5 in 5: Day Four

The march for five posts in five business days soldiers on towards the home stretch. Today, my views on affordable wines. I really had to fight my instincts to not use the word cheap in that sentence. The fact is that I love expensive wines. I think the flavors, and more importantly, structure that come out in high priced wines are worth almost every penny. $1,000 for an aged Bordeaux, no. $200 for a strong California Cab, definitely. While wines with pedigree and high cost occasionally turn out a stinker, they typically produce consistent quality. But alas, I cannot drink $200 wine very often. And while I have a good number of triple digit value bottles in my cellar, I won't pull them out for a typical week night. So what can I do when I come home after a tough day and need that glass of wine to cool me down. I'm not pulling out the Insignia. So for the past two years now, Katie and I have been the quest for the perfect table wine. An affordable wine that we can buy a case of and leave in the cellar for everyday drinking. This way I don't have to wander downstairs and convince myself to give up another beautiful wine for "just another" night. It has been a search with ups and downs. The ups have included the Penfold's Bin 128 Shiraz (a bit too pricey), Lindeman's Padthaway Shiraz (not consistent), and Yellowtail's Reserve Shiraz (closest one yet). The downs, a nearly undrinkable Rawson's Retreat (a disappointing one from the Penfold's Brand), a flat Bancroft Ranch, and countless other Chilean, Argentinian, Italian, and Australian let downs. The key has been Australia. The Aussies make some much wine that the price can be so damn, well, cheap. I think we'll continue to scour the Down Under racks at wine shops till we find just the right wine for our taste. We've also been focusing on Shiraz and Cabernet-Shiraz blends because they seem to be the most versatile with a variety of foods. If you know of any wines you really enjoy for under $10 please leave a comment with your input. Maybe one of your recommendations will become my Dr. Livingstone. Till next time..."Wine is the most civilized thing in the world."--Ernest Hemingway

P.S. We'll be dining at Napa Valley Grille tonight, so expect a review/recap of the festivities in tomorrow's post.