A Wine Mixology Road Trip

It’s Monday night and the dinner venue screams weekend leftovers and per chance there is affordable relief from the vino bin that can turn the tide and create a winning food/wine combo. The only question is what wine & at what price to compliment Saturdays night’s Goulash? Well, I’ve been at this game more than a few years and here is my thought process, your options are more open than perhaps otherwise thought and in the immortal words of Ricky Ricardo, let me “esplain”.

Borrowing on centuries proven model from the French - consider mixing and matching your favorite daily drinking wines to enhance the chow but also to better align with your budget especially so early in the week. So starting at the easiest level of this mixology concept, and pending your palate preference, combine “like minded” grape varietals at slightly different price points in the following mix ratio:

For light whites (Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blancs) fill 2/3 of a 10 oz. glass with any $8.00 brand and then top it off with a $10.00 style of the same lineage (match Chards with Chardonnay - Sauvignon. Blancs with Sauvignon Blancs, etc.).

For lighter reds (Pinots / Merlots) employ a 50/50 mix and climb price-wise a wee bit higher at the upper end and go crazy at $12 bucks.

Finally for bolder reds (Cabs, Syrahs, Zinfindels, Italian Barolos and Tuscans) - go back to the 2/3 to 1/3 mix ratio and let them breath time-wise similar to their higher priced cousins - and in this bucket you may have to stretch to $15 on the higher end at least for Zins, Syrahs and Cabs.

So as previously noted, French Bordeaux’s are blends of multiple grapes often commanding premium prices and after a few centuries of success, the French are - apparently on to something - right? So just as the protocols for wine and food pairings have morphed over time, there is no “rule” that’s stopping us from experimenting with buying primarily at the the lower price points & then infusing slightly higher priced versions of the same grape. If’s fun and substantially easier on the wallet.

On one final note for the harder core “Vino-Philes” out there who might be watching - here are some specific brand names to ponder for each category:

Light whites

• Chardonnay- for the lower price point try Chateau St. Michelle and top off with Columbia Crest Horse Heaven Hills both from Washington State.

• Sauvignon Blanc- for the low price point try Starborough and top off with Old Coach Road - both from New Zealand.

Light reds

• Pinot Noir - for the lower price point try Castle Rock California Cuvee and top off with Deloach Heritage Reserve or Poppy all from California.

• Merlot - for the lower price point try Tin Roof and top off with Columbia Crest Horse Heaven Hills - both from the West Coast.

Bolder Reds

• Cabs- for the lower price point try Carnivor and top off with Louis Martini Sonoma - both from California.

• Zins- for the lower price point try Rosenbloom Vintners Cuvee and top off with Campus Oaks - both from California.

• Syrah (Shiraz) - for the lower price point try Penfolds Rawson Retreat Cab/Shiraz and finish it off with either Penfolds Koonungo or Thomas Hyland label Shiraz

For many of the scenarios shown above more often than not the vendors have price tiered their offerings to help you simplify your purchasing decisions. That is to say they are potentially marketing an $8.00, $10.00 or $15.00 version of their varietals (as shown with the Penfolds example) on the same shelf at many purveyor locations. As for Barolos and Tuscans, or additional red styles, that’s another posting and maybe the gist for a Thursday or Friday’s leftovers story?

For all local to the Tri-State Washington,D.C.area, all vendor suggestions should be available at either each of these stores or some combination: Total Wine, Virginia ABC stores, Trader Joes (VA), Montgomery County Liquor (MD), and Calvert Woodley (DC).