Wine Tasting at The Kitchen

Tucked away in Gainey Village is The Kitchen, a wine bar cum restaurant with a serve yourself prepared foods area. The previous tenants tried something similar, but weren't able to make a go of it. Too bad, as this concept is really taking off in Scottsdale now. Free wine tastings are held on Wednesday nights, followed by live music from Mark DeCozio. Mark is an excellent piano player and crooner, covering all the standards from the golden era.

Having attended a previous wine tasting, we were excited to see what Chris, the sommelier, had procured for our sampling pleasure. He did not disappoint. This week's theme was International Value Wines with a bubbly, a white and two reds. We started with a Cremant de Loire from Baumard, a refreshing sparkler with heavy pear and apple notes. At $17.00, this wine is an excellent alternative to underwhelming Cavas or Proseccos when trying to avoid the higher priced Champagnes. The second tipple was an Albarino from Paco Y Lola, and again we were delighted with not only its value ($18.00) but the incredible fruitiness of the wine. Now tired of Sauvignon Blancs from the bottom of the globe, this one, full of nectarines, is a great poolside refresher.

Chris offered us the first red, a Merlot/Syrah blend from Provence by Domaine de la Janasse. Tasty, very tasty. Under 17 bucks? Chris explained that some of the larger houses in France are discoving that they can buy vineyards in the south of France and escape the heavy restrictions of Bordeaux, Burgundy, et al. This freedom allows them to experiment a little, and they are producing some amazing wines at a fraction of the cost up north. Finally, we came to the most exciting wine, a Carmenere from Argentina by Viniterra. I've never had Carmenere, and I fell in love with the first sip. It tasted like the inside of a wine barrel. So dry, and with such a huge flavor. Thankfully this was not another Malbec from Mendoza, but rather a unique and rare lost varietal that we snatched up at under $15.00.

The Kitchen is making a name for itself as a wine destination in Scottsdale. Chris' approach to retail sums up what we love about this place - while other retailers are refusing new stock until they move what they have at current prices, The Kitchen continues to take delivery while slashing prices to move wine. You can find some amazing values here as well as some wines you never thought existed - a vineyard in southern Arizona? Sounds almost as crazy as wine on Long Island, but we all know how that turned out...