A few days in Georgia celebrating Thanksgiving with family. We weren't checking luggage, so I visited a store (Harry's Market) on our second day and grabbed a couple bottles, plus my brother brought a couple to Thursday's feast (though a Kistler chard was never opened). No wine Tuesday, but Wednesday Dad made a seafood casserole, and I opened the 2007 de Villaine Bouzeron, an Aligote. Crisp, lemony, moderate body, but with a slightly odd grassy/chemical note on nose. On day 2 that seems to blow off. Not bad once nose cleared, but in mid-$20s not worth looking for. B-
Thursday was of course the big day, and we had turkey, ham, dressing, mac and cheese, potatoes, kohlrabi, rutabagas, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes 2 ways, cranberry sauce and relish, salad, and a few things I've forgotten. We started with a toast to my mom, who had a good report on a scan this week (she's in chemo). Wine was the NV Aubry 1er Cru Brut Champagne. Full framed, a touch austere, apples and yeast rolls. Quite dry, good acids, I'm surprised when my CalChard loving sister in law quite likes. I did , too! B+/A-
Red was the 2007 Peter Michael L'Esprit de Pavots (is this the second wine?). Big, lush, blueberry meets blackberry, vanilla cola notes. Not really my style, but generous of my brother to bring. B-/C+
We didn't open the 2009 Jadot-Beaujolais-Villages, but I opted to on Friday night rather than continue with the Cali blend (dinner was of course leftovers). I didn't have a lot of expectation from a huge production BV, but this was actually pretty tasty- ripe red and black cherries, a floral note, good acidity, just a hint of earth. Unpretentious and straightforward, I'd buy this again. B
I have to say that wine-buying in Georgia (in my limited experience) is tough. There's one good (but expensive to my NY eyes) wine shop I know of in area where my family lives (Hinton's, in Alpharetta) but while close to my brother it's a good drive from my parents where we were staying. Most wine is sold in grocery stores, and selection is wide but shallow- tons of KJ, Smoking Loon, Yellowtail, etc with a few higher end wines at "higher than I'm used to" prices (at all levels). I shopped at Harry's Market, now owned by Whole Foods, which has an ok selection, but again nosebleed prices. I chose the Aubry because it was the one wine I thought both interesting and reasonably priced ($35), the Villaine because I seldom see their wines around here, and the Jadot because I had spent way too long in wine area and needed to get out. I actually tried for an American wine for an American holiday, but things I considered were so over-priced (Dashe Dry Creek Zin was in low $30s) I couldn't pull trigger.
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.