficulty in thriving.  The Northern Rhone region Condrieu AOC is made up of 100% entirely Viognier grapes.  So that vernacular confusion aside, I was able to more fully appreciate the California Honey Moon.

California Honey Moon was a buttery, slightly acidic, somewhat dry, not overly sweet, lots of apricot & honey notes, Completely Non-grapefruity while wine that Dr Desert Flower and I fully enjoyed.  It was in the $5 range at Trader Joe's, and paired nicely with cheese, and soups earlier this month.  It was not over-powering, and had a wonderful feel and taste on the pallet.  We'll definitely be getting more of this wine in the future. Jason, at Jason's Wine Blog agrees (link here). Cork'd reviews concur (link here), as does Dezel at Vinespot in a blind taste testing (link here).

For those of you who may be looking for an inexpensive white wine to pair with lighter food, the California Honey Moon is highly recommended!  And... I will try to be more careful in my mental verbal data storage in the future.

More Offerings From Les Portes De Bordeaux

Our local Trader Joes began carrying not just the excellent "Les Port De Bordeaux, Bordeaux" (for less than $8 a bottle) that I've appreciated here previously, but now a Fronsac version as well!  A true "Grande Vin De Bordeaux" from the Fronsac region within Bordeaux, and it too, was less than $8 a bottle. Wonderful!

I try to keep at least one or two bottles of these inexpensive gems in my wine rack, so that I can introduce my house guests to excellent inexpensive Bordeaux wines.  If you come over to visit or have dinner, don't be surprised if you're offered this selection.  =)

Les Portes De Bordeaux Haute Medoc

Les Portes De Bordeaux Haute Medoc 2012, is the latest offering from Les Portes De Bordeaux family.  I mentioned earlier (link here) how Les Portes de Bordeaux expanded from just the Bordeaux Superior to a Fronsac. Well they also have a Haut Medoc, and a St. Emillion (the Saint will be blogged about after Christmas, when we'll drink it).

For $9 a bottle, this is a fantastic Haut Medoc.  It was rather young, at just 2012, but very drinkable and enjoyable.  Like other Haut Medocs, I found it to have a lingering mineral finish on the tongue, pleasant, and dry.  A grande vin de Bordeaux indeed.  If you see a bottle at your local Trader Joe's, try it.

Highly recommended.

Croix de Marsan COSTCO 1/2 Case

Last month I was walking through my local COSTCO when I noticed an end display of cardboard boxes in the wine section.  The sign "$30 Bordeaux 1/2 Case" caught my eye.  $5 a bottle?  That's pretty good for a generic Bordeaux, why not?  So I bought the 1/2 case of Croix de Marsan Bordeaux 2011, Bordeaux A.O.C., and opened a bottle that night. It did not disappoint.

Don't be intimidated by "élevé en fût de chêne"- just means that it was stored / aged (élevé = raised) in oak barrels.  60% merlot, 40% cabernet sauvignon (as all Bordeaux A.O.C. wines are supposed to be). "On the palate the attack is supple, the tannins are round and velvety" - sure, I would agree with that.  I did not aerate the bottle, but I did let it "breathe" for a good 20 minutes before tasting the first glass.  "Can be kept for 5 years" - well, it's not going to reach 5 months.

Bottled by a negotiant L.C.D.R. A F-33550 Gironde France, and imported to the US by Misa Imports, Dallas TX.  For $5 a bottle, it's a good red table wine, negotiant bottled or not.

Château Haut Guillebot

The Bordeaux Château Haut Guillebot have been a staple in our wine rack for a long time.  When we lived in South Carolina, Total Wine carried it there, and now in Arizona, they carry it here.  There's a white, Entre deux Mers varietal, a Bordeaux Rosé that is great to have on warm days on the patio, and a Bordeaux Rouge, which used to be a  Bordeaux Supérieur, but apparently now has dropped the "Supérieur" to the slightly lesser quality rating of just "Appellation Bordeaux Controlee".  At $9.99 a bottle, it's a good "go to wine" to have when company comes over, or with a steak, or hearty foods.  Other reviewers like this Chateau as well, linked here, here, and here.  I just hope Total Wine doesn't raise the price on this one too...  but... il faut voir.

Les Portes de Bordeaux

This evening's blog postings brought to you courtesy of Les Portes de Bordeaux, 2009, Grand Vin de Bordeaux, imported by Latitude Wines for Trader Joes (where is it less than $10 a bottle, mmmm).  It's a shame I bought only one bottle.  This one is almost gone...

For those of you in Phoenix or Kalifornia who are still working..  GO HOME!  It is almost 5pm on a Friday.  Let your spouses and children see you in the remaining day light.  Work will still be there Monday when you return.

(yes, I am a bad influence)

Les Portes de Bordeaux is a smooth, full bodied - but not harsh or overly-tanniny Bordeaux wine.   I THINK I got it for $6, but I don't want to dig up the receipt.  I am Sure it was less than $10, which is my cut off for wine experimentation.  Also.. the sound track of this evening's blog postings is Cake....  Never There, Satan is My Motor, Daria, Mexico, Comfort Eagle, Sheep Go To Heaven, Cool Blue Reason, etc...

Château Bois Redon, Bordeaux Supérieur

Château Bois Redon, Bordeaux Supérieur, from Total Wine, is a wonderful $10 Bordeaux. It is a blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. Some reviewers don't like it (link here) but others, myself included, enjoyed it (link here and here and here).

As the Bordeaux producers raise their prices, this is a lower priced hold out that is worth buying, and enjoying, inexpensively.

Alfio Moriconi Selections at Total Wine have consistently impressed me, for consistent quality and good variety. A good "go to" wine.

Vins de Bordeaux

As I've been enjoying a fair amount of Bordeaux wines this year, and blogging about them here, I have been (and will be) referring to many of the regions within Bordeaux.  Here's a copy of the map from Rhone-Poulenc that I have in my office, for future reference.  Vins de Bordeaux:

Les Portes de Bordeaux Sauvignon Blanc

Trader Joes has carried the Portes De Bordeaux French wine line for many years.  I've mentioned several of the varietals here in the past, but since my shift to white wines last year I have not had an opportunity to talk about the 2016 Sauvignon Blanc.  It is a "Gran Vin de Bordeaux", the bottles are serialized, and the quality is consistent and good.

If you're looking for a sour, grape-fruity, scrunched-up face New Zealand style Sauvignon Blanc, then you will bot be satisfied here.  If you Are looking for a crisp, slightly citrus, smooth finished, very drinkable white wine that sells great at $6 a bottle, then this is for you!

Much like the red Bordeaux, the Rosé, or the Haute Medoc, this Sauvignon Blanc does not let down the drinker.  We keep several bottles in our wine fridge, across the calendar year.  Come visit DDF and I, and you can enjoy it as well.

Back Drop is our back yard, near sunset.

Warm Weather Rosés

I've mentioned before (link here) how warm weather is the best time to drink a chilled Rosé wine.  I've found 3 more Rosés that are worth mentioning here.

Each one has a unique crispness.  Each one is less than $10 at Trader Joe's.  Each one was enjoyed on a warm afternoon in my back yard, with DDF, or by myself if she was not around.

Crayon La Rosé is a new selection from Trader Joe's.  Light, refreshing, delicious, Southern French Rosé.

Côtes de Provence, J.L. Quinson 2014...  a classic staple from Trader Joe's French wine shelve.  Always a good choice.

Les Portes de Bordeaux,  Bordeaux Rosé, 2014, is a new selection at Trader Joe's to compliment the Bordeaux Superior, The Fronsac, and the St. Emillion Portes de Bordeaux that Trader Joe's has offered for a long time.

I encourage everyone to try these three delicious Rosés, if you're looking for a refreshing adult beverage.

Between Two Saints - 2000 Pauillac

The Appellation Pauillac (pronounced POY-ack for anglophones) is wonderful, but very expensive.  It is situated Just South of St Estephe and Just North of St Julien, two of the most wonderfully delicious Bordeaux wines ever produced.  ("It is hard to find a bad saint" - Pierre Gourdon, 2002) So it is to be expected that a Pauillac is going to be good, and the year 2000 was an exceptional year all around Bordeaux.  So back in 2001, I bought about 40 bottles from a colleague who had lived in France, but had moved to the US, and who was liquidating his Cave (pronounced "calve" - the cool and dark place where you keep your wine, not a place for oil painting on wet walls or a "man cave") of recently purchased French wines "at cost" to his friends.  One of the bottles I picked up, was a 2000 Pauillac, for about $15 at the time.  It turned out to be a Barons De Rothschild Lafite, which retails for about $100,  now a days

Dr Desert Flower and I wanted to get out of the house, and not worry about work, and have a delicious meal, so we made a reservation at Coup Des Tartes, on 16th in Downtown Phoenix.  It is a BYOB place, and has a wonderful menu - I had the Filet Mignon and DDF had the salmon (was a special, not yet on the Winter menu), and we split the Brie Brulee as an appetizer (which was big enough to be a meal in and of itself).  I took the Pauillac, as well as a Portes De Bordeaux, Just In Case the Pauillac had turned in the 11 years and move to Phoenix since we first bought it.

The Pauillac was superb.  The meal was delicious.  The company, exquisite.  No baby sitter required.  No valet parking attendant to deal with.  Convenient location, friendly staff, a remarkable meal, with a fantastic wine.  I can't afford a $100 bottle, but I can afford a $15 one that matures into a $100 bottle, and then have it with the love of my life.  We shared 1/2 a glass with Coup Des Tartes owner Ron Pacioni, and complimented him on his restaurant, staff, and menu.  Good wine is best shared with good friends and good food.

Chateau de Camarsac Bordeaux Clairet - Rosé

In the same vein as the white Bordeaux below by Thierry Lurton, Dr Desert Flower and I enjoyed a delicious 2009 Rosé this week, also purchased from Total Wine for about $10.  Chateau de Camarsac Bordeaux Clairet 2009 - Rosé, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Merlot,  AVIN code: AVIN0724981807068  /  Screw cap  /  12.5% alcohol.  It actually had nice tannins for a Rosé, and left a few residuals in the bottom of the bottle and the last glass.  Delightful, light, crisp, not overly fruity.  Chilled on a hot August evening in Arizona.  Links here, and here. 

Chateau Bellevue For $10

We picked up a $10 bottle of Château Bellevue Bordeaux 2008, Appellation Bordeaux Controlie, at Total Wine earlier this month. It's a negotiant wine (Mis En Bouteille par H.B. A.F. 33500 194 Gironde) but it's also a Alfio Moriconi selection, and I've found that I can trust Alfio. As Total Wine's European buyer, he's got good taste.

I've not been able to find many reviews of this wine online, but I enjoyed it. Nice mineral finish. Wonderful Bordeaux for $10. The French have raised their prices over the last 2 years, but this one has still not broken the $10 ceiling. I hope it remains inexpensive, as I like to keep a bottle or 2 or 3 in my wine rack.

Château Tour de Bonnet, Entre-Deux-Mers

Andre Lurton makes great wine, and it's wonderful that Total Wine carries it.  For less than $10 a bottle, you can get a delicious white Bordeaux: Château Tour de Bonnet. Appellation Entre-Deux-Mers. Bordeaux 2009. Alcohol content : 12%. Varietals include Sauvignon Blanc 50% Sémillon 40% Muscadelle 10%.  Mis en bouteille au Chateau - as most of the best wines in the world are (and ideally should be).  

Yes, it's a screw top, but that does not diminish it's quality whatsoever.  Dr Desert Flower opened up a bottle last week after a hard day at work.  I asked her "you didn't need me to cork it?" - as I typically use our awesome cork screw to remove each bottle's cork.  She replied, "It's a screw top" - aha!  Between the two of us, it didn't last through dinner. 

When it is 107F outside, and you're eating chicken or salad or fresh guacamole, a chilled Bordeaux white is a wonderful accompaniment. 

Château de Bel-Air Lussac-St. Émilion 2009

We recently enjoyed a semi-fancy Bordeaux at Christmas - a Château de Bel-Air Lussac-St. Émilion 2009 (link here).  DDF bought it at Total Wine for about $20 and we had it with some delicious pork for a holiday meal while our son was visiting.  The bottle has been sitting around my office for far too long, for an over-due blog posting.

It was a good, full bodied, healthily tannin'ed Bordeaux.  No complaints about the wine - it was good, and drinkable, and if you're looking for a nice Bordeaux under $20 that's a step up form the $9 bottles I usually blog about from the bargain bin, you could do much worse than this one.

Lussac-St. Émilion is the "cheaper cousin" to regular St. Émilion.  I always find it a little under-handed when a restaurant lists Lussac-St. Émilion or Lalande de Pomerol as actual St. Émilion or Pomerols.  They're adjacent regions, very similar, but Not The Same, and when a sommelier tries to pass off the cheaper cousin, sight-unseen, grrrrrrr.

So, enough of my rant...  I have 2 more bottles to go in the next 30 mins.

My final red wine posting...

Followers of and visitors to JustJoeP know that I love wine, and I've blogged about wine here more than just about any other subject; more than food, more than politics, more than nature photography, music, or travel.  Well, sadly, blogging about wine is coming to an end for me.

For the last year, I've been experiencing chronic itching that has been driving me batty.  It typically gets worse in the evenings, but it can also manifest itself in the mornings when I am waking up at 4 or 430am and starting my work day, hosting international conference calls with 50 to 100 engineers calling in some mornings with me as the ring master / orchestra leader / debate moderator.  Sometimes the itch was so severe that I'd scratch until I bled, arms, legs, neck, chest, back... it was unsustainable.  So upon the advise of my wise friends Steve and Ron, as well as DDF, I went on an elimination diet in February that last 2 months, eating a mono-diet of simple foods and adding one thing at a time, one week at a time, to see what the effects were.  Problem was, I didn't exclude wine from my diet, as I love it so very much.

I have known for many years (more than 10 years) that Valpolicella, a delicious red Italian wine, caused my neck and chest and face to turn red, itch, and made it hard for me to breathe.  Other wine varietals grown nearby did not have that effect, so I just avoided Valpolicella.  And looking back through the 221 postings here on wine, I enjoyed many different types of red wine from many different countries over the years.  But I started noticing this summer, that after drinking a glass or two of Bordeaux (usually 50% merlot + other varietals) that I'd start to itch, my hands would turn pink or red, and forearms would start to light up with intense surges of itching, and I'd generally be miserable. Falling asleep that night was rough. Going to work the next morning, the itch resurfaced and drove me out of my mind.  So I started avoiding Bordeaux.

I stuck to Syrah and Malbec, and other varietals like Primitivo, Nero d'Avola, and my favorite, Minervois.  Kept it to a glass or two... but even then, over the last few months, the itching resurgence was directly correlating.  Stay away from wine, itch is much less.  Drink wine, itching flared up right after and the next morning.  So a few weeks ago, I bought a bottle of Santa Julia Malbec, Mendoza Argentina, made with organic grapes.  Sprouts sold it for $9 a bottle, and I've had good organic wine from them before, so I thought... "let's see".   Santa Julia was good, drinkable, paired well with the grass fed steak I had grilled... but still, the itching flared up after drinking it.  I fooled myself into thinking "maybe it was a bad bottle... the next one won't cause me to itch!"  So last week, I bought a second bottle, and opened it up that night with dinner.  Before the 2nd small glass was done, I could feel my arms starting to itch.  When I went to bed that night, my neck and chest and back were itching as well.  Highly medicated, I eventually fell asleep, and upon waking the next day was hit with the regular resurgence of itching.

2 days ago, I saw the last glass still in the bottle.  I felt bad leaving it in the bottle and DDF doesn't like most red wines, so I poured the last 4 ounces into a small Phoenix Desert Botanical Gardens glass, and had it with lunch.  Soon thereafter, the tops of my hands turned pink, the itch began creeping up...  it was not the Malbec's fault.  It's my over-reactive immune system that has now decided that Joe's had enough red wine in his lifetime, and it's going to punish me if I have anymore.  Just 4 ounces, and my immune system over-reacted, again. = \

So I've had a glass of white wine, and it's ok... but without the tannins and the depth of flavor, I can't help but seeing it as empty calories.  Fine for a hot summer afternoon with cheese perhaps...  but...  not something I want to have with dinner regularly.  Adieu, delicious reds...  I bid you farewell, with much remorse.  

It's a good thing that bourbon and Irish whiskey cause no such itching for me.  I've not yet run extensive Cognac experiments, but I fear with Cognac's geographic proximity just North of Bordeaux, that it may stimulate a similar immune response from my insides, on the outside.  Vodka and ice and some small amount of mixers for flavor (like lemonade or 100% cranberry juice + stevia) also have no ill effects with itching or anything else.  And no, my liver is not having problems... my liver function tests are just fine, checked more than once a year, just in case.  One must choose their poison, very carefully. 

Les Caves Joseph

Trader Joes sells an inexpensive Bordeaux Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon blend called :Les Caves Joseph.  I've seen this sold for as low as $4 a bottle, and as high as $6 a bottle over the last three years.  It's pretty good.  It's not awesome, but for the low price, it is fine table wine.  Over the years, I've had probably a dozen bottles altogether, and the quality has ranged from drinkable to very good.  Imported by Plume Ridge Claremont CA, and produced by negotiant (Mis en bouteille par) Adrien Bertaillan 33360 France, and shipped by Ginestet Carignan-de-Bordeaux.  "Serve at room temperature with roasted or grilled beef, lame, or game."  I've not served it with game, but have had it with beef and lamb.  Les Caves Joseph can serve as a good 2nd bottle at a large dinner, or just as a everyday table wine.  Enjoy.

Éternel Reserve Saint-Clair

Éternel Reserve Saint-Clair Bordeaux 2006 - $4.99/bottle, purchased from the "Fresh & Easy" chain of mini-grocers. Delicious stuff! Bottle didn't last more than 3 hours with DVD watching last night. Yum! Even if you don't like Bordeaux so much (ahem, Tim) at $5 a bottle, it's a shame not to try this. Dr. Desert Flower says she detected a tiny bit of a "bite" at the finish, but I thought it was mighty tasty. This goes up on my 'wall of awesome bottles under $10'. I hope you can enjoy this too! - Please let me know if you concur, or dissent.

Château Bois de Lamothe Côtes-de-Duras

Château Bois de Lamothe Côtes-de-Duras, East of Bordeaux...  Côtes-de-Duras is about 50 miles away from Bordeaux.   It's $4 whole dollars form Trader Joes, so when I go there, I get at least 2 or 3 bottles.  It's a wonderful go-to red wine, and I strongly recommend it. 

I've found really strange reviews online about the wine having asparagus or mint flavors in it.  I've not experienced any of those.  I've found one star reviews that lambast it as terrible, but I think those are people who have gotten a bad bottle.  I've had at least 6 bottles of Côtes-de-Duras over the last 2 years, and each one has been either good or great.  Much better than many $4 Australian or Californian wines. You can read the reviews for yourself here, here, and here.  But I think at $4 a bottle, you should get yourself a one, and see for yourself.  I've sipped this with dinner, and I've consumed an entire bottle over the course of a day or evening... and I have never gotten a hang over from it - that darn French quality!  =)     Enjoy!