mtfester@netMAPSONscape.net wrote:
> Declan Murphy <declan_murphy@hotmail.com> wrote:
> 
>>> California's famous for Pinots and Zinfandels, but I prefer Cabs and
>>> especially Merlots.
> 
>> Any particular recommendations for Zinfandels or Merlot that would
>> probably be available in a high end retailer in Japan? I'm going into
>> Nagoya this Friday and thinking of snooping around a bit. The American
>> wines are becoming cheaper, but I don't know the brands or regions
>> well enough to want to risk stocking Zig Zag's cellar with them just
>> yet.
> 
> We actually have some very good cheap wines here; a "2 buck Chuck" won
> the Cal State Fair Wine competition (for the Chardonnay), but I suspect
> Japanese won't import too many $2 US wines :-)
> 
> I've always like Clos du Bois wines, especially Merlots and Cabs, but
> Zin' and Pinots are good too.
> 
> Here's a decent guide to some Merlots
> 
> http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/09/27/FDJL19P9CT.DTL
> 
> It's the SF Chronicle website, so if you search around, you'll find a lot
> more articles on wine archived. There's a link of the above page to some
> Zinfandel recommendations.

Anything from the "real" Mondavi wineries, particularly Zinfandels and 
Pinots.  Several years ago (2002? 2003?) the Mondavi family sold the 
family name and company to some "investment consortium" which promptly 
began turning out second-rate plonk at a price.  They sued and reached 
accord to take back the Robert Mondavi label and to have unrestricted 
rights to the high-end market.  I still think that the _true_ Robert 
Mondavi reds are some of the best on the planet, particularly anything 
Napa Valley and Zinfandel.  The "faux" stuff retails for circa Yen 
997~1,497 at Besia / Cainz Home and Besuto Rika (I /think/ Suntory is 
the importer) the real stuff starts at around Yen 3,500.  Check the 
labels carefully.