I admit it, I've always wanted to try Jacob's Creek just because of the name.  But I never did.  It was not a brand I sold, and I felt a little silly buying a bottle out of sheer vanity.  Well, my father-in-law saved me the trouble.  He saw it a Sam's, and had no trouble at all buying it...  Just because of the name!

I like Australian wines and I like Shiraz.  I even like trying to say Shiraaaaaz like the Aussies do.  Norma made a leg of lamb, and what could be more appropriate?  They're just silly with sheep down under.  The lush texture and spicy flavor were great with all the garlic and rosemary.  I might even buy another bottle for my self, but not just for the name.

A sad note, Julie and I had the last few drops from this fine bottle of dry Medeira that we brought back from vacation.  For details, see my review archive for Dec. 21, 2001.  Since another trip to Portugal is not in the cards for a good long time, I'll have to check the selection at Spec.

I hosted my long-dreamed-of picnic seder today.  It was a sight!  More than a dozen of us sitting on blankets, reclining on pillows, eating matzah and singing the Passover songs in the middle of Herman Park.  Such a gathering called for a wine that would be right at home in plastic cups, and my friends, that wine is Concha y Toro Frontera.

Back in my wine-sell'n days, this was a "stack it deep, sell it cheap, stack it high, watch it fly" brand.  It's the best selling imported wine in the U.S. for more than five years running.  The Cab/Merlot blend is the work horse of the brand, and I tell you, it isn't bad!  I don't know how those Chileans do it, but they make a heck of a good drink.  This is a super party wine, great for a BBQ, and perfect for 2nd seder.

Delagrave, 1998 Herzog Selection Red, Bordeaux, France, $12. Recommendation: Drink.

Yarden, 2001 Mount Herman, Galilee, Israel (disputed), $11.  Recommendation: Drink.

We had a great seder, and these two fine wines certainly helped make the occasion special.  The first, a kosher red Bordeaux, had a lot of depth and tannin.  There was nothing compromised in the flavor, just a solid Cab-heavy Bordeaux.  The Yarden was also good; probably the best tasting Israeli wine I've tries to date.  In the past I've been rather disappointed, but this Cab, Merlot and Cab Franc blend was full and flavorful.  A little immature, a bit too fruity to be taken really seriously.  But I think another year or two in the bottle will do great things for this wine.

It was a little sad to open this bottle.  It was the last of the many fine bottles that Julie and I brought back from our 1999 trip to California.  Sterling is a destination winery; it's a little touristy, but hey, we were tourists.  It's a beautiful mission-style building crowning a hill in the middle of Napa Valley.  There's a cable car ride up the side of the mountain to get there.  We were whisked away on a VIP tour and tasting.  Basically, treated like visiting royalty...

Oh, and they make great wine.  Sterling was the first winery in Napa to label a varietal Merlot.  I can't blame them for all the swill I've been forced to endure; Sterling knows how to make a serious wine Merlot.  At six years of age this bottle was at its peak.  Velvety texture backed up by rich earthy flavor and a long, lingering finish.  Worth the wait.  Now we have to go back!

I had my first business dinner of my new job.  Vendors from out of town took my department out to Massa's downtown for sea food.  My boss handed me the wine list, and requested that I order for the table.  What pressure!  For white, I chose DeLoach Chardonnay, and I'm sure it was good although I didn't have any.

For red, I picked a Zin.  Shocking!  A Merlot probably would have been a safer play, but I didn't feel like being safe.  I wanted a good bottle of wine, and it's hard to go wrong with a Napa Zinfandel.  Frog's leap is one of those brands I was always curious about, but that my competition sold.  I liked it.  Warm, spicy, perfect with Gumbo and tuna steak.  Everyone else seemed to enjoy it too.

The Maconnais is both the southernmost part of Burgundy, and the northern border of Beaujolais.  While its most famous wine is Pouilly Fuisse, the Macon is also home to more modest, but excellent white Burgundies.  Wines from the Macon's 43 best communes may bear the appellation Macon Village, and select villages may bear there own appellation, such as the always-stylish Macon Lugny.

This bottle is a good example of the Burgundian Chardonnay I oft pine for, and to which I so unfavorably compare California Chards.  The chalky limestone and slate soil, the cold weather and the wine maker's minimalist technique yields a steely, clean, sharp white wine.  Not the finest white Burgundy, but good enough to get a hint of what it's all about.

Our anniversary!  And that means a really good meal out.  Julie and I wanted to recapture some of the romance of our French Quarter honeymoon, so we headed to Brennen's.  Wow!  All I can say is wow!  We had all the signature dishes: turtle soup, snapper Ponchatrain, bananas Foster, Chipawa Shrimp.  And of course, a good bottle of wine.

Brennen's has a great wine list, and there really are some great values on it.  I saw several tempting reds (Burgundy, Cal. Zins, Aussie Shiraz) under $30.  But we settled on the Quivira Cuvee.  For one thing, I've always heard good things about the winery.  But really, it was the description that got me.  It's a Rhone blend (Syrah, Mourvedre, Grenache), and you know I love the peppery spice of these varietals.  But it also has a shot of Zinfandel to give it a Sonoma twist.

I was not disappointed.  Great bouquet and deep red tint.  The first sip was tight and astringent, but I could immediately tell that in a few minutes it would be a huge wine.  Sure enough, ten minutes later and it unfolded like a flower in bloom.  Rich, plush, smooth.  The spice was bold enough to cut through Brennen's Creole flavors.  The Zin stood out and added a fruit-forward dimension often missing from Rhone wines.  An outstanding mix of elements.  First rate!

Mondavi has never tried to make headlines with Woodbridge, just a simple drink that will fit as many people's taste as possible.  This 2000 Chard is an uncomplicated, but flavorful drink.  I was a little surprised at how tart it was; the citrus flavor was really forward and the texture was not as creamy as in previous years.  Personally, I consider that an improvement, although I wonder if it was intentional...  good with Turkey.

I just got back from a birthday party for Angelique Herrick.  While there, her husband Aaron opened this superb bottle of Merlot.  Wow!  I had to blow the dust off the surface before taking a sip, it was that good.  Loyal readers know that I'm not usually a Merlot fan, but this one was rich, tannic, structured and mature; a real red by any standard. 

But isn't that kind of the point?  Good Cab, Zin and Syrah values for $12-15 are plentiful, but the drinkable Merlot doesn't really show it's face under $20.  I occasionally find really great Merlot, but I'm yet to review a "bang for the buck" Merlot.  Oh well, I've never had anything from Rodney Strong that wasn't a winner, and this Northern Sonoma Merlot was no exception.