After the disaster that was the Raucous Red, I had to save the evening and the dinner with a “sure thing”. Around our house that usually means something from Cameron Hughes. CH Wines are almost always consistent. Consistently good that is. Mrs. Barbarian is partial to Pinot Noir, so I grabbed a bottle of Lot 110, a 2007 Pinot Noir from the “Los Carneros” AVA, which straddles both Napa & Sonoma valleys in California.

As usual, Mr. Hughes delivered on his promise and provided an excellent value wine for about ten bucks. Mrs. Barbarian liked it, and so I was spared any more discordant screeching that night.

Thank you Mr. Hughes, I am forever in your debt.

A few nights ago I opened two bottles of Syrah. The first was one of our old standby’s, Cameron Hughes Lot 105 2004 Sonoma Mountain Syrah. I bought a case of this a while ago and we love it. Mrs. Barbarian and I enjoy this wine and have one likely twice a month. We have never NOT enjoyed it, and it is certainly a pleasing wine. Mrs. Barbarian likes syrah more than I do, and she has no complaints about Lot 105. It is a great value at $12 a bottle.

The second bottle is more than twice that price, at right around $30. Rarely do I spend that kind of money and frequently when I do I’m disappointed. Not so this time!

This is Chatter Creek 2003 Syrah from the Clifton Vineyard in Washington state. It literally blew away Mr. Hughes’ wine. This was a case where the price was justified by the product within the bottle. Especially when compared to the California Syrah (which, I’ll repeat, we LIKE), the Chatter Creek is truly awesome. Much richer flavor. Much more depth. As much as I love it when the low price wine meets or beats the higher priced one, in this case it did not happen.

I recommend both of these wines, but if the occasion warrants it, go with the Chatter Creek.

One of the primary things that attracted me to Mrs Barbarian when we first met was her natural frugality. To say that she is cheap is an understatement. That is a rare quality in a woman, so join that with a nice rack and I was sold. No fancy wedding – we eloped. No diamond rings – just a simple band. No closets filled with Imelda collections. The household finances are always in good shape. We each have our little pet extravagances, but those are not allowed to impinge on the Barbarian cashflow.

After my discovery of Cameron Hughes’ wines at Costco, I joined their Seasonal Red club, which delivers a mixed case, a sampler so to speak 4 times a year. This was several months ago, and we’ve received a couple of those mixed case since. However the end of 2008 brought financial turmoil to the entire globe, and Mrs. Barbarian declared some household belt-tightening. I’m a pretty cheap guy anyway, so no big deal there.

I came home from work one day to find the Mrs looking particularly barbaric as I opened the door. On the floor beside her was a case delivered by FedEx. A case of wine that is. “What is this?” she asked. Of course, she didn’t need to ask… plastered all over the box are large bright yellow stickers saying how the box contains alcohol and must be signed for by an adult, and the “Cameron Hughes Wine” label is kind of hard to miss. “I thought we were cutting back on spending” she said as she stormed off, leaving me to unpack it and put away the bottles.

What I love about CH Wines is their “upmarket wine” quality at “everyday wine” prices. Honestly these are almost always $40 bottles being sold for around ten bucks.

Within this mixed case were several samples of Lot 106, a Syrah from Sonoma County. Mrs. Barbarian likes Syrah, so it was the first one I pulled out of the box. I served it up with a pasta/pesto dinner, with some garlicy bread and broccoli. The Syrah is smooth and flavorful… not overpowering but holds up well amid the strong flavors present in the dinner. Mrs. Barbarian loves the wine… so much so that she pulls out a second bottle to open as dinner is coming to a close.

I’ll be in trouble again in 3 months when the next box comes… until I open a bottle that is. For now however, peace reigns in the Barbarian household.