With so many restaurants temporarily closed or serving only takeout, wine sales have undoubtedly decreased overall. But many retail stores are reporting spikes in wine sales as people continue to buy bottles to enjoy at home.
I’ve received many calls, emails and texts, asking for recommendations. I can’t help but think that in these times, value-oriented wines have to be the big prize. Here are a few for your consideration. I’ve mentioned some of them before, but not in this context:
>> 2016 Ancient Peaks Chardonnay (roughly $15 a bottle): It seems like I’ve been talking about this winery for an eternity. Why? Because the wines never disappoint. While Ancient Peaks’ cabernet sauvignon and zinfandel have quite a presence in the Hawaii market, the chardonnay is only recently making its way onto retail shelves. A big part of the winery’s success is its breathtaking vineyard situated at roughly 1,000 feet in elevation in the very remote hills of southern Paso Robles, Calif. The mountain-grown vines seem to produce skins with lots of flavor. Furthermore, the fruit comes from three different terrains, each with a distinct soil type, adding a very intriguing layering of vineyard character. This chardonnay is tasty, stony, pure, brisk and wonderfully uplifting, at a remarkably reasonable price.
>> 2018 My Essential Rosé (roughly $15 a bottle): While the availability of pink wines has exploded, you have to be selective, more than ever, to guarantee the satisfaction of money well spent. This pink star is first and foremost delicious, thirst-quenching and wonderfully refreshing — in fact it gets an A-plus in that realm. Second, it is incredibly well matched to an array of food — another A-plus attribute. And all of that for this price (despite coming all the way from France) — yet another A-plus perk! One of the world’s top master sommeliers, Richard Betts, put this wine project together with both our dining tables and our pocketbooks in mind.
>> 2017 Domaine Skouras “Zoe” Red (roughly $15 a bottle): Here is an intriguing, very tasty, sumptuous, country-styled red wine of great value from the Peloponnese in southern Greece. Owner/winemaker Giorgio Skouras, trained in Burgundy, France, produces quite a range of unique wines, but I imagine this is the very style he would serve at his own table. Wonderfully food friendly and gulpable, it is suited to the cafes of his region. This one is a real sleeper worth checking out, especially if you are having pasta, pizza, barbecue or chicken.
>> 2015 Hooked Riesling (roughly $15 a bottle): I had to include a wine like this in the mix, because if you are drinking at home, you are probably also cooking at home. Most people I know in the islands frequently use shoyu, ginger and chili pepper water, as well as oyster and fish sauces to enhance their dishes. Here is a wine that can work with all of the above. You will find it not only counters such pungencies, but also cools and soothes the palate between bites.
Chuck Furuya is a master sommelier and a partner in the DK Restaurants group. Follow his blog at chuckfuruya.com.
