Last night I dumped a wine down the drain. Even at $3, the wine was not a good deal. Grocery Outlet buys wine that wineries are moving prior to new releases.

From the Bargainista Blog: These overstocks are most of what Grocery Outlet buys.  The wine can be from the winery, importer or distributor.  Past vintages are opportunistic buys, because once a vintage has been replaced by a newer vintage, the salespeople stop showing the older vintage.  Older vintages become a storage expense, not a sales opportunity.  Wineries, importers and distributors have money tied up in this stock.   To quickly move through non-performing inventory, wineries, importers, and distributors will sell the wine at cost or even a loss.

Yesterday’s post brought lots of activity and comments. People are pretty passionate about finding good deals. The general consensus about shopping at Grocery Outlet is that it’s hit or miss. Be cautious and buy some “test bottles” before you commit to quantity. BUT – when you find a bottle you recognize or a region you trust…scoop it up.

Tonight, I broke out the short sleeve golf shirt to celebrate Spring and two potential white wine “deals.”

The NectarView

2006 Imagine Chardonnay

• The Stuff: 100% Russian River Chalk Hill estate Chardonnay. Aged in oak. A portion of each bottle benefits disadvantaged children. 
• The Swirl: Clean and well filtered with a nice golden yellow color
• The Sniff: Melon and pear/apple aroma with hints of oaky vanilla
• The Sip: The wine has a nice mouth feel but the mid-palate seems slightly off structure. There is a mild butter toast that includes an effervescence like a sparkling wine. A good apple flavor comes through as well.
• The Score: Retail of $22, I wouldn’t re-buy this Chardonnay, but at $11 this is a good 3!

Cellar Tracker Score (2 Reviews) of 84

This is the first DEAL from the Grocery Outlet bunch! With the 20% off sale March 30-April 3, this wine would only be $9 which is a good price for a well made Sonoma Chardonnay.

2007 Sylvester Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc

• The Stuff: 93% Sauvignon Blanc and 7% Chardonnay from Paso Robles
• The Swirl: Pale yellow, straw
• The Sniff: A hint of lemon but a predominant yeast / bread smell
• The Sip: At first the wine presents a really nice citrus and straw flavor but the back end kicks you with a tart finish.
• The Score: Even at $5 I have to compare this to some other good Sauvignon Blanc’s from Arbor Crest ($7) and Yellow + Blue ($9). I can give this a 2 (out of 5). Some people may love the crisp flavor but there isn’t a lot going on here.

Cellar Tracker Score (1 Review) of 76

As a reminder, Grocery Outlet has a huge wine sale March 30 – April 3. Stop by for 20% off their already low prices. Each of the 130+ Grocery Outlet stores is independently operated, so selections vary by store.

*The wine in these reviews was purchased using a $50 gift card provided by Grocery Outlet

ENTER TO WIN $50

It’s simple, leave a comment. Names won’t be added to a mailing list and you won’t be spammed. One lucky person will receive a $50 Grocery Outlet gift card.

Just because it’s cheap, doesn’t mean it’s a deal.

Finding good wine at low price makes it taste even better.

We’re all looking to save money. Buying something for a bargain makes us feel a sense of accomplishment. It’s easy to agree that getting a new Chevrolet Corvette for $10,000 is a bargain (if not a steal), but is it a bargain to pay $3 for a bottle of wine that tastes disjointed, tart, sour, and thin? The definition of a bargain is “Something offered or acquired at a price advantageous to the buyer.” A used Paul Reed Smith Custom Ten-Top with bird inlays for $2000 would be advantageous to me, but not for everyone.

Grocery Outlet is known for low prices on food items. While I’ve never considered G.O. a place for wine, I learned from my Twitter friends that several often find deals there. Evidently there are more bargainistas out there than I imagined. Ahead of their bi-annual wine sale (March 30-April 3) Grocery Outlet reached out to me with a fun challenge. They offered me two $50 gift cards – one to use to buy wine and the other to give away to a lucky viewer/reader. I have to admit that at first I was conflicted about being “paid” in wine to promote an event, but I see it as an opportunity to uncover a good value for those that read this blog (thanks, Mom). It’s also pretty cool to be able to give someone $50.

So, off I went with my preconceptions in search of the $7 bottle of Opus One, and the $4 Clos de Betz. Each of the 130+ West Coast stores is independently operated, and from what I hear, wine selection varies greatly by location. The Spokane location on Sprague Ave had a decent sized section of wine. If you’re looking for a wine steward, shelf talkers, and organized bottles – go somewhere else. If you’re looking for wine that is as low as $3 and $60 Napa wine (retail) for $15, then you may be onto something.

Armed with my $50 gift card, I walked up and down the aisles looking for labels I recognized, appellations that have respect, and the biggest mark-up. 30-minutes later the till said $61 (pre-tax) for my 8 bottle score ($7.62 average). Sadly I only saw a few labels I recognized. With a low of $3 and an outlandishly expensive $15, I left a little uncertain of how this experiment would take shape.

HOW TO WIN $50

It’s simple. Leave a comment (either here or at my Facebook page). You won’t be added to a mailing list, you won’t be spammed – one lucky reader will win!

The NectarView

2009 Buckley Cove Shiraz

• The Stuff: This wine comes from AU Vineyards in South East Australia. The winery is responsible for AU, Buckley’s Cove, 12 Apostles, Element 79, Fly, and Tambourine labels. This is a 2009 vintage blend of Shiraz and Cabernet. The web site availability shows US distribution is limited to Grocery Outlet stores.
• The Swirl: Very bright purple (neon), moderately thin with medium translucence.
• The Sniff: Sugary grape or cherry jolly rancher and sweet candy. Reminded me of those sugar candy you dip the stick into.
• The Sip: Very thin throughout. The wine is very off-balanced with a sugary sweet front end and then a bitter tart back end.
• The Score: At $3, I score this wine a 1 (out of 5). This is a not recommended at any price.

Two Cellar Tracker scores at 77

Okay – so for me this was not a deal. Keeping it real here, this wine ended up down the drain. I’m sure that there are some folks who would be okay with it, but for the majority of wine lovers, this is no deal.

2005 Two Iron Red Wine

• The Stuff: The bottle says Napa and references Costa del Sol Cellars. My online investigation revealed next to nothing about this wine. The retail on the Grocery Outlet shelf said $60, but I was unable to validate that anywhere.
• The Swirl: Dark plum with a good color. Thins out toward the edge and is mostly opaque.
• The Sniff: The nose opens up with a nice black fruit and cassis. Hints of stone and oak come through as well.
• The Sip: The mouth feel is a Jekyll and Hyde. The initial attack is modest with good fruit but the finish is very bitter, woody and sharp.
• The Score: At $15, I score this wine a 2 (out of 5). A purchase price of $25 and over, I’d be ticked. At $15, I’m slightly disappointed, at $10 it still doesn’t make the Under $10 Team.

Cellar Tracker – Seven people have this in their cellar (all purchased from Grocery Outlet), but no reviews.

I had high hopes for this wine, being from Napa Valley. So far, neither of the two wines I selected would qualify as “bargains” for me. Three of the remaining four are from labels I recognize, so I’m hoping for good things.

Stay tuned! Have you ever found a bargain at Grocery Outlet? Want to win $50? Leave a comment.

Queue up Don Henley’s Boys of Summer. Spin some John Fogerty, Centerfield. In less than two weeks, the official start of summer begins with the yell of, “play ball” and the crack of the bat. I can almost smell the fresh cut grass, pine tar, stale beer and hot dogs.

While baseball season is right around the corner, my attempt to field a team of solid “Under $10 All Stars” has been a challenge. Spring training tryouts have been hampered by poor performance, no shows and injuries. The graphic above shows the status of the team including tryouts from three Merlot.

2007 14 Hands Merlot

• The Stuff: Washington State, 85% Merlot, 14% Syrah, 1% other red grapes; Aged 12 months in a variety of new and used American and French Oak.
• The Swirl: Dark plum and slightly cloudy
• The Sniff: Tight on the nose with hints of plum and sweet candy
• The Sip: A muddy combination of cherry syrup, sweet candy, and woodiness. Very flat back end with a lack of tannin and little acidity.
• The Score: At $9.99 I score this a 2 (out of 5). The character is undefined with little structure. There are better under $10 Merlot

Cellar Tracker reviews 91.5 (two reviews) – wow, not sure I agree here

2007 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot

• The Stuff: Columbia Valley, 85% Merlot, 7% Syrah, 5% Cab Fanc, 3% Cab Sauv; 13.5%ABV, aged 14 months in a combination of new French and American oak.
• The Swirl: Dark cherry color with moderate translucence and thin outer edge
• The Sniff: Modest cocoa and oak on the nose with hints of cherry and tobacco
• The Sip: Dark cherry blackberry on the mid palate with a nice smooth finish of cocoa. A hint of spice jumps through that makes this a decent Merlot for the money. Nothing is intense and everything is subdued.
• The Score: At $9.95 I score this a 3 (out of 5). This is an average Merlot that will provide many enjoyable nights.

No reviews on Cellar Tracker or Cork’d for 2007 vintage

2008 Charles Smith Velvet Devil Merlot

• The Stuff: 100% Washington Merlot, 10 months in oak, 13.8% ABV
• The Swirl: Mildly translucent with ruby red undertones. A pretty wine
• The Sniff: Smooth dark chocolate with cherry and oak. I would imagine this would be the aroma an Umpa Lumpa would smell in the chocolate river (if cherries were involved too).
• The Sip: The sip is slightly thin on the front that opens up to a nice moderate fruit – still cherries. Definitely a chocolate covered cherry Merlot.
• The Score: At only $12 (sometimes under $10) – At this price, a solid 3 (out of 5). A trustworthy wine for the money. Good sipper, but the thin front and single dimension leave the score lower.

Cellar Tracker average of 85 pts with 5 reviews

With these three tryouts (and 2 other Merlot), I place the 2008 Charles Smith Velvet Devil Merlot on the starting roster at Right Field batting 8^th.

My 2010 American League Baseball Predictions

AL East The Red Sox will win the East at 93 wins, Yankees will finish with 90 wins

AL Central The Twins will win the Central with 90 wins, Whitesox will finish with 86 wins

AL West The Rangers will win the West with 93 wins, the Mariners will finish with 91 wins and take the Wild Card for the AL

Do you have a player to suggest for the team? Leave a comment. who do you think will win each of the AL divisions? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

The good folks at Swirl Smell Slurp wine blog have a great challenge going. They’ll be collaboratively tasting through wine from all 50 states over the next 50 weeks. The challenge is creatively titled, “United Slurps of America.” The inaugural post featured tastings with 1WineDude from Pennsylvania. I was honored to be selected as the representative taster from Washington. With the crappy shipping laws in this country, locating the same wine in two different states can prove to be a challenge. Fortunately ‘him and her’ were able to find five wines at their local wine store that I was familiar with and hadn’t already done reviews on. We settled on a Riesling from Seven Hills and a Merlot (of course) from Charles Smith.

If you’re not familiar with SwirlSmellSlurp.com – check them out. They’re fun, edgy, witty, and they have a great line up of thematic posts from Sunday Salon to Weekly Hangover. They’re definitely a candidate for Wine Blog Awards “Best New Wine Blog” (but I hope to offer a little competition). 

2008 Seven Hills Riesling

• The Stuff: 100% Riesling from two Yakima Valley vineyards; screw cap
• The Swirl: Bright pale honey color with a thick viscosity.
• The Sniff: A decent bouquet of citrus, lime, plumeria, and tropical sweetness
• The Sip: I’m not a sweet wine fan – I enjoy my whites crisp, with fruit, but on the dry side. This was a moderate sweet Riesling (6 out of 10) but not syrupy. A decent amount of acidity helped to balance out the sweetness. The finish was quite lengthy.
• The Score: At $14, this is not my favorite wine (mostly preference). I score it a solid 3 (out of 5) for being fairly one dimensional.

I was super excited to try this next offering from Charles Smith Wines. From their web site:

Owner-winemaker Charles Smith with his big hair, kick ass attitude and bold packaging arrived in the Walla Walla Valley following eleven years in Scandinavia managing rock bands. Originally hailing from northern California, he has been involved with wine personally and professionally his entire life. “It’s just booze – drink it!”

I purchased the Velvet Devil Merlot for an upcoming “affordable Merlot” tasting to promote #WAMerlot on March 25. When SwirlSmellSlurp had the devil on their list, I succumbed to the temptation.

2008 Charles Smith Velvet Devil Merlot

• The Stuff: 100% Washington Merlot, 10 months in oak, 13.8% ABV
• The Swirl: Mildly translucent with ruby red undertones. A pretty wine
• The Sniff: Smooth dark chocolate with cherry and oak. I would imagine this would be the aroma an Umpa Lumpa would smell in the chocolate river (if cherries were involved too).
• The Sip: The sip is slightly thin on the front that opens up to a nice moderate fruit – still cherries. Definitely a chocolate covered cherry Merlot.
• The Score: At only $12 (sometimes under $10) – At this price, a solid 3 (out of 5). A trustworthy wine for the money. Good sipper, but the thin front and single dimension leave the score lower.

Special thanks to SwirlSmellSlurp.com for inviting me to participate. Make sure you follow along with their journey. I’m excited to see where it takes them.

Welcome to the Lifestyle of the not so rich and way not so famous. Tonight we celebrate the 2009 Academy Awards and the celebration of cinema. As the thespians drink their $3500 per bottle Krug Clos Ambonnay Brut Champagne, DrinkNectar sips through three bottles that are in a more modest price range.

Best Picture the year I was born: The Godfather

Tonight’s nominees are from Spain, Austria, and California. My typical Sparkling wine consumption is reserved for special occasions, and New Years. I love it, but I’m usually consuming big bold Cabernet’s or Zinfandels. One of tonight’s nominees was submitted by Kevin from @atlantawineguy as a part of my Under $10 Wine Challenge. Kevin recommended the Spanish Sigura Viudas Estate Cava.

Best Picture Winners I Haven’t Seen (40 years)

2009 – The Hurt Locker

2007 – No Country for Old Men

1998 – Shakespeare In Love

1987 – The Last Emperor

1978 – The Deer Hunter

1977 – Annie Hall

1971 – The French Connection

As I reviewed these three Sparkling wines, it became apparent that each wine was a star in its own right. The Spanish Cava wins for ‘best value,’ Austria’s Gruner Veltliner wins ‘best foreign wine,’ and California Roederer Estate Brute takes ‘best bubbles.’

My Favorite Move (Which happens to be a best picture winner 1994) Forrest Gump

The NectarView

NV Segura Viudas ARIA Estate Brut – Spain

• The Stuff: 60% Macabeo, 20% Parellada, 20% Xarelo-lo; 3 years on yeast
• The Swirl: golden yellow (Chardonnay color), moderate bubbles
• The Sniff: Tight nose with apple toast and yeast being predominant.
• The Sip: Strong carbonation with hints of apple and smoky bread
• The Score: At $8, this is not a bad tasting bubbly, but lacks a lot of flavor and has too much carbonation and yeast. I score it a 3 (out of 5). So far this bubbly makes the Under $10 Team (mostly for lack of tryouts)

Other reviews: Cellar Tracker 86 points (12 reviews)

NV Roederer Estate – California

• The Stuff: 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir; 2 years on yeast; 80,000 cases
• The Swirl: Color is more pale yellow, great bubbles
• The Sniff: Bright pear with hints of honey and nuttiness
• The Sip: Very nice flavor profile with good apple, honey and cinnamon
• The Score: At $23, I score this a 4 (out of 5)

Other reviews: 91 pts Wine Spectator, 92 pts Wine Advocate, Cellar Tracker 89 points (214 reviews)

NV Szigeti Gruner Veltliner – Austria

• The Stuff: 100% Gruner Veltiner
• The Swirl: Golden yellow tone
• The Sniff: Bright acidity with citrus and tropical fruit tucked into the yeasty toast
• The Sip: Good sweetness with some tartness on the back end. A refreshing bubbly with some good citrus flavor
• The Score: Overall, I was pretty impressed with the quality of this $18 sparkler. I score it a 3+ (out of 5) for flavor and value.

Sparkling Wine Mixers

For the sake of time, some of the video was edited. The observant viewers will notice that my final drink goes from pale yellow to pink. What was responsible for this transformation? I edited out the segment that talks of how to use Sparkling Wine as a mixer. The yeastiness of some inexpensive sparkling wine can leave you a little dry in the mouth. On video I talked through a few solutions using cranberry juice, cassis liqueur, or vodka. Give it a try, you’ll be surprised at how you can transform an average bottle of bubbly.

In celebration of the 2009 Academy Awards, what is your favorite movie? Which Oscar winning film (from all time) is your favorite?