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Howard W. Hewitt

~ … The "W" stands for wine!

Howard W. Hewitt

Tag Archives: Christmas gifts

Yes Virginia, Drinkable $10 Wines

17 Thursday Dec 2015

Posted by Howard in California, Holidays, Newspaper Column 2015, Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Christmas gifts, holiday wine gifts, Menage a Trois, Menage a Trois Midnight, Menage a Trois Silk

Grape Sense started as a wine column to educate consumers they could be drinking better than supermarket wines. There are so many wonderful and well-made wines in the $12-$18 range. But an e-mail arrived after a recent column as a reminder some people have no desire to spend more than a ten spot or can’t afford it.

Grape Sense LogoThere are plenty of good wines in the category. The only drawback is if you avoid names you know and pick up a bottle for an interesting name or cute label, you might be picking up one of the worst things you’ll ever drink.

So, today’s column is intended to shine a light on some sure-fire winners.

There are a handful of supermarket, liquor store labels which consistently deliver great value and decent wines. I have two favorite value labels – Robert Mondavi Central Coast and Menage a Trois.

Menage a Trois is a mass produced wine which doesn’t offer a lot of complexity but will surprise with its balanced flavors, good finish, and ability to pair with food. The label, with some 15 different wines, is one of the fastest growing brands in the value category.

IMG_0940 (1)Menage a Trois is all about red blends. The red and white blends have been around for a number of years. The more-recent Midnight and Silk have really expanded the portfolio. The Midnight is bigger and bolder while the Silk lives up to its name of super smooth sipping goodness.

Midnight, a blend of Cab, Merlot, Petite Sirah, and Petite Verdot was the most successful new red blend of 2014.  Silk is a crazy-sounding blend of Pinot Noir and Malbec which works. This is the red wine for your non-red-wine-drinking friends. It has the nose of a Pinot and the rich flavors of a Malbec on the palate. It’s a bit of a stunner.

The Menage a Trois brand is owned by wine giant Trinchero Estates. Trinchero also owns the second-largest U.S. wine brand, Sutter Home.

The Menage a Trois wines are almost always under 14 percent alcohol, a rarity. But more impressive is that the tasty and drinkable wines have a suggested retail price of $11-$13. But wait, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Menage a Trois on a shelf over $10. A price check the week of Dec. 7 showed the Midnight, Red, and Silk all at $8.99 or less locally.

Menage a Trois is consistently in the Top 20 wines in the value wine category. Google the name and you’ll consistently find reviews with words like “great value label, wonderfully balanced, medium bodied wine, and great finish.”

Mondavi’s Central Coast scores with its line of wines selling at $9.99. Mondavi’s wines are individual varietals. They score big in my book for consistently delivering value wine which is varietally correct. In other words, the Cab tastes like Cab and Pinot tastes like Pinot. That can be a big problem with many wines under $10.

Other labels delivering for less than $10 include: Bogle, Blackstone, Mark West, Mirrasou, and Clos du Bois.

There’s nothing wrong with many $8-$9 wines. Just buy names you’ve heard before. Hopefully these suggestions will provide some guidance.

 

 

 

 

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Put Some Air in It for Winelovers on Your List

05 Wednesday Dec 2012

Posted by Howard in Holidays, Newspaper Column 2012

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Tags

aerator, Christmas gifts, decanters

From left: VinOair, Soiree, Vintrui Aerators
Buying wine for the wine lover on your Christmas shopping list is fraught with peril. Do you know their tastes? Do you know their favorite varietals? Can you afford their favorites?
A gift certificates for a nearby wine shop is a nice gift. But unless you are certain of the person’s wine tastes, stick with wine accessories. Glassware makes an outstanding gift. For wine drinkers, you can never have enough wine glasses or a good decanter.
There are lots of gizmos on the wine market. You can buy all sorts of devices to remove the cork, to chill wine, and more. There is one gadget though which can be a nice addition to any vino lover’s wine accessories.
Consider buying an aerator. While the gadget isn’t new to the wine world, it hasn’t been around all that long. And now there are several types, models, and price points. Aerators can be found at better wine and liquor stores and some household stores that carry wine glasses and decanters.
For years wine drinkers would pour their wines into a decanter to soften the bite of the tannins on the finish of the wine. But in our ‘no patience, no time, and can’t wait’ society sometimes that’s not good enough.
Enter Vinturi  the manufacturer of the original wine aerator. Essentially, you pour wine through an aerator and oxygen is infused into the wine as it enters the glass and softens the taste.
Vinturi offers a base model and a Vinturi Tower model (which holds the aerator), a white wine aerator, and a travel model. The base aerator is usually priced around $35-$40. The aerator with the tower holder will cost from $50-$60.
The success of aerators has resulted in more entries into the market.
The newer in-bottle aerators have an advantage as less messy. Both of the samples I tried have a rubber-sealed neck which goes right into the wine bottle.
Soiree has a number of party and wine home supply gadgets. The Soiree is a bubble with a spout. When you turn a wine bottle completely upside down the wine swirls over the bubble and into your glass. The Soiree offers a less expensive alternative at $20-$25.
The third aerator was an in-bottle type with a sleek spout for pouring. VinOair from CorkPops would be great for travel or taking to a party. The VinOair is the least expensive of the three at $16.
But do these things really work? Ask any regular wine drinker with aerator experience, and the answer may vary.
For me, they do a nice job of making a big red wine ready to drink. And I’ve been surprised an aerator  actually helps on some white wines that have a real acidic finish.
I received samples of all three aerators and tested them with wine drinking friends. All three worked just fine and definitely softened the wine. The Vinturi is elegant; the VinOair is the most convenient, while the Soiree was the pick of my wine buddies on taste.
An aerator is a gift a wine friend might not have in their collection yet. All three companies have good websites where you can find local retailers.

EDITOR’S NOTE: All three aeration products were provided as trade samples.

Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com

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