Prosecco, Pepperwood Grove and a Hawk Crest

So I finally caved and picked up a bottle of Prosecco (sparkling wine) at Trader Joe's today. It's a Zonin Prosecco from Gambellara, Italy. At $5.99 a bottle, there was no need to pass it up and move on to the chocolate aisle. It's been a sunny week, too, which is as good of an excuse as any to drink some bubbly stuff. Maybe I'll ship a few bottles to Mark Cuban, too, to help him nurse his Miami-inflicted pain.

So we'll be reviewing that bottle soon. In the meantime, here are two recommended cheap whites: a 2003 Hawk Crest Chardonnay (by Stag's Leap Wine Cellar, Napa, CA). The other is a 2005 Pepperwood Grove Pinot Grigio. I haven't reviewed a pinot grigio in awhile (since the Fontana Candida) so it's probably time. Pepperwood Grove, which is owned by Don Sebastiani & Sons, makes some pretty good cheap wines overall. It's one of my grocery store staples. This Pinot Grigio (About $8) was refreshing, light and citrusy in a grapefruit sort of mode with a somewhat tart finish....It's a tasty summer white; what a Pinot Grigio should be. The Pepperwood Grove labels, according to the winemaker, were inspired by "the swirls of a Bristel Cone tree." To me, they look a lot simpler....like the minimalist Spirograph designs of my youth.

The Hawk Crest (about $10) is a very decent Chardonnay for the money. For the same price, I prefer the oak of the J. Lohr wine, but the Hawk Crest boasts some nice fruit and is easy on the palate. Definitely a lot less oak in this Chardonnay, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's balanced and tastes of melon and peach.

Grade for both: 2 stars. Both are solid table wines that I'd buy again.

June 20, 2006

Prosecco, Pepperwood Grove and a Hawk Crest