Good Cheap Wine Guide

Condesa De Sarabella Garnacha 2007

 

RANKING: Good Enough for My Numb Tongue

Like Don Quijote, I will try another wine quest in Spain to find a great cheap wine.  This time we are testing another procuto de Espana, the Condesa De Sarabella Garnacha 2007.  Again the Trader Joe’s aisle brought us to this little red.

What Others Say: Marga’s Foodblog Jan 2009 

Condesa de Sarabella garnacha is a perfectly fine table, every day wine. It’s crisp, but still medium-to-full bodied, light tannins and no oakiness, or smoke or earthiness or anything really to distract you. There is no unnecessary sharpness or acidity (or even bitterness) either, sometimes found in wines at this price range. It basically tastes like everyday wine – something that you won’t be ashamed to serve your guests for a regular meal (let’s have something nicer for a more special one), but that at $5 doesn’t break our recession-era budgets.

What I Thought: Spain is the third largest producer of wines in the world so, even if I am disappointed with another red, I have plenty of quests to go!  Intriguing little Picasso’ish face on the label.  I could imagine pointing that out to my buddies (my own personal Sancho Panzas)  and they say, “Picasso, who’s he play for?”  I hang with a high brow bunch.  The Condesa was soft but I found it a bit acidy (is that a word) not at all lush if that is what you are looking for.  If mildly abrasive can be used to describe a wine I would say this one comes close.  Still, I drank the bottle over a couple of nights without reaching for a cookbook.  Ok wine probably to serve to yourself while doing something fun like taxes but not worthy of a gathering.  What saves it is the somewhat spicy taste strong floral nose that allowed a pleasant moment or two for the senses.  Probably would be good with a web surfing delicacy like string cheese.  I’d drink it again for the $5 I spent.  (Six pack of Bud is $5.79 right)

Found an intersting ittle Spanish wine site for those of you who like to sip and surf.  Espavino.com 

Cheers from the Wine Oaf