While I’m sure I could have done this post at any time over the year, the color connotations made it perfect for the Winter holidays. A colleague and friend has been mentioning these wines for a while now, so I requested samples from the lower end of their cost spectrum, reasoning that if these selections held up, anything further up the scale should be more than acceptable. Here are the results . . .

• Tariquet Sauvignon – This was the winter white selection sent by Kacher. Retail price: $9.99.  My reaction? A light flavor with the slightest bit of zip. Would be decent with seafood, fish, white meat or any light meal where you may not want an overpowering wine, but might appreciate a bit of tingle to jazz up the event. I served it with angel hair pasta and pesto, bruschetta and a salad. It occurred to me that this might also be a decent wine to serve with a truffle risotto, or linguini with truffle butter. If you caught my previous post on affordable ways to enjoy these little nuggets of yum, you’ll remember it included strategies where the truffle flavor might be a bit milder. A light wine would be in order to keep the focus on feature ingredient of the meal.  Available at snooth.com.
• Chateau Grande Cassagne G.S. (Grenache / Syrah) – A festive, slightly dry red with a relatively light bouquet, but a reasonably sturdy flavor. The SRP? Twelve bucks. Personal verdict?  This surprised me, actually. Based on smell alone, I would have predicted it to be a bit weak in the face of a heavily seasoned meat dish. However, I served it for my husband and I with an entrée of roast beef in a tomato and beef broth gravy seasoned strongly with horseradish and Worcestershire sauce. It held up extremely well, and the flavor didn’t seem to fluctuate at all. I’d definitely pick up a bottle of this wine again, particularly when serving a beef based meal. You can pick this one up at wineaccess.com.
• The Ehrhart Pinot Auxerrois – Categorized as a “gracious green” by the company for their holiday campaign, this selection is actually an organic Alsatian white which retails for $17.00. I found this to be a lush, full bodied selection with a flavor that grabs you at each stop on its journey across your tongue. Bonus? With all this flavor, I really didn’t notice an after taste. While I wouldn’t necessarily call this a dessert wine, I think it could certainly be paired with a sweet treat after dinner or even as an afternoon tea alternative. We served it for dinner with a spinach - portabella salad and lemon pepper chicken. All in all a great tasting wine for poultry, fish or seafood.  Also available at wineaccess.com.   

This was my first exposure to Robert Kacher's imported wines. Personal verdict? Worth checking out. With these three tasty selections all priced at well under twenty bucks, I can only expect good things from the rest of their line. That's my opinion. I welcome yours.