Wine Report from the Fort
What were Northside’s best wine buys for 2008?
By Fred McMillin

Divide the wine’s rating, say 80, by the price, say $8, and you get 10 rating points per dollar. So, we calculated that figure for the wines we tasted at the Fort last year, and here are those that gave the most bang for the buck!

White wines
Chardonnay: Hacienda Vineyards California 2005, $7
Chenin Blanc-Dry: Dry Creek Vineyards California 2007, $12
Gewurztraminer: Forestville Vineyards California 2005, $6
Muscat Ottonel: Targovishte Winery 2006, $8
Pinot Grigio: Bolla Vineyards 2006, $9
Riesling: Forest Glen Winery California 2007 $8
Sauvignon Blanc: Estrella Winery California 2005, $6
Traminer: Targovishte Winery 2006, $8
Viognier: Montpellier Winery California 2005, $7
Pink and sparkler
White Zinfandel: Shenandoah Vineyards Amador County 2004, $6
Rosé Champagne: Delamotte Le Mesnil-sur-Oger NV, $80

Red wines
Cabernet Sauvignon: Gallo Vineyards California NV, $5
Malbec: Crane Lake Wines California 2005, $5
Merlot: Coastal Ridge California 2005, $7
Pinot Noir: Montpellier California 2005, $7
Shiraz: Little Boomey Wines Murray Valley 2004, $8
Zinfandel: Shenandoah Vineyards Amador County Special Reserve 2004, $10

Get smart! Take a wine class
Saturdays, 1 p.m., 20 wines, Fort Mason:
• Feb. 7: Basics for Beginners – Learn the five basic types of wines and how they are made.
• Feb. 28: Taste the Terms – Taste wines that illustrate the 100-plus terms used to describe wine.
Many people take Taste the Terms over again because the wines and words are different each time. To enroll or wait-list, phone San Francisco City College at 415-561-1840, or visit www.ccsf.edu/Services/Continuing Education.

A final wine smile
Merci beau cop!
The cop: Marcel Dumas, Burgundy wine police
The thanks: Customers around the world thanked cop Dumas for catching a Burgundy exporter that put expensive wine labels on cheap local Pinot Noir.

Credits: Edgar Vogt (tastings); Ophelia Mercado (statistics)

Fred McMillin was voted one of the best wine writers in the United States by the Academy of Wine Communications. Phone him with questions at 415-563-5712 or fax him at 415-567-4468.