Dr. Swigg's guide to wine

There's more to life than bikes......although not much. I'll be posting my cheap ( but excellent) wine recommendations on this blog. All of these selectios can be found at Trader Joe's.#1 Evans&Tate shiraz 2004 " the underground series" $ 4.99. This screw-top beauty is an excellent mid week choice. Amazing quality for the price .#2, Rocking Horse zinfandel 2002 $7.99 First taste is pretty good but this one gets better and better as it airs out. I'll bet that this bottle was originally close to $ 20 but with the glut of good wine on the shelves bargains like this will surface. #3, Rocking Horse cabernet Rutherford Garvey vinyard $9.99 That's right, a vinyard designated Napa cab from Rutherford, land of the best cabernet grapes on the continent. Pour this one for your wine-snob friends and see the expressions when you tell them that a case of this stuff cost less that one bottle of what they brought. Truchard Napa valley Syrah 2000 $ 12.95 at Shopper's corner. A new world syrah that doesn't suck......that's correct. You cna't swing a dead cat without hitting a California winery that thinks it's syrah is the next big thing. Unfortunately, most of these efforts fall way short and don't compare to our more reliable cabs and zins for drinking pleasure. The Truchard is a notable exception. The taste is huge,round and almost -dare I say it- French ! Although 2000 was a lackluster year in Napa Truchard managed to make one great bottle of Syrah-a nice thing to open up for a different wine experience when needed.