Cheap Malbec!

Ambas, Mendoza, Argentina, Malbec, 2008.

Lots of primary red berry fruit, this wine is easy-drinking, easy easy easy. Like totally gulpable. It was a sample sent to me in the mail by Fresh and Easy. I had it pegged as about a $15 retail wine, but from the primary fruit I could tell it was done in tank, but well done, which you know I usually don't say about wine done in tank.

Get ready for this... it's $6. Six dollars people. How can anyone make wine for $6??

Anyway, grab a bottle as you pick up your organic skirt steak on your next trip to F&E.

Gordon Ramsay

There may be some of you who do not know that I am secretly in love with Gordon Ramsay. But I am. When he says, "I'm in the shit." I swoon. My husband perhaps knows this best because he's in love with him too.

So I was pleasantly surprised to get this email... To all of my chef friends you have to do this so that LA is well represented!!!!

GORDON RAMSAY AND THE PRODUCERS OF THE BIGGEST LOSER ARE NOW CASTING AMATEUR CHEFS FOR A NEW INSPIRATIONAL COOKING SHOW!

Can you cook well despite never having been formally trained? We are currently searching for budding chefs from all walks of life - amateur chefs, passionate foodies, the ultimate dinner party host/hostesses...

Now one of the world's most acclaimed chefs, GORDON RAMSAY, is giving you the opportunity to become a MasterChef!

MasterChef is a show that celebrates great people who make great food. The show will give contestants the opportunity to develop their cooking skills while being encouraged, mentored and celebrated by the industry's best and evaluated by world-renowned judges!

If you are passionate about cooking and ready to change your life then audition for MasterChef, an inspiring cooking show from the producers of The Biggest Loser!

LOS ANGELES OPEN CASTING CALL INFORMATION
Sur La Table

Farmer's Market
6333 W. Third St.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
SUNDAY JANUARY 31st
TIME: 10am-4pm

To pre-book a time IN LOS ANGELES please email sweet.casting@gmail.com with YOUR NAME, AGE, CURRENT PHOTO, BRIEF BLURB ABOUT YOU, HOW LONG YOU'VE BEEN COOKING, YOUR SIGNATURE DISH, ETC

PLEASE GO TO FOX.COM/CASTING FOR SHOW DETAILS, AUDITION SPECIFICS AND NATIONWIDE CASTING CALL INFO

Also, please note:

All casting call applicants MUST bring one prepared dish to be served at room temperature. You will be able to plate your dish at the given casting location. You will be responsible to bring any utensils or other materials you may need.

St. Jo

Domaine Faury, Saint-Joseph, 2007.

What a delicious little gem. I blind tasted it for Crozes-Hermitage, but whatevs, close enough, yes?

I said to Peter, wow, this is the best $25 wine I've had in a long time. It tasted like a $50 wine, Hooray for that! Spicy, some integrated wood tannins, a little smoke and game on the nose, some new French oak, baking spices, super yum.

$25.99 at the Wine House.

A little old wine to bring in the New Year.

Olga Rauffault, Chinon, 1982.

Every few months Brian Kaliel, the sommelier at Melisse, stops by the Veritas Warehouse (just 6 floors up from Palate Restaurant in Glendale, and we sort through all the old and rare forgotten bottles at the back of the warehouse. We found 4 bottles of this wine. You know how I LOVE Chinon, so does Brian, so I was very generous, let him have 3 and I took one for myself.

I wrapped it up and put it under the tree for Peter and I to drink during the holidays. I wasn't sure how it was going to be, the one thing it had going for it was that it had been stored, unmoved, at 55 degrees in a humidity controlled warehouse.

I'm happy to report that it was totally delectable! Lip-smacking good. Brian had the same experience. It had lots of red fruit still, but also secondary characteristics - a little nutty with dried herbs - super yummy. Tannins were silky and it went down very nicely with Hoppin' John, the special southern black eyed pea recipe that's supposed to bring good luck for the New Year.

Stop by Melisse and get one of the few remaining bottles of this wine. It's pretty reasonably priced, at around $125 - well worth every penny!!

Yum.

Domaine du Bel Air, "les Vingt lieux dits", Bourgueil, 2006.

This was really one of the most delicious wines I've had in long time, just spectacularly wonderful! Bags of ripe red fruit, ripe, soft tannins and that edge of acidity that makesLoire Cab Franc so refreshing and totally gulpable. I did not want to share, but sadly I was at a dinner party, so I had to.

It's $17.99 at the Cheese Store of Silverlake.

Tryvertising.

There's something so cute about this I should have posted before Christmas. Wine tasting samples by mail. Who knows if the wine is any good, but it's called tryvertising for a reason. Try it before you buy it. Love this idea!

S. Africa Sparkler.

Pongrácz, Western Cape, South Africa, NV.

60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay.

This was a fun little sample I received from Fresh & Easy, a new small scale (though multiple) market in LA and surrounding areas that I believe is an offshoot of Tesco in the UK. Well you know the Brits love their S. African wines, and me, well, I haven't been the biggest fan of wines from this region, but this sparkler was really a nice little surprise.

Restrained aromatics, lemon, apple fruit on the palate, a clean simple, easy drinking wine, great for the holidays when you have a lot of people to pour for. Two years lees aging, which adds a light biscuity quality, and it has a fairly high dosage at 11 g/l which balances the acidity.

What's great is the price, $14.99 and you can pick it when you get your holiday ham!