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By Chris Hoel
Photograph by Katherine Bish
So it’s freezing cold outside, and you spent too much money this holiday season on gifts for people you don’t even like that much. This is where you tell yourself that in some twisted dimension you have earned some “good karma” points with your generous and lavish gifts. But in this dimension, it’s time to throttle back, especially after you’ve had a peek at the January VISA bill. It’s imperative you find that killer new “wine find” that costs nothing or next to nothing. On occasion, I find those gems. Here are some great inexpensive wines that you won’t be embarrassed to bring to that post-holiday party or give to your boss right before he cuts those end-of-the-year bonus checks.
2005 Tapeña Garnacha
Tierra de Castilla, Spain
$10
I continue to be amazed by the great values from Spain, and this wine is no different. Overripe strawberries and cherries are like eating the inside of a cobbler without mom catching you. It finishes delicate and juicy with a touch of spice on the finish.
2005 Cusumano Nero D’Avola
Sicily, Italy
$11
Bright, juicy red fruits of raspberry and black cherry jump out of the glass like a gold-medal gymnast, laced with the minerality of burning rock and black truffles. This wine is fitted with the cool new glass closure called a Vino-Lok. Cork—your days are numbered!
2005 Winner’s Tank Shiraz
Langhome Creek, Australia
$13
A sultry nose of blueberries and exotic spices commingles with an attractive full-bodied richness on the palate. Dark berry fruit surrounded by sweet integrated and polished tannins, with a finish as long as the mighty Mississippi, just cleaner and not as dry.
2005 Hedges CMS Red
Columbia Valley, Wash.
$18
So a blueberry, a blackberry and a fig walk into a bar ... They decide to make a wine with a soft and generous mouthfeel that combines the character, personality and charisma of all three of themselves. A true gem from the Pacific Northwest! (By the way, that CMS stands for 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot and 4% Syrah.)
Chris Hoel, CSW, is co-founder of the St. Louis Wine Clinic and one of two Advanced Sommeliers in Missouri. In preparation for the Master Sommelier exam (there are only 132 Masters in the world), he’s fully immersing himself in the world of wine, spirits, beers and water—and you’ll read about the highlights of his research in St. Louis Magazine every month.
