Cellar Defender

So what is a cellar defender? Let’s say you have a couple of bottles (or a cellar full) of really good wine that you don’t want to share with someone that’s not going to appreciate it. Or maybe you’re just wine selfish, like me. In that case whip out a cellar defender. You’re gonna like it and they are gonna think that you are a great and generous host.

In our case the wines that we have in our cellar are typically $30-$60 a bottle. Not a lot of money by some standards, but I don’t want to open a $50 bottle for someone that would be just as happy with a 2 Buck Chuck. To be truthful I don’t pay the $30-$60 because I get them on-line on sale or direct from the winery with a wine club discount at typically $20-$30 a bottle, but that’s a different discussion for a different day.

IMHO a great cellar defender is almost anything bottled by Bogle. If you poured a Bogle and disguised the label most people, even wine knowledgeable people, would think they were drinking a much more expensive wine. Bogle makes zin, syrah and several different wines including some red blends. You can get them at most places that sell wine for $8-$12 per bottle. For a few bucks more you can get Bogle Phantom. The Phantom is a nice red blend that is almost a cult wine and is still under $20 a bottle. I don’t know how many cases we have had of the Phantom but it is several.

BTW I am writing this while the government is shut down, trying to destroy the economy, so I may have to defend the cellar from myself – better go get some Bogle.

Moschofilero

Curious minds want to know. Who is it that starts the use of an old word in a new way to start sentences? For a while, people, especially TV types, were using the word “look” to start a sentence. Now they are using the word “so” to start a sentence. My take is that it is a time filler while the person is getting his/her brain engaged to discuss whatever it is that they want to discuss.

But I digress. So, look, I’m pretty much a red wine bigot. In fact the bigger the wine the better it is. I’m not even real keen on wimpy light Oregon type Pinots. White wines?  No – no – no! Except on a really hot day like today. Then it has to be a really chilled crisp wine like a Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. Or a Boutari Moschofilero  from Greece. Wait – what?? Moschofilero?  

Here is the story – Susie and I were wandering through a wine tasting event sampling way too many reds. Somebody twisted our arm and made us try the Boutari Moschofilero. We both were kind of blown away by the taste which was very crisp, dry, flowery and spicy. Compared to a Sauv Blanc which can be kind of citrusy, so substitute spice for citrus. It is the kind of wine that makes you want to go sit on the deck with some cheese and fruit and work on your tan. I am told the grape grows especially well in the Peloponnese in Greece wherever that is (I just hope they have great grape growing weather). We bought a case that day and started sharing it with family members. Big mistake - now it’s all gone!

Not to worry though. I buy most of our wine online. A great source is Gary’s Wine Market in New Jersey. They have a couple thousand different wines, all on sale. Last I checked you could get either the Kim Crawford or the Boutari for about $15 and they ship to about anywhere (sometimes free).

So, I need to digress again. Did you ever go to a restaurant and buy a bottle of wine that you loved and tried to find it later? Google it! It is a good bet that you will be able to find it online for one half, one third or one fourth what the restaurant charges. IMHO a restaurant that charges more than 2X doesn’t deserve your wine business.

So, off my soapbox and onto Google to find some Moschofilero (mosco – FEE – larow) to take out to my deck.  

Joseph Phelps Wines - Insignia or Innisfree?

So you've probably heard of Joseph Phelps Insignia. You know, the huge Cabernet that tastes great and costs $200 a bottle at the winery or $500 in a restaurant. It usually is rated in the mid 90s by the wine wonks that taste the stuff for a living (what a job - how do I get hired?). Winemaker Ashley Hepworth's notes say - "the 2009 Insignia has a beautiful deep garnet with incredible depth and concentration. Aromas of freshly crushed blueberries and blackberries intertwined with baking spices, cigar box and attractive floral notes are followed by seamless tannins, texture and finish. This wine is focused and fresh, with a youthful showiness". It really is a great wine! I just don't want to take out a second mortgage to buy a bottle.

Joseph Phelps also does a Cabernet that is called Innisfree. They don't put the Joseph Phelps name on the label. I dunno why, they just don't. Maybe they're ashamed of it but I don't think so. Maybe they don't want the wine buyers confusing the two. Probably the latter. Guess what - the Innisfree can be bought over the Internet for $21 to $39 a bottle. Ashley Hopworth's notes on the 2009 Innisfree say - "this Cabernet Sauvignon has aromatic notes of raspberries, cherries, dried flowers and spice box followed by an approachable, harmonized, medium-bodied finish for enjoyment upon release". It really is a great wine! And, I don't have to take out a second mortgage to buy a bottle

I am told that the two wines are made with the same grapes but the Innisfree is made in a more approachable style, with less oak. The Insignia is made to be cellared for a lot of years. Wait, what?? I'm gonna spend all my money on a bottle of wine that I'm not gonna drink until I'm too old to enjoy it? That's not gonna happen.

Unless you're one of the aforementioned wine wonks I betcha if you did a side by side taste test you wouldn't be able to pick out the one that costs almost ten times more.

My advice - whip up a prime rib from my wife's recipe blog at http://susiesmonthlyrecipes.blogspot.com and open a bottle of Innisfree.