Gold tastes at surprising tin-can prices
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During a wine competition, judges are in the dark about the wine's brand, producer and often the price.
The big surprises come weeks later, when judges receive a spreadsheet of the results and compare their personal notes and scores with winners to see the pedigree of wines they championed.
This year at the International Eastern Wine Competition, a handful of wines under $15 a bottle earned gold medals, even as they were poured alongside pricier wines from highly regarded producers. For several years, I've served as one of about 30 judges at the competition, one of the largest in the nation. At this year's IEWC, big brands showed very well.
Last week, I compared drinkable wines from bargain brands Barefoot and Woodbridge and they were unexciting. For a few bucks more you can get a much better wine. So, I went back to IEWC results to pick up some golden wines with aluminum prices. The vintages and varieties may not be the same but the brands are reliable.
With the "LBD" pattern gracing the bottle like a designer purse logo, Little Black Dress wine is clearly targeted to "The Sex in the City" demographic. The 2008 California Merlot is like the character Samantha, a bit coarse and wild. The wine has some wild berry smells with flavors of cocoa and ripe blackberry and violet. The wine is light bodied and wraps up with some tight tannins and acids. Available everywhere. $10. MMM1/2.
For a mass produced wine, Bogle 2008 California Chardonnay gets handcrafted attention with thoughtful blending of fruit from different sources and a complex oak aging regime that you just don't get at this price. The result is a wine with warm butter rum and coconut smells and flavors of caramel-dipped green apples and autumn spices. The oak-adverse may pass, but this smooth, flavorful wine over delivers for the price. Available everywhere. $11. MMMM.
Five Rivers 2008 California Pinot Noir has intense blackberry and cherry smell with hints of birch. The flavors start out with sweet cherry and black tea followed by fairly strong alcohols, nice acids, with a subtle brush of tannins. Available everywhere. $13. MMMM.
I can see why judges liked Jekel 2007 Monterey Riesling. Riesling fans could mistake the rich cantaloupe, honeyed and floral nose for something from the prestigious Alsace region of France. The wine tastes off-dry with passion fruit and Smarties candies flavors, and finishes with light, somewhat flat acids. Special order in Pennsylvania. $14. MMM1/2.
People often debate the merit and value of wine competitions. For wineries, it's about marketing and maybe bragging rights. For consumers, a gold medal from a good competition offers a third-party validation of wine quality and a useful shopping guide.
GRADE: Exceptional MMMMM, Above average MMMM, Good MMM, Below average MM, PoorM.
DAVID FALCHEK, A Times-Tribune business writer, reviews wines each week. Contact him at dfalchek@timesshamrock.com.
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