Nov 11 2008
Recession Wines: Extreme Times Call for Extreme Values
With the worldwide financial crisis in full swing, it’s a time when a lot of wine lovers will be looking to dial back their wine budgets. From people we’ve spoken to and articles we’ve read, it seems that most are still drinking the same amount of wine, but less expensive selections.
With that in mind, we’ve decided to launch a new feature called “Recession Wines.” More on “recession wines” and a couple of Thanksgiving extreme value picks after the jump…
Extreme value wine doesn’t always mean cheap wine, so we will explore the most extreme values in all price categories. We’re talking about the $10-20 wines that give $30-40 wines a run for their money. Also, we’ll take note of those $30 wines that make you shake your head and wonder what others are charging $75-$100 a bottle for something similar. And even wines you can buy for 8 bucks or less…and we’re not talking Two Buck Chuck or Boone’s. Now that the days of summer are gone we are shifting gears from the great value sauvignon blancs, rosés and lambruscos to the Austrian grüner veltliner, spicy malbecs, carmeneres, dry and semi-dry rieslings, gewürztraminers and sparkling wines.
Here are two (one red and one white) extreme value, food friendly wines that we think will go well with not only the turkey (the easiest part of the pairing since so many wines pair well with turkey) but also with the myriad of seasonal side dishes that make an appearance at the turkey or trudunken dinner.
2004 Bodegas Montecillo Rioja Crianza ($7-$12) While pinot noir is the typical go-to Thanksgiving red (especially Jill’s favorites from Burgundy), we’ve found Tempranillos to work nicely, too. The nice thing about tempranillos is that so many quality ones are available at great value prices. This happens to be one such great bargain tempranillo. There are aromas of roasted herbs and spicy berries, and nice, high-toned red fruit. Nice acidity and balanced tannins make for a long, juicy aftertaste. Click here to find it in your local area.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling 2006 (Columbia Valley; $10) 2006 seemed to be a pretty good year for the Washington wine area. This great-value Riesling in a slightly off-dry style, with a nice balance of acidity. White peaches, honeysuckle, and a pretty minerality. Click here to find it in your local area.
Stay tuned as we search the wine world for bottles that you would guess are up to 5-10 times more expensive than they really are.