Delirium Noel

Delirium Noel has replaced Matilda as my favorite beer. Classified as a strong ale from Belgian brewery Brouwerij Huyghe, Noel holds a solid, creamy head and is simply filled with aromatic hops. The season is almost over, but if you see some of this left at the liquor store, change that situation immediately.

7 of 7

pink elephants

in Santa hats

Hat Dog 2006 Chardonnay

Yesterday at Cafe Ciao. Buttery, clean, refreshing.

5 of 7 Dog Treats

(Beta Male)

Diez-Caballero Tempranillo Crianza 2004

This tempranillo needs some time to open up before drinking. When I started the first glass, I was thinking three of seven points but as it opened up it transitioned into more of the five-point area. Of course, it's always hard to tell how much of that is the wine breathing and how much is an ever-more-forgiving palate as the bottle slowly empties. For $14 at Binny's, it's middle of the pack.



Four of Seven Smile Points
(famously average)

Good Syrah, Great Deal

About a month ago, my wife and I stumbled upon a good wine at Binny's Beverage Depot, Kunde Estate 2004 Syrah. We went back a couple of weeks later to find that there was no longer a shelf space reserved for it. It was on clearance for only $8 a bottle and there were only two cases left in the storage room. So we bought half of their stock, one case, and I am glad to report that six bottles later (spread across several evenings) I am still feeling good about the decision.

5 of 7 Smile Points


Wine Snob tells me that the 2004 vintage of Kunde syrah retails for $20, but if you run across a chance to get it for less than $15, give it a try. For $20 it isn't a must-buy, but when opportunity knocks you might as well answer.