Fiat Vino

This vineyard was established in 1935 and is solely made up of Malbec. This was at my mom's house so I don't know how much it cost. It has big jammy notes of cherry, plum, there's a hint of anise in there too. At 14%, it packs a punch; it is almost a fruit bomb but there is a deep earthy note that's keeps it together. http://papawow.com

This is one of our go-to $10 Pinots and at Thanksgiving with a bunch of, no offense, "token wine drinkers"; what, are we going to break out the 2000 Foxen Bien Nacido? I don't think so. This has a strong fruit nose with heaps of cherry, blueberry, and blackberry. It isn't too big, hot, not acidic so it pairs well with everything. Tonight, we wanted it to par well with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, candied yams, cranberry relish, rolls, and gravy. It played its part masterfully. http://papawow.com

This is an excellent Portuguese Rose; it is bright, and crisp - with a strong, but not overbearing, fruit component. There seems to be a light oakiness that makes itself known in the form of a feint vanilla hint. We scored this from the Grocery Outlet (I know, I'm starting to sound like an ad) and it was less than $4. I will grab another couple nest time I stop in. http://papawow.com

Bob grows grapes on his property in Healsberg and gave this bottle to our freinds Scott and Jen Zuppan, who brought it over to dinner last night. There was no label on it and Scott couldn't remember if it was a Zin or a Merlot. Upon tasting it, we couldn't form a consensus either but one thing we were sure of, it was atomic. If it was a Merlot, it may have been the best Merlot I've ever had. Not that there's anything wrong with Merlot, I just don't buy or drink it very often. If it was a Zin, it was one of the best Zins I've ever had; and I have had dozens of tip-top Zins in my life. In any case (get it? Case? Nevermind), bravo to Bob Salsbury and thanks for sharing! http://papawow.com

Another score for The Grocery Outlet! I splurged on this $10 Spanish white because I've never had, nor heard of, a Valdeorras before. After looking it up, Valdeorras means "Valley of Gold" and produces whites dominated by the Godello varietal in the north-western corner of Spain. It has been a wine making region since the Roman Empire marched in, a long long time ago. This example of Valdeorras is a full-bodied white, akin to a California Chardonnay. There is a lot of oak and smoke, still, even though those notes have likely been tempered by 4 years since bottling (it's a 2006). I really enjoyed this, I don't know a thing about Spanish whites and this makes me want to try more. http://papawow.com

This grassy Sav Blanc has a richer mouthfeel than most. It isn't a bad thing, it's just different having more of a malolactic oiliness I most associate with Chardonnay. I'm not sure if it is malolactic but that's the impression I get. I grabbed this for $3 at the Grocery Outlet in Oceanside. Yes folks, $3. That's not a typo. I've paid $10 or more for worse. This is an absolute steal. I think they even had a "WOW" hanger around the neck of the bottle. Although not a crisp as one may expect from a Sav Blanc, this has all the vegetative and bell pepper I have come to enjoy in New Zealand Sav Blancs, especially those from Marlborough. http://papawow.com

On special for about $10, this is a great value - in my opinion, most $10 Pinots are a watery waste. I would grab this one again, although I prefer Central Coast and Oregon Pinots over Sonoma, this is has a good balance of oak and fruit whereas many others are just oak bombs. http://papawow.com

A sharp acidity and a slight effervescence make this Sav Blanc dance on your tongue. I heard Bill Foley owns Firestone and the Firestone family still owns Curtis. I haven't been a big fan of Firestone reds in the past but this wine makes me want to revisit them. In any case, I grabbed this for around $10 and I will grab it again, it is a great example of a Central Coast Sav Blanc. http://papawow.com