2006 Parker Station Pinot Noir, California, $12.00 retail

I was out with the World’s Perfect Man a couple of weeks ago, and we ordered this bottle with dinner. We were out at one of the city’s old-school institutions (i.e. lots of taxidermy, highly polished dark oak paneling and tourists), where I ordered a steak salad (don’t judge me—it’s a good time of the year for vegetables) and he ordered a steak. Since I’m not a huge fan of typical steak house wines (read: over-oaked Cabs), we decided to go a little lighter. So, since there was no Merlot to speak of on the menu, Pinot is was! Even with the typical 150% restaurant markup, this bottle was still a good value. Nice earthy notes, though less than the typical—especially Oregonian—American Pinot Noir, with flavors of black cherry and plum. Nicely balanced acidity and alcohol, this is an excellent wine for food—it compliments and isn’t overbearing. The label notes didn’t lie— this is a good everyday Pinot Noir.