Assorted Summer Sippers for Under $20

Some assorted wines for under $20 that we have enjoyed at our house this summer. I misplaced a receipt so some prices are approximate.

2008 De Chanceny Brut Excellence Vouvray - Good bubbles. Aromas of lemon and earth. Dry, full body, high acid, medium alcohol sparkler with lemon pith flavor and a medium length mineral finish. It was a delightful aperitif poolside before dinner and was quickly consumed. Recommended, $17 at Whole Foods.

2009 Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Gris - Dry, medium acidity, medium alcohol, medium body with light floral aromas and medium intense flavors of pear and melon with a medium length finish. Recommended, Nice with grilled tilapia. $17 at Kroger's.

2010 Flora Springs "Soliloquy Vineyard" Oakville Sauvignon Blanc - Dry, medium acidity, medium body with medium- aromas and flavors of melon with a medium- length citrusy finish. Tasted a bit tired initially, it was better with dinner- panko-crusted tilapia with a fresh mango/jalapeno sauce. $19 at Kroger's

2009 Flora Springs Chardonnay Napa Valley - Dry, medium body, medium acidity with tropical flavors and a hint of vanilla in the medium length finish. Served with grilled grouper and consumed quickly. Recommended, $19 at Spec's

2009 Four Vines Naked Chardonnay Santa Barbara County - Dry, medium+ acidity, medium body, un-oaked, light fruity flavors of pear, peach with a bit of pineapple and a medium+ length finish. Recommended, $13 at HEB

2010 Artazuri Garnacha Navarra, Spain - Looks like Cherry Kool-aid in the glass. Dry, medium body, medium acidity, light tannins with aromas and flavors of tart berries in a medium- length finish. Very simple, good with a store-bought rotisserie chicken. Recommended. About $12 at Whole Foods.
2010 Domaine des Perelles Morgon, France - The cork broke on this one and part of it ended up in the bottle so it was poured through a strainer. Despite the traumatic beginning, it was finished very quickly. Dry, medium body, medium+ acidity, rich ripe raspberry aromas and cherry pie flavors with a medium+ length finish. Also really good with a store-bought rotisserie chicken and macaroni with an Edam cheese sauce. Recommended. Approximately $15 at Whole Foods.

2009 H&G Pinot Noir Central Otago, New Zealand - Sheer ruby color. Dry, medium body, medium+ acidity, light tannins, raspberry and cherry aromas and flavors with a bit of spice in the medium+ length finish. We had this after dinner one evening while watching TV and it disappeared very quickly. Recommended. About $15 at Whole Foods.

2009 Bonterra Zinfandel Medocino - Organic, I wanted to love it but I didn't. Nothing exciting just acceptable. Served with BBQ sandwiches. $10 at Whole Foods.

Lust Zinfandel 2007

My husband loves this wine so he purchased quite a few bottles at a recent Michael~David dinner that we had attended. Last night, I decided to open a bottle to serve with dinner. I was making a roasted southwestern pork tenderloin, sweet potato fries (w/ chipolte ketchup) and a salad consisting of baby lettuce (fresh from my garden) with strawberries, red bell peppers, red onions and walnuts tossed with a white balsamic-raspberry vinaigrette. This turned out to be a great pairing. It is a bold wine that really stood up to the strong chipolte seasoning while complementing the fruit flavors. I opened the bottle a 1/2 hour before I served it as I have found this wine to be more enjoyable when I do so. The Lust Zinfandel by Michael~David 2007 was a dark purple color with a ruby rim. It has intense aromas of very ripe mixed berries and baking spices-both allspice and ginger with hints of cedar. It has flavors of creme de cassis, milk chocolate and also more of the baking

Nocera - A Native Grape from Sicily

Nocera is a native grape from Sicily. It comes from the Messina province which is located in the northeast. Nocera is a quality red wine grape that is most known as a blender in the red wines of the Faro DOC. I had the opportunity to taste some pure versions (which according to Wine Searcher are rare) this week at a trade tasting held at Roma Restaurant in Houston. Wine production in the region dates back to the 14th Century BC, however, phylloxera decimated the vineyard area in 1881 leaving it at a fraction of its original size. The area boasts a Mediterranean climate with sunny days and coastal breezes, moderate rainfall, and mild winters, all ideal for grape growing. The Nocera grape is a bluish/black color and has a thick skin which allows for the production of structured wines with prominent tannins which are balanced by good acidity. High alcohol is common. Red wines produced from the grapes are an intense ruby color with purple highlights and aromas and flavors of dark fruits a

The Salta Tour 2012

Vine Connections and Pioneer Wine Company hosted a seminar and tasting event for Houston's wine trade and media at Backstreet Cafe yesterday. All but two of the wines were from the Salta Province of Argentina. Salta is the most northern wine region in Argentina lying close to the Bolivian border. The climate is very extreme due to the high altitude. Plantings start at 5,000 feet above sea level and climb to 9,000 feet, making these vineyards the highest in the world. The intense sunlight the area receives helps to create grapes with more anthocyanins, these are the color pigments which result in softer tannins, lower astringency and more intense flavor. The wines produced are extremely pure, concentrated and terroir specific. Torrontes Riojano which is considered the best of the three Torrontes clones is the most widely planted grape with plantings of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Tannat increasing. The seminar started with a tasting of four Torrontes wines, three from diff

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