2014 Domaine Saint Aix Rosé paired with grilled salmon

Would you like a quick suggestion for a good wine to drink tonight (or this weekend) that won’t break your budget and is widely available? If so, you might want to check out the 2014 Domaine Saint Aix Rosé from the Provence region of France.

Our selection criteria include:

• A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
• A price tag of <=$20
• Must be widely available

Maison Saint Aix, a 130-year-old winery, is situated in the south of France, just an hour northeast of Aix en Provence. Their Domaine Saint Aix Rosé is easy to find across the United States, especially this time of year. It is great as a sipper and gets even better with food. We especially enjoy pairing it with grilled salmon.

When the sun is shining and you’re looking for a refreshing beverage to enjoy on the deck or in the backyard, don’t forget to give rosé wine a shot and this 2014 Domaine Saint Aix Rosé is a great place to start.

2014 Domaine Saint Aix Rosé (Provence, France): 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 20% Cinsault. Pale salmon color. Very aromatic with strawberry, orange peel, and floral notes on both the nose and palate. Dry and light-bodied with crisp acidity and a long finish. Well-balanced, food-friendly, and very refreshing.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $14.99; Available elsewhere, $14 to $20

The post A Wine for Tonight: 2014 Domaine Saint Aix Rosé appeared first on Wine Peeps.

Our selection criteria include:

• A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
• A price tag of <=$20
• Must be widely available

Cune, also known as Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España, was founded in 1879 by brothers Eusebio and Raimundo Real de Asua in Haro, Rioja, and is still family-owned and family-operated by direct descendants of the founders. Monopole, produced by Cune since 1915, is the oldest white wine brand of Spain.

“Slight yellow greenish color. Seductive scent of spring, white flowers and fresh tropical fruit. In the mouth, it is nice and long, leaving a slight acidity that gives a feeling of freshness that results in an increased potential retronasal aroma. Ideal companion for appetizers, snacks, fish and seafood.” –Cune

2013 Cune Monopole Rioja Blanco (Rioja Alta, Spain): 100% Viura. Pale, straw yellow in color. Very aromatic with orange blossom and tropical notes on the nose. More floral notes as well as lime come through on the palate. Dry and light to medium-bodied with very crisp acidity. Well-balanced and refreshing with a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $15; Available elsewhere, $9 to $18

A Wine for Tonight: 2013 Cune Monopole Rioja Blanco was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Our selection criteria include:

• A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
• A price tag of <=$20
• Must be widely available

Dry Creek Vineyard, founded in 1972 by David Stare, is located in the heart of Dry Creek Valley just outside of Healdsburg, California. Well-known for their Fumé Blancs and Zinfandels, Dry Creek Vineyard also produces a number of other good wines. And best of all, their wines deliver serious bang-for-your-buck. “A great wine at a fair price” was founder David Stare’s mantra, and the family continues to uphold this philosophy. Today, Dry Creek Vineyard is run by David’s daughter Kim Stare Wallace and her husband Don.

“A classic summertime sipper, our wonderfully crisp and refreshing Dry Chenin Blanc perfectly represents our love for this classic grape variety. In the glass, fragrant aromatics such as white peach, melon and citrus are immediately appealing. This vintage displays the classic Loire character of earth and crushed minerals that give the wine depth and nuance. There is an underlying chalky quality with some spicy undertones that really make this wine shine. The palate is equally fine with excellent acid lifting the ripe apple and zesty citrus flavors.” –Dry Creek Vineyard

2013 Dry Creek Vineyard Dry Chenin Blanc (Clarksburg, California): 100% Chenin Blanc. Pale straw yellow. Very aromatic with citrus and orange blossom on both the nose and palate. Dry and light-bodied with crisp acidity and a long, refreshing finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $12; Available elsewhere, $9 to $12

A Wine for Tonight: 2013 Dry Creek Vineyard Dry Chenin Blanc was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Our selection criteria include:

• A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
• A price tag of <=$20
• Must be widely available

Julia’s Dazzle Rosé is produced and bottled under the Dolan & Weiss Cellars label. However, the masterminds behind it are Long Shadows’ founder Allen Shoup and winemaker Gilles Nicault. For years, Gilles made a dry rosé for Allen to enjoy and share with his own family and friends. After numerous requests from guests at Allen’s dinner parties, in 2011, he asked Gilles to set aside a special block of grapes at The Benches Vineyard to allow for increased production. Formerly known as Juliette’s Dazzle, this wine continues to deliver in its third vintage and is a great choice to enjoy on these warm summer days.

“Sourced from a special block of Pinot Grigio from The Benches Vineyard at Wallula, the grapes were whole cluster pressed and the clarified juice fermented at cool temperatures to retain its intensely vibrant aromatics and flavors.”

2013 Julia’s Dazzle Rosé (The Benches Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): 98% Pinot Grigio and 2% Sangiovese. Pale pink salmon in color. Very aromatic with watermelon, raspberry, and floral notes on both the nose and palate. Dry and light to medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a long, refreshing finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $16; Available elsewhere, $15 to $18

A Wine for Tonight: 2013 Julia’s Dazzle Rosé was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Our selection criteria include:

• A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
• A price tag of <=$20
• Must be widely available

Rodney Strong founded Rodney Strong Vineyards, located in Healdsburg, California, in 1959. Current owner Tom Klein and the Klein family purchased the winery in 1989. Head winemaker Rick Sayre has been with the winery since 1979. Rodney Strong sustainably farms thirteen estate vineyards in Sonoma County.

Rodney Strong consistently offers a lineup of good quality wines that deliver serious bang for your buck in their Sonoma County line, which is available nationally.

“A deep, saturated color leads to lifted aromas of blackberry, cocoa and herby black-currant, which is followed by a rich, layered mouthfeel, loaded with juicy black cherry, cedar, and crème de cassis. This wine is also elegantly structured with fresh acidity and ripe, mature tannins. Enjoy this vibrant Cabernet Sauvignon now and over the next several years.” –Winemaker Rick Sayre

2011 Rodney Strong Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma County, California): Deep, dark red in color. Aromatic with red and black fruit, leather, and a touch of black pepper on both the nose and palate. Medium-bodied with lively acidity, smooth tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $20; Available elsewhere, $12 to $20

A Wine for Tonight: 2011 Rodney Strong Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Our selection criteria include:

• A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
• A price tag of <=$20
• Must be widely available

Columbia Crest, located in Paterson, Washington, has been one of our favorite sources of value wines for many years. In 2011, Juan Munoz Oca took over as head winemaker from Ray Einberger. Einberger had been at the helm since 2002 when he took the reins from Doug Gore who had been the winemaker since Columbia Crest was founded in 1983. The Columbia Crest winemaking team has produced more 90+ scoring bottles of wine than any other winery in the world. For those of us who live in Washington State, it is nice to have such a consistent, affordable producer in our own backyard.

H3, an abbreviation for Horse Heaven Hills, is one of the tiers in the Columbia Crest portfolio and showcases the region in which their winery is located. All of the fruit used to produce H3 wines come from the Horse Heaven Hills AVA.

“This bold Cabernet opens with flavors of black cherries and blackberries with a touch of currants and vanilla, complemented by earth and mineral notes. Deep berry flavors lead to a soft tannin cocoa finish.” –Winemaker Juan Munoz Oca

2012 Columbia Crest H3 Cabernet Sauvignon (Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, and 2% Syrah. Deep, dark purplish red. Aromatic with black cherry, blackberry, and leather on both the nose and palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, smooth tannins, and a very long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to Buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $15; Available elsewhere, $11 to $15

A Wine for Tonight: 2012 Columbia Crest H3 Cabernet Sauvignon was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Our selection criteria include:

• A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
• A price tag of <=$20
• Must be widely available

Robert Mondavi was a winemaking legend and Napa Valley pioneer. Mondavi played an integral role in putting United States wine on the map worldwide. He founded his namesake winery in 1966, which was the first major winery in the Napa Valley of California after Prohibition. His goal was to produce wines that would stand up against the best wines in the world. Robert Mondavi Private Selection was founded in 1994 by Robert Mondavi to showcase California’s best Central Coast vineyards. Today, winemaker Rick Boyer produces eleven different wines under the Private Selection label including this Riesling.

“Our 2013 Riesling was produced exclusively from grapes grown in Monterey County in California’s Central Coast American Viticultural Area, a region renowned for its cool climate. An especially aromatic rendition of the noble Riesling varietal, it exudes warm, ripe peach, jasmine, fresh citrone, and Florabunda rose perfumes. Strong acidity keeps the wine crisp and refreshing. A slight sweetness makes it the perfect accompaniment to spicy Thai, Spanish, or Indian cuisine.” –Rick Boyer, Winemaker

2013 Robert Mondavi Private Selection Riesling (Central Coast, California): 100% Riesling. Pale, greenish straw yellow in color. Aromatic with peach and floral notes on the nose. More peach, dried apricot, and floral notes come through on the palate. Off-dry and light to medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a long, refreshing finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to Buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $11; Available elsewhere, $7 to 9

A Wine for Tonight: 2013 Robert Mondavi Private Selection Riesling was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Our selection criteria include:

• A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
• A price tag of <=$20
• Must be widely available

Dry Creek Vineyard, founded in 1972 by David Stare, is located in the heart of Dry Creek Valley just outside of Healdsburg, California. Producers of a number of very good wines, Dry Creek Vineyard is a self-proclaimed “Zinfandel Specialist” and offers eight different bottlings. This particular wine was first released in 1997 as Heritage Clone Zinfandel. Using old vine budwood grafted into a new vineyard, the Heritage bottling is a young vine Zin with distinctive old vine characteristics. Today, Dry Creek Vineyard is run by David’s daughter Kim Stare Wallace and her husband Don.

“The 2011 Heritage Vines Zinfandel presents a wonderful profile of blueberry, red currants, and silky structure that speak to the cool 2011 vintage. The moderate alcohol nature of this Zin provides smooth tannin and structure, making the palate very well balanced.” –Tim Bell, Winemaker

2011 Dry Creek Vineyard Heritage Vines Zinfandel (Sonoma County, California): 84% Zinfandel and 16% Petite Sirah. Deep, purplish red in color. Aromatic with blackberry, black cherry, plum, and spice on both the nose and palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to Buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $19; Available elsewhere, $13 to $19

A Wine for Tonight: 2011 Dry Creek Vineyard Heritage Vines Zinfandel was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.