The lush in each of us...

Posted Wednesday, January 17, 2007 3:23 AM

...so, here's the roundup of what I received as far as feedback when asking about favorite wines under $10 and favorite sake selections (no price).  Feel free to correct me if I miscategorize...

Reds

• Numerous votes for Yellow Tail merlot, cab or shiraz
• Forestville wines: (red) zinfandel, cab, shiraz, and merlot
• Bonny Doon Vineyards- Big House Red
• Foppiano Merlot
• Rosemount Shiraz
• Coppola Rosso
• Two votes for Robert Mondavi -  Cabernet
• Folie a Dux-- Menage a Trios
• Several votes for Ravenswood-- Zinfandel
• Bolla: Chianti, Valpolicella and Montepulciano
• Sangria (no brand)
• Crane Lake
• McManis Vineyards- cab
• Los Rocos

Whites (and other wines that aren't red)

• Toad Hollow -- Risque
• Santa Marghertia and San Angelo pinot grigio
• Bella Serra Pinot Grigio
• Sterling SB
• Wildhurst Vineyards-- Sauvignon Blanc
• Folie a Dux- Menage a Trois (rose)
• Bonny Doon Vineyards-- Big House White
• Chateau St. Michele Riesling
• three votes for Yellow Tail (three votes)
• Crane Lake
• 2 buck chuck Chardonnay
• Schmitzzone
• Several votes for Beringer -- White Zinfandel
• Gewurztraminer
• Robert Mondavi -  Chardonnay
• Two votes for Cavit Pinot Grigio
• Fetzer Chardonnay
• One vote for anything from a local winery, in her case Wisconsin's Wollershiem Winery
• Martini & Rossi's Asti Spumante

Sake

• Ozeki Karatamba
• Gekkeikan Black & Gold

So there you have it... that's what people are drinking these days when they are drinking wine on a budget...If we had a huge budget, my first choice would be to serve each person a small bottle of sake, and then to have the bottles of wine scattered on tables, but... that might get a little expensive for us, so I think we'll probably pour out the toasting cups of sake and then have large bottles for those who wish to keep drinking it (realizing that it's about 50/50 as to the number of guests that might drink more than a toasting cup of sake).

We now have to go so some wine tasting... :)  I think I'll recruit some girlfriends so we can narrow down the lists to the top 3 picks.

Darn.