Woah, dude. . .seriously, you could hurt someone with that thought!!!!

Man, we caught some grief after yesterday.  It seems that A.) We’re off our rockers in recommending  a wine that doesn’t even have a vintage, and B). We’re nuts for reviewing wines under $15 a bottle.  Really?  You’re joking, right?

We know that there are more than enough wines for the ‘well-heeled’ at $35, $50, $60, $90 a bottle, but are they that GOOD?  Just because a wine costs a lot, does it guarantee that it’s going to be an unforgettable bottle of wine?  Please understand that we’ve had one or two of those higher end wines. . .and in the final analysis, only a few can stand the test of a good tasting bottle of wine for the price.  Many are priced because of their label, their name, their marketing or their ad agency.

We have sought to find wines that don’t typically get the press they deserve because they’re in an industry–like Hollywood–that only lives for image.  Substance is long forgotten in return for plastic and silicon!  Okay, that’s a bit harsh, but we’re trying to tell you that there are a TON of really great wines out there for LESS than $20 a bottle that people turn their noses up at because it ‘can’t be that good if it costs that little’!  Really?

Have we descended so far as a society to really believe that hogwash?  The answer is ‘YES’…we have lost–to a certain extent–the ability to look at something and take it at face value.  NO, we have to ‘peel away the layers’ because surely there’s a greater issue hiding behind the surface—when in fact, it IS what IT IS!  Do we have you confused?  Tonight’s wine is a little gem we picked up at Twin Liquors for LESS than $20 a bottle (for shame), and because it’s from one of our favorite parts of Sonoma County—Alexander Valley—we felt a kindred spirit to sample it and write about it.  Tonight we tasted a 2010 ‘Crazy Creek’ Katherine Goldschmidt Cabernet Sauvignon.  The only other Katherine (sp). that we’ve known in wine making was Kathryn Hall–and believe us, there is no wine there under $20–or was it $50?  “According to Wine Enthusiast – This is really one of the best values in Cabernet on the market. It’s so deliciously rich in blackberry, currant and chocolate, you’ll want to drink the whole bottle right now. Kudos to winemaker Nick Goldschmidt for producing a wine this good at such a good price.”  Uh. . .yeah!  We get the fact that Wine Enthusiast gives this wine 91 points. . .HELLO!!!

We noted, blackberry, black pepper, and plum flavors with a sweet oakiness. There was a round and fleshy middle palate, with nice concentration and good structure. The finish was full of silky tannins and really nice hints of spice.   Yeah, this is a sweet little gem…hidden from view by the ducks and oaks of the trail.  More importantly, the wine got better and better as it was open and for us, that’s a complete game.  All of this goodness was purchased (on sale) for $17 a bottle.  Most references for this vintage gives you $18.50-$20.00 a bottle so we’re feeling pretty good about what we’ve found.

So many things in society have hung their reputations on being a higher priced item and because of the higher price have been deemed a better value.  When it comes to wine, we’ve learned that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and what you think is awesome at $10 a bottle, may not resonate with someone else.  Conversely, when you think a wine is awesome at $85 a bottle, there are those folks who’ll disagree from the word ‘GO’!  Contrary to popular belief, wine tasting, wine reviewing and wine blogging is NOT a scientific discourse; rather, it’s an opinionated odyssey through the lenses of individual tasters who enjoy tasting wine.  What you CHOOSE to get out of it is ENTIRELY up to YOU!

We really liked yesterday’s wine–Stark Raving Red, un-vinted.  And tonight, we really like our 2010 Crazy Creek Katherine Goldschmidt Cabernet Sauvignon.  Hey, at less than $20 bucks for a good bottle of wine—what have you got to lose?

Please remember to enjoy your favorite wine responsibly and recycle whenever possible.