Un-Americanized Wines for Under $20

A while ago we posted a story about people complaining about too much alcohol in wine, and from what we can tell it's becoming a real epidemic. We never thought it was that big of a deal, and in fact we welcomed some additional booze in our plonk, but people really don't like the "Americanization" of wine. Yep, that's right, we're seen as the bull in the china shop that's making everyone focus on chardonnay and cabernet grapes and make big fruity wines with high alcohol content. Sue us.

We've found a great article that will let you find some other, non-Americanized wines to make sure your palate is always properly challenged. See below for the ones we want to try most and click through to Miami.com for more:

2006 Simonsig Chenin Blanc, Stellenbosch, South Africa: Lightly sweet, bursting with tropical fruit aromas and flavors, excellent as an aperitif or with salads or sandwiches; $11. This used to be popular in California, but it declined rapidly as growers found their vineyards made much better quality chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. It comes into its own in the shale soils of southwestern South Africa.

2004 Concannon Assemblage Red, Central Coast, California: Big, red and robust, with firm tannins, it's an excellent steak wine; $14. For some years, California winemakers have been making ''meritage'' wines that copy the wine varieties in France's great Bordeaux wines -- cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, petit verdot and malbec. But some winemakers find that too limiting, so they're adding grapes from other areas. Assemblage Red has cabernet sauvignon, merlot and petite verdot, but also a bit of petite sirah, a grape from France's Rhne Valley, for some extra backbone.

2004 Shenandoah Vineyards Reserve Tempranillo, Amador County, California: Big and rich and concentrated, with black cherry and black coffee flavors; $24. Tempranillo, of course, is the grape of Spain's famous Rioja wines. When it's grown in California's sunny climate, it becomes bigger, fuller bodied. This one has 20 percent cabernet sauvignon to make it even bigger and rounder.

2003 Forest Glen Malbec, California: Dark and sturdy, with black cherry and cinnamon flavors; $10 (recommended). Malbec began in France, as a blending grape used to add color to Bordeaux wines. It was black as ink and powerfully tannic. Then it migrated to Argentina, where it turns out smooth, ripe, chocolate-and-cherry flavors. Now it's being planted in California, where it turns out somewhere in between.

October 24, 2006

Un-Americanized Wines for Under $20