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This article was published in The 30 Second Wine Advisor on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2007.
Best wine values of 2006
Another year has passed into history, another vintage has been harvested, and we've tasted a lot more wine since my last annual New Year's report.
As I do every year at this time, I've processed all my wine-tasting reports of the past 12 months, sorting out the best wines and, more important, the best values - the wines at all levels that show exceptional value for their price tag, that elusive characteristic that online wine enthusiasts call "Quality-Price Ratio" or "QPR" for short.
It's also a time to pull back for a broader view over the world of wine and look for developing trends and issues. Some of those issues have been thoroughly covered in the wine-news media, including grape "gluts" and supply-and-demand issues, and changing social norms that see high-end wine prices rising under affluent buyer demand at one end of the spectrum, while younger people show declining interest in wine, raising the spectre of an aging and eventually shrinking market.
Two more emerging developments have received less media attention:
Now, let's take a quick look at my top value wines of 2006. I've queried my tasting-notes databases to find the 60 wines that I rated most highly for value. Five of them sold for more than $20, with 25 in the mid-range of $12 to $20, and - good news for bargain-hunters - 30 were $12 or less, of which 16 were $10 or below.
Broken down by country of origin, my QPR list includes 21 wines from France and 15 from Italy, followed by Austria and the U.S. with seven each (five of the U.S. wines were from California and one each from Oregon and New York); five from Spain, perhaps the best source of low-end wines of value; three dry wines from Portugal, and one each from Chile and South Africa.
Somewhat surprisingly, considering my avowed preference for red wines, my list this year was almost evenly between reds (28 wines) and whites (25 wines), plus six sparkling or frizzante wines and one dessert wine. Only one Champagne made the list, and no Ports or Sauternes: These are tremendously enjoyable wines but not contenders in the QPR sweepstakes. For similar reasons, no wines from Australia or New Zealand made my QPR list this year. This is no slam on these fine wines other than to note that, among the wines easily available to me, I'm more inclined to look to Europe and then the U.S. when cherry-picking for value. Germany didn't make this year's list, partly because of rising prices and partly, I fear, because the noble Riesling grape is a bit of a blind spot for me. I'll have to work on that.
To whet your appetite, here's a random, international selection of a half-dozen winners from my QPR list:
Domaine Grand Veneur 2004 Côtes du Rhône Villages "Les Champauvins" Vieilles Vignes (France), $18.99. (Find it on Wine-Searcher.com)
For a detailed look at all 60 of my top-value wines of 2006, ranked in order of the actual retail price that I paid, click to my annual report, QPR 2006, at
Three sparkling rosés
I rarely get overly excited about pink table wines, with the possible exception of intense, dry Provence-style rosé on a hot summer's day. But true rosé Champagne - not the deservedly maligned domestic "pink champagne" - is a whole 'nother story, as the color here usually signals the presence of Pinot Noir in the blend, a wine-making decision that usually rings the bell for me.
This year over New Year's weekend we sampled three decent pink bubblies - a very fine California sparkling wine, an appealing Champagne-style bubbly from Alsace, and a fine if rather sharply acidic Champagne. Signaling sparkling wine's affinity for food, we didn't merely toast with them but enjoyed the California sparkler with a buffet selection of French Morbier and St. André cheeses and assorted other nibbles. The two French wines served not only to celebrate New Year's eve but served very well to wash down a spicy Indian-style dinner of lamb and cauliflower curries.
Unfortunately I've misplaced my price receipt, but the "J" Russian River Valley Brut was in the middle $20s, the Pierre Sparr well under $20, and the Egly-Ouriet Champagne about $50.
This clear, pale-gold wine produces robust, fountain-like streams of mini-bubbles; it shows no real sign of pink beyond perhaps the shyest blush. Excellent aromas focus on golden plums and a hint of cocoa. Creamy carbonation boosts a full, velvety mouthfeel, fresh and nicely balanced. Exceptional quality in a California sparkling wine. (Dec. 30, 2006)
WEB LINK: http://www.jwine.com/home/
BUY THIS WINE ONLINE: Check listings on Wine-Searcher.com,
Clear reddish-orange, rather dark for a rosé, it almost approaches the light red color of a Bourgogne Pinot Noir. Attractive cherry-berry scent adds hints of toast and rising bread dough. Crisp, light and dry, prickly carbonation and fresh acidity surround subtle berry fruit on the palate. Good balance, crisp and refreshing, a little on the light side for Pinot-based bubbly. U.S. importer: W.J. Deutsch and Sons Ltd., Harrison, N.Y. (Dec. 31, 2006)
WEB LINK: http://www.alsace-wines.com
BUY THIS WINE ONLINE: Check listings on Wine-Searcher.com,
Clear copper color, pale but intensely hued, with a lasting bubble stream. Lovely Pinot scents, delicate plums and berries, display true Pinot varietal character, albeit more subtle, more "transparent," than you'd find in a still Pinot Noir. It's not so subtle in the flavor, though, with red-berry fruit and milk chocolate, creamy carbonation and tart, almost sharp acidity in a long finish. U.S. importer: Vintner Select, Mason, Ohio, and other regional importers. (Dec. 31, 2006)
WEB LINK: http://www.skurnikwines.com/
BUY THIS WINE ONLINE: Check listings on Wine-Searcher.com,
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J. Vineyards & Winery NV "J" Russian River Valley Brut Rosé
Pierre Sparr NV Crèmant d'Alsace Brut Rosé
Egly-Ouriet NV Champagne Ambonnay Grand Cru