The other day I discovered this story about the wines of Uruguay and it reminded me of a comment from Effern about his discovery of good wine in Arkansas. Good wine is made in places that do not sound promising like Minnesota and North Carolina. If you don’t live in California, Oregon or Washington State, I suggest you find a winery near you and taste something local. You will be surprised what you find.

Here’s a story about bringing “2-buck Chuckâ€Â? to a restaurant near you. I’ve had most of the Charles Shaw line and find their Chardonnay and Shiraz excellent values and the others worth their $1.99 / bottle price. I’m not sure if the restaurant trade will accept such a move, due to their notorious wine markup practices, but this could only be good for consumers.

Last month, Brian from Grape Radio shared a couple bottles of Turley Zinfandel from his cellar with me. They have been waiting for the right night to check out and I figured Valentine’s Day was such a day. So, with a standing rib roast, I enjoyed the first bottle; tasted the wine again this evening with the same comments:

- Turley Wine Cellars, Zinfandel, California Old Vines 2000 ($25*)
Dark, opaque garnet color; concentrated plum and raison aromas; layers of plum and current flavors, super big with noticeable alcohol but seems pretty balanced, fascinating “thick” mouth feel with satisfying long finish. Delicious now, but will be better in years to come. Not your average Zin, it’s big AND refined at the same time.

Thanks, Brain! I owe you one (or two!)

* For those lucky enough to be on Turley’s mailing list to purchase this wine upon release.

A good story for Valentine’s Day, I think! Now have a bottle of Pinot Noir or Champagne with your Valentine

A big thank you to all the listeners who have voted at Podcast Alley. From Saturday to today I have nearly doubled my vote count and now I’m about at the halfway point to my goal of being in the Top 50 podcasts.

In other news, I have about 40 Gmail invites left, so if you haven’t already asked for one, just email me now.

Just finished dinner and enjoyed the Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva 2001 I reviewed yesterday. While the nose is still lean the taste is a bit richer due to the small amount of air it has been exposed to over the past 24 hours (I use the Vacu Vin Saver, but do notice a bit of difference after opening). Therefore, I would suggest you either “breathe” the wine for an hour or decant before serving. I’ll talk a bit about this on the next podcast.

I’ve seen this story floating around the blogisphere for the past few weeks and though it was time to post it here. I have been to France a few times and observed that the women there look about as slim per capita as in New York, San Francisco or LA. An interesting read, however.

Today’s show is about Chianti, Tuscany’s famous red blend. I also talk about strategies to get the best wine-by-the-glass in chain restaurants, read listener comments and cover my own tasting preferences to help you calibrate your taste buds to the reviews on the show.

Wines tasted:

- Castello di Gabbiano, Chianti Classico Riserva 2001 ($18)
- Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva 2001 ($17)
- S.Michele a Torri, Chianti Colli Fiorentini 2002 ($10)

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It looks like the oversupply problems are over and the wine industry in California is on the road to recovery. Although I like the low prices, an extended period of downturn means less choice and higher prices long term.

I’m taking Bill Turrentine’s advice to, …stock your cellar.�

Today’s show is a tasting tour of the wines of the northern Willamette Valley in Oregon and a discussion of alternative wine closures.

Wines tasted:
- Erath Pinot Gris 2002 ($13)
- Erath Pinot Noir, Estate 2001 ($25)
- Erath Pinot Noir, Reserve 1999 ($18)
- Erath Pinot Noir, Prince Hill 1997 ($40)
- Erath Pinot Noir, Anniversary 2000 ($30)
- Erath Pinot Noir, Juliard 2000 ($40)
- Ponzi Pinot Blanc 2003 ($15)
- Ponzi Pinot Noir 2002 ($30)
- Ponzi Pinot Noir, Reserve 2002 ($50)
- Argyle Brut Sparkling Wine 1999 ($21.50)
- Argyle Chardonnay, Nuthouse 2001 ($28)
- Argyle Pinot Noir 2003 ($20)
- Argyle Pinot Noir, Nuthouse 2002 ($40)
- Argyle Pinot Noir, Spirithouse 2002 ($50)

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