Off the Beaten Vine: Bargain Hunting for Lesser Known Varietals

Oenophiles (and wine lovers to be) rejoice and prepare to expand your palate without shrinking your wallet. Yes, you can still spend thousands of dollars on some of the exclusive Bordeaux reds from 2000, but there have never been more bargains available for the lovers of fermented grape juice. Vines now flourish all over the planet (except for possibly in the polar regions), and the result is that the world wine market is flooded. This has driven down prices across the board as quality has risen - in other words, it's a buyers delight. So if you are tired of being locked into the Chardonnay/Merlot grind, there is hope for your bored tongue as long as you are open minded when choosing wine for your annual summer barbeque. Instead of picking up a Pinot Grigio from Italy for the post-volleyball bottle, try a crisp Pinot Gris from the Monarchia vineyard in Hungary and impress your guests when you tell them, 'It's only seven dollars a bottle, for now!" And for that steak on the grill, instead of a staid California Cabernet try a bold Aglianico, an up-and-coming power grape from the Vulcan region in southern Italy and a steal for under $15.

I stopped by Kevin Zraly's chateau in the woods outside New Paltz to interview the founder of Windows on the World Wine School and author of the book Windows on the World Complete Wine Course. A world-renowned expert on wine with an engaging personality, he was recently hired as vice president for the Smith and Wollensky restaurant group, which has 17 fine-dining restaurants across the US. I was lucky to catch up with him as he attempted to beat back the mounds of paperwork on his desk, and we immediately started talking about one of his favorite themes. "The important thing to look for are great values," he said. "A wine for twenty dollars that tastes like a fifty-dollar bottle is a great value. The three main areas for what I would call inexpensive wines outside of the classics would be Chilean cabernet sauvignon; Australia, which is famous for shiraz; and then I would have to say that I would still be looking at varietal wines, whether they are Cabernet, Chardonnay, Merlot, whatever, out of California, because of the glut of wines in California right now. A lot of wines that used to sell for twenty dollars are now selling for ten dollars and will be for the next six months to a year."

I asked him to recommend some easy drinking summer wines. He told me, "I play a lot of sports, so the last thing I would want is a heavily oaked chardonnay or any red wine after playing tennis or softball. Sauvignon blanc's acidity makes it refreshing, like lemonade. Or a Riesling. I know they aren't the greatest values, but the German Kabinetts are really great. Or a New York Riesling." He thought for a moment before he continued. "For summer reds, I have to say Beaujolais-Village. You can chill it, drink it, not think about it. Pinot Noirs are great in the summer, and you can also chill them."

In an e-mail interview with Steven Kolpan, the Endowed Chair in Wine and Spirits at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park and the co-author of the book Exploring Wine, he commented on trends he saw coming to the wine industry. "Without a doubt there is an appreciation for wines made from Syrah and Shiraz blends, especially from Australia. True brawny, earthy zinfandel from California is seeing a surge in popularity." For whites he pointed out that "sauvignon blanc from New Zealand is experiencing great success with wine lovers, who enjoy its refreshing, lime-driven acidity and rich texture."