Typicity - The Good and The Bad

The story: Something is happening to me as I age and it is something I rejected in my youth. Routine, lower expectations, status quo, and stability are becoming much more desirable. Things happening as expected offer a needed counter balance to the increase in responsibilities and pressures in my busy life. When I was younger I resented the established. This resulted in behavior that turned away from bands as soon as their music went mainstream, sought out activities that would induce an adrenaline rush, or invoked big changes like moving 1,000 miles away from friends and family. These things aren't all gone, but they are softening. More than ever before I like movies that have a full story arc and wrap themselves up, I like a budget that anticipates surprises and makes them not catastrophic, and I like to know exactly what I am getting myself into when making decisions.

Typicity is a term that refers to a wine's reflection of its variety and origin. Does this Napa cabernet sauvignon taste like a Napa cabernet sauvignon? In the world of wine judging and scoring it is expected that the typicity of how the wine smells, tastes, and feels is at least part of the equation, therefore justifying itself against like wines. I find myself in a little bit of conflict over my appreciation of typicity at this point. There are times when I want to know exactly what I am going to get (i.e. when paying over $25 for a bottle) and there are times when something completely surprises me in a new and exciting way.

The wine: The Kim Crawford Marlborough Sauvingon Blanc 2009 is the pinnacle of typicity in my experience. New Zealand wine launched itself into recognition with its take on sauvignon blanc, and they are expected to offer copious and zesty amounts of citrus and herbs with a spray of acid that keeps them fresh and interesting. Kim Crawford turns out a brilliant example of this style year after year. The wine is a pale yellow straw color, not as light as many domestic sauvignon blancs, but certainly not golden. It has a ton of grapefruit on the nose, a touch of tropical fruit (pineapple?) and more and more grassy herbs as it opens up. An hour after being open I even got a bit of asparagus. The wine has a great mouthfeel, very smooth, with lots of lemon and grapefruit, and more herbs. There is a lot of acid that carries well into the finish but it is in check and pleasant.

The verdict: If you have had a New Zealand sauvignon blanc before then you know what you are getting with this bottle. If that is what you want then spend the $12-$16 and buy this easy to find wine. I thoroughly enjoyed the wine, found it well made and delicious, and give it a 4 out of 5. There are not a huge number of wines out there for the price and produced in the quantity of this wine that can rival the quality that Kim Crawford offers. You get no surprises with this wine, which as I argue is sometimes a great thing and sometimes not what you are looking for. Either way this is a strong buy recommendation, and you can always put it away for a night when you need some typicity in your life.

Talking About Wine

I've written a few posts in which I have made fun of the vernacular that seems to appear within wine writing, blogging, and general discussion. But I have also contemplated how quickly I have adopted and begun to use the words and descriptions that make up this lingo. The first time I read on a wine label that the wine had notes of pencil lead I started laughing. Now I look for it and happily call it out in my notes and reviews. Why is this?

I think that there is truth to the idea that we are pretty obsessed with quantifying, explaining, and justifying almost everything in our society. We want to relay a wine experience to others in a way that will either entice or dissuade them from the same. This is why we give wine points, and also why we have created a finite vocabulary to describe an utterly sensory experience (grapefruit, cassis, forest floor, backbone, teeth-gripping, you know the list).

I do not think this is a bad thing, but I do think that I would love to get to a point where I move beyond the adopted descriptors of prior people's expression. Having only been a part of the wine blogosphere for a few months I realize how frequently a list of aromas for one wine sounds just like the notes on another. This is not to say that I do not like reading tasting notes, reviews, and such. I actually really enjoy it. And I intend to continue to read and write them. But I am interested in exploring new ways to talk about wine.

I'm not sure what that will look like, or sound like. I am sure it will not be a profound revolution emanating from these pages, but it is something I will look towards as I continue with this project. Finally I do think that this potential metamorphosis will come from blogs, and not from the traditional print media, and I selfishly hope that it is a change lead by the younger generation of wine drinkers. We are already more open to variety, less influenced by accolades and price, and more likely to get our information from less traditional sources. Hopefully we use that liberal approach to fermented grape juice to open up the ways in which we engage over wine. Is there anyone out there that you know of who is writing or discussing wine in a truly different way?

Oregon Wine and I Grew Up Together, But I Didn't Know It

The story: As a kid I drove north to the big city of Salem, OR literally hundreds of time. We would drive along Interstate 5 and I would use the Enchanted Forest on the right as a landmark to tell me that we were almost there. Enchanted Forest is a small, tacky theme park where battery operated bears delight small town children with their stuccato movements, and Old Mother Hubbard's shoe serves as a slide that you can take a burlap sack down. Just south of this theme park stood a big empty hill, full of the characteristic red soil that reminds me of my Aunts dirt driveway in her nearby house. When I was in grade school I watched with relative disinterest as someone planted the entire hill in grape vines and built a big fancy house at the top. Slowly our frequent drives through the Willamette Valley became trips that were often flanked with grape vines. In my house, honestly, wine was something that a couple of great uncles were gonna die from and an aisle that we could just skip at the supermarket so I didn't pay that much attention. But now that I am learning about wine I realize that I grew up in an important wine region. I have a lot of catching up to do. If terroir is an expression of the environment and influences then I share terroir with these praiseworthy Oregon wines. We grew up together. We both spent summer afternoons looking over the rooftops of the Enchanted Forest ticket booths, me actively working to convince my parents to stop and the Pinot actively working to mature its sugar in the few months of sunshine that the valley receives. There is something there that makes me feel connected to this wines that I didn't even realize were happening in my backyard. I have a new found resolve to taste and appreciate them.

The wine: The Erath Oregon Pinot Noir 2008 is one of the first releases of the stellar Oregon 2008 vintage. Located in the famous Dundee Hills, Erath has been growing Pinot Noir for 40 years now and this bottle represents their entry-level, early release cuvee, designed to be widely accessible. I have tasted other 2008 Oregon pinot noirs in barrel so I was very excited to give this wine a try. It poured a thin scarlet red, and was quite translucent in the glass. The wine had a nose of cherry and strawberry with a touch of minerality. This drank like a typical, inexpensive pinot noir, quite light in body, some cherry and red fruit, a touch of spice, and a decent finish. The wine retails widely for around $15, and in Southern California is being offered at Costco.

The verdict: Overall the wine came across as pretty uninspiring. There really was nothing to think about as it was quite simple, but also the flavors nor texture offerred up anything that made you want to come back to the glass. I am often disappointed by pinot noirs that cost under $20, and this one was no different. The wine gets a 2.5 out of 5 as there was nothing inherently wrong with it, but I would not buy it again.

Moving on, I still feel inspired to reconnect with the grapes that I grew up alongside. Any Oregon suggestions that I must get to soon?

The Vino File Goes to Washington

Yes, you may have seen a similar sounding post a couple weeks back when I found out that I would be attending the Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla, WA in late June. Well, late last week I was contacted and learned that I had also won a sort of 'pre-conference' tour through Washington wine country for my postings on Washington wines. You can read each of those posts here:

• 14 Hand Cabernet Sauvignon - A Large Production WA Wine
• Chateau Ste. Michelle - A Columbia Valley Merlot
• Hogue Cellars Late Harvest Reisling - A Dessert Pairing

The contest, known as WBC or Bust, was organized by WineCHATr.com and sponsored by numerous Washington wine and tourism industry entities. It is designed to encourage exposure and awareness of Washington wine, but all indications are that the pleasure in participating is going to be mine. The prize consists of a two day luxury trip across Washington visiting many beautiful wineries, restaurants, bed and breakfasts, and tasting dozens of the finest wines that Washington has to offer.

I would like to thank the sponsors of this event for their generous consideration, and let you readers know that you can expect a sort of Washington focus throughout the month of June. Washington offers such a diversity of fine and delicious wines that I promise it will remain interesting and provide lots of useful information, and hopefully some good stories to go along with it.

Finally I want to point to the other winners of this contest whom I am anxious to meet (since I will be sharing a bus with them for two days) and say to any Washington wineries or industry representatives that I would be thrilled to engage with you prior to my visit, if you have an interest. You can contact me at thevinofile@gmail.com at any time.

Sometimes You Plan, and Sometimes You Stumble Upon

The story: My friends Andy and Kuong's birthdays happened to coincide with a Laker playoff game this week. Honestly this coincidence is about as exciting to me as when I meet someone else named Scott. NBA just doesn't do it for me. But I can get down with a trip to the sport's bar after work, and I love their company. We went to Weiland Brewery Underground located in a non-descript bank building's food court a few stories below the streets of Downtown L.A.

Like that actor's name that eludes you when you are trying to figure out who starred in Zombieland, there is a part of me that believes when you are seeking out something it is hard to find, but when you aren't looking it will present itself. Well, Weiland has a dirty little secret in that a previous owner had a wine obsession and they now have a lot of pretty decent wine that doesn't move too well at a place with the word Brewery in the name. So Wine Wednesday's 40% off all bottles is my new little secret that I didn't know I was looking for. You can check out a sample wine list here, and propbably realize that at 40% off most of these wines are at or below average retail price. Check it out, because if like me you feel slightly indifferent about the b-ball game, a little Caymus makes the time just fly by.

The wine: We ordered first a Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon 2003. The wine had a very opaque almost black core that went all the way to the edge of the glass where it just hinted at purple. It had a really nice nose of plum, some tar, and a hint of leather. The wine had softened substantially and while offering some dark plum flavor, it tasted even more of earth, a little cedar, and notes of cigar tobacco. The tannins were quite soft but held the wine together with the acidity to provide outstanding structure. Next up was a Chalk Hill 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County. This wine showed its age a little more with a purple core that faded to a bricked red at the edges. It also offered dark plum on the nose with a bit of a chalky (power of suggestion?) minerality, and a bit of salami. The wine was more fruity with a kirschy sweetness, giving way to some mint and eucalyptus mid-palette. The tannins were still rather firm and unfortunately held the slightly metallic finish for quite awhile.

The verdict: Both wines were priced extraordinarily well, and appeared to have been stored appropriately. The consensus was towards the Stag's Leap, and I agree giving it a 4 out of 5. The Chalk Hill drank well, and had its own character but had a little bit of unpleasant lead or metallic taste in the finish that turned some off. This wine was overall tasty and well structured and gets a 3.5 out of 5.

If you are in L.A. it is worth a trip down to the brewery on a Wednesday night just to enjoy a game and get a great deal on something you wouldn't normally order in a restaurant. If not in L.A. both of the producers reviewed above consistently produce classic examples of California Cabernets that are well worth seeking out.

Malbec Redeems Itself, Not That It Needed To

The story: Yesterday I made fun of Malbec. I subsequently got accused of having no idea what I'm talking about. Let's get two things straight right now. I DO have no idea what I am talking about. If you are reading this blog for an expert wine opinion then Google has failed you, and you should read my About section before proceeding. Second, I think malbec from Argentina generally offers a good quality product at an affordable price. I am not that surprised that it has grown in sales at a rate far exceeding any other single varietal bottling over the last couple of years in the U.S. But I do think, like many other things in wine, that this is a trend, a bandwagon, a bit of marketing mixed with a nice product, a good price point that got lucky during a difficult economic time. However it is still delicious and usually well worth the money spent, so out of respect for the grape and the people of Argentina I popped and poured an inexpensive bottle last night. I guess that makes the last two weeks a bit Malbec heavy on The Vino File, but it is up 5x's in import volume right?

The wine: I cracked a Naiara Malbec 2008 from Mendoza, Argentina and fearing that a mediocre wine at this point would only further my conundrum poured a couple of ounces into my glass. The wine was a dark partly opaque purple at its core, fading to a ruby red at the edge of the glass. It had a tight nose initially with some red raspberry, cinnamon, a touch of vanilla oak, and just a hint of alcohol. The wine had a lot of heavy red fruit up front, a little bit of a hollow mid-palette, and some nice medium spice on the finish. This wine comes across as quite young with quite firm tannins and a bit of a harsh plum skin aspect to the finish. However, it is only a 2008 and both the slight heat on the nose, the mid-palette, and the grippiness may mellow with a bit more time in the bottle.

The verdict: I'm going to allow this Malbec to step on my joke, as the wine is more important than the lame and sarcastic attempts at humor. This wine was enjoyable for the price (retails for around $10-$12) and while I wish I could wait on it a little bit it still earns a 3 out of 5. It is a great example of why Malbec has the reputation that it has.

This experience makes me wonder, what if I had made fun of Reisling?

More Wine Definitions for Wine Blog Newbies

I have written The Vino File for 3 and 1/2 months now and if there is one thing I have noticed it is that this culture is absolutely brimming with jargon. There are hundreds of words, phrases, and general topics that are absolutely foreign to people who do not consider themselves wine geeks. For a newbie it can appear to simply be a race to the most obscure. So as I come across these phrases, and learn what they mean, I will try to share here. I covered some early terms that I encountered in an earlier post, at which time my Google analytics reveal that only D, myself, and some guy in Bangalore were reading it. So here are a few more that I have come across recently that may be confusing to you with simple definitions you can use to place this hobby in context.

'Century Club' - a scavenger hunt for drunks in which you can essentially buy your way into a club that e-mails each other about riveting topics like Pedro Ximenez bargains.

'Malbec' - the fastest growing sales item in the US wine market, this is the wine equivalent of Corona. There really is nothing wrong with it, but often not anything amazing about it either. Good thing is that it seems exotic because it comes from a far away land, and while generally cheap it stands out from the Coors Light and Miller that is usually offered next to it.

'summer sipper' - unstructured white wine that lacks any complexity, usually has only one distinct flavor profile, and should be served deeply chilled

'cork taint' - a compound found in natural cork that can seep into wine and make them taste like wet cardboard. Using this phrase at every opportunity is the quickest way to look very experienced without having to talk about the wine at all. If you find yourself in a situation where others do not agree with you (which they probably will, not wanting to look ignorant) just insist that you are VERY sensitive to cork-i-ness

'wine' - the beverage of choice for alcoholics who wish to hide their problem in some high-browed culture, very similar to how a cigar every night does not a nicotine addict make (but people who chew, now that's nasty)

'vintage' - the year in which the grapes were picked for the bottle of wine you were drinking. Twice each decade it is declared that a vintage was less than superb so that the other eight can demand the respect they deserve.

'pairing' - a word that allows you to write about any wine with any other topic you wish to discuss when you have no other ideas for a blog post. It can also justify some obscure references that will help you get some hits on your blog in order to reach your own internal traffic goals (e.g. I will now tell you which wine pairs best with an iPad streaming Justin Bieber videos)

'dark fruit' - this does NOT mean effeminate person of color as it may initially seem but is rather a wine descriptor that can be used on any medium to full bodied red wine when the reviewer can think of nothing else to say about it.

These are just a few of the phrases that I have been able to decipher through context. Thanks to my fellow wine bloggers for helping me learn and if anyone has any more please post them below.

Eliminating Bias and Just Enjoying Good Wine

The story: I have a liberal bias. Um, let's soften that up and call it a liberal 'bent.' Whatever it is, I am inclined towards the little guy. I'm not much of a sports fan in general, but when there is a big event I always root for the underdog because something about that feels better. I idealize small family-owned farms as if they are a manifestation of a purer ethic, which I intellectually know may or may not be true. Therefore I really did not want to like this wine very much. I have seen Francis Ford Coppola wines everywhere, and always assumed that the label was just another one of those stories where someone makes a fortune in one industry, and then buys there way into winemaking with no concept of what it really takes. They then use their endless fortune to find a winemaker, buy the best grapes, and create a mansion in the middle of some farm fields where butlers and personal chefs eliminate any need to get in touch with the local agricultural community.

So I did not want to like this wine, or the winery from which it came. Good thing is, I am often wrong. Lately I've been more comfortable with this fact, and this is one of those times. I heard Francis Ford Coppola on Adam Carolla's podcast and realized that my bias was built on assumptions that may occassionally be true, but are not true across the board. This man is passionate about wine, and what goes into his wines. While his production is high, he did make a fortune in the movie industry (with some damn fine films), and he does employ others to do a lot of the work, Francis Ford Coppola winery is about the wine, not about a false lifestyle for the owner. He is not making outrageous cult wines, simply to show others that he can. Rather there is a whole line of approachable, delicious, and well made wines for all types of consumers.

The wine: I was given a Francis Coppola Diamond Claret 2007 from my dear friends Tim and Sarah who are possibly the least interested in wine of all my friends, but who are also some of the most supportive of my interest and blogging efforts (thanks guys). The wine is 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot, 4% Merlot, 4% Malbec, and 3% Cabernet Franc. The Merlot and Cab Franc are from the Coppola estate in Alexander Valley, with the rest of the fruit coming from Napa, Sonoma, and El Dorado counties. It has a black core with dark purple hues. The nose gives off dark cherry, cedar, plum, and a dusty tar note. It is very kirsch-like upfront with some solid dark fruit across the palette, and smooth framing tannins that allow the finish to last quite a while. As the wine opened up the fruit was balanced with a great minerality and just a touch of leather.

The verdict: This bottle of classic Bordeaux blend exceeds its $12-$16 price tag. The wine is delicious and very well structured, and gets a 3.5 out of 5. This is big recommend from me, as it is widely available, approachable young, and complex but eminently enjoyable.

I guess it took a $15 bottle of wine to teach me that my 'elevated' sense of ethics is an unnecessary bias when it comes to kicking back and enjoying good wine. It takes all types and all producers have their chance to make something great. Isn't that mindset a truer expression of a liberal approach to wine? Maybe so.

The Wines of Spain - Red Wines

Yesterday I brought you a review of the white wines I experienced at Great Match - a wine tasting of Spanish wines held a SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills. While I found the white wines delicious and refreshing, it was the tempranillo-based red wines that really sold me on Spain. What follows is a similar discussion of two Spanish wine regions with a few recommended wines from each:

Rioja - Spain's most acclaimed wine producing region, Riojas are primarily based on the red grape Tempranillo. While a poor quality Rioja can be thin, limp, and tasteless, a great Rioja has a finesse and structure that is almost Burgundy like in its complexity and supple texture. Rioja ages its wines for a very long time, with requirements on the length of time the wine is in oak barrels (usually fairly neutral) so you will see the current releases are older than most wines you will encounter. Riojas are generally earthy and slightly rustic, offering less fruit than a New World devotee might be accustomed to. I am just now experiencing these wines, and I must say I am a quick convert. These highlighted wines are really spectacular for my palette:
Ysios Reserva 2004 - A great transition wine between the Old and New World styles (wines in Rioja are becoming fruitier and oakier) this wine offers up just enough funk to keep it interesting, and plummy fruit to keep it delicious. It has great structure and a finish that shows Rioja earthiness and lasts for quite awhile. It retails for around $20.
Marqués de Riscal Gran Reserva 2001 - The regular Reserva is available at Trader Joe's for $15, but the Gran Reserva is only produced in great vintages and is aged for a year longer. This wine was amazingly supple. The nose was decidedly musty and dusty but in a 'fond memory' type of way, like how you imagine your grandmother's basement to smell. It drank of very subtle fruit, and spice, with lots of almost coffee'd earth. This wine retails for between $45 and $70.
Marques de Tomares Reserva 2001 - Probably nearing the end of its greatness this wine had a very Old World barnyard nose and great structure. This one offered just a touch of oak that was balanced well to the fruit and acid, another example of a delicious Rioja. This wine retails for around $35.


Ribera del Duero - Another region known for its red wines Ribera del Duero tends to produce intense red wines that exude power while still maintaining a finesse that is unrivaled in other regions. Also focusing on the tempranillo grape, but a genetic version of the grape referred to as tinto fino, Ribera del Duero wines are known for their concentration, full flavors, and amazingly soft tannins. This region also produces many wines that straddle the Old World and New World in style and taste profile, and is filled with great values that can be found with a little exploration.
AALTO Ribera del Duero 2006 - Made by winemaker Mariáno Garcia , an instrumental player in demonstrating the world-class possibilities of Ribera del Duero, this wine offered an amazing balance between dark fruit and tasty earth notes. The backbone of acid kept the wine together perfectly, and made it one of the best wines that I tasted the whole day. It retails for between $45 and $50.
Valduero Reserva Ribera del Duero 2005 - Another great Ribera del Duero offering a cranberry nose, and some beautiful coffee on the palette. Just a touch of oak and a very long finish cap off the velvety tannins and convinces you that the intensity that the wine does offer is quite beautiful. This wine retails for around $45.

This tasting has thoroughly convinced me that Spanish wines should be included in every wine drinker's experience. They are almost bi-polar in their power, intensity, restraint, and subtlety. In addition to the 4 regions highlighted in these posts there are other lesser known or celebrated wine regions in Spain that are offering even more styles of wines and at better price points. Get out their and explore, you will not be disappointed by what Spain has to offer.

The Wines of Spain - White Wines

I had the opportunity to attend the 2010 Great Match: Vivacious Varietals. Tantalizing Tastes. tasting of wines from Spain this week at the SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills. The hotel is spectacular, the tasting rather intimate (compared to the other large tastings I have attended) and the 'tastes' provided by Bazaar by José Andrés, were innovative and delicious. The event really came across as laid-back but sophisticated, and had a small but friendly crowd. It was overall a great experience and exposed me to several wines that I can highly recommend. Spain has more vineyards than any other nation in the world, and is third in wine production. There is a lot of old world influence that remains, but many have adopted new technology and in some cases new world techniques offering a huge variety of wines, and wine styles. Spain is a very exciting place to look for new discoveries, good values, and classically important wines.

Today I'll share two white wine regions from Spain:

Rias Baixas - This region is a small area in the northwest of Spain that has used the Albariño grape to rise to prominence as a white wine producing area. Prior to this Spain was not internationally known for white wines aside from their sparkling Cavas and fortified Sherry. Albariño is almost always fermented in neutral stainless steel and when good offers a wide variety of flavors and aromas wrapped in both a crisp and creamy profile that is very unique. Two of the best Albariños at this tasting were:

Granbazán Ambar 2009 - Nice green apples and a touch of cream on the nose, with a limey palette, great acid, and some tasty salty minerals the make you crave seafood. Retails for around $20

Mar de Frades Albariño 2009 - This one had more of a floral/potpourri nose, but also offered a creamy mouthfeel with plenty of acidity and just a spray of ocean air across the mid-palette. Retails for around $25.

Rueda - A small neighbor to Ribera del Duero this region really had no claim to fame until collaborations in the 1970's realized that great and fresh tasting white wines could be grown from the native verdejo grape. I found one verdejo de rueda that I really enjoyed:

Cuatro Rayas Viñedos Centenarios 2009, Agricola Castellana - A little gooseberry and lime on the nose, followed by a very bright and slightly effervescent herbal taste. This wine is not in the U.S. yet but will be in the next few weeks and will retail for around $20.

Stay tuned tomorrow for an update on the red wines of Spain (Rioja and Ribera del Duero).

Any white Spanish wines you plan to drink this summer?

The Ethical Pursuit of Winemaking

I saw an interview last week between Gary Vaynerchuck and guest winemaker Michael Twelftree of Two Hands in Australia's Barossa Valley. Gary was discussing with Twelftree if the current backlash against bombastic fruity Aussie Shiraz ever causes him to reconsider his wine's style. The winemaker indicated that he always makes a consistent style, since his first vintage, because he designed his style after what appeals to him. He thinks the brand must continue with its style and that tastes and trends will come back around. It is very evident to me that higher end wine drinkers, or wine culture, are very trend focused. Huge oaky, buttery Chardonnays sold for lots of money through the 90's and are now looked down upon. Cult-like Napa Cabernet Sauvignon producers were heralded and chased after, only to run into some backlash with words thrown around like 'Parker wine' which in many circles has an obvious stigma. This makes me really wonder about what ethic is most desirable in a winemaking endeavour. Which of these 'ethics' should a winemaker adopt in their approach to their winemaking decisions, and is one approach more pure or admirable than another?

- Make your wine for the market. Wine is ultimately an agricultural product that should be produced for the interests of the people who buy it. The ultimate ethic of wine is to bring pleasure, to enhance culture, and therefore whatever taste trends are 'trending' it is not only okay, but encouraged to pursue them. Like most consumer products the producer should respond to calls of the market. Brands should therefore adapt their style as their consumers desires change.

- Make your wine for the margin. In a sort of Ayn Rand 'money is the barometer of society's virtue' type of thinking maybe the production of wine really has an obligation to find the optimal balance between effort, quality, and profitability. If a combination of quality, reputation, and marketing are required to get the highest price for your wine then the wine itself is only one part of the equation. Maybe it is more noble to eliminate the notion of art and culture in wine, and the most ethical pursuit is in the business of selling the product. Certainly margin is a driver in the fruit selection, vinification, and marketing of the wine. Without profitability we would have very little wine to drink that did not come from our neighbor's garage.

- Make your wine for your personal palette/the palettes of the winery owners. Michael Twelftree touches on this in his interview, indicating that he will hold true to the style of wine that he wants to make despite the circular trending that is inevitable. He believes in his style of wine, and while he is far from thinking it is the only valid wine he feels that he is upholding a pure ethic by sticking with his initial endeavour. If each winemaker and winery did this the world is then offered a wide range of wines, and consumers can have consistency with which to rotate their own palette through.

- Make your wine to represent the terroir/regional style. Wine should always be an expression of where it is from. The more you let the fruit speak the better the wine is. A Marlborough Sauv Blanc is at its highest when it displays the characteristic grapefruit and grass, and provides a bright, clean, and crisp balance that just screams to the drinker 'Marlborough SB' Any other influences may be necessary but are not as pure in their intentions.

I know the truth is that a winemaker or winery must balance out many of these influences. But is one more pure or right than another? Do we take our favorite 'tasting' wines and sort of fantasize that the ethic by which they were made was an elevated ethic over the mid-shelf wine at the supermarket? Obviously there are places for all of these in the market, but which one do you appreciate most?

Some Reds Were Made For Summer Too

The story: Last week I wrote about exploring some inexpensive white wines to be used as cooling, refreshing, and relaxing agents on my porch this summer. Within days I came across an inexpensive, full-bodied malbec from Argentina that made me think of hot days around a barbeque as well. I'm not sure why some robust red wines make me feel like winter and others towards 85 degree nights on the patio, but I offer this one up to you as a great choice for your summer grilling.

Argentinian malbec is probably something you have been exposed to over the last couple of years. It has emerged as one of those grapes that was always known, but has excelled in an up and coming region, inserting itself into a niche that previously no one even knew needed to be filled. There are many versions that offer quality at a great price, and there are more and more examples offering more complexity and structure at a higher price point.

The wine: The specific wine that grabbed my attention as a great bottle for your next BBQ was the Doña Paula Los Cardos Malbec 2008 from Mendoza. Doña Paula is the product of a Chilean wine company who bought huge tracts of vineyards in the Mendoza region, and now produce some great wines of many varietals all from their own fruit. The Los Cardos is their entry-level offering, widely available for around $7-$10. This wine has a dark violet core, fading to ruby red at the edges, and mostly translucent. It has a nice nose of fresh blackberries and a touch of cigar tobacco. The wine is medium to full-bodied and offers flavors of dark cherries, some more tobacco, and some mid-pallette spice before finishing in a slightly earthy medium length finish.

The verdict: This wine drinks more expensive than it costs (my definition of value?) and would really be delicious with any grilled red meat. It has a nice sense of balance, offers up lots of fruit, but enough acid to keep it refreshing. I score the wine a 3 out of 5 and say if you come across it you should buy it.

Ways to Learn About Wine Without Going Broke

I can not tell you how many times I tell people about my wine blog and get the response, 'I've always wanted to learn more about wine.' Half the time I do believe this is uttered as a polite response indicating only a passing interest in my blog, but the other half I believe it to be true. I think most people who I come in contact with would like to know more about wine and have some fun wine experiences, but they do not necessarily know where to start. I had a lot of the same feelings at first. Wine can seem overwhelming, expensive, pretentious, and let's face it a really low priority. But I have begun to learn a tremendous amount about wine for relatively little cash flow, and the effort involved has paid dividends in the fact that it is all about fun and leisure. Today I present to you a couple of ways that you, or your hesitant peers, can learn about wine without having to invest too much time or money. (Warning, once you start you may become more willing and interested in investing a little time and money)

1. You MUST read. There is such a tremendous amount of information available to you that will help put wine in context and break down regions, grape varietals, labels, tastes, pricing, pairings and on and on. It is vital to be familiar with terms that put what you encounter in context. It would be very expensive to initially get your hands on all types of wine from around the world. But for $20 you can get Karen MacNeil's The Wine Bible, or Jancis Robinson's The Oxford Companion to Wine for around $40. Either of these books will provide information on all the major wine regions in the world, and what they do there. I literally pick it up and read a quick chapter from The Wine Bible a couple days a week. I have learned a tremendous amount from this, for very little investment. However the next step then becomes vitally important, because it does me no good to be able to explain that in a riesling from Alsace you can expect to get flint, if I don't know what that means:

2. You MUST taste. This can be where a little bit of effort is required to keep yourself within a budget. You can find inexpensive examples of many varietals, but will probably have to skip entire high-end regions if holding to a budget. Be very purposeful in what wine you spend money on, working your way through a wide variety of wines with diligence. Always read about the wine that you are trying and seek to find the flavors and nuances that it provides. Be willing to relax and understand that it will take a long time to get an understanding of the wines available from around the world. Share the cost of trying different wines by finding (or even starting) a wine tasting club. In this club each person provides one wine, but everyone is able to try all the wines that are brought. So for your $10-$25 investment you are getting a very wide understanding of wine. Keep the topics interesting and varied and you will learn a lot, quickly. A great example of such a group, active in Los Angeles and San Francisco, is the Young Winos, but you can do something similar with your friends, family, or co-workers that does not have to be so large or organized.

3. You MUST interact. It is so easy to find others who are interested in wine online and around in your community. Find a couple of wine blogs that you enjoy, and follow some wine related tweeps on twitter. Allow discussions around wine to become a small part of your daily routine. I dove deep into the world of wine and social media, but you do not have to. Just observing what others are saying and doing exposes you to a tremendous amount of experience that you will learn from. Add a weekly podcast on wine to your iPod and you will be amazed at how quickly you will become familiar with wineries and producers that are worth your time and money.

4. You MUST find yourself a senile old widow whose deceased husband has an amazing wine cellar of which she is clueless to the value. You must then seduce her and become her live-in that is constantly fighting her adult children who think you are there just to take advantage of her and inherit the wine. You must then argue that the implication is absolutely ridiculous, that you are there for the money, at which point they will probably back off. This is really the only way I can think of to get to taste some well-stored First Growth Bordeaux from great historic vintages, and other things that until you taste you really don't know anything about wine.

My whole point is that it doesn't necessarily take a lot to expand your wine knowledge. If it is something you have 'always wanted to know more about' then just DO it. Wine is a dividend paying hobby, and is meant to be fun and pleasurable. A little investment can go a long way in making it more approachable, more intellectual, and more enjoyable.

Summer Porch Sippers Post Featured on DrinkNectar.com

Today I have donated a post (tax write off?) to Josh Wade's Drink Nectar. This site gets approximately 8 times the traffic that The (little) Vino File does, so I jumped at the opportunity when Josh said that he was looking for new bloggers to be featured on his site. Drink Nectar is an outstanding wine blog, with some emphasis on the wines of Josh's local digs in Spokane, WA. My post today is on a little 'research' I did on how I should spend my dog-day afternoons of summer now that I have my very own porch. I bought a craftsman-style bungalow in the fall, and need some inexpensive white sippers to help me take advantage of the great front stoop. Please jump on over here and take a look (and tell your friends to do the same!!!)

Using Counoise as a Primary Grape

The story: Counoise is a minor red grape planted primarily in the Southern Rhone to add fruit forward flavors and a softness to Chateauneuf du Pape blends. It is almost never seen as a primary grape in a blend, and I was unable to find any example of a single varietal bottling of counoise (pronounced kuhn-wahz BTW). D and I were back at our trusty wine bar, The Must, and noticed a new offering out of Paso Robles that featured counoise. Not being one to pass up an interesting and new blend (and liking the price) we ordered it up to go with our cheesesteaks and jidori chicken dinners.

The wine: The Opolo Grand Rouge 2006 is 60% counoise, 19% grenache, 20% syrah, and 1% petite sirah. Sourced primarily from Opolo's vineyards on both sides of Paso Robles, this blend appears to have been produced both in 2005 and 2006. It is a bright translucent red in the glass and gives of huge amounts of blueberry fruit on the nose. There is also a touch of cedar and vanilla, with just a hint of spicy black pepper. The wine drinks like a piece of blueberry pie, followed with just a touch of spice. It is medium bodied and has very soft tannins. The wine is a fruit bomb, and will not be to everyone's liking. It lacks complexity but I always argue that there is something to be said for simply tasting good, which this wine does. The 2005 vintage retails from the winery for $19, and is similarly available from some internet based wine shops. I do not see the 2006 available anywhere at this time.

The verdict: The wine is a 3 out of 5. For $20 there are things that I would rather drink, and yet the wine was enjoyable. For any wine geeks out there it is worth trying simply to get a better understanding of what counoise offers as a grape. Enjoy!