
by Fred McMillin
At San Francisco City College (Ft. Mason campus) we held a large blind tasting of affordable ($15 maximum) bottles with these results.
We called the best our—
NIFTY NINE
|
These three were rated GOOD: | ||
|---|---|---|
| RANK | WINE | DETAILS |
| 9th | MALBEC | Merlot blend, Falling Star, Argentina, 2004, $5 |
| 8th | SHIRAZ | Red Belly, Angove's, Australia, 2004, $12 |
| 7th | SHIRAZ | McLaren Vale, Tyrrell's, Australia, 2002, $11 |
|
These three were rated VERY GOOD: | ||
|---|---|---|
| RANK | WINE | DETAILS |
| 6th | ZINFANDEL | Reserve, Shenandoah of California, Amador County, 2002, $10 |
| 5th | ZINFANDEL | Bargetto, Lodi, 2004, $14 |
| 4th | MALBEC | Don Miguel, Pasternak Imports, 2003, $12 |
|
These three were rated EXCELLENT: | ||
|---|---|---|
| RANK | WINE | DETAILS |
| 3rd | MALBEC | Bodegas Escorihuela Gascon, Pasternak Imports, 2004, $13 |
| 2nd | ZINFANDEL | Shooting Star, Mendocino, 2002, $12 |
| 1st | ZINFANDEL | Heritage Clones, Dry Creek Vineyards, Dry Creek Valley, 2003, $15 |
ZINFANDEL: A 6th, 5th, 2nd and 1st ranking. As in prior studies, this grape makes the best buy reds in the $10 to $15 range.
MALBEC: This just in—ON WINE reader Simone Laplante asked what to taste when visiting Argentina. Of course we said MALBEC. Simone reports the current releases down there are DELICIOUS.
SHIRAZ: We found some excellent bottles but they were above our $15 price limit.
QUESTION: Who first said the wine of SHIRAZ was the best of Persia?
ANSWER: Genghis Khan c.1229 AD. I probably am the only living wine writer who has sipped SHIRAZ wine in the town of SHIRAZ. The year was 1972 and the wine was REELY, REELY robust.
Sign in window of local bistro: Come in before we BOTH starve.

Fred McMillin, a veteran wine writer, has taught wine history for 30 years on three continents. He was voted one of the U.S.A's 22 Best wine writers by the Academy of Wine Communications. For information about the wine courses he teaches every month at San Francisco City College (Fort Mason Division), please fax him at (415) 567-4468.
Copyright © 2007, Fred McMillin. All rights reserved.
This page created October 2007

Return to the
Global Gourmet®
Main Page
Global Gourmet®
Shopping
Gourmet Food, Cookbooks
Kitchen Gadgets & Gifts
Advanced Search
Recent Searches
Kate's Global Kitchen
Kate's Books
Cookbook Profiles
Global Destinations
Holiday & Party Recipes
I Love Desserts
On Wine
Shopping
New Green Basics
Cooking with Kids
Archives
Conversions, Charts
& Substitutions
Forums/Message Boards
Search
About the
Global Gourmet®
Contact Info
Advertising
Feedback
Privacy Statement
Fish Forever
Local Breads
Asian Flavors (Jean-Georges)
Morimoto: Japanese Cooking
Chocolates & Confections
Julia Child
Cook with Jamie
The World Atlas of Wine
Food: The History of Taste
Cook Everything Vegetarian
All Cookbook Winners
River Cottage Meat Book
My Bombay Kitchen
Country Cooking of France
Whole Grain Breads
The EatingWell Diet
Cooking
Geography of Oysters
All Cookbook Winners
Betty Crocker Why It Works
The Bon Appétit Cookbook
Joy of Cooking
Fifth Taste...Umami
The Professional Chef
New American Cooking
Vegetable Love
Vegetarian Cookbooks
Copyright © 1994-2008,
Forkmedia LLC
Become a Chef:
Best Culinary Schools
Everything Kitchens
Coffee Makers, Blenders
Espresso Machines
The California Wine Club
Wine of the Month Clubs
Monthly Wine Club Gifts
Groomsmen Gifts
Grooms Wedding Guide
Bridesmaids Gifts
Tenerife
Weight Loss Diet
Women's Vests
Vending Machines
Cheap Hotels
Cheap Holidays
Holiday Cottages