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A Wine Lover's Weekly Guide To $10 Wines - A California Merlot

By Levi Reiss

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Published: 29Sep2009
Word count: 464
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In this article I taste a California red wine. This is a Merlot grown somewhere in California and vinified by the E. & J. Gallo Winery, a very high volume producer. Merlot grapes probably originated in Bordeaux, France. I don't think anyone is going to expect Bordeaux quality at these prices; the question is can we get a drinkable wine.

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed Barefoot Cellars Merlot 2007 13.3% alcohol about $8

Let's start by quoting the marketing materials. Tasting Note: Ruby red in color, the nose reveals red berry, boysenberry, chocolate, and anise. Medium bodied, fruity, slightly tannic on the finish. Serving suggestion: Beef, pasta with red sauce, chicken, stews. And now for my reactions.

I first tried this wine with a beef stew accompanied by carrots and potatoes, perked up with Harissa, a fiery Tunisian hot-pepper sauce. The wine was hearty and not very subtle. It tasted of plums, chocolate, and tobacco. The length was moderate. I liked the way that the Merlot balanced the spices. There was a bit left in my glass so I took a stab in the dark; I tried it with a home-made deep dish apple pie with raisins. The wine was somewhat flat and yet managed to maintain itself.

The next meal was a cheeseless lasagna with ground chicken and frozen peas. The wine was fairly long and round, but its fruit wasn't clearly defined. It picked up when facing the ground black peppercorns. This wine was certainly better than the Gallo wines of my youth.

My final food pairing involved a commercially prepared barbecued chicken breast in a light herb sauce accompanied by a side of soft wheat kernels that had been cooked in a beef sauce. The Merlot became somewhat sweet. Now you can taste the fruit. It was somewhat acidic and a bit sharper in the presence of the wheat than when facing the chicken. As the meal went on it became fruitier. This is probably a function of the temperature; I put the bottle in the fridge for about 15 minutes before the meal. As it warmed, it changed character somewhat.

I ended the bottle with two local cheeses. In the presence of a white Muenster the wine was fruity and slightly acidic. It was somewhat consistent and even a bit chewy. And when paired with a yellow Cheddar it became somewhat more acidic, but didn't really have a lot of taste. Basically the wine washed down the cheese.

Final verdict. OK, but nothing more. There are enough cheap wines around that I don't think I'll be buying another bottle. Perhaps I should have known from the label, gimmicks usually don't do the job.

Levi Reiss authored or co-authored ten computers and Internet books, but prefers drinking fine German, Italian, or other wine with the right foods and people. He teaches computers at an Ontario French-language community college. His global wine website www.theworldwidewine.com features a weekly review of $10 wines and new sections writing about and tasting organic and kosher wines. Visit his Italian travel website www.travelitalytravel.com.

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