Staples of the Piper-Knicely household

For Rebekah:

Our Selections

1. The Cline 2007 Los Carneros Viognier
   
   pronounced (vee-oh-nyay)
   
   I'm holding this wine in my hand right now, as it's the only white wine staple around the house. The back label says, "loaded with peaches, apricots, floral and citrus notes. Perfect as an aperitif, this wine pairs exceptionally well with lobster in a ginger-butter sauce and richly prepared seafood." The wine is from the Sonoma Valley I discover the wine from the article "Asian Spice" in the OKGazette by Greg Horton. It said:
   

   The spicier the food, the softer the wine needs to be, but a slight tannic backbone can keep the wine from being overpowered by too much heat. When the food gets Thai hot, it's time to change to white, and Fleischfresser has two suggestions: Viognier and Riesling.
   
   "We want people to try some Viognier," he said. "The varietal seems to be growing in popularity, and wines like Cline Viognier help."
   
   The Cline Viognier features apricot and peach in a full-bodied, fruit forward wine with balanced acidity.

   Incidentally, I hear from unreliable sources that this wine was supposed to be the new chardoney back in the 80's, but Americans couldn't pronounce it so it flopped.
   
   Price tag: $ 12-$13
   
   
   
   
2. Xplorador 2007 Concha y Toro Malbec
   
   It's got a bouquet of almond and blackberries. Rich in tannins, it has a good acidity which makes your tongue sorta water. Dry, but could be a little more so. The Concha y Toro Vineyard is in the Mendoza Valley. The wine taste to me like to it is a Malbec worth 1.5x its price, which is why we buy it. Incidentally, they seemed to of switched at our discount liquor store to the 2008 with a new label. Great generic table wine.
   
   Price tag: $5-$6
   
   
3. Pinocchio 2007 Nero d'Avola
   
   I don't know too much, but it's good. It's got an IGT designation, which means it's considered good. The vineyard has apparently only been around for 7 years, which I don't know the name of. The producers are Dievole, a quality name in Italian wines. Did I mention it's good?
   
   I gave a glass to Ben Harbuck from the previous night, to which he responded it's one of the best wines he's ever tasted. The grape variety Nero d'Avola or the "Black of Avola" is pronounced "neh-roe dah-voe-lah" (think a think Italian accent) and is "generally" a more full bodied like a Syrah but can be done differently. In this case, treat it as a stronger wine. You can easily put it up with your London broil, to which it would complement nicely. It's more versatile than that though.
   
   Price tag: $13-$14
   
   
   
4. Montes 2007 Colchagua Valley Malbec
   
   I actually told Curtis not to buy this wine again, but he told me that he knew he liked it and knew it was good. And he's right, it is a good wine, but I'm not sure you can't get a better wine for the price. Still, Curt likes it and it is a part of the wines we regularly keep in stock.
   
   "Every so slightly sweet, and mild, but still had a great flavor" is how he describes it. It's got plenty of soft tannins, and goes good with meats and heavy sauces. With a solid structure, the Chilean wine probably has high wine ratings if one cares about such things. The flavor is oaky and plummy; the color is splendid. It was rated a best buy at our shop which was why I originally picked it up. I lost my notes for it, but if I remember right the legs are a little runny.
   
   Price tag: $8-$9
   
5. Trivento 2007 Mendoza Malbec
   
   This Argentinean wine has a great flavor, with even hints of coffee! It's primarily though got the oak cherrish taste. I love it. So does Curtis, unfortunately with the Montes war, I can't get him to just settle with this instead of the Montes so we can move on.
   
   Price tag: $7-$8
   
   

My Fantasy
Copain 2006 Kiser "En Haut" Pinot Noir

Trustworthy people tell me that it is badass. Price tag: $52.