Head Hunters..........

[Bucko]

I used to be called one myself, but I guess it is a natural evolution of the wine collecting/consuming enophile. Seek out those trophies to out-do your buddy who is doing the same thing - a game of one-upmanship. Meanwhile a lot of nice wines in the $15-20 range languish on the shelves, which brings me to the topic at hand, Gallo Sonoma wines.

I was invited to a Gallo Wine Tasting Dinner at the Palisade in Seattle, and to sit at Gina Gallo's table. Gina is a very lovely young lady who appears enthusiastic about her winemaking in Sonoma. She is also a very gracious woman, fielding my pointed questions without resorting to physical abuse. ;-)

I have to admit that I was a little skeptical of the wines, having grown up in an era when Gallo meant Thunderbird, 7-Up and the beach, along with winos laying in the alley with a bottle of Night Train.

The appetizer was a Maine lobster bisque with corn fritter, served with 1996 Gallo Sonoma Chardonnay, Laguna Ranch. This is a nice wine, with good apple fruit and acidity, and just a touch more oak than I like in a wine.

The starter was a rotisserie beef tenderloin carpaccio with roasted red pepper aioli. This was served with the 1995 Gallo Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County. Full of red fruit, good balance, not overoaked, ready to drink now or over the next few years.

The entree was lamb rack chops with mushroom-barley risotto and roasted garlic-rosemary demi glace. Two wines were served with the main course: 1995 Gallo Sonoma Zinfandel, Frei Ranch - nice jammy fruit, good balance, and a little more oak than I like, but tolerable. 1994 Gallo
Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon, Stefani Vineyard - Nice berry fruit, black cherries, again, with good balance and modest oak.

Dessert was a dark chocolate mousse torte with raspberries and chocolate truffles served with the 1994 Gallo Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon, Barrelli Creek - Black cherries, a hint of herbaceousness, long aftertaste, slighty coarse tannins.

Every one of these wines were ready to drink, food friendly, and well-made wines that should earn 85-88 points for the numbers people. None sold for more than $18. This puts it in the bargain category for me. I just wish they would tone down the oak a tad bit, but then that is what the majority of the public wants, unlike us wine geeks. Give these wines a try - you'll be surprised.

Bucko