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$12 No Pain Wine, Big Gain: Say Hello to Jumilla! Move Over Fruity Merlot For This Silky Spanish Red on a Budget! Mourvèdre Grapes Gone Wild! Velvet & Candied Fruit! Cheapdatewine.com Robert FitzMaurice O’Maoilriain CS, CM Certified Sommelier and Chef drinking deep in the heart of the Garden District in New Orleans, Louisiana. One of the World’s Best Historic Wine Drinking Cities. Wine Review: $12 Familia Pacheco ‘Barrica’ Red Blend (Monastrell, Cab & Syrah) from Jumilla DOP, Spain 2018 90pts+ QTPR (Quality to Price Ratio) #Vinaelena Overview: You’re going to be a wine genius when you divert the Merlot-Drinkers in your life to Jumilla, Yecla and Bullas reds from the Mencia (Min-thee-uh) region of Spain. Like some kind of wine prophet you WILL wow the loved ones in your wine and finally put their grocery store Merlot back under the kitchen counter forever where it belongs where you won’t be forced to drink it when visiting. Comparable to: $22-$35 California Merlot, Right Bank French Bordeauxs based on Merlot and Italian Super Tuscan Wines based of Merlot Who will love this wine: Juicy, fruity, no-pain red drinkers who love easy, velvety reds | 99% of Merlot-Drinkers | 75% Cabernet and Pinot Noir Drinkers | 50% of White Wine Drinkers When to drink: great by itself | great for holiday meals or big groups | ideal for Asian Cuisine with its low oak and alcohol Winery Story: 70 year old multi-generational winemaking family in Jumilla Regional Story: Jumilla (who-me-ah) is in Mencia(Min-thee-uh) and it’s winemaking goes back to Greek Merchants or earlier. The region is ideal and historically known for Monastrell (known as Mourvèdre internationally) and is able to easily grow the grape organically. Grapes are grown from 800 to 3,000ft on sand and chalk which are phylloxera(a root bug pest) resistant. The vines are grown on their own roots instead of being grafted or attached to other grape roots that are more phylloxera resistant thus giving one of the most pure expressions of Mourvèdre/Monastrell in the world. Grapes grown on sand are easy like sand and chalky soil produce silky textures. Higher altitudes with higher UV light produce grapes with thicker skins leading to robust red and black fruit flavors, color and structure. Grape(s): 60% Monastrell(Mourvèdre in French), 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah. Jumilla is the land of Monastrell and Mencia in general may produce the the world’s largest number of incredible Monastrell wines. Monastrell based wines in Jumilla are fruity, agile and stylish. Cabernet gives a little extra structure and Syrah gives additional roundness in the middle and dark fruit in the beginning. Flavors: red cherries | strawberry | mocha coffee | red plum | boysenberry | brown sugar | vanilla pastry dough | violets | Italian Seasoning | crisp bacon | suede | dried bay leaf | moist pipe tobacco | horehound candy | red licorice stick | raspberry hard candy | hillside stone Body 3 / 5 Acid: 2 / 5 Tannin: 1 / 5 Fruit: 5 / 5 Floral: 4 / 5 Dried Herb/Spice 3 / 5 Stone/Mineral: 3 / 5 Vanilla/Oak: 3 / 5 Earth/Yeast: 1 / 5 Sugar: 0 / 5 Cheese Pairings: Blue Cheese | Cheddar | Emmental Food Pairings: lamb | sausage | duck | Empanada Jumillana (Potato Pies) Trad. Pairings: Conejo Con Arroz

Big $10 Value; Bobal Grape from Spain Tastes like Warmed Blueberries and Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans! Cheapdatewine.com Robert FitzMaurice O’Maoilriain CS, CM Certified Sommelier and Chef drinking deep in the heart of the Garden District in New Orleans, Louisiana. One of the World’s Best Historic Wine Cities. Wine Review: Atance, Bobal, Valencia D.O.P. Spain 2018 $10 90pts+ QTPR (Quality to Price Ratio) #ValkyrieSelections Overview: If you like dark fruit but low tannin dryness and especially if you are like me and love Syrahs, Pinots or Malbecs that have blueberry-like flavors this wine is for you at an everyday price of $10. Organic Grapes and Bottled at the Chateau. Bobal naturally has unusually high levels of resveratrol and generous amounts of anthocyanin, polyphenols, and terpenes. Comparable to: $20-$35 Central Coast Syrahs or GSM Blends, Oregon Pinot Noirs from Yamhill or Dundee Hills and some Northern Rhones Syrahs like Cote-Rotie and St.-Joseph Regional Reds. Who will love this wine: Those who like blue and black fruit-like flavors but low tannin dryness or bitterness | 99% of Syrah Drinkers | 80% of Pinot Noir Drinkers | 50% of Cabernet Drinkers | 50% of White Wine Drinkers When to drink: great by itself | paired with gamey red meat | paired with American-Asian | paired with American-Mexican Winery Story: A project by Bodegas Mustiguillo to bring lesser known local grapes like Babal and Merseguera to an international audience. Regional Story: Valencia was named by the Romans over two thousand years ago and its name means strength or Valour in Latin as praise for the valour of the soldiers from Valence that fought for the Roman Empire. When Valencia was taken over by Islamic Arabs and Moroccans 800 years later it was renamed Medina at-Tarab or City of Joy. Later it became a large producer of Silk and later it became an economic powerhouse. Winemaking here is ancient and goes back to the pre-Roman Phoencians who also used to local grapes like Bobal. The grapes are grown at high elevations of 2,00 to 3,00 feet, the old, gnarly low-bush trained Bolbal are deep rooted and easy to farm organically. Grape(s): Bobal (bo-bal) is the 2nd most commonly grown red grape in Spain and is over 600 years old.. It takes its name from the Latin Bovale reference to the shape of a bull’s head in which the outline shape of Bobal grape clusters are shaped like. Grape types were once most often mixed together in vineyards and the shapes of clusters and leafs were often used to identify different kinds of grapes. Flavors: warmed, crushed blueberries | chocolate covered espresso beans | rainer cherries | lavender | ripe blackberry | black mineral or stone | licorice root | black leather | coriander | dried orange zest | grilling spice rub | chicory root | fig jam | whole clove Body 2-3 / 5 Acid: 2 / 5 Tannin: 2 / 5 Fruit: 4 / 5 Floral: 4 / 5 Dried Herb/Spice 3-4 / 5 Stone/Mineral: 3 / 5 Vanilla/Oak: 1 / 5 Earth/Yeast: 2 / 5 Sugar: 0 / 5 Cheese Pairings: Manchego | Aged Gouda | Parmesan Food Pairings: lamb | beef stew | Mexican & Asian Rice Dishes | Mushroom Dishes & Eggplant Traditional Pairing: Valencia Paella made with rabbit, sausages, chicken & garlic

Overview: $12 Full Frontal Assault! Spanish White Wine Goes After Sonoma Coast and Chassagne-Montrachet’s Coveted Chardonnay Crowns but…. it’s not Chardonnay it’s Old Vine Verdejo! Cheap Date Wine .com Top wines under $12 Robert FitzMaurice O’Maoilriain CS, CM Deep in the Heart of the Garden District in New Orleans Louisiana Style: A shocking, take no prisoners, all-or-nothing style, old vine Verdejo from the Rueda Region in Spain with a partial use of Oak Barrel Fermentation and Batonnage barrel stirring for creaminess. Like a cool climate crisp Chardonnay with just a little extra oak, smoke, butter and cream. It is a Chardonnay-Drinker’s Rueda the way a Fumé Blanc is a Chardonnay-Drinker’s Sauvignon Blanc. Polarizing, love-it-or-hate-it, it succeeds precisely at what it is trying to do and if you like this style it will bring the house down at $12. Wine Review: Cuatro Rayas, “Viñedos Centenarios,” Verdejo from Rueda D.O. Spain 2019 $12 90pts+ :: QTPR(Quality to Price Ratio) Replaces: $30 to $50 Sonoma Coast Chardonnays | $30 to $50 Chassagne-Montrachet White Burgundys | $25 to $35 South African Chardonnays and Chenin Blancs | $25 to $45 Savennières AOC Region French Chenin Blanc Who WIll Love It: 75% of California Chardonnay Drinkers | 99% of White Burgundy Drinkers considering price | 50% of Sauvignon Blanc Drinkers When to drink: grilled seafood overlooking the beach | when sunbathing | pair with main course poultry dishes | pair with smoky, Chargrilled New Orleans Oysters The Grape’s Story: Rueda, Spain has an ancient history of growing Verdejo for well over 1,000 years as it’s primary grape. Verdejo originated in North Africa and was brought to Spain by Arabic speaking Christians. The Region’s Story: The Rueda growing region is in the autonomous region of Castilla y Leon. Castile is named for all of the Middle-Age Castles and Leon was it’s neighboring, often intertwined kingdom. The two kingdoms fought together against endless Viking from the north and Moor attacks from the south for hundreds of years resulting in the need to build so many Castile or Castles. It is on a high, flat, mountain plateau. The Producer’s Story: Produced by the 80 year old Agricola Castellana Cooperative of over 400 member grape farmers. The vines are 80 to 100 years old and the roots go deep into the mother rock and the natural water table. Old Vines are less vigorous producing less grapes per vine shoot and only take in the perfect amount of water as needed. This leads to greater concentrations of flavor. Many believe that older vines draw in more diverse mineral traces from layers of soil that can be tasted in the grapes though this is not scientifically provable. Grape(s): 100% Verdejo Flavors Notes: lemon zest | clean stony minerality | flint | green & brown pear | roasted almonds | steamed skim milk | smoke | white pepper | buttered dinner roll | white chocolate | smoke | applesauce | margarita | kiwi | white peach | coconut | banana pudding | ghee clarified butter | goose berry | curly leaf parsley | sesame seed oil | fenugreek | daisy Body 2-3 / 5 Acid: 4 / 5 Fruit: 2 / 5 Floral: 2 / 5 Mineral/Stone: 4 / 5 Herb / Veg: 3 / 5 Butter 3 / 5 Cream 3 / 5 Oak/Toast/Nut: 4 / 5 Bread/Yeast: 3 / 5 Sugar: 0 / 5 Cheese Pairings: Cheddar | Spanish Goat Cheese | Fontina Food Pairings: halibut | lobster | scallops | chicken | grilled squash

$10 Siciliano Red Wine that brings a Spicy Warmth and Meditereanean Cheer to the Winter Season Everywhere Else! Cheapdatewine.com Robert FitzMaurice O’Maoilriain CS, CM Certified Sommelier and Chef at Large Living Large on a Light Budget Wine Review: Villa Pozzi, Nero D’Avola, Sicilia D.O.C. 2019 $10 90pts+ QTPR (Quality to Price Ratio) Overview: Cheerful and articulate, with a balance between lively brightness and medium bodied red fruit. Just enough acidity to make it fresh and lively, very low tannin dryness and a touch of delicate, candied fruitiness. If you love fruity Merlots and juicier, easy-to-drink Pinot Noirs you are in for a treat at a very budget friendly price. Comparable to: $18-$22 California or Chilean Merlot. $20 to $40 Italian Tuscan Reds like Rosso de Montelcino and Rosso di Montepulciano and “Super Tuscans. $20 to $30 Right bank Bordeaux based on Merlot or Cab. Franc. Mass Appeal: Who will love this wine: A huge crowd pleaser and perfect holiday party wine for the difficult masses of preferences. 99% of Merlot Drinkers | 75% of Cab. and Pinot Noir Drinkers (when price is considered) | 75% of Chianti and Spanish Wine Drinkers | 75% of White Wine Drinkers When to drink: Amazing as a reception or banquet wine for a picky audience when you can only offer one red. Pair with all traditional holiday meals. Great by itself in front of a fire or on a patio at noon in the winter. Winery Story: The Winery was started almost 200 years ago started by a successful Northern Italian Trader who traveled and sold wine all over Italy by horse drawn carriage. Regional Story: Greek Myth says that in the earliest era of antiquity Dionysus brought grapes vines to Sicily and that the entire fiery, volcanic island was covered in vines long before the Greeks first arrived. Botanists say that vines grew in ancient Sicily long before man appeared on the earth. Winemaking began in Sicily over 3,500 years ago led by Middleastern Phoenicians who predated the Greeks ownership of Sicily. Later Julius Caesar and his court including Pliny loved Sicilian Wines in Rome. Under islamic and then Viking control vines dwindled only to be reborn by the Spanish Kingdom of Aragon who later came to rule the Island. Sicily was at the center of the trade routes of the Classical World and has hosted almost all western cultures. Over 100 unique, unusual, indigenious grapes still exist there waiting to be discovered by the modern world. Grape(s): Nero is the most commonly grown indigenious grape in Sicily and was imported by the Greeks like many of the grape types in Sicily. Nero d’Avola means “the black grape of the borough of Avola.” The grape is compared to warmer climate Syrah and Shiraz-style Syrah with sweet tannins and plum and peppery notes Flavors: rum soaked cranberry raisins | red plums | beets | vanilla powder | graham cracker | fine vietnamese black pepper | candied hibiscus flowers | strawberry preserves | rhubarb pie | violets | cinnamon | clove | coriander | burnt orange peel | wet redwood plank | red currant hard candy | Chai spices | clean concrete slab | red rose petals Body 3 / 5 Acid: 2 / 5 Tannin: 1 / 5 Fruit: 3 / 5 Dried Herb/Spice 4 / 5 Stone/Mineral: 2 / 5 Vanilla/Oak: 3 / 5 Earth/Yeast: 2 / 5 Sugar: 0 / 5 Cheese Pairings: Peppered Chevre | White Cheddar | Fontina | Blue Cheese | Camembert Food Pairings: Chicken | Boiled Crab | Pork Ribs | Beet Salads

Wine Review: Hombre Pez, Rueda D.O. Spain, Verdejo 2019 $6 90+ pts :: QTPR(Quality to Price Ratio) Overview: Sauvignon Blanc and Vinho Verde Drinkers will love this wine. Comparable to: $12-$17 Sauvignon Blanc Style: Young, unoaked Verdejo based wines grown in Rueda Spain are lean, crisp, dry, modern and super refreshing. Lively, clean with no oak, butter or nuttiness. Charactercher: The Ice Princess. Sleak, sexy, pretty and ice cold. When to drink: Begs for beaches and sunny summer days and relaxed patio nights. Mass Appeal: 90% of Sauvignon Blanc Drinkers will like it. 50% of Chardonnay Drinkers will like it. 50% of Red Wine Drinkers will like it as a first course wine. Producer Story: From Rueda, Spain with an ancient history of growing Verdejo for over 1,000 years as it’s primary grape. Verdejo originated in North Africa and was brought to Spain by Arabic speaking Christians. The Rueda growing region is in the autonomous region of Castile et Leon. Castile is named for all of the Middle-Age Castles and Leon was it’s neighboring, often intertwined kingdom. The two kingdoms fought together against endless Viking from the north and Moor attacks from the south for hundreds of years resulting in the need to build so many Castile or Castles. It is on a high, flat, mountain plateau. El Hombre Pez is a legendary amphibian fish-man of Northern Spain. Grape(s): 100% Verdejo Flavors Notes: Lime peel, ocean breeze, white grapefruit juice, meyer lemon, green apple, white sage, fresh fennel, ginger root, artichoke, young avocado, mango, orange blossom, tangerine, young coconut milk, blanched almonds, spearmint gum Body 2 / 5 Acid: 4 / 5 Fruit: 2 / 5 Floral: 2 / 5 Herb / Veg: 5 / 5 Butter 0 / 5 Cream 1 / 5 Oak/Toast/Nut: 1 / 5 Earth/Yeast: 0 / 5 Sugar: 0 / 5 Cheese Pairings: Manchego, Chevre, Zamorano, Feta Food Pairings: Shellfish, Springrolls, Fish Tacos, Salads

Wine Review: Fábula de Paniza, Carińena DOP, Carińena Grape $6 90pts+ QTPR (Quality to Price Ratio) Overview: In a world where it is hard to find an inexpensive Pinot Noir substitute this may come close. Certain to please Barbera, Rioja, Chianti, Syrah, Cab. Franc and Cotes-du-Rhone Lovers. It packs a whole dried spice cabinet. Comparable to: $18-$22 Monterey or Central Coast Labeled California Pinot Noir, $16-$20 Italian Barbera, $12-$16 Cotes-du-Rhone Reds. Style: Medium-weight Pinot Noir-like in body with a lot of Italian Red Sauce and meaty notes like a Bolognese Meat Sauce. Charactarcher: The Italian Grandma that won’t stop feeding you after your beyond full. When to drink: With all things Italian Red Sauce, on a Picnic with charcuterie or cold cuts and with Sauced Beef or Pork Ribs. Mass Appeal: 75% of Pinot Noir, Malbec and Syrah Drinkers will like it. 50% of Cabernet Drinkers will like it, 50% of White Wine Drinkers will like it. Producer Story: Fábula means Fable. Bodegas Paniza is a cooperative of hundreds of growers in Carińena D.O.P. in the autonomous region of Aragon bordering France in the Iberian Mountains Foothills. Carińena is the region where the Carińena grape takes it’s name, (otherwise known as Carignan in French) and is where it genetically evolved. Grapes often are the best and truest to their natural character where they evolve. Grape(s): Carińena in Spanish, Carignan in French Flavors: Herbed red meat sauce, cranberry puree, raspberry jam, cloves, dried tobacco leaves, tamarind paste, black fig, cola, sassafras, whole cinnamon stick, strawberry balsamic vinaigrette, grilled watermelon with salt, grilling spices rub, prosciutto, dried oregano, dried briar patch, Chinese 5 Spice Body 3 / 5 Acid: 3 / 5 Tannin: 2 / 5 Fruit: 4 / 5 Dried Herb/Spice 5 / 5 Stone/Mineral: 2 / 5 Vanilla/Oak: 1 / 5 Earth/Yeast: 2 / 5 Sugar: 0 / 5 Cheese Pairings: Aged Gouda, Hard Sheep’s Cheese, Basque Cheese, Young Manchego, Farmer’s Cheese Food Pairings: Pasta, Duck, Charcuterie, Parmesan Eggplant

Wine Discussions: Why I Don't Drink Cheap Pinot Noir or Cabernet under $25 Retail! To my dearest guest wanting to live a "Luxurious Lifestyle on a Light Budget" whether you are working to accumulate wealth or currently on a conservative income skip I recommend skipping common popular variety-labeled wines like Pinot Noir, Cabernet and sometimes Chardonnay at prices under $25 retail. My suggestion is when shopping under a certain price point always explore regions and grapes and producers you are less familiar with. Not only will these wines most often over deliver on quality to value but generally they will contain less higher-histamine adjuncts(legal additives in the US and Australia) like Mega-Purple and Fruit Concentrate.