AficioNada

Thursday's Three Quick Questions:

Inspired by Nashville Wine Press' Dr. Wine Chick, I began to wonder...Which country or wine region is offering the best wine values right now? We know it ain't Bordeaux or Napa Valley, but what about the Languedoc? Or Paso Robles? Or? (Dr. Wine Chick, by the way, says it's Argentina)

How accessible are those values to American wine drinkers?

And, what are some of your top picks?

 Post your answers in the comments below or, if you'd rather, send me an email at BCAficioNada@gmail.com.

Next month Signorello Vineyards will be launching its Enoteca Signorello. Chef Rodger Babel, founder of the catering company Creative Palate Works, is crafting food pairings designed to draw out the nuances of Signorello's trademark unfiltered cabernets, old vine chardonnays, jewel-toned pinots and more. 

A new private tasting room called Salone del Padrone allows up to ten guests to enjoy a full sit-down tasting. As the winter rainy season draws to a close, Signorello intends to take advantage of his postcard perfect hillside venue, with its striking infinity pool and patio, by hosting outdoor events like Kobe & Cab Saturdays and Italian Pizza Sundays using the same Snake Rivers Farm Gold Level beef as Thomas Keller.

Prices run from $65/person for the private tastings to $55 and $35 for the Saturday and Sunday events. For more information, contact Ryan@SignorelloVineyards.com.

Premiere Napa Valley raised $1.5 million this year, down from $2.2 in 2008. Several wine symposium attendees predicted the top bidders wouldn't be from the U.S. Turns out they were right. Nakagawa Wine Company from Tokyo, Japan, was the top bidder, paying $80,000 for five cases of an '07 Scarecrow Cabernet and $42,000 for five cases of the 07 Ovid Cabernet, according to the Napa Valley Register.

My favorite wine from the weekend? Hudson Vineyards' esoteric blend of Syrah, Grenache, Viognier and Barbera, for a hit of acid. It was a refreshing change from all the 100-percent Cabernets on the auction block.