Thread by @danielmkim

I know it's early in the day to talk about wine, but like a sage once said before ordering 2 Bloody Marys for each of us one morning, "it's 5:00 somewhere." This 🧵 is in response to @jbradleyrushing, who asked for wine recommendations in the $15-$25 range.

2. Disclaimer: the prices listed here are for the Metro NYC market, so YMMV. I usually go to Total Wine, which is awesome because it's like WalMart, but for booze, which is better. We'll go in order of lighter to heavier bodied whites, then reds.

3. Sauvignon Blanc, which can either be overly acidic for its own good, but some nice ones here:
Dog Point, NZ
Whitehaven, NZ
Groth, Napa
Rombauer, Napa
Chateau L'Oiseau Vieille Vignes, Bordeaux

4. Pinot Gris, which is genetically closer to P Noir than P Grigio, & a wonderfully delicate white wine with green apple & pear on the palate:
Trimbach Reserve, Alsace
Elk Cove, OR
King Estate, OR
Fern Ridge, NZ

5a. American Chardonnay, the ones here aren't overly oaky or overpowering with tons of malolactic fermentation (the thing that makes Chardonnay taste buttery):
Brewer-Clifton, Santa Rita Hills
Raeburn, Russian Rvr Vly (RRV)
Hartford Court, RRV
Clos du Val, Carneros

5b: Aus/NZ Chardonnay, which lately tastes a lot better balanced than American:
Penfolds Bin 311, New South Wales
Miles From Nowhere, Western Aus
Kumeu River Village, Auckland
Kim Crawford Unoaked, NZ

6a. New World (US, Aus, NZ) Riesling:
Fess Parker, Rodney's Vineyard, CA
Chateau Ste Michelle, Eroica, WA
Anthony Road Dry Riesling, NY
Alkoomi White Label, Aus
Two Paddocks, NZ

6b. Old World (Fr, Ger) Riesling:
Dr. Loosen, Red Slate, Ger
Hugel, Gentil, Alsace
Domdechant Werner Estate, Trocken, Ger
Anne de K, Schlossberg Grand Cru, Alsace

6c. The European Rieslings listed above are on the drier side, but if you're in the mood for something fuller & sweeter, ask the clerk about these German Riesling classifications, in order of less to more residual sugar after fermentation: Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese.

7. Honorable mentions that don't fit into any of the above categories:
Bonny Doon, Malvasia Bianca, CA
Terlan Müller-Thurgau, Italy
Pieropan Soave Classico, Italy
Domaine Pichot Vouvray, Fr
Disznókö Dry Furmint, Hungary

8. We'll go into red wine tomorrow, again from lighter to fuller body, & with a maximum retail price of around $25. Still with me? Need a study break to hit up your local wine shop yet? Stay tuned, I'll add to this 🧵soon.

🧵continued.
9. Let's dive into red wine, which is what some of you were waiting for since yesterday. There's such a wide variety that I won't be able to cover all of it here, but I'll give it a go.

10a. Deciding which light bodied red to start with is tricky, since there's such a vast spectrum here, but let's start with Pinot Noir. Fun fact: it matches great with any fish that won't fall apart when grilled. We'll start with Oregon.

10b. If you were to draw a line west from Burgundy, the birthplace of Pinot Noir, you'd wind up roughly at the Willamette Valley in Oregon, whose climate is similar. The Pinots here are lighter than their CA cousins, the fruit more muted, with acidity you don't often see from CA.

10c. Recommendations are <$25 for the NYC market, so check with the clerk at your local wine shop.
A to Z
Ponzi "Tavola"
Argyle
Elk Cove
Benton Lane

10d. CA Pinots generally are fuller bodied than OR, but still top out at medium bodied on a macro scale. The fruit tends to be fuller & riper - think black cherry instead of tart red cherry, now with hints of vanilla from new oak.

10e. Talbott, "Kali Hart," Monterey
Acacia, Carneros
Etude, Carneros
Siduri, Santa Lucia
Diora, "Le Petite Grace," Monterey
DeLoach, Russian River Valley

11. Medium bodied Italian reds, my first wine love, have some amazing values under $25 retail.
Armani Valpolicella Ripasso
Just about any Barbera d'Alba or Barbera d'Asti (Piedmont)
Castellare Chianti Classico
Antinori Peppoli Ch. Cl. Riserva

11a. As long as we're in Italy, let's give a shout out to some fuller bodied values from the boot. Namely, Primitivo (Zinfandel's long lost sibling) from Puglia, & Nero d'Avola from Sicily.

12. These French wines from Rhone are medium bodied, with fruit reminiscent of OR Pinot, but with a little spice & earthiness on the palate.
Guigal Cotes du Rhone Rouge
Perrin CdR Villages
St Cosme CdR
Pierre Henri Morel CdR Villages

13. Believe it or not, even Bordeaux has some good retail values. A brief history here

https://twitter.com/danielmkim/status/1340817323201077249?s=20

13a. Recommendations under $25:
Chateau de Fontenille, Cotes de Bordeaux
Ch Peyrabon, Haut-Medoc
Ch Auney L'Hermitage, Graves
Ch La Grange Clinet, Cotes de Bordeaux
Ch Tessendey, Fronsac

14. These Spanish wines - all from Rioja - have ripe raspberry & a little blackberry, balanced with light to medium tannin:
Campo Viejo
Marques de Riscal
Juan Gil 12 Mesas
Montecillo

15. The "king" of red wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, which like any wine, represents differently depending on its provenance. DYK, Cab Sav was a mistake in cross breeding Sauvignon Blanc vines in Bordeaux? Here are some picks from California.

16a. Arrowood Estate, Sonoma
Coppola, Director's Cut, Alexander Valley
Rodney Strong, Knights Vly
Black Stallion, Napa
Daou, Paso Robles
Sterling, Napa

16b. Not enough fruit from the wines in 16a? Then let's head north for Cab Sav from WA.
Ch. Ste. Michelle "Canoe Ridge," Horse Heaven Hills
Substance by Charles Smith, WA
Luke, Columbia Vly
L'Ecole No.41, Columbia Vly
Mercer Brothers, Columbia Vly

17a. My all time favorite varietal is Merlot, 1 line from a film notwithstanding. Recs from CA under $25:
Decoy by Duckhorn, Napa
Markham, Napa
St Francis, Sonoma
Wente "Sandstone," CA
Rutherford Hill, Napa

17b. As with Cab, good Bordeaux varietals also thrive further up the coast in WA. Merlots from the Evergreen State:
H3, Horse Heaven Hills
Windhaven Reserve, HHH
Ch Ste Michelle, Canoe Ridge, HHH
Northstar, Columbia Vly

18. I realize I'm going to have to continue this 🧵 tomorrow, because I haven't even touched on Syrah, Zinfandel, South America, Australia, or New Zealand. Enjoy these potential additions to an already full shopping list, & stay tuned below. Cheers!