Your pre-selected 6-pack of bargain wine is in the shops and ready for pickup. 

This month, we present a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, a Chardonnay from Owen Roe, a Côtes du Rhône from the acclaimed '07 vintage,  a well-made Beaujolais, a French Pinot Noir,  and a supple California Merlot.

Cooper's Creek Malborough Sauvignon Blanc is a quintessential example of the New Zealand style: crisp and refreshing, reverberating with aromas and flavours of citrus, gooseberry and passion fruit. Plus just a touch of herb on the lively finish.  91 points, Wine Spectator: "Light and open-textured, playing its herb and lime character against green apple and pear fruit. This is appealing for its detail and finesse."

Owen Roe Corvidae Mirth Chardonnay.  Last month, most of you were wowed by Corvidae Rook Cab/Syrah/Merlot blend.  This month, we present their Chardonnay - Mirth.  According to the LA Times: "Mirth Chardonnay is a rare commodity -- a moderately priced Chardonnay that drinks beautifully. The 2008 vintage, from Washington grapes, is clean and crisp and not over-oaked. Notes of apple and citrus coupled with a bright acidity deliver an appealing freshness and elegance.  It's a great Indian summer basic, easy drinking and perfect with pretty much anything light, from omelets and frittatas to seafood pasta or risotto dishes, seared sea scallops and fried calamari.

Dominique Piron En Beaujolais Dominique Piron is one of the good guys in Beaujolais - he's at the forefront of restoring the appellation to natural winemaking, without resorting to the rampant chapetilization (adding sugar to the wine)  that's ruined much of the appellation's reputation .  He controls approximately 40 hectares of vines in the villages of Regnié, Brouilly, Morgon and other surrounding areas.  Some of the vineyards are owned by his family, and some are rented.  All are controlled by Piron from vine to wine, so that even though some of his wines are technically negociant wines, he is responsible for every aspect from the vineyard care to the marketing of the finished wine.

The vinification here is entirely done by the traditional whole cluster method.  The vats are bled of the initial free-run juice to concentrate the fermenting must on the skins.  This juice is then fermented apart and added back in only when the wines are deemed to be too heavy without it.  En Beaujolais is the  newest entry into  Piron's lineup, and it's a sure winner. Vinified to produce a wine that has no hard edges, but at the same time remaining exuberant and full bodied. Fresh, grapy aromas meld with cherries and raspberries. Tannins are soft and well integrated and the finish is fresh and lively.

We sell the heck out of Domaine Regusse's Pinot Noir - coming from the Luberon, not a place one generally associates with cooler climates.  But this Vin de Pays des Alpes de Haute Provence is
100% oak barrel aged Pinot Noir - rich, supple and smooth in the mouth with herbal, cherry and raspberry fruit flavors.  An attractive and intriguing rendition of pinot noir, fresh and drinkable, but with something old school Burgundy about it.

I love the bright fruit of Chateau de Segries Côtes du Rhône.  This Grenache-based blend (50%) is rounded out by 30% Syrah, 10% Cinsault, and 10% Carignan.  Mostly tank fermented (10% barrel fermentation, the wine is ripe, rich and round, with black raspberry, white pepper and spice flavors. Ample fruit in the mid-palate.  "A blend of 50% Grenache and the rest mostly Syrah with small amounts of Cinsault and Carignan, offers plenty of earth, lavender, pepper, raspberry, and kirsch notes. The wine’s sweet tannins along with good purity and ripeness are characteristics of the wonderful vintage. " - Robert Parker, 89 pts

The 2008 Grayson Merlot exhibits a beautiful purple garnet color. The aromas show rich complexity with opulent ripe, dark fruit off black currants, blackberries and a hint of violets and chocolate oak. This medium bodied wine shows soft tannins with a finish of mixed dark fruits and a light toasty finish.

Recipes (provided by Andy Carthy)

For the White Wines:  Salmon Rillettes   serves 4

Serve these rillettes with slices of fresh baguette, or for a richer bite, toasted buttery brioche! An ideal hors d'oeuvre, or starter to a meal, and delicious with both of this month's Bargain whites!

* 8-ounce piece of salmon, preferably wild, bones removed

* ½ cup dry white wine
* ½ cup water
* 4 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
* ½ shallot, sliced
* 1 bay leaf
* Sea salt
* 4 ounces smoked salmon, cut into thin strips, then cut into ½-inch pieces

* 2 ounces softened unsalted butter
* 2 tablespoons crème fraiche
* 1 tablespoon olive oil

* Zest and juice of one lemon
* 1 tablespoon chopped chives

* 1 tablespoon chopped dill
* ¼ teaspoon pimenton d'Espelette* or a few turns of freshly ground white pepper
* 4 thin lemon slices

Season the salmon on both sides lightly with a bit of salt. Place in a saucepot just large enough to fit the salmon and add the wine, vinegar, water, shallot and a pinch of the sea salt. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat, lower the heat and poach gently until just cooked through-about 8 minutes. Once cooked, remove from heat and let cool.

In a medium-sized bowl, mash together with a fork the butter and the olive oil until very smooth. This is très important; otherwise there'll be big chunks of butter in the finished rillettes.

Stir in the crème fraiche, lemon juice, then the chopped herbs and smoked salmon.

Remove the skin from the salmon and flake the cooked salmon over the mixture, then fold the pieces of salmon into the rillette mixture along with the chili powder. Season with salt, if necessary.

Spoon the mixture into individual ramekins, making sure there is no air bubbles. Center a lemon slice on top of each ramekin. Melt 1-½ tablespoons of butter and pour over the ramekins. Chill at least 1 hour before serving. Let come to room temperature before serving. The rillettes can be made up to two days before and refrigerated.

* available at most specialty food stores, such as The Spanish Table.

For the Reds:  Filet of Beef with Creamed Mushrooms and Fork Smashed Fingerling Potatoes serves four

This dish is perfect for any setting, whether as an informal get together with friends to enjoy this months selection of Bargain reds, or as a special occasion meal to impress that special someone! A dish to keep on file!

* 4 eight ounce Filet Mignons
* Salt and ground black pepper
* 1 pound cremini mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and quartered
* 1 shallot, finely chopped
* 2 cups dry Marsala
* 6 cups heavy cream
* Salt and pepper
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
* 1 tablespoon chopped chives
* 1 pound fingerling potatoes, washed and halved
* 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
* Salt and ground white pepper

* 4 small bunches of watercress
* olive oil
* Sherry vinegar
* Sea salt

Fingerlings:
Cook the potatoes in a pot of boiling salted water until tender. Drain, return to the pot and cook a few minutes to remove the excess moisture. Add the butter and using a fork smash the potatoes until broken down into small lumps. Season with the salt and pepper and keep warm.

Filets:
Season the filets with the salt and pepper. Sear the filets in a large skillet over high heat for about 4 minutes on each side. Transfer to 350F oven and cook a further 4-5 minutes for medium rare. Remove form the oven and allow to rest for 5-8 minutes.

Mushrooms:
Cook the shallots, with a little olive and oil and butter, in a large saute pan for about 2 minutes until soft; add the mushrooms and cook for about 5-8 minutes until cooked through. Add the Marsala, and cook until almost reduced; add the heavy cream, salt and pepper and cook until reduced by two-thirds and the thickened. The mixture should coat the mushrooms. Add the herbs, stir and remove from the heat.

Spoon the potatoes unto the center of four warm dinner plates. Place a filet mignon on top, and spoon the creamed mushrooms over the top. Toss the watercress with a dash of the sherry vinegar, enough olive oil to coat and season with salt and pepper. Place the watercress on top of the mushrooms. Serve immediately.

For the reds: Pan Fried Pimenton Chicken with Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes serves 4-6

Chicken:

• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, unskinned
• 1 bay leaf
• 8 boneless, unskinned chicken thighs, cut in half
• 1 tsp pimentón d'Esplelett
  
• 6 tbsp fino sherry

Mashed Potatoes:

• 4 large, floury potatoes
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

First, nfuse the oil that the chicken is going to be cooked in. Heat the oil over a gentle heat and add the garlic and bay leaf. It should take about 20 minutes to colour the garlic slightly: it’s a warm bath, not a hot frying experience. Once cooked, remove the garlic and bay leaf. Set the cloves aside for serving.

Turn the heat up high. Season the chicken, add it to the pan and fry for four minutes before turning the pieces over – you want a nice crispy, golden outside. Cook for another four minutes. Add the pimentón and the sherry; stir and leave to bubble gently for five minutes.

For the mash, peel the potatoes and cut into large chunks. Boil with the peeled cloves of garlic, bay leaf and two tablespoons of the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Once cooked, skim off the olive oil and reserve. Drain the potatoes and remove the garlic and bay leaf. Mash the potatoes with all the olive oil (the reserved and the remaining olive oil), until you have made a smooth purée.

Spoon the mash into the middle of a platter, place the chicken on top, and pour over the juices. Serve with the fried garlic cloves.

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