Wine Finds: Grocery

Who says you can’t find a great value wine at a supermarket?  “Grocery store” wines are often forgotten.  What we forget is that most of these wines have earned their illustrious “grocery store” status because they are actually good values.  (We’ll save a thorough debate of “good value” versus “good.”  For now, think of “good value” as “over performing.”)  Not all wines need to be artisan or need to be undiscovered or need to break the bank to be enjoyable.  With this basic presumption, I will occasionally present wines that fit this mold.  They might be timeless wines that have been forgotten or they might be underrepresented wines relegated to the bottom shelf.  But remember: if a wine is presented here, then it carries our color and aroma general stamp of approval.

2007 Shannon Ridge Syrah, Lake County – A wine straight from the grocery store shelf that provides great value.  This rather powerful wine hails from Lake County, Napa’s northern neighbor, where Syrah has found a home.  If you can’t beat Napa at its own game then change the game, which is what Syrah is doing for Lake County.  Lake County provides a beautiful rural back drop for rather intense heat which Syrah just soaks up. Lake County grapes happen to be a relative bargain which translates into money in your pocket.  This wine does a good job of capturing that intensity at a great value.  It’s not a perfect wine but it might be once you see the price tag.

Le Grotte Lambrusco Reggiano – This slightly sparkling, off-dry wine from Emilia-Romagna in North Central Italy is made from the Lambrusco grape.  This is a classic Italian wine style that usually gets relegated to the bottom shelf (which is where I found it).  This wine is enjoyable by itself but to understand the hidden value in this wine it must be paired with native Emilia-Romagna foods like prosciutto, Parmigiano & Reggiano cheeses or ragù alla Bolognese.  Not sure about the sparkly sweetness and these particular foods?  Not to worry: despite its sparkling and sweeter nature, Lambrusco pairs perfectly with these particular savory foods.  Rumor has it that the same terroir that penetrates the local wine also influences the local food, which supposedly creates the harmony for these seemingly awkward matches.

–Douglas Allan