More Wines for Value

We started yesterday. While most of the truly great wines are quite pricy, you don't have to bring your checkbook, so to speak, in order to find a good wine. But, sometimes, the key is going off the beaten path or, at the very least, exploring something you've never tried before.

Yesterday, we talked about Assyrtiko to go with shellfish. Well, suppose you can't find Greek wine in your favorite wine shop. It would be rare wine store without French wine and when you are having shellfish, particularly raw oysters, go no further than Picpoul de Pinet, often simply referred to as Picpoul. I first tried Picpoul on a hot summer afternoon eating lunch in Charleston, SC. Literally meaning lip stinger, the name is perfect for the racy acidity in this wine. So, what makes it so perfect is the way that acidity combats the natural brine in oysters to produce a wonderfully serene experience. And, if the wine is too acidic, simply squeeze a lemon wedge on to your oysters to calm acidity in the wine. It's a great substitute for Sauvignon Blanc and is far better with shellfish.

Then we have the people who love Amarone. I used to have a neighbor who became so enamered with Amarone that he wanted to drink it with everything, even when it was the worst pairing possible. For the unfamiliar, Amarone de Valpolicella is produced by taking Corvina, Corvinone, and Rondinells and drying them on special drying mats to produce a particularly raisiny red wine. It's expensive. Originally, Amarone was not produced from these grapes, but Recioto was. The grapes are not the finest of the vineyards and they are dried for less time, but for all but the most discerning palates, my guess is you can't tell the difference. And, in fact, if you think Amarone is just a bit too riasiny, you might like Recioto better.

How about Champagne? It's the drink of celebration. It is because it feels exciting and frankly, it tastes exciting. If it's truly Champagne and not just sparkling wine, it carries a price tag with it. Again, the most discerning palates know the difference. But, for the rest of us, consider Moscato, preferably Brut if you really want it to be a substitute for traditional Champagne, Cava (from Spain) or some of the wonderful sparkling wine from New Mexico. Yes, New Mexico. The single best value sparkling wine I have ever had was from a little winery off the side of the road on a drive from Albuquerque to Santa Fe. And, the price is right. I've had this little gem side-by-side, tasting blind, with serveral reasonably expensive Champagnes from Reims and Epernay and the little engine that could won the race. I won't advertise it by brand here, but Google works.

And, closing today with one more for the Pinot Noir lovers. Gamza is a grape usually grown in Bulgaria. In Hungary, it is called Kadarka. It's medium-bodied, very inexpensive, and drinks really nicely the day after you bring it home from the store. And, it pairs with foods very similarly to the ay that Pinot Noir does. The big difference, and it actually makes this a particularly healthy wine to drink is the poemgranate. This wine has pomegranate notes and the reason is that it shares so many properties with pomegranate. Rich particularly in flavonoids and Vitamin C, Gamza is an enjoyable red served a bit cooler than most other reds, but not as cool as even Chardonnay among the whites.