The slowing economy, coupled with an overproduction of grapes and awareness of the health benefits of drinking a glass a day, all add up to good news for wine lovers.
“You can get a better bottle of wine for twenty dollars today then you could last year,” said Bill Candela, wine Pal at Lisa.fm, Leading Edge Talk Radio. “If you know how to read a label and you know what to look for, you can find a fabulous wine and not pay that much money for it.”
When shopping for a good deal on wines, Candela suggests checking the label for the following: vintage (year), although wines under twenty dollars are typically produced ready to drink; Appalachian (region) Napa Valley, Sonoma Lodi, Paso Robles are all good homes for California wines; Designated Vineyard: if the label lists a specific vineyard, this means that the majority of grapes were grown at that place.
It will also help to be familiar with the area that your favorite wine comes from. For instance, the Niagara region of Canada has become well known for its ice (sweet white) wines.
“The hottest thing going right now in California is Paso Robles (central coast of CA),” said Candela, adding, “Zinfandels are one of their primary varietals. Rhone blends, French wine varietals that are grown in California. You can find a lot of those under twenty dollars today. They may be Mouvedra, Grenache/Tempranillo-blended or straight Grenache.”
Candela says another hot area for California wine today is Lodi. “Lodi used to be a bulk area; they would sell their grapes to producers. Now, there are nearly a dozen wineries in the area, and they’re doing very well.”
“I had a tasting from a very small winery called Lapis Luna. They had a Zinfandel called Romanza that we retail for $13.99 (at WadesWines) that was absolutely incredible. It’s become one of my favorites.”
To get the best flavor from any bottle of wine, Candela suggests decanting it. This will allow the wine to breathe, bringing out the flavor nuances. Decanting can be as simple as pouring the bottle of wine into a pitcher or bowl (just be sure to have a funnel handy to pour the wine back into the bottle!).
One mistake many people make with wine is that they drink it too cold, said Candela. “People often serve white wines way too cold. Your refrigerator is about 40 degrees. Most white wines should be served around 60 to 65 degrees.” He suggests serving even white wine at about room temperature. “If it’s so cold you can’t taste anything, you’re really cheating yourself.”
For more wine tips,tune in to the Lisa.fm Wine Podcast with Bill Candela.
