Taken Down by Chuck!

On a whim, I decided to do a head-to-head throw down between two super “value” wines. I use quotes because value usually equates to a quality product for a price considered to be fair. Sometimes, such “value” is found in a wine or product that we feel like we are almost getting away with something for the price paid. This was not the case in this tasting extravaganza! Without further ado, I bring to Roasted Beast readers: The Two Buck Chuck Throw Down!

I’m not going to re-hash the history of Two Buck Chuck, it’s origin, and rise in popularity over the years. Feel free to google it and find out all of the fascinating details! I decided to do this tasting for a couple reasons. For one, I haven’t had any of the Two Buck Chuck wines in a long time. Secondly, while strolling through my local Whole Foods, I saw a display for the Three Wishes brand of wine for $1.99 with a sign that said “Dump the Chuck” or possibly something more clever- I can’t remember. In any case, it was clear that Whole Foods was branding it as the better $1.99 wine. Three Wishes makes 3 varietals: Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. If I’m not mistaken, Two Buck Chuck offers a couple more. If options are what you are looking for, “The Chuck” has Three Wishes beat.

The label of Three Wishes attempts to appeal to the Eco-Friendly wine consumer stating that the bottles are lighter thus reducing waste and their carbon footprint. It’s worth pointing out that the Two Buck Chuck bottle weighs the same as the Three Wishes bottle, go figure. So, all things being equal, it comes down to the juice right?

Undrinkable Wine- Save your two bucks!

For the tasting, I put the Cabernet Sauvignons to the test. The 2010 Two Buck Chuck Cab vs. the Three Wishes Cab. Oddly enough, the Three Wishes did not have the year on the bottle. So yes folks, Non Vintage Cab does exist. For this major event, I was joined by my lovely wife Siege, who, during the course of the tasting had an allergic reaction of sorts to the Two Buck Chuck Cab. Don’t worry, she’s fine- just lots of sneezing. We tasted “blind” because we didn’t want to be swayed by the Two Buck Chuck Wine voodoo charms or the granola, environmentally hip sensibilities of the Three Wishes wine.

Here are the inglorious details, tasting notes, and results of the battle.

	Two Buck Chuck Cab Sauv.	Three Wishes Cab Sauv.	Preferred Trait
Sight (Color/Clarity)	Claret/Ruby (Clear)	Garnet (Clear)	Even
Aroma	Alcohol spiking big time, a hint of blackberry	Smelly Cheese/Mold Funk/Cheese rind with a bit of red fruit.	No real winner here either
Taste	Sour Cherry with a predominant metallic flavor. Almost like you were licking a penny. No acid and virtually no tannic structure.	Soft and round with hints of cherry and red fruit. We both agree, sort of juicy. Slight bite from tannins.	Three Wishes
Score (100 Pt Scale)	70	78

In sum, both wines were pretty drab with little to no character. No real surprise here, you can’t expect much from a two dollar wine. And yet, Two Buck Chuck is ridiculously popular. Will Three Wishes ever gain any of the coveted Two Buck Chuck market share? Only time will tell. As for me, I’d rather spend 10-12 dollars and get a decent table wine, such as a Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel or even that crazy 2008 Smoking Loon Syrah ($8) made with Mega Purple concentrate.

New Napa Spots- Old Sonoma Residence

We hit the road hard once again a few weeks back taking us to Napa (mostly) and Sonoma (just for minute though). Cuvaison was last on our trip and a good way to end it. The wines were actually pretty good. I only say “actually” because I’ve heard mixed reviews from some colleagues whose opinions I trust and respect. Cuvaison has a super cool modern and elegant tasting room. Despite arriving when they were about to close, the winery staff was nice enough to accommodate us. After sampling a few wines, the Pinot Noir really stood out. I wasn’t expecting to like them as much as I did. We picked up the 2009 Carneros Pinot Noir, which was lighter in style but still jumped off the palate with brightness and flavor. We also added the 2008 Block F5 Pinot to our ever growing wine library. This one was a stunner with lot’s of character- dense, almost brooding, but with a nice mixture of red and blue fruits that integrated quite well. Incidentally, the photo below is the F5 Block of vines where this wine takes it’s name. Talk about feeling connected to the wine, the F5 block vineyard was a mere 50 feet from where we tasted it- how cool is that?!

I’m working backward here. Cuvaison was the last stop. Prior to that, we hit up Etude. I’ve heard nothing but solid noise regarding this Pinot/Chard producer. The wines were very good, if not priced a little high for the “working man” like myself. I have to say, the tasting room staff was a little on the chilly side. Perhaps it was because it was getting late in the afternoon (still no excuse). To be fair, our host did warm up after the initial “attack”. Solid wines and a beautiful space- but I left feeling a little unsatisfied from an overall customer experience point of view.

Stop number ‘dos’ after lunch took us to, of all places, a home in an older part of Sonoma to pick up wine I had ordered from Bedrock Wine Company. If you haven’t heard of this new label yet- you will. Essentially, Morgan Twain Peterson, the proprietor and winemaker, is the prodigy of Joel Peterson. Mr. Peterson, you may (or not) recall founded Ravenswood and has been largely responsible for the growth and popularity of Zinfandel. The younger Peterson, apparently has been making wine since he was just a tike. I took a “gamble”, cause it’s one of those situations where you can’t taste before you buy, and bought a bottle of the 2009 Hudson Valley North T-Block Carneros Syrah. The risk was worth it- Siege and I were able to taste it at the “pick up party” and it was killer. Usually, I’m not a big fan of buying wine (over $10-15) without tasting first, but Bedrock has gotten sooooooo much good press it had to be done. It was nice to be able to chat for a brief (very brief) second with Morgan and Joel Peterson. They really seem to enjoy what they are doing. And can you blame them, they’re selling a crap-load of wine!

We’ll end here with the beginning of this little vino adventure. Things began on a super high note at Failla Wines right off the Silverado Trail in Napa. Basically, the only producer in those parts crafting phenomenal Burgundian style wines showcasing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in stellar fashion. I had high hopes when we stepped into the rustic winery. Let me just say, these wine rocked. They screamed with pure fruit and deliciousness. In the end, Siege and opted for the 2009 Keefer Ranch Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley. Winemaker and owner, Ehren Jordan, splits time between Napa and Paso Robles where he is responsible for making some extraordinary Zinfandel at Turley Cellars. For a man with a lot on his plate and opposing styles of wine, he sure does a great job with both.

Alas, this was meant to be a quick little report- but as you know, it’s been awhile since I last posted. Plus, it was such a packed little day trip. The wine was top notch and it always tastes a little better alongside my lovely wife, Siege and pup Suki. To be honest, I feel like I hardly did the trip justice in this little write up. You really need to just get out there and experience it for yourself. Note: No alcoholic beverages of any kind were consumed by our dog, Suki- lot’s of treats though!

Until next time, cheers!

Meeting Pliny (the Younger)

Me and a couple pals just got back from Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa, CA. It was a blast tasting the much anticipated, Pliny the Younger. For those who haven’t heard, this beer is extremely limited in supply and they only release it for a couple of weeks every February. Russian River serves 10 ounce glasses of the coveted Triple IPA and February 17^th will be the last day until next year. As you might recall, last week’s RB post touched on expectations and “hype”. Let me just say that Pliny the Younger definitely lived up to the hype. To me, the beer was easily one of the best I’ve ever had. It was floral on the nose, good bitterness and hops, with a big finish that just kept on going on for days! What’s more, you don’t even taste the very formidable 10.25% ABV (Alcohol by Volume). In short, Pliny the Younger is a very drinkable brew. The only dark cloud that tried to dampen our spirits was the border-line crappy service. Our server was not at all amicable and we were made to feel like more of an annoyance than a guest or patron. But let’s end on a positive note. The beer rocked, the pizza was quite delicious, and we left fat and happy. A warning, or admonition if you will: If you’re a super anal retentive guy (I lean this way) or gal about service, you may be turned off by the staff at Russian River Brewing Company. That said, I wouldn’t let it stop you from trying a truly remarkable beer in Pliny the Younger. Cheers!

Big, burly and awesome!