Author: Jay Lee

Final thoughts on the $100 Wine Challenge

Cynthia:

What have I learned from this wine challenge? First of all, I had a lot of fun with this challenge, more than I expected at the beginning- not only because I got to drink ten bottles of wine, but because I had this experience with Jay, and it was fun sharing our opinions and figuring out which wine we were going to try next and what we would serve it with. It was also fun having our Wine Sherpa, Gerald, select the wines, and getting his feedback and hearing from other people who were following along with the “Wine Challenge”. Hopefully we have empowered some other wine novices to get out there with an open mind and try something different.

And, I have learned that it is really possible to have a nice wine experience for a small amount of money. In other countries, sitting down with friends and family and opening a bottle of wine for dinner is not an unusual thing. I think that here in the United States, it tends to be more of a “special occasion” thing, where there is a lot of pressure to purchase an expensive bottle of wine. That’s a pity because we are really missing out. I’m not saying that we should all begin drinking wine every day, or drink irresponsibly, just that we should recognize that sharing a bottle of wine can be a fun addition to an “everyday” occasion. (Besides- the red wine has medicinal benefits !) Also, opening a bottle of wine does not necessarily mean that you need to drain the entire bottle. I’ve learned that cooking with wine can be fun. Adding a little wine to the right dish can enhance it. The alcohol evaporates during the cooking process, but the delicious flavor remains !

I’ve also learned that it doesn’t matter what anyone else, or any “expert” thinks about a particular grape, or a particular type of wine, or winery. At the end of the day, the opinion that counts is mine. There is no “right” or “wrong”, and I have learned a lot about my own personal tastes. Cheers everyone !

Jay:

What a blast this was! We took our time and went through 10 bottles of wine, each of which cost $10 or less. We found some gems and we refined our tastes and expectations. I don’t think I will ever be a wine savant or anything and that’s why it’s good to have a guide like Gerald to help us navigate the complex and bewildering world of wine. I’ve enjoyed the feedback I’ve received, both through this blog and just running into people while out and about that have commented on this project. I hope it has been entertaining and informative. Perhaps we’ll do more. At the very least I hope to just document the various things we’re tying so we have a reference for ourselves to assist us in remembering what we like and dislike.

Thanks for following along!

Wine #10 in the $100 Wine Challenge

Winery: Chateau De Lavagnac
Country: France
Vintage: 2006
Price: $9.80

Cynthia’s Review:

According to the label, this wine is 70% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. We served this wine with what I would consider a pretty heavy meal: Appetizer of crackers and my homemade triple-garlic hummus, strip steaks, potatoes augratin and spinach. The wine had a nice aroma and initially a nice flavor, but kind of a dead taste at the end. (I guess wine folks would call that a poor “finish”) The lack of finish was less noticeable with the heavy food, but still there. I wanted to like this wine, but found myself trying to overpower it on purpose with the food. This wine was definitely not terrible, but I probably would not buy it again, and I really wouldn’t drink it as a “stand alone” wine. If I could give this wine somewhere between a “Yay” and a “Nay” I would, but since I am limited to one or the other- I give it a “Nay”.

Jay’s Review

This is the first Bordeaux I recall drinking, at least with the mind to pay attention to it.

I really liked the smell or “nose” of this wine. When I poured the first glass I was immediately struck by how pleasant it was. The flavor, however, did not live up to the hype of the aroma. Somewhat thin overall. It was good with the food Cynthia served, but didn’t really enhance the meal the way a more flavorful wine might. Not to say this was a bad pairing with food, to the contrary. I could see where a bit more sophisticated, older vintage Bordeaux could have really made this meal exceptional. I think if your just looking for a school night wine to have a glass and catch up on some TV or do a little reading this might be a good choice, but after the previous 9 wines we tasted in this challenge I think I would opt for something I know I really liked. So I guess that’s a “nay” from me.

Wine #9 in the $100 Wine Challenge

Winery: Ashwood Grove
Vintage: 2006
Price: $8.99

Cynthia’s Review:

OK-Back to Australia- land of screw-top bottles! Fortunately, our Wine Sherpa warned us ahead of time that this wine would not stand up well with food, so we drank this on a “school night” with wine and crackers. The wine was smooth and pleasant, but I can understand why we were warned against pairing it with food- I was even wishing that I had a blander cheese to serve it with. I did like this wine, but I must say that it didn’t inspire me to want to experiment with any other Petit Verdots. Although this definitely was not my favorite wine in our challenge, I still give it a “Yay” along with some strong advice to drink this only as a “stand alone” wine.

Jay’s Review

When selecting our wines for the challenge we gave the other store clerks at Spec’s veto power if they wanted to replace any of the wines selected for us by Gerald with something they thought might be more interesting. Early on in the selection phase Gerald picked out a Petit Sirah which technically we’d had before but also technically fit the rules of the $100 challenge. When one of the clerks used his veto to replace the Sirah with the Verdot my heart sank a little because I LOVE the Petit Sirah. As Cynthia mentioned, we were warned against having this wine food of any substance so we had some mild cheese with some crackers. Overall, the wine was good. Pleasant, smooth and quite drinkable. Sadly, because this wine was a reminder of the Sirah that never was I think it was doomed not to get a totally fair shake from me. I don’t think we’ll repeat this one, but there’s certainly nothing wrong with it. Especially if you are looking for a good wine to have socially or with appetizers. A “yay” from me.