One Winery, Two Wines, Two Different Prices - You Pick

Last night Darin made a wonderful Rib eye steak (he is the official cook of our family), steamed asparagus and we shared a twice baked potato. The wine selected for the meal was Tignanello 2005 from Antinori winery. Darin wanted something special. This was it. It’s way out of our normal price range (he purchased it in Italy for $70 US dollars, because he said "we had to have this"). The wine, from the Antinori estate, is a key winery in Italy. They have been around for centuries.

The Tignanello had an intense ruby red color. It was weighty (dense) each sip left a long and lingering taste on the plate. I tasted chocolate (but I always do) and Darin could taste coffee. It was a complex wine. It was a beautiful wine and added to an already spectacular dinner.
 
But it is expensive. Wineyjanet isn't about that (although no complaints here....it was amazing). So, how do I spin this blog to get it back to something we all can afford, well, this same winery makes other bottles that are just as wonderful, and for less (a lot less). The same winery produces one of our household standards that we love, the Santa Cristina. The wine is ruby red in color with purple hues (trust me on this – pour the wine into a glass and tilt it over something white, like a table cloth or plate, you’ll see). It has a great aroma of fresh fruits and a hint of floral. Like its expensive sibling the Tignanello, the Santa Cristina is well-structured, sweet tannin, and lingering finish. It is a good “family” wine and we have found it for as little as $4.99 (yes, you read that right).

The price of wine doesn’t always mean better. You can find a great bottle, like the Santa Cristina, and have a perfectly fabulous meal.

And, I hope you do. Enjoy