Two-Buck Jacques?

So apparently France is having this huge surplus-of-wine problem this season.

Think millions of gallons of mourvedre. No kidding.

The exports just ain't happening and wine consumption in France is way down. WAY down, as in from 130 bottles per person per year to 75 bottles per person per year (that's the way NPR quotes it).

So what's a nation to do with all of that extra booze?

Sell it off cheap? (please oh please oh please)

Ok, that would never happen. It just doesn't make economic sense. If you paid $5.00 for a bottle of French bordeaux one year.. and then the next the same bottle of French bordeaux from the same label was selling it for $15.00, would you buy it? (I mean, $15.00 isn't bad, but just for argument's sake).

I guess the French see it that way too, so they're taking lots of measures to boost sales, and turning most of that surplus into industrial grade alcohol for industrial use, like converting it into fuel. (whatever industrial grade alcohol is used for) (and no, Bacardi 151 isn't industrial grade. although it sure tastes like it should be).

The sad part of it all is that many of the small vintners will most likely be out of business at the end of all this. not to mention all those gallons of wine.

And most sad of all.... no Two-Buck Jacques for us.

Georgia on my mind

WNC here --

Russia has decided to ban Georgian wine (not the American state, silly, the one in Eastern Europe). 

Georgia, Georgia...

I'll take your wine.  It sounds delectable -- sweet, red wine?  Delish.

I've never had Georgian wine, but now I'm curious to try.

Here's a blurb on Georgia:

"On the eastern border of the Black Sea adjacent to the Caucasus Mountain range rests a country of 5 million people on a land rich in history, agriculture, literature, and SUPERB WINE.......the Republic of Georgia.

Formerly a member of the Soviet Union, Georgia has a long history of winemaking. In fact, many people believe that the word "wine" is of Georgian origin. Ancient wine vessels dating back to 5000 B.C., recently unearthed by scientists, offer evidence to support this theory.

Georgia's moderate climate and moist air, influenced by the Black Sea, provide the best conditions for vine culturing. This small country is home to over 500 varieties of wine, which have been enjoyed by Georgians, Russians and many Europeans."

With the new ban, since Russia once imported over 90% of Georgia's wine, we are at an excellent position to access this wine at, I'm speculating, very, very reasonable prices.

Give it a try and so will I!

Dry Spell

Between school and work, it's hard for WhineNCheese and I to find time to let our tippling selves run free... but I just picked up a Gaetano D'Aquino Asti Spumante on Sunday.

I burst through the front door and screamed "Let's drink!" and waved the bottle around while simultaneously hopping in efforts to take my boots off. WhineNCheese just looked at me and said.. "but I'm studying" and shook her head incredulously.

To my defense. it had been a very hard week. A very very hard week.

But no review for now because I can't go against my better conscience and be a bad influence on my dear Whine.

but soon. very very soon.

And I just have to note. That WhineNCheese and I are oenophiles. but very budget-concious oenophiles (read "starving students who like drink"). Expensive wines are all well and good, and throwing down $50-100+ a bottle on a dinner (where you really really need to impress her, her family, or your guest, whatever) is fine. God knows there are enough people out there lauding the "complex qualities and mouth feel" of whatever $XXXXX wine. But sometimes you just want something to drink while you hang out with friends, or something to drink with a meal, or a crowd pleaser that's going to get a lot of people to warm up and have fun, all without gouging into your rent money.

And yes. there really are great wines for the price out there! And WhineNCheese and I have taken on the arduous task of drinking all of these and letting you know exactly what we think (sigh. it's a dirty job. but someone has to do it)

Expensive.. does not necessarily equate "good". Inexpensive does not necessarily equate bad.  After all.. isn't good or bad all in the eye of the drinker?

So... many of the wines that we look at here are going to be budget friendly. You can glow with us on our successful choices... and grimace with us at our not-so-successful ones. But it's a learning experience. Whine and I are still learning, and hopefully in that process you can pick something up too. Or at least laugh at us while we figure things out in the wide world of wine.

Anyway. update will come soon.

- Our Daily Red, out!

NV Le Grotte Lambrusco Reggiano (Italy, Emilia-Romagna, Reggiano)

Visuals: Once we poured it out, it was a deep garnet color, and you can see it bubble up from the gentle tiny bubbles (in wine terms.. it's called frizzante, which is a light effervescence, not the strong bubbles that you find in a sparkling wine). I'm personally just learning how to appreciate red wines, and realizing that it was of the effervescent persuasion instantly made me feel better. Bubbles make everything better!

On the taste buds: And yes, I fell in love on first sip. I've always had a weak spot for Italian imports, and I was not disappointed. Light, soft and semi-sweet, it reminded me of strawberries and raspberries that round out to a flowery cherry aftertaste.

Food pairings: To be completely honest, it didn't go as well as I had hoped with the Piave, I expected the wine to be more robust than it was. The cheese ended up overpowering the wine a little bit, but thankfully since it's a hard cheese, it wasn't too bad of a combo. It would actually be better paired with a light pasta meal, or as an aperitif, with a milder cheese (but not too creamy or fatty) and cold cuts.

Price: At $5.00 a bottle, it's definitely a great wine for the price. Go get some while you can! Trader Joe's has a rotating selection of wines, so the wine selection could be different each time you shop. And now you see how see why I love Trader Joe's so much.


-ODR

• A "V.F.Q.P.R.D." on the label  means that the wine is a frizzante (see above).
• "N.V." means non-vintage.  Non-vintage means that  95% or less of the grapes were from the same year.  In other words, it means that over 5% of the wine is mixed with a grape from a different harvest year.  So you might have a blend that is 70% 2001 and 30% 2002.