Can someone recommend a great Pino Grigio and Cabernet Sauvignon?

Question

I can't tell one wine from another but I'm having a very important dinner party and want to offer these two wines. I don't want to just go out and spend a lot of money on the assumption that more expensive wine is automatically better. Suggestions anyone?

Answer 1

Give me a max price you can spend per bottle, and I can help you out a little better.

In the $20 and under range:

Gold standard for value Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris (same grape, different styles) I would say is Trimbach Reserve Pinot Gris, a wine from the Alsace region of France. 2003 was a very good year as is 2005. If you can find the 2003 for a reasonable price, go with that. The last time I bought it, I paid $17 and change.  Note: Reserve Personnelle is their premium bottling and quite a bit more expensive. I'd say in the $35-$40 range. If you can afford it, it's also amazing. This wine ages well for several years.

Oregon is becoming a fabulous go-to destination for the Pinot Gris grape. The most sophisticated Pinot Gris I've tasted still comes from France, but Oregon is quite good, and may be less expensive. King's Estate Signature (2005 or 2006) offers good value and is fairly balanced with a nice body. It seems to run between $13 and $16.

I've heard from several people I trust that the '06 Adelsheim Oregon Pinot Gris is quite good, but I haven't personally tried it.

I personally think that most Italian Pinot Grigios are way overpriced for what you get.

For cabs or cab blends:

Chateau Greysac Medoc is a consistently good, value-priced Bordeaux. It is usually under $20. 2003 was a very good year. This is an easy drinking wine that is also good with food.

Los Vascos is a Chilean Cab blend that is made with hundreds of years of French know-how. Look for the 2004 or 2005. It is usually under $14! A really great value!

For a really consistently good cab, go for Kendall Jackson Vintner's Reserve Cab from California. It is a quality wine, but doesn't have the same snob appeal since it's not exclusively made from one region in Cali.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

I live in California, so I'm going by our own labels.  Barefoot (that's its actual name---it even has a footprint on the label) makes a luscious Pinot Grigio. Depending on where you buy it, it'll run you anywhere from $4.95 to maybe $6.00 or so.  

There are lots of good Cabernets, but one of the best is Blackstone, which has a nice hearty flavor.

Answer 3

Wine prices are relative.  Is $20 "a lot" or is $80 a lot?  Santa Marguerita makes a fantastic Pino Grigio, but it'll set you back $20 a bottle.  There are a lot of good California cabs out there in that price range, but you can get some really good Chilean or Argentine cabs for half that.  Try Trapiche for a fine, inexpensive cab.