From the Wine Exchange: If we had tried to come up with a better opening salvo to our Anniversary issue, we aren’t sure we could have done any better. In fact, it was fortuitous timing as this just happened literally hours before we went to press and ‘breakups’ are a specialty of ours. We have always been skeptical of celebrity labels. Usually people are trying to sell so-so wine based on ‘name’. That’s fine for the majority of the population who likes the option of ordinary wine from a famous person to something with a critter. Well, Tyler is a famous chef and he had the good sense initially to contact some real wine folks for his program, the Michael Mondavi team. We sold quite a bit of the 2008 Cabernet, not because we watch Tyler’s shows (although Mrs. Answerman does like the Great Food Truck Race), but because it delivered a lot of character for the price ($20 here, $25 elsewhere). This 2009 picked up right where the ‘08 left off. A plush, cocoa tinged mouthful of dark red and blackfruit, the price quality relationship was again quite compelling. We have been selling this wine for months at $20 because it’s a really great option in today’s market. We don’t sell short the fact that it is from the ripe 2009 either, where most value Cabernets are a year (or even two) younger and from tougher vintages. There’s even a good story that Michael Mondavi told us about how they pick the ‘blend’. They put all the blends on the table at lunch and the one that gets emptied first is the winner.’ We suspect Tyler and Michael probably won’t be having lunch together any time soon. But you get a ridiculous deal on a delightful Napa Cab with a little bottle age. So, as Tyler might say, let’s get rolling. Stock Report September 2013

Edit this Article