A Syrah and a Petite Sirah

Lots of good friends came over for my birthday the other night, and brought a wide variety of wine with them. I had purchased some wine for the evening as well so it gave us a chance to try several different types. Since I had never bothered to look into the relationship between Syrah and Petite Sirah I thought I would look and share what I find.

Syrah is a Rhone grape that is bottled as a single varietal (Hermitage and Cote-Rotie) in the Northern Rhone, and used in Rhone blends (Chateauneuf-de-Pape) in the South. It is characteristically bold, spicy, even meaty. Syrah has also had huge success in Southern Australia (known as Shiraz) and in California.

Petite sirah, sometimes spelled petite syrah, has a little bit of a convoluted past as to its origin. It has been in California since around 1880 but was never truly identified as its own varietal, a pseudonymn for small berried syrah, or just a field blend of several grape varietals. But DNA testing has shown that it is likely the same grape as durif, which is a cross between peloursin and syrah, and also from the Rhone region. So while syrah is the mother to petite sirah they are not clones. There are many petite sirah admirers though, who argue that it is the true American noble red grape.

The syrah we opened was Stephen Test Syrah Dry Creek Valley Unti Vineyard 2007. The wine is fermeneted with all native yeast in all used French oak to avoid imparting any oakiness to the syrah. It is gently fined, but left unfiltered for bottling. As the name implies it is sourced from a single vineyard in the Dry Creek Valley AVA in Sonoma. The wine was an opaque ruby color, and had a nose of sweet red cherries, berries, and some spices. The flavors were of licorice, dark red berries, and lots of pepper and spice. The tannins were fairly firm and the 14.7% abv showed in the finish with a little bit of heat. Wine Spectator gave the 2006 vintage 91 points. For me I will give it a 3. I rated this before I went to the Paso Roble Grand Tasting, and after some of the syrah I tasted there I feel that this rating holds true. It was good but seemed a little unbalanced, all spice and not enough of the elegance that I like to find in a well balanced syrah. I paid $18.95 at Chronicle Wine Cellars and only seem to find it available here from the winery itself for $24.

The petite sirah was Stonehedge Reserve Petite Syrah 2007. At 13.5% abv the wine was fruitier and softer on the palette. It had a dark red garnet color, with a nose of purple fruit, currants, and a touch of oak. The flavors were of ripe red plums, some earth that I would almost describe as mossy, and a little pepper. The finish was longer and softer than the syrah above. I enjoyed this wine more after it had been open for an hour or so, and both my score of 3.5 and the consensus among the group was that they preferred it to the Test syrah (caveat that this bottle was drunk later in the night at which point some may have liked everything better). This wine is widely available in Southern California at Trader Joe's locations for (I think) $9.95 and a good wine for the price.

Highlights from Paso Robles Grand Tasting in San Diego

I went to my first real wine event this week in San Diego, the Paso Robles Grand Tasting Tour. It consisted of around 40 wineries from the Paso Robles AVA pouring their wines and meeting people in an effort to reacquaint or introduce the trade and public to the huge number of wines that are coming out of this region. The event was organized as a walk around tasting and the wineries sent a wide variety of representation. There were pourers, sales reps, family members, and some of the winemakers themselves. It was an interesting experience for me and while I opted not to take real tasting notes I will offer a few standouts, followed by a few observations about my experience:


Standouts

• Anglim Winery 2007 Hastings Ranch Vineyard, Mourvedre. This wine had lots of white pepper spiciness, coffee, and some great earthy notes that just made it one of the more interesting wines to taste.


• Calcareous 2008 Twisted Sister, Chardonnay. I know that Paso is not a huge Chardonnay region but this wine was fruity and round, just creamy enough without being a big butter ball from too much oak or heavy handed malolactic fermentation. It was really just a pleasure to drink, and at a great price point ($25) for its quality.


• Sylvester Vineyards & Winery 2008 Kiara Reserve, Sauvignon Blanc. Soft with citrus and mineral notes, and a touch of that varietally appropriate grassiness, with a nice price tag ($15)


• Treana Red 2006, 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Syrah, from Hope Family Wines. Nice big dark fruit, plums, and some cherry followed by great spiciness from the Syrah made this $50 wine one of my favorites.


• Minassian-Young Vineyards White Rhonocerous 2008. This Viognier, Roussanne, Marsanne blend had lots of floral and honey aromas, and nice honey and melon tastes that were coupled with an interesting mineral feel mid-palette.
  

And my favorite overall wineries at this tasting were:

• Clavo Cellars - Winemaker Neil Roberts makes some small production wines that really reflect his committment to the fruit itself. He started as a grape grower and carried this experience into his philosophy in crafting his wines. The grapes come first, and it shows. These wines have real personality and stood out amongst the crowd. His 2005 Collusion, 57% Malbec, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Petit Verdot was spicy and smooth, and had a long distinct finish with some nice tight tannins. But his Syrah and Zinfanel single varietal bottlings were excellent as well. I highly recommend a visit to his website or if you are in Paso Robles to his tasting room to get a great sense of the greatness that can come out of Paso Robles.


• Calcareous I mentioned their Chardonnay above because it was my favorite Chardonnay that I tasted but their whole lineup of red wines was impressive as well. In particular I enjoyed the 2006 Meritage with its soft mouthfeel, bright red fruit flavors, and nice finish, and the Mourvedre single varietal bottling that he was sneaking tastes to (I don't even think they sell it). This winery is on the Westside of Paso Robles, and winemaker Lloyd Messer seems to really take his art seriously, but with a joy that is contagious when tasting his wines.

Alright, I'll finish off with a few observations about the event and my experience

• Spitting is messy, and while it is the responsible thing to do when I have to drive back to L.A. afterwards (and I did spit every sample) I need to learn how to do it without dying my chin, fingers, and everything in between bright purple. I can't imagine what I looked like about 2 hours in.
  
• There are people representing the wineries at these events who seriously don't understand blogs. I got completely ignored by a few people once they heard where I was from. One lady literally started taking phone calls and 'forgot' to pour while I was standing there. Others were just kind of oblivious with questions like, "Is that blog just available here locally?" Now there is TONS of debate within the wine blog world as to the reach, influence, and importance of blogs so it is no wonder that the farmers and winemakers themselves are still out of the loop, but in some cases I was surprised by people's reactions.


• My palette is not yet cut out for tasting upwards of 100 wines. I literally lost the ability to distinguish nuanced differences in the wines about halfway through. It really makes me question how the pros, those who sit in a sterile environment and give numbers to wine after wine all year long can do it. Now I recognize that they have much more refined palettes but it makes me think; I'm not surprised that their big scores go towards fruit forward big chewy tannin-y wines in general. Other nuances got lost on me really quickly and I can't imagine that this does not occur in constant sampling day after day. I could be wrong, but for me it reinforces that scores don't matter much.
• Finally, I learned more than ever before (because I have so infrequently tasted multiple wines right next to each other) that not all wines are created anywhere near equal. There were a lot of shitty wines at this event, several good ones, and a handful of great ones. The average consumer can not just know an AVA reputation, and what grapes they like and find a good bottle at the store. So my tiny little input of the day is that getting some of the over 140 producers from Paso Robles discussed in wine blogs DOES have an influence. Reading and tasting are truly the only way to cut through the overwhelming options you have as a consumer and have a better chance of finding something you like.
  

My tenderest twosome: Wine Blog Wednesday #66

Early on in my exploration of the wine blog world I discovered a monthly event called Wine Blog Wednesday. It seems to be an invention of blogger Lenn Thompson over at The New York Cork Report in which different wine bloggers host an event once a month and all participating bloggers write around a common theme. These posts are then consolidated by the host so readers can see the diversity of thoughts or ideas around this theme. It seems like a fun idea to me, so I am participating this month.

February is being hosted by The Domestic Goddess, a food oriented blog who has a similar monthly event called Sugar High Fridays. As the first combined event it only makes sense that the theme is pairing of dessert and wine. Many great meals run out of steam by the time dessert is reached and revert to coffee or a post-dessert liqueur. This is probably partly because pairing wine with a sugary dish can be difficult. You don't want the sugar in the dessert to make the wine taste only of acid, and you don't want the sugar in the wine (if a sweet wine is chosen) to overpower the dessert and make it taste bland. I suppose one could always stoop to the classic Port and really dark chocolate, but to me that is sort of a cave in.

That said I really have no experience to build on here. I needed some inspiration and didn't even know where to start. Fortunately the day I woke up knowing that I was going to bake a dessert and find a wine I looked outside and saw big billowing gray rain clouds. The day was in the mid-50s and showering off and on all day long. It reminded me of a typical early Spring day in Oregon where I grew up. For some reason this made me crave a connection to the Pacific Northwest and I fell upon my idea. I was going to create a warm, Washington apple dessert of some type - something slightly tart and acidic and not overly sweet, and pair it with a Late Harvest Reisling from Washington. The connection was just going to be their area of production, and an attempt to have the wine be sweeter than the dish. This was really all I had to go on.

I chose Granny Smith apples and a classic apple pie recipe that I had used before and found to be a little too light on the sweetener. While for a big Thanksgiving meal I was disappointed by the sweet factor I thought it might be really good with a sweet wine. I verified that the apples were grown in Washington and set to work. This is not a food focused blog, and while I really do enjoy cooking and baking lets just say the pie came out fine, but I struggle with pie crust.....

For the pairing I chose a Hogue Cellars Late Harvest Reisling Columbia Valley 2008. Hogue Cellars was founded in 1982 by Mike and Gary Hogue in the Columbia Valley, Washington. They produce 3 lines of wines Hogue, Genesis, and Reserve which are all sold as single varietal wines with one Cabernet/Merlot blend. The entry level Hogue wines offer many different varietals, while the upper end are limited to Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Winemakers Co Dinn, and Jordan Ferrier, both UC Davis graduates, have been with the winery for quite awhile now and have worked diligently to increase quality and production.

First, the wine - it was a very light straw yellow in the glass, had 11.7% abv, and was picked at 24.6 degrees brix (the sugar level in the fruit at the time of harvest). The nose was not particularly full of aroma but gave a sweet peach flavor and a distinct smell of wet, yeasty, bread dough (not entirely unpleasant though it sounds.) On the palette the wine tasted of a sweet lemonade, and ripe peaches. It had a mineral element that was nice but a short finish, and not a particularly strong sense of body or balance. The wine, as a stand alone got a 2.5. It cost me all of $6.99 and is widely available for between $7 and $12.

The pie is harder to judge because I made it. I will be honest if not self critical and say that it looked like a hot mess. I can not create a smooth, pretty, pie crust to save my life. I'm almost embarrassed to show the picture. But the recipe called for the creation of a gooey, apple juice concentrate and dark rum sauce prior to baking that coated large slices of apple. The sauce only had about 1/2 cup unpacked brown sugar in it and relied heavily on the sugars from the fruit itself. The filling actually came out very tasty, with some tooth still to the apples and a nice level of acidity.

Now for an analysis of the pairing, the whole point of this experiment. It was.....alright. The flavors did not clash, but did not enhance. The pie was sweet enough that the mineral notes in the Reisling were strongly framed by the combination, actually slightly destracting from some of the pleasentries of the wine. However, if this is an appropriate judgement, I would have been okay serving this to friends at a dinner party. Overall the pairing had its own inspiration (never to be confused with knowledge or experience) and was a fun and tasty dessert experience.

Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2009

Every year on the 3rd Thursday in November huge marketing campaigns herald the release of the Beaujolais Nouveau from the current vintage. This includes parties and dinners in all the major markets (big ones in the U.S. include New York, Miami, and Las Vegas most recently). Beaujolais is a French wine (both the wine and region are called by the name) and the wine is strictly controlled, so while it can contain up to 15% Chardonnay, it is traditionally 100% Gamay Noir. Nearly 1/3 of the Beaujolais grown grapes are produced as Beaujolais Nouveau the very young wine that is simply fermented for a couple of weeks, bottled, and sold. Beaujolais Nouveau is designed to be a light, easy-drinking, fruity wine, but also a marketing technique to give an early indication as to the quality of the vintage. It is often noted that Beaujolais is the only white wine that is actually red.

Georges Duboeuf is the largest producer in Beaujolais, controlling nearly 10% of the region's entire production. He has actually been credited with terming the early release of these wine Beaujolais Nouveau (although this has been a practice in Lyon and Paris for over a hundred years). He is known to provide Cru, Villages, and Nouveau wines at a very consistent and high quality level.

The 2009 release was heralded by Wine Spectator, and by Duboeuf himself as being indicative of an outstanding vintage for Beaujolais in 2009. While time will tell once the vintage is released, I can say that the 2009 George Deboeuf Beajuolais Nouveau was certainly a fun wine to try. The wine is meant to be drunk young and should probably be consumed within the year it was released. We drank it over a couple of nights, and the open bottle held up just fine with little variation over time. The wine was 12.5% abv, and quite dark garnet red in the glass. It had very fruity nose, with a strong sense of red table grapes, or almost dark Concord grape juice. There were also some more subtle fruit aromas of apple and strawberry. The wine tasted of cherries, a little banana, and some strong grape juice flavors. The wine did taste young and light and had some drying tannin affect on the finish. It was certainly not a complex wine but both D and I said that it was a really fun wine to drink. We drank it chilled, as suggested, which seemed to emphasize the fruit. Overall the wine was good, not remarkable wine, but at $5.95 (our price, available widely for $6-$10) it is easy to recommend. It was a wine that made me smile, and gets an easy 3 out of 5.

The Old Debate: Nature vs. Nurture

I have been trying to understand why people can become so obsessed with bottles of fermented grape juice. Besides the facts that it is an intoxicating beverage that can make you feel good, the joy of the smells and tastes and how it enhances food, and the social history of sharing wine with people that you love, there is something to it. If we are honest coffee, tea, and beer can be shared, has various bouquets and palette profiles, and can be paired well with food (although arguably not at the same level). And while there are coffee, tea, beer, and probably even soda enthusiasts in this world who dedicate their lives to these things they are not quite as prolific as wine people, and it is certainly not quite the industry and culture that wine is worldwide. (I know some people will disagree with me on beer culture, but I still argue that it is different.) So what is it, what makes wine so alluring, so intriguing, and so consuming?


There is a underlying debate/concept/discussion involved in the production of wine that gives me a glimpse into why we can be mesmerized by the drink. There exists a conflicting philosophy on what makes each individual wine what it is. There are those that are strict terroirists; people who believe that the ultimate product is a direct result of the influences of the environment in which the grapes were grown. They believe the soil, the weather, the struggle between vines for resources, these are the things that influence the wine beyond any human intervention and make the wine what it is. Then there are strict varietalists who believe that the wine will, and should be, a nuanced expression of the variety of grape itself. They approach the wine making process as a mandate on the winemaker to pull out the desirable components of the said grape varietal and use their influence to enhance it to be the best version it can be. The majority of people, and winemakers, fall somewhere in between these two extremes with recognition of both influences.


The minute I began to think about these approaches to wine I realized that this is really just a boiled down version of the old nature versus nurture debate. Is who we are as people really defined by our genetics, experience in the womb, chemical reactions in our brain, and things that are beyond our control? Do we grow up to display primarily the traits of what has happened to us? Or are we predisposed to certain characteristics but much more reflective of our life experiences? Is our personality primarily a reflection of our interactions with people, be it our parents, our church, or ourselves? What influence do we have over the environmental factors that were put upon us, and to what degree can we overcome these?


While I do not claim for these thoughts to be profound, or to have clearly discovered the 'why' of human's obsession with a cup of grape juice I do think that it is indicative of the life long fascination with this stuff. Most of us fall somewhere in the middle on the nature versus nurture debate. When we approach people we give them some grace for their background and upbringing and then also expect that they will work to develop appropriate behaviors and skills as adults, like the rest of the world. But we also fall on pretty different sides when we approach things like religion, politics, and other things that I will steer very clear of on this blog. But it is things like, are people basically good or evil from birth? Are the parents to be held responsible for kid's successes or failures? Should the guy in prison be given some leeway if he was raised in an abusive home?


We ask some of the same questions when we obsess over a specific bottle of wine. We talk about the terroir of the Willamette Valley being perfect for the frail and fickle Pinot Noir grape, but also about the winemakers imploying more Burgundian techniques. So which is it that is propelling Oregon Pinot Noir into such acclaimed status? Was the late spring freeze responsible for the bad vintage, or did the winemaker use too heavy a hand and let the alcohol get way to high? I don't want to overstate the issue. I personally love to talk about, learn about, taste, and share wine. It enhances my life and is a part of a lot of my celebrations and other memorable moments. But I don't really find it to be of much importance in the big picture. I do nonetheless think that for those who have the bug it can stir our souls to find the interplay between terroir and the winemakers hand in each glass or taste of wine. And I think this is in part because it represents, in a couple of ounces, our own doctorine on how we view and feel about the world at large.

Foray into Chardonnay - Laetitia Estate Chardonnay 2007

Oh Chardonnay, the ever important green skinned grape that many new grape growing regions use to break into legitimacy. It is so prolific and present that I have witnessed friends use the name interchangeably with the term 'white wine.' Chardonnay is a major player in Champagne, the only player in Chablis, and obviously in.....California Chardonnays. But Chardonnay grows quite easily and doesn't necessarily exhibit as strong of varietal tendencies as other grapes. So it lent itself to a little bit of a trend here in California. For years the market seemed to be calling for really oaky, buttery Chards. For whatever reason this was fashionable, and sold well. While there are many principaled winemakers who cared more about balance, wineries generally exist to make money. So here in California we got Toasted Wood Chip dipped in Land O' Lakes in the glass for the ladies who lunch.

Good news - the pendelum swings back the other way eventually and this tendency to over oak has fallen out of f(l)avor. Now terroir, that elusive taste of the area in which the grapes are grown, is much more fashionable. You can instantly become a wine snob if you talk about how you detest oak bombs and love Chardonnays that exhibit the minerals of Santa Barbara County. However, snobbery aside Chardonnays that do not exhibit the heavy hand of the winemaker can be delicious and remind me why Chardonnay is such a prolific grape in the first place.

So for my first Chardonnay review I picked a inexpensive non-oaky Laetitia Estate Chardonnay 2007. Laetitia is located just on Highway 101 in the Arroyo Grande Valley. I have driven past dozens of times and seen the tour buses and big flags that remind me of a model home viewing for a new development. But I think my impression was wrong. The 2007 Chardonnay was actually chosen by Wall Street Journal as one of their 12 best wine buys of 2009. The wine is available for $18 from the winery and widely available for even less here.

The wine is 14.1% abv and a very golden yellow color. The wine was served to me a little too cold but had nice aromas of lime and orange. As the wine warmed the nose became more tropical. The wine was quite fruity with flavors of pineapple, stairfruit, and some muskier melon flavors. There was a nice creaminess and weight in the mouth. I enjoyed this wine and would give it a 3.5. At the prices available online I would recommend this wine. I drank it with scallops in a cream sauce and it paired beautifully. This Chardonnay whet my appetite for more!!!

A Visit to Tablas Creek

I spent the weekend in Morro Bay, California and based on multiple online recommendations visited Tablas Creek Vineyard in Paso Robles for a tour and tasting. It was a beautiful day, reaching nearly 70 degrees in mid-afternoon and the Paso Robles area was crowded. Tablas Creek Vineyard is on the west side of the Paso Robles AVA and produces acclaimed Rhône blends and single varietal wines. The vineyard is a joint venture between Robert Haas of Vineyard Brands, and the Perrin family of Château de Beaucastel. These business partners, and friends, knew that California could provide a great climate to produce their Châteauneuf-du-Pape style wines here in the New World, and chose this limestone filled 120 acre site in 1989.

The tour was educational for me, a newbie to all of this. The guide spoke about how all of the vines were imported from the Château de Beaucastel property, and held in quarantine for 3 years. They then grafted them on to root stock and have planted 100% of their grapes on these imported vines. For several years they even set up a full scale operation selling these vines commercially, but have since outsourced that operation to Novavine, a grape propogation and vine retailer in Sonoma.

The vineyard, even in winter, was very peaceful and beautiful. The work this time of year is primarily pruning and removing the dead vines. We visited the vineyards, grafting greenhouses, crush pad, and barrel rooms where we did our tasting. Tablas Creek has a strong philosophical bent towards their wine production; they set out to grow the grapes and let the grapes speak for themselves. They choose a very rocky, limestoney location to try and emulate the struggle that they believe adds characters to their wines in France. They dry farm as much as possible and are a Certified Organic location. During fermentation they do not innoculate with any outside strains of yeast and let the wine take as long as it takes to come to the desired alcohol levels. They also age the juice from various microclimates within the vineyard separately and are meticulous about their blending process when it comes time. I highly recommend taking the time to go on the tour and learn about their philosophy and winemaking if you visit Tablas Creek. The experience really set the stage for the tasting with some insight and background that made the tasting that much more fun. It did not in anyway come across as a sales pitch. It really felt like a representation of how this is a venture that set out with a single vision and has pursued that vision with a high level of success due directly to their determination and unwavering focus.

After the tour we tasted our way through 8 of their wines. First up was the Côtes de Tablas Blanc 2008. This wine is 42% Viognier, 26% Rousanne, 21% Marsanne, and 11% Grenache Blanc. The wine has 13.5% abv, a nose of peach and shortbread biscuit, and has great white peach and almond flavors. The wine is wonderfully balanced and feels very soft in the mouth. It has a short but crisp finish and would make a great hot day sipper. This wine gets a 4 and at $25 I would certainly buy this as a treat for a summer gathering with friends.

Next, the Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc 2007. This is their signature white, with 68% Rousanne, 22% Grenache Blanc, and 10% Picpoul Blanc. This wine had more of a rose and apple nose to it, was also 13.5% abv, and from the Rousanne had a honey, nutty, more medium body on the palette. The wines weight almost coated the mouth, and while I would say it was not a fruity wine, more floral, it finished nicely and is obviously a quality white wine. I liked the Cotes de Tablas Blanc better however, and I would give this wine a 3.5. At $40 I personally would say this wine is not a great value.

The Rosé 2008 is 58% Mourvèdre, 32% Grenache Noir, and 10% Counoise. The nose is wonderfully full of red raspberry, pink lemonade, and even some darker smells of currant. The wine starts with a very fresh watermelon taste, and has some greener flavors of apple towards the middle. This wine has a longer finish than their whites, and was a pleasure to taste. I would give this wine a 3.5 but at $27 find it to be a mid-value and think there are less expensive Rosés that I personally will spend my money on.

The Côtes de Tablas 2008 is Tablas red table wine blend, at 42% Grenache Noir, 21% Syrah, 25% Counoise, and 17% Mourvèdre. This wine, at 14.5% abv had a big nose of red jam fruit and baking spices, maybe some nutmeg. The taste also had some red fruits, a slight black pepper. The wine was of medium weight, fairly simple but tasty. There was a slight alcohol hit on the finish. I would also give this wine a 3.5 and for $25 I would splurge on this bottle for a nice meal of pork chops or veal.

Next were the flagship wines for Tablas, done in a small vertical, the 2006 and 2007 Esprit de Beaucastel. In 2006 the wine was 45% Mourvèdre, 28% Grenache Noir, 22% Syrah, and 5% Counoise. This wine was recently listed in Wine Spectators Top 100 wines of 2009. It has a very bright red fruity nose, with honey and floral notes to it. The wine has a darker jammy prune taste, with a little stone and while the tannins are pretty drying in this wine it seems supremely balanced with a long finish. This wine will instantly show you what to look for in a wine that can be cellared and will improve over the long term. The 2007 is very similar with
44% Mourvèdre, 29% Grenache Noir, 21% Syrah, and 6% Counoise. This wine has a similar nose and taste but has a little bit more of a musty, earthy, almost barnyard component to it. The 2007 is heavier in the mouth and gives me a bit of red apple skins on the mid-palette. Both of these wines are retailing from the winery at $50. The 2007 got a 95-97 from Robert Parker and I'm sure this is part of the justification for the high price. However, they were lovely wines and I would rate them both at a 4.5. Again the value here is really a personal choice. This is a wine that I would buy and cellar for a very special occassion, and I don't think you are going to find a higher quality wine in Paso Robles (I say with slight reservation as I am nowhere near tasting my way through the region).

Because it was a passport weekend we also tasted the Bergeron 2008 which is a 100% Roussanne wine. This wine had a smaller nose of honeysuckle, and a refreshing honey and cantaloupe flavor. This was a very different white wine for me, and not my favorite. I would personally give it a 3 as it seemed uninspired in contrast to Tablas other wines, and at $24.30 I would not personally even consider buying the bottle. And finally was the Tannat 2007. This is the only non-Rhône varietal grape that Tablas bottles, and at 85% Tannat, and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon it is a ripper. It has a wonderful nose of raisins, and a big mouth full of leather, stewed plums, and mouth puckering tannins. The finish is long and full and I think this wine will drink for at least 15 years, but really is suprisingly approachable now. I loved this wine. It may have been my favorite of the day, and I would give it a 4.5 At $31.50 I did buy this wine, again for a special occassion.

Wow, that was a long one but I have to commend Tablas Creek as a very worthwhile visit and example of what I feel a winery and tasting experience should be. They have a great website from where you can purchase these wines (and while there check out their great blog). Thanks also to my guide and pourer Tedde who took all the time in the world with me, and made the experience very relaxed.

Don't Copyright Your Italian Wine Video Blogcasts

Just a quick comment on a story I saw come across my RSS feed this morning that I thought was interesting. It looks like Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi is having his administration draft a policy to review all video content that will be posted to the web. While it appears that this is to avoid pornographic material, material that will threaten national security, and monitor copyright infringements it will inevitably cause such a delay and beaurocratic process that inovation and advancement of social media will be severly stiffled. I am not always a proponent of the 'slippery slope' theories that are espoused against such government intervention, but can you imagine if someone like Gary V at Wine Library TV had to get approval from some review board in Washington before posting his videos each day?

This seems so incredibly short-sighted and while it has much wider consequences for the Italian people then just its potential impact on the Italian domestic wine industry, it will be a interesting, and probably sad, experiment to watch from afar. My exposure to social media has been quite short, and very focused on a specific segment. That does not stop me from recognizing the social, economic, and political changes that are inherent for society in light of the way the Internet is developing. To have your government choose to stop that progress is really unfortunate, and I hope the people stand up against this move.

Two Very Different Rosés

One of the first persons to show interest in my blog (and one of my favorite friends as well), Sarah, asked me to find a rosé for her to taste. Little did I know that rosés are not necessarily a 'February' wine. I don't know why, we have collectively manufactured a holiday in February that combines coerced expressions of love with all things red, pink, angely, or rosey so in my mind a great tasting rosé could only make Valentine's Day better. But two shops that I stopped at commented that they really don't have much choice this time of year but will be getting them in as summertime approaches. However, what they did have they gave to me for VERY cheap, so I was able to throw together a dinner for Sarah and her husband.

We had Julia Child's versions of Potato Au Gratin and Roasted Chicken, and cracked open both bottles. Sarah really just wanted a taste, so it was up to D, Sarah's husband, and myself to actually drink the wine. First up was Marqués de Cáceres 2006 Rioja Rosé. This wine was 13.5% abv, and was a very pale red, with an orange hue. The wine smelled faintly of strawberry and raspberry, but overall had a very small nose. It tasted of apple and pear but quickly gave way to a mouthful of tin. We literally all took two sips, and while Sarah tried to be nice we dumped our glasses and the bottle. It was undrinkable. In all fairness this wine might have been good in the summer of 2008, but for now I give it a 1 and won't even look online to see if it is available for you. The color of the wine almost makes me believe that it sat in a ray of sunshine for a couple months somewhere along the way.

So we moved on to a bottle of Terza Volta Malbec Rosé 2006. This wine has very little said about it online, except for a short story about the winemaker here indicating that he has risen through the Mendoza, Argentina wine world begining as a bottle washer, via administration and accounting finally owning his own winery, Bodega Terza. A nice story, if it is accurate, but I would like to know a little bit more about the winery and the wine personally. The wine was a bright yet translucent red in the glass. It was actually quite pretty and distinct. The color gave hints to the very strong and sweet aromas of ripe strawberries, caramel, and bits of peach and bubble gum. In the mouth it was medium bodied and tasted like strawberries and even blueberries. The finish was medium length but the wine was balanced and refreshing. I would say that everyone really enjoyed this wine. It was a rather big wine for a rosé, and not particularly a wine that would lead me to think of summer and a 'porch sipper' like I have heard many rosés do. But it was very nice to drink with a roast chicken. I would rate the wine as a 3, and although I can not find where it may be available if you happen across it I would recommend it. Additionally I would say as the weather gets warmer you should try a Malbec rosé from Mendoza in general. As seen in this dinner, no two wines are going to drink the same, but there is something fun about a bright red, fruity, tasty, and refreshing rosé and the Malbec has a good chance to deliver.

Thanks again to Sarah for insisting on getting these wines, and sorry that I snickered when you asked if since you could smell strawberry the winemaker had put strawberries into the wine.....

Another Shot at a Barossa Valley Shiraz

After a very long meeting the other night my co-workers and I hit up the bar in the lobby of the Hilton Sacramento Arden West. While business hotel bars are not necessarily known for their extraordinary wine lists I did see something on the list that got me excited. And it didn't get me excited because it was rare, or high end. It got me excited because after tasting the Rolf-Binder Shiraz/Grenache blend at The Must I promised myself I would try another Southern Australia Shiraz. So when I saw Jacob's Creek Reserve Shiraz 2006 on the list I had to try it. But there was another thought going through my mind on why I had to try it. I have been trying to figure out ways to develop my palette, and to better understand concepts when I taste like tannins, acidity, balance, body, and finish. I understand these things from a 'book' sense but I want to make sure that I am correctly identifying these components as I eventually aspire to be a resource for novice wine drinkers. I want to be someone who people trust and feel confident that once they reconcile their likes to mine they can take my advice and enjoy what I have tested. One way to do this cheap and fun (and I'm nothing if not cheap and fun) is to taste wines that other bloggers have recently tasted. I note that they have tasted the wines, but then do not closely review their notes and conclusions until after I taste and take notes. I then compare and see if we are tasting and experiencing similar things. One big caveat: I strongly believe that experiencing and enjoying wine is all about one's own perceptions and likes. I don't have any expectation that we will smell, taste, and like exactly the same things. But it is a way to grow your confidence in understanding the structure of the wines you are tasting.


My notes on the Jacob's Creek Reserve Shiraz 2006 - it was a dark garnet color in the glass, and is 14% abv. I got dark fruit flavors, and some plum on the nose. The wine was very fruity, mostly black plums with some peppery, spicy notes towards the end. Like the other Shiraz I tasted the finish was long and a little bit hot. However I found this wine to actually have a better balance, and a tastier finish than the Rolf-Binder.


Now let me go into the blogosphere and compare my experience with some other bloggers that I trust. Benito at Benito's Wine Reviews had a dinner party with some Jacob's Creek wines a couple of weeks ago. Of the Reserve Shiraz, he also tasted plum and pepper, but found the finish to be shorter than I did. He compared it to the Jacob's Creek Cabernet Sauvignon and found that his guests preferred the Shiraz.


Kori at Wine Peeps chose this wine as A Wine for Tonight, a feature at Wine Peeps that suggests a good wine under $15 and widely available. Kori also got black fruit and black pepper on the nose, with black fruit, particularly plum and a well balanced long finish.


This exercise actually boosted my confidence. I think people should smell whatever they smell, and enjoy whatever they enjoy. But it is interesting as you are begining to see if you can pick out what others, those with more experience and a more developed palette, are smelling and tasting.


Final words on the Shiraz. I paid $8 for a glass, but that premium can be expected at a hotel bar. It is widely available for between $8 and $15. I would rate it at a 3, and say for the price, and the true expression of a Barossa Valley Shiraz it is a good buy. You should drink it with red meat, as it would over power more delicate meals.

An 'Aha' Moment with Napa Cab

Living in California the idea of Napa Valley certainly has a conotation for me. Full disclaimer, I have been to Napa Valley, and it was a fairly recent trip, coinciding incidentally with my determination to better understand wine. But in general when you hear someone say something like 'We went to Napa for the weekend' or 'Yes, of course I've ridden in a hot air balloon, in Napa' you can inevitably further conclude the person's income level, what neighborhoods they most likely live in, and whether or not they employ a gardener.


This is not always true, but Napa Valley has quite a reputation, and probably a well deserved one. In 1976 during the Judgement of Paris both Stag's Leap Wine Cellars and Chateau Montelena helped to catapult New World (essentially non-European) wines into full acceptance. With this success, incredible beauty, proximity to the booming Bay Area, and very smart and determined marketing Napa Valley has become a very important wine destination. So forgive the place if it comes across as 'aware' of its own importance. In fact, it is probably less the Valley itself, and more about the expectations of the visitors, that give Napa its snobby reputation. I mean most of the people who actually live there are farmers, or other people who care primarily about dirt and plants....


That said, on my recent trip to Napa I had a very nice experience. I ate great food at Bottega and visited Alpha Omega. At the time I was not blogging, so I do not have any notes or reviews on either of those stops. What I did bring home with me was an intense desire to understand what I was experiencing. So while Napa may be a bit stuffy and unapproachable, it has been instrumental in several movements; America as a serious wine producing country, California Cabernet Sauvignon cults, and not the least of which - The Vino File.


A great friend recently brought two Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon's to dinner. We were at Michael Mina's XIV in West Hollywood. The restaurant had a great, very French focused, wine list, and even better food. The concept is to have 8, 11, or 14 small bites over a couple of hours in a beautiful dining room, so it is difficult to match a wine to the food. We opted to enjoy her Napa Cabs, that were probably getting a little long in the tooth, for a mere $35 corkage fee. This seems high, I know, but there were very few wines under $50 on the list anyway.


First up was a V. Sattui Preston Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1994. This family owned winery has had its vineyards since 1885, and is smack dab in the middle of Napa Valley, right in St. Helena. They produce 4 single vineyard Cabernets each year, and up to 7 vineyard designated Zinfandels.


The wine was a ruby red color, with cherry, white pepper, and some stone on the nose. It was not particularly fruity indicating to me that this wine was possibly aged a little too long and had deteriorated from its peak. I have learned that a high quality wine, with aging potential, generally has great balance and flavor, but high tannins when it is young. As it ages those tannins soften, but so does some of the intensity of flavors. At some point the balance between the all of these elements is at its best. For most Napa Valley Cabernets from great vintages this is somewhere between 10 and 15 years (just a guide, not a prescription). And while 1994 was considered to be a great vintage 16 years might have been a little long on this bottle. The wine had a subtle red fruit flavor, but it was the texture and weight that absolutely blew my mind. The wine felt incredibly soft in my mouth, and almost like it coated the inside of my mouth with a fine film, reminescent of cream or butter (but not with the flavor of butter). Then, after 16 years, the tannins (that strident drying effect that wines and black tea often have) were meltingly smooth. The wine had a finish that lasted for at least a minute and half, and it tasted and felt great. So even if slightly past its prime this wine was possibly the best I have yet tasted. I would give this wine a solid 4.5, and for current vintages at $45 I would grab them and put them aside.


Next up was a Paradigm Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1999. This wine was more of a rose color, with darker fruit and cassis in the aroma. This wine's bouquet was so pleasant, and just enough stronger than the previous wine, that I probably sat with my nose in the glass for a good couple of minutes. Paradigm is a small producer in Oakville, who sells a majority of their fruit but keeps some of the better grapes to produce about 5000 total cases of Cab, Merlot, Zinfandel, and Cabernet Franc (the grapes of Bordeaux), each as single varietal bottlings. The wine did taste slightly younger with more of a black fruit or plum, followed by blackberry, and some peppery spice. The wine had a nice full body with a shorter finish than the V. Sattui, but still delicious. I would give this wine a 4, and with older vintages available in the $65 range (here's a sampling of 2002) and the newest release also at $62 it is really up to you. If you are a Napa Cabernet fan who often spends over $50 per bottle then go for it. This is a very tasty wine. For me, while I thoroughly enjoyed it and am very greatful to my friend for providing these lovely wines, there is just too much more to try in the $30 and under category.


So, I skeptically approached the high end Napa market (middle market maybe?), and they impressed me. I understand their allure. But they didn't necessarily win. I guess in the end I will always gladly drink someone else's expensive wine and enjoy it, but in my education I will probably stick to greater diversity at a lower price.

Book Review: Windows on the World Complete Wine Course

In an effort to further educate myself I went to my local public library and looked through their wine books. I have to admit that I was sitting in my pajamas, on Amazon, and seriously considered buying a few books just to avoid having to shower before 9 a.m. (only on Saturdays, I promise I am ALWAYS at work on time), but then my desire to have the books today took over and I went. I haven't been to the library since I was in grad school, and it felt great. There was a part of me that had forgotten that places where you could take what you want for free exist.

I picked up a couple of books, but was most excited to find Windows on the World Complete Wine Course: 2006 edition, by Kevin Zraly. This book has now been published for over 25 years, and was crafted as the textbook used by Mr. Zraly in his Windows on the World wine classes at the famous World Trade Center restaurant of the same name. The book is broken down into eight chapters working through whites, reds, and then Champagne, Sherry, and Port. It primarily focuses on France, Germany, and the US, but has been updated over the last 10 years to include mentions of Italy, Spain, Australia, Chile, and Argentina.

I read this book from cover to cover in the first day, partly because it is pretty easy reading, but mostly because it provided a lot of information that I have had questions about. Zraly does not spend too long on any one topic (there just isn't room in his book) but gives such a thorough overview of what information is available to a consumer when choosing a wine that I really felt more educated when I was through. He speaks briefly about varietals, tasting, and trends in winemaking, but focuses on making us, as consumers, aware of the areas, and producers that we should look for. His goal is to make the reader feel more confident when purusing a wine shelf, or wine list at a restaurant. I certainly now understand at a VERY basic level the regions in France, what grapes are grown where, the differences between Village wines, Grand Crus, and Premier Crus. I can even explain to you now what was meant by 'a poor man's Chablis.' I understand what grapes grow in Bordeaux, versus Burgundy, versus the Rhone Valley, and even how the blends might differ between a Left Bank wine from Medoc, versus a Right Bank wine from St. Emilion. (Left bank tends to be dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, and Right Bank by Merlot, but you would know that if you read the book).

My criticisms are that France and the US are not all that I am interested in, and this book is very focused on France. Interestingly I went to a nice French restaurant a couple days after finishing the book and had a MUCH greater understanding of the wine list. The next day I went to a wine shop in Silver Lake where many Austrian, Spanish, and Italian wines were displayed and felt like I really had no idea at all. So the content is fairly focused. Also, he does occassionally dive deep into lists of French shippers, or the Premiere Cru vineyards in each region. While this might be helpful if I later begin to order wine and have the book next to me as a reference, I probably will not spend any energy memorizing 'Chateau-Ducru-Beaucaillou, in St. Julien is a Deuxiemes Crus per the 1855 Clasification of the Great Red Wines of Bordeaux' on the off chance that I will see this wine on a list somewhere. There are a few names that will stand out, but those names (like Jadot, Chateau Latour, Rothschild) are probably names that I will not afford or drink with any type of regularity, and was vaguely familiar with pre-Zraly.

The language and pacing of the book makes for an easy read, and he has filled the margins with some very interesting and complimentary short facts and quotes that make the book fun to read. Overall I highly recommend this book for someone who feels overwhelmed, as I do, about all there is to learn. When finished, I began reading a few books that take my basic wine knowledge more for granted and certainly felt comfortable with the terms and assumptions, based solely on this book.

You can order the latest version here, or do as the Vino File suggests and visit your library.

What a Steal

I really can't stress the importance of finding a wine shop (or two) and building a relationship with the employees. This little treat would never have caught my eye, or given me a reason to take a look. A Sauvignon Blanc, from Mendoza, Argentina, wrapped in paper and priced at $4.95 just might not have called to me. But the good man at Chronicle Wine Cellars insisted I give it a try, calling it a 'poor man's Chablis' (Don't worry, I had no idea what he meant at the time, as I had heard the term Chablis but had no clue what that was). But since I'm open to learning, and it was only going to cost me 5 bucks I went with it.

What he sold me was the Kaleido Familia Mayol 2006 Sauvignon Blanc. This small, family operation is located in the main viticulture area of Mendoza, and is truly a family operation. It seems they produce primarily Malbec (surprise) and a little Bonarda, Pinot Noir, and Sauvignon Blanc as well. You can get the 2008, single vineyard Sauvignon Blanc from this winery here.

The wine was 12.8% abv, a very light straw color and had pear, apple, and honeydew melon on the nose. The wine had a very bright, citrusy taste with a little bit of a green vegetable taste and a nice balanced finish.

Lesson of the day: find a wine shop where you feel comfortable to ask questions. It is a good sign if they guide you towards things they think you will enjoy, regardless of price. Then take a few minutes to learn a little something about each wine you drink. Either look into the grape, the winemaker, the vineyard, any little aspect. I can not begin to tell you how fun this has been so far, and how much I have learned. Despite the reputation for wine being a pretentious and expensive culture I really have not found it to be that way so far. This little $4.95 wine gets a solid 3, and really made my day.

Happy Hour at The Must Bar

D and I went downtown to try a little wine bar that had a cool website, The Must Bar. The space is dark, but comfortable, and almost has more of a pub feel then a typical wine bar. I say that because most wine bars I have visited either have a very sleek, modern feel or a Napa or Tuscan homey feel. I really don't have a preference, but just saying that The Must has a relaxed and fun atmosphere.

The place wasn't too crowded, but it was 5 p.m. on a Saturday. They have a pretty wide selection of wines available, all by the glass or bottle. I read recently that the spread of 'wines by the glass' is one of the best things that has happened for those of us who want to try a lot of different wines, without breaking the bank. While I agree I think that there are things that you have to look out for. First, the wines by the glass are going to inevitably be priced with the fact in mind that if the bottle does not sell out (usually between 4 and 6 'by the glass' servings) then it will go bad in a couple of days. Depending on the establishments diligence in preserving open bottles, this could be as few as two days. So if they have 45 different offerings, it is inevitable that during slow weekdays they will not sell the whole bottle. So, wines by the glass are going to have a premium. However, according to CNN Money last week, trying wine at restaurants is a losing financial proposition anyway. I just accept the fact that I'm paying for the experience as well. The other factor is that you may not get a well stored, well preserved glass of wine.

We tried a variety of their happy hour appetizer, comfort food type snacks and they were great (I think we had tater tots, a warm Bavarian style pretzel w/ mustard, and mac and cheese). D ordered a locally brewed Pilsner that was very light and refreshing, and I order a glass of Rolf Binder Shiraz/Grenache. There was no vintage or vineyard designation listed, and I know now, having read about Rolf Binder online, that there is a wide variety in his wine offerings in both price, and quality. This Southern Australian Shiraz had the typical big fruit nose, very deep garnet purple color, with some licorice and spice. The taste had a lot of dark fruit flavors, but at 14.5% abv this quickly gave way to what I can only describe as a 'hot' finish. For me it was like the alcohol and tannins were overpowering. It really was not particularly tasty to me and honestly I did not even finish the glass. At $6 a glass I am assuming this is his entry-level Halliwell brand which seems to retail for around $20 a bottle. So while the happy hour pricing was really not bad, I would give this wine a 2 rating and not recommend it.

On an upside I would highly recommend The Must as a fun, relaxed wine bar with good food (we had the Fluffernutter dessert sandwhich, and left VERY happy about it), and a nice list of some intriguing wines. I will definitely go back and try some other offerings, I might just swing away from whatever they have decided to put on special. Actually come to think of it, the Rolf Binder was not even on their regular wine list, which may have been a clue to stay away. As a final side note, I have already picked up another Barossa Valley Australia Shiraz to taste soon and see if maybe I just don't like this style of wine, or if it really was an unbalanced, 'hot' glass of wine.

Smells Like Cat Pee, and Other Early Experiences

I was taken aback when the guy at the wine store suggested a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc with the compliment "You won't get any cat pee from the bouquet on this one."

So, trying to be nice (but actually being naive) I said, "Oh, so they can develop a sort of amonnia smell?"

He looked up and to the left and replied, "No, more of a litter box type of smell."

Then as I began to surf through more information on the web, and check out books (and taste a rather low-end Sauvignon Blanc) I realized that he was not joking. I have seen several references to cat pee in the nose of a Sauvignon Blanc, and not always as a huge flaw. It is usually noted that this is due to the fruit not getting enough sun, because the leaf canopy of the vine is not trimmed away from the bunch. So while it is not necessarily a desirable smell, it is not a show stopper in all cases either (based on some reviews I have been reading).

What? How can a flutter of animal urine be an acceptable description of a glass of liquid that you are supposed to enjoy?

I think this was my first realization that in order to really dive into the culture around wine I have to be ready to be a little bit geeky. Not that I'm not a geek about other areas of interest, or in my wardrobe choices, or in my admiration for a good alien movie. But as in any burgeoning passion, people go a little bit out there in their pursuit of understanding wine. And that really seems to be part of the fun. A taste of wine has so many influences on it from vine to glass that make every single one unique. And it is those differences that make it fun, that make it a life long hobby, that make one glass unforgettable and the other completely disappointing. So even if it seems slightly ridiculous to experience with joy 'a touch of red brick dust in the upper registers' I embrace that ridiculousness. I can't wait to identify my first cat pee, and I'll let you know when I do.

My first white

If I'm just learning I need to give equal time to all players, so it is time for a white wine. There is a lot of diversity in white wines ranging from sweet to dry, from fruity to oaky, and everything in between. With so much too choose from, and not a lot of reading under my belt on where to start I went the easy route. I had a leftover bottle of Sauvignon Blanc in my fridge, so it won hands down. By the way, the consensus it is that it is not advisable to store wine in your fridge. It is not that the low temperature is such a bad thing (although it is probably too cold to get the full range of flavors) it is the fact that there is too much fluctuation in a fridge. When the door opens and closes, or hot foods are placed into the fridge near your wine it warms and cools the wine. Since this was a $6.99 bottle that was not ever intended to be aged it is probably okay, but just thought I should mention that it is not a good option for wine storage in general. And if you do chill a bottle in the fridge you may want to let it warm up on the counter a little bit prior to drinking.

I need to be honest, white wine intimidates me in sort of a immature, 'I think its not manly', 'from what I see real wine drinkers drink red', sort of way. Fortunately for me I can recognize the undereducated and underexposed elements of my own experiences. Reading through the ramblings of many fellow wine bloggers has proven to me that there is a lot to lose for those who hold themselves to only red wines. In fact I do remember an exprience a couple of years ago where D and I went tasting in South Africa and ended up back in the bus with 2 whites and a rosé only because we found them so interesting. I think we were both surprised by this at the time and have also forgotten it to some degree. Time to dive in.

The bottle I had (leftover from a dinner party in which I had no idea what I was buying) was a Brave Stallion 2008 Saugvinon Blanc from Curico Valley, Chile with 13% abv. I bought the bottle at BevMo, but they don't seem to have anymore. It is available here although a different vintage.
Sauvignon Blanc is a green grape that originally was a Bordeaux grape. It is grown in many regions throughout the world including France, Chile, Brazil, California, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. In the Curico Valley, a region that lies between the base of the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean, Sauvignon Blanc is the second most harvested grape behind Cabernet Sauvignon. These Curico Valley wines are getting more and more attention, and often have a very good value since it is not quite yet the established region that other better known areas are. Sauvignon Blanc can have a wide variety of flavors dependent on decisions by the winemaker but is generally prized for a crisp, dry, refreshing quality. This particular bottle was a very light, pale yellow in the glass. On the nose I got green apples, a bit of peach, and almost a stale earthy scent. The wine had a soft, citrusy taste, with a short almost unpleasant finish. The wine had a nice acidity, and went well with the potato and leek soup and Ceasar salad that we were eating that night, but overall there were elements of the wine that were not particularly enjoyable. I would give this wine a 2.5 and say for the price it may be an okay buy for a large party at which the wine is not being in any way featured.

OK, in the spirit of equality I better get myself over to the store for a rosé and a bubbler. Geez, equality really is a good thing.