2016: Top Ten Wines Under $15

What were some of my favorite wines of the past year?

As 2017 approaches, it's time once again to reflect upon the past year, to remember and savor many pleasant memories. As 2016 winds down, I'll be posting my annual series of Favorite Lists over the next few weeks, covering food, wine, sake and spirits. These lists should provide a comprehensive summary of my favorites from this past year, allowing my readers to more readily locate such gems, the best of my recommendations.

My first Favorites List of 2016 is my Top Ten Wines Under $15. This list includes wines that not only did I enjoy, but which I also found to be particularly compelling for various reasons. They might be especially delicious, something more unique or just excellent values for the price. They all stand out, for some particular reason, above the other wines at this price point that I have tasted this past year.

This is a purely subjective list, based on my own preferences, and makes no claims about being the "best" wines out there. It is primarily the wines which spoke to me the loudest, even when they were subtle wines. These are all wines that I strongly recommend and which I believe many other wine lovers would also enjoy.

The wines are not listed in any particular order and each choice is linked to my more detailed prior review. All of these value wines are worth your consideration but please also note that the prices are approximations and the actual price may vary in your area. In addition, some of the wines might not be available in your local area, though you might be able to order them from the winery or an online store, dependent on your state's shipping laws.

1) 2014 La Gitana Blanco ($14.99)
From the D.O. Vinos de la tierra de Cadiz, this wine is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and old vine Palomino. The wine also spent about 7-8 months on the lees in Manzanilla Sherry barrels. In short, this wine is absolutely delicious with lots of complexity and character. It is rich and elegant, with excellent acidity and a delightful melange of fruit flavors, including apple, pear and some tropical fruit notes. There is also a briny streak throughout the wine, likely due to spending time in Manzanilla casks. This is definitely an impressive value wine, which would be enjoyable on its own or paired with food.

2) 2013 Georgian Valleys Saperavi ($14.99)
From the country of Georgia, this wine is made from 100% Saperavi, an ancient grape, and about 15% of this wine saw some oak aging. It presents as a fruity and easy drinking wine, with hints of spice. The juicy black fruit flavors are accented with some vanilla. This would be a good choice with burgers and ribs, hearty dishes whether in the winter or summer. You'll be seeing more Georgian wines on my other Top Ten lists.

3) 2013 Herdade Paco de Conde Tinto ($9.99)
Another excellent value wine from Portugal, this is a blend of Aragonez, Trincadeira, Alicante Bouschet and Touriga Nacional. Spending about three months in French and American oak, it possesses an appealing nose of earthiness and black fruit. The wine is smooth and dry, with an intense melange of flavors, including black cherry, ripe plum, spice and earthy accents. It is an overachiever, presenting so much more complexity and character than most other wines at this price point. At this price, you should buy it by the case so you always have a bottle on hand.

4) 2010 Quinta do Penedo Dão Red ($13.99)
Another value wine from Portugal, it is a blend of Touriga Nacional and Alfrocheiro. On the nose, this wine has a strong earthy aroma with spicy accents. On the palate, it is a big wine with plenty of earthy notes, big spice and black fruit flavors. This is clearly a food wine, best with a hearty dish like a thick steak or a fettuccine ragu.

5) 2014 Bodegas Taron Rosado ($9.99)
Bodegas Taron is a cooperative of four Spanish towns in the Rioja Alta region and this Rosado is a blend of 50% Viura and 50% Garnacha. It presents as a crisp, light, and dry rosé with delicious bright flavors of strawberry and cherry. Simply delicious and easy drinking, perfect on its own or paired with food. And at this price, it is a killer value too.

6) 2011 Colliano Ribolla Gialla ($13)
This Slovenian wine is produced by Goriska Brda, a cooperative that was established in 1957. It is made from 100% Ribolla Gialla and has a slightly funky nose. It will please your palate with its fruity flavors, including some peach and citrus flavors, as well as herbal notes and a touch of earthiness. A very intriguing flavor profile and at this price point, it is a good value.

7) 2015 Kir Yianni Akakies Rosé ($14.99)
A Greek Rosé, this wine is made from 100% Xinomavro and under went about 3 months sur lie and batonnage. With a bright pink color, I find this Rosé to be crisp, dry, and full bodied with bright strawberry flavors as well as some savory, herbal notes, especially on the finish. It is clean and refreshing, an excellent summer wine, yet which would not be out of place during the winter either. It would pair well with seafood dishes, from oysters to sushi, as well as roast chicken and even pizza.

8) 2015 Cantina Santa Maria La Palma Aragosta Vermentino di Sardegna ($11.99)
From the Italian island of Sardinia, this is a very popular value Vermentino and there is a good reason why that is so. Made from 100% Vermentino, it is crisp and bright, with a prominent fruity taste of apples and pear, with almond notes. An easy drinking, but not simple, wine, this would pair well with many different seafood dishes, as well as other foods, from chicken to cheese.

9) 2014 Cantina Santa Maria La Palma La Bombarde Cannonau di Sardegna DOC ($11.99) From the same producer as the previous wine, this is made from 100% Cannonau, which you might better know as Grenache. With a medium red color, this wine has a compelling fruity aroma, and on the palate you get bold flavors of strawberry and cherry, with mildly spicy notes though the wine sees no oak. It is easy drinking and smooth, dry and robust, with a moderately long finish. This would be an excellent wine with pork and other meats, hard cheeses and fish such as salmon and tuna.

10) 2015 Hacienda Lopez de Haro Tempranillo ($9.99)
This is a delicious Spanish wine, made from 100% Tempranillo from vines which are 50-70 years old. The wine was aged for 3-5 months in new oak and I find it to be bright and fresh, with plenty of cherry and red fruit flavors, accented by mild spice notes, giving it plenty of complexity for a wine at this price point. It is easy drinking and delicious, a burger and pizza wine, and is an excellent value.

Six countries made the list this year, as opposed to seven last year. Spain took the lead with three spots on the list, and Portugal & Italy both occupied two spots. Greece, Slovenia & Georgia each had one spot on the list. The first six wines on this list were all tasted at the Boston Wine Expo, an event where I often find a number of excellent value wines. There are no real surprises on this list, though I'll note you probably start seeing more Georgian wines on local shelves as more people find the treasures being produced in that country. As for wine types, the list is also broken down into 3 Whites, 5 Reds and 2 Rosé. Last year, there weren't any Rosés on the list.

I have other recommendations for wines under $15 on my blog and you just have to search for them. You can find value wines all over the world, in every region, though some regions provide a greater range and diversity of value wines. It is important to remember that though wine stores sell plenty of wines in this price range, not all of them are of equal value. Wines in this price range do not have to be one-dimensional wines that all taste the same.

You can find wines of character and complexity, though you might need to spend a little more time seeking them out. Wine blogs can help you in that regard, pointing out wines that you might not otherwise know about. Tasting the wines before you buy them is another way to find such values. Or simply ask your trusted wine store staff for advice and suggestions. For more advice on finding value wines, please check out my prior article on the subject.

If you have some of your own recommendations for excellent wines under $15, please add them to the comments.

Boston Wine Expo: Portugal, Spain, & Slovenia

Here are an assortment of wines I enjoyed at the Boston Wine Expo, including wines from Portugal, Spain, & Slovenia. These are all wines worthy of attention, wines which wine lovers should seek out and enjoy.

Ole Imports, a partnership between Patrick Mata and Alberto Orte, imports an excellent portfolio of primarily Spanish wines and I have previously enjoyed a number of their selections. At the Vintner's Reserve Lounge, they presented two wines which thoroughly impressed me.

The 1995 Caves Sao Joao Poco do Lobo Branco ($34.99) is a Portuguese wine made from 100% Arinto. This is the first time I've ever had an Arinto wine this old, and for a 21 year old wine, it is priced reasonably, especially considering its quality. The wine is made in an oxidative style and reminded me very much of an aged Sherry. It had crisp acidity, with citrus flavors, briny notes, herbal accents, and a strong umami component. It is complex and intriguing, with a lengthy finish, and should continue to age well for at least several more years. An impressive wine that I highly recommend.

Another impressive wine was the 2012 Ultreia St. Jacques Mencia ($29.99) produced by Bodegas y Viñedos Raúl Pérez. The name of this wine, Ultreia, means "onward" and is in honor of the numerous pilgrims who traveled by this site over the centuries. The Mencia grapes for this wine come from a single eight-acre, organic vineyard in Bierzo, which was planted in 1889, so the grapes are pre-phylloxera. It is fermented with wild yeasts, partially in stainless steel, barrique and oak vats, and then is aged in 1,500 liter oak vats for about eight months.

This Mencia is elegant and subtle, not a wine of power, and is something to slowly savor to revel in its complex and intriguing melange of flavors. With fresh fruit flavors of raspberry and black cherry, there are spicy elements, a touch of earthiness, and herbal accents. There is so much going on in each sip and I was quite taken with its taste. And at this price, it is a steal for a wine of such complexity and quality. I paired this Mencia with Duck Tostadas and it was an excellent pairing. Highly recommended.

Bodegas Taron is a cooperative of four Spanish towns in the Rioja Alta region. The 2014 Bodegas Taron Rosado is a blend of 50% Viura and 50% Garnacha and presents as a crisp, light, and dry rosé with delicious bright flavors of strawberry and cherry. Simply delicious and easy drinking, perfect on its own or paired with food. And at about $10, this is a killer value too.

Martinez Lacuesta, founded in 1895, is another winery in the Rioja region, and they also make one of my favorite Vermouths too.  The 2014 Martinez Lacuesta Rosado is made from 100% Garnacha and is also crisp, dry and light though it has juicier red fruit flavors than the Taron. And at about $11, it is also an excellent value.

Laureate Imports brings in Slovenian wines from the Goriska Brda, a cooperative that was established in 1957. The cooperative has about 1200 hectares of vineyards planted with Ribolla Gialla (27%), Merlot (20%), Chardonnay (16%) and Sauvignonasse, formerly known as Tocai Friulano (12%). You'll also find in the vineyards an assortment of other grapes, including Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Noir, Shiraz and the indigenous Pikolit and Verduc. Two of their wines stood out to me, both of which only 1200 cases were produced.

The 2011 Colliano Ribolla Gialla ($14-$17) is made from 100% Ribolla Galla and has a 13% ABV.  With a slightly funky nose, it will please your palate with its fruity flavors, including some peach and citrus flavors, as well as herbal notes and a touch of earthiness. A very intriguing flavor profile and at this price point, it is a good value. The NV Colliano Peneca Rebula ($14-$17) is a Sparkling wine, made in the Charmat method, from 100% Ribolla Gialla and at only 12.5% ABV. It is crisp and dry with tasty green apple and melon flavors and a hint of toastiness. A pleasant sparkling wine at a good price point.

Bronwyn Restaurant: Schnitzel, Spatzle, & Stickum

I've long felt that T.W. Food, owned by Tim and Bronwyn Wiechmann, is one of the most underappreciated restaurants in the Boston area. When many people discuss the best restaurants in the area, T.W. Food doesn't often seem to garner a mention, despite being more than worthy for the accolade. Their new restaurant, Bronwyn, though seems to be getting much more attention and press. And once again, I believe they have created a winning restaurant.

Bronwyn, located in the Union Square region of Somerville, features the cuisine and drinks of Germany and greater Central and Eastern Europe. The restaurant has a patio, their biergarten, an inside bar area, and a dining room. Last week, Adam (of Wine Zag) and I stopped there for dinner after a Cognac tasting. It was our first time dining there, but certainly won't be the last. We sat at the bar, sampling several dishes and tasting some of the cocktails and wine offerings. We were both impressed and look forward to checking out the rest of the menu.

They have a full liquor license so you can order one of their special cocktails, priced $9-$12, or a Haus Cocktail, which are numbered 1-9, and priced $10-$12. I began the meal with an Eins Haus Cocktail, which contains Old Overholt Rye, Nux Alpina Walnut, Dolin Rouge Vermouth, Boston Bittahs, and St. Elizabeth Allspice. A spicy and complex cocktail, it was a strong way to start the evening.

The Drinks Menu also contains over 40 beers, from Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Poland, Switzerland, and the US, with plenty to intrigue and please the beer lover. There are around 11 wines available by the glass ($8-$12) and about 34 by the bottle. The bottled wines, with a good portion under $50, generally come from Germany, Austria, Italy, and Slovenia. You'll find Zweigelt and Blaufrankisch, Riesling and Gruner Veltliner, and plenty of other interesting wines.

The Food Menu begins with a Prix Fixe option, 4 Courses for $45 per person ($29 for Beer & Wine pairing). There are then about 10 Starters ($5-$12), 9 Mains ($17-$32), 4 Sides ($5 each), and Haus-Made Wurst (Mini plate for $14 with 2 sausages, potatoes, sauer krat or the Giant plate for $27 with 6 sausages). There are some specials, including their own take on the Burger and Hot Dog. Despite all the emphasis on meat, there are even vegetarian and vegan options. In addition, they serve Brunch on the weekends.

After enjoying a cocktail, we had a glass of the 2013 Schloss Gobelsburg, “Cistercian,” Rosé ($11), made primarily from Zweigelt though a bit of St.Laurent may have been added. It was crisp, clean and dry with subtle red fruit flavors, reminding me of Provence-style Rosé.  Delicious and easy drinking, this is an excellent food wine too.

As for Starters, we began with the Pierogi ($11), two large house-made Pierogi, filled with ham and cheddar cheese, and topped by a sweet pea relish and mint. With a crispy, fried exterior, the interior fillings were creamy and flavorful. This dish is certainly different from other pierogi dishes I have eaten, but there's nothing wrong with that.

Another Starter, which is not on their online menu, was Coppa atop toasted bread with red onions. Another tasty dish, the coppa was tender, with just enough saltiness and spice, and was like an open faced sandwich. This would have made an excellentt lunch sandwich.

We also had a Mini Wurst Plate ($14) with a couple sausages, accompanied by a side, the Gurken Salat ($5). I actually don't recall which sausages we got, but I remember they both were delicious, though different. One was a more traditional sausage, while the other was round, almost like a mini-sausage patty. The potatoes with the sausages had a crunchy exterior, but were soft and fluffy inside. The Gurken Salat were essentially thinly sliced pickles, and were addictive.

We moved on to a bottle of the the 2010 Movia Rebula ($63), produced from 100% Ribolla from vines that have an average age of 66 years. This is an intriguing "orange" wine, with a complex blend of minerality, spice, apricot, apple and more. It is crisp with a lengthy and pleasing finish. I have enjoyed a number of other Movia wines, but this Rebula was new to me. It is an impressive wine, and paired well with the food to come, especially the white anchovies!

Moving onto Mains, the Schnitzel à la Holstein ($24) had two pork schnitzels topped by a garbanzo bean ragoût, a soft boiled egg, capers and white anchovies. The pork was tender and flavorful, with a nice crunch to the coating, and its flavor was enhanced by the egg. A hearty dish, this should satisfy most diners.

I was especially impressed with the Spätzle ($19), a classic Schwabian pasta with asparagus, red onion marmalade, and Comté cheese. Great comfort food, with perfectly cooked pasta and plenty of melted cheese enhancing the dish. If I had eaten only this Spätzle, I would have been more than satisfied. This is a dish I highly recommend.

The Dessert Menu has 4 choices ($8 each), and we ordered the German Chocolate Cake, which has almonds, coconut, and a vanillensauce. Sweet and decadent, this is a fine way to end your meal. A nice blend of flavors and textures, it is worth saving a bit of room after your meal to order this dish. And it is large enough to share.

With dessert, we tried the Stickum Uerige, a fascinating beer eau-de-vie, also known as "beer brandy" or "bierschnaps." Bronwyn carries three of their products, the Stickum Uerige, Original ($22), Stickum Uerige, Château d’Yquem Barrel ($25) and Stickum Uerige Plus, Port Wine Oak Barrel ($27). These are very limited production spirits, and it seems they commonly sell for $150-$200 a bottle, which explains the price per glass.

The Château d’Yquem still possesses a flavor of beer, combined with notes of honey, dried fruit and floral elements. My preference was the Port Wine, which had almost no beer flavor, but plenty of concentration, depth and complexity. It does show Port wine characteristics, but you also realize that it is more than Port. There is enough acidity to balance the sweetness, and this may be my new favorite method of drinking beer.

Overall, I had an excellent dinner at Bronwyn, and very much look forward to dining there again. The flavors are compelling, the drinks are interesting, and service was excellent. I think the food is fairly priced for the quantity and quality. Check out Bronwyn for some Schnitzel, Spatzle, & Stickum!

Las Vegas: Bubble-Licious

Champagne, Cava, Prosecco, Sparkling Wines. Don't we all enjoy a bit of bubbly sometimes? We may most often drink bubbly at special occasions. But we can enjoy it at any time. It makes for a great apertif to start any meal. Or just to sit and enjoy some with friends. There is no need to wait for a holiday or special time. Just enjoy!

As mentioned previously, the 34th Annual UNLVino wine tasting events were held in Las Vegas from April 3-5, 2008. Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada, in partnership with the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration, hosted the events. One of those events presented plenty of Champagne and Sparkling wines.

The first UNLVino event, held on April 3, was Bubble-Licious , a tasting of over 70 Champagnes and Sparkling wines. It was held at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Unfortunately, I was only able to stop by briefly at this event due to my dinner reservations. Luckily my reservations were for Nobu, which is at the Hard Rock, so I was close to the festivities.

Bubble-Licious was held from 7pm-10pm, which is somewhat in the middle of dinner time, especially if you are planning a longer meal such as a tasting menu or omakase. I would have preferred if the times for the event were different, either earlier, such as 4pm-7pm, or later, such as 9pm-12pm. I was unable to attend the second UNLVino event, Auss-Some and Then Some!, on Friday because it fell in the middle of my dinner reservation.

Bubble-Licious was an impressive event with plenty of available Champagnes and Sparkling wines from all over the world, including South Africa, Japan, Italy, France, Washington, Australia, California, Germany, Oregon, Israel, Spain, and Slovenia. They even had a large table of food. If you were looking for a light dinner, you probably just could have eaten here. It was a well attended event though it still avoided being overly crowded. I actually had no problems reaching the tables where I wanted to taste.

Because of my limited time, I only stopped at two tables. First, was a table of Sparkling Saké from Japan. Second, were some Sparkling wines from Slovenia. Because of my limited time, I wanted to try something different and felt that Slovenian wines would fit that bill. Plus, I am a major fan of Saké so find it hard to resist trying new Saké.

The Saké table was near the front of the room so it certainly stood out to me. The table was manned by representatives from Banzai Beverage Group, which was established in 2003 and is headquartered in Los Angeles. They import from Japan numerous types of Saké as well as Shochu. Three of their offerings stood out to me.

The Tsuki Usagi ("Moon Rabbit") Sparkling Saké is made by the Ume No Yado brewery in the mountain region of Nara in Japan. This Saké is a Junmai and only has an alcohol content of 7%, making it very low in alcohol. The Saké appears a bit cloudy in the bottle, almost like a Nigori. It is crisp and refreshing on the palate, with a touch of sweetness. It only has a touch of effervescence so the carbonation does not overwhelm. This makes for an interesting apertif or a drink for a warm, summer day.

Hoshiusagi ("Star Rabbit") Blueberry Infused Sparkling Saké is also made by the Ume No Yado brewery. There are numerous infused Sakés that come in a variety of fruit flavors. Sometimes they tend to be overly sweet but the Star Rabbit was not like that. It had a nice blueberry flavor with only a touch of sweetness that did not overwhelm. The effervescence helped make it crisp and refreshing. A nice alternative on a warm summer day or even a Saké you could pair with certain desserts. Maybe even try pouring some over ice cream.

Okunomatsu Junmai Daiginjo Formula Nippon Sparkling Saké is intended to be a very serious Sparkling wine, something intended to compete with top Champagnes. Because it is a Daiginjo, we know that it is made from the highest quality Saké. Formula Nippon is Japan's answer to Formula One racing, similar in many ways but with its own unique differences. Rather than celebrating the winner of Formula Nippon with Champagne, one company wanted to create a Sparkling Saké that would take its place. And thus was born this Saké.

The Saké has an alcohol content of about 13% and would retail for over $100. That is certainly a usual price for a high-level Daiginjo. It had a bit of a milky color and a rice/yeast aroma. It definitely felt more like Champagne in your mouth, with intriguing and sometimes subtle fruit flavors. Yet it still possessed a unique Saké flavor. This was a very intriguing Sparkling Saké which should impress. I think it would compare well to Champagne at that price point.

I then moved on to the Spirits of Serendipity Imports table where they were presenting Sparkling wine from Slovenia. Spirits of Serendipity Imports has a focus on sustainable and organic products. Their first product line is Bubbly, their Sparkling wine from Slovenia.

Bubbly is estate grown, produced and bottled by hand in Slovenia, very close to the Austrian border. The vineyards, called Radgonska gorice, have a long history. The first Sparkling wine made in Slovenia was produced in 1852 by Alojz Klenosek. After spending several years working in the Champagne region of France, Klenosek returned to Slovenia, specifically to Styria, a mountainous region stretching from the south of Vienna. He then began to make Sparkling wine which because quite popular. For thirty years, he toiled away producing this wine until in 1882, when he lost his vineyards in a card game to Clotar Bouvier. Bouvier, a powerful and wealthy banker, increased the size of the vineyards. He continued to produce the famous Sparkling wine as well.

Presently, Radgonska gorice vineyard is owned by three local Slovenian investors and operated by share-holding employees. Spirits of Serendipity Imports visited Slovenia and were impressed with their Sparkling wine. The first batch of their new Bubbly came to the U.S. in
December 2006.

There are three types of Bubbly, including the Bubbly Luck, Bubbly Bliss and Bubbly Lovely. Presently, Bubbly may not be available in Massachusetts. It is primarily available in California and Nevada though I am sure its distribution will continue to spread across the country. They are marketing towards a younger, hipper crowd, especially as they are working on a draft variety of their Bubbly.

Their Bubbly Luck is made from 50% Welschriezling, 30% Furmint, and 20% Chardonnay. Welschriezling is not actually related to the Riesling grape. It is grown in both Austria and Slovenia. It is also known by other names, in different countries, including Laski Rizling, Olasz Rizling, Rizling Vlassky and Riesling Italico. It has long had a negative reputation for making poort quality wines but that is undeserved. Furmint, with its homeland in Hungary, is another grape you may be unfamiliar with but which can make excellent wines. Bubbly Luck is available in either Sec or Demi-Sec varieties.

I sampled some of the Demi-Sec. This was an unusual Sparkling wine with a very exotic nose and taste. There were unique spice notes on both the nose and palate, as well as less common fruit flavors. It seemed to me to have more tropical fruit flavors, not the usual suspects. I could not put my finger on the exact nature of several of the flavors. On the familiar side, there was some grapfruit and and almost peach flavors, as well as a tinge of a yeasty side. I enjoyed this, especially because it was so different. The unique flavors made you concentrate more on the wine, trying to discern what you were tasting. At around $15, this would be a good value choice that would be sure you get your friends talking about it.

The Bubbly Bliss is a more traditional Sparkling wine, made from 100% Chardonnay in the Method Champenoise. It is available in Brut Natural, Brut, Sec and Demi-Sec varieties. I tasted the Brut and it definitely was very similar to many Champagnes. It had those butter and oak flavors with a touch of yeast. You also get fruit flavors of apples and melon. Overall, a decent Sparkling wine but nothing out of the ordinary. It tastes like dozens of similar Champagnes. At about $28, it is probably reasonably priced for what you get though I don't consider it a value.

The Bubbly Lovely is also a more traditional Sparkling wine, made from 100% Pinot Noir in the Method Champenoise. It is available in Sec and Brut varieties. I tasted the Sec and was more impressed with this wine than the Bubbly Bliss. This wine seemed more interesting, with a livelier character than the Bubbly Bliss, despite it being more traditional as well. It had good fruit flavors or red apple, strawberry and raspberry. The touch of sweetness enhanced the flavors without being cloying. It had less of a yeasty taste and was more creamy and smooth. I very much enjoyed this wine and at about $40, this is a reasonable buy.

The Bubbly Luck most impressed me because of its unique tastes. It certainly does not taste like a typical Champagne or Sparkling wine. And at about $15, it is a very good value too. The Bubbly Bliss and Lovely both show that Slovenia can make more traditional Champagne-like wines. Though the Bliss seems too much like everything else on the market. The Lovely though asserts its own character which I prefer.

Overall, Bubble-Licious was a fun event and I do wish I had spent more time there. But, I did get to taste some good wines and I look forward to attending next years's event.