A couple of brief wine reviews

I'm always on the lookout for good wines that don't cost too much, sometihng you can drink everyday and not break the bank. Two wines I've been drinking a lot of lately are:

2009 Bogle Petite Sirah

This wine retails for around $14, but can be found widely in the Los Angeles area for around $10. It is a full-bodied wine with lots of black fruit, tobacco, spice, and chocolate flavors. Not too much by way of tannins; just enough to balance out the fruit. A great everyday red for hearty dishes, especially those made with beef or lamb.





2010 Geyser Peak Sauvignon Blanc.

This wine retail for around $12, but can be found widely in the Los Angeles area for around $9. It is a fruit-forward, California Sauvignon Blanc from Sonoma County that is easy to drink, without being entirely one-dimensional. It has nice tropical and citrusy flavors, while maintaining the herbaceousness and bright acidity one associates with sauvignon blanc. This wine goes great with most kinds of chicken or seafood dishes, and is also nice just to drink on its own. I've pretty much given up on California chardonnay, but I drink a ton of California Sauvignon Blanc and this is probably the one I drink most often because of the quality-to-price ratio.