BOE 2006 Social Club Red

Bill Dowd photo

It seems almost unnecessary to state that the BOE wine label is not one of New York State's most widely known. The acronym stands for Brooklyn Oenology, a winery in the Williamsburg section of the borough that uses Long Island-grown grapes for its portfolio. It offers a Merlot, a Viognier, a Chardonnay and a variety of blends. This one one of the latter.

• BOE 2006 Social Club Red

This wide-ranging mix of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Syrah grapes -- exhausting just thinking about the juggling that must go on to get just an acceptable balance -- turns out to be a pleasingly successful blend.

The tartness of blackberry and tobacco notes is complemented by the stone fruit nuances -- plum and black cherry, predominantly, which helps it as a standalone wine. I also tried it as an accompaniment to a thick, spicy chili and it worked beautifully, with its Cab and Malbec lineage easily helping it handle the chili's touches of jalapeño, garlic, thyme and Himalayan salt.

Incidentally, BOE wines wear special artwork. Each style has a different label, original art created by artists living or working in Brooklyn.

Suggested retail price: About $14.99 for the 750ml bottle.

Go back to Dowd's Wine Notebook.

Kouros Patras

Bill Dowd photo

Greek wines don't immediately spring to my mind three-quarters of the year. But, when we get to the salad and grilled fish season, ahh, that's different. Here's a budget-conscious selection.

• 2006 Kouros Patras

My favorite Greek white wine has always been Kretikos, from the island of Crete which produces 20% of Greece's wine. Before it became more popular, I usually had to content myself with getting a crisp, chilled bottle in some place like Tarpon Springs, a Greek-settled fishing town just north of St. Petersburg, FL.

The blend of 70% Vilana and 30% other indigenous white grape varieties such as Thrapsathiri and Athiri was the perfect summer wine.

The 2006 Patras from the Kouros winery isn't quite in that class, but it's a perfectly serviceable expression of the rhoditis grape that grows in abundance in the Peloponnesian foothills of southern Greece.

Petras is a characteristic dry white, with a rich yellow color with green tints. Elements of lemon and apple immediately hit the palate. There's a brief but soft, rounded finish that makes this wine hold up to lightly-sauced poultry and seafood dishes.

Suggested retail price: About $10 for the 750ml bottle.

Go to Dowd's Wine Notebook.