Hello and Welcome to a New Season!  We all know that it's easy to find a $20 bottle that will please most any palate in a party environment.  But my mission here is to find offerings MUCH less expensive than that...Say...under $10....WAY, WAY under $10!  After all, we're talking party wines here.  But we don't want to serve our guests and family cheap plonk!  But we don't want to go broke in the process either.

   So I've tasted.....and I've tasted....and I've tasted.  And like they say, you've got to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince[ss].  And find her I have!!  So bare with me here and I think I can lead you to a diverse selection of terrific wines that will please both palate AND pocketbook.  So here we go.....

The Wines of
Francois Labet...
    At last year's Champagne Shoot-Out Joe Neuberger was manning the Kreston station along with Jacquin's Jerry Conaty where they were concocting Kir Royales using delicious Chambord Liqueur and a new Burgundian sparkling wine called Labet Cremant de Bourgogne.  Good stuff and a GREAT buy at $12.99 a bottle.  But our friend Francois Labet also produces and bottles a line of varietal wines that are just what the [Wine] Doctor ordered when QUALITY and VALUE for gatherings large and small are the order of the day. 

    Monsieur Labet is a very energetic fourth generation French wine merchant. His family has owned and operated the highly respected Chateau de La Tour in Vougeot since 1922.  Today's wine buyer insists on outstanding quality at reasonable prices. In order to "buy right" in France, you must have someone who has the knowledge and contacts to find the very best grapes at the very best prices year after year. Francois Labet has the expertise and experience gained not only from his many years in the wine trade, but also from generations of experience of his family.

    If a product carries the Labet label, you can rest assured that the juice in the bottle is a quality wine and a great value.  Here's the offerings:

'00 PINOT NOIR
    This Pinot originates in Corsica, and offers ripe cherry and raspberry flavors with much more richness and elegance than the price would suggest.  It is GREAT!!

 '01 MERLOT
Merlot is without a doubt the country's hottest varietal wine. Why? Try this wine and see. It is smooth and well balanced with more body and complexity than you would expect from a wine at this price. Succulent, it is packed with currant and berry flavors, complements of spice and chocolate, and a velvety grace you'd expect from wines costing multiples of the price!  This is an outstanding value and a wine to drink every day!

   '01 SYRAH
    Syrah has become very popular in recent years. It has traditionally been used in France as one of the many grapes that go into the Rhone blends. On its own, it produces a deeply colored wine that is full and complex. Try it as an alternative to the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.  Gutsy, deep, dark, bordering on luxurious, with a palette of plum, blueberry and black currant flavors and a ripe, smooth texture.  Soft and easy to enjoy it is TOP NOTCH!

'01 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Cabernet Sauvignon is still the most revered red wine grape in the world. This grape makes full, rich and complex wine. Although this wine is not intended for long aging, you will experience the complexity, intensity and structure that makes this grape noble.  Ripe and complex, deftly melding sweet black cherry and cassis flavors with just the right measure of tannin and spice.  A true DISCOVERY that you should not miss!!

'00 CHARDONNAY
Chardonnay was more or less "invented" by the French. They are masters at making wine from this most renowned of all white grapes. This Chardonnay is full and ripe and very drinkable at the same time. Most importantly, Labet Chardonnay is a very good value.  Soft and creamy with apple and pear notes on a medium-bodied mouthfeel, it is a simple serving wine for everyday dinner plans.  Everyone LOVES it, and you (AND your guests) will too.

    Heady praise, those descriptions above.  Now what would one pay for wines described as such?  Well I'll tell you, they're some of the GREATEST VALUES IN THE STORE at the moment!  All varieties are regularly a most modest $7.99, they are all being featured at the Frequent Buyer's Sale Price of ONLY $5.99 a bottle!!  WOW!!  Prayers answered and great wine delivered!!  You won't be sorry or disappointed.  Serve them with confidence!

    And while you're enjoying these great wines, Share them with some friends and family.  Fire up that grill, call friends together and ENJOY THIS FABULOUS HOLIDAY WEATHER!!

                 Thanks again.
                                                   Terry Ross