#99 Brachetto

From Wine Geeks: "A grape that produces a truly distinctive red wine that is a treasure to behold but seldom seen outside of Italy. Brachetto d'Acqui is a fizzy and fragrant red made from Brachetto grown in the hills of the DOCG Acqui in the Piemonte region in northwestern Italy. Low in alcohol and slightly frizzante (sparkling) Brachetto d'Acqui is famous for its light and elegant body and heavily perfumed foam. Production is low, so this highly sought after dessert wine is hard to find. This grape produces wines of a light body but heavy in strawberries, cherries and raspberries."

$21, fruity, slightly effervescent and sweet but with a dry finish. This would be a fun wine to pour as the first round at a wine party and at 5.5% alcohol it won't put your guests under the table too early.

#98 Marzemino

The wine is most noted for its mention in the opera Don Giovanni of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ("Versa il vino! Eccellente Marzemino!"). It is said to have been Mozart's favorite wine.

This has a lot of acidity but almost no tannins. Its very dry, slightly metallic and has a fast clean finish. No fruit. At $16 I probably wouldn't buy it again but it does have a cool back story.

#97 Loxton Shiraz

Another widely planted and very popular grape is the wine of choice this evening. Loxton Cellars one of my favorite Sonoma wineries produced this bottle of Shiraz. Chris Loxton is a genius so I will let him describe this bottle.

2005 SHIRAZ (Sonoma Valley) $17
The Shiraz is a selection from the barrels of Syrah that I make, looking for wines that I can bottle earlier than the more age-worthy Syrah. While this year’s wine is bigger than previous versions, it is meant for consuming earlier than the Syrah. In 2005 the wine comes from the Australian Shiraz clone grown at the Salmina vineyard in Kenwood (50%), Rubaiyat vineyard on Sonoma Mountain (25%) and from some of the vines planted in front of the winery (25%). Somewhat Australian in inspiration with it’s ripe fruit, soft tannin, low acid and nice touch of oak on the finish. 262 cases produced.

#96 Norton

What we have before us is America's first red wine grape Norton. It has been used to make wines in North America as far back as the colonial days. Prohibition ended the reign of Norton as America's grape of choice and the fruity concord grape took over. This is another bottle from "Illinois Cellars" and at $7 and from Midwestern grapes I am not expecting fireworks.

Actually I can see why this grape was popular at one time. It has solid fruit upfront and a warming yet dry finish but there is a rustic rough edge and it is a bit foxy. I would love to try a few other wine maker's versions of this grape.

#95 Pinot Meunier

I have been looking forward to this wine for a while now. Pinot Meunier is one of the three grapes found in Champagne the others being pinot noir and chardonnay. Pinot Meunier is often a major component in non vintage champagnes but is neglected in vintage bottles. It is the wine world's version of the underdog.

I couldn't find a 100% Meunier bubbly but I was able to find a still red from Domaine Chandon in Carneros. It is very much like a pinot noir. Translucent on the pour with lush fruit and solid acidity. I feel like I can isolate the elements that I find in most champagnes but that might be because I am now finishing the last of this bottle. Its not cheap at $26 but its a must try for fans of champagne.

#94 Has it come to this? a Chardonnay!

Well the home stretch allows me to go with some of the more mainstream varietals that have been avoided so far. In retrospect perhaps I should have started with them as I refer to their characteristics so often. Tonight we re-cork the prosecco and advance to Chardonnay from Stryker.

Often times the grape itself is a blank canvas and if it hasn't enjoyed a hard life in tasty soil (thus introducing its "terroir") it is often barreled in oak to introduce a buttery vanilla component. Far too often the oak exceeds the grape but many producers make what the public are drinking and these days, oak it is. Though I normally admire Stryker's wines I happen to be one who prefers no oak at all and the 2005 Russian River Valley Chardonnay exudes those vanilla honeysuckle notes that the oak introduces. Still, I won't cancel my membership!

#93 Prosecco

Ahhhh Prosecco. In some ways this Italian bubbly might be compared to Champagne. But unlike the Spanish cousin Cava which goes to great lengths to mimic the champagne process. Prosecco wines are more easily mass produced due to their not needing a second fermentation in the bottle. (instead it is allowed to ferment in steel). This saves a labor intensive process of riddling and allows the prosecco to flow quickly and cheaply. This bottle is less than $10.

Prosecco is a key ingredient in the famous Bellini. (just add peach juice). It also makes an admirable Mimosa. (just add orange juice). By itself it is a bubbly off-dry white with a hint of bitter on the finish. This is a nice introduction to the world of sparkling wines but I found that it leads to a dangerous attraction to the much more expensive wines of Champagne.... Drinkers beware.

#92 Bogle Petite Sirah

Petite Sirah is one of the most deceptively named wines for there is nothing petite about it. It is dark in the glass, strongly tannic and jammy. This Bogle effort is a 90 pointer for $12 so I had to give it a shot.

This bottle is a step back from the three desriptors above. Its nice but its not as powerful as other efforts I have had which I suppose makes this wine more approachable. Petite Sirah remains one of my "under the radar" favorites.

#91 Concord from Illinois

Another old time American grape, this time a red... the good old Concord grape. Think Welches....

This grape is not often made into wine (except for kosher) according to the wiki "due to the strong "foxy" (sometimes described as candied-strawberry/musky) flavor." This non-vintage red suffers from that "foxy" flavor. Not easy to drink.

#90 Niagara from Oswego Illinois

As we get into the home stretch of the quest we come across our first Illinois wine. Some may scoff but the American wines we drink now are a far cry from the earliest American grapes. One of these early grapes is Niagara.

You can see the lovely color of this wine but what you cannot sense on these pages is the powerful sweet grape candy nose. The taste is of Welch's grape juice. Which isn't surprising as the Niagara is derived from the Concord grape. Its a sweet simple grape juice with the pleasing warming effect of a 12% abv. I would enjoy serving this as an aperitif for discussions sake.

#89 and finally... a Riesling

The wine quest has been a long road. Recent stretches have been cratered with potholes. Today this city celebrates Saint Patrick's Day. So in honor of this grand Irish day I had a Mexican breakfast, an Indian dinner and a German Riesling from Wagner Stempel. (In addition to buying a new Japanese AVR... setup to follow dinner)

Cloyingly sweet this $13 wine lacks backbone and acidity but finishes with a clean mild tartness. Fans of sweet wines will enjoy this one as it is a spätlese (late harvest) which tends to concentrate the sweetness. Personally I am confused by the absence of acidity but at 8% abv this may not have been the winemaker's desire.

#88 Chenin Blanc

As I turn off all the lights and pray that the city of Chicago doesn't come knocking at my door for dumping toxic substances down the drain. With a withering rotten cheese smell fixed in my nose I desperately change gears and come back to California for a Chenin Blanc.

I am somewhat saved. This is a simple clean wine its a native French varietal made in Healdsburg California. $12 saves my palate from the previous disasters but its not an exciting wine and it leaves an aftertaste of raisins.

#87 Savatiano

We are back from dinner and ready to try another bottle. Since the previous Boutari effort was so shocking its time to try the next on we have. Its a Savatiano from... yes.. Greece.

We are going cheaper on this bottle... $8. I am afraid... very afraid. Its a thin insipid effort. Even icing it down isn't going to help. This one also has that stale cheese nose. No thanks. If I wasn't on a wine quest I might be pissed off.

#86 Vilana from Crete

Oh lets stay in the Mediterranean shall we? We just finished watching the absolutely delightful "Ratatouille" on Blu-Ray. Now watching the extra features and deciding that another bottle opened before dinner seems a wise choice!

So popping a $9 bottle of Vilana, one for the road, we get started. OY! Particle board cork and a horrendous nose of bad cheese. Oh its a vile creation. Put a check mark next to Vilana and end this nightmare. This one is going down the drain fast and I am going back to #85 immediately.

#85 Assyrtiko from Santorini

A long week has finally come to a close and its time for a nice glass of wine. I have been saving this bottle of Assyrtiko for a time when I could relax and enjoy it and tonight is the night.

Crisp clean and with bone dry minerality, its a cool refreshing $17 wine. Now if you will excuse me I need to enjoy this... nothing left to see here.

#84 Chasselas from Albert Boxler

One of my favorite labels so far in this quest is from Domaine Albert Boxler. This is an Alsatian Chasselas. Once again the long slender bottle usually indicates a riesling like wine.

Here we have what might be considered a cross between a riesling and a chardonnay. Not too sweet and with perfect balance. I really am enjoying this bottle. Even at $20 I consider this excellent value.

#83 Pinotage

Pinotage tonight... South Africa's very own grape. This is a $10 bottle from Niel Joubert.

Remarkably like a Pinot Noir, it has solid fruit and surprising structure. This is a great value compared to today's Pinot Noir prices. If I were to point out a weakness perhaps the finish is a bit sour. Overall, my brevity here is a compliment.

#82 Cabernet Franc

Desperate for a solid red for dinner I decide to go with a $16 Alexander Valley Cabernet Franc.

This is usually a huge fruity lush wine. Its an important blending grape in Bordeaux and in California (among other places I am sure) and it makes a marvelous wine all on its own. Alexander Valley Vineyards did a real nice job with this wine. A slightly perfumed nose (this time its a good thing), big fruit and a solid tannic backbone. This is a wine I can settle in with for the evening.

#81 Sangiovese from Falesco

Sangiovese the grand Italian grape is the dinner wine this evening. Paired with homemade lasagna. This is a $10 bottle which is a far cry from $50+ you usually see from its more fashionable older brother Brunello di Montalcino.

This wine is reported to have been scored a 90. It has an oddly and highly perfumed nose which reminds me of baby powder (not a plus). The palate is a confused and shallow melange of tart fruit. It all ends too soon and leaves a bit of a metallic aftertaste. I should have opened one of my Brunellos.

#80 Müller-Thurgau

Some telecom issues turn a work night into a wine tasting night and the first bottle we have is an absurdly priced $4 Müller-Thurgau. (on clearance from $12).

The tall slender bottle says "Riesling". The nose has a trace of alcohol but not much else. The first sip reveals a hint of fruit and then nothing. I think that this grape should be an off-dry Riesling but this example while very drinkable is not distinctive.

#79 Grenache - Casa De La Vega

Spanish Grenache tonight, possibly one of the widest planted grapes on the planet. It is also a major component in my favorite wines Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This one from Casa De La Vega is an $8 effort.

It has the distinctive Grenache earthiness but without much of the round fruit found in better made wines. Lots of tannins and a healthy dose of acidity keep this one feeling like it has a lot more alcohol than it actually does.

#78 Muscadel from Rietvallei

Muscadel = Red Muscadel = Muscadet de Frontignan = Muscat Blanc. So many names for the same grape sometimes it is difficult to sort out what is in the bottle. In South Africa Red Muscadel is Muscat Blanc and so another varietal bites the dust. According to wiki, "Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains is considered one of the oldest grape varieties still in existence."

This one is a dessert wine weighing in at 16% abv. and it will be the final bottle of the evening. Rietvallei has been making these for almost 150 years so I am looking forward to this $16 bottle. The wine looks like a rose'. Its syrupy sweet approaching cough syrup. Its not bad at all sort of a Lambrusco on steroids. The label recommends serving it over crushed ice in summer. I'd say that sounds about right.

#77 Lambrusco!

Putting the Nebbiolo away for a while to see how it handles a few more hours of air I decide to try a few of the cheaper bottles that I assume won't be very interesting. Lambrusco was the biggest selling import in the United States throughout the 1970's and 1980's before becoming (at least to me) almost impossible to find.

This $7 bottle is a mere 5.5% abv and looks like cherry Kool Aid in the bottle. Wasting no more time, its opened. And... it tastes just like cherry Kool Aid! Other than that it has the tiniest hint of carbonation. Way too sweet for me but tasting this allows me to see how the American wine palate has changed. Still, I can see how many might enjoy this one.

#76 Nebbiolo from Langhe

Moving right along and staying in the same general region, we visit one of the world's greatest grapes, Nebbiolo. From this grape comes the famed Barolo. For our purposes though we will try a wine that shares the same grape but should be more approachable in its youth. Barolos can crush you with tannins if you don't let them age for a decade or more.

The wine pours nicely fresh and is remarkably transparent. The tannins are strong but under control. Dry, austere and nicely balanced this $15 bottle is reminiscent of its much more expensive older brother Barolo. This wine appears to be produced by a collective and bottled at a Riuniti facility.

#75 Freisa by Casalone

A morning trip to the wine store replenished my supply of varietals. Whew, that was close. I now have enough here to get me to 90. However since I am returning to work in the evenings my quest will slow.... That said, today is Saturday and most of these wines ran about $10. I will consider today a celebration and see if I can get through a few of these.

First bottle today is a Freisa from Casalone. Popping the cork reveals a strong dose of musty alcohol and the wine pours quite brown. This is a 2004 so my fear is that we have a damaged wine. It is extremely dry with absolutely no fruit and it dances across the tongue like a seltzer (though no bubbles are visible). I am not sure how to approach this bottle but a little research indicates that this wine should be effervescent but it also should have fruit. Sadly this one is over the hill.... $13 gone, next bottle please.

#74 Sauvignon Blanc

The final varietal I have here that hasn't yet made the list is tonight's bottle of Sauvignon Blanc a Vie Di Romans 2004. In an era where most (and the best) Sauvignon Blanc we see is from New Zealand and is typically drunk very young, I thought it would be interesting to try an older Italian wine.

Sauvignon Blanc is usually very bright and lively with tangy tropical fruit overtones. As it ages it loses that refreshing edge. In this case it might have lost more than that. When well chilled the wine was interesting but as it warmed up its faults became clear. This is a winery owned by the Gallo family for about 100 years. $15 spent, lets consider it an experiment and move along.

#73 Cabernet Sauvignon from Stryker

Most of this quest so far has been a pursuit of the harder to find grapes. Today however it is time to open a Stryker Cab. All I need to say is that this is a producer you will not find in stores, they sell every bottle to wine club members and visitors and they make a wide variety of great wines from some of the best sites in the Sonoma area.

The 2004 Sonoma County Cabernet is a big fleshy lush effort with a sharp backbone. It is not one of their many single vineyard wines yet it still has that Sonoma character. Do yourself a favor and make sure this is one winery you visit the next time you are in the area.

#72 Cividin from Emilio Bulfon

I am sure you recognize this label by now. Yes its another extremely rare varietal from Emilio Bulfon.

This one is called Cividin and its another winner. Nice perfumed nose and clean on the palate this finishes with a flash of its 12.5% abv. It would pair perfectly with a risotto and is another tremendous deal at $19.

#71 Sciaglin from Emilio Bulfon

Another gorgeous wine from Emilio Bulfon a winery that focuses on obscure Italian varietals at times seemingly saving grapes from extinction.

This grape, Sciaglin (Scjaglin) is an ancient Friulin varietal. It is delicate, delicious, refreshing and finishes with a chalky minerality. This wine (as well as all others from this maker) is well worth the $19 I paid and one of the finest white wines in this quest.

#70 Pinot Gris (Grigio) from Italy

Sunday night is leftover night and there aren't many varietals left here. I guess tonight is Pinot Gris (in Italy Pinot Grigio) night.

I have had a few Pinot Grigio and have typically found them to be simple but refreshing wines, perfect ice cold on a warm summer day. Unfortunately tonight's bottle has an unusual nose, a funky (almost corked) taste and a strong sour finish. 3 months ago I would have written this off as "just another $8 bottle" but this quest has proven to me that a sub $10 bottle can be excellent. My glass will not be refilled tonight (at least with this wine).

#69 Kerner fro Abbazia di Novacella

An Italian Kerner here. Its a fascinating story, you must read this. Then you must got out and find a bottle of this $20 wine the next time you are in the mood for a Riesling.

Since you ignored my demand to read that link I will summarize. Kerner is a cross between Riesling and a RED grape and was created in 1929. I hadn't heard of it but by now it might be the 2nd most planted grape in Germany. The winery, Abbazia di Novacella nestled into the Alps near the Austrian border is one of the oldest in the world, dating to 1142. Not only is this a wine I would buy again but it is enticing enough that I seriously want to visit the winery.