Another Under $20 Challenge
Here we are in the first week of November, the perfect time to finish up fall activities and begin the journey into the holiday season. While Halloween is has already vanished like an apparition, and Thanksgiving is still a few weeks away, I pondered how I could help make the time fly to get us all to that magical time of year. (If you’re picking up that I’m a big fan of Christmas, you are correct.) I wanted to do a wine dinner with family, like a practice Thanksgiving so to speak. I needed some exciting new wines and luckily for me, Whole Foods built a brand-new flagship store just down the road from my house. Now, historically I tend to stay away from shopping for wine at Whole Foods, as most of my wine comes from locally owned wine shops. But I needed a reason to check out the new version of the organic superstore. So, I set forth with a challenge to find great and affordable vino for under $20. While Whole Foods has a tremendous wine selection, I never like paying the mark up on wine that I have had in the past, so I needed to find wine that is conversation starter (think great labels or catchy names), never-before tasted by me, and under $20.
I like to get the celebration going right away, and the JP Chenet sparkling wine does just that. I have consumed sparkling wine of every style from different producers and countries, but never have seen this diamond in the rough. Blanc De Blanc means white wine from white grapes, 100 percent Chardonnay that is not Champagne but aged in Methode Champenoise (in a bottle and not in a barrel). JP demonstrates a great nose of peaches and apricots, while delivering delicate bubbles and creaminess on the palate. The ergonomic indentation on the side of the bottle allows for easy pouring while entertaining. This is guaranteed to be a great party starter. Get a bottle for $11… or get three.
Unbelievable value in this one.
Perusing the wine selection, I had to filter a lot, as most was way out of the price range or bland in labels and names. That is, until I stumbled upon the 2014 Fatty Pope. This wine definitely meets all the criteria for the challenge. New to me, with a centerpiece-worthy label and under $20. The artwork on the bottle will be the conversation of the party as a plump, dumpy, lavishly dressed pope stands in a bucket of grapes. This wine shows a great deal of licorice and dark fruit on the nose, plums and boysenberries on the palate. The blend is concentrated with fruit and comes in about 14.9%. The Fatty Pope is made up of Merlot, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Mourvedre and Grenache. I highly recommend decanting it for an hour prior of serving. Make the Fatty Pope your next party’s companion for $17.
The trend of eccentric labels continued on the next selection at Whole Foods with Plungerhead Lodi Cabernet Sauvignon. This 2012 Cabernet surprised me by far surpassing my expectations of wine in that price range. The bottle features a Zork Closure—a peel away cap that can be resealed afterward. The artwork also speaks to the wine’s name: if you pictured a plunger on a head of some sort, you would be correct. This wine speaks for itself with a pleasant vanilla and cola on the nose, all while giving luscious spicy fruit, caramel, and toasted oak on the palate. Not overly complex, this 100 percent Cabernet is a crowd pleaser and a delicious drinking wine that will get the conversation started during your next gathering for $14.
Buehler Cabernet Sauvignon looks and drinks like your dad’s Cabernet: the label is simple, quaint and it’s a classic Napa Valley Cabernet. Yet this wine certainly over delivers for the price. This 2014 blend of 90 percent Cabernet and 10 percent Merlot is sourced from fruit across Napa Valley, and gathers cedar, black cherry and chocolate on the nose. Its hauntingly long finish lingers with notes of plums and walnuts on the palate. I was ecstatic to find this wine under $20, as they could have doubled the price and I still would have been pleased. Buehler Cab was clearly made for dinner parties, as it’s a tremendous companion for food and will get everyone talking about the structure of this wine. Pick up Buehler Cabernet for $19.
Accomplishing my challenge felt entertaining and educational, as I gathered new wines to taste and brought a few people together to do so with me. Every wine met the challenge criteria and I walked away happy with all three. How often can you get one third of a case of awesome wine for $60, especially at an upscale grocer known for higher prices? I hope you try the lineup, and if you have any suggestions for your own conversation starter wine or other challenges, please leave a comment!
JP Chenet
I like to get the celebration going right away, and the JP Chenet sparkling wine does just that. I have consumed sparkling wine of every style from different producers and countries, but never have seen this diamond in the rough. Blanc De Blanc means white wine from white grapes, 100 percent Chardonnay that is not Champagne but aged in Methode Champenoise (in a bottle and not in a barrel). JP demonstrates a great nose of peaches and apricots, while delivering delicate bubbles and creaminess on the palate. The ergonomic indentation on the side of the bottle allows for easy pouring while entertaining. This is guaranteed to be a great party starter. Get a bottle for $11… or get three.
Unbelievable value in this one.
Fatty Pope
Perusing the wine selection, I had to filter a lot, as most was way out of the price range or bland in labels and names. That is, until I stumbled upon the 2014 Fatty Pope. This wine definitely meets all the criteria for the challenge. New to me, with a centerpiece-worthy label and under $20. The artwork on the bottle will be the conversation of the party as a plump, dumpy, lavishly dressed pope stands in a bucket of grapes. This wine shows a great deal of licorice and dark fruit on the nose, plums and boysenberries on the palate. The blend is concentrated with fruit and comes in about 14.9%. The Fatty Pope is made up of Merlot, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Mourvedre and Grenache. I highly recommend decanting it for an hour prior of serving. Make the Fatty Pope your next party’s companion for $17.
Plungerhead
The trend of eccentric labels continued on the next selection at Whole Foods with Plungerhead Lodi Cabernet Sauvignon. This 2012 Cabernet surprised me by far surpassing my expectations of wine in that price range. The bottle features a Zork Closure—a peel away cap that can be resealed afterward. The artwork also speaks to the wine’s name: if you pictured a plunger on a head of some sort, you would be correct. This wine speaks for itself with a pleasant vanilla and cola on the nose, all while giving luscious spicy fruit, caramel, and toasted oak on the palate. Not overly complex, this 100 percent Cabernet is a crowd pleaser and a delicious drinking wine that will get the conversation started during your next gathering for $14.
Buehler
Accomplishing my challenge felt entertaining and educational, as I gathered new wines to taste and brought a few people together to do so with me. Every wine met the challenge criteria and I walked away happy with all three. How often can you get one third of a case of awesome wine for $60, especially at an upscale grocer known for higher prices? I hope you try the lineup, and if you have any suggestions for your own conversation starter wine or other challenges, please leave a comment!
Great suggestions!
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