Of Sales, Value and Wine to Drink!

I love shopping at various places, including the warehouse clubs (BJ's, Costco and Sam's), local shops like Sherlocks, Bullocks, or Tower, but if you've ever read my blog you know I'm also big fan of Total Wine & More. They have a great selection and some pretty solid pricing--my only consistent gripe is that they won't give a case discount on 'mixed' cases. If you buy an entire case of 1 wine, you receive a 10% discount (as with most retailers). Until the end of this month you can receive the same discount on only a 6 bottle purchase! Go stock up!
It's funny-is expensive wine 'worth it'? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. 2 thoughts on that: There is a very well-known brand that gets tossed around often--I won't 'go there' but back in my wine bar days, when someone asked if we had that brand I immediately knew that 1) they didn't know a lot about wine 2) they had some money and 3) typically they have friends who thought highly of that wine as well. It can be a bit of the "Emperor's new clothes" as the reputation is still there, but the quality (in my opinion) is not... For that same $80 I could easily blow that brand away.
As for the second case in point, I took a huge risk and bought a $60+ bottle of wine totally on faith. Yes, the same guy that tells you never to buy a wine for the label alone took a chance on buying an expensive Napa Cabernet solely because it shared the same name as our good friend's newborn (Congrats again J and Carol!) Their new son's name is Cade and when planning for a 'celebration' dinner for all of us, I was excited to see a bottle with the same name and knew we had to toast to the new baby with it! What an amazing wine, probably one of the best I've had in a while. So every once in a while I guess it's best to 'take a chance' and see what happens! So was it worth it? Even if it had been 'good', yes, it was worth it to share a special moment with friends--the fact that the wine was amazing was a bonus! Step outside the box a little and try something different than what your wine snob friends recommend--try something new and fun or go wild (like I did) and take a chance on something fun.
By the way--if you find yourself off Dresden (Brookhaven) you need to stop in "Pour" and have some wine. What a cool place (and fun, moderately-priced selections). Pour Wine Market is a pretty neat wine shop/wine bar that is not a chain (and it shows!). After a glass or two, Kaleidoscope is a fun restaurant (try the duck fat fries--trust me) and it's just a few doors down. Pour also offers craft beers if you aren't into wine (shame on you ; )

More fun with ZIN

I love the style of this article--maybe it's the 'user friendly' style of Zinfandel that makes me such a fan. Yes, there are many cheap 'fruit bomb' zins out there (and some pricey ones too) but the awesome single-vineyard selections from Ravenswood, Rosenblum or Ridge (the three R's!) are 'benchmark' wines. Give Zin a chance; it's one of the most food-friendly wines out there! Cheers, Bo

Open That Bottle Night 2011

Heard of this event? Have you ever saved 'something' for a "special occasion" and found that the opportunity had come and gone (or was missed completely)? While I do have one bottle that is set aside for a special occasion that will continue to be saved (until January 3, 2021 to be exact) I do have some other bottles that need to be dusted off and consumed in the name of "Open That Bottle Night". Read this press release and learn more about OTBN 2011! What's in YOUR cellar? : ) Wine is a living creature--if you keep it too long it may turn into very expensive vinegar so go ahead--Open That Bottle this February 26th! Cheers!

Wine Sale at Total Wine and More!

Total Wine & More is always a fave of mine but next month they have a sale on 'mixed' wines (one gripe I have always had with them is that you ONLY get a discount on full cases of the same wine). If you a minimum of 6 bottles, you get a 10% discount! They also tend to have a lot of fun value wines (e.g. under $10) and I recently had one called Daisy Chain "Ana's Red". If you can get past the girly label (light blue with a lot of yellow daisies) the juice is quite nice for around $8 (the blend in the 2008 is Zin/Merlot/Cab/Syrah and is quite yummy). Another one I have mentioned before is the Grand Pacific "Heritage Red" ($8)and the 2009 is a blend of Petit Verdot, Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc.

The only 'catch' (if you call it that) is that their true 'deal' wines (prices that end in 7, like Ravenswood Vintners Blend for $6.27!!!) are NOT part of the 10% discount as they have already cut the prices to the bone (try finding that price on Ravenswood at your local grocery--more like $9!). BTW--You've got until 2/26/11 and this offer is available only in GA per the email I received from them...

Have fun, stock up! Cheers, Bo

Oh, Zinfandel!

Here is a great article about my favorite wine, ZINFANDEL! Such a yummy, food-friendly wine (try it with spicy foods especially!), you should buy some for tonight's Falcon's game (to go with your Pizza and wings, 'natch! Ridge is amazing stuff, and there is a Ravenswood at all price points (from the $7 Vintner's Blend, to the sub-$20 'county' series to the $35-45+ single vineyard series). Take some time to read about this wonderful wine's history!

What I'm having for New Year's Eve...

Tonight's menu? "Surf and Turf" with king crab legs (RIP Captain Phil!) and steak; on the wine front, I picked up a lovely Blanc de Noirs from Gruet yesterday at Total Wine & More. All Pinot Noir, so it may have a bit of a blush color, but will be a nice 'middle of the road' option for both items. (In all reality, I'll probably end up popping a nice aged bottle of 'something red' as well). Regardless, God Bless you and have a great evening--best wishes for 2011!

(Gruet is a great label from New Mexico, click here for more info. Cheers!)

Wine and Freakonomics

Not sure if you've read the book Freakonomics but this is a funny twist on wine pricing and how high prices may or may not relate to quality. What really 'got me' was the fact that 'experts' who tasted the same wine (blindly, and more than once) had given wildly differing scores! Very interesting point of view. I find it funny to hear how one gentleman purchases wine (most expensive looking label, but under $15 a bottle--that would rule out most 'critter wines' that look silly!). Click HERE for the article. Enjoy!