You wouldn’t ordinarily think value when seeking a wine recommendation from a professional sommelier. After all, they dwell in the rarefied air of Napa Valley cult wines, trendy Garagiste Bordeaux and the occasional 100-point bottle that would surely make you gasp at the price.
Of course, that’s the stereotype. The reality is somewhat different. The wave of hip, young sommeliers now managing large wine inventories in top-notch restaurants from New York to San Francisco has grasped the art of the deal. For proof, thumb through the wine list the next time you dine out and order the least expensive bottle.
You might be surprised. It has been my experience that the best sommeliers pride themselves on discovering inexpensive gems. That was so true at the recent Sommelier Challenge International Wine Competition in San Diego. To be sure, big-ticket wines such as Parallel Estate Cabernet Sauvignon ($135), Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cepages ($75) and Archery Summit Pinot Noir ($100) swept their share of the awards, but there were an impressive number of winners that retail for $20 or less.
One judge, Lisa Redwine, wine director at both the Marine Room and The Shores in La Jolla, Calif., enthusiastically confided in me that her panel had tasted several outstanding Spanish cavas. The significance is that Redwine understands that most cava is not very expensive by sparkling wine standards. Didn’t matter; she loved them.
This aroused my curiosity in what I would consider the "value" winners from the 2011 Sommelier Challenge. There are too many of these wines to comment on each one individually, so I have culled out a number of those that I personally found interesting and that I believe might be easily sourced.
The largest group of value winners came from Italy, which immediately got my attention because Italian cuisine is such an important segment of our restaurant culture.
Banfi was a huge winner with four medals for its inexpensive lineup of Chianti and red Tuscan blends that retail between $11 and $18. The 2008 Centine Rosso ($11) and 2007 Chianti Classico Riserva ($18) are personal favorites. Cecchi scored a Platinum Award with its 2008 Chianti Classico ($13) and a Silver with its 2009 Bonzio Sangiovese di Maremma ($9).
And anyone looking for tasty but inexpensive bubbly for the holidays can quench that thirst with either the Maschio Brut Prosecco ($13), which won a Gold Award, or the Caposaldo Prosecco DOC ($15), which won a Silver. Caposaldo also won Gold for its Chianti and Pinot Grigio, both at $10.
The most medaled wines among the bubblies, however, were the cavas. Freixenet walked off with the award for Best Cava with its Elyssia Pinot Noir Brut Cava ($18), and three other medals, including two Golds.
Segura Viudas had a Platinum winner with its Aria Brut Cava ($14) as well as a Gold and Silver award for its Aria Pinot Noir Brut ($14) and Brut Reserva Heredad ($20).
Value in the southern hemisphere was well represented by Australia’s Wakefield winery, from the Barossa Valley, which took eight medals, seven of those with wines that retail for $16.99 or less. It won Gold with its 2010 Clare Valley Riesling, 2009 South Australia Chardonnay and 2008 Clare Valley Shiraz, all priced at $16.99.
Argentina had a tremendous value wine in the Amalaya 2009 Vino Tinto de Altura, Valle Calchaqui ($17), which won a Platinum Award. New Zealand achieved nice value wins with a Gold for the Starborough 2010 Savignon Blanc, Marlborough ($13) and a Silver for the 2008 Boro Hills Pinot Noir, Central Otago ($9.99). Chile scored with a Silver for the Emiliana 2010 Natura Sauvignon Blanc, Valle de Casablanca ($9).
On the domestic front, I was pleased to see Alma Rosa take a Silver with its 2009 Chardonnay, Santa Barbara County ($19). Don’t let the screw cap fool you; this is a first-class wine from the legendary vintner, Richard Sanford.
The most impressive performance by a domestic winery, in terms of value, was turned in my Navarro Vineyards of Mendocino County. Navarro is a family run winery in Mendocino’s Anderson Valley that has a long track record for quality wine at a reasonable price.
Navarro won five awards, including Best Riesling with the 2010 Anderson Valley Riesling ($18), and three Gold Awards (Muscat Blanc, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris), all from the 2010 vintage and all priced at $19.
Estancia, located in Monterey County, picked up six awards, including Gold for its 2009 Pinnacles Ranches Chardonnay ($11.99). Estancia’s five Silver winners (for Cabernet, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc) range in price from $11.99 to $15.99.
Having tasted almost all of these winning wines myself, the bottom line for me is that the Sommeliers pretty much got it right, regardless of price.
Complete results, including many more exceptional value winners, can be found at SommelierChallenge.com.
Follow Robert on Twitter at @wineguru. To find out more about Robert Whitley and read more of his Wine Talk columns, visit the Creators Syndicate website at Creators.com.
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