Queen of Hearts Pinot Noir 2007

     Cabernet Franc is a finicky grape.  Usually, when it's affordable and from California, it smells like green peppers and the winemaker has left in a bunch of sugar to try to disguise the bad elements.  But man oh man, wait 'till you taste this puppy.  It's without a doubt drinking like a $30 Cab Franc with notes of cedar, plum and cinnamon and a medium weight that makes it ideal for this transition into Fall.

     Winner of Longest Wine Name in CoWineCo three years running, this fresh and fruity white we just had to sneak onto the homepage before the LA heat went South for the Winter.  Verdicchio is one of our absolute favorite white varietals and it is commonly passed up for it's more famous Italian sister, pinot grigio.  Verdicchio has elements of peach, apricot and pear on the nose, a medium to light-body with a silky texture and tastes of almonds and minerals.

     People often seem abashed when they admit they haven't heard of a certain grape varietal before.  Don't feel bad...we're still learning about grapes we've never heard of on a frequent basis.  With over 200 indigenous varietals in Portugal alone, we weren't surprised to learn a new one last week.  Meet "Maria Gomes", a varietal not even mentioned in Karen MacNeil's go-to wine reference book, THE WINE BIBLE.  And Ms. Gomez just happens to make up the majority of this brut bubbly that has made our week of tasting dozens and dozens of wines very, very, very worth it.

     Last year it was the Gazela Vinho Verde, this year, this little Dinosaur-clad bottle is going to be the hot weather staple.  It's dry as a bone with flavors of white peach, pineapple and a flinty, mouth-puckering finish.  We featured this wine about a month ago during a Friday tasting but it just doesn't seem fair to not share with the non-Friday crowd.

     It's BBQ season again and we found the grand champion of BBQ reds.  "Grand champion" is not a very exact ranking, so what we mean is if everything in the world had a competition at everything, this bottle would win.  Try one and you'll see. 

     A remarkable Willamette Valley pinot noir for $22.99 -- it just doesn't happen much anymore.  But this might just be the best under $25 pinot we've ever had.  Add on the fact that the winemaker behind this bottle is part of the winemaking team for Holus Bolus, Piedrasassi, and Stolpman Vineyards, and his partner in the company is his girlfriend, Amy Christine, Sommelier at A.O.C., Master Sommelier-in-training, and all around cool person, and you've got a good wine, a good team, and a good story. 

     This is another one of those wines where our rep poured it at our bar and we all kinda looked at each other wondering how on earth this wine was so cheap.  The rep shrugged and just said, "I know.....and we have lots of it."  So, just like our previous featured wine (Gustavo Thrace Third Bottle Red) was the best deal in rich red we have had in a long time, if your palette leans towards more elegant reds, this puppy is calling your name.       

     The premise behind this wine is simple... when you're having a nice dinner with friends and family, the third bottle of wine that is inevitably cracked doesn't need to be a pricey one.  In fact, your palette is probably worn out at this point so why not crack something good, but a little more affordable?  Well, this little discovery is beyond good.  In fact, during our Friday tasting last night, this wine sold out faster than any other wine in CoWineCo history. 

     We've poured this wine at tastings a few times in the past, but like a middle child, it still demands more attention than it's getting.  We've referred to it before as 'the bacon wine' showing rich, meaty flavors balanced with subtle acidity and a great twist of lavender, anise and clove.  If you're into lamb and game, there just isn't a better pairing in our store for this price. 

     It's a hell of a lot of fun to introduce people to this wine.  It's even more fun to let winemaker Joseph Puig introduce people to it at our bar like he did last year.  Here's a case where the winemaker is as interesting and as joyful as the wine he makes.  The Odysseus Garnacha Blanc was the first white Grenache we bought in 2005 and it has continued to be one of our favorite wines in the store.

     This is one of the most eagerly awaited releases at CoWineCo every year, dwarfed only by that other offering from winemaker Kris Curran in late May (hint: it rhymes with blee-schmoke).

     Well, where to start with this wine.....some have called it "Spring in a glass".... others call it, "that wine that accidentally falls into my tummy by the bottle-full" ... ok, maybe that was us.

Randy Mason is known mostly for his fantastic Sauvignon Blancs, from his

Napa Valley bottling, to the reserve, to the wildly popular and affordable

Pomelo. But, recently our friends at Garber & Co. brought in what we're told

is the last bottling of cabernet that Randy and is wife Megan are going to offer.