The latest wine releases from Pepperwood Grove, are now on dealer’s shelves and in restaurants. Pepperwood Grove wines, all of them, are, in our opinion, among the best buys in the wine marketplace today. They represent a well made, full flavored series of wines, sourced from every corner of the world, which are not only good, but also very affordable. The owners of Pepperwood Grove are Don Sebastiani and Sons, members of the famous Sebastiani Vineyard family of Sonoma County. They like to refer to themselves by the French term, negociant, which translates as trader and in France indicates a wine merchant. Don and his sons travel the world picking up wines that they consider worthy to carry the Pepperwood Grove name, from wine producers large, small, tiny and even miniscule. If you have ever traveled abroad, you know that some of the best wine can be found at small local producers and bistros and made strictly for local consumption, not export. All of the Pepperwood Grove wines carry a $9.69 price tag and to get a decent wine at that price is not only rare but darn near impossible.

Pepperwood Grove 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon ($9.69). Pepperwood Grove’s negociants found a soft, easy to drink cabernet sauvignon that needs no aging time because there is just nothing rough to age away. This wine comes from a top wine producing district of Chile, the Valle Central. It displays upfront flavors that showcase cherry and blackberry, with a hint of dark raisins in the background. The flavor continues through to the finish where it lingers in the mouth for a very long time, an unusual trait for a wine in this price range. The negociants at Pepperwood have found a really nice cab which is ideal to accompany those grilled steaks that have become popular.

Pepperwood Grove 2006 Malbec ($9.69). While they were in Chile looking for wines, the negociants took a wrong turn and wound up on the other side of the Andes Mountains in Mendoza County, Argentina. Ok, we did stretch that a bit, but write it off to poetic license. There they found a delightful malbec, the favorite red wine of that country, that they immediately snatched up and sent home. The 2006 Pepperwood Grove Malbec displays an aroma of plums and cherries along with a touch of truffles and leather which resides in the background along with a hint of oak. These aromas are transferred to the flavor and then end in a glorious, long, fruit filled finish. This is a very nice, all around mealtime wine and an interesting departure from the “usual fare.”

Pepperwood Grove 2008 Pinot Noir ($9.69). Putting a pinot noir in front of us is like waving a red flag in front of a bull; not a good move because we are very critical of this variety. The Pepperwood Grove 2008 Pinot Noir comes from Italy, a country not known for pinot noir wines. This pinot noir however, is something different in a great many ways. The wine displays all of the classical flavors and substance one would expect in a pinot noir, while retaining its Italian characteristics, displaying that earthy element that marks it as definitely coming from Italy. The flavor is powerful, the wine enjoyable and at last, a pinot noir that can accompany Veal Scaloppini, Eggplant Parmesan, Chicken Marsala or anything else Italian.

Pepperwood Grove 2006 South Eastern Australia Riesling ($9.69). 2006 proved to be an exceptional vintage year for the Riesling wines of South Eastern Australia. This riesling is a very enjoyable wine that exhibits a broad spectrum of flavors and aromas with peaches, apricots, pineapple and apple being the most prominent. The fruit acid is finely balanced and adds a modest background of citrus to the flavor. The Pepperwood Grove South Eastern Australia Riesling can accompany all of the lighter meals and is a perfect wine to serve as an aperitif with cheese when company comes.