What Would Mikey Drink

An excellent value sparkling wine from the Penedes region in Spain (near Barcelona). Pale golden. Smells of peaches and baked brioche. Vibrant, fruty and fun palate. Large bubbles, and a sunny, cheerful personality. Easier to drink than Champagne, this has more fruit, less acids, and a nice balance. Retail $17. Grade: A- www.whatwouldmikeydrink.com

From Spain. Damn fine at this price and a real bargain. Smells captivating, something like stewed fruits and charcoal. This tastes like a $20+ bottle. Full, spicy, juicy, and sexy, this has dark, ripe plums and a tremendously long finish. Perfect party wine. Excellent balance. Pair with hearty foods. Retail $8, grade: A www.whatwouldmikeydrink.com

From Austria. The aromas have no fruit, but show a dirty, stinky side. This is the opposite of a California pinot. It is lightly colored, astringent, with a mineral drive. Due to the acids, it could almost work in place of a crisp white wine. Still, interesting pinot, especially at this price. Retail $18, grade: [...]

Thick, syrupy and jammy, this has some decent cab flavor but is mostly an overripe, unbalanced mess of a wine. OK to quaff, not to contemplate. However, this is very inexpensive for cabernet sauvignon, which makes it a reasonable choice at this price. Retail $13, grade: B. www.whatwouldmikeydrink.com

This is a villages wine, the second lowest (behind the most generic bourgogne) classification. It transcends. It is a wine of class, breed, and subtlety. Compelling anise, cardamon, and forest pine aromas. Then silky smooth and somewhat shy on entry. Very long finish with a nice copper minerality. Fourrier is an excellent, still under the [...]

Open, lively, full and dark. This is a burst of fresh fruit surrounded by mushrooms and pine trees. It has a strong, sweet attack, full body and a long, persistent finish. I like this more than the list Martinelli pinot I drank. Certainly a high quality pinot with guts and poise, but not a great [...]

Wow. A burst of syrupy fun. Deep, dark, thick and jammy, this is a delightfully rich wine. Like a thumping bass, it has an incredibly long resonance. Good raw, true raspberry. Jill says a big pow POW of bursting fruit, with interesting pine needles. Smells like a lot of alcohol. This is all power, and [...]

Teeth-stainingly purple, this is a big, but well balanced, hearty, complex shiraz. Full bodied and chewy, with ripe jammy blackberry and plums, crushed black pepper, and an outstanding, long finish. Delicious. Plus a good value- certainly worth a try in this price range. Retail $30, grade: A-. www.whatwouldmikeydrink.com

An absolutely stunning wine. Lemon syrup, toast, very full mouth. Excessive finish. Awesome balance. Stones, amazing bright light. A world-class chardonnay and a work of art. For a special occasion. I can taste the sunshine and salty ocean air. Lisa says at least A++. Dan says this is a wine that can make people come [...]

Pale golden. Musty aromas. Simple pure flavors, running from lemon to a steely floral flavor. Clinging finish. Made in a ripe Californian style. Not much oak though. Good value. Retail $17, grade: B+ www.whatwouldmikeydrink.com