BajaNomad

What is your current favorite Red wine available in Baja?

Iflyfish - 11-19-2012 at 06:44 PM

I have not been down in a while. What are your current favorite reds? I like big fruit, high alcohol, since it usually means big fruit, balance and long finish. I like Shiraz, Malbec or Rhone blends.

Chilean, Argentine or Australian can be good and very reasonably priced.

I plan to make a wine stop in Ensenada.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Iflyfishwithaglassofred

Hook - 11-19-2012 at 07:23 PM

I think you should also try some Carmenere while you're down there. It's coming from Chile. Not as big as most Shiraz or Malbecs but there are a number of wimpy Malbecs on the market in Mexico, now.

For inexpensive ones, I've found good results with the Santa Carolina wines. Cabs, Carmeneres, Merlots.

Also liking the pinotages from South Africa that is available in Mexico. A blend of pinot noir and cinsaut. Maybe not "big" enough for your palette, though.

Shiraz are rather rare down here. Zins even rarer; although, surprisingly, you didnt mention Zins and they are often big fruit, big alcohol affairs. Cabs are more common. Lots of tempranillos from Spain.

Other brands whose vinos tintos I have liked that are reasonable (around 20.00US or under) are: Trivento, Adobe, Graffigna, Nieto, Protos, Pascual Toso, Ventisquero, Sunrise. Concha y Toro are very prevalent and reasonably priced but I've not liked many of the last couple vintages.

Vinisterra

skipowell - 11-19-2012 at 07:51 PM

We love all the wines that The Vinestera Winery from Guadelupe Valley puts out but their Domino label that is very reasonable is a great value.

CortezBlue - 11-19-2012 at 08:05 PM

Personally I don't drink wine, but I am in the middle of building my wife a wine vault.

I know she is into earthquake and 7 deadly zins for here day to day vino

vandenberg - 11-19-2012 at 08:05 PM

As a connoisseur of fine wines, I appreciate Franzia's Cabernet or Merlot in the 5 liter Box. :biggrin::biggrin:

DavidE - 11-19-2012 at 08:18 PM

Blend a bottle of carbernet sauvignon with a bottle of merlot and shake 'em up good.

Wine??

EdZeranski - 11-19-2012 at 08:42 PM

Lets see... Chateau Screwtop is good.....or the square ones with a handle.
EdZ

Iflyfish - 11-19-2012 at 11:42 PM

My taste in Zin goes to the Litton Springs before Ridge purchased them. Big, Jammy with lots of tannin and long finish. Hard to beat.

I have enjoyed some Tempranillos but have not found any that stand out, love the spice, but most I have tasted lack the depth and balance.

I spent my youth in California tasting wines in my spare time and so have sampled more than my share. When one does that you develop the capacity to identify what you really like and in time can identify more and more flavors.

It's like beer, there are so many varieties and styles, one could go on forever drinking them and never taste them all.

Esters are what we experience as flavors. Wine has the most esters of any food with cheese coming in second. Try a nice red with a sharp cheddar or aged gouda and a slice of granny smith apple and you will experience one of life's great pleasures. One of my all time favorite desert is a cheap, crisp ginger snap dunked in red wine! The Italians developed this via a ginger biscotti that was baked for this purpose. Give it a try sometime.

As to sloshing Cabernet and Merlot together, its actually a great idea. The French have been doing it for centuries and call it Bordeaux. Rather good that!

I have had some good box wine but have not found any consistently to my liking. I think that the screw top was a flash of brilliance and a much better way to "cork" a bottle.

One can find some excellent wine at very low prices. There is a glut of grapes on the market and hence a proliferation of fine wine including second labels of very fine wine that vintners have had to sell because of the recession. This is one of the best times to learn about wine, it is abundant, excellent and cheap. I am in many ways sorry I have a cellar as there are so many wonderful and inexpensive wines out there.

It is hard to find a really bad Australian Shiraz, that was the first grape they planted there and so there are some very mature vines used in production. They also have some wonderful Chards at very good prices. Cost does not necessarily equate with quality.

Isn't Franzia used for starter fluid? For a good sit on the stoop and wait for the next handout or stand around a burning barrel I prefer Thunderbird in a brown paper bag! To each his/her own!

Thanks for the tips guys and gals. Salud!!

Iflyfishonwobblylegs

PlanB - 11-20-2012 at 08:59 AM

There is a cafe sign on the left heading south from Tecate, about KM 100 or so, at the north end of the town, that sells no-label local red at MXN150 a bottle that is good and without nitrites; so if one is into enjoying aheavy red wine and not necessarily the label, a stop at that cafe is time well spent.

Hook - 11-20-2012 at 09:15 AM

Silly me. I thought we were talking about wines you could get in MEXICO. :lol:

Iflyfish - 11-20-2012 at 09:20 AM

Now your talkin'! I understand that there are some very fine wines coming out of that region, but my experience has been that they are pricey and some of those I have tasted are of dubious distinction. If I head down that route this time I will stop there for sure!!

Thanks

Iflyfishwithsobrietyinthemorning
Quote:
Originally posted by PlanB
There is a cafe sign on the left heading south from Tecate, about KM 100 or so, at the north end of the town, that sells no-label local red at MXN150 a bottle that is good and without nitrites; so if one is into enjoying aheavy red wine and not necessarily the label, a stop at that cafe is time well spent.

bajaguy - 11-20-2012 at 09:40 AM

There are several excellent red wines from the Guadalupe Valley....Malagon, Liceaga, and yes, L.A. Cetto. You can usually buy the wine at the winery, or there are several places in the Ensenada arer that are wine co-ops that handle the majority of Guadalupe Valley wines

[Edited on 11-20-2012 by bajaguy]

Iflyfish - 11-20-2012 at 10:03 AM

Thanks for the tips bajaguy. I have not had Malagon or Liceaga, had Cetto years ago and poured it out. No doubt the methods and products have improved. I have seen some Nebliolos and maybe even Barolos from Guadalupe Valley. Ever had any? I imagine that the wines PlanB is referring to are second pressings or surplus. That is what is happening here in the States, most wineries now offering second labels and low cost alternatives to their first line labels. They have to do something with their surplus of wine.

Iflyfishsloshedlikethefishes

bajaguy - 11-20-2012 at 10:19 AM

Smart & Final in Ensenada carries several GV wines. There is also a wine shop at 6th and Moctezuma, near the park. Another shop is at the south end of the tourist strip near the corner of Calle Primera and Miramar. LA Cetto has a boutique on your left south of the Z gas propane distributor as you enter town from the north.

I have poured out wines from the Napa Valley that just didn't cut it.

Nebiolos and Tempranillos are always good.

Also, the Santo Tomas winery on Macheros between 6th and 7th street has various selections.

PlanB - 11-20-2012 at 10:34 AM

Yes, they are second pressings. Also available are small quantities in bring your own bottles, at Cormondu. We got Missiones cuttings up in Jan Javier + three years ago and now have those vines ready to start producing in the California foothills as well as in Mulege. Those parent vines haven't changed since the padres had to walk it off the next morning.

All of these "locals" are very rich in sediments; the lees or "dregs" produced during wine making are rich sources of antioxidants. Unexpectedly, these materials show significant antibacterial properties as well as antioxidant properties. It is for those medicinal aspects that one should enjoy or endure a glass of red daily; OK maybe a red cup.

REd wines that are available

capitolkat - 11-20-2012 at 10:40 AM

Alamos- Malbec-- is available at Costco and the Vinoteca in Los Cabos. A really hearty wine with good finish, good balance, and a nice nose. it's my cellar protector wine that I serve when folks are visiting that I know don't drink much wine.

Sweetwater - 11-20-2012 at 10:46 AM

Mmmmmmmm........wine...........nothing better than backyard Cabernet.......:P

Howard - 11-20-2012 at 06:11 PM

As I write this, I am in San Quintin at the Villa Hotel and heading to Guadalupe Valley tomorrow for some tasting. I have around 6 hours to do this and usually wind up at L. A. Cetto but really not that familiar with some other wineries.

Any suggestions which ones to go to? I am spending the night in the Valley so no problem over indulging.

By the way, one of the best wines I have ever had was a 2005 L. A. Cetto Nebbiolo! A large reward to anyone who can find me some!

Santiago - 11-20-2012 at 07:04 PM

Howie: try Sol y Barra and Tres Mujeras. Not for the wines, but for the enjoyment of talking with people who are into the wine making process from one end to the other. They are next to each other and will give you a different look into the valley. the wines are generally blends with greneche being the common feature. They are over-priced from a strictly oneophile POV (as are most wines in Baja) but more than fair after an hour of wonderful conversation. Try Las Nubes on the north side of the valley in the hills - the view is outstanding and the winery is brandnew and fairly large - a good example of the up and coming wine makers who have money behind them. In ten years the valley is going to be rocking.

Iflyfish - 11-21-2012 at 07:25 AM

Wow Sweetwater, I am as impressed as those grapes! Only tried to make grape wine once....vinegar. Crushed the grapes with my feet, that may have been the problem. Nice outfit!

Thanks for all the great suggestions.

Iflyfish

capt. mike - 11-22-2012 at 08:56 AM

iflyfish - you know your wines. impressive. we have similar tastes.