Let's face it... sometimes you have to just treat yourself. With my new job I get the opportunity to travel with some nice wines. Keeping true to this blog I think it's only fair that I write about wines that I feel are not only great tasting but of great value. I understand the economy has changed the spending habits of some people, however, sometimes the old adage "You get what you pay for" definitely does apply. So with that said the selections below fall into that category where the quality of the wine far exceeds the price.
I've worked with wine in a public capacity for several years now and I often find that as I am describing wines I have some go-to catch phrases that just seem to flow out of me unconsciously. One of these pitches always comes up when I get my hands on a good sparkler (usually Champagne). Without hesitation after the champagne flute has left my mouth I seem to proclaim "I could easily drink a bottle of this every day for the rest of my life." I can't express how true that is for my first selection:
G.H. Mumm de Cramant NV Grand Cru. Of course at
$70 retail I hope somebody else is footing the bill. Is $70 undervalued you ask? Well, this golden Champagne shows tons of toast, hay, and straw with slight pineapple nuances. It is crisp, light and refreshing with nice medium-bodied Granny Smith flavors in the mid-palate and a long mouth watering citric and tangy finish that goes on forever. I think the wine is very reminiscent of the high quality Champagne produced by Krug (the Krug Cuvee Brut is one of my all time favorite wines), and at less than half the price of Krug I would certainly categorize this as an "undervalued" wine. G.H. Mumm is one of the largest Champagne houses and shares a rich
history with the AOC. This great Champagne is 100% Chardonnay and despite the name is indeed from the Champagne AOC (named for the small town Cramant in France) and should not be confused for other sparkling wines from France labeled Cremant. Pair this wine with
Calamares alla Plancha con Salsa Aglio y Olio.
This next little gem is quite the mouthful to say:
Feudi di San Gregorio 2008 Fiano di Avellino. Don't let the long name fool you, this wine is very approachable. In the past whenever I drank Fiano (mostly IGT) I was only mildly impressed with the varietal, however, this DOCG (
retail $20) wine from Campania, Italy certainly struck a chord with me. While a very young operation (Established 1986), Feudi di San Gregorio is one of the largest producers of wine from grapes that are indigenous to Campania and holds ownership to some of the oldest vineyards in the region. The authenticity of the varietal in this wine is certainly a very endearing quality. This wine shows notes of tropical fruit, nutmeg, apple, honeydew on the nose. Light on the palate this wine is crisp and clean upfront leading to a nicely balanced and layered appley and lemony finish. The
quality of this white wine is clear as soon as it hits your tongue. Try pairing this wine with a
lemon pepper monkfish over Capelli d'angelo.
As always thanks for checking out my reviews and I am always open to comments and suggestions. I've already received some good criticism and suggestions that have led to some minor changes in the way I deliver information. Please feel free to comment on any article and I will make sure to try my best to respond to your request or question. With that said please check out on of my newest affiliates at
www.petitchef.com where all the recipes for this entry are hosted. Until next time remember to keep an open eye and an open mind.
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