The College Try.

Secateurs Red

The doldrums of inexpensive juice is something that generates a bit of personal remorse for many people. For whatever’s sake, a much more thrifty purchase generally means that you would be better off going to your local beer monger to have your growlers refilled. That’s the the most interesting predicament though, don’t you think ? Somehow, I believe it would not be advisable to detract from my father’s advice and buy wine when all one person has, is that “beer pocket” of which he always so passionately inferred. Now, believe it or not, I was once a college student, and I did not have any particular taste in beer or liquor; something else, that is equally unbelievable. However, what I did have, was a summer job that somehow paid for many indulgent weekends. Red or white, it didn’t matter. If the price was right, I could expect to be overcome with cross-sections of proper nuance and lukewarm haziness at best. Which is not to say there is really any room for comparison to my former peers, especially when they were caught bogarting cases of “Schlitz” every so often. I question the appeal of twenty-four helpings of any canned product, but something seems overly self-gratifying in the ‘lug-and-chug’ aspect of popular drinking; consequently so, since it has been this way for the past hundred years. Looking back, I think the rarest form that most people remember being accustomed to, can be represented in enjoying something worthwhile; that is, while not cashing-in your childhood savings bonds in return.

Some people snort at the idea of jugs and “Tetra-Paks” being the embodiment of “value” in popularized wine. However, this is only true to an extent, since most 3-to-4 liter varieties are actually ideal for poaching many different styles of ribs and other proteins. Oh, and those elongated “aseptic” containers ? Yes, they have their place in enviro-friendly markets, while scaling-down the idea that you can’t pour a soft, drinkable product out of a box that’s a polyblend of aluminum and plastic. Despite anyone’s illusions about inexpensive wine, artisans from across the pond are still churning-out affordable juice in glass bottles. Lucky times for those twenty-one and over, because it seems that access to those imprecisely named “College Wines” has increased along with some more accurate definitions. 

One piece of advice I give to anyone with a legal ID, is that countries like  Portugal, Chile, Argentina and South Africa practically have younger interests in check. It may not be the most direct sphere of influence, but if more virile, ladder-climbing minds want to enjoy the perks of contemporary winemaking, these Nations are showcasing a sense of optimism that only exists in youth. Granted, the old ideals are there, but it takes some understanding to recognize that wineries want money; of course, but your  chief responsibility is finding the one that is going to entertain your palate for the least amount of money. That’s why I always say to college students, “Think Portuguese.” I know, it sounds like a poorly generated tagline for the country’s travel bureau, but it’s true. Portugal has been keeping up in recent years with the allure of technology, but their winemaking prowess is still measured in an old-world sense of stamina. The country tends to make pure, expertly crafted wine, but the lack of advert-marketing has kept prices low and knowledgeable drinkers from breaking their credit lines. Sure, you may have never experienced a  “Tinta Roriz” or a “Touriga Nacional” before, but there’s no reason to let mystery shroud the appeal. Campolargo’s 2005 Bairrada Estate, has a blend of Tinta Roriz, Syrah and Merlot for right around $12. It’s fruit formidable with a depth and focus that is nearly a candidate for a $15 tag. “Aragones, Trincadeira, Alfrocheiro” and “Castelao” grapes find their way through Monte Das Anforas‘ regional “Alentejano,” a 2008 vintage which brings you red fruits, dark confits and so on, for a miserly eight dollars. 

Monte Das Anforas

But what about South Africa? No worry, they have been on a westerly campaign towards America to bring academic achievers phenomenal wine for what seems like meager returns. Unlike Portugal, South Africa has been pushing gratuitously towards influencing would-be dissenters into lifelong customers. Research and advertising isn’t something new, considering that as of 2010, more than 3,500 primary producers have been earning their fair share of profits and the general publicities. If numbers are essential, does $14.99  any thoughts? When I tell you there’s a French style red that lasts for three days or more when re-capped, does that equate any value? Of course it does, since Badenhorst Vineyards uses principle Rhone grapes and a little Cabernet Sauvignon in their 2009 “Secateurs Red” to deliver smacks of fruit, chocolate mineral, and yes, savings. For all my time and patience, it can justify enough pleasure to last for an entire weekend...that’s incredible. Maybe not for everyone, since the hardest thing to face when talking about countries, college and wine, is not how long your bottle will last, but how to keep everyone else from drinking it.   

Sure, I could have mentioned the countries of South America, but the popularity of the continent’s wine trade is pretty substantial. I tend to use up very little energy when I talk about their exports to students or graduates alike. Sure, you can safeguard your educational allowances especially with Argentinian fare, but Malbec is probably too popular now for younger, more intuitive minds. Funny, It doesn’t always boil down to what country is producing the cheapest, or rather, what a scholar can achieve when experimenting with varietals, but there’s plenty of reasons to forgo nights of beery excesses and boozy regrets with plummy cultivars. Somehow, some way, we look upon the proceeding generations to understand something beyond GPA’s PBR’s and MGD’s. 

I also remember my father saying, “Always spend money on something you like.”

Brian Maniotis

Westchester Wine Warehouse Team

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