What’s Hot
Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay have become yesterday’s news and Malbec and Riesling have replaced them as the most popular wines. There are several reasons. For one thing, wine drinkers are becoming more knowledgeable about wine. Newspapers have food and wine sections, and websites – like Twisting Vines, offer wine reviews and suggestions for food pairings. When you go to buy a wine to go with dinner, you have some idea what to expect before you make that choice.

Also, in the past couple of years wine prices have fallen, allowing us to be a little  adventurous and try new wines that were previously just out of our price range.

Of course, not to be overlooked is the fact that wines just keep getting better as winemakers become more knowledgeable about growing the best fruit and improving their winemaking techniques.

White
Riesling has recently become the most popular white wine with sales worldwide continuing to increase. What’s not to like about this versatile wine? It can be dry or sweet and it’s food friendly or great all by itself.

The grand dame of white wines, Chardonnay,has lost it’s luster and sales, worldwide, have been dropping. It seems the top selling California white wine is now associated with baby boomers, so it has the image of a geezer image. Too bad, because California Chardonnays have only gotten better as they’ve gotten away from the heavy oak and now produce wines with complexity and style.

The west coast of the US has some serious contenders for great Rieslings coming from Oregon and Washington State. The fruit is excellent and the winemakers are tops in their field. Because US Riesling growers don’t have to contend with steep hillsides, harvesting the grapes is much easier which keeps the prices lower than many German or Alsace imports.

2008 Chateau St Michelle Dr. Loosen Eroica Riesling
Okay, I’ve reviewed this wine before but I have to tell you, each year’s vintage is better than the last. Last week I served this with chicken and noodles – a match made in heaven. I also like to have a glass while I’m cooking.

A beautiful straw color with aromas of pears and peaches, with hints of honey and citrus. Flavors of peaches, citrus and pears with hints of mineral and tea. Crisp and light-bodied. Slightly sweet but still on the dry side. Complex flavors evolve in the glass. Get an extra bottle to have on hand. $18 at K & L.

Red
Malbec from Argentina is becoming the darling of the red set. A less expensive alternative to Cabernet Sauvigon, in the past year everyone I know is talking about Malbec. Friends are serving it at home and it’s even appearing on the menu in family style restaurants. A good California Cabernet Sauvignon under $40 is not easy to find, but it’s pretty easy to find a very good Malbec under $20. Because production costs for wine in South America are considerably less than here in the US, we can enjoy a perfect wine paired with our favorite grilled rib eye steak.

Susana Balbo Mendoza Signature 2007
Medium ruby color. Aromas of dark berries, licorice and oak. Flavors of dark cherries, plum with hints of vanilla, cocoa and oak. Full-bodied, good tannins with a long, fruity finish. Open 45 minutes before serving.
$20 at Hi-Time Wine Cellar in Costa Mesa

2007 Wine
One of the best vintage years for wine – worldwide, was 2007. These wines are now coming to market and with wine prices dropping, there are bargains to be had!

California reds have been slow to come down, but winemakers will have to start discounting in order to reduce inventory. Buyers that once spent $20 – $30 are now buying the $9 – $12 bottles. The $10 – $14 buyer is now in the $3 – $6 dollar category. This is quite a shift to a much lower price point.

In restaurants, we’ve started to see some of the higher end wines being sold by the glass. This is a great opportunity to sample better wines without having to buy the whole bottle.

Some of the best buys recently have been Zinfandel and Syrah from California, Malbecs from Argentina and French Rhône wines.

Bev Mo’s Wilfred Wong
When you walk down the wine isles of Beverages and More, you can’t help but notice the majority of wines are rated by Wilfred Wong. On my first visit to the local store, I wondered: Is this a real guy? What does he know about wine, anyway?

Wilfred is a real person who has been BevMo’s wine buyer since 1995. Before that, he was buying wine for his family’s wine shop in Berkeley, CA.

As the e-commerce cellar master for Beverages & More’s 100+ stores in California and Arizona, Wilfred is the man responsible for evaluating every wine on the shelves. That means tasting more than 8000 wines a year.

Besides choosing which wines the stores will carry, Wong has a say in the 50+ custom wines commissioned specifically for BevMo.

One of those wines is a Zolo Winery chardonnay from Mendoza, Argentina.

The 2008 Zolo Gaucho Select Unoaked Chardonnay
Golden yellow color. Tropical fruit and pear aromas. Flavors of ripe apples and white flowers with a hint of honey. Balanced  with a clean, crisp finish. Pair with soft white cheese and crusty french loaf. $9.99

Purple color with aromas of spice and mocha. Flavors of plum, ripe berries and oak. Full- bodied and balanced with a long, smooth finish. We had this wine with barbecued spareribs. It was a perfect match. Quite a bargain at $13.