Jim Neal 2006 Chariot Gypsy California

SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND?—QUICK WINE PICKS THAT WON'T LET YOU DOWN

I found this  gem sitting on the shelves at Trader Joes, at only $4.99 it represents quite outstanding value. There's nothing on the lovely label that alludes to what it is comprised of other than Red wine. Some considerable Google research later suggests it is a blend of Sangiovese, Syrah, Petite Sirah and Cabernet Sauvignon. With a scant dark nose, mostly cherry and toffee with alcohol somewhat present (14.5%) it's a welcoming  surprise to experience the beguiling mix of black and red fruit and white pepper that wash across your palate. Very sophisticated and unbelievably complex—for a $5 wine—it's smooth with soft tannins and superb acidity. 89 Points, this one is no Pikey in fact it's my first  PONCE TOP PICK! Get it while you can.

http://www.chariotwines.com/

Tower Brook 2007 Pinot Noir San Luis Obispo

SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND?—QUICK WINE PICKS THAT WON'T LET YOU DOWN

It's oft hard to find good reasonably priced Pinot Noir thanks to the exposure the movie Sideways afforded the varietal and hence it's increased popularity. Well search over, BevMo has this sterling Pinot Noir on sale for a rather reasonable $17.99, nice! Towers second attempt with this varietal is a real winner, its all there... blackberry and raspberry, warm spice and a subtle toasted oak. A graceful wine with a long finish, it's so very fruit-filled, happy and bright—drink it right now. 89 Points.

Bonny Doon 2003 Le Cigare Volant Red Wine California

SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND?—QUICK WINE PICKS THAT WON'T LET YOU DOWN

2003 was a great year for Le Cigare Volant, wine-weird Randall Grahms flagship—or should that be flag-Zeppelin—wine. An exceedingly accomplished California take on a Châteaunuf-de-Pape. Costing $29.99 at BevMo it's a tad expensive but worth every cent. Stylisitcally a slight departure from previous years, bolder. Very refined and smooth, full of plump red fruit, cassis and cherry. Simply delicious, a real treat... go on you know you deserve it. 91 points.

http://www.bonnydoonwinery.com/

Francis Coppola 2007 Alicante Bouschet California

You'd be blind not to see this subtle little number sitting gregariously on the shelf. The shocking pink magenta label screams choose me, choose me! From Frances Coppola's Diamond Collection this one is a real head turner and thankfully a real pleasure.

The little known Alicante Bouschet varietal is one of few grapes that actually has red flesh, invented in 1866 by a Frenchman Henri Bouchet. With it's think skin and high yields it became immensely popular here in the US during Prohibition due to it's stout nature when being subjected to the overland journey from sunny California to the East Coast. Outside being used in blends for color, fruit and body it seldom is fermented to a single varietal because it supposedly lacks character, complexity and is somewhat coarse. Now someone needs to tell Mr Coppola as he seems to have been happily oblivious to this fact and crafted, that understood, an error... a glorious, mouth-watering moreish error!

According to the Coppola winery Mr. Coppola tasked his winemaker with finding the vines (Lodi) and producing this as it was the grape of choice for Grandfather Agostino Coppola's home made wine concoctions.

Pour this into the glass and it is SO red... flaming purple red, vivid and deep an inviting beauty. No surprise It smells of red fruit and lots of it, leather, chocolate and spice too. It's almost like you've been transported to the hustle and bustle of an immigrant Italian family kitchen during the early twentieth century. What a taste, although silky and medium bodied it is so rich and luscious. A jammy explosion of red fruit, cassis, plum, raspberry and cranberry, the leather remains intact on the palette and yes it's texture is somewhat coarse but in a good way, no... in a great way.

I love big, fruit-forward jammy Zinfandel's and like those this is hard not to drink at a rapid pace as it so incredibly enjoyable. Don't drink it in a wine glass, pour it in to a chipped thick glass tumbler paired with a hearty tomato pasta, salami, olives and a great big hunk of ciabatta bread, throw some Dean Martin on and crank up the cross-table family banter... go on be outrageous.

Run don't walk to Cost Plus World Market ($14.99) as they only produced 3000 cases for this maiden production, 91 points.

http://www.rossobianco.com

Boony Doon 2004 Vin Gris De Cigare California

Most men given the choice between a fat juicy gourmet Bratwurst covered in a hearty German mustard in a ridiculously lush, crusty roll OR an ecomentalist Tofu sausage with an anaemic chai-soy aioli in a gluten-free flat bread with the consistency of cardboard will quite naturally plump for the comfortably sane German sausage.

Much the same I tend to keep my sideboard cellar stocked to the gunnels with Red wine, so breaking out a bottle of Vin Gris, Rosé nay Pink wine may come as a bit of a surprise. What's more I view ecomentalists with a rather large dose of healthy cynicism so this choice is even more of an oddity as this wine comes to us by way of Bonny Doon Vineyards biodynamic Rhone ranger, Californian wine guru and oddball ecomentalist Randall Grahm. Yes that's Grahm not Graham. Affect an English accent worthy of the most painful, inbred horse-faced British aristocrat and say pinky aloft and with a sneer "Graam".... perfect, you get the picture.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover this treat at Bel Air for an acutely reasonable $12 earlier this year and bought it on a whim because it was from top wine-wierd Randall Grahm and unusually for his plonk not ludicrous expensive. Vin Gris "Gray Wine" is a Rosé or Pink wine but made without maceration. In the Rhoné style, Vin Gris De Cigare comprises 47% Grenache, 27% Cinsaut, 14% Syrah, 7% Grenache Blanc and 5% Roussanne.

Anyway popping the screw cap—well you don't exactly pop it do you—this beautiful light copper, salmon colored Vin Gris sits very elegantly in the glass. It exudes, inhaling at first a most marvelous slightly-spicy citrus tea. Strawberries, watermelon, thyme and a faint musky quality. Now at this juncture I'd waffle lyrically about it being reminiscent of the beguiling bouquet of wild flowers in a early summer alpine meadow but my Wife said that would be remarkably akin to a C grade student trying too hard...  so I won't. The nose is confirmed by the palette, juicy fresh fruit, red berries and citrus, lemon and a touch of mandarin orange. A well-balanced velvety, fresh, light wine that's almost but not totally bone-dry. Very crisp and refreshing, it feels strangely enough... rather cleansing.

This wine pair's perfectly with Summer. One of those idle stolen moments on a glorious August afternoon when you really should be at work but have no intention of doing so. A riverside picnic, propped up under a weeping willow tree with a good book, dozing comfortably in the gentle warm breeze bathed in the dancing sunshine afforded by the shadow of the lithe branches.

If you've yet to take a dip into the welcoming waters that is Rosé wine you'd be hard pressed to find a better example. The celebrated Randall Grahm may well indeed be a bit of a mental but this wine is a noteworthy gorgeous mouthful of sheer genius, 90 points.

http://www.bonnydoonvineyard.com/