I don’t think I could make a scientific case that certain wines are better served on Father’s Day. This post is less about father’s day-specific wine and more about a few bottles that I’ve enjoyed in these recent weeks leading up to Father’s Day. Whether you are a father, have a father or know a father, you might want to try these as well…

There’s been a lot of white wine in my glass recently. It’s warming up and I’ve been trying to eat nice, healthy salads and seafood; thus the color of my wine.

The first bottle was sent to us by our friends at Pasternak Imports, the 2008 Domaine de la Perriere Sancerre. Sancerre is an appellation in the eastern Part of France’s Loire Valley, and most of the wine produced there is 100% Sauvignon Blanc. This was a nice, elegant wine with a light, floral nose and flavors of lemon, citrus and a vein of minerality. A crisp acidity with a decent finish, it was a nice pairing with my arugula & crab (and by crab I mean krab) salad and baked brie. It retails for $23.99.

Next up is the ‘08 Catena Chardonnay from Mendoza in Argentina, which was sent to us. We love Argentina in general for good wine values, and the Mendoza region is at the heart of the Argentinian wine industry, producing two thirds of the countries wines. This wine has a distinct tropical nose with notes of sweet spices. Those tropical flavors, along with pears, apples and a glimmer of minerals continue on the palate. It’s a nice, creamy mouthful of medium-bodied chardonnay with a nice crisp acidity. A good deal at under $20 and it scored a 91 from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate and a 90 from Stephen Tanzer.

Another value-wine-producing-country we love in the Southern Hemisphere is Chile. We were sent a bottle of white from Bodegas Renacer, the 2009 Punto Final Sauvignon Blanc. This one hails from the Casablanca Valley which is a hot spot for Sauv Blanc in Chile. While this one didn’t knock my socks off, it was an easy-drinking, refreshing burst of citrus. It had hints of herbs, with a zesty acidity- best served nice and cold. It retails for $11.99.

Meanwhile, back up here in the Northern Hemisphere, I was pleased to find a bottle of the pink stuff on my doorstep. Of course I’m talking about rosé, pink being the other color of wine that gets poured a lot when the temperature rises. This one was from the Russian River Valley area up in Sonoma- the 2009 Foppiano Vineyards Estate Rosé. One of Foppiano’s specialties is Petite Sirah, and this rosé is a blend of 55% Petite Sirah and 45% Pinot Noir. It’s not a grape that’s often seen in a rosé, and the result is crisp, fun and complex (much like myself). The nose is sweet strawberries, and the palate is strawberries, cherries and a dash of spice. It has a nice, creamy body and a bright acidity. A great summertime wine for about fifteen bucks.

By the way, if you want to get your dad a father’s day gift he’ll never forget, the lovely wine bottle tie pictured above is available at www.vinodeco.com. Happy Father’s Day!

After stuffing myself with a fantastic Thanksgiving meal and some great wine (I’ll tell you about the wine on Monday), do you think I jumped in the car to camp out in front of my local Best Buy to take advantage of the great Black Friday deals?Hell no. None of the ‘deals’ were good enough to get me to break out the camping gear and set it up in the mall parking lot. In the age of internet shopping it’s not that hard to find a good price on a flat screen TV or a GPS unit. And I have no patience to deal with the insane crowds of people; once again, internet shopping allows me to bypass all that craziness.

Instead, I sought out a deal on a nice rosé (yes, a rosé; it’s still in the high 70’s here in Southern California). I found this little gem, the 2008 Celler el Masroig “Les Sorts” from the Montsant region of Spain, on sale at K&L for 1/3 off. Now that’s a deal! 90% Grenache and 10% Carinena; a nice, light taste of strawberries and berries, and a good bottle to have on this balmy day in Los Angeles.

K&L has a fresh lot of wines in their ‘inventory clearance’ section, so if you’re in the mood for getting some wine deals on this black Friday, that would be a good place to grab a bargain from the comfort of your home.

Other places to check for bargains include at your local Ikea, where a set of 6 ‘SVALKA’ red wine glasses is only $1.99, today only. Also today only, Wine.com has ’select holiday gifts’ up to 25% and Winemonger.com is offering some black Friday deals for today, and some that continue through the weekend.

Enjoy your black Friday. Open a nice bottle that you got on sale and heat up some leftovers. That’s what I’m doing…

Yes, another holiday is upon us, and God forbid I don’t find a way to associate celebration with wine (the two go hand in hand after all).  So without further ado, here is WineExpedition’s list of five wines for the Fourth of July.

2006 Rosenblum “Richard Sauret” Paso Robles Zinfandel When I think of the 4rth, I think barbecue, and when I think barbecue, I think Zinfandel.  They’re generally big, bold, zesty and fruity which is a good match for a zesty barbecue sauce.  Rosenblum has become synonymous with Zinfandel, and this one is made from fruit from Paso Robles, a wine region near and dear to my heart.   This wine is big- full of dark fruit, pepper and vanilla.  The 14% petite sirah that’s mixed in gives it a nice touch of berries.  Normally about 20 bucks, but right now on sale at K&L for for $12.99.  If spicy BBQ is on the menu, pick up this or simillar California zin and you’ll be set.

2008 Etude Carneros Pinot Noir Rosé When it’s hot outside and your at an outdoor cookout, you can’t go wrong with a bottle of  rosé to cool off and get things started.  This one is a good one; light and fresh on the nose and lots of strawberry and berries on the palate.  Crisp, dry and picnic-food friendly.  It averages $17.  Few rosés will cost you more than that, and most are less, so it’s a good call for cooling off and saving a buck at the same time.

Crisp, cold white wines are always welcome this time of year, and this one from Spain is a good call indeed:  2007 Bodegas Angel Rodriguez Martinsancho Verdejo.  Crisp, citrus-y, floral…  Crack a bottle before the sun goes down and enjoy.   Sixteen bucks more or less.  Verdejo grapes are grown mostly in the Rueda area of Spain, so look for another verdejo if you can’t find this one.  Another good bet for a hot day is a Sauvignon Blanc from California, Chile or New Zealand.

Another white option that I’ve been getting into lately is Gewürztraminer , particularly those grown in California.  So on that note, the 2007 Thomas Fogarty Monterey County Gewürztraminer is one that I just my open myself on the 4rth.  Slightly sweet, this one’s loaded with tropical flavors, floral notes and spices, all wrapped up in a nice crisp acidity.  Good with food or good with fireworks;  around fifteen dollars.

I think it’s safe to assume that most of us will be doing some kind of barbecue on the fourth, or at least eating hearty, summertime fare, so another wine that comes to my mind is Syrah (Shiraz if you’re down under), which brings us to the 2007 Strong Arms Shiraz.   Like a zin, syrah’s tend to be big and fruity and thus work well with some bbq’d ribs splashed with a zesty sauce.  This one has berries o’ plenty with spices and earthy notes.  A great glass to have with your burger and to keep sipping when the sky lights up.  $12.

Last but not least, I chose to mention one more white, because when it’s summer time I tend to like to cool down with a glass of white wine.  In LA, it will no doubt still be warm after the sun goes down, so I may be sipping a glass of 2007 Miner Family “Simpson Vineyard” Viognier.  Viognier is another unexpected white wine that delivers lots of interesting floral notes and pairs well with summer food.   This one from California is rich and summery with flavors of peaches and tropical fruit and subtle layers of honey and vanilla.  Again, good with food, but good to sip while watching the fireworks, and about $17.

Whichever wine you choose, enjoy your fourth of July.  May it be safe and sane…

This last weekend in Los Angeles brought us a mini-heatwave.  It only lasted 4 days or so, but temperatures up in my Pasadena neck of the woods approached 100; it was blazing.  So I reached for a little hot-weather vino to cool me off.

The cold bottle felt good in my hand as I grabbed it from the fridge; condensation formed on the bottle almost immediately.  It was a bottle of 2007 Château de La Rivière ‘Rosé de Riviere’.  80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon made up the wine, and it hails from the Fronsac wine region of Bordeaux, along the Dordogne and l’Isle rivers, west of Saint Émilion.  This was a good Rose lesson for me; I have had Roses made from Pinot, Syrah and Grenache in the past, but this I believe was a first for me:  Cab and Merlot.

Bottom line:  This wine was just what I needed to cool down as I boiled in the 95 degree heat.  Crisp, clean, and fresh.  It has a light nose of red fruits and floral aromas. The palate is loaded with very light strawberry, raspberry flavors and a touch of watermelon. There is also a good fruit/acid balance and the wine finishes clean.

I had it with a herb salad topped with KRAB (that’s fake crab if ya don’t know)  and cilantro dressing, but you could drink this wine with anything light:  cheeses, vegetable based dishes, chicken, fish, and believe it or not, I like Rose with Chinese food.  Don’t ask me why, I just do.

This summer, if the thermometer looks like it did this weekend, there’s gonna be some Rose in my hand. And Maybe some Chinese food too.