Rioja -- buying wine at the grocery store that you've never heard of

Other's that might not make it widely to the US that I like:

Barbera, Barbaresco, Grignolino all piedmontese reds. The last I've never even seen in the UK a delicous exceedingly light red.

Other great Italian Reds: Pelaverga, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (should be able to find the last two, but probably not all that cheaply)

Fo whites I really like the italian Tokai.

I've been all over Chilean carmeres lately.

Spanish wines search also Penedes. But as with Rioja it's only a region, and sadly denominacion de origen has become as bastardised as appelation controlee in recent years so if it isn't reserva or gran reserva then it's pot luck unless you ask some trustworthy staff (that being said I sell a Crianza which is infinitely classier than the big name riojas).

At the moment I'm all about the light reds. Pinot Noir from Oregon, Grenache from the Barossa and France's best kept secret, Grenache/Syrah blends from the Nimes region (you can get a suprisingly good one from Aldi for four quid, but if you have access to an Oddbins I urge you to get a bottle of Labeye, it's about four fifty). Come the winter I'll find my taste turning to gutsier ones, big booming Nebbiolos and Amarones. Chris = OTM about Carmenere, it's only just starting to come into it's own and will be all over the show before long.

Those who like more fruit-forward wines would be happier with California red Zinfandels, French Boujolais, and Marquez de Caceres red Rioja from Spain. None of these are hard of the pocketbook. For the smooth traditional vin de table, I like Chateau Haut Crozier Bordeaux, smooth and classic.

Right now I'm still into heavy new world reds, and the best bang per buck with my lamb chop is Columbia Crest Grand Estates 1999/2000 Merlot or Cabernet Savignon. They are both good, nice oaky finish, only $7.99 at Trader Joe's, a very good value. I've found Columbia Crest Grand Estates to be very reliable and consistent for oaky wines; they re-stave and toast their barrels every two years. If you buy the regular Cab/Merlot blend from them, it will be a decent vin ordinaire, but to really enjoy a nice wine, pay the extra dollar and make sure it says Grand Estates.

I've noticed that the quality of the Austrialian Shiraz and Shiraz/Cab blends has gone down among the low-end priced wines.

Ok, now I'm just rambling and I could ramble about wine forever so I will stop.

Nebbiolo is a grape, grown primarily in the Piedmont region of Italy towards the Northwest of the country. It is the primary grape used in Barberas and Dolcettos (relatively affordable) as well as Barbarescos and Barolos (expensive but some of the best wines in the world).

Has anyone ever heard of Rioja, or did my yuppie supermarket just get me to buy an invented kind of red wine? Supposedly this is from Spain: "Conde de Valdemar Rioja" according to the label. It's actually pretty good (ie drinkable and I am buzzed on 1/2 a glass already). (I'm going to laugh if this is actually a very common kind of red wine & I've just been oblivious to it previously.)

Are there other kinds of wine that people drink a lot of elsewhere but aren't very common in the US?

― lyra (lyra), Saturday, August 2, 2003 2:14 AM (9 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

rioja rioja
reverend al green
deep blue morocco
the water on stone
the water on concrete
the water on sand
the water on fire, smoke
the wind
the salt
the bright boat coming
dave in the water
old man einstein on top of his house
white deep blue
andalusia
red yellow red yellow
black car
red light
far black plays walls
blue chair morocco
hamburg, paris
the pieces of the puzzle awaiting
the water of the dark boats gliding
the bright boat gone out to sea
and dave is floating
dave is floating
and old man einstein
crazy in his attic
crazy crazy crazy crazy