I was thrilled to discover this wine sitting unannounced on one of the shelves of a wine store. There it was, in a nonchalant style resting it’s head on one of the wooden racks. Either the store employee had no idea what they had in stock (probably the case, no pun intended) or they knew what it was and played it cool. Either way, the Ata Rangi 2008 is truly a gem. It’s one of the top wineries in the Martinborough region (no, not Marlborough), if not one of the top 10 in New Zealand.

On the nose , the wine displays it’s trademark Kiwi styles with a bit of lemon and grapefruit. There is a shallow tartness in play, though it starts to alter a bit on the mid palate, with a bit of pear in the middle. It’s soft and flavorful. At the end, a beautiful finish plays out by brining back a bit of the grapefruit.

The wine is balanced from beginning to end. The secret to this wine I feel comes in the fermenting process. 90% touched only stainless steel, but the remaining 10% sat in 3-year neutral oak barrels. That small amount of oak is enough to round out what could have been a lawn full of grass in your glass.

I originally purchased this wine for $20. However, after returning a week later, it was nowhere to be found. After calling around, I tracked the wine down at K&L in San Francisco. It is currently sitting in their Hollywood warehouse, at a price of $14.99. Wow. Now the only question remains, do I buy a half or an entire case?

Cheers,
Haydn

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Haydn Adams is the author of the book, Wineries Beyond Napa Valley: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley, an insider’s tasting guide to the hidden gems region. He also contributes to the Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog, writes for vinvillage.com, and can be found roaming the hills of Sonoma County (and at times, Napa Valley) looking for the next hidden gems. You can contact him at haydn@beyondnapavalley.com.

Don’t have lots of extra dough to woo that special someone with spectacular wine this Valentine’s? We’ve got tips on wines that will win him or her over and cost less than $25. So go celebrate all the silly sweetness in style!

WHITE

2008 Hop Kiln, “Thousand Flowers,” California (pictured)
Of course your lover deserves a thousand flowers! This trio of Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat and Gewurztraminer with a pretty bouquet of orange blossoms is crisp, flirty and quaffable. You brought flowers, so you’re in.

2007 William Hill Estate Chardonnay, Napa Valley, California
Winemaker Ralf Holdenried’s Chardonnay will make her swoon with its big juicy honeysuckle and peach fruit, creamy malolactic character and engaging mouth-feel. For a romantic outing, make an appointment to visit the tasting room perched atop a hill off the Silverado trail with stunning views of the treetops and mountains.

2007 Eberle “Mill Road Vineyard” Viognier, Paso Robles, California
Heidi Klum s-e-x-y and fragrant, with lush body and a kiss of spice. Think honeysuckle, apricot and candied ginger. Surprisingly, this lusty white hovers right at the $20 mark. Seize the moment.

2007 Chateau Graves de Liron, Bordeaux
White Bordeaux is a classy wine for the money. This graceful wine sports lip-smacking acidity and fruity melon-like fleshiness. Great with succulent seafood—and less than $10, sweetheart.

RED

2007 Vignerons de Caractere Vin De Pays de Vaucluse
This French Grenache-Syrah blend has earthy soulfulness. Flavors of blackberries and bright cherries, rose petals, and nuances of black pepper, licorice and lavender will warm things up right away. Grab the bottle with the sweet label displaying a tiny white dove holding a heart in its mouth, all for under $7! Take it on a romantic picnic.

2007 Murphy Goode Liar’s Dice Zinfandel, California
Oh how Zin tempts us to sin. Alexander Valley grapes display rich blackberry jam and black cherry flavors and the Dry Creek grapes contribute black raspberry and currant flavors. Passionately sweet and juicy with a shot of pepper, it will steal her heart.

2007 Brazin (B) Old Vine Zinfandel, Lodi, California
Looking for an intense experience? Here’s a Zin sourced from vines that range from 35 to 80 years. Prepare for a deep, inky color, bold aromas of plum and chocolate, plus palate purring vanilla mocha notes. Then there’s that long, lingering finish, and a price tag around $17. It fires on all cylinders kind of like Johnny Depp. (They were also selected as “wine to watch for” from ZAP’s grand tasting).

2006 Field Stone Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, California
He will adore you for bringing a robust Cabernet to go with grilled steaks for dinner. Here’s a sultry one with a nose of caramel, cream and chocolate-covered cherries and flavors of black cherry, cocoa and casis. Yes love, it’s under $25.

2008 Nova Wines “Norma Jeane” Merlot, California
Marilyn Monroe takes center stage on these various labels like the one with the starlet donned in cowboy gear. More fun than complex, this fruity Merlot is youthfully exuberant. Ride ‘em cowgirl!

2006 Cupcake Vineyards Merlot, Central Coast California
She has a die-hard sweet tooth so bring on the trendy cupcake. This easy-to-find, affordable wine has dark berry fruit, a touch of vanilla, and velvety texture, plus a fanciful label that will make your funny little Valentine smile.

Dow’s NV Port, Six Grapes Reserve
Classic reserve port will pair right up with your Valentine’s chocolates. Expect thick and grapey with black cherry, raisin, spice and mocha with a sweet finish. Perfect to sip in front of a roaring fireplace.

PINK

NV 2007 Francis Coppola Sofia Rose, Napa Valley, California
You won’t be able to keep your eyes off the feminine shape of this bottle and its gorgeous coral-hued contents. The romantic label even pulls you in. In the glass, it’s all fresh strawberries, rose petals, juicy cherry, raspberry and citrus zest. Think seaside café along the French Riviera.

2008 McDowell Grenache Rose, Mendocino, California
Bursting with red berry fruit and black pepper, this dry potent pink will put the blush in her cheeks. Perfect for white wine drinkers who “don’t drink red” and red wine drinkers who “don’t drink white.”

True Prosecco Pink Couvee Rose, Italy
Here’s a delicate pale pink and lightly sweet prosecco of Valdobbiadene for a Valentine’s tete-a-tete. Distinctively bright with stone fruit and red currant flavors, sip as an aperitif or enjoy with a lavish fish and shellfish dinner. Be true.

A wine that is both great for the environment as well as great for your wallet as well? That’s what you’ll get with Sustainable White by Parducci. While it is not the strongest and best white I’ve ever had, the price point, coming in at under $11 makes this wine a new weekly favorite.

The wine is a blend, hence the name, Sustainable White. It’s comprised (and I’m guessing in this order) Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat Canelli, Tokai, and Viognier grapes from Mendocino County. The wine, true to the statement on the website, is refreshing.

The nose reminded me of a Riesling with a bit of pear and sweet fruit, mainly melon. While it doesn’t say on the website, I’m guessing all the grapes touched stainless steel, as there is not much ML present. The mid-palate is much of the same as the nose, however it does get a tad bit more tart on the finish than what I was expecting. As a friend said, “This is gulp-able wine”. So true it is, as the wine is very easy drinkable.

Another pro for this wine is the sustainable culture to which the wine is made from. The label aptly points out that the grapes were locally grown and operated and that they came from family farmers, the farming practices are entirely sustainable, the winery uses 100% green power (there is a windmill on the wine label) and they are the first U.S. carbon neutral winery. Overall, pretty cool!

Overall, a great bottle of wine. The price along with the sustainable practices of the winery come together to make a bottle that is economically excellent. Party on, dudes.

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Haydn Adams is the author of the book, Wineries Beyond Napa Valley: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley, an insider’s tasting guide to the hidden gems region. He also contributes to the Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog, writes for vinvillage.com, and can be found roaming the hills of Sonoma County looking for the next hidden gems. You can contact him at haydn@beyondnapavalley.com

I was recently asked by a friend what wines to pair with various foods. In thinking of the questions, I felt it would be a great subject for a series of postings.

It seems that shrimp seems to be as readily available as chicken in the supermarket. It’s favorable cost makes it a wonderful dish or appetizer. Yet, it is a finicky little guy when it comes to wine. My advice with shrimp is to think of the opposite. Pairings should always compliment the dish, not mirror it.

For me, I’d go with a well-bodied white. My first idea would be a sparkling wine. Sparkling wines do two things. They lighten the atmosphere and clense the palate. I’d even go with a Brut Rosé when it comes to shrimp. To get even more precise, I’d look for a Brut Rose with either a Grenache grape or a Pinot Noir. These will soften the sharpness of the Sparkling Wine and smooth out the acidity in the shrimp.

My other wine would be an abariño, of course, from Spain. The abariño is a tad bit thicker and will quench your palate after the first sip, especially if you’re dipping it in cocktail sauce. It might be hard to find this particular varietal in your normal supermarket, so you’re probably going to have to find a specialized wine shop. BevMo and/or Cost Plus might have a few, but I wouldn’t count on them. Bigger stores buy wines that sell, and, unfortunately the poor abariño has been hidden away under the bigger boys, Sauvignon Blancs, Chardonnays and Rieslings. But with most abariños coming in well under $20, it is not hard to find that wine that will meet or exceed your budget.

While you might default to a Sauvignon Blanc, it’s characteristics are too similar and it won’t add much to the dish. The acidity in both pieces will mute themselves out. Playing it safe is fine, but wine should bring out the taste, not just help it along.

Here are a few wines that I’d recommend:

• Bodegas Martin Codax Albarino 2006 (Retails for $14.95)
• J Brut Rose ($40.00)
• Cristalino Brut Rose Cava ($7.99)

Retail Price: $18.00
Appellation: Monterey, California
Where you can buy this wine: Scheid Vineyards
ALC: 13.5%
Haydn gives this wine: 87 pts

There is something about Sauvignon Blancs that make me smile. Maybe it is the crispness mixed with a fair bit of acidity. For whatever reason, this Sauvignon Blanc does it’s job by providing textbook characteristics with some smooth qualities.

The color of this wine is a pretty light yellow. It picks up a bit of color from the 10% it hung out in 3-year-old French oak barrels. After about 2 years, barrels have lost their luster, so you’re not going to see any piece of oak here, even if parts did touch it for a little while. The remaining 90% of the wine underwent aging in stainless steel. A wise choice as this wine demonstrates some textbook characteristics.

The nose exhibits a strong sense of acidity, with images of ruby-red grapefruits. It is a sweet-acidic, not tart like a lemon. The nose is fairly strong, and even with only a little bit of wine in the glass, the aromas fill the space with a bit of intensity. a little honeydew can also be found on the nose.

The wine has a pleasant mouthfeel. For something this acidic, I was expecting a bigger bite. However, this is a good thing. As the grapefruit smell continues, the classic lemon component emerges. It’s as if it was hiding on the nose, but then comes out of it’s shell on the mid-palate. Another word I would use to describe the palate is exceptionally clean. Not jarring components, just refined and fairly smooth.

The finish was the most surprising, with the Sauvignon Blanc picking up a trace amount of honey with the grapefruit and lemon. I suspect that is from the 10% French Oak used to complete this wine. The grapefruit is carried throughout the wine all the way until the finish, yet it seems to pick up and drop off other fruits along the way.

A beautiful wine to enjoy on a bright and warm spring day. You could easily pair this wine with shrimp or crab, just make sure the seafood is more whiter in color. However, I would be very conent with just drinking this wine all by itself, as it does have enough stamina to stand on its own two feet.

Drink this wine now through 2012. Due to the screw top (a nice little nod to the kiwis) along with the stainless steel aging, this wine will most likely not change in the years to come. Just don’t wait to long until it turns to vinegar, or something worse!

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Haydn S. Adams is a wine author and reviews wines for wineries all over the world. He currently writes for vinvillage.com along with his own wine review site at www.beyondnapavalley.com/blog/.