Wine Beneath The Palms

How to make friends with the sommelier

     A faithful reader has an idea for taming the wild sommelier. She writes:

Dear Fred,

     “One of my fellow gourmands and I have had recent experiences with sommeliers that were memorably good. In one, the sommelier at The Palm in Coral Gables came over to talk to us, as we'd brought a bottle of Turley to dinner there. She came over to chat about it and was incredibly cordial.

     "The entire restaurant seemed to treat us with a lot of respect and affection that night b/c of that one bottle of wine that set us apart. (We're not regulars and are not well known, so it wasn't personal.)”

Hilda Mitrani

Dear Hilda,

     Good idea. It’s true that bringing a really top bottle of wine to a restaurant can buy you some respect.  Turley Wine Cellars of California is noted for turning out cult wines –- particularly their zinfandels. And a lot of them are in the $25 to $35 range.
     But readers who want to try this should call ahead to be sure the restaurant allows patrons to bring their own wine by paying a corkage fee.

Fred Tasker

Question of the week: What are you drinking?

      Question of the week: What are you drinking these days? Now that so much of your paycheck goes into groceries and filling your SUV, are you trading down in wine?

     A new Nielsen study says wine sales are still rising in 2008, but much more slowly than last year. And the biggest drop in growth is in the $15-a-bottle-and-up category.

     Are you finding some gems for less than $15? If so, share the wealth. Tell us what you’re drinking. Tell us the price, and how they taste.

     Click on the “comments” icon below.

Buying wine in hard economic times

      Advice for hard times from Michael Bittel of Sunset Corners Fine Wine & Spirits: “In a highly competitive wine market, with the dollar continuing to sink against the Euro, Spain continues to offer the biggest bang for the buck when compared to all of the world's great wine regions. At the bargain level there are literally hundreds of great values priced at $20 or less.

       “In the $20 to $35 dollar range, Spain blows the competition away. Add to the mix that the last three years of 2004, 2005 and 2006 vintages are all good to excellent in quality and the consumer has the perfect storm of great wines, great values and immediate satisfaction.”

     Michael is holding a free tasting of six Spanish wines from noon to 4 p.m. on Sat., May 17, at his shop at 8701 Sunset Drive, Miami. But even if you can’t make it, he says you can come to the shop and buy the wine or e-mail him at mbittel@sunsetcorners.com and he’ll hold it for you. Phone is 305-271-8492.

     The wines: 2006 Martin Codax Albariño, Rias Baixas, $12; 2005 Bodegas Alto Almanzora Este, Valle del Almanzora, $11; 2005 Bodegas Castano Solanera Vinas Viejas, Yecla, $16; 2005 La Cova del Vins Ombra, Montsant, $18; 2004 Celler de Cantonella Cervoles Tinto, Costers del Segre, $30; 2005 Mas Doix Salanques, Priorato, reg. $45, sale price $36.