New! Wine trivia question in each Ten Dollar Tastings column!

Trivia question: Who ordered a mulled wine in It's a Wonderful Life? Answer at the end of the column. 

Welcome to 2007, affordable wine lovers. Appreciating wine is a learning experience, and Ten Dollar Tastings is here to help you make the lessons less costly. Here’s some free advice: No matter how frugal you are, you should still follow proper wine etiquette. (Although I must admit that I'm tempted to recreate the floor-diving antics of my racquetball years when I see someone else approaching the last bottle of Mazerac Corbieres at The Wine Merchant.) 

So gentlemen, listen up. Ladies, now you can see if the man you’re with is a gentleman. In his book A Gentleman’s Guide to Dining Etiquette, John Mariani talks about a gentleman's behavior when it comes to wine. According to Mariani, a gentleman: 

• Never discusses the price of a meal or wine.
• Does not sniff the cork but merely glances at it to see the vintage is the same as on the bottle label.
• Never says more than three words about the quality of a wine served.
• Should send back a wine only if it has gone bad or is corked.
• Should never put his hand over a wine glass to indicate "no more."

This column is about to break two of these rules. I aim to discuss the price and merits of the wines I recommend — and in doing so, I’ll say far more than three words about the quality. If only all gentlemanly traits were as easy as not putting your hand over the glass! Oh well, let's take a polite look at affordable elegance from our feature winery, France's Les Jamelles. 

Since 1991, Les Jamelles has produced its wines in south France's Languedoc-Roussillon region. Catherine and Laurent Delaunay are two young winemakers from Burgundy, where their family has been producing wine for four generations. After working in California, they returned to their native land to craft these superb wines. You can find out much more than I can cover in this column at www.les-jamelles.com/us/  

The Les Jamelles portfolio — all priced at around $8.99 a bottle — includes: 

• Chardonnay. The Web site says that Catherine Delaunay wanted this wine to demonstrate her Burgundian know-how.It certainly does, a classic French chardonnay that is crisp and fruity, not overly oaked and with a long, satisfying finish. Taste it and I think you'll agree that it is possible to find true elegance for under ten dollars. Of course, eat with fish or shellfish, and something with a nice buttery cream sauce would be ideal.
• Sauvignon Blanc. Apparently, the Mediterranean climate makes a difference, because this delicious wine is not a typical French sauvignon. It's dry but not austere, with lovely fruit aromas, citrus and that gooseberry hint that you expect more in a New Zealand sauvignon blanc. This could make a simple salad memorable, especially one sprinkled with herbs to bring out the grassiness of the wine.
• Pinot Noir. In their February 2007 issue, the Wine Enthusiast gave the Les Jamelles Pinot Noir an 88 and called it a best buy. It's complex and rich without a touch of heaviness, featuring a classic cherry-berry aroma and lots of jammy berry flavors. The tannins are well balanced and it may be my favorite of all the Les Jamelles wines.
• Syrah. Both the Wine Spectator and Parker’s Wine Enthusiast gave the 2005 syrah an 85. The former magazine called it a “fresh and fruity wine,” and Parker spoke of its “cassis, black pepper aromas and flavors that offered surprising depth.” My assessment of the wine is buy it and drink it now. It shines even in a column about tasty bargain wines.

I haven't yet sampled the Les Jamelles merlot, and they also have a rosé made from cinsault and a viognier that I haven't seen in stores here. And for those looking to spend a little more, Les Jamelles also offers three "special reserve blends: a cabernet/merlot, a grenache/syrah and a viognier/marsanne. I have to assume that as lovingly made as the standard wines are, these are a real treat. Please write me at HarryC13@aol.com if you have tasted them firsthand and have information on how they taste and where to buy them. 

Winter comfort recipe: mulled wine

"Winter is the time for comfort - it is the time for home."

— Edith Sitwell
 

Even the most affluent people wouldn't dream of putting a bottle of 1991 CaymusSpecial Selection Cabernet Sauvignon in a punch. After all, wines selling for over 5,000 dollars a bottle are better enjoyed on their own merits! However, mulled wines can be an excellent winter treat and another good outlet for affordable wines. These warming punches have been around for centuries and were particularly popular in Victorian times. And as anyone familiar with the movie It's a Wonderful Life knows, mulled wine was popular with a certain character in the movie.

Don’t forget the trivia question: Who ordered a mulled wine in It's a Wonderful Life? Answer at the end of the column.

Here's a recipe for traditional mulled wine.

• One bottle of red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel or Merlot)
• One peeled and sliced orange (keep peel to add zest to taste into cooking pot)
• ¼ cup of brandy
• Eight to ten cloves
• 2/3 cup honey or sugar
• Three cinnamon sticks
• One teaspoon fresh (or two teaspoons ground) ginger —you can substitute allspice

Combine all ingredients in a large pot or slow cooker. Gently warm the ingredients on low to medium heat (avoid boiling) for 20 to 25 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure that the honey or sugar has completely dissolved. I usually add nutmeg to mine instead of the ginger or allspice, but that's a matter of taste. This recipe should serve four to six people. Add orange zest to your taste and enjoy!

You can also make a lighter version of this punch using reisling and substituting water for the brandy. Because of the reisling’s inherent sweetness, you can use less sugar or honey. Substitute a few sprigs of fresh rosemary for the cloves and other spices and use lemon peel instead of orange. Cheers! 

Featured wine: Avalon Winery cabernet sauvignon

Avalon Winery concentrates solely on cabernet sauvignon, and it shows. While they make a great cabernet from all Napa Valley grapes for around 14 dollars, I actually prefer their more affordable Avalon California Cabernet. While the grapes don’t all have the Napa Valley pedigree, this is one of the great nine-ninety-nine knockouts of all time — and I’ve even seen it cheaper. 

Full-bodied and tasty, the 2002 vintage that I’m enamored of is almost all cabernet, with one percent syrah and tempranillo added. Later vintages stray more from the pure cabernet formula. But whatever the vintage and the blend — the 2004 has the legal minimum of 75 percent cabernet — the wine is dark purplish red and redolent of berries and chocolate. It’s big enough but not intimidating, satisfying for the connoisseur, surprising for the everyday drinker and a thrifty spend for all. 

Coming up: Affordable alternatives

Surf in next time when Ten Dollar Tastings offers more great wines for a song. Also, we'll start a recurring feature on affordable alternatives to outrageously priced wines. Love that 80-dollar bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape but can only afford to drink it when somebody else is buying? Try a good Cotes du Rhone for under 20 bucks, and you'll often get a similar wine made with the same grape varietals. Or maybe you've tasted Amarone and love the rich, elegant taste and feel, but don't want to drink it in the poorhouse. We'll suggest some viable alternatives that will keep you in good taste and financially solvent. 

Until then, I wish you good health, good companions and good wine, regardless of the price! 

(Answer to trivia question:  Clarence Oddbody, AS2 (angel, second-class), who had died two hundred years before but was sent as a guardian angel to save George Bailey. The chilly reaction his to his drink request shows how times have changed! 

Thanks as always to The Wine Merchant for providing excellent wines, wine education and support. Prices are based on the author’s experience and may vary.