Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Wine Enthusiast’s Top 3 Best Buys

I see Wine Enthusiast magazine every once in a while but I have never really read it.  Wine magazines that I have looked at in the past have rarely contained wines that fit my budget parameters.  So, when someone forwarded me Wine Enthusiast’s List of Top 100 wines, I was curious.  Imagine my delight when I noticed that they also had a list of Top 100 Best Buys.  A few of the ones on the list I have already tried but when I got to the top, I noticed I had never tried any of the top 3.  So, I went out to my trusty Total Wine and picked them up to try.

I’ll start with number three which is Bogle’s 2010 Sauvignon Blanc.  Now this is my favorite varietal so I am always excited to try a new one.  According to the list, this wine retails for around $9 which was spot on.  I got it for $8.99.  It had a very pleasant nose with hints of citrus zest.  It was very clean and crisp, just the way I like it, with a lovely citrus taste.  I also detected a hint of tropical fruit.  I sampled the wine alone but Bogle recommends pairing it with appetizers and light dishes like fish and shellfish as well as goat cheese and fruit salsas.  I will definitely be trying some of those pairings.

Number two on the list was a 2009 Protocolo Tempranillo by Dominio de Eguren.  I wasn’t sure if I would be able to find this one but luckily, Total Wine has a large selection of Spanish wines.  Again, the list was spot on with the price.  It said the wine retails for $7 and I got it for $6.99.  The nose had strong berry flavors, mainly raspberry, with an herbal hint.  It had a very fruity flavor that was pleasant on the palate.  It had a bit of spice, which I like.  I think it would go well with any spicy red meat dish.

And last but not least, the number one pick was a 2010 Riesling by Pacific Rim.  The list said this wine retails for around $10 but Total Wine had it for $8.99.  I haven’t had Riesling in quite some time so it was nice to try a new one.  It had a nose of tropical fruit and melon which I also detected in the taste.  These flavors were intertwined with a hint of spice.  It was very crisp and not too sweet which I found very pleasant since some Rieslings can be very sweet.  Recommended pairings were spicy foods, richer foods and even fish.

I had to agree that these wines were all very good and the prices couldn’t be beat.  If you are interested in seeing the rest of the list, you can find it here and you will also find links to their other top 100 lists.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

I'm going to have to start perusing around here. I'm giving wine another chance in my life.

Mrs. One Day said...

I'm not able to drink very much anymore because of all the meds I'm on, but this is super helpful. I have very limited knowledge of wine and I have a very limited amount of money. Win/win!

Red wine tends to give me migraines. I read that if you drink red wine from the old country, this isn't a problem. Does that sound right to you?

Erin said...

If you have a Total Wine near you DEFINITELY check there for a lot of these wines.  Their prices and selection are AWESOME.  I rarely list anything more than around $12.  There are TONS of good wines for under that price.

Erin said...

I have heard that...something to do with the sulfites, I guess.  But I don't get a headache from wine so I've never tried it.  I think there are sulfite free wines out there too but I have no idea how good they are.  My hubby gets headaches from white wine so maybe he shhould try it.

wine sales said...

That's a good try. Your top 3 wines are really those hottest in the market. These are all a bit affordable. Thanks for giving the link for the rest of the list.