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We got to attend our club’s wine dinner last night; the guest of honor was Heidi Barrett. She was an absolute sweetheart and incredibly gracious.

His entry level shiraz can't be found under $25. Till now.

I don't usually recommend a wine that only earned 89 points with Spectator and Advocate... This one is an exception. Robert Mondavi is a legend in California wine, and this entry-level Cabernet will get $25 a bottle at the liquor store. 

I've found it for $15.99!

For us to pour Robert Mondavi as a daily drinker?? That's worth posting about!

Click here to go to B-21 Wine Merchants   USE ECODE "ESAVE"
the deal is over on Monday 2/6/2012

89 points - Wine Spectator (August 31, 2011)   The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa, Mondavi’s least expensive Cabernet Sauvignon, is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and other grapes. It has a healthy deep ruby/purple color, with a pleasant nose of black fruits intermixed with hints of charcoal and
spice, delicious, sweet fruit, medium body, and nice suppleness and flesh. Given that discounters will probably price this wine in the low twenties, this could be an outstanding bargain. It is no doubt a tribute to the talents of their director of winemaking, Genevieve Janssens. Drink it over the next decade.

89 points - The Wine Advocate (December 2010)  (includes 7% merlot, 5% cabernet franc, 2% syrah and 1% petit verdot): Bright ruby-red. Perfumed, floral aromas of cassis, black cherry, menthol and rose petal. Not a fleshy wine but offers lovely floral lift to the savory, dry flavors of ripe plum, cherry and spices. Finishes firmly tannic and a tad dry.

89 points - Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (May/June '11)

Okay, You've been reading the wine blogs, buying deals as you see them, and now you've got a ton of wine.
 
When you had 50 bottles, you knew exactly what you had... when you got to 100 bottles, you'd be out shopping and forget whether or not you had a specific bottle... once you're up over 200 bottles, you can't remember what you have. This is dangerous... as you know, wine has certain "drinking windows" indicating the wine's prime time. If you don't keep close track of your wine, you could have select wines (or entire cases) that get overlooked until they are in their declining stages.

I use an online service called www.cellartracker.com. Designed by a fellow wine lover, this program is the world's leading cellar tracking software with the largest database of wines on the planet. It was originally created by Eric LeVine as a project during his sabbatical from Microsoft in the early 2000s. After he retired from Microsoft a few years later, he dedicated the bulk of his time to making cellartracker a successful tracking program.

I've been using the site for 6 years, and I'm using most all of the deep feature-set that it offers.

• It's extremely cost effective 
• Entering in wine purchases is easy... most of the wines already exist in the database, and you just put in your purchase info. 
• This system keeps track of every bottle, giving each bottle its own id number. 
• The service feeds in critics' wine reviews, bottle values, and drinking windows. 
• You can key in where the wine is stored and in which "bin" (or section) of the cellar. 
• It offers a "drinkability" button where an algorithm looks at all your wine and makes sure you are drinking your collection at its peak. 
• Offers the capability of printing your own barcodes for each wine bottle (these are not UPC codes... they're unique bar codes for each bottle of wine, exclusively for your cellar) 
• Works with the Dymo printer and custom size labels (30336) to print  the barcodes 
• Works with barcode scanners you hook up to the computer 
• Barcoding allows you to take wine out of inventory easily, do inventorying, perform wine moves, etc. 
• It's a web-application, so you can see your entire collection anywhere (iphones, android, computers) 

Here's the barcode kit I use:
- Dymo LabelWriter 450
- CipherLab 1000 Barcode Reader
- OEM Labels

Take a look, also at the CipherLab 1166 wireless bluetooth scanner. It's more expensive, but worth it. I just got it, and using it as a wireless scanner really frees you up from being tethered to the laptop. 

(download)

Click here to download:

managing-your-wine-cellar-jonbyddnwceuohFqxkms.zip (138 KB)

Just headed out to dinner, but I've got to post this jewel! 

Oreno is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sangiovese, all
grown in a mix of limestone and schist soils and oak-aged for 18
months. Made in an international style, Oreno combines concentration,
silky tannins, and wonderful balance. Deep, dark fruit, herbs and
spices combine on a densely packed, ripe palate offset by amazing
structure. It can be enjoyed now or cellared for ten years or more.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate —94+ Points: "The 2009 Oreno is
stunning. Layers of soft, well-articulated fruit caress the palate in
this sweeping, dramatic wine. There is tons of depth, freshness and
vitality in the glass, not to mention terrific overall balance. Sweet
flowers, spices and licorice wrap around the seamless, captivating
finish. Oreno is one of Italy’s most improved wines. The 2009, a blend
of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese, represents another move
in the right direction. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2029. Antonio
Moretti’s Sette Ponti continues to make important strides, especially
with the flagship Oreno." —Antonio Galloni

James Suckling—95 Points: "Currants, blueberries and mint on the nose.
Full body, with velvety tannins and juicy fruit. Tannic now, but will
soften with age. Lots going on here. Very close to the superb 2008. A
blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Try after 2013."

Normally around $70, this jewel is going for under $47!

Get it by contacting cory.gowan@jjbuckley.com

It's a "private client" price, so you've got to mention www.kirkswinedeals.com

I just picked up a 6 pack.

Here's a deal, guaranteed to be gone within 24 hours...

Winelibrary.com is offering a 98 WA rated wine for under $70 bucks...
I just ordered my case.

Look here: https://winelibrary.com/specials/14822-zapata?promotion=82

And use the coupon code ZAPATA

On our trip through Portugal and the Portuguese islands of the Azores
in 2010, I fell in love with the red wine from the Douro region.

It's tasty.
It's cost effective.
It's a nice little secret for a mid-week bottle of red that won't
break the bank.

Today's deal is at www.cinderellawine.com

This is a 92 point wine for 40% less than online competitors. 6
bottles gets you free shipping!

Enjoy!
Kirk

Thanksgiving Wines... I was asked by Lisa to outline what I thought would be good choices for Thanksgiving wines this year.

There's nothing more frustrating than asking a wino for advice... then they tell you about an awesome, earth-shattering wine that you can't get anywhere, or it costs $400 a bottle. That doesn't help! I went to two local stores, Costco and Total Wine and found picks that you can actually find.

A quick word about Thanksgiving Wines... maybe it's because of the incredible variety of the foods served at this meal... maybe it's because it lasts almost all day... but there are a LOT of different choices for your Thanksgiving wine, all excellent. I recommend you get one of each variety and taste test... figure out what YOU like best. This is a celebratory day with family and friends... it's a great opportunity to open up a bunch of different wines and taste without waste!

Sparkling (Champagne)

This is a really cool wine to have at the table... Rosé holds up really well at the table, as it has a bit more oomph.
- LOW - Conde De Caralt Brut Rosé - $9 at Total Wine
- MID - Mumm Napa Brut Rosé - $23 at Total Wine
- MID - Champagne de Margerie Grand Cru - $43 at Total Wine
- HIGH - Billecart Salmon Brut Rosé - $80 at Total Wine

Whites

Riesling is a sweet-to-dry white wine that goes well with turkey meat, sweet potatoes, and the spicy dishes:
- LOW - Dr. Heidemann's Riesling QbA 2010 - $ 9.99 at Total Wine
- MID - Chateau St Michelle Eroica Riesling - $ 18.99 at Total Wine
- HIGH - Any of the Dr. Heidemann's more expensive Rieslings (high scores!) - $ 30-40 at Total Wine

Chardonnay is a great pairing wine for the Turkey. It's also an American wine staple, the most popular varietal around:
- LOW - La Crema Chardonnay - $15,89 at Costco
- MID - Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay - $20.99 at Costco
- HIGH - Martinelli Chardonnay (Tony Zio Ranch vineyard) $62.99 at Total Wine (worth.... every.... penny)

Reds 

Beajuolais Nouveau - This is supposed to be the big Thanksgiving wine.  It's a young, light, French wine made to be drunk young. I'm not fond of it, so I recommend a "pass."

Pinot Noir - This is a great light red wine with lots of delicate fruit. It's kind of like the Swiss Army Knife of wines, because it can be served with a large variety of foods (white OR red settings).  It is particularly well suited for Turkey. If you could only have one wine, Pinot Noir would be it.
- LOW - Meoimi by Belle Gloss - $15-20 at Costco
- MED
- HIGH - *** I ran out of time looking... let me know if you need a pick and I'll go back ***

Shiraz - Chewy, meaty, spicy, rich... this is a blockbuster wine that is always popular... my friend Sparky Marquis does it best with his Mollydooker brand.
- LOW - Mollydooker Two Left Feet - $24 at Total Wine
- MED - Mollydooker Blue Eyed Boy - $45 at Total Wine
- HIGH - Mollydooker Carnival of Love - $80 at Total Wine

Zinfandel- Similar to Shiraz, it will hold up well to all the spices, sweet and bitter at the table... a little more "oomph" than Pinot Noir
- LOW - any of the Ridge Zins at the $25ish at Total Wine
- MED - Orin Swift "The Prisoner - $38 at Total Wine (best bet)
- HIGH - you don't need it... The Prisoner nails it.

Cabernet - the king of the American wine palate... always good to have a good one on hand. It's a flavor profile we're all familiar and comfortable with
- LOW - tough call... cheap cabernet is hard to do... try Cousino Macul for $13 at Costco
- MED - Hall Napa Cabernet $35 at Costco (wow... what a wine!)
- HIGH - Caymus Cabernet $60 at Costco
- HIGH - (good deal) Chalk Hill Cabernet $50 at Costco (but $8 off with coupon)

The Stores

- Costco on Southern Boulevard in Royal Palm Beach, FL
- Total Wine on 441 in Wellington, FL
- These chains will probably have the same stock choices anyhow.

(THANKS) Quick shout-out to BONNIE at Total Wine... it was fun walking through and debating the different choices. If you go to Total Wine, look for BONNIE, and tell her you heard about her on Kirk's Wine Deals.

(download)

Click here to download:

thanksgiving-wines-pymNfUCOdz8GPmzgnsaL.zip (1.93 MB)