Enobytes Wine Blog

If you’re looking for some good wine values under $15 a bottle, you’ve come to the right place. Every Thursday, we’ll let you know about some of our top picks under $15 which are sure to please your palate without breaking the bank. These are great wines worth seeking out, so go pick up a bottle or two and enjoy!

2006 Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand ($10-$15)
The 2006 Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc is light straw in color with aromas of mineral and grass. Flavors reminiscent of a tangy key lime pie with a dash of apple and grass; It’s a medium-bodied wine with flavors that carry through from start to finish; round mouth-feel and a long, opulent …more>>

2006 Eola Hills Pinot Noir, Oregon
Consistent aromas and flavors from this quality producer. This wine has the cherry and floral aromas of much more expensive wines. The texture in the mouth is pleasurable and the flavors are classic Oregon pinot. Medium to large structure and cherry mingled with earthy smoke flavors make this wine a wonderful addition to any …more>>

2007 La Spinetta Vigneto Biancospino Moscato d’Asti, Piedmont, Italy ($10-$15)
This producer has been making wine in the heart of the Moscato d’Asti country since 1977, which is home to [and known for] light and simple dessert wines. La Spinetta believed that the Moscato grape had a potential to produce exquisite wines from this region, hence “Vigneto Biancospino”. They certainly accomplished their goal, because I was  …more>>

2006 J. Vidal-Fleury Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault Blend, Rhone, France ($10-$15)
It’s always a treat when an unexpected gem comes your way and this wine was one of those. The blend is 50% Grenache 30% Syrah 10% Mourvedre 10% Cinsault. A wonderful aroma and even better mouthfeel, the blend and time spent in barrels gives this wine a winning combination of  …more>>

Photo credit: fabandfru.com

Today on Wine Bytes, my wine blog on OregonLive, I talk about a great sauvignon blanc find from Dry Creek Vineyards, the “Taylor’s Vineyard Musque”. I also talk about the restaurant scene here in Portland. I know times are tight but please try to consider dining out more often and keep our restaurant scene in and around Portland buzzing maintaining the edgy inspiration that draws hungry patrons. Too many good eateries are just a few weekends away from having to close. It would be sad if eventually all we have left as dining choices were fast food or corporate casual dining. Our city deserves better than that and it’s up to us to make that happen. Check out my latest post here.

If you’re looking for some good wine values under $15 a bottle, you’ve come to the right place. Every Thursday, we’ll let you know about some of our top picks under $15 which are sure to please your palate without breaking the bank. These are great wines worth seeking out, so go pick up a bottle or two and enjoy!

2007 Vina Palo Alto Red Blend, Chile ($10-$15)
Complexity and depth should be expected when the blend is “CCS” as I affectionately deemed this wonderful blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, and Syrah. I was shocked at the fullness this wine offers like a mature pedigreed Cabernet or Bordeaux touting only a hasty few months in the bottle. This was a shockingly good find and worth seeking out.  …more>>

2006 Echeverria Chardonnay, Chile ($10-$15)
Advanced in its approach, this wine brings the fruit and leaves the extraction of oak and the added expense of malolactic behind. They still produce complex and exciting product without all the bells and whistles the jaded palates of American Chardonnay fans require. The wine has flavors of vanilla and cream on an apple pear frame - full bodied but not …more>>

2006 Kenwood Pinot Noir, Sonoma, CA ($10-$15)
Kenwood has a solid track record for producing medium priced better than average quality wines in almost every varietal available. This Russian River Valley Sonoma Pinot Noir is exactly that. The nose was a bit subdued and the wine itself was pretty tight for the first half-hour after it was opened which hints at the possibility this one could age a bit. Plumy, dark berry fruit full-bodied flavors and once the wine  …more>>

2006 Estancia “Pinnacles Ranches” Chardonnay, CA
This wine is crisp and refreshing and a style of Chardonnay that almost everyone will appreciate. Although the spec sheet states that the wine has been aged in French and American Oak and 60% of the blend underwent malolactic fermentation, neither the aromas nor the flavors reflect those techniques. I found the wine interesting and certainly capable of filling many culinary pairings. It was crisp and a bit  …more>>

So much for the domestic industry and the emerging preferences of some of China’s new wine consumers. What about imports?

Bottled importation of wine is barely fifteen years old as a market in China. Some wine importers have come or gone – or reinvented themselves – but it’s still a young market, obviously. Out at the front are Aussino and ASC battling for dominance in an environment unlikely to admit monopoly influence for any company in the long term. Other importers like Torres China – of the great eponymous Spanish wine family – Summergate, DT Asia, East Meets West, among many others, occupy a more middle ground. Then you have smaller specialist merchants and importers like Ruby Red Fine Wines, Globus Fine Wines and The Wine Republic who are serving to diversify the market. Companies traditionally stronger in Hong Kong and Macao, such as Watson’s Fine Wines and Links Concept, are now also active in the Chinese mainland.

This diversification is more than welcome and has yielded the odd surprise or two. Who would have thought, for example, that grower Champagne or domaine Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re looking for some good wine values under $15 a bottle, you’ve come to the right place. Every Thursday, we’ll let you know about some of our top picks under $15 which are sure to please your palate without breaking the bank. These are great wines worth seeking out, so go pick up a bottle or two and enjoy!

2006 Rex Hill Chardonnay, Oregon ($10-$15)
The 2006 Rex Hill Chardonnay from the Willamette Valley is an organically grown, unoaked wine with lovely pineapple, tropical fruit, citrus and mineral flavors. It’s a medium-bodied wine with a complex, long finish; great acidity. Would pair nicely …more>>

2006 Vinicola Del Priorat (ONIX), Grenache blend, Spain
Wow and wow again right out of the gate, this 50% Grenache 50% Cariena blend was showing unique characteristics that have never crossed this palate. It was strange at first to taste something I’ve never tasted before, then very, very pleasant after I realized the flavor profile of this blend was new to my sensory experiences.The Grenache is familiar, but with maturity I am not used to in its flavor profile. The Carinena brings some measured stability to the party while the other varietal attacks your  …more>>

2006 Santa Ema Merlot, Chile ($10-$15)
Deep, dark and delicious, this wine delivers beyond your most lofty expectations. 100% Merlot, this wine brings a depth and complexity previously not imaginable with only Merlot. I mean don’t get me wrong, I am not one of those silly Sideways crew. I can appreciate a great Merlot but usually they have at least 20% of other varietals to pump up the overall flavor profile. Over the years I’ve tried the Santa Ema wines from time to time and never experienced one that rose to this quality.   …more>>

2006 Dona Paula Los Cardos Malbec, Argentina ($10-$15)
Another winner arrives from Dona Paula. As the flavors of the ‘05 were just disappearing from my palate along comes the ‘06. After letting this wine settle down (it was a little green upon it’s arrival) the big smooth plush flavors exhibited a continuing trend for this winery to produce winners. The 2006 Dona Paula “Los Cardos” is a …more>>

Today on Wine Bytes, my wine blog on OregonLive, I talk about giving your life passion and meaning - share the love of your food and the passion of your wine pairings with someone who counts, your father, your neighbor, the guy in high school you hated but you still see at the grocery store, someone you met while volunteering at the shelter. New co-workers even if it is your boss. Someone who teaches your child while being gentle and respectful. The randomness of life and the uncertainty of our existence here make this the path that makes our journey have both passion and meaning.

My advice may seem short and simple, but I think if you try to adhere to these few principals seriously and attempt to follow them, your life will become something engaging and enlightening, and the equity in your community will hold values beyond our best and largest dreams. Check out my latest post  here.

If you’re looking for some good wine values under $15 a bottle, you’ve come to the right place. Every Thursday, we’ll let you know about some of our top picks under $15 which are sure to please your palate without breaking the bank. These are great wines worth seeking out, so go pick up a bottle or two and enjoy!

2006 Joel Gott Zinfandel, California ($10-$15)
A big yet elegant zinfandel that is slick, smooth and textured with a sexy mouth feel that feels so beyond what many producers offer up fom this varietal. With a huge core of cherry and aromas of vanilla and cassis, the wine cascades across the tongue stinging with wonderful licorice and rhubarb then retreating with lingering flavors of blackberry jam on white toast   …more>>

2006 Kenwood Chardonnay, California ($10-$15)
The Kenwood Sonoma County Chardonnay from the 2006 vintage is big, well-balanced and delicious. This wine will be a crowd-pleaser; not too many distractions, not too stylistic - if you are worried if they will like your wine choice buy the Kenwood.  This wine appeals to a very broad audience. Not too tart, …more>>

2007 Pascual Toso Malbec, Argentina ($10-$15)
The 2007 Pascual Toso is 100% Malbec and well represented in the style of dark and brooding with an elegance that makes you rethink Malbec as a stand-alone grape.This wine brings it home in a classy stylish package that will appeal to a broad audience. If it is not on the shelf where you …more>>

2007 Efeste Riesling, Washington ($10-$15)
The 2007 Efeste Riesling harvested its fruit from its high elevation vineyard, Evergreen, located just above the Gorge amphitheater (lucky grapes! :). It’s a charming wine with powerful floral and apple aromas with flavors consisting of stone fruit with a subdued rose petal undertone. A traditional style Riesling …more>>

Today on Wine Bytes, my wine blog on OregonLive, I talk about the recent trade tasting I attended for the Chehalem Mountain Vintner’s Association in Oregon. The thing that surprised me was how many of the wineries pouring also belong to many other location specific organizations - it finally dawned on me that because of the many locations these wineries source their fruit from for a lot of their vineyard designate specifics and cuvees they will belong to a lot of different appellation organizations.

Most of the wineries I have worked for made their wine from estate-grown fruit. Nevertheless, it was a great opportunity to meet a few buyers and a number of great winemakers.

I also go into detail about some of the trends I’m seeing for Oregon Viognier and Riesling which is a surprising twist to what you’d expect.  See how these varieties fair on my latest post here…and be certain to check back soon for the full report on what we tasted in the coming weeks.

If you’re looking for some good wine values under $15 a bottle, you’ve come to the right place. Every Thursday, we’ll let you know about some of our top picks under $15 which are sure to please your palate without breaking the bank. These are great wines worth seeking out, so let’s get started!

2006 Alamos Malbec, Argentina ($10-$15) From the folks who make Catena wines, the Almos line is a great value and always exhibits quality beyond its price point. This 2006 vintage is an inky full-bodied Malbec that hits all the notes. Cherry Cola aromas on the nose with  …more>>

2006 Barnard Griffin Syrah, Washington ($10-$15) A classically made Rhone style syrah made from very fruit forward grapes. The wine came across as a very straightforward syrah, no extravagant properties that might endear one to be product branded by the flavor alone. If you had to have a neutral specimen to talk about syrah styles, this wine …more>>

2006 Altos Las Hormigas Malbec, Argentina ($10-$15) The 2006 growing season in Argentina has produced a great product for Altos las Hormigas. This is the 5th consecutive vintage of this wine I have tasted and every year as the vines mature they reflect the terroir and climate like a well written journal. The depth and complexity has developed considerably in the last couple of years making this wine a …more>>

2007 ST. Urbans Hof Riesling, Germany ($10-$15) If you love Rieslings, you should definitely try the 2006 Nik. Weis Selection QbA St. Urbans-Hof Mosel-Saar-Ruwer “Urban”. The Mosel region produces many great wines at a reasonable price point, and this one tastes like you are eating a succulent, juicy peach at the peak of ripeness. It’s light and elegant with fresh peach and lime flavors followed by …more>>

You won’t want to miss the first inaugural North Willamette Wine Trail weekend! Local wine lovers and the lucky few enophiles that happen to be visiting the Willamette Valley in early April have the opportunity of a lifetime. If you’ve ever dreamed of immersing yourself in the heart of Oregon wine country, your dreams have come true. On April 4th and 5th, the North Willamette Valley Vintners are sponsoring a perfect event to help you find what you like and learn why those wines are so special. Today on Wine Bytes, my wine blog on OregonLive, I talk about this not to miss event - purchase your tickets soon!