Naked Wines: A Case for Going Naked, Again

Nakedwines.com wants this one-time angel back, and is putting some heavenly pressure on me. The tempting bait hanging out over my ex-angel head is this: 12 bottles, shipped free for $79.99.

I have a week to decide.

Roman, the Head Angel who wants me back, describes the deal as a case of “Naked Favorites.”  The non-angel price for the case would be $239.99.

If you read my detailed review of nakedwines.com, you know my feelings are, at best, mixed. Medal winning wines are so common these days that promoting “Award Winning” wines doesn’t impress me. And the retail price for non-angels is practically meaningless because these wines are only available through nakedwines.

But this particular “naked favorites” case has me thinking.

One reason is that it offers wines from so many different, out of the ordinary regions, that even if the wines are ordinary, the experience could still be salvaged as educational.

To explain, here are the wines in the case that intrigue me:

Zinfandel from Calaveras. Yes, this is one of the historic regions in the old Gold Mining District. Its reputation today, like that of neighboring Amador County, is solid for Zinfandel.

Petite Sirah from Clarksburg. This wine is the pride of the Delta Region. Lots of old vine Petite Sirah is grown here.The best and widely available is Bogle Vineyards, selling under $10.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles. Sure, we all want to explore alternatives to high priced Napa Cabernets. And it is hard to screw up a Paso Cab. So, maybe this could be the one. But is it better than J. Lohr’s Seven Oaks Cab which sells between $10-$14?

Pinot Noir, France. From the southern region, not burgundy. But nevertheless, could be a pleasant surprise. And the winemaker is well-respected. But warm climate Pinot?

Pinot Gris, Hawkes Bay. Another curveball thrown my way. I visited Hawkes Bay during a trip to New Zealand and was wowed by the Sauvignon Blancs and Syrahs. So, hey, this Pinot Gris might also rise above the crowd.

Sauvignon Blanc, South Africa. Another wine well worth exploring. We all know South African Chenin Blancs have lovely, complex flavors.  

Portugal Red Blend. This one is from outside Lisbon, not from the better known Douro Region. Again, a surprise selection, Piqued my vinous curiosity.

Malbec from Argentina. Not, however,  from the Mendoza region, this one is from the cooler Uco Valley which grows my two favorite, and high-end  Malbecs: Zuccardi Q and the Salentein Reserve.

To sum up: this case of favorites is actually more like grape expectations, full of “could be” and “might be fine” wine.

Many winemakers from around the world participate in nakedwines. But the only one familiar to me is Scott Peterson, the person behind the California Cabernet.

I’m conflicted.

And the clock is ticking…

Stay tuned for my answer next week.

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Author: robywine, norm roby

My career as a wine journalist/critic began in 1975 when my article about California Petite Sirah was published. My focus remained on California as I edited a monthly wine magazine and then moved on to The Wine Spectator in 1982. Over the following years, my column appeared under the banner of “Stormin’ Norman, and I also wrote articles about wine collectors and wine auctions. Without getting into a year by year bio, let me try to summarize here. During my time with The Spectator which I enjoyed immensely, I taught wine classes at a culinary school and at other venues in San Francisco. Before venturing into wine, teaching was my thing, English Lit and Rhetoric. After The Spectator I was the U.S. Contributor to Decanter Magazine, writing mostly about California, but also expanding into Washington State and Oregon. My Decanter years began in 1992 and after buying a summer home in France in 2000, I traveled throughout France and eventually published articles about St. Emilion, Castillon, Bergerac, Minervois, Roussillon, Luberon, Provence, and Alsace. Also, around 2000, my wife began working for Cousino-Macul in Chile, so we tasted and traveled our way through Chile and, of course, managed to fly over the Andes and explore and taste our way through Argentina. As travel lovers, we have also spent many interesting days visiting the wine regions of Spain, Italy, Portugal, Scicily, Greece, and New Zealand. And to come to a close, I was Director of Winesong, a Charity Wine Auction for 20 years, 1992-2000 that benefitted a local hospital. That brought me in contact with wine collectors and to the auction scene. And finally, I co-authored a book, The Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wine published by Alfred A. Knopf. It went through 4 editions and sold over 500.000 copies.

One thought on “Naked Wines: A Case for Going Naked, Again”

  1. Pinot Noir from warm climates rarely works out. Look at Australia as an example. Tasmanian Pinot Noir (and any sparkling with a decent Pinot Noir content such as House of Arras) can be award winners in blind tastings (even beating French wines at their own game) but the further you travel into warmer climates, the less of the true Pinot Noir spirit you find. They just aren’t so interesting any more.
    Hawkes Bay is an excellent region, but Pinot Gris is largely untested on a grand scale (in this drinker’s opinion). Better value and far superior NZ wines can be found in the Waipara Riesling department, and the Central Otago Pinot Noir is also quite good if you’re in the mood for NZ wine. Of course, being able to only purchase through the one distributor has many downfalls, but the sample packs can turn up some very pleasant surprises.
    As a seasoned team of drinkers, we rarely go for these multi-producer packs, preferring to buy our wines direct from the makers, but we do realise not everyone has the time to do this…

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