What do you think is the single best value in CA wine?

WINE TALK
41

I am approaching this question like this: for which (category of) wines (listed above) do I least have the feeling of, “It’s good, but way overpriced, especially when compared to its counterpart in country ___?”

My stated approach should reveal that I don’t believe CA offers the best value for any wine category that I am interested in, but I don’t want to cast that vote, despite it being an available option.

My first vote goes to CARhones.

My second vote would actually go to Pinot Noir, but that may be, more than anything else, a result of my affinity for Arcadian and Rhys, and my general laziness with perusing the Burgundy scraps. Rhys’s recent price increases, coupled with the current unknown nature of how Arcadian is going to carry forward, is probably going to give me the shove I need.

Zin is probably the “right” answer, but I don’t buy it, so it wasn’t in the running for me.

42

MacDonald ! flirtysmile [cheers.gif]

43

For me, California is not close to being in contention for good QPR, with the exception of certain wines discounted 50% or more on clearance sites, and the Roederer sparklers named in the OP.

That doesn’t mean I don’t buy CA wines. QPR isn’t the only reason to make a selection.

44

I don’t think the poll is very useful. The values in California wines are not in grape varieties but in specific individual wineries or even wines.

Wineries with wines that are relative values would include a lot of the old time classics including Stony Hill, Mount Eden, Heitz, Kalin, etc. I have a lot of Ridge wines, but as their prices have risen, the only real values left are some of their Zins.

45

Zinfandel.

Also, IMHO, one of the best wines coming out of CA.

46

Zin, Zin, Zin! Many quality Zin producers these days producing top wines for prices that would get you base level Napa cabs at best.

47

Another vote for “it depends.” As an American, I’d say Rhône or Zins. Maybe sparkling, too.

If I lived in Europe, if the question is what Cali wines would I buy (stipulating that the reason I’m buying a California wine is that I can’t buy similar wines at home more cost effectively) the answer would probably be Zins and Cabs. Cabs I know are hard to call a “value,” but I think a case can be made in the ~$200 ballpark for some truly world class wines. Arguably, that is competitive with - or even more cost effective - than buying wines from BDX or even Tuscany/Piedmont that overlap a good bit on pairings or are generally thought of as rough “equivalents.”

48

And the globe’s finest examples of this world-class grape can generally be obtained for under $60. Excellent examples for around $20.

And stock up on '18!

49

I have to commend Craig V on a brave and good point in the original post. I don’t buy them much, but it does strike me that large production sparkling wine from California is very good value.

I think your Chandon and Mumm type wines, for being large production $15-20 bottles you can find in any supermarket, are quite good and consistent.

50

I think CA offers value all over the place if you look at producer.

But my first thought was Chard

How many premoxed top quality CA Chards have you had? None.
How many have you paid more then $125 for on release? None or almost none.

51

This was my first thought. I also feel like Chardonnay is perfectly suited to California Terroir.

52

I wouldn’t choose by grape but by producer, and I’d select Kenny Likitprakong as that producer.

53

I suppose by this standard I would rank CA Cabernet Sauvignon last. I like it quite a bit, but a like Pinot Noir much more at $65 than Cab at $125.