Recently, a friend asked me to discuss German wines with him. He seemed to have a particularly difficult time understanding their labels. I told him the parable of good news and bad news. The good news is that there is a lot of information on a German wine label. “What about the bad news”, he asked. “That there is a lot of information on the label,” I answered.

Well, there you have the problem in a nutshell. The fact that labels are written in German doesn’t make it any easier, as few wine drinkers are fluent in German. Additionally, the fact that German labels are totally different from the French AOC nomenclature makes understanding German wines ever more difficult.

The French AOC laws are based on location and yield; historical performance was incorporated and a regional hierarchy of quality was established. Given the fact that Germany’s location is at the fringe of northern grape-ripening latitude, ripeness could be a problem with a system based on geography and yield. The German wine laws were crafted to measure for must weight, rather than yield, thus elegantly avoiding yield and focusing on must quality.

A quick aside to those wine lovers who have graduated from their beginner wines like e white zinfandel: all wines with residual sugar are not created equal. Cloying sweetness is neither a requirement, nor a mark of quality. Moderate sweetness with a solid underpinning of acidity, a Riesling trait, is an expression of some of the finest wines in the world.

Aside from a couple of wine categories you’ll never be likely to encounter here (Deutscher Wein, vin de table, and Deutscher Landwein, vin du pays), there are two levels of quality worthy of examining. The first one is an intimidating tongue twister, Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete, [kvah-lih-TAYTS-vine behr-SHTIHMT-tuhr ahn-BOW-geh-beet-A], or just QbA. These wines have the lightest must weight, are usually with residual sugar and have a low alcohol level (7-8% abv.) They must come from approved grape varieties, and can only be from one of the 13 quality wine growing regions. A good example may be the ubiquitous Liebfraumilch of yesteryear, but there are some very nice current examples from many producers. Dr. Loosen’s Dr. L QbA Riesling Estate 2011 has low alcohol, a palate-cleansing acidity and goes with every meal, from rich eggs Benedict to salty ham and even dessert.

The top tier of the German style pyramid is called Prädikatswein [Pray-dee-cOHts-vine], and it consists of six categories, in ascending order of must weight, body and complexity: Kabinett, Spätlese, (late harvest) Auslese, (special selection), Beerenauslese BA (individual berry selection, some botrytis), Trockenbeerenauslese TBA (dried berry selection, heavily botrytised), and Eiswein (ice wine, harvested frozen).

The first three categories of Kabinett, Spätlese and Auslese can be light in alcohol (7-8% abv.) with residual sugar, or fermented to dry, with higher alcohol (12-14% abv.) So much for the perception that all German wines are sweet. Dry Rieslings can be found in Kabinett, Spätlese, and Auslese levels; they are all the rage now. But, how do you know the wine style? A few words will help: trocken is dry, feinherb or halbtrocken is semi-dry, lieblich is semi-sweet. If you do not find these words on the label, use this rule: since the alcohol range is from about 7-14% (for all three categories), the lower the alcohol, the more residual sugar, and conversely, the higher the alcohol, the drier the wine. 

Beerenauslese wines always have residual sugar, and often show some of the botrytis aromatics. They are absolutely fabulous and very pricey. Some are bottled in 187 ml size, a clear indication of exclusivity.

Trockenbeerenauslese is the highest must weight category; it is from heavily botrytised grapes. The gooey and sticky juce is extremely difficult to ferment. The wine is unctuously sweet, with botrytis aromas, apricot, honey and spices. Wines of this quality level are rarely seen outside Germany, and command prices in the thousands of dollars for a 375 ml. bottle.

Eiswein is usually made from non-botrytised Riesling grapes harvested at a minimum of 17 deg. F, then quickly pressed while frozen. Nature has to play along, or there will be no ice wine. Entire German wine-growing villages are monitoring temperatures overnight late in fall and early winter to be ready for a very cold harvest before daybreak. The principle behind an ice wine is quite simple, although the execution is not: water freezes at a higher temperature than liquid sugar does. The magic temperature of 17 deg. F retains a large part of the water in the grape as a solid with pips and skins, thus increasing the must weight–the same level as  TBA. Eiswein is the finest expression of Riesling, which in my opinion is king of the hill of all white wine grape varieties.

Well, I hope you will venture into the German section of your favored wine store soon. Try them, and be surprised how fabulous German Riesling—from dry to sweet—can be.

Author:  Jürg Oggenfuss, CSW, WLS, WSET cert..

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Jancis Robinson, MW once said of wine from the Hunter Valley in Australia  “Hunter Semillon is Australia’s great gift to the wine world…”  I would agree with her, however this treasure is at risk from the likes of the coal industry.  You see there is coal in them ther’ hills and coal mining is far more profitable than grapes. As Andrew Jeffords recently reported about the Roxburgh vineyard in the September 2012 issue of Decanter Magazine,

“…the great engines are bearing down on it. The vines are going and soon even the terroir will be gone, ripped open to reveal the lustrous coal beneath.”

The Lower Hunter Valley has already had more than 200 acres of vineyard land converted to coal mines with more soon to follow. Australians have a love of coal as evidenced by the fact that 54% of the energy generated in Australia comes from coal. Therefore, the Australian average carbon footprint is actually larger than that of the average SUV driving American.

So why should we care? After all this area is not what we picture when we think of a world-class, wine growing region.  Its climate is hot sub-tropical (think Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, or Georgia) with rainfall dominating the summer and its harvest season. Not exactly the picture of Napa, the Rhone, Tuscany or many other world-class vineyard sites. But you see, the vignerons have learned how to craft wines that have earned the right to stand on the world stage with the greats of other regions. Take its Semillon for example, which is harvested before the end-of-season rains that could decimate this thin skin variety. The resulting wine is low in alcohol (11.5%) taught and tightly wound, often appearing neutral  in flavors and high in acidity.  However, what happens when one is patient is what makes this wine remarkable.  The wine develops remarkable layers with age resulting in outstanding lemon curd and toasty complexity and becomes barely recognizable from its demure beginning.

Even Shiraz is noteworthy from this area as the Hunter Valley imprints its regional stamp on these reds as well. The typical young Hunter Valley Shiraz is a medium-bodied wine showing red and dark berries, spices and plenty of soft tannins. However, it can be quite deceptive, because the best examples can age for a considerable time – longer then its siblings from Barossa and other Australian regions. With bottle-age, it becomes much more layered and complex, with earthy, leathery overtones and a beautiful perfume. It also acquires a silkiness and grace, becoming a smooth, wonderfully complex and richly flavored wine, that has more in common with old world than new world examples.

We should care about the loss of these vineyards, not only because not enough wine drinkers have had the chance to taste these wines, but also they are labors of love, and we risk losing a style of wine in Hunter Valley Semillon that is not found in any other wine-producing region of the world.  Lastly, because wine will always taste better, spur more interesting conversations, and lubricate more social interaction than coal ever will.

Here are some suggestions to seek out if you want to experience these wines first hand:

Hunter Valley Semillon:

2010 Brokenwood Semillon (Hunter Valley) $18.00

2005 Tyrell’s Wines Vat 1 Hunter Semillon $50.00

Hunter Valley Shiraz:

2010 Tyrell’s Wines Brokenback Shiraz $18.00

2009 Brokenwood Shiraz $30.00

The post Trading wine for coal (The destruction Hunter Valley, a great gift to the wine world) appeared first on vintuba.com.

Map of Chianti Classico

I have just returned from my trip to the Chianti Classico region of Tuscany, courtesy of the Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico, and wanted to share with you my impressions and some wine recommendations for those of you interested in discovering or re-discovering this magical land between Florence and Sienna.

Before we dive into my ramblings and reviews, I think it important to give you a little more foundation about Chianti Classico. Most of you have heard of Chianti and have had visions of the straw basket Chianti bottles know as Fiasco that decorate many an Italian pizzerias in the US.  However, Chianti Classico is by design a distant third cousin of these inexpensive, generic and acidic wines.  Wines labeled Chianti Classico that also are adorned with the Gallo Nero (Black Rooster) come from a smaller delineated sub-section of broader Chianti and is limited to the following sub-regions; San Casciano in Val di Pesa, Tavernelle Val di Pesa, Barberino Val d’Elsa, Poggibonsi, Greve in Chinati, Radda in Chianti, Castellina in Chianti, Gaiole in Chianti, and Castelnuovo Baradenga. The Chianti region dates back to 1716, when the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo III, decided to protect its name and establish its borders. His 1716 proclamation is the first legal document in history delineating a wine region. In 1932 the Chianti Classico sub-zone was created in the effort to distinguish this, the original zone, from other “Chianti” wine made outside the productions zone listed above. In 1996, the Chianti Classico region received its own D.O.C.G. (Italy’s highest application designation), which transformed Chianti Classico from a subzone into its own independent denomination.  More changes are on the way soon (click here to read more about the changes).

What struck me most on my trip, was not the beautiful sun-kissed rolling hills covered with vineyards, forests, and ancient hilltop villages. No, as impressive as they were, it was the people, their history, and their culture that struck me most. It was the people and their culture that provide the wines of Chianti Classico with their nerve, their balance, and their approachability.  People like Giovanni Manetti of Fontodi winery and Paolo De Marchi of Isole e Olena winery, both of whom you will meet in our upcoming The Stories Behind Wine Podcast. It is their commitment to preserving and staying true to their rich history and culture, all the while remaining dedicated to improving the quality of their wines.  Some are taking the traditional approach to crafting their wines, while others are taking a more decidedly modernist approach (more on this later). Both camps however believe that the quality of their wines rest squarely on the shoulders of the improved viticulture in the vineyard.

Every winery owner an winemaker I spoke to echoed the oft spoken words that “wines are made in the vineyard” and pointed to their commitment to using improved Sangiovese clones, understanding their vineyards soil structure and terroir, and experimenting with vine planting density. Some, such as Francesco Ricasoli (the Baron) of Barone Ricasoli winery, are going as far as engaging a company to map his vineyards with high-tech instruments that will help him and his agronomist Massimiliano Biagi craft better wines from better vineyards. Paolo di Marchi, of Isole e Olena winery, started this process back in the mid 1980’s, albeit with a less technological focused approach.  He did it by digging pits in his vineyards to better understand the soil structure and by hand selecting vines from his own vineyards to propagate with new plantings.  This desire for improving the vineyards and clonal material of grape varieties was not limited to individual producers.  In 1987 the Consortium launched and ambitious and transformative project called Chianti Classico 2000 aimed at identifying the best clones of Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Colorino and Malvasia Nera. (More info here). This is a land where the agronomist may be more important than the winemaker.

As Vittorio Pozzesi says: “The whole world can make Cabernet or Merlot but only we can make Sangiovese. Why change it?”

Castello d’Albola

I mentioned before that there are producers who have taken a traditional approach to crafting their wines and those with a decidedly modernist approach.  Here is what I mean; in my view a traditionalist is someone who shuns the international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Syrah in their blends (even though up to 20% of these varieties are permitted in the wines of Chianti Classico) in favor of either 100% Sangiovese  or Sangiovese blended with Canaiolo, they also use minimal new oak French barriques in favor of larger Slovenian botti (extremely large barrels that can hold up to 6,000 liters of wine). These are wines driven by a balance of red cherry fruit, earthy notes, and refreshing acidity – wines that are crafted to support the cuisine of the region not over power them. I dare say these are wines crafted in the heart of the region’s culture and would be considered traditional.

The Modernist wines are wines that take greater advantage of the power of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah, thus pushing the concentration of the wine and emphasizing black fruits, softer tannins, and bigger body while down-playing the acidity.  Add on top of the addition of the international varieties, the growing trend to age the wines in new French oak producing wines that are more in common with the wines of California and appealing to the palates of wine lovers who enjoy their wines independently of food.  Don’t get me wrong, there are some incredible modernist styled wines, made by winery owners passionate about the region and its culture, however some (not all) of the wines are hard to distinguish as heralding from Chianti Classico, let alone the Sangiovese grape.  As a side note, I want to make it clear that I am referring here to wines labeled with the Chianti Classico and Chianti Classico Riserva D.O.C.G.s and not the “Super Tuscan” wines labeled I.G.T.

Before I give you my recommendations of wines from both camps, traditional vs. modernist, I want to for a moment bring us back to the subject of the people of the Chianti Classico region.  The people, whether they are multi-generational locals, expats from other Italian regions, or international transplants, all seem to have an authentic passion and committed to the land upon which they live, a true love of not only the region but of the wines that hail from it. The number of winery owners that are in touch with the land is amazing; many of these wineries are not mere investments or trophies, but a place they call home. They are connected to the land because they choose to reside on it, and to improve it by committing to, as in the case of the vintners and growers in Panzano in Chinati, farming organically. Here wine is a part of life interwoven with the local food, music, culture, and rolling hills, it is not a means onto itself but merely an extension of the land, its centuries old history and its people.

My Wine recommendations:

The Traditionalists (classic, soulful Chianti Classico):

2008 Fattoria Rodano Chianti Classico – Fresh berry, rich cherry, black fruit. Showing a wonderful structure.  Flavors of luscious black cherry, cinnamon, wild strawberries. The fruit is well-balanced by its bright acidity. The finish is both elegant, complex and medium plus in length.  One of the stand-out Chianti Classicos in my opinion!

2006 Fattoria Rodano Chinati Classico Riserva – Perfumed aromas of red fruits layered with dark chocolate, black cherries and cigar box.  Flavors of red and black fruits present a lush entrance on the palate and coat the mouth, classic bright acidity while the structured tannins offer a nice support to the fruit. On the finish sweet vanilla from the French oak aging is apparent but well-integrated. A post-modern Chianti Classico Riserva worth seeking out!

2008 Castello d’Albola Le Ellere Chianti Classico – Red fruit; cherries and strawberries backed by an earthy nerve. Flavors of dried cherries, smoky undertones, and cranberry give way to a nervy acidity which gives a nice lift to the fruit and helps offset the silky tannins. A wine showing great poise and balance.

2008 Castello di Volpaia Chianti Classico– Red and black fruits intermingled with spice, earthy character, and some slight oxidative notes (seem to add complexity). Flavors of sour cherry, strawberries, and ethereal smoky notes. The oak is very well-integrated with ripe tannins and a classic sangiovese acidity profile.  Finishes with moderate complexity.

The Modernists (Armani and Jean Paul Gaultier mash-up) :

2008 Castello di Brolio Chianti Classico – Concentrated ripe black fruit with some savory notes and evidence vanilla and judicious use of new wood. Flavors of chocolate, extracted fruit (plum, black cherries) give this wine power.  Tannins are ripe and polished and acidity is only medium. Wine shows good complexity and its modern oak inspired edge.

2009 Brancaia Chianti Classico Riserva – Loads of dark cherries, sweet oak, new leather and earthiness.  Gobs of fruit make this a bold styled Chianti Classico. Tannins are silky and acidity is less than in more classic expressions of Sangiovese. There is a healthy dose of French oak in use. here  Clearly a modern style (Merlot is very much in evidence)  that is well put together and impresses with its power and sweet oak.

Fontodi Flaccianello

The IGT’s (The 100% Sangiovese outsiders that could define the region):

2008 Felsina Fontalloro – Good aromatic intensity of candied cherries, black and blue fruits, sweet French oak and vanilla, with hints of earth. The palate reveals structured tannins and classic bright acidity that help balance the curvaceous body. Flavors of black cherries, plum, and blueberries are interwoven with chocolate, and a mineral character. This wine is both power and grace, showing a long complex finish albeit with a modern edge.

2008 Isole e Olena Cepparello – Floral, raspberry, red cherry aromas backed by leather, oak and vanilla.  Tannins are polished and ripe and acidity dances on the edge of the tongue. This is a medium plus plus bodied wine with flavors of Mulberry, vanilla, tar, black fruit that finishes very long and complex. Amazing balance of all the components.  A fabulous wine!

2007 Fontodi Flaccianello – Aromas of rose peddles, perfume, sandalwood, cinnamon spice, vanilla, and black cherries, in a word amazing! Structured tannins that give this wine staying power. The acidity gives poise and lifts the flavors of spice, black pepper, black currant, and dark cherries. The finish is elegant, beautifully structured with a complexity rivaled by very few wines. A masterpiece that shows what other 100% sangiovese wine should aspire to.

The post Not all Chianti is the same, some are indeed Classico (and others should be)! appeared first on vintuba.com.

Chianti Classico

A few days ago I reported that there were changes afoot in Chianti Classico, well those changes have been officially decided on by the Chianti Classico Consortium after they voted by a wide majority to approve the measures, proposed by the board of directors to revamp the denomination. This vote allows the consortium to proceed with creating a new category of Chianti Classico at the top of the quality pyramid. Furthermore the emblematic Gallo Nero (Black Rooster) currently present on the governmental seal, denoting Chianti Classico D.O.C.G., will be relocated to the neck of the bottle to increase its visibility.

There has been much heated debate about these changes over the last many months, but most of the producers I spoke to, during my current trip to the region, were in full support of the measure, and yesterday’s vote saw the biggest participation of general assembly members in the past 30 years. When the gavel fell the Chianti Classico Wine Consortium members had approved a set of measures marking a historic turning point for the Chianti Classico DOCG.

Here is what was decided:

Creation of a new qualitative pyramid: approval was given to the proposal to create a top quality level for the Chianti Classico qualitative pyramid, which currently is limited to two different levels ; regular Chianti Classico “vintage” and Chianti Classico Riserva “reserve”.

This new kind level of Chianti Classico, whose name the assembly will define in coming months, will exclusively denote the Chianti Classico wines made from grapes grown solely on the producing wineries estate. So grapes sourced from other wineries or purchased in bulk will not be allowed for inclusion in the top-level wine. Furthermore, the minimum ageing of this new level of wine will be set at 30 months from grape harvest, with a minimum three months spent in the bottle. For Riserva wines the mandated ageing period remains two years, and for Chianti Classico a minimum of 12 months.

Further defining “Riserva”: Even the Riserva, which accounts for 30% of the amount produced and 40% of the denomination’s value, was involved in the revamping. While the maturation period remains unchanged, the new fact is that the vintner has to declare wine destination, i.e. whether he or she intends to make a Riserva when applying for certification. In effect the producer makes a more conscientious decision, in the production stage already deciding which grapes should be destined for the various types of wine.

Gallo Nero makeover: the trademark black rooster, that since 2005, represents the entire denomination and has that since then has been present on the state neckband seal for all producers of Chianti Classico (whether belonging to the consortium or not) will be graphically re-styled and relocated from the official seal to the neck of the bottle, in an effort to make it more visible on the bottle.

So what happens next? Well the consortium will now present this proposal ratified by its members will be put before the Italian Ministry of Agriculture and forestry who oversees the D.O.C. and D.O.C.G. regulations. He then will decide whether or not to present it to the E.U. Wine Commission who will have the ultimate say in whether or not to enact the proposed changes. If it passes all approval hurdles consumers should see the new labeling terms starting with the release of the 2013 vintage of Chianti Classico wines.

The Chianti Classico region and its producers continue to look to the future and how they can improve the level of quality of their wines. Stay tuned for more in the coming weeks and days on what some producers are doing to cement their place on the roster of world-class wine estates.

The post Changes in Tuscany (Chianti Classico revamps its denomination) appeared first on vintuba.com.

Pentecost in Castellino in Chianti "Sotto Le Volte"

I had the pleasure of dinning with the Director General of the Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico, Giuseppe Liberatore, last night in Castellini in Chianti, Italy for the Conzorzio’s annual Pentecost in Castellina in Chianti at the “Sotto Le Volte”.  We spoke in depth about the region and what the future holds for arguably one of Tuscany’s most important quality regions, he shared with me that the Consorzio is set to take a landmark vote on a motion to amend the quality levels for the wines produced in this region.  Currently there are two general quality levels that appear on the label, Chianti Classico and Chianti Classico Riserva, the difference between the two being that the Riserva level is aged for a longer period before its release and thus usually represents a more complex expression of the region.  Wine only labeled Chianti Classico is therefore a more youthful interpretation of the region.

• Classico (classic): is reserved for wines produced in the region where a particular type of wine has been produced “traditionally”. For the Chianti Classico, this “traditional region” is defined by a decree from July 10, 1932. Usually a relatively young wine rich in fruit that is put on the market on October 1^st a year following the vintage year.
• Riserva (reserve): may be used only for wines that have been aged at least two years, with at least three consisting of ageing in bottle.

The proposed changes that Giuseppe shared with me are intent to add a third quality level that would sit at the top of the new proposed “quality pyramid”, this top level (the name is yet to be determined) would be required to be made from grapes coming exclusively from the estate vineyards of the producers, currently there exist no such legislation.  A further proposed change is that producers will now need to declare their wines as Riserva level at harvest and need to submit their Riserva wines  to a tasting panel for approval before release.  All these changes are intended to further secure the quality of the regions wines. A further change is that the emblematic Black Rooster, Gallo Nero, is to play more prominent role  on the packaging of the wines, and its placement on the bottle regulated.  This is a move intended to help further distinguish these wines from the wines labeled simply Chianti, which come from a far broader region of Tuscany.

Giuseppe Liberatore, Directore Generale, Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico

This historic vote on changing Chianti Classico’s future will take place on Monday the 28^th and involve all 350 members.  Giuseppe shared that this is sure to be a contentious day of debate and voting, and shared with me that the last time this issue was discussed the Consorzio members debated for 9 hours straight with no break for lunch!   If the Chianti Classico members agree to accept the new proposed regulation changes it will then be put before the Italian Ministry of Agriculture and forestry who oversees the D.O.C. and D.O.C.G. regulations.  He then will decide whether or not to present it to the E.U. Wine Commission who will have the ultimate say in whether or not to enact the proposed changes.   If it passes all approval hurtles consumers should see the new labeling terms starting with the release of the 2013 vintage of Chianti Classico wines.

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Inspired by the book, “Ribolla Gialla Oslavia:  The Invisible Part of a Wine,” we travel to a little village in Italy called Oslavia that has been gaining popularity in the wine world for producing non-traditional, original wines with the Ribolla Gialla grape.  The battle ground for both 20th century world wars, this area experienced complete destruction only to have strong independent winemakers return to replant its vineyards and rebuild.  With Ribolla Gialla, you can drink Oslavia’s history.

Find us on iTunes and never miss an episode.

The post The Stories Behind Wine Episode 2 – Oslavia – Drinking History appeared first on vintuba.com.

According to a La Presse  article, brought to my attention by Dr. Vino, James Suckling was paid a total of $24,000 by SAQ  the Quebec state-owned wine monopoly for tasting notes of wines in their inventory.  These tasting notes appeared on both his site and that of the SAQ. Both James and the SAQ have denied any impropriety and exchange of monies, however thanks to the Canadian freedom of information law La Presse got their hands on documents that revealed that Mr. Suckling did indeed receive directly a total of $24,000.

This is disappointing but sadly not surprising given the state of the traditional wine media.  However I think it would be important to know on what contingency this money was paid?  Was it paid on the condition of favorable reviews of the wines or was Mr. Suckling free to review and score the wines objectively? Is objectivity  even possible when you get paid for review? Now this exchange of money could have been all above-board but the mere fact that it was denied and not disclosed certainly tends to hint at some impropriety.

What are your thoughts?

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It turns out that Physiologists at the University made the discovery that men who drink two pints of beer where more able to tackle brain teasers than those who were sober, imagine how much sharper their mind would have been had they decided to sip on Grüner Veltliner, not to mention how much cooler they would have looked (justsayin)! FYI- researchers were quick to point out that getting sloshed did not increase the results or increase the test subjects ability to solve the very complicated dating brain teaser.

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There is so much information available about wine these days.  Alcohol levels, scores, facts, tasting notes, personal opinions.  It can be overwhelming.  Amidst all this chatter, we have found ourselves going back to the beginning.  Wine materializes from the land, people, climate, history, earth and we are seeking to find those elements that bring wine to life.  The Stories Behind Wine is a series where we look at wine from outside the bottle.

Episode 1 – Port

History-Science-Party

We talk to Nick Poleto Director of wine education for Kobrand Imports. Get out your smoking jacket, light up your cigars and kick back to the soothing tales of Port.

The post The Stories Behind Wine Episode 1 – Port appeared first on vintuba.com.

I am very excited to announce that The Center for Wine Origins and I have organized the inaugural Port Day celebration for Friday, January 27th, 2012.  Why did we do this you may ask?  Well, I personally feel that Port, which incidentally only comes from Portugal, deserves not only wider recognition as one of the vinous wonders of the world but that there is a lot opportunity to  expose the broader wine drinking public to this beverage.  This day is an opportunity for not only producers, but wine educators, geeks, blogs, mainstream media, and the general public to put down their Cabernet and Chardonnay and join in a global celebration and education centered around Port.

Participating is easy. Join the#PortDay celebrations online by blogging, tweeting, posting and sharing your thoughts about this exceptional wine by using the#PortDay hashtag. Or, you can host or join one of the numerous retail and restaurant tastings that are being planned in locations across the United States.

REGISTER HERE:

If you are interested in hosting an event please contact me at info (at) vintuba (dot) com

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Thanks again to all that participated in the 2011 iteration of #ChampagneDay and I hope to see you all for #ChampagneDay 2012 next year.

#ChampagneDay Thank you -

On Friday October 28th 2011 the world celebrated the 2nd annual installment of  #ChampagneDay.  #ChampagneDay was started last year by yours truly for no other reason then to educate wine lovers around the globe on the true uniqueness of this exhilarating beverage called Champagne. The goal was to bring together people from all over the world and  have them discover, discuss, and enjoy REAL Champagne, which comes only from the region of the same name located in northeastern France.  The first installment in 2010 was a humble effort supported by The Champagne Bureau in Washington DC, Whole Foods in Alexandria, Virginia, Champagne Tainttinger, Vintank, Becky Sue Epstein, Ed Thralls, and many many more Facebookers, Tweeters, and other IRL supporters.

The 2nd annual 2011 installment of #ChampagneDay was off to a roaring start.  I received too many email to count from countless individuals, wine educators, businesses and producers on how they could participate.  What excited me most about this is that many wanted to host events and organize get-together in their local area, which was exactly what I had envisioned for this day all along, people getting together to celebrate, educate, enjoy, and most of all build relationships. I was fortunate to hosted an event with Master Sommelier Andrea Immer Robinson here in Napa at the Westin Verasa.  The educational event consisted of a Champagne Overview Class – led by me (Christian Oggenfuss, DWS just incase you were wondering who the heck “me” is) (link here to the presentation), A Champagne Master Class – led by Andrea Immer Robinson, MS, and A Champagne and Food Pairing seminar led by Chef Ken Frank and Andrea Immer Robinson, MS. To see the wines we tasted see below.  We had a total of 140 RSVPs for the three seminars and we’re humbled by the positive feedback. Events were also hosted in Sydney Australia, Reims France, Loire Valley, France, New York, London, Boston, Argentina, LA, Seattle, Palm Beach, Washington DC, Hong Kong, and I am sure many more that we did not even know about.   Here are some brief stats for the day: People reached- 1.7 Million, Impressions 3.3 million, individual tweets 7,300 and this is just for the 24 hour period on October 28th 2011.

Here are the wines we enjoyed at our Napa event:

Champagne Overview with Christian Oggenfuss, DWS (link to slide deck here)
Piper-Heidsieck Brut NV
G.H. Mumm Rosé
Paul Goerg 2002 Blanc de Blancs – the surprise hit of the evening

Champagne Master Class with Andrea Immer Robinson, MS
Non-Vintage Champagnes
Henroit Brut Souv
Ployez-Jacquemart Brut NV
Duval-Leroy Brut NV
Moet Imperial Brut NV
Tarland Zero Dosage NV – a stand out of the evening
Blanc de Blancs Champagnes
Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs

Rosé Champagnes
Henroit Rosé Brut NV
Moet & Chandon Nectar Imperial Rosé

Vintage Champagnes
Duval Leroy Clos de Bouveries 2004
Dom Perignon 2000
Gosset Grand Millesime 2000 – another favorite of the evening

Champagne Food Pairing with Chef Ken Frank and Andrea Immer Robinson, MS
Charles Heidsieck Brut paired with Duck and Foie Gras Rilettes Duval Leroy Rosé
Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque 2004  paired with Gravlax on Toasted Brioche
G.H. Mumm, Mumm de Cramant Blanc de Blancs paired with Lightly Curried Crabmeat Salad
Duval Leroy Brut Rosé paired with Beef Carpaccio with Smoky Aioli and Burgundy Truffle
Joseph Perrier Champagne Cuvee Royale Demi Sec NV paired with Chilled Lobster with Lemongrass and Mango

Surprise Wine during Pairing session – Gossett Celebris Blanc de Blancs  Extra Brut MV – an audience favorite

Thanks again to all that participated in the 2011 iteration of #ChampagneDay and I hope to see you all for #ChampagneDay 2012 next year.

The post Global #ChampagneDay October 28th 2011 – A Thank You appeared first on vintuba.com.

Why is it that whenever someone attempts to describe exotic meats like rattlesnake, frog legs, or alligator they say it taste like chicken? Is it because we fail to recognize the subtleties of texture and flavor? Or perhaps we are at a loss for descriptive words? Or maybe we are just lazy? How does one describe the taste of chicken? Surly not be saying it tastes like rattlesnake, frog legs, or alligator!

What I have observed over the years is a wine world equivalent to the ‘taste like chicken’ phenomenon.  Especially where Pinot Noir, Bordeaux, and Rhône varieties are concerned. I have time and again (and I am sure you have too!) heard winemakers, journalist, wine-geeks, etc describe wines produced from the aforementioned grapes that herald from lesser known regions with less pedigree, as tasting Burgundian,  Right or Left Bank Bordeaux like, Cote Rotie or Chateauneuf-du-Pape like (aka chicken).

Now I know what they are attempting to do is put the wine in a context that communicates whether the wines have characteristics that are correct to the variety, but comparing the wines from other regions to more famous ones may seem like a compliment, however it is actually quite the opposite. You see I am a firm believer that a wine should taste like and have the characteristics of the place in which it was grown and vilified.  I don’t want my Santa Barbara or Central Otago Pinot Noir to taste like a Cote de Nuit otherwise why not just by the real thing?  It should taste like the region in which it was grown, and journalist, winemakers, and wine geeks should embrace this notion. How many times have you heard Chablis described as very “Californian”? or a Corton-Charlemagne as so Oregon like? Not that this would be an insult by any means, but these regions and wines have earned their goût de terroir stripes over 100s of years.  By continuing to compare all Pinot Noirs to Burgundy, Cabernet Sauvignons to Bordeaux, and Syrah’s to the Northern Rhone, we are discounting the influence of terroir in these other regions.  Is it not time that we do the lesser known regions and the new world wine world the favor of stopping the comparisons to their old world brethren? After all, the only thing that truly taste like chicken is chicken!

The post The ‘tastes like chicken’ phenomenon that is killing terroir! appeared first on vintuba.com.

I was graciously invited, along with Rick Bakas, by Andrea Robinson, Master Sommelier, to be on her live Thanksgiving Wine & Food pairing show this last Sunday. It was so much fun to meet the celebrity winemaker guests including; Janet Trefethen, Joseph Wagner, and Cyril Chappellet.  Watch the video and then head over to Andrea’s website to vote on your favorite wine to pair with Turkey.

The post Thanksgiving Wine+Food Chat w/ Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson appeared first on vintuba.com.

On October 5^th 2010 I had a “come to Jesus” meeting with Beaujolais.  I had on many occasions thoroughly enjoyed Cru Beaujolais, but rarely if ever ordered them from a wine list or grabbed them from a wine store shelf. Not because I didn’t like them, I had loved them in the past, but because they where not in the forefront of my mind. I mean how often do you hear anyone talking about Beaujolais unless it is to speak ill of Beaujolais nouveau.

Ok so back to my religious awakening. So I got the opportunity to try the new 2009 vintage of the Cru Beaujolais at RN74 in San Francisco.  I was a guest of the Inter Beaujolais, the trade organization that is in charge of promoting the region and funded by the French government. This is just one of the perks that a wine-geek and blogger gets, besides the look of disdain from “traditional” media when you mention you blog about wine.  Any way I digress. The event was entitled “Fusion by Beaujolais” and its goal was to highlight the regions vinous virtues by pairing the much-heralded 2009 vintage of Cru wines with an Asian influenced four-course menu.  Nonetheless, I was not about to have my palate influenced by a bunch of bureaucrats. But I must admit they were on to something!

But before we get the day’s highlights let me give you the 5 cent tour of the Beaujolais region.  All the red wines from the Beaujolais region, which is regarded administratively as part of Burgundy but geologically as part of the northern Rhone, are vinified from the thin-skinned, prolific early-ripening Gamay grape. These grapes, by law must be harvested by hand. The region is stilled made up of many small independent growers and vignerons. The greater Beaujolais region is divided into two; The Haut-Beaujolais of the north and the Bas-Beaujolais of the south. Granite tends to dominate the northern Haut-Beaujolais where the wines of the Beaujolais-villages and Crus come from. The Cru wines account for a quarter of the production and are AOC labeled with the village name that they herald from; there are ten in all. So get yourself ready to meet the 10 Motley Crus of Beaujolais:

• Saint-Amour – The wines from Saint-Amour are noted for their spicy flavors with aromas of peaches. Soils of mixed granite, clay, and schist.
  

• Juliénas-This cru is based around the village named after Julius Caesar. Soil is clay mixed with sandy granite.
• Chénas – the smallest Cru Beaujolais with wines that are noted for their aroma of wild roses. Soil is pure sandy grantie mixed with some gravel.
• Moulin-à-Vent – Wines are very similar to the nearby Chénas. This region produces some of the longest lasting examples of Beaujolais wine, with some wines lasting up to ten years. Some producers will age their Moulin-à-Vent in oak, which gives these wines more tannin and structure than other Beaujolais wines. The phrase fûts de chêne (oak casks) will sometimes appear on the wine label of these oak aged wines The resulting wine from Moulin-à-Vent are the most full bodied and powerful examples in Beaujolais. Soils are dominated by manganese and salmon pink granite.
• Fleurie – One of the most widely exported Cru Beaujolais into the United States. These wines often have a velvet texture with fruity and floral bouquet. The slopes are east facing and the soil is made up of pink granite shingles.
• Chiroubles – This cru has vineyards at the highest altitudes among the Cru Beaujolais. Chiroubles cru are noted for their delicate perfume that often includes aromas of violets. Soils are pure granite with fine clay sand.
• Morgon – Produces earthy wines that can take on a Burgundian character of silky texture after five years aging. These wines are generally the deepest color and most rich Cru Beaujolais behind Moulin-à-Vent with aromas of red cherries, apricots and peaches.  The soils here are called roches pourries or “rotten rocks” and are composed of decomposed schist and iron.
• Régnié – The most recently recognized Cru, One of the more fuller bodied crus It is noted for its red currant and raspberry flavors. Local lore in the region states that this Cru was the site of the first vineyards planted in Beaujolais by the Romans. Soils are part sandy granite and part schist.
• Brouilly - The largest Cru in Beaujolais, The wines are noted for their aromas of blueberries, cherries, raspberries and currants. Soils here are varied with granite, schist, river alluvium, and sandy clay.
• Côte de Brouilly – Located on the higher slopes of the extinct volcano Mont Brouilly. The wines from this region are more deeply concentrated with less earthiness than Brouilly wine. Soils are composed of granite with blue diorite and schist.

The Bas-Beaujolais is a different in soil make up of the north, here limestone rains supreme and many say it is not the ideal soil for the Gamay grape and thus is responsible for the often boring regular old Beaujolais, Beaujolais Supérieure, and of course Beaujolais nouveau. As you can see there is a lot more to Beaujolais then just nouveau!

Here is a little background on Beaujolais nouveau. For those that may not be familiar; Beaujolais Nouveau began as a local French phenomenon being served in the local bars, cafes, and bistros of Beaujolais and Lyons. Each fall the new Beaujolais would arrive with much fanfare. In pitchers filled from the grower’s barrels, an eager population consumed the wine. This was wine made for fast consumption (and even faster generation of cash flow for the producers) to be consumed while the better Beaujolais Villages and Crus were taking a more leisurely course to market. This French phenomenon quickly spread to neighboring countries in the 70’s, to England in the 80’s and finally to the U.S. in the 90’s.

By French law, Beaujolais Nouveau is to be released no earlier than the third Thursday of November. However, it is hard to believe that this wine was, just a few weeks earlier, a mere cluster of grapes hanging on a vine. These grapes, 100% Gamay incidentally, are harvested, rushed through a rapid fermentation (using the carbonic maceration method), and a speedy bottling to insure that they are ready to fly out the door in advance of their November release date.  Thanks to brilliant marketing and sales savvy, by the time it is all said and done, over 65 million bottles of Beaujolais’ nouveau, nearly half of the region’s total annual production, will be distributed and drunk around the world. Such is the fever that has been created that it has become a worldwide race to be the first to serve to this new wine of the harvest. In doing so, it has been carried by motorcycle, balloon, truck, helicopter, Concorde jet, elephant, runners and rickshaws to get it to its final destination.  So one would think that this stuff is good right? I mean if 65 million bottles are sold and people are lining up around the world, Well the truth is it is actually just a couple of notches up from battery acid, in my humble “everyman’s wine snob’ opinion. Furthermore it has been credited, rightly so, for giving the rest of the Beaujolais region, an undeserved, bad reputation.

Ok, enough about the French battery acid that is Beaujolais nouveau let me tell you about the oft sublime, low alcohol, fruit forward, food friendly, and 100% Gamay wines that are the Beaujolais –villages and Beaujolais Crus, and which I had occasion to sample at RN74 in San Francisco. I am SUPER excited about these wines, that’s right I am excited enough to spell out super in all caps.  Each pairing was introduced by none-other then acclaimed Sommelier Rajat Parr, the wine director of Mina Group of restaurants. Raj paired the wines with Asian influenced French cuisine, here is my recap.

First Course

YUMM!

The Food:

Sautéed Pork Belly – Honshimeji Mushrooms, Leeks, Ginger, Barrel Aged Tamari. This was such an exquisite dish, and I am a sucker for Pork Belly! The Asian flavors just exploded in my mouth, and the texture of the Pork Belly was just incredible.

The Wines:

Domaine de Colette Beaujolais Villages 2009 – Wine was more extracted then I would have thought possible from Beaujolais, let alone a Villages level wine, it showed deep colors and aromas of ripe cherry, cranberry and strawberries. Less acid then I would have expected but the mouth feel offered a medium plus body, which was supple, round and nicely textured. Lacked acid to make it a perfect match for the Pork Belly, but nonetheless delicious!

Price at retail is $13   Score = B

Duboeuf Beajolais Villages 2009 – The initial aromatic impression of this wine was that of cotton candy and sweet fruit, which lead me to believe that this pairing was not going to work. However, I was wrong, the wine showed ripe flavors of blackberries, cherries, and cassis. The mouth feel was plush with primary sweet fruit juiciness and had enough acidity to pair beautifully with the dish.  The acid and sweet fruit complimented the Asian spices and fattiness of Pork Belly.  A home-run in my book.

Price at retail is $8   Score = A

Second Course

Heaven

The Food:

Roasted Quail- Chanterelle Mushrooms, Caramelized Onion, Burnt Orange. The Quail was out of this world good! It was tender and delicate and beautifully spiced.

The Wines:

Villa Ponciago “la Reserve” Fleurie 2009 – This was perhaps the most disappointing wine of the day. At first whiff I picked up a reductive quality and burnt rubber that overshadowed the muted fruit. In the mouth the wine showed good acid and simple red berry flavors. Overall a disappointment.

Price at retail is $15   Score = C-

Raosset Chiroubles 2009 – In a word Delicious! The nose is driven by primary fruit and floral aromas of violets, cherries, cranberries, and cotton candy. The palate shows medium plus acid, juiciness, low tannin, medium minus body, lower alcohol and a purity of bright fruit flavors consisting of red cherries, cranberries, canned apricots. It paired well with the delicateness of the Quail flavors and the acid extenuated the rich texture of the butter-roasted fowl.

Price at retail is $13   Score = B+

Raosset Grille Midi Fleurie 2009 – Another great example of what Beaujolais can be. This had richer fruit aromas then the previous wine offering up dark cherries, plums syrup, and sweet backing spice.  The wine starts dry with a medium minus body, medium plus acid, balanced alcohol, and medium plus flavors cherries, flowers, spice, and green strawberries. This wine allowed the dish to shine while cleansing the palate with its refreshing acidity and lively fruit.

Price at retail is $20   Score = B+

Domaine Dupeuble 2009 – Described by Par as a wine designed for easy drinking, however I found it to offer some complexity not found in many wines at this price point. On the nose it showed aromas of laser sharp red berry fruit, candied cherries, violets, and cinnamon.  The palate is concentrated (for a Beaujolais) with mouthwatering acid, supple tannins, medium body and flavors of sour cherries, raspberries, red and black current and caramelized sugar. The finish is complex and as delicious as the first sip.

Price at retail is $13   Score = A

Main Course

Fusion goodness!

The Food:

Braised Beef Short Ribs – Sour Cherry, Star Anise, Szechwan Pepper, Bone Marrow Dumplings. Another culinary stunner that offered tones of flavors, I loved this dish but wondered initially how the wines would hold up to this gustatory power play.

The Wines:

Christian Vergiers Morgon 2009 – The nose was clean with medium aromas of roses, red cherries, and boysenberry. Medium light body, with lower then expected acid, light tannins, but shows extracted flavors of black fruits that offer some complexity to an otherwise uninteresting wine.

Price at retail is $17   Score = C-

Maison Louis Tete “Les Charmeuse” Morgon 2009 – This was a wine had the most Pinot like quality of any of the wines I tasted in the lineup. The nose offered enticing aromas of nutmeg spice, cloves, violets, roses, and lots of juicy red fruit. The palate offered a medium body, medium plus acid, nice integrated tannin, and balance alcohol. The flavors here where more extracted then in previous wines, offering plums, black cherries, raspberries, underlain with earthy notes and spice. The finish offered both juicy acid and great complexity not usually seen in Beaujolais, even Rajat Parr agreed that it would be hard to peg this wine, in a blind tasting, as a Beaujolais rather then a Pinot from the Cote Chalonnaise. One of the surprise finds of the luncheon, and at the price point worth buying by the case!

Price at retail is $15   Score = A

Chateau Des Jacques Louis Jadot “Clos de Rochergres” Moulin-A-Vent 2009- Opening aromas of earth and some reductive qualities followed by a very muted nose, not at all what I expected from this wine.  The palate impression revealed bright acid, slight oily texture with low tannin and medium minus alcohol. Fortunately the flavors were more impressive then the aromas, showing savory beef jerky, and tart mostly red fruit. The wine was a disappointment considering its reputation, provenance, and price point. It also did not stand up to the flavors of the food pairing when compared to the other wines.

Price at retail is $30   Score = C

Henry Fessy Moulin-A-Vent 2009- What the previous Moulin-A-Vent lacked this one made up for.  The nose was a little muted but aromas of red cherries, blueberries, blackberries fought their way through.  The palate showed bright acid, balanced alcohol, firm yet light tannin that gave this wine a medium body. Flavors of light oak, licorice, black currant, blackberries and cherries. The finish was complex and considerably lengthier then the previous wines.  This is a true example of the wines that the Cru of Moulin-A-Vent is capable of producing.

Price at retail is $17   Score = A+

Like I said earlier this was a true religious awakening for me as I was reminded of what I had been missing for so long. Lower alcohol wines that are fun and don’t break the bank or your liver. I could now finally stop my very public bellyaching about how it is so hard to find red wines that offer lower alcohol, brighter acid, and food matching affinities. They have existed all along in the wines of Haut Beaujolais.  They had merely been overshadowed by their battery acid cousin Beaujolais nouveau to the south and their regal cousin red Burgundy to the north. If you, like me, truly enjoy wines that compliment food, rather then dominant them then the Cru wines of Beaujolais deserve your earnest attention.  You get a lot more bang for your buck from these wines then you ever would from similarly priced Pinot Noirs.

Say hello to the Motley Crus of Beaujolais and remember Wine is truly a journey of discovery not merely the destination of an empty bottle.

As my friend Josh from DrinkNectar.com always says Drink Happy!

Chris Oggenfuss, DWS

The post My come to Jesus meeting with Beaujolais appeared first on vintuba.com.

Celebrate
the wonders of the Zinfandel grape on ALL social media sites

Friday,
November 19^th 2010

This event is going to be a global 24-hour celebration taking place both virtually and
in-person.

Use
the #Zinfandel hash tag when posting on Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Gowalla,
blogs and all the other sites you hang out on. Search the hash tag on
social sites to see what other wine drinkers a

re saying. You’ll be able
to connect and chat with other Zin drinkers around the world.

Click here to
Organize your own #Zinfandel get together

So how do I take part in Zinfandel day?

Easy, just buy a
bottle (or several) of Zinfandel. Invite over some friends, and enjoy great wine and company.

On the DAY
(that’s right the event lasts a whole 24 hours) of the event, gather your
bottle or bottles of Zinfandel, friends and enjoy. We have even set up a way
for you to organize your own TweetUp, MeetUp, or whateverUp event http://www.meetup.com/Zinfandel

If you are social
media inclined we recommend you participate and follow along by logging into
your favorite social media site and use the #zinfandel hash tag when posting
your comments about Zinfandel. You
can then also search the hash tag on social sites to see what other wine
drinkers are saying. If you are using Twitter we suggest using a Twitter
management software (We love both HootSuite,
and Tweetdeck but there are others) and
set up a search column for #Zinfandel,
which will be the hash tag you use to keep up with your fellow Zinfandel
drinkers from around the globe.

Of course you can
also join in via Facebook, Ustream or whatever other social media network you
love.

Not social media
inclined? Don’t worry the important thing is that you gather friends and enjoy
some great wine after all what is wine if not shared?

A
list of Wineries where you can go participate in person:

NAPA

MORE SOON

Need some help with some food
pairing suggestions:

Check these links out:

http://www.zinfandelic.com/zinfandel-wine-food-pairing.html

http://articles.sfgate.com/2002-10-16/food/17565593_1_olive-oil-eggplant-zinfandel

More Information on Zinfandel can be found here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinfandel

The post Global #Zinfandel Day Nov 19th appeared first on vintuba.com.

Wine Soiree

The post Wine Soiree- An interview with Andrew Lazorchak appeared first on vintuba.com.

Braised pork over rustic polenta

2009 Forefront Pinot Gris and Braised Pork Shoulder with Rustic Oven Polenta

Ingredients

For Pork Shoulder

• 6 ounces pancetta, finely chopped
• 2 medium red onions, sliced thinly
• 1 bone-in pork shoulder approx. 6-7 pounds
• 1 teaspoons coarse sea salt
• 1 teaspoons fresh ground pepper
• ½ tsp chili powder
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 head garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons toasted and ground fennel seed
• 1 teaspoons ground coriander seeds
• 2 cups of dry rosé wine
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock

For Polenta:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for grilling or sautéing if desired
• 3/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 quart chicken stock or broth
• 1 cup coarse ground cornmeal
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 ounces Parmesan, grated

Directions

Braised Pork

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Crisp pancetta in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat, until fat is rendered, about 10 minutes. Transfer pancetta  to a plate using a slotted spoon.
• Add onion to Dutch oven. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon.
• Season Pork with sea salt and pepper. Add oil to Dutch oven, and sear pork, fat side down, until golden, about 5 minutes. Flip over and repeat.
• Add garlic and other spices to pot. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the wine, stock, pancetta, and onions; bring to a simmer. Transfer to oven, and braise pork, covered, basting every hour, until meat is falling off the bone, about 4 hours.
• Remove meat and shred, drizzle with the warm simmer jus.

Polenta

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees (same temp as for Braised pork.)
• In a large, oven-safe saucepan heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the red onion and salt and sweat until the onions begin to turn translucent, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to low, add the garlic, and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, making sure the garlic does not burn.
• Turn the heat up to high, add the chicken stock, bring to a boil.
• Gradually add the cornmeal while continually whisking. Once you have added all of the cornmeal, cover the pot and place it in the oven.
• Cook for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to prevent lumps. Once the mixture is creamy, remove from the oven and add the butter, salt, and pepper. Once they are incorporated, gradually add the Parmesan.
• Serve as is

The Wine:

2009 Forefront Pinot Gris

95% Pinot Gris and 5% Gewürztraminer. Willamette Valley, Oregon

Price $16

The clear light yellow core gives way to a watery white rim. The nose is clean with medium intense bright youthful aromas of fresh green apple, white flowers, white peach and a hint of lemon zest. The initial sense on the palate is that the alcohol may be little out of balance but this gives way to medium acid and medium plus intense flavors of apple skin, peaches, citrus pith and a slight bitter almond note. The wine has a medium long finish that is punctuated by the wines fruit.

The Verdict on the pairing:

The Pinot Gris offered a very nice juxtaposition to the savory elements of the braised pork shoulder and to the creaminess of the polenta. The wines aromatics and flavors acted almost as a condiment to this already very flavorful dish.  I found the wine to be a great alternative to red wine and just reinforces my firm believe that  white wines tend to pair better with white meats then full-bodied reds.

Bon appétit and santé,

ChrisO

The post Wine & Food Pairing: 2009 Forefront Pinot Gris and Braised Pork Shoulder appeared first on vintuba.com.

VIEW EventBrite Invitation and RSVP

Join in a global #CHAMPAGNE tasting with friends from around the globe!

You can partake in person or online, all you will need is a bottle of #champagne and a willingness to share your thoughts.

We think that life is worth celebrating with #Champagne, great friends, and  great food every day, not just on October 28th.

So how do I take part in Champagne day?

Easy, just buy a bottle (or several) of Champagne (remember REAL Champagne comes only from the Champagne region of France). Invite over some friends, and enjoy the bubbles.

On the DAY (that’s right the event lasts a whole 24 hours) of the event, gather your champagne and friends and enjoy. We have even set up a way for you to organize your own MeetUp event http://www.meetup.com/Champagne-Day-Meetup/

If you are social media inclined we recommend you  participate and follow along on Twitter by logging into your favorite Twitter management software (We love both HootSuite, and Tweetdeck but there are others) and set up a search column for #champagne, which will be the hashtag you use to keep up with your fellow Champagne drinkers from around the globe.

Of course you can also join in via Facebook, Ustream or whatever other social media network you love.

Not social media inclined? Don’t worry the important thing is that you gather friends and enjoy some great wine after all what is wine if not shared?

Do you have any food pairing suggestions?

Well heck yea we do! But we want to encourage you to be creative and blaze your own path. After all it is hard to go wrong with Champagne because of all the wines out there it is probably one of the most versatile wines for food.

If you still need some suggestions here you go.

Classics pairings would include:

• Caviar
• Lobster
• Oysters
• Sushi
• Risotto
• Popcorn and potato chips
• Scrambled eggs
• Any mushroom dish

Outside the box pairings:

• Deep fried foods, such as fried chicken, french fries or calamari
• Mexican food
• Chocolate Covered Pretzels

Why are you organizing this?

To that we say why not?  Our mission is to encourage people pause their hectic schedules, to take time to celebrate their lives, friends, and loved ones by enjoying the wonders of Champagne. We truly believe that Champagne is not just for special occasions such as New Year’s celebrations, weddings and the “special moments” in life. We DO belief that your life is worth celebrating more often.

We also hope to educate people on what makes Champagne unique. All Champagne is sparkling wine but not all sparkling wine is Champagne.  Oh yea and we want to have some fun too!

Date and time:

Thursday October 28^th 12:01 am to 12pm PST. We have chosen to make this a 24 hour event so that our friends from around the globe can participate.

In the immortal words of Madam Lily Bollinger:

“I drink it when I’m happy and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone.
When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I’m not hungry and I drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it, unless I’m thirsty.”

A sentiment worthy of a celebration!

Cheers!

Vive La Champagne

The post October 28th 2010 is Global #Champagne Day appeared first on vintuba.com.

six and 1/2 dozen of the other please!

I have been quiet for a little longer then I would have liked on the whole issue of wine ratings and what they mean to the average wine consumer.  Recently the wine blog interwebs has been aflutter about the 100 point rating system and the purported badge alternative.

The OLD Problem:

It is no secret that I am not the big fan of the whole Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator, Stephen Tanzer, et all rating dominance, and the fact that they are helping to homogenize the wines of the world as winemakers and marketers look to have their wines conform to a few powerful influencer’s palates. These scores are by their very nature subjective and as such can never represent the likes and dislikes of the greater wine drinking public. Don’t get me wrong, I do not vehemently dislike the 100 point scale just because it is the 100 point scale, I do however vehemently dislike what it has done in the hands of a few powerful wine reviewer oligarchs, and how it has influenced the wines of the world,the wines that I enjoy! I would argue in a bad way!  These reviewers and their scores are the enemy of subtlety, terroir, typicity, and character.

The NEW Solution????:

Recently Vintank, a company that consults in all things new-technology for the wine industry, and a few well respected wine bloggers, with names like; Steve Paulo (@stevepaulo), Ward Kadel (@drxeno), and Mark deVere (@markdevere) and Joe Roberts (@1winedude), came together and launched the new creative concept of wine badges  in an effort to sound the death knell for the 100 point rating system.  Here is the concept as explained by Paul Mabray at Vintank :

“It seems like a small thing, create a category for a wine that you believe in and assign a badge to it, explain the criteria openly and transparently, and only give those wines that you appreciate fit that category a badge.  Simple, elegant, but more importantly a TRUE representation of the quality you admire in the categories you create.  A wine fits or it doesn’t.  A wine earns an accolade or it doesn’t.  There is gradient of interpretation from an 88 to a 89 to a 90 score.  It wins accolade or it doesn’t based upon the category criteria.  If a wine doesn’t win a badge, that doesn’t mean its is bad, just that it didn’t fit that criteria.  These badges are a new crucial part of the wine rating eco-sphere and in the spirit of of the “Creative Commons” ethos, any retailer, wholesaler, winery, portal, et al can use the badges as long as they link back to the wine/badge description.  What a great tool to help exemplify a wines characteristics, create interesting content for wine retailers and wineries about the products they sell, and create a new language in helping make educated and fun choices on wine buying for consumers.”

The NEW Problem with the NEW Solution:

Sounds pretty cool doesn’t it?  I admire them for thinking outside the box, these are super smart chaps that know their wines. But to be quite honest with you I am not too convinced that this is the answer to the 100 point problem. It aims to make the wine world black or white, by declaring a wine badge worthy or not badge worthy. Wine my dear friends are complicated (well at least a great deal are) and require a rating system that acknowledge it inherent subtleties, and while the 100 point system is not perfect it allows for the ratings of those subtleties and when taken in combination with the tasting notes. Don’t get me wrong  the 100 point scoring system has it’s problems, chief among them is that in actuality it is the 50 point system (since all wine automatically gets 50  points), and that the most useful part, the tasting notes that accompanies the score, are all to often amputated from the scores in favor of the number. Sure one could search and find the description of the wine that the score was based on, but how many of us really do that?  The other flaw in the 100 point scale is that these are scores handed out by a few powerful subjective reviewers and do not speak to our collective tastes.  So how do badges make wine reviewing more approachable, democratic, or gives the consumer an idea of what to expect? Josh at drinknectar.com
wrote this “…people who know like and trust the author and have aligned themselves with their likes/dislikes. Implementing badges for your taste tribe seems to be a strong alternative to numerical scores. The badge conveys a wine category along with a recommendation from the reviewer.” Ok good point but how is this “solutions” any more or less subjective then other reviewing systems? Think about this for a minute how much more powerful would it be for all involved with the “taste tribe” if they where able to aggregate their scores and then base their decisions, on what wine to try or not, on their peers scores and notes?! Think of the Sommelier Journal solution applied on a broader scale.  What is the Sommelier Journal solution?  Let’s have David Vogles explain it (as he did in this interview with Tom Wark)

“we came up with this “boxplot,” which is a statistical analysis designed to show a consensus of a small group where they may be a wide range of opinion. It’s almost intentionally obscure, but it does provide what we call a “Snapshot” of the group’s evaluation”

(See an example in the graphic below)  Imagine if you could  scale this idea to your peer network and plot how a wine rates in your sphere of influence! Now we are

Sommelier Journal Boxplot

talking real POWER to the PEOPLE!  The true wine revolution will come when we can aggregate the reviews and scores of the many, not when we continue to fragment an all ready fragmented system by adding new and different reviewing systems to the mix.

The Hybrid Solution:

While the badges idea is to be commended for being new and creative, I think there is much work to be done until we find the solution. Why not leverage the system that already is in our psyche, the 100 point scale, after all we know at a glance what a point value means in terms of quality, right?! I mean we grew up getting points on tests, scoring them in games, and collecting them in loyalty programs. I do not feel that badges are the solution to making wine more approachable, or easier to understand, they are just simpler versions of the 100 point scale merely the representation of one persons preferences and opinions at a certain point in time. How will I know that I will like a wine if I see 20 different creative badges associated with it?  If I see the badge “Legit Juice” next to the badge “AwesomeWK” on a wine shelf talker or online wine description  how will it give me an indication of what to expect or if I will like it? Your are right it will NOT. I will however have an idea that I may like a wine if I see that 30 of my peers/friends/contacts on Cellar Tracker, Cork’d, Snooth, or the yet to be created web 3.0 or mobile equivalent  rated the wine highly, think Amazon, Yelp, Facebook, Digg, etc with a little bit of Sommelier Journal thrown in and you get the idea.

So the power in the true revolution will come if and when we can have access, at the point of purchase and need, to the reviews and rating of our own social circle.   What the retailer, consumer, restaurants need to leverage is the power of systems like Cellar Tracker or Snooth.  What they have to offer is the aggregation of  many different review by hundreds thousands of different people from a thousand different walks of life and a million different preferences, likes, and dislikes.  You must remember that next to trial tasting (having tried the wine yourself) peer recommendations and reviews are the second biggest driver to purchase.  We need the Amazon, social-commerce solution to wine not the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval version.  Aggregated “real people” reviews/scores are  far more representative of the perceived quality of a wine then the reviews of Wine Spectator, Robert Parker, et al. To quote Mr Spock “the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few”. Or to restate it in wine terms ‘The reviews of the MANY outweigh the reviews of the FEW.’

It is time for the wine voice of the masses to be heard, It is time for a wine democracy that will depose the wine Oligarchy! vive la vin!
What are your thoughts?

The post It is time for a wine democracy – The king is dead, long live the king appeared first on vintuba.com.

Imagine you were invited to a Pub crawl, only there was no beer and no Pub but in its place there was gourmet Tapas and Albariño, my kind of  night!

And so starts a cool spring night in San Francisco where a collection of wine writers, bloggers, geeks, and PR professionals gathered to spoil themselves with great food and Rais Baixas’s top Albariños’ from the 2008 vintage.  On the agenda were three diverse restaurants meant to highlight the varieties affinity with a diverse array of foods. But before I fill you on the gustatorial highlights lets have a look at what makes these wines so unique.

The wines herald  from Rías Baixas, pronounced ree-ahs-buy-shuss, which lies in the heart of Galicia a region in the northwestern corner of Spain right above Portugal. The area is known for being lush and green with many estuaries  and beautiful coast lines said to be home to some of the most stunning beaches on the Iberian peninsula, all this is punctuated by a mild maritime climate.  It is often said that it more resembles Ireland then Spain, it is thus fitting that the name Galicia is actually of Celtic origin.  This is the coastal home of the Albariño grape, pronounced al-ba-ree-nyo, which is one of the main grapes that is responsible for the fabulously aromatic wines of Bias Baixas.

What makes this area so ideal for producing quality wines is it’s proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, which offers a cool climate with plenty of rain and sunshine all of which work in concert to produce wines with great acidity, wonderful aromatics, and lower alcohols, a welcome relief from some of the new world wines with low acid and high alcohol.  Because of all the rain and humidity that the vines see they are trained using a version of the pergola system called parra whereby the vines are trained seven feet off the ground using wires and granite posts from which they are strung.  This allows air to freely circulate  which  promotes even ripening while preventing mildew. There are some new vineyards that are opting for the more modern double cordon system that most people are used to seeing.

You will not find large swaths of vineyards owned by a few powerful land owners here, no sir, you see this area of about 8,650 acres has more than 6,500 growers and 20,000 individual plots under vine. All this fruit goes to about 198 wineries. We are talking freaking fragmented, right!?

The DO of Rias Baixas was created in 1988 and 99% of the wines produced are white.   Differences in microclimates, terroir and grape varieties in the five sub-zones, as well as different winemaking techniques, make for wonderful diversity. Styles range from a crisp, aromatic “melony” character in Val do Salnés, to a peachier, softer style in O Rosal, and a less fruity and earthier style in Condado do Tea.  Here are the five sub-zones:

Val do Salnés: This is the original and oldest sub-zone with the most area under vine and the highest concentration of wineries. Located on the Atlantic coast, it surrounds the historic town of Cambados.  The soil is granitic and rocky with alluvial top-soil. It is also the coolest and wettest sub-zone with an average temperature of just 55º F.  Val do Salnés is the birthplace of the Albariño grape.

Condado do Tea: “Tea County” is named after the river Tea, a tributary of the Miño River.  Located in a fairly mountainous area along the Miño, this is the second largest sub-zone.  The most inland, it is a warmer, drier area, with an average temperature of 59º F that can soar to 104 º F during the summer.  Soils contain granite and slate.

O Rosal: Also lying along the Miño River where it joins the Atlantic Ocean, this sub-zone forms the border with Portugal. With granite bedrock and alluvial topsoil, the vineyards are terraced along the sides of the Miño.

Ribeira do Ulla: The newest Rías Baixas sub-zone, this area was registered in 2000 and is composed mostly of alluvial soil. It is located inland, southeast of Santiago de Compostela, and east of Padrón, a town famous for its small, green frying peppers, a popular tapa.

Soutomaior: Nestled in the hills at the head of the Rίa de Vigo, it is the smallest of the sub-zones and was registered in 1996.  Soils are light and sandy over granite bedrock.

While the different sub-zones express subtle differences, the wines all share a number of characteristics. Pale golden lemon, they are all crisp, elegant and fresh. These wines are bone-dry and aromatic, packed with flavors of white peach, apricot, melon, pineapple, mango and honeysuckle. They share good natural acidity, have mineral overtones, and are medium bodied with moderate alcohol (12%).

While twelve grape varieties are permitted in the DO, the white Albariño grape represents 90% of all plantings. This small, thick-skinned white grape is perfectly adapted to the region’s growing conditions, making a wine high in acidity and full of flavor.  If a wine is labeled Rías Baixas Albariño it must be 100% Albariño but grapes may be sourced from any or all of the sub-zones.  Here is what you can expect from wines made from Albariño:  aromas of honeysuckle, citrus, ripe melon, peach, pear, apricot, mango, and other exotic fruits. The aroma of the wine has even been likened to a green apple Jolly Rancher!  If a wine is labeled just Rias Baixas it can be a blend of any of the following Albariño, Treixadura, Laureiro, Caiño Blanco, Torrontes, and Godello. Yumm right? These wines where purpose build for food, sea food to be more specific.

While most wines do not see oak, there is a move toward barrel fermentation using French, American and native Galician oak. Which in my opinion is a shame, why would you want to impart oak character on such a fantastically   aromatic wine? There is also an increasing trend of putting the wines through full or partial malolactic fermentation. This is done in an effort to impart a creamier, fuller character, the believe being that this enables the wines to age gracefully.

Ok enough with the geek report here is what went down, literally, that night in April.

Stop Uno

The Place:

Anchor & Hope, 83 Minna Street San Francisco- Describes itself as “a little East Coast formal and West Coast casual… a cross-country take on a seafood shack”

The Foods:

Oysters on the half shell, crispy french fries, poached egg and asparagus salad.

The Wines:

2008 Paco & Lola Albariño, $22

2008 Rosalia di Castro Albariño, $18

The Verdict:

The food was a great complimented to the wine and really highlighted the acid, citrus, and stone fruit characters f both wines.  I found the 2008 Rosalia di Castro Albariño to be more representative of the style for the region.  It showed good peach, apricot, white flower aromas backed by flavors of minerality, green apples and orange zest. It was refreshing, balanced and exhibited good texture.

Stop Dos

The Place:

La Mar, Embarcadero Pier 1 1/2 San Francisco – “Inspired by the thousands of cebicherías found throughout Peru, La Mar cebichería peruana was created as an attempt to … preserve one of the best guarded treasures of Peruvian cuisine: cebiche”

The Foods:

cebiche clásico California Halibut in a classic leche de tigre, red onions, habanero, Peruvian corn and yam

cebiche nikei Ahi Tuna, red onion, Japanese cucumber, daikon, and avocado in tamarind leche de tigre

causa casera Purple potato causa, artichokes, asparagus, avocado and tomato confit with basil cilantro oil – and a couple of others I forgot to note.

The Wines:

2008 Condes de Albarei Albariño, $12.99

2008 Laxas Albariño, $18

2008 Cambiata Albariño, N/A

The Verdict:

The food was out of this world and some of the best seafood I have had in a long time.  The cebiche dishes contained a lot of citrus acid and required a wine that could compliment the tropical flavors of the food.  The stand out from this stop was clearly the 2008 Laxas Albariño It showed intense fresh aromas of apples, citrus fruits and apricots. On the palate, the typical freshness and glyceric fullness of the Albariño predominated, tropical zesty fruits of pineapples, melons, grapefruit and citrus with a well-balanced acidity, complimenting the wine’s body and structure. The 2008 Cambiata Albariño was the only wine not actually from Rias Biaxas, in fact it comes from Monterey    California, and I think must have been chosen to prove that the best Albariños do come from Galicia Spain!

Stop Tres

Photo Credit: Deborah Parker-Wong of The Tasting Panel

The Place:

B44, 44 Belden Place San Francisco – A true Spanish restaurant that serves up some of the best Catalan food in San Francisco.

The Foods:

Boquerones – Cured white anchovies, sliced pears, shaved idiazabal – “Pa amb tomaquet” Catalan toast

Arros Negre – Squid, clams, sepia,  green peas,  green bell pepper , squid ink, mortar allioli

Fideuà – Noodle paella, monkfish, sepia, squid, shrimp, pimenton, mortar allioli

The Wines:

2008 Martín Códax Albariño, $14.99

2008 Santiago Ruiz, $20

The Verdict:

The food here was so authentic to the Catalan region of northeastern Spain it brought me back to my younger days where my family would spend the summers on the Cataln coast. The food again is seafood focused and just screams for wines with some refreshing acidity. 2008 Santiago Ruiz was not only the stand out of this stop, but it was the hands down winner of the night. It was the only wine of the night that was not 100% Albariño, it is in fact a blend of 70% Albariño, 15% Loureiro, 10% Treixadura, 5% Caino and Godello. Perhaps this is why the wine showed more complexity and character then the other wines.  Aromas of lime, green apple, peach, wet rock are supported by flavors of lemon meringue, melon, white peach and a hint of saltines. The fruit, acid, and alcohol were in perfect balance and the wine finished fresh. There was not a dish that was not made better by this wine.  A classic!

Cheers!  ChrisO

The post You have to Albariño Crawl before you can walk appeared first on vintuba.com.

I recently saw the movie Inception in the small idealistic town of St Helena, located in the heart of Northern California wine country, and I came to the realization that perhaps the wine world is in a deep dreaming state and falling victim to a Robert Parker and Wine Spectatoresque form of 100 point Inception.

PLOT:

The mainstream wine media and wine industry marketing machines are the “Architect” and have crafted an elaborate dream state that begins with Robert Parker’s  first review of Bordeaux wines from the 1982 vintage. The wine consuming public plays the role of the “mark” (aka dreamer), who has been lulled into a very deep dream state ever since.  In this state the, “Inceptor”, played by mainstream wine media, has been able to incept (or seed) the idea, into the subconscious, that in order for wines to be worth consuming or acknowledging, they need to conform to and be validated by the “Architect’s” palate and ultimately the 100 point scale.  In other words, they need to be big extracted, low acid, high tannin, high alcohol, fruit bombs, or wines that lack any hint of typicity.  This inception of this idea, into the dreamers subconscious, has been made possible not only by the “Architect” and “Inceptor” themselves, but with the help of his able crew of collaborators:

CAST:

The Mark:  Wine drinkers worldwide

The Architect:  Robert Parker, designer of the dream constructs and paradoxes, including the 100 point scale.

The Inceptor:  Mainstream wine media who manipulate the sleeping Mark.

The Tourist:  Wine retailers and restaurants who are along for the ride and reaping the benefits.

The Chemist:  The winemakers (disclaimer not all), helping the “Architect” perpetuate the dream state by continuing to administer the “drug” that keeps the “Mark” asleep.  What is the drug you ask? Well, the over extracted, limp wines made to the “Architects” exact specifications.

The Forger:  The manipulated and doctored wines play the role of the “Forger” making you believe that you enjoy them in order to keep your subconscious numb.

The Point Men:  The mega wine companies, distributors, PR and Marketing agencies, who make sure that everything goes as planned and troubleshoot any problems that may arise.

Projections (resistant subconscious):  The renegade winemaker who does not conform to the “architect’s” plan is represented by the sleeping “Mark’s” subconscious as a way to defend themselves from dream invaders.

Mal:  The renegade media and wine bloggers represent the Inceptor’s own subconscious and questions the nature of the dream’s reality.

The Totem: An object that allows each of the conspirators to distinguish the dream state from reality.  In the “100 point version of Inception,” it is represented by acid, balance, and typicity.  Since the “Inceptor” has an ever-increasing hard time distinguishing reality from the self-created dream state, he occasionally reaches for his totem to remind himself where he is.

The Kick:  How do we wake ourselves up from this dream, or some may say nightmare? Well the “kick” my dear enslaved friends are the truly terroir-driven wines that have a sense of place, soul, balance, and acidity.

So the question is what level of the dream are you in and is there a chance that you will make it out and back to reality? Are we to remain in limbo???

The post Inception and the Modern Story of Wine appeared first on vintuba.com.

It's true I tell you!

After much delay, JonM and I (ChrisO) finally mustered the courage to put our wine drinking mugs in front of the microphone to record this latest Bordeaux podcast.  We are particularly excited about this podcast because we get to discuss a topic that is not usually associated with this region, and that is value.    Join us as we taste through 3 wines; a white, rose, and red wine from the broader appellations of Bordeaux. All of the wines we taste are in the sub $15 range and deliver on the promise of good QPR (quality price ratio).

This is also the show where we introduce our new rating system meant to make it easy for you to keep track of what we thought about the wines we swirl, sip and occasionally spit.  We update you on what is happening in the vineyards in northern California and of course talk wine.  Make sure and listen to the whole podcast because we have introduced a new segment called Wine Snob’s Trivia.  Get the answer right and we could clothe you in some Vintuba Haute Couture. Post the answer to the question either on our Facebook fan page or on the discussion section of the blog post (make sure to include the keyword SNOB ANSWER). Answer the question correctly and be entered into a drawing to win free Vintuba SWAG!

And now for you true wine geeks who want to read my ramblings, thoughts, opinions, and free advice or for those of you who are eager to acquire some nugget of information about Bordeaux that you can use to impress the hell out of your date, boss or neophyte wine friends (like JonM),  its time to read on… (disclaimer the following my be considered a homeopathic cure for  insomnia)

So what and where the hell is Bordeaux? Let me address the where part first: Bordeaux is a region located on the west coast of France along the Gironde river and it also happens to be largest producer of French AC (appellation controlee)

Our Three Value Bordeaux sub $15

wine. It produces a staggering 75+ million cases of wine in an average year, that’s 900 million bottles Vintuba peeps! In comparison, the number of cases of Napa Valley wine produced annually is 9.2 million; that’s  110 million bottles. Bordeaux produces large quantities of everyday wine, as well as some of the most expensive wines of the world. Included among the latter are the area’s five ‘premier cru’ (first growth) red wines (four from Médoc and one, Château Haut-Brion, from Graves) — check out the map for more detail. These 5 first growths were established by the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855: Château Lafite-Rothschild, Château Margaux, Château Latour, Château Haut-Brion, Château Mouton-Rothschild.  These Chateaux wines fetch hundreds of dollars per bottle upon release, not exactly value wines unless your Bill Gates or Jay-Z but in actuality these prestigious châteaux represent only a very small fraction of total wine production.

So you can see from the sheer volume that Bordeaux produces it has to be quite big right? So here is a little more info on the geographic area: the wine districts of Bordeaux are marked by a huge estuary and its rivers; the Gironde river, which flows into the Atlantic ocean and splits the region into what is often referred to as the Left & Right banks. The Gironde is actually formed by the convergence of two other rivers that flow from the east, the Garonne & Dardogne, it is between these two rivers where the large are of Entre-Deux-Mers is located, it is this area that is responsible for much of the value and volume production of Bordeaux AOC, Bordeaux Supérieur AOC, and Bordeaux Clairet AOC.

Are you confused yet? Well quite frankly so am I, especially considering that I am writing this after having tried several glasses of the region’s wines.  So let me attempt to clarify a little more… In the Bordeaux wine region there are a number of Regional Appellations d’origine contrôlées (AOCs) that may be used throughout the entire region of Bordeaux. The production area allowed to use these AOC covers the entire region, including those areas which also have access to more geographically delineated prestigious AOCs, such as Margeaux, Paulliac, St-Estephe, et all. So in other words, the wine can come from almost anywhere with in the boundaries on the map below.  Think of it in terms of Napa Valley, meaning there are wines that state only Napa Valley on the label that can contain grapes sourced from any part of the region, and then there are other wines that list the specific subregion on the label like Carneros, Rutherford, or Spring Mountain. Wines labeled as such must contain fruit grown specifically in those areas. Sure hope that last part helped…

Click to enlarge

The regional AOC of the Bordeaux region are Bordeaux AOC, Bordeaux Supérieur, Bordeaux Clairet, Bordeaux Rosé, Bordeaux Sec and Bordeaux Moelleux. These represent the basic level of red, rosé and white wines (dry and sweet) of the region, and represent the largest production volume among the AOC wines of Bordeaux. These AOCs are often called generic because they do not indicate a specific subregion or commune within Bordeaux as the source of the wine. Large parts of the Bordeaux region can only use the generic appellations. As stated above, most Bordeaux AOC is produced within the Entre-Deux-Mers subregion. (For its exact location, reference the map above).  It is ironic but true that even the most basic of Bordeaux AOC’s have the right to display the text Grand Vin de Bordeaux – Great wine of Bordeaux.  Warning, don’t be fooled into thinking that this is in any way a statement of quality, just like “reserve” on a bottle of California wine it has no legal requirement and therefore means absolutely nothing.
So here is what you can infer when you see the following AOC’ s listed on a label of Bordeaux wines:

Bordeaux AOC
Wine style
Most are, red and dry white.  They tend to be simple and fruity everyday wines that are meant for early consumption rather than cellaring.  More impressive reds tend to be sold as Bordeaux Supérieur AOC (see below).  You will not see sweet white wines or rosés labeled as Bordeaux AOC, as they are relegated to use other generic appellations with in the greater Bordeaux area.
Having said what I said above, I am now going to tell you about some notable exceptions to the general rule of Bordeaux AOC, that all wines tend to be simple; there are  some dry white wines produced in Médoc and Sauternes (regions known for their high-priced wines), and labeled Bordeaux AOC because the aforementioned AOC’s are reserved for the production of respectively red and sweet wines. Thus, some very prestigious and expensive dry white wines, such as Château Margaux’s Pavillon Blanc and Château d’Yquem’s “Y” have to be classified as “simple” Bordeaux AOCs. Are you catching on? No well just wait…
Grape varieties
For red wines, the most planted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Cabernet Franc is not as common but also authorized. Petit Verdot and Malbec are scarce.
For white wines, Sauvignon blanc, Sémillon, and Sauvignon Gris each represent 42% of the vineyard surface and Muscadelle 9%. Other permitted grape varieties are Ugni Blanc, Colombard, Merlot Blanc, Ondenc and Mauzac.

Bordeaux Supérieur AOC
The Bordeaux supérieur appellation covers the same geographic area as Bordeaux AOC. However, the wine in this appellation is produced by older vines. Moreover, Bordeaux supérieur wines must be raised at least for twelve months before they can be sold and has a higher minimum level of alcohol. One could infer that these wines tend to be a little more expressive than regular Bordeaux AOC wine (the notable exception excluded of course)
Grape varieties
The authorized grape varieties are the same as Bordeaux AOC

Bordeaux Clairet AOC
Here is where I lost my co-host JonM so stay sharp! Bordeaux clairet is another generic AOC for the Bordeaux defined as “clairet”. All other appellations in the Bordeaux region, including the most prestigious ones, are entitled to produce under this AOC. Bordeaux clairet is a wine which can either be described as a dark rosé wine or a light-colored red wine. As there is also a more commonly used Bordeaux rosé designation, Bordeaux clairet is not simply any rosé from Bordeaux.

Fun Fact-Bordeaux clairet wines are similar in color to the wines which were shipped from Bordeaux to England during the Middle Ages, known as French Claret. These wines established the fame of Bordeaux as a wine-making region, and led to the (primarily British) practice of referring to Bordeaux as “claret”. They are refreshing wines, appreciated because they can be easily enjoyed with picnics or exotic food.

Grape varieties
The authorized grape varieties are the same as red Bordeaux AOC although Merlot is the most common of this AOC.
Challenges!

As you can see this is complicated stuff and I think it represents one of the many reasons why the trade organization, retailers, and chateaux themselves are having a hard time getting these wine into the hands of  thirsty consumers. The modern-day consumer, of value wines, has been trained to pick up a bottle and buy it based on the variety listed on the label or worse yet by the picture of the critter on the bottle.  We have become a public used to, initially at least, judging a book, or wine, by its cover or label. Come on admit it you have been guilty of this at some point!  Most consumers do not want a wine mystery or adventure when it comes to plopping down their hard-earned $5-15 on a wine, they want safe! in other words, consumers seek easily identified varieties listed on the front label, these labels, incidentally, most also be visually appealing, the  back label must be packed  with information on how the wine was made and detailed instruction on how, when and with what to consume it. Do I sound bitter yet? As proof to support my Everyman’s wine snob ramblings I give you the result of my very unscientific survey that I took on our Facebook fan page.  I asked the following question  “How important is a wine label that lists the grape variety to you? Are you less likely to purchase a wine that does not list the grape composition?” here are some of the responses:

“More information the better. Shows they are serious about the wine”

“I like to know what’s in the bottle before I buy. Less inclined to buy mystery wines and blends.”

I think the trade organizations that represent these Bordeaux regional AOC see the challenge and are starting to get proactive in trying to increase awareness among value driven consumers, they are using social media channels, check out the following links for examples:

Le Wine Buff Facebook page

Planet Bordeaux’s Facebook page

They are  enlisting fellow bloggers like my friend DrXeno to conduct live video tastings, and using cute names like “Le Wine Buff” . During these regularly scheduled live tasting you can interact and  ask questions about wines to the Bordeaux imbibing man or women in front of the camera.  I am also told that Planet Bordeaux , the organization that supplied samples for this story, will be revamping their website to appeal to the value driven american consumer and will also be launching a Twitter TasteLive event very soon so stay tuned.

I for one am a big fan of these wines, regardless of how they are labeled or marketed, as they represent a refreshing alternative to some of the new world drivel that is available at the same price point.  These are wines that do not cloud themselves in a sea of oak chips, de-alcoholization, acidification or other more new fangled wine making techniques. They are fresh, refreshing, good with food, sometime a little dirty and funky, and never apologetic and  I like that. They are worth a try if for no other reason than because you can afford to at these price points. Who knows you may find that taking the plunge into the deep end of the ambiguous wine label pool is actually fun and refreshing!

So my dear regional Bordeaux AOC friends, I see there being a tough road ahead for you in the U.S. market, but you’re making some great efforts.  This is not to say that you should  give up,  especially if you keep making wines that are as good a value as the three wines that JonM and I tried for this podcast.  Perhaps you could develop your own critter label to appeal to the masses, may I suggest a Badger or a Duckbilled Platypus? Can you tell I work in marketing?

Sauvignon Blanc & Gris blend

Here are my (ChrisO’s) tasting notes on the wines we tried.

2009 Chateau Pierrail Bordeaux AOC
(Sauvignon Blanc & Sauvignon Gris)

Nice bright lemon color with a nose that showed medium plus intense aromas of  grapefruit, lemon and orange zest, green apple and some wet river rocks. Mouthfeel was balanced with good bright acid and flavors of green apples, bitter oranges and ruby grapefruit.  The finish was medium in length but simple.  I detected slight bitter notes on the finish.

Music pairing suggestion: Spanish Guitar

Enjoyed with Spanish Chorizo  and goat cheese,which the wine complimented beautifully.

Drink now while it is nice and fresh.

RATING out of 5 glasses

At $12 this is a good value
2009 Chateau de Fontenille Bordeaux Clairet AOC
(Rosé of Cabernet Franc 95% & Cabernet Sauvignon 5%)

Bright ruby-red core that fades to a strawberry red at the edge of the glass. Medium intense youthful aromas of citrus, strawberries, rhubarb, sour cherries and dried herbs.  The palate opens with a burst of fresh acid that is balanced by the youthful flavors of cherries, strawberries, some herbaceous notes and slight phenolic character (usually imparted by skin or stem contact).  The Finish was medium in length and showed some unexpected complexity.  This is an amazing value and just screams to be had with food, my recommendation would be BBQ’d meats from the grill or a nice Mediterranean antipasti platter with fresh charcuterie.

Drink now while it is nice and fresh.

RATING out of 5 glasses

At $12 a bottle this is an absolute steal!!!!!

2008 Chateau Lamothe Vincent “Heritage” Bordeaux Supérieur AOC
(Merlot 75% & Cabernet-Sauvignon 25% )

Deep ruby-red in color with medium intense developing aromas of wet earth, mulberries (aka large European blue berries), Cremé de Cassis, licorice, and hints of vanilla bean.  The tannins are grippy and spicy and the alcohol and acid well-balanced.  The wine is medium bodied and offers some nice textural experiences but lacks something on the mid-palate. The flavors are of Blackcurrant, plums, Mulberries, coffee and mocha.  The finish is medium in length with some complexity.
Drink now or over next 2-3 years

Enjoyed with Tri-Tip steaks from the grill.

RATING out of 5 glasses

Overall a good value for the $14

As always thanks for your support and please leave us a comment!

Cheers,

The Everyman’s Wine Snob, ChrisO

The post Podcast 23-Value from Bordeaux appeared first on vintuba.com.

Ever wonder why the annual Hospice du Rhone event is held in Paso Robles California and not the Rhone Valley of France? Well so did we! We asked John Alban, the founder of and chief evangelist of the Hospice du Rhone movement, this very question and many others and got answers that may surprise you.  Who would have thought that you would hear Rhone wines mentioned in the same sentence as Baskin Robins, 80′s big hair glam rock, and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. What are some of your favorite Rhone style wines?

Here is a comprehensive list of the twenty-two Rhône wine Varieties

1. Bourboulenc: (Burr-buh-lanc) light bodied, delicate floral, citrus, peach, melon, earth
2. Camarese: (Cam-are-ess) firm, tannins, delicate aromatics, pepper, spice
3. Carignane Noir: (Care-ig-non No-our) tannic, solid acidity, good color, cherry, raspberry, pepper
4. Cinsault Noir: (Sahn-so No-our) elegant, soft & lightly aromatic, strawberry, raspberry, smoke, earth
5. Clairette Blanc: (Claret Blan) big bodied, floral, aromatic, honeysuckle, tropical flowers, tropical fruits
6. Clairette Rose: (Clare-et Rose) light aromatics, fruit notes, soft strawberry, cherry, rose petal
7. Counoise Noir: (Coon-wahz No-our) lively acidity, spice, richness, raspberry, cherry, cranberry
8. Grenache Blanc: (Gra-nash blan) big bodied, soft, delicate peach, melon, pear
9. Grenache Gris: (Gra-Nash Gree) full-bodied, light in color, delicate strawberry, cherry, rose petal
10. Grenache Noir: (Gra-Nash o-our) big bodied, supple, & rich strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, black pepper
11. Marsanne: (Mar-san) broad palate, soft & rich, peach, nectarine, stone fruits, tuberose, sweet nuts
12. Mourvèdre: (More-ved) tannic, deeply colored, aromatic, black currant, dark cherries, leather, smoke, earth
13. Muscardin: (Mus-car-dan) floral, aromatic, firmly structured, rose petal, barnyard, earth
14. Muscat a Petits Grains: (Mus-cat ah Pet-eet Grahn) elegant, aromatic, floral, musk, honey, honeysuckle, lily, stone fruit
15. Picpoul Blanc: (Peek-pool Blan) floral, soft, aromatic, pear, earth, lily, daisy, wildflowers
16. Picpoul Noir: (Peek-pool No-our) floral, elegant, aromatic, rose, violet, dark cherry
17. Roussanne: (Roo-sahn) firmly structured, powerful, very rich, apricot, honey, almond, nutmeg, honeysuckle, iris
18. Syrah/Shiraz: (C-rah)/(She-raz) highly colored, firmly structured and aromatic, plum, raspberry, blueberry, blackcurrant, violet, roasted meats, smoke, chocolate, pepper, anise
19. Terret Noir: (Tare-it No-our) delicate, perfumed, bright acidity, rose petal, lavender, dark berries, spice
20. Ugni Blanc: (Ewn-yee Blan) delicate fruit, good acidity, pear, honey-dew melon, earth
21. Vaccarese: (Vac-car-ess) aromatic, firmly tannic, floral, pepper, spice, earth, smoke
22. Viognier: (Vee-ohn-yea) big bodied, very aromatic, complex apricot, musk, peaches, grapefruit, lychee, papaya, mango, tropical flowers

Podcast version of interview

The post Rhone where you want to – An interview with John Alban appeared first on vintuba.com.

ChrisO interviews Jay Kell from Verge Wine Cellars at the 2010 Hospice du Rhone Grand Tasting. Find out what this wine has in common with Queen Latifah and Burning Man.

The post On the Verge at Hospice du Rhone 2010 appeared first on vintuba.com.

ChrisO reviews a bottle of 2007 Alchemy from South Stage Cellars after his trip to Southern Oregon. Who knew that the “everyman’s wine snob” would enjoy this wine?!

Cheers!

The post Vintuba TV – South Stage Cellars appeared first on vintuba.com.

While at Hospice du Rhone 2010 we were able to catch up with Alan Kropf of Mutineer Magazine.  Watch this video to see what it takes to hang with the big boys in the wine and spirits publications world.

The post Catching a Mutineer – The Alan Kropf Interview appeared first on vintuba.com.

I know it’s a cheesy title but we could not resist! JonM, AdamW, and ChrisO- that’s me by the way- were lucky enough to be able to attend the 18th annual Hospice du Rhone event held in Paso Robles. For those of you who may not be familiar with Hospice du Rhone here is a little primer, however I think it best to let them (Hospice du Rhone) describe it in their own words:

“Hospice du Rhône (HdR) represents and embodies the spirit of Rhône varieties and those who produce the wines made of these unique wine grapes.

Each year, Hospice du Rhône produces an exceptional three-day wine event, in Paso Robles, California USA, that is globally regarded as the single most essential and enjoyable gathering of international Rhône wine producers and enthusiasts. During the wine event, attendees expand their knowledge of the twenty-two Rhône varieties, while rubbing elbows with the winemakers whose passion spurs the inspiration and energy that sets the tone for every seminar, meal and tasting at the spirited affair.”

Did that help? Good, so we, the gang of Vintuba, descended on Paso Robles with the sole purpose of “rubbing elbows with winemakers” , enjoying great Rhone inspired wines and catching that “rubbing” and tasting on video.  We where fortunate enough to attend some great seminars, meet some interesting and influential Rhone luminaries, and have a lot of fun.  What follows are the first three videos in the Hospice du Rhone 2010 series. Please enjoy and let us know your thoughts, feedback, and suggestions.  JonM, AdamW and I (ChrisO) hope you have half as much fun watching these videos as we did making them!

A big thanks to Hospice du Rhone for having us and we look forward to next years event!

Rhône ‘n Bowl – Kick off event at the 2010 Hospice du Rhône Event in Paso Robles, CA

We’ve Come a Long Way Baby! The Past, Present and Future of South African Syrah

Washington State: The Perfect Haven for “The UltimateTerroirist” AKA the Charles Smith HdR Seminar

Stay tuned for part 2…

The post Only the Rhonely – HdR2010 coverage – part 1 appeared first on vintuba.com.

COLUMBIA WINE TASTING

No not that Columbia you silly! The Columbia in California which is located int he Sierra Foothills (GOLD COUNTRY).  The town is now  Columbia State Historic Park and is the best preserved of California gold rush towns.  This is where the annual Columbia Wine Tasting takes place.

So as I have done for the past 3 years I decided to attend the 34th Annual Columbia Wine Tasting which was held on Sunday, April 18, 2010.  A benefit for the Columbia College Culinary Arts Program, tickets are $45 per person.  Over 50 statewide wineries and local food purveyors were represented.  Proceeds from the event support the  Columbia College Foundation.

JonM was kind enough to give me a call and interrupt my tasting.  What follows is an audio podcast of his probing questions.  See if you can catch my misuse of a word!

Columbia Wine Tasting Participants

The post Great Wines in Columbia appeared first on vintuba.com.

Help us stop HR 5034 a bill submitted to the House of Representatives in Washington DC. HR 5034 is a bill that threatens to end direct shipping of wine from wineries to consumers. It is an act of anti-commerce and fear mongering by wine wholesalers and distributors. Contact your representative to vote NO on HR 5034.

JOIN: FREE THE GRAPES

JOIN: STOPHR5034 on Facebook

The post Protect your right to choose!!! Stop H.R. 5034 appeared first on vintuba.com.

Contrary to popular believe not all the action in the winemaking process happens in the cellar, some of the most fascinating activity takes place in the vineyard throughout the four seasons. Take a quick look at this short video on the life cycle of the vine so that you can better understand what is going on in the vineyards year round. For more detailed info see below:

Winter Dormancy

Winter Dormancy

After the first cold nights during fall, the vine will go into a deep state of dormancy. Experiments on vines revealed that the artificial breaking of this dormancy would result in a very uneven shoot of the buds. At this stage it is very hardy and can withstand temperatures as low as -15 °C  (-5 °F). During the growing season however it can only handle temperatures of no lower than -2 °C (28 °F).

At the end of dormancy winter pruning takes place to make room for new shoot growth.

Weeping (aka bleeding)

This is the precursor to all of the vine’s growth during the coming season.

As the ground temperature begins to warm up again the heat will begin to penetrate several inches into the soil. When the temperature rises to 10°C (50°F) at depth of about 31 cm (12 inches), the vine begin to wake from dormancy.

The roots begin to absorb water and nutrients. If the vine was pruned during winter dormancy than the start of this cycle is signaled by a weeping of the vine. This weeping occurs when the soil begins to warm and the force of osmosis pushes the sap up from the root system of the vine and it is expelled from the cuts (or “wounds”) left over from the pruning. During this period a single vine can “weep” up to 5 litres (1.3 gallons) of water.

This sap provides energy for the upcoming growing season. This means that the vine is preparing itself for bud break which is the next step in the cycle.

Bud break

Bud break

In the Northern Hemisphere, bud break begins around March or April while in the Southern Hemisphere it begins around September or October depending on weather conditions.

The soil temperature and grape variety both have an impact on the timing of this event. Vines that grow in warmer soils will begin to bud earlier than those grown in cooler soils. The heat retention qualities of the soil are instrumental. Cooler soils that are more compact and thus take more time to warm-up, like clay, will delay bud break, while rockier more arid, warmer soils that allow heat to more easily penetrate will accelerate the process. The particular grape variety of course will also have an impact on when bud break occurs.

If bud break comes too early, the young shoots may be vulnerable to frost damage during spring. However, if bud break happens too late, the grapes may not have enough time to fully ripen, not usually a problem in the climates like Napa, Barossa, or Languedoc, however in cool climates frost and rain at the end of the growing season will damage the crop.

Flowering

Flowering

Flowering usually starts 40-80 days after bud break, depending on the temperature.  Small flower clusters appear on the tips of the young shoots and look similar to small buttons. Flowering can only occur when average daily temperatures stay between 15–20 °C (59–68 °F) which in the Northern Hemisphere usually occurs in May and south of the equator around November. A few weeks after the initial clusters appear, the flowers grow in size with individual flowers becoming visible. It is during this stage of flowering that the pollination of the grapevine occurs resulting in grape berries with 1-4 seeds.

Most Vitis vinifera grape vines are hermaphroditic, meaning they posses both male stamens and female ovaries, allowing them to self-pollinate.

The vines are very susceptible to weather swings when pollination is happening. Various methods are used to prohibit frost damage including wind creation using fans, helicopters, smudge pots and sprinklers.

Fruit Set

Fruit Set

Fruit Set follows flowering almost immediately. In the Northern Hemisphere, this will takes place in May and in November in the Southern Hemisphere. At this stage the grape flesh and skin tannins begin to develop.

Fruit Set is a very critical stage since it determines the potential crop yield. Not every flower on the vine gets pollinated, with the un-pollinated flowers eventually falling off. The percentage of flowers that are pollinated is usually around 30%, however in some instances it can be much lower, it can also get as high as 60%. Climate and the health of the vine play an important role with low humidity, high temperatures and water stress having the potential of severely reducing the amount flowers that get pollinated.

Veraison

Veraison

This stage signals the beginning of the ripening process and normally occurs around 40-50 days after fruit set. In the Northern Hemisphere this is usually at the end of July and or beginning of August and between the end of January or beginning of February for the Southern Hemisphere

This is the period during which the grape changes appearance: in black varieties the color of the skins take on the blackish appearance, and in white grapes the skins become more translucent.  At this time in the development of the grape it changes and the sugar starts to accumulate at a high rate, pushing down the acid levels simply by dilution Leaves are often pruned at this time to give grapes more sun and wind exposures.

The onset of veraison does not occur uniformly among all berries. Typically the berries and clusters that are most exposed to warmth, on the outer extents of the canopy, undergo veraison first with the berries and clusters closer to the trunk and under the canopy shade undergoing it last. There are some factors in the vineyards that can control the onset of veraison, limited water stress and canopy management that creates a high “leaf to fruit” ratio can encourage veraison.

Harvest

Harvest

Traditionally harvest  occurred 100 days after flowering, but in modern winemaking the winemaker and/or vineyard manager ultimately make the decision. The right moment for picking depends on the balance between sugar and acids, however this balance will depend on the style of wine being produced. A date is selected based on the grape variety as well as sugar and acid levels in the grape. Testing for the latter two variables is frequent in the final weeks and days.   Here it is in GEEK SPEAK:

Vitis Vinifera varieties are normally harvested at 19-25 degrees Brix, over .7% acidity and with a pH of less than 3.4. Random samples of grapes are checked in the laboratory leading up to harvest.

This being said, there is no substitute for actually tasting the grapes and wine makers rely on their taste buds over technical data.

This represents the end of the annual life cycle of the vine.

Cheers,

ChrisO

The post Vintuba TV- Annual Life Cycle of the Vine appeared first on vintuba.com.

Ever wondered why and when you should decant a wine? Check out our latest video and find out.

The post Vintuba TV – Decanting Wine appeared first on vintuba.com.

The Lot River

We’re brining Malbec back. Them Argentines don’t know how where it’s at. Mendoza let us make up for the things you lack. (Sung to the tune of Justin Timberlake’s “Sexy Back”)

If you think you know Malbec and have not yet tasted the Malbec based wines from Cahors, you have missed out.

First a little background on the region of Cahors. Cahors is located in the Quercy district in the southwest of France on the Lot River, just southeast of Bordeaux. The AOC (Appellation d’origine contrôlé) of Cahors was created in 1971, however the wines of Cahors have a rich history that date back to the 13^th century when it was commonly referred to as “the Black Wine” by it’s British consumers.  The region fell out of favor with the Brits after the Hundred Years War when a mandate in 1373 offered an advantage to the wines produced along the Gironde river (aka Bordeaux region). But today Cahors is waking up to the wine world once again and producing wines that while be sure to grab the attention of wine drinkers who enjoy deep rich bold wines. Not to mention they are taking advantage of the Malbec craze created by Argentina.

Vineyards of Cahors

Cahors is the home of Malbec in France with about 4,500 hectares of the total 5,000 hectares of planted.  It’s role in Bordeaux was greatly diminished by the frost of 1956 where 70% of the Malbec vines perished.  It can still be found on a very limited basis in Bordeaux, however the plantings are minuscule compared to Cahors. The wines of Cahors must be based on a minimum of 70% Malbec (locally referred to as Côt or Auxerrois) with additions of up to 30% of either Merlot or Tannat or a proportion of both. Absolutely no Cabernet Sauvignon or Franc is allowed. In my most recent tasting, I found plenty examples of 100% Malbecs, however these differ quite significantly stylistically from the Malbec’s produced in Argentina.

The vines of Cahors are planted either on the causes, the arid limestone plateau where thin topsoil predominates, or on the coteaux – the sand and gravel terraces located between the plateau and the river; both areas are iron-rich and the fruit often blended, both being believed to yield good quality wines. Conventional thinking states the wines made from grapes grown on the causses are best for long-term aging while the wines made from grapes grown in the coteaux are for earlier drinking. Personally I have not seen such evidence in my tastings.

The region’s weather is influenced by both the Mediterranean and Atlantic oceans and the winters are colder than in Bordeaux to the northwest.  A drying wind prevents rot and while spring frost can be a danger, it tends to be a bigger threat to crops other than grapes. Drought can be a problem on the plateau.

Most wines are now fermented without their stalks, although stalks were once a common inclusion for wines made from plateau grapes; this contributed to the reputation of plateau grapes as more tannic. Typically the grape varietals are fermented separately and blended after malolactic fermentation.  Concrete fermentation vessels are the norm, many with temperature control, however I spoke to several wine makers who told me they were using open top oak fermentors. Maceration times and oak application vary. Better wines are oak-aged, and some are very similar to Argentine Malbecs most however are totally different (see tasting notes below).

Maximum yields for basic Cahors are 50 hl/ha, with a minimum alcohol content of 10.5%. However, to have the term “Excellence” added to the label, the wine must be unchaptalized (no sugar added during fermentation) and come from 8+ year old vines, with a maximum yield of 40 hl/ha and a minimum alcohol content of 12%.

Wondering where the term “Black Wine” comes from? Well back in the good old days of the Middle Ages, the wine makers strived to make the wine more concentrated by heating some of the grape must in big cauldrons and reducing it down. Not to worry this is no longer practiced, however the wines continue to be very deep in color and earthy goodness.

The wines of Cahors distinguish themselves from Argentinean Malbecs in that they dent to exhibit much firmer, if not down right grippy,

Saucissons Sec at Cahors Market

tannins, minerality, and higher acidity, this gives them the advantage over Argentina in the area of aging and food friendliness. I also found them to be more complex with a slight rustic edge then the highly polished silky Malbecs from Mendoza, which I refer to as “pop and drop” Malbecs.  It all comes down to personal preference however. I for one find the Cahors wines to be more my style. They remind me of the Rolling Stones while Argentinean Malbecs remind me of Coldplay. Both good but I will take the classic Stones every time!

Here are some of the most common descriptors that I associate with Cahors Malbecs

Earthy (truffles), Violets, Black Cherries, Black Currant (aka Cassis), Blueberries,  Liquorice, Vanilla, Smoke, Menthol, Soy Sauce, Coffee

You may get totally different aromas and taste and that is awesome! Remember find your own path and enjoy the journey. Just like every photographer takes a unique and different picture of the same subject so it is with wine and its taster.

My top recommendations from a recent tasting I attended in San Francisco: (warning not all of these wines are available in the US yet, but when they are I would highly recommend buying them.)

2005 Chateau La Coustarelle L’Eclat (100% Malbec 24 months new oak)

Aromas of coffee, tobacco, black currant and smoke. Flavors of coffee, liquorice, black fruit. Big powerful tannins, great acid, balance and long intense complex finish. POWER

2008 Metairie Grande Du Theron “Prestige” (100% Malbec aged 18 months in 50% new oak)

Aromas of coffee, cloves, dark fruit and some oak char. Flavors of coffee, earth, black cherries, dark chocolate and smoke. Big ripe tannins and good acid. Balanced and complex on the finish.

2002 Chateau Armandiere Diamante Rouge (100% Malbec aged 18 months in 4-year-old barrels)

Very elegant nose of ripe fruit, blackberry, cassis, earth and violets. Luscious mouth feel with silky tannins, nice acid, and rich fruit. Showing flavors of blackberries, smoke, liquorice, truffles, and spice. Very long complex finish. Shows how elegant an aged Malbec can be.

2002 Chateau Vinvens Les Graves de Paul (24 months new oak)

Aromas of fresh ground coffee beans, tobacco, and menthol with a layer of black fruit. Good acid structure gives lift to the fruit component.  Well integrated ripe tannins. Flavors of smoke, coffee, dark chocolate, vanilla and cassis. Elegant long complex finish. Yet another example of how well these wines can age.

2007 Chateau St Serin Cuvee La Tour (90% Malbec 10% Tennat co-fermented)

Aromas of sea salt and pepper, dark berry fruit, truffles and menthol some sage brush. Flavors of earth, black cherries, vanilla, and oak spice. Chalky tannins with medium plus acid that lends a nice structure to the wine. Another wine with a long finish.

2008 Metairie Grande Du Theron Prestige (100% Malbec aged 18 months in 50% new barrels)

Coffee, clove and liquored cherries on the nose. With flavors of oak char, chocolate, blueberries and cherries. Lower acid then previous wines but good tannin integration gives the wine some structure. Overall very balanced wine.

2007 Vignobles St. Didier Parnac Pieure De Cenac La Vierge (100% Malbec)

Lots of coffee on the nose, leather, tobacco and blackberry compote.  Big structured tannins that are very grippy. Explosive black fruit backed by coffee and dark chocolate with clove and vanilla. This is a huge wine with an almost endless finish. Not sure how food friendly this would be.

So there you have it! I have to say that Cahors Malbecs are a very nice counterpoint to the Malbecs from Argentina.  My next mission is a side-by-side comparison of the two.  Now it’s your turn, run out buy some Cahors Malbecs and have at it.

Cheers,

ChrisO

The post We’re bringing Malbec back… a Cahors story. appeared first on vintuba.com.

Napa Cellars

In episode #21 ChrisO “Everyman’s Wine Snob” and JonM “Wine Snob’s Everyman” review, discuss, banter, argue, and throw out a bevy of analogies about the new value wines from Napa Cellars.

In this episode we try the current releases of the following wines:

2008 CHARDONNAY Napa Valley $24

2006 MERLOT Napa Valley $22

2006 CABERNET SAUVIGNON Napa Valley @26

2007 ZINFANDEL Napa Valley $22

Not all are winners but you are just going to have to listen to the show to see which ones are.  If you are under the impression that there is no value in wines from  Napa Valley you may be surprised.  Enjoy

You can also subscribe to our podcast here

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Welcome To Alto Adige

Alto Adige/Südtirol meet wine lover, wine lover meet Alto Adige (aka Südtirol).  Now the two of you may not have ever met before or perhaps you just met in passing, but it’s about time you get to know each other better! That is why I am so excited to be writing this post.  You see I love introducing you to new things. Now you may be saying, wait a minute, Alto Adige is not a new thing, and you would be right, but what is new is the newfound passion for producing fresh vibrant white wines and deep inky reds from both local and international varieties.

Recently I was invited to attend a trade tasting put on by EOS (aka Export Organization South Tyrol), sounds romantic doesn’t it? Anyway what I found was some great wine.

Before we get to my top picks lets review a little more info about the region.

Alto Adige (aka Südtirol for you German speakers) is the northern most province of Italy, an area bordering the Southern Alps of the Austrian Tyrol and known for its contrasts of Palm trees and snowy Alpine peaks. This area of Italy was until as recently as World War 1, part of the Austrian Empire, hence the predominance of German-speaking locals and the use of German names.  Alto Adige winegrowing history is said to date back as far as 3,000 years. Now that sure the heck beats the pants off of anything we Americans have to offer in the way of wine history.

The geography of this region of Italy is mountainous to say the least with about 86% of the total area lying above 3,300 feet (1,000 meters).  The valley floors make up a scant 4% of the area. If one is to look at a map you would notice that the valleys follow the Adige and Isarco rivers south from the Alps to Bolzano where they converge to form a Y-shaped growing area that is Alto Adige.  The Alps to the north protect the grapevines from the cold north winds.  While at the southern end of the region the valley opens up allowing warm, humid air masses from Lake Garda to the east and the Mediterranean Sea to the west to influence the area resulting in a Mediterranean growing climate for the vines.  There are however many varied mesoclimates owing to the subdivisions of the valley landscape, differing aspects and altitudes of vineyards (between 600 and 3,000 feet or 200 to 1,000 meters).  For example the warm summer air accumulates in the Bolzano basin while in the Isarco Valley to the northeast are more influenced by cool alpine air.

As you can imagine soil plays an equally important role in this area that was formed by volcanic, tectonic and glacier activity. The soils consist of gravel subsoil on the slopes of the mountains and alluvial soil on the valley floor. Add to this the primitive rock such as granite, slate, limestone, gneiss and porphyry and you have almost ideal conditions for the production of world-class wines.

So needless to say this is a region that has a lot going for it as far as wine production is concerned.

Here is a break down of the most important sub regions with in Alto Adige:

Map of Alto Adige

Bassa Atesina- located at the base of the y shaped valley along the eastern banks of the Adige River. It is influenced by Lake Garda and late-ripening varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot tend to produce the best wines from this region.

Oltradige- located northeast of Bassa Atesina on the western bank of the Adige River. Here the gentile hills around Lake Caldaro are best suited for the Schiava grape (more on this grape later). The best whites from this area come from the foot of the Mendoal mountains.

Bolzano- located around of the town of the same name, just northeast of where the rivers Adige and Isarco converge. This warm valley basin is the home to Lagrein (a grape) and Santa Maddelena (a wine).

Adige Valley- located northwest of Bolzano on both banks of the Adige River.  Red porphyry (volcanic) soils produce world-class white wines.

Merano- Region located around the town of Merano where the Adige river turns west. This almost idyllic landscape  produces some elegant wines.

Isarco Valley- Region to the northeast of Bolzano, it straddles both banks of the Isarco river. Home to such grapes as Mueller-Thurgau, Sylvaner and Kerner which produce pure acid driven white wines.

Val Venosta- Located on the banks of the Adige river at the base of the Italian Alps. Wines from this region tend to be mineral-rich and indicative of their growing conditions.

Production is dominated by fifteen cooperative wineries that produce 70% of the regions wine. The remaining 30% is produced by independent wineries and winegrowers.There are 20 grape varieties that make their home in Alto Adige, all thanks to the variety of terrior it offers.  Lets take a look at the main players. There is no other region in Italy that offers such a wide variety of white wines.

The trend here is twofold:

1)    Focus on autochtonous varieties such as Lagrein and Gewürztraminer.  The one grape in decline is Schiava, whose plantings have decreased by double-digit percentages. Perhaps because the wines produced by this red variety are not in keeping with the continued international trend for fuller bodied, darker, tannic red wines.

2)    The new focus on international varieties, especially aromatic whites.  Intensely aromatic varieties such as Sauvignon and Kerner are gaining significance, while the role of Pinot Bianco is decreasing. As far as red varieties are concerned Pinot Nero and Merlot seem to be setting the tone.

White Varieties (54% of production):

Pinot Grigio (11% of plantings) is the most planted white variety in Alto Adige. It displays different characteristics depending on where it

The Beauty of Alto Adige

is cultivated. From lean, fresh in the Val Venosta to a mineraly quality in the Adige Valley to rich and bigger body in Bolzano and the Oltradige.

Chardonnay (10% of plantings) It was in the early 80’s that this variety rose to prominence owing to the international craze of mono varietal wines.  In Alto Adige it displays a range of characters from fresh, fruity and linear qualities when receiving stainless steel treatment to a more complex and textural richness when fermented in small oak barrels.

Pinot Bianco (10% of plantings) Exhibits aromas of apples and is usually higher in acid. Best examples do not see oak allowing them to retain their fresh vibrant character.

Gewürztraminer (7% of Plantings) This aromatic variety is closely linked to Alto Adige as it takes its name from the village of Termeno.  Two hundred years ago it was the most planted variety in the region but because of its low yields and susceptibility to frost and diseases it almost disappeared from the scene.  However it is now back and producing wines with a bevy of aromas ranging from rose petals, cloves, lychees and tropical fruits.  It also exhibits an intense color, higher alcohol and oily texture.

Sauvignon Blanc or refered to as just “Sauvignon” in Alto Adige (4% of plantings) It was not introduced to the area until the 19^th century, when it was planted with its Bordeaux sibling Semillion.  The best plantings are found along the terraces of the Adige River, from Salorno up to Merano.  Here the variety shows of intense aromas, crisp acid, and freshness. I found the examples I tried to be quite impressive.  (See my notes below)

Mueller-Thurgau (3% of plantings) The grape expresses the following characters: in the Isarco Valley a scent of elder flowers, in the warmer Bassa Atesina notes of nuts and stone fruit, in the Val Venosta more mineral notes and fresh apples.  Incidentally the variety is grown in Alto Adige’s highest vineyards at up to 3,300 feet (1000m), giving the wines a very crisp, crystal structure.

Kerner (.5% of plantings) this is a hybrid of the German grapes of Trollinger and Riesling named after the poet Justinus Kerner. Planted mostly in high elevation vineyards of the Isarco Valley and the Val Venosta.  Wines are steely, spicy with subtle hints of nutmeg. This is a variety to watch in Alto Adige as it is finding quite a fancy.

Red Varieties (46% of production):

Schiava (31% of plantings) this is by far the most planted variety (both red and white). The wines made from this grape tend to be light, everyday wines, low in tannins with only moderate alcohol.  The famous Santa Maddalena is regarded as fuller in body, the Lago di Caldaro softer, and the Meranese spicy. The grape can be found as a single variety wine labeled Alto Adige Schiava and Schiava Grigia or more commonly as a classified zone wine such as Santa Maddalena, Lago di Caldaro, Maraner, Colli di Bolzano, and Klausner Laitacher

Lagrein (8% of plantings) the wines made with this variety show rich aromas of berries, fresh macerated cherries and violets; on the palate, soft tannins and low acid.  These characters are a good fight with current international trends. A rosé version is also made and is known as “Lagrein Rosato”.  This is a variety to watch and should appeal to many an international palate. See my notes below.

Pinot Nero (5% of plantings) The arrival of Pinot Nero (aka Pinot Noir) did not happen until the mid-nineteenth century.  Today the vine produces wines with good structure that resemble their cousins in Burgundy. A typical Alto Adige Pinot Nero has a rich and intense aroma of dark barriers, spice and floral violet notes. Truly interesting and note worthy wines.

Merlot (4% of plantings) arrived in the area about 120 years ago from Bordeaux along with its best friend Cabernet. To be found in mostly warm locations on deep chalky soils. Produces full, meaty with soft and ripe tannins. Since 1995 the area under vine has more than tripled.

Cabernet Sauvignon (3% of plantings) for a long time plagued by under ripe aromas of bell pepper, it has thanks to the lowering of yields been able to produce aromas of cassis, blackberries and spice. The modern wines are ones of structure with hints of black pepper and paprika. These are some of the longest-lived wines of the Alto Adige.

The potential of this are is not to be underestimated and the wines are worth exploring as there seams to be a wine to suit almost any occasion or palate.  Even quality sparkling wines are produced here.

Here are some of my recommendations that I compiled after attending an Alto Adige focused tasting.

WHITES:

Abbazia di Novacella, Valle Isarco Kerner DOC 2008 $24

Nice floral nose, dried flowers, peach. Nice texture but could use a little more acid. Very pretty wine

Terlano Sauvignon Blanc Quarz 2007 $55

Petrol nose, wet stone with undertones of apple. Fresh acid with hints of citrus, apple. Nice texture with a long finish. Very reminiscent of older vintage Sancerre by Dagueneau.

Colterenzio Sauvignon Lafoa 2007 $62

Classic Sauvignon Blanc nose with slight hints of jalapeño and ripe peach backed by wet stone. Great acid giving lift to fruit. Seamless!

Cortaccia Mueller Thurgau DOC 2008 $16

Very floral nose with medium intense aromas of canned apricots and peaches. Fresh lively acid. Flavors of melons, citrus and peach. Lacking the bitter notes usually associated with this variety.

Cantina Valle Isarco Riesling Aristis 2008 $26

Typical Riesling nose with white flowers and apples. Prickly palate, sour apple, good structure and tart acid. Reminiscent of an Austrian Riesling.

REDS:

Abbazia di Novacella, Pinot Nero Praepositus DOC 2005 $45

Aromas are earthy with dusty cherry and cranberries. Hints of oak influence that are nicely integrated. Flavors of black cherry, smoke, earth, and mushroom. Big tannins for a Pinot Nero.

Cantina Bolzano, LAgrein Riserva Prestige 2007 $44

Very elegant nose showing dark fruit less primary and more oak aromas of vanilla, clove and cigar box. Very rich mouth feel, silky tannins, and good acid lend a nice balanced structure. Flavors of dark fruit, cinnamon, clove, black cherries and chocolate round out the wine. Very new world in style.

Colterenzio, Lagrein classic 2008 $18

Nose of red fruit punch, panettone and candied cherries. Palate has good acid and tannins with flavors of black cherries and cassis. The finish is medium plus in length and shows good balance. Good value.

Colterenzio, Cornelius 2003 (Merlot and Cabernet blend) $59

Nose showing some age and complexity. Notes of plum, blueberry, and cedar chest with some earth undertones. Favors of smoky cherries, red plum and clove. Soft ripe tannins and balanced acidity help the wine finish with complexity and good length. Shows that these wines are age worthy.

Cortaccia Winery, Lagrein Freienfeld DOC 2004 $33

Aromas of coffee bean, black currant, blackberries, smoke with a slight rustic character. Elegant texture on the palate with grippy tannins and excellent structure. Flavors of black fruit, liquored cherries, cloves, vanilla and smoke. Finish is big and long. Still very youthful for its age.

Alois Lagedar, Pinot Noir Krafuss 2005 $45

Old world nose with some seductive funk combined with smoke, coffee, cherries and strawberries. Spicey flavors of sour cherries, smoke, tar and oak. Tannins are grippy with good acid giving lift to the fruit. Persistent finish.

Alois Lagedar, Lagrein Lindenburg 2004 $30

Aromas of milk chocolate, dusty blackberries and vanilla. Big wine on the palate with flavors of cherry, chocolate, smoke and dark fruit. The tannins are chalky with balanced acid and alcohol. This will appeal to new world palates.

Peter Zemmer, Pinot Nero 2007 $18.99

Mushrooms, earth and dried red fruits with hints of dried roses on the nose. Flavors of smoke, cherries, plum, and oak char. Ripe tannins and zesty acidity with moderate alcohol. Nice complex finish that is very persistent. Great Value!

I found both the Pinot Nero and Lagein wines to be very interesting. There were two distinct styles represented; new world and rustic.  I found appealing examples of both. There are clearly wineries that have modernized their production techniques and those were the wines that stood out for me. This is an area that produces some great wines that should appeal to wine lovers. Personally I find the aromatic whites to be the most exciting examples coming from Alto Adige.

Cheers,

ChrisO

The post Alto Adige this is the way we Südtirol appeared first on vintuba.com.

Jeff & Karen Fontanella

Ok so perhaps a stretch on the Niel Young lyrics but the sentiment sure is there.  It would totally rock to live on Mt Veeder like the Fontanella’s.  You see Jeff and wife Karen have something of a paradise property where Jeff crafts some exceptional wines for his own label, as well as for custom crush clients.

I first met Jeff back in 2005 at a wine tasting where he told me of his plans of starting Fontanella Family  Winery.  Our paths would not cross again until I tasted the Fontanella Zinfandel at the 19^th Annual ZAP Grand Zinfandel tasting.  I was so impressed that I called the winery and asked for an interview. What I found was pleasant combination of great wines and value.

But before we get there, lets back up and find out where it all started.  Jeff Fontanella is a very talented winemaker, all of 33 years of age.  He hails from Southern California where he was born and raised.  He headed north to attend college at UC Davis.  He had originally planned on going into medicine, but as life has a habit of doing, his plans took a detour.  He met with his advisor who recommend that he take some alternative classes and ended up suggesting a wine appreciation class.  Being only 18 at the time he of course thought this would be a “great way to drink in class” but this naturally was not the case and he soon discovered that wine had a lot to do with chemistry and science. That is what really got him hooked.  You see, as Jeff himself puts it “I love science and I came at this from a scientific perspective, opposed to from a purely creative angle.” This does not mean that Jeff’s wines are by any means clinical, quite to the contrary, but we will get to that later.

After graduation from UC Davis he spent time at Opus One, ZD Wines, and Saddleback Cellars honing his winemaking skills. Not too shabby to say the least.  Then with a dream of being his own boss, he and his new bride Karen decided in 2005 to start a winery of their own and found a beautiful 26 acre property on top of Mount Veeder. In 2008 the winery was completed and the Fontanella Family brand launched. Now try to remember that Jeff is only 32 at this point! Quite an accomplishment right?!

As Jeff points out the property currently has no vines planted. “We are in the process of evaluating the site potential.” I can tell from the tone of his voice that

The line-up

he is pretty excited about the possibilities.  He says that most people are under the wrong impression that since Mount Veeder is close to Carneros it is too cool for Cabernet and Merlot but he points out that according to his observations it is in fact 200 degree days warmer then Oakville (arguably one of the best sites for Cabernet in Napa) with warmer mornings and no fog.  In addition the soil make up is of clay and gravel with some shale and volcanics. A perfect recipe for merlot and cabernet sauvignon on this site.

I am a big fan of small wineries because they tend to be more authentic, welcoming and what I always imagined wineries to be like.  If you happen to have to opportunity to visit Karen tells me that either “Jeff or I will greet you.” No 70-year-old retired HR executive who is passing the waning years of his life pouring wines will bore you here. You are getting al the passion and knowledge right from the owner. Tasting from the barrel is also a regular part of the experience. Karen also shares that one of the perks of being a wine club member is the opportunity to play winemaker by being able to blend a case of your own wine.  The winery will send you the blending kit with a suggested blend, however you are free to come up with your own.  Once you finalized your home blend you let the winery know and they follow your recipe and bottle your wine with your own label.  How cool is that? Not your regular wine club!

Time for the wines:

2008 Chardonnay

2008 Chardonnay

Pale gold in color with aromas of citrus, ripe peaches, green apple and vanilla beans. On the palate the texture is creamy with flavors of baked apple and pear backed with citrus and tropical notes.  The oak is well-integrated and does not dominate. Acid is in balance with the fruit flavors.  And even though the wine has 14.5% alcohol (high by my standards) it seems to work. This wine exhibits balance and poise. This wine reminds me of a Miles Davis jazz piece; sultry, complex and seamless.

Jeff says that the goal for this chardonnay was show the tipicity of the vineyard site. The two clones of chardonnay used are Wente (sourced from Mt Veeder) and Dijon (sourced from Carneros vyds). To keep the acid only 10% of the wine was allowed to go through ML.  This is a great effort and delivers good value at $30.

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon

Bursting with a deep ruby core and a medium ruby rim. Aromas of vanilla pod, clove, tobacco leaf, crème de cassis and eucalyptus on the nose. The palate shows a pleasant creamy texture, medium body, medium minus acid, and supple tannins. Flavors of cocoa powder, smoke, tar, black cherry, plums and black berries.  All the components are nicely balanced and culminate in a long elegant and complex finish.  Imagine Natalie Portman in a low-slung evening gown and you get what this wine is aiming for.

Jeff notes that the wine was filtered but not fined, something he does with all his reds. $49

2007 Mt Veeder Cab

2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Mt Veeder. (not yet released)

Deep ruby core that fades to a ruby rim. On the nose licorice, black cherries, cassis, dried flowers, chocolate, coffee and vanilla. Shows more complexity on the nose then the 2006. The palate reveals well-structured tannins that are grippy and backed by nice acid that gives the fruit a lift. Flavors of blackberry, bilberry, chocolate, cedar, smoke, and dried herbs. Again as with all Jeff’s wine the texture of this wine is just fabulous. The finish is long and complex with a full body. This is a wine that is going to need some time. One for the cellar for sure, if you have the patience! If the 2006 is Natalie Portman then the 2007 is Beyonce in a wetsuit; you see all the curves and it’s a bit tight. $49

Now onto the wine that was the impetus for this post.

2008 Zinfandel

2008 Zinfandel

Vibrant ruby core with an almost electric ruby rim.  Medium intense aromas of raspberry, cassis, strawberry and red plums with hints of vanilla, soy sauce, tomatoes and cedar.  Flavors of black cherry, cola, chocolate, raspberry syrup and sweet black fruits are balanced by silky well-integrated tannins, nice acid lift, nice texture and body.  Alcohol does not dominate as it does in so many Zinfandels. This is an elegant Zin and a great example of just how great a carefully crafted zin can be. Reminds me of what I imagine Vin Diesel would be like if he had gone to finishing school. $36

Jeff believes in using American Oak for his Zinfandels because he feels it lends itself better to the grape then French oak.  A cooper in Australia of all places makes the oak barrels he uses, kind of ironic that wood is felled in the US, shipped to Australia where they are turned into barrels only to be shipped back to the US.

Sampling the 2008 Cabernets from barrel

Jeff was also kind enough to thief me some 08 Cabernets from barrels.  Now these wines will end up being blended together but it was sure telling to see what each specific site contributes to the whole. If and when you visit, which I highly recommend you do, you too will be able to sample from the barrel with Jeff.

The wine that Jeff was most excited to show me was the 2008 yet to be named single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from one of Andy Beckstoffer’s vineyard located next to Caymus winery in Rutherford. Let me tell you this thing ROCKS! I can’t wait to taste it once it has been bottled.

What struck me about all these wines was the quality, texture, and the humane pricing. These are wines of value and quality, made that much more enjoyable by their price. They could easily cost more, but Jeff and Karen seem committed holding their price at reasonable levels.  This should stand as an example to other wineries in Napa.

Jeff and Fontanella Wines are both rising stars and worth a first, second and third look.

Cheers,

ChrisO

The post Oh to live on Mt. Veeder with the Fontanella’s and the colored balloons. appeared first on vintuba.com.

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I love wine. This probably will not come as a surprise to any of you. Why else would I author a wine blog right? Spend my nights drinking and studying this elixir of life?  What I love about wine is the journey of discovery, meeting the people, finding new and unique wines, and sharing both with you, the reader of this blog. On Monday of this week my journey of discovery took me to an event hosted by Paul Mabray of Vintank in Napa.  Paul is the godfather of all things tech and wine on the west coast, but more than that, he has the ability to get some pretty amazing people in the same room and let them get to know each other and make connections.

Some of the blogger attendees that I recommend you follow:

Joe Roberts from www.1winedude.com www.twitter.com/1winedude

Thea Dwelle from www.lusciouslushes.com www.twitter.com/winebratsf

Steve Paulo form http://notesfromthecellar.com www.twitter.com/stevenpaulo

Jason Mancebo from http://www.20dollarwineblog.com/ www.twitter.com/20dollarwine

Hardy Wallace from http://dirtsysouthwines.com and the NPA in www.twitter.com/dirtysouth

In this particular instance, he also threw some pretty amazing small wine producers into the mix. I came to this event knowing that I would meet some pretty cool people; see old friends, but did not expect to make so many great wine discoveries.

Not your normal winery Modus Operandi

Jason Moore

As much as I am a fan of wine, I am also a fan of the everyman that makes good; the American dream of if you want something enough you can make it happen.  So imagine my pleasure in meeting Jason Moore, the owner and winemaker of Modus Operandi Wines. Not only does he craft amazingly unique wines, but also has one of the most unique stories of how he got into the biz.  This is not another story of tech billionaire sells company and starts hobby winery that produces $200 cab. You see Jason came at this from the exact opposite angle. “My path started in Dallas where by day I was a real estate agent and by night I was a waiter.” He, perhaps like the tech billionaire, was not happy with the direction his life was taking, “I was visibly unhappy with the direction of my life…my wife helped me realize that I needed to make a change and work with something that I truly loved.” So what did he do? He put all of his stuff up for sale and moved to California of course. Isn’t that what you would do? Trade security for the unknown and unproven?

“I had the ambitious aspirations of becoming a winemaker.” So in 2002 he arrived in Davis, CA with the intention of attending the UC Davis’ Enology and Viticulture  program, which he ended up not enrolling in because, “…after digging deeper I learned that Davis was just too theory based for my learning style so plan B was to basically educate myself thru my own self study and thru the tutelage of winemaker mentors.”  He ended up moving to Napa and worked at high-end restaurants to make ends meet, all the while making contacts and pursuing his dream of making his own wine. In 2006 he retired his waiters apron for good to concentrate on his wine project Modus Operandi with his business partners. And what a project it is.

The wine that truly defines just how unique Jason’s story is and the fresh perspective he brings to making wine, is Antithesis. In Jason’s own words “… I almost named the wine Serendipity because I discovered the technique which produces this wine by pure accident. In 2006 I had a little problem with one of my fermentations… the yeast stopped fermenting which left me with about two brix of sugar to ferment… SO, I learned a trick from Phillipe Melka which has the ability to solve the fermentation problem while still retaining as much wine quality as possible. Consider this: you have 2 tanks fermenting, one sticks and the other rocks through perfectly. What you can do is take the wine from the good tank and barrel it down without pressing the skins (skins remain in the tank). You take the stuck wine, press the skins and toss them, then transfer all of the stuck wine into the tank that has the good skins. The yeast that are in and around the skins in the good tank are ready to go… they are viable, and alcohol acclimatized and can (usually) ferment the last little bit of sugar that remains to be fermented in the stuck wine.”

Innovative to say the least right? Kind of similar to what they do in the Veneto region of Italy where they pass regular Valpolicella wine over the skins of Amarone wines allowing it to re-ferment (aka Ripasso method) resulting in a fuller richer, more textured wine.  Ok sorry back to you Jason…

“WELL… classically and historically, you would pass Cabernet over Cabernet skins, Merlot over Merlot skins… like wine over like skins. BUT, I didn’t have another tank of like wine/skins available at the time that my little problem occurred. SO, even though it wasn’t ideal… I did what I had to do… I passed my stuck Merlot over my Petite Sirah skins. I initially kind of wrote the wine off … four months later …when I came across those barrels, I literally said to myself, ‘holy shit, that is good!’ and from then on I knew that my original thought that I would some day have a high end Bordeaux blend as my “special wine” was no longer the plan. Everybody has a high end Bordeaux blend… this wine is special and its unique on several different levels… and it really speaks to me … I have asked a countless number of very knowledgeable people if they have ever heard of a wine being produced in this manner and the answer is a resounding NO. The varieties that are used, the passing over for the last quarter of fermentation, the dependence on timing to make it work is the antithesis of traditional Vinification.”

As you can see this is a man not afraid to take chances and do things against the norm.

2007 Antithesis Red Wine (900 BOTTLES produced) $95

Tasting Note: the initial aromatic impression was of ripe black fruit jam, dried dates, mocha and vanilla. On the palate; macerated blueberries, blackberry jam, nice helping of vanilla suggestive of French oak. As can be expected from a wine of this ripeness level the acid is on the low side and the tannins are well integrated and balance the fruit. Not a shy wine by any means. A long, silky and enjoyable finish. The wine is evocative of Gisele Bündchen in a string bikini laying on a Rio de Janeiro beach, in other words not subtle but highly enjoyable and worth a second, third and fourth look! Now my wife pointed out that I still may have some female readers, and to reward them sticking with me even though I have used so many sexist analogies in the past, I should balance it by providing a female-centric analogy.

So here it goes: the wine is akin to you taking George Clooney, dressed in an Armani tux, to your high school reunion. Not subtle but none the less rewarding and exciting. Ok happy wife?

This wine is not cheap but then again neither is flying to Brazil to see Gisele Bündchen on a beach or hiring George Clooney to attend your high school reunion!  Is it worth owning at $95 per bottle? Yes and No! Yes for no other reason then it helps support the creativite effort of one passionate, risk taking and talented winemaker. No, because in this economic climate we currently live in you can find wines of this caliber at a fraction of the price. If money is no object to you then this is your wine!

Modus Operandi

Other wines that Jason and Modus Operandi make:

2008 RUTHERFORD SAUVIGNON BLANC $33.50 Rated A+

Incidentally this wine was poured as the first course wine at President Obama’s first State Dinner

2008 VICARIOUS NAPA VALLEY ROSE $17.00 Did not try

2007 PETITE SIRAH $45 Did not try

2007 NAPA VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON $65 Did not try

2007 VICARIOUS RED WINE $45 Rated B+

Follow Jason on twitter @moduswines

Stay tuned for part two of this post featuring the wines of

Chronicle

James David Cellars

Tallulah Wines

Cheers,

ChrisO

The post How I got thrown in the Vintank with Gisele Bündchen Part 1 appeared first on vintuba.com.

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Wines of Switzerland

Switzerland is not generally known abroad for its wines. Several factors contribute to that: the climate is much different from that of sun-drenched California, production is expensive due to the cost of real-estate and labor costs are well above the EU, and especially South America. In a world accustomed to increasingly powerful wines at competitive prices, Swiss wines will have a difficult time against wines from Argentina, Australia and Chile, for example.

Swiss wine production is 44% red, 56% white. The Swiss prefer reds to whites: 70% to 30%. Imported red wine amounts to 74%, Swiss reds amount to only 24% of red wine consumption. White wine preferences are 72% Swiss, the balance are imports. The preferred wine production regions are Italy, France and Spain, with new world wines trailing far behind. Switzerland exports only small amounts (<1,000 cases) to France, Germany, Belgium and the U.K. and to ethnic Swiss restaurants like the Matterhorn in San Francisco.

Yet Switzerland is an avid consumer of wine: the annual per-capita consumption is 48 liters, or about 12.7 gal., behind France, Italy, Portugal and Croatia. This is about four-fold the amount consumed by Americans.

Switzerland is merely one-tenth the size of California: 15,942 vs. 158,706 sq. miles, yet there are 7.7 million inhabitants, compared to 38 million in California. Switzerland has four official languages: German, French, Italian and Romantsch (Raeto-Romance); it stretches from 45˚49 northern latitude in Ticino to 47˚47 N at the German border. Compare that to California, stretching from 32˚32 N to 42˚ N. The Alps create distinct climates and separate the quasi subtropical Italian-speaking Ticino, where palm trees grow, from the sunny Valais and from the remainder of the cooler North.

The Vineyards of Lavaux

Viticulture in Switzerland is a labor-intensive prospect. All too often, vintners have increased yields at the expense of quality. Because the weather can be unreliable, steep vineyards offer the best exposure to the sun. As a general rule, valley floor sites rate far below vineyards perched on southerly slopes, some as steep as 70%. A comparison of labor required to farm one acre of vines from the mid-1990s: valley floor vineyards in Geneva CHF 12,342 ($11,643), and CHF 26,479 ($24,980) in the steep vineyards of the Lavaux in Dézaley. That is more than double! See picture at left.

Switzerland has a long history of viticulture and wine. Near Neuchâtel, grape seeds dating from the Neolithic period have been found (3000-1800 B.C.) Based on ancient varietals still cultivated today in Valais, e.g. Amigne, Arvine, Humagne, Switzerland’s early viticulture was influenced by the Romans. There is documentary evidence of viticulture from the 6^th Century of our time. Just like in Burgundy, the Cistercians were instrumental in Swiss viticulture: the abbey at Montheron established the famous vineyard at Dézaley. Before phylloxera struck in the latter part of the 19^th C, about 85,000 acres of vines were under cultivation. Today, there are about 36,500 acres planted. The varietals number about 200. The best known is Chasselas–used only in Switzerland for Vinification. Others are indigenous: Petite Arvine, Amigne, Cornalin, Humagne Rouge, and intra-specific vitis vinifera crosses like Gamaret, Garanoir and Diolinoir.

White varietals in acres planted: Chasselas leads with 10,000, followed by about 1,200 of Müller-Thurgau, 780 of Chardonnay, 600 of Sylvaner, called Johannisberg, 530 of Pinot Gris, called Malvoisie, 370 indigenous Petite Arvigne, then Sauvignon blanc at 311, 255 Pinot blanc, Savagnin, also called Heida, at just under 200 ac., plus about 50 additional whites.

Red varietals in acres: 11,000 Pinot noir, 3,800 Gamay, 2,500 Merlot, (mostly in Ticino), followed by 900 Gamaret, Garanoir at 490, Syrah at 440, 316 of Humagne Rouge, Cornalin 275, Diolinoir 266, Cabernet Sauvignon 153, Cabernet Franc 130, followed by about 40 varietals in diminishing quantity.

Western, French-speaking Switzerland encompasses the Valais, Vaud, Geneva, Neuchâtel and western Berne, where mostly Chasselas and Pinot noir are cultivated. The real powerhouse for wine is the Valais, running NE to SW tucked between the Alps, the Rhône River which empties into Lake Geneva, springs from the Rhône Glacier at Gletsch. The highest vineyard in continental Europe is located in Visperterminen, at 3,600 feet. There are some 22,000 vintners, most of them part-time, who cultivate about 13,000 acres of vineyards located between 1,500 to 2,800 feet. There are 2,090 hours of sunshine, and only 23” – 32” of rainfall per year. This puts the Valais in a similar climate with Bordeaux. It is also where the first minimum requirements for quality wine were formulated. Chasselas for the white Fendant and Pinot noir reign in Valais.

The first Cistercian monastery at Dézaley, on the northern banks of  Lake Geneva, led to a culture of vineyards in very steep locations. Dézaley is still one of the most revered Swiss white wines, and perhaps the best example what a fine wine the Chasselas grape can produce. Along with Calamin, Dézaley shares the only Grand Cru designation in the Canton Vaud.

Neuchâtel and Berne make lighter whites in sur-lie style from Chasselas, and Pinot noir; Oeil de Perdrix, the eye of the partridge, is a famous dry rosé from the shores of Lake Neuchâtel.

The northeastern, German-speaking, part of Switzerland produces Pinot noir, called Blauburgunder or Clevner in a lighter, low-alcohol, very food-friendly style. No “marmalade” Pinot here! The predominant white varietal is the curiously misnamed “Riesling x Sylvaner” which is Müller-Thurgau. This vigorously producing vinifera has become the curse of the German white wine, where it is shunned. With low  yields, it can produce a charming dry wine reminiscent of white peaches, but only if the Brix stays relatively low. Plant it in a better climate, and the charm is gone.

A specialty is Räuschling, an old, indigenous varietal found around Lake Zürich. It is in need of malolactic fermentation in order to tame the acidity. It accompanies cheeses and local fish dishes as well as Züri-Gschnätzlets, diced veal in cream sauce, although a light Clevner is preferred by the author.

Traveling east from Lake Zürich towards the Grisons, Graubünden, one meets the Rhine river just past Sargans. A few miles upstream, nestled at the foot of tall mountains, is the Bündner Herrschaft famous for its Pinot noir grown in Maienfeld, Fläsch, Malans, Jenins. The Föhn, a Santa-Ana-type of warm wind accelerating as it falls into the valleys, creates a distinct and almost fiery quality. Gastromondiale tasted 2006 Gantenbein Pinot Noir from Fläsch:

“A very unique Pinot Noir from the Grisons forest. Had I tasted it blind with Bourgognes, I would not have noticed that it is indeed not a Chambolle Musigny 1st Cru. It had not shed its baby fat and was a touch over-oaked, but this dissipated in the glass revealing a hard and pretty core. OK it does not have the unique charm and elegance of a Grand Cru Bourgogne, but who does? Much better than the highly touted and priced American Pinot Noirs, such as Marcassin and Kistler (which tend to be rather heavy). B+.”

Ticino

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There are about 3,800 vintners tending roughly 2,400 acres. After phylloxera, the Bordeaux varietal Merlot was planted here widely and replaced the previous hybrids. It now accounts for 83% of all Ticino plantings. It wasn’t until voluntary, rigorous yield restrictions were implemented, that Ticino Merlot made a name for itself. Strangely, the majority of the new generation of vintners seems to have Swiss German names in this Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. Here again a tasting note from Gastromondiale:

2004 Luigi Zanini Vinattierri: 100% Merlot from Ticino (appellation Besazio). Dark and brooding.  Wild mushrooms and damp leaves on the nose. Complex and well-balanced acids and tannins. It combines the sensual nature of a Bolgheri Merlot and the breed of a Pomerol. Oak is very well integrated. Long finish. A

There is a Merlot called Quattromani, which translates as “four hands” which best describes the four wine makers (Claudio Tamborini, Feliciano Gialdi, Angelo Delea and Guido Brivio) who produced this outstanding wine. This medium-bodied, deep garnet colored wine is 100% merlot that has been blended from merlot grapes from each of these wine makers vineyards. It has wonderful aromas of dried cherries, plum and pepper with a hint of roses. On the palate, you will also pick up blackberry and mild oak along with the cherries, plum and pepper. The acidity is well balanced along with smooth tannins and a wonderful long finish. This wine will cellar well for 5-10 years. (Blogspot 12/9/09)

Switzerland offers a wide variety of very interesting wines. Most are of premium quality, there are only a small number of hard-to-get top wines. Across the board, Swiss vintners have increased the level of quality. The previously painful difference in price has been largely mitigated. The problem is that they are difficult to find outside Switzerland, and they are representative of the Swiss climate. Is a car only a car if it is a Hummer? If California were to be seen as the high-water mark for quality, then they might not measure up. But, do we really need more thick, rich, high-alcohol fruit bombs? Aren’t there enough of them already?

So, my recommendation is to peruse the wine list, wherever you are. If you should be so lucky to find Swiss wines, do try them. If you find a Gantenbein Pinot Noir from Fläsch, be sure to call me. I’ll come over for a Dézaley Clos des Moines as well.

Cheers!

JürgO

The post Switzerland-more than just cuckoo clocks and great chocolate appeared first on vintuba.com.

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Please join me in welcoming BenS as our latest guest contributor! BenS currently wanders the state of Texas seeking oenological delights.  What Ben lacks in wine qualifications, he makes up for in passion.   Ben hopes to one day become of Wine Man of Letters, as he has started studying for his Certified Specialist of Wine certificate.  He also writes for his own blog, Vinotology

Welcome and let’s dive right in!

All sorts of things probably spring to mind when I say Texas – big, oil, Houston we have a problem, wide open spaces, women with big hair, Texas twangs, over the top state pride, cowboys, former presidents who are cowboys – but my guess is that wine probably doesn’t really make it onto most people’s list.

Texas actually has a very rich wine history. Over 100 years before the first consistent grape production began in California, Texas became one of the first states in the US to plant vineyards when Franciscan priests established a vineyard and winery at the Mission of Ysleta in 1662. Although Texas has not followed the same path as California when it comes to wine, you might be surprised to learn that Texas is actually the fifth largest state in the US in wine production and has over 160 wineries. Not only is Texas producing a lot of wine, the wine business is also rapidly growing. As recently as 2003 there were only 54 wineries in the state, so the proliferation of new wineries has been profound.

As Texans are infinitely fond of reminding everyone, Texas is a big state, measuring 268,820 square miles. In a state so large there are bound to be many differences and much diversity among the regions of the state. Texas is currently home to eight different American Viticultural Areas (AVAs). Of these eight appellations, the Texas Hill Country and Texas High Plains stand out as the primary grape producing and winemaking AVAs.

The Texas Hill Country has historically been the real epicenter of Texas winemaking. The appellation is the second largest in the United States, covering over 9,000,000 acres, and contains two smaller AVAs – the Bell Mountain and the Fredericksburg AVAs. Despite its enormous size, there are currently less than 1000 acres of grapes planted within the appellation. The real focus in this area is on winemaking. Around 60 wineries are located in this AVA. Fruit is often sourced from other areas of the state, or from out of state growers. You will find a lot of the traditional French varieties being grown in the Texas Hill Country, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay being some of the most common. Other varieties that are fairly commonly grown in this area are Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Pinot Noir and Riesling.

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The other primary appellation in Texas is the Texas High Plains AVA, which was established in 1993. Although smaller than the Hill Country AVA, at 7,680,000 acres it is still an extremely large AVA. The High Plains has become a major producer of wine grapes for wineries around the state. The area has an elevation of around 3,000 feet, is semi-arid and has long, hot summer days and cool nights, making it well suited to the production of grapes. Some of the oldest and largest wineries in the state are found in the Texas High Plains, including Llano Estacado Winery and Pheasant Ridge Winery. Historically, the same trio of French varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay) that are featured in the Texas Hill Country have also been featured in the Texas High Plains, although growers have been experimenting with a number of other varieties recently.

The other AVAs in Texas are producing significantly fewer grapes and less wine. The other AVAs are the Escondido Valley (which has no wineries, but does produce some grapes), the Mesilla Valley (most of this AVA is located in New Mexico), and the Texoma AVA. The Texoma AVA might be most well known as the AVA where Thomas Volney Munson discovered the solution to the French phylloxera epidemic, making it a major contributor to the wine world.

Just like anywhere else, there are a number of challenges to making wine in Texas. One of the biggest challenges is that demand for Texas grapes greatly exceeds the supply. While the number of wineries has increased from 54 in 2003 to over 160 in 2009, the number of acres producing grapes during that time has remained fairly static, averaging somewhere between 3,000 and 3,500 acres a year. Most Texas wineries would like to be able to make more wines from Texas grapes, especially among their top tier wines, but Texas grape production has not kept up with the demand. Texas grower Neil Newsome was quoted in a recent article as saying, “All these wineries would prefer to be buying Texas grapes for their tier-one wines, and we’re not even growing enough to fill that need. We currently have 3,600 acres planted to winegrapes in Texas. Just to support the tier-one wines would take 5,000 or 6,000 acres. That doesn’t even count the under-$10 wines made by the big wineries like St. Genevieve, Llano Estacado, Fall Creek and Messina Hof. If they wanted to buy Texas grapes, we’d probably need 12,000 acres.” According to a quote in the same article from the CEO of the largest winery in Texas, Pat Prendergast of Mesa, “We produce 2 million gallons of wine per year, which is about 11,500 tons. In a good year, Texas grape growers produce 4,500 tons for the whole state–and that’s an optimistic view….” The shortage of Texas grapes has had an additional effect; it has made Texas grapes more expensive than fruit sourced from other locations, such as California. More expensive grapes mean more expensive wines. Top flight Texas wines are often known to be priced relatively high.

http://www.texaswinetrail.com/

As in every other region, weather, pests, and diseases can also be a factor in Texas. Texas vineyards often struggle with late season freezes, hail, and very hot summers. Vineyards in all areas of the state have also often had to fight with Pierce’s Disease, which is caused by a bacteria spread by certain insects. Several Texas wineries have had success with growing varieties that are resistant to Pierce’s Disease, including Blanc DuBois and Lenoir, also known as “Black Spanish”. Wines made from these grapes might be less well known than the French varietals that have been grown around the state, but they show the potential to become expressive of Texas terroir.

There are some other varieties that are better known that are also showing a lot of potential in Texas. One of the varieties that is being produced more and more around the state is Tempranillo. Tempranillo responds very well to some of the conditions in Texas, ripening under hot, dry conditions and resisting late spring freezes better than some varieties. Several Italian varieties have also been performing well in Texas, including Sangiovese, Dolcetto, and Vermentino. The Mediterranean climate found in much of Texas seems to allow some of these varieties to flourish and may ultimately express Texas terroir better than many of the French varietals that have been grown in the past.

Texas wine seems to be reaching a crossroads. Many growers across the state are experimenting more with different varieties of grapes, seeing what really works best with Texas climate and soil. I view the state as being like the college student who goes on a trip to Europe to “find themselves”. Texas is really trying to find its own identity right now, and is looking for the grapes that will ultimately be the most expressive of a unique Texas terroir. For some wineries and some areas, that may ultimately be found in French Bordeaux varietals, but when I talk to friends of mine who own vineyards in the area, I get a picture of a Texas wine landscape ten years from now that will hardly resemble the one that you find today. Already the production of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay has decreased within the state, and an increased diversity in less common varieties can be seen. There’s a lot of growing room for wine in Texas, both in the volume of wine grapes being produced in the state, and in the distinctiveness of Texas wine. It’s hard to predict what the future holds, but it should be fun to find out.

The post Puttin’ the dubya back in wine! Texas style y’all… appeared first on vintuba.com.

In this video ChrisO gives you the sights and sounds of the 19th Annual ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates & Producers) Grand Zinfandel Tasting held at Fort Mason Center in San Francisco.

Stay tuned for more on the 19th Annual ZAP Zinfandel Event including a list of recommended zins.

Cheers!

The post Vintuba TV – ZAP 19th Annual Grand Zinfandel Tasting appeared first on vintuba.com.

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Get ready, I am going to share one of the best kept secrets on how to get your hands on some of Napa Valley’s finest and rarest wines.  So here is what you do: you enroll your child (provided you have school aged children) or you could borrow someone else’s, and enroll them in a Napa Valley school and then wait 6 months for their school fundraiser wine auction to roll around and then attend and bid on some incredible wine lots. Or you wait until June when you hop aboard your private Gulfstream V jet to attend the yearly Napa Valley wine auction, where you rub elbows with Jay Leno, Terry Hatcher, and Francis Ford Coppola and bid $100,000 for 2 bottles of wine. Or you regularly read vintuba.com and wait for ChrisO to give you the inside scoop on how to bid by proxy at upcoming school fundraising auctions.

Now I must tell you school wine auctions is where I have been able to find some incredible deals on wines that most of us would never have access to. Believe it or not back in 2006 I was able to get a bottle of the much-coveted Colgin Cabernet Sauvignon Tychson Hill for a high bid of $150. Now when I did some research on several auction sites I saw that this same bottle of wine sold for $300+.  Now besides finding some great deals there is of course the added benefit that you are helping kids get a better education, something our dear Govonator has been unable or unwilling to do.

So here you go, the Young School in St Helena is hosting their annual wine auction this Saturday at Quintessa Winery.  You can check out the wines that are available for bidding here.  The good news is you do not need to attend this event to bid!

Here are some of the incredible lots available:

• a collection of wines from 23 “red hot mamas,” women winemakers in Napa Valley (the wines include Corison, Corra, Drinkward-Peschon, Failla, Rasmussen, Oakville Ranch, Phifer Pavitt and more)
• a collection of  wines from the Howell Mountain appellation (Cakebread, CADE, Dunn, Ladera, Lamborn, Outpost, Retro,Turley)
• a collection of wines from the Spring Mountain District appellation (Barnett, Cain, Fife, Charbay, Fantesca, Frias, Guillliams, Hollywood & Vine, Juslyn, Keenan, Marston, Newton, Paloma, Peacock, Pride, Schweiger, Sherwin, Smith-Madrone, Spring Mountain Vineyard, Stony Hill, Togni, York Creek Vineyards)
• a private tour of Napa wineries conducted by Wine Bible author and CIA instructor Karen MacNeil
• a blending experience with winemakers Bob Levy & Martha McClellan of Levy & McClellan
• a collection of wine with Young School-student-designed labels
• a trip to Washington D.C. including lunch with Congressman Mike Thompson in the Members’ Dining Room, passes to the House gallery, tours of the Capitol and Supreme Court and accommodations at the Henley Park Hotel and a dinner at BLT Steak
• a Cabernet Franc adventure at Cindy’s Back Street Kitchen with the proprietors of Lang & Reed
• jetsetting experience with hotels and activities in SF, Napa and LA
• a day of visits to local artisanal food purveyors and dinner at Amy & Jerry Giaqunta’s home, prepared by Deborah Pollack of Local Eden with a dessert finale by Bouchon Bakery’s chef Matt McDonald, co-hosted by Anne-Marie Failla and Ehren Jordan
• a lavish tasting at Swanson Vineyards’ Salon and luncheon with winemaker Chris Phelps
• an abalone dinner in Storybook Mountain Winery’s redwood grove, with abalone freshly caught and prepared by Young School teacher Natalie Herdell’s husband Joe, complemented by Storybook’s wines
• a pheasant hunt with architect Peter Collins and vintner Stu Smith
• serigraph by Thomas Pradzynski donated by Caldwell Snyder Gallery
• portrait of Barack Obama in jellybeans
• a “burgers & bubbles” feast, an Indian feast with Indian dancing
• a yacht trip to a San Francisco Giants game with the co-founders of Alpha Omega, Robin Baggett and Eric Sklar

The catalogue and proxy bidding form are online at   http://www.foreveryoungbenefit.org/

Founded in 1991 by JoAnn Bell, The Young School is a private non-profit non-denominational Montessori-derived program for children ages 6 through 12 years old/first-sixth grades. The name of the school is taken from two sisters named ‘Young’ who were well-known Sonoma teachers several decades ago. The first Young School was founded in their home in downtown Sonoma. In 1997 the school moved from its Sonoma location to St. Helena in the Napa Valley.

The Young School operates as a ‘one-room schoolhouse’ in quarters rented from a church in a residential neighborhood of St. Helena. The Young School follows a ‘tutorial’ approach to education, where children are tasked on their abilities and interests; the School has a 12-1 student-teacher ratio and is respected for its rigorous academics complemented by frequent field trips, enrichment in foreign language classes and music programs as well as community outreach.

So what are you waiting for? This is like a hall pass on buying the wine you have always wanted as part of your collection.

If you can’t make it to the online auction I will see you on the runway when you land your private jet at the Napa Airport for the Napa Valley wine auction.

Cheers,

ChrisO

PS most school auctions allow you to purchase tickets to attend the auction.  Stay tuned for a calendar of upcoming Napa Valley school auctions.

The post Kids + Wine = Great Cause appeared first on vintuba.com.

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An Article by JürgO

I just returned from a weekend of spirits tasting. As the Old World Old Guy, I was shocked by the prevailing attitudes I found my fellow tasters had, including the lecturer at our event, to lesser-known spirits. Everyone knows it is fashionable to like Cognac. Aficionados go for Armagnac and their dried fruit flavors. Fewer are enthusiastic about Brandy de Jerez. Surprising, to me at least, is the level of enthusiasm for the best-selling “clean spirits,” e.g. vodka. Its singular distinguishing mark is this: the less you can identify the base material, the better it seems to be. Go figure. Given that fact, perhaps I should not be surprised by the general aversion to grappa, marc, and—god forbid—non-grape fruit-based spirits. I have always noted a general surprise North Americans have to the perceived dominance the alcohol has in the lesser-known pitted fruit derived eaux-de-vie found in Europe. There are fruit esters, which make the brandy appear more astringent.

There is the issue of congeners, or flavors inherent to the base material from which a spirit is distilled. A high level of congeners is detrimental if the goal is a neutral spirit: vodka is the best example. No matter the base, it should taste neutral. Wouldn’t it be a novel concept to use in wine? “Hey, honey, come taste this wine: it is clean and clear and tastes like nothing but alcohol.” Novel? Perhaps not. Too many wines follow that path to Mondovino!

The opposite of that position is to have superior base materials good enough to convey congeners to the distillate. Cognac and Armagnac are the best examples. Top quality grappa and certainly the upper tier of eaux-de-vies de fruits belongs in that category as well.

The first observation is that, as under-appreciated as they are stateside, there are young European artisanal distillers enjoying devoted, cult-like following. They produce what is known as Edelbrand (German), Distillats Nobles (French for noble distilled spirits). These producers generally are very hard to find on a specialty shelf in the U.S. Urs Hecht of Gunzwiler Destillate link (to German web page) has been awarded the title of Distiller of the Year every year since 1999.

German-speakers refer to distilled alcoholic beverages as Schnaps, or Schnäpse (pl.), not to be confused with the American schnapps, which is neutral spirits (see above), flavors and a generous dose of sugar and glycerin: a liqueur. There are two broad segments of Schnaps: those derived from stone fruit and other pitted fruit, namely apples and pears.

Method of Schnaps Distillation

Fruits contain sugars which are directly fermentable. In a first step a mash is fermented, resulting in a fruit “wine” of single-digit alcoholic strength. That “wine” is then distilled, usually twice, using a pot still. Separating the “heads” and “tails” which are toxic, form the potable “heart” is critical. Depending on quality, the final level of alcohol by volume is between 40 and 43%. These eaux-de-vies are usually not aged in oak. Specialty distillers have begun to offer top-tier Schnaps aged in Barriques, (sometimes oak, for Kirsch in cherry-wood) albeit without much wood-derived color.

Steinfrücheschnaps; Stone fruit derived

The least-liked example may be Slivovitz from the Slavic countries, often pungent and sometimes compared to moonshine. Avoid home-made Slivovitz, as it may contain traces of methanol.

Zwetschgenwasser (Quetsch in Alsace), Pflaumenschnaps, Pflümliwasser are produced from Prunus domestica subsp. Domestica, the plum. A preferred digestif after a n-course meal, served with espresso, after dessert.

Better quality is called Pflümli, a diminutive of Zwetschge, the former being smaller and intense, the latter large and less expressive.

Abricot, or Aprikosenwasser is made from apricots and can be found in Hungary, as Marillenschnaps in Austria and in Alsace and Switzerland.

Mirabelle is the rather exotic small stone fruit which is used to make, well, Mirabelle.

This is a specialty not readily found outside Alsace and Switzerland.

Kirsch (Kirschwasser) is made from cherries, sometimes including crushed pits. It is the most noble of the noble destillates. There is Kirsch made from cherry varietals (eg. Lauerzer, Doleseppler), from geographic regions (Zuger, Baselbieter, Luzerner). Specialties include sour-cherry Kirsch from (Prunus cerasus). Swiss Kirsch production is about 535,000 bottles. Zadar, in former Yugoslavia, produces Kirsch, but is more famous for its Maraschino (“Mara-SKIno”), a water-white cherry liqueur with bitter notes–the origin of the well-known maraschino cherry–best known from the distillers Maraska, and the Italian Luxardo.

Kernobstschnaps: Pitted fruit derived

Poire Williams is the name of a varietal known as Bartlett in North America which makes an exquisite pear brandy. Some bottles contain only liquor, others a pear carefully grown into the bottle which is then filled with Williamine. How do you get the pear out? Well, you don’t. Initially, the pear absorbs the alcohol and is relatively protected from spoilage even once the bottle is empty. You simply fill the bottle with a regular bottle of pear brandy and keep the pear in the bottle, in perpetuity, as it were.

Apfel: Gravensteiner, Bernerrosen etc. Schnaps: varietal Apple Brandy

Regional varietals, sometimes heirloom varietals, are the up-and-coming thing. Most of these varietals are local and may be of no significance internationally, which is precisely the attraction.

Quittenschnaps: Quincy Apple, or Quince

Good example of a mostly overlooked tree fruit-based distillate. Most people have never seen, nor tasted a quincy apple. Its called Cydonia oblonga and is inedible unless cooked. Unmistakable aromas. A quince is a quince, hard to compare to anything else. Try it, you may like it.

Conclusion

America is following the French in its obsession with the notion of terroir. Not to be outdone by the French, we invoke this concept whenever we can, and wherever there is wine to be sold. To dismiss terroir in wine is akin to being a heretic, unless one is an agnostic to start. The idea of what the wine is made from, where it is sourced, the influence of climate, cellar technique, barrel-aging all add to the sum total of a wine.

Vodka is at the other end of the continuum. Distill any trace of source out of it. Make it neutral, like distilled water with a punch. Never mind what it is made from. If you don’t like it, they’ll add flavors: Citron, Pepper, Bison Grass, Strawberry, Watermelon, Cinnamon, Coffee, etc., paling Baskin Robbins palette of flavors. Now there is even a hot pepper-flavored vodka! If vodka is any indication of the sophistication of the American consumer, then we have lowered the bar to (American) schnapps! Vodka, the very antithesis of source, is now the best selling distilled spirit in the U.S.

Go out and find some good quality fruit-based European spirit. Brace yourself for impact. You’ll survive. And be the better for it.

JürgO

An Apologia for Grappa to follow shortly.

The post Apologia for Eau-de-Vie appeared first on vintuba.com.

WARNING: If you are a redneck you may be offended by this episode!

In this episode of Vintuba TV ChrisO reviews the 2007 Stuhlmuller Vineyards Estate Zinfandel from Alexander Valley aka “The Naomi Campbell of Zinfandels”.  We are talking some nice value for money at $28 a bottle!  If you like Zinfandel you are going to want to watch this episode. Stuhlmuller Vineyards is a small family winery located just past Healdsburg in Sonoma County. The winemaker is non-other then Leo Hensen, some of you may remember we featured Leo and his own label Leo Steen in the podcast entitled “the wines of a great Dane”.

Thanks for watching and please leave us a comment on your thoughts.  IF you know someone who loves wine we would  appreciate you sharing our site with them.

Cheers and Enjoy,

ChrisO

The post Vintuba TV – The Naomi Campbell of Zinfandels appeared first on vintuba.com.

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An article by ChrisO

What do Biodynamics, flying cigars, The Pope’s New Castle (aka Châtauneuf-du-Pape), and a winemaking author have in common?  You’re just going to have to read this post to find out.

It all started in 1983 with a gentleman named Grahm who built himself a little wine empire in Santa Cruz California with wines named  Big House Red and Cardinal Zin. He had a quick wit and a very keen sense for marketing which helped him catapult his brands into the gullets of millions of Americans. He also spent much energy and time championing the concept of terrior and Rhone grape varieties, which ultimately earned him the title of “Rhone-ranger”   Then one day in 2006 when the total production of his spirited wine empire reached almost a 1/2 million cases (or 6 million bottles), this man named Grahm decided to cash out.  He wanted to do something different, he wanted to start making the wines he had so long spoken about: wines with a sense of place, wines that tasted like from whence they came. He wanted to become the terrior-ist that he had always dreamed of becoming.  This dream of terriorism of course landed him on the Biodynamic watch-list.

So in 2006, Randall Grahm set out to make his beloved “vin de terrior”. He fully embraced the philosophies of Rudolf Stainer (aka the Father of Biodynamics and Waldorf Education) and set out to grow and make wines biodynamically, which is basically a higher form of organic farming that sees the farm as a living entity, a closed ecosystem that is aligned to the celestial movements in the skies.  For some, this is a little esoteric or “out there” and for others it is the only way. Biodynamics has its detractors, to say the least, but I for one have found that the practice results, more often then not, in a wine with typicity, in other words a wine that is true to the place it was grown. To use a food analogy; it is the equivalent to eating raw milk cheese opposed to processed cheese slices. Or to use a music analogy, Biodynamics is Pink Floyd and conventional wines are the Jonas Brothers.  Do I always love BioD wines? NO, but do I think they are authentic and true to what nature throws at them YES!

Bonny Doon Logo

Ok, enough about ME, back to Randall’s story. Another one of his passions is truth in labeling and listing the ingredient of his wines on the back label.  For example the back label of the 2008 Ca’ Del Solo Albariño reads:

“Ingredients: Biodynamic grapes and sulfur dioxide. In the winemaking process, the following were utilized: indigenous yeast, organic yeast nutrient and bentonite. At the time of bottling, this product contained: 65ppm Total SO2, 20ppm free SO2”.

Some might argue that this is self serving and only a marketing ploy, and they might be right given RG’s history of being savvy marketer. I for one applaud the effort because I think it forces us to ask the question, what exactly is in a bottle of wine?  The wine industry has been very good at convincing us as consumers that wine is a 100% natural product.  This however, my dear friends, is not the case 90% of the time.  At least Mr Grahm’s is taking a step in the right direction, that hopefully others will follow, even if it might be self serving.

Another of Randall Grahm’s passions seems to be the use of screw caps, of which he and his Bonny Doon Vineyards are huge supporters.  To put it in

Randall Grahm

their own words, “vive le screwcap.”  I do not share their exuberance for this type of closure, not because it lacks all the romance, pomp and circumstance of cork, but because it is in a word, NOT sustainable, unlike cork.  For a winery that prizes Biodynamics for its healing nature of the environment it seems counterintuitive that they choose a metal closure that will live on in a landfill long after aliens have invaded our planet and start making Biodynamic wines.  I also often find that wines closed under a screw cap are somewhat reductive, in other words frozen in time, where the interaction of the wine and oxygen (instrumental in the further development or aging of a wine) has stopped or slowed dramatically, leaving the wine somewhat one dimensional.  However, this is such a hotly debated issue that I almost feel like I am picking at a scab sure to release a gushing forth of opinion.

So here comes the part where I tell you what a cigar, Châtauneuf-du-Pape, and a winemaking author have in common.  Sound like a set up for a joke doesn’t it? But trust me this is no joke, back when Randall still owned those two behemoth brands discussed earlier, he conceived of a wine that would be a homage to the great wines of the southern Rhone in France, namely Chateauneuf-du-Pape.  So he launched Le Cigare Volant “Red wine of the Earth.”  The name means flying saucer in French.  I am sure you are asking yourself “why the hell did he call it that?” Well I think it best if I let Randall tell you in his own words:

“In 1954 the village council of Châtauneuf-du-Pape was quite perturbed and apprehensive that flying saucers or ‘flying cigars’ might do damage to their vineyards were they to land therein. So, right-thinking men all, they passed an ordinance prohibiting the landing of flying saucers or flying cigars in their vineyards. (This ordinance has worked very well in discouraging such landings.) The ordinance further states that any volitional object that did alight was to be taken immediately to the pound.”

All makes sense now, right? So now we can move on. Incidentally this prose appears on the back label of the wine.  Now as you can tell Randall is no slouch of a writer and has even written his own book Been Doon So Long – A Randall Grahm Vinthology, a collection of his musings about the wine world. But I am not here to discuss his book, as JonM and I will do that in an upcoming podcast. If you want further insights into the thoughts of Randall, may I suggest following him on twitter or reading his blog.

So, having read all this you might feel that Randall Grahm is a true individual, someone who is not afraid to put himself out there and self-reflect, and you would be right.  He is as true to himself as his wines are true to their place, nothing added, manipulated, or filtered just true expressions regardless of whether you like them or not.  The wine world should have more individuals like him.  Long live the anti-homogeny movement!!!!

What follows are my impressions of the two wines that I received as samples along with the aforementioned book.

2008 Ca’ del Solo Albariño

2008 Ca’ del Solo Albariño, Ca’ del Solo Estate Vineyards, Monterey County
Bonny Doon  Vineyards, Santa Cruz, California

Tasting Note:
This wine has a light lemon green core that fades to an almost watery rim tinged with reflexes of lemon.
The aromas are very youthful and medium in intensity and remind me of lemon zest, granny smith apple, white flowers, fresh cut grass, wet rocks and mandarin oranges. Taking a sip I notice zesty acidity, very balanced alcohol and a light body uninfluenced by oak (ahh now thats refreshing!) Flavors of green apple, key lime, and hints of bell pepper and grass great my taste buds.  The finish is refreshing and crisp but highlights some bitter notes, reminiscent of orange peal.
Conclusion:
This wine is of good quality and much more pleasing then I expected.  I happen to be a lover of Spanish Albariño from Galicia, so my expectations were quite high.  It reminds me much more of a Sauvignon Blanc then it does an Albariño, which tend to exhibit more peach and apricot notes then citrus.  So putting the comparison to a Spanish Albariño aside for a moment I found this wine to be very pleasing and unique, although the bitterness on the finish was a little disappointing. I will definitely be trying this wine again, next time with some seafood.

2005 Le Cigare Volant,

2005 Le Cigare Volant, California Red Wine Bonny Doon  Vineyards, Santa Cruz, California

(blend of 50% grenache, 24% mourvèdre, 22% syrah, 3% carignane and 1% cinsault. in other words a Rhone blend)

Tasting Notes:
In the glass this wine exhibits a medium ruby core that slowly fades to a light ruby rim. The aromas are medium in intensity, elegant,  and remind me of dark cherries, earth, old world funk (a good thing!!!!) cedar, vanilla, creme de cassis, white pepper, violets and fennel. If the nose is any indication of what is to come I am excited!!!
On the palate flavors of pepper, dried herbs, black cherries, black fruit, earth, smoke, cedar, vanilla and more of that old world charm, unfold. The flavors are backed by good acidity, ripe tannins that add nice texture, and thank GOD well integrated alcohol (incidentally this wine has about 13.5% alcohol).  The finish is both very complex and long. In one word this wine is balanced.

Conclusion:
This is a wine of outstanding quality.  It drinks very nicely now but in my opinion will continue to age for the next 3-6 years. After my initial tasting note I paired this wine with a hearty beef and mushroom stew and it came alive. If the goal of this wine was to pay homage to Châtauneuf-du-Pape while staying true to its California roots, well then this goal has been achieved.  It truly shows that a California wine can be both elegant, balanced, interesting and food friendly. Something not many of the red wines from Napa can claim.

I would have to say that having tasted these two wines Randall has achieved his goal of making “vin de terrior” now whether is new direction will prove as popular and profitable as his last venture is still to be seen, but somehow I just don’t think that matters to the man with the passion for all things intangible.

Bonus Video you might enjoy!

The post Biodynamic Aliens in Flying Cigars Invade the Wine Business appeared first on vintuba.com.

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An Article by CatherineS

It takes a lot of sheep to make good wine in New Zealand.  Sheeps milk, to be more exact.

Not that beer is losing ground as a favorite drink for the winemaking set during harvest; and these winemakers are not necessarily guzzling back tall glasses of the white milky stuff.  But if it weren’t for all of the sheep in the country, who knows how long it would have taken New Zealand to get into the international winemaking game.  New Zealand is pretty isolated, and delivering winemaking equipment there is very expensive. One day, however, the wine-thirsty people of New Zealand looked around at all of the stainless steel tanks they had for processing their sheep’s milk, and thought, hmmm, we could use this equipment to make wine.

Make wine they did – and sauvignon blanc wine that stopped the world.  What is most fascinating about New Zealand’s sauvignon blanc is that it was not even planted there just 30 years ago. But once they started, it was all fireworks and grammy shows; the wines were wildly popular with critics and consumers.

New Zealand is currently working on putting more eggs in its basket.  The country knows that putting all of its energy into one grape—its star sauvignon blanc grape–is a very near-sighted thing to do.  Wine consumers are as fickle as any other type of consumer and varietals go in and out of fashion, especially in new world countries like the United States. The U.S., along with the U.K. and Australia—and Japan for the higher end wines– are the biggest markets for New Zealand wine. So the Bordeaux style wines of Hawkes Bay, and the Pinots of Martinborough and Central Otago, among others, are being held up for world review.

In general, what is really cool about winemaking in New Zealand is that they grow the most southerly grapes in the world.  The two islands have a general Maritime climate, but the range from the tip of the North island to the bottom of the South ranges from subtropical to continental.  It rains more in the West, so many of the vineyards are planted on the East. The East Coast vineyards are protected from some of the bad weather by a series of mountains that run down the country, roughly North to South.

Let’s take our own look around the country and see what they are up to.  Today, we will concentrate on the North Island.

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Auckland : Mostly red wine is made here; the best known ones are from Henderson, Kumeu,  Huapai, Waiheke Island, Matakana, and Clevedon

Climate:  Warmest region of New Zealand ; subtropical; cloud-cover moderates the sun here and provides a steady winegrowing season

Soil:  clay which can be quite heavy, with a lighter clay topsoil

Viticulture:  the whole country is a leader in canopy management and trellising ; rain and rot are a problem here at harvest

Grapes:   Most popular are chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, merlot ; also planted: sauvignon blanc and semillon

Styles: Waiheke Island is known for its wines from the Bordeaux varietals: cab sauv, merlot and cab franc (it is less rainy here so the Bordeaux varietals ripen well); Matakana is known for its cabernet sauvignon in particular

Northland: a tiny region, but historical in that New Zealand winemaking started here.  The first grapes on the island were stuck in the ground in 1819.  It is a particularly wet region, especially on the west coast, and so it is not easy to make great wine here.  But great wine can be made. Using careful canopy management and trellising, among other viticultural practices, and being smart about where they plant, several producers are making really good wine, especially cabernet sauvignon and syrah. Since this area is on the most northern tip of the North island, it is the warmest, and therefore ripens Bordeaux varietals well.

Gisbourne: The third most important region in the country after Marlborough and Hawkes Bay

Location: on the East coast of the North Island. Its vineyards get the title of “most easterly vineyards in the world.”

Climate:  The area gets high sun hours, and it is sheltered from much of the nasty weather coming from the west by mountains to its west, but it still gets more rain than Hawkes Bay.

Soils: Fertile : alluvial over sand

Viticulture: canopy management and trellising techniques used

Grapes:  Chardonnay is most important

Production:  More white than red here, an almost 90-10% split.

Hawkes Bay: The second largest winegrowing area in the country; producing noteworthy wines from the Bordeaux varietals.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/flissphil/ / CC BY 2.0

Location: South of Gisbourne, on the East Coast

Climate:  Maritime, warm.  Sheltered from the westerlies by the mountains. Rain is low here with high temperatures (still lower than Bordeaux) along the Gimblett Gravel area, but cooler in the higher altitude vineyards of central Hawkes Bay.

Soils:  Wide range, but good free-draining.  There are outcroppings of gravel, called Gimblett Gravels, which are great for cabernet and merlot. They run deep and provide a warm environment for late ripeners such as cab sauv, merlot, cab franc and syrah.

Viticulture:  canopy management and trellising techniques; the wide range of soils create the need for many different vineyard practices

Grapes: Chardonnay is most important to production, cabernet sauvignon and merlot get lots of attention, but good pinot noir is also grown here.  There is also cabernet franc and syrah.

Martinborough – has boutique wineries with a great reputation; a very dynamic area. It is only 6^th in size but very important to the country in terms of quality

Location:  In the Wairapara region which is in Wellington.

Climate:  More like Marlborough on the South Island, than its northern counterparts: it is sunny and pretty dry

Soils:  loam and gravelly terraces

Viticulture: low cropping with a long ripening period

Grapes: Pinot Noir has been a success, as well as sauvignon blanc

Style:  Full-bodied, rich pinots

All this talk about North Island New Zealand certainly doesn’t make me want to go get a big cold glass of milk. I think it’s sauvignon blanc time at my house.

Cheers,

CatherineS

The post It takes a lot of sheep to make good wine in New Zealand. appeared first on vintuba.com.

We are giving away 2 sets of 2 tickets to the 19th Annual Grand Zinfandel Tasting at Fort Mason ins San Fransisco on January 30th. Watch the video to see how you can enter to win. Good luck!

Our Facebook Fan Page

More info on ZAP

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The Billionaire’s Vinegar: The Mystery of the World’s Most Expensive Bottle of Wine, Benjamin Wallace, Crown Publishers, New York, N.Y., 2008.

In this fascinating book the author brings together some truly unique characters: the ghost of Thomas Jefferson, wine lover and aspiring vintner, Meinhard Görke, a.k.a. Hardy Rodenstock, supposedly world-famous wine collector, merchant and organizer of over-the-top bacchanalian feast featuring ever older first-growth wines from Bordeaux, Ralf Frenzel, his sommelier-sidekick always fiercely guarding the corks pulled from the “priceless” bottles, a coterie of followers: Herr Pétrus, Mr. Cheval Blanc, Mr. Yquem, wine collectors from the world over, their money chasing opportunity, Michael Broadbent, world-renown expert on old wines and head of Christie’s wine auction department, auctioneer with the unique distinction of selling the highest-priced bottle of wine ever, at $156,000, bearing the initials “Th.J”, purported to be Thomas Jefferson.

This book is all about excess. Money apparently so easily made, competing with excessive wealth by demanding attention in a bidding war for the unreal:

Wines “found” in a walled-in cellar of a 18^th Century Parisian house about to be demolished. Rodenstock, the German wine lover and merchant, just happened to be so lucky to be the only one to whom the lot was offered. The wine world could have paid attention to the fact that if such a historical treasure was found, the owner would undoubtedly be aware of its value and solicit bids. None of this happened, because Rodenstock just happened to be the one, and only one, with access to the owner. “But wait, there is more…” this well-worn phrase just about sums up the story which, with the benefit of hindsight, appears now as nothing but a fabrication: ever more ancient wine magically appearing, more greed, more covetousness, ever-higher prices, more bidders, more opinions as to the authenticity, more elaborate Rodenstock-by-invitation-only dinners featuring Pétrus, among others, from ancient vintages in bottle sizes Christian Moueix, current owner of Ch. Pétrus, doubted ever existed.

Michael Broadbent, world-renown authority on wine and head of Christie’s auction house, seemed to bestow authenticity by including that famous lot 337, offering wine that, by all appearances, might still be drinkable after almost 200 years. The wine had extraordinarily high fill levels for a wine of its age, attributed to a constant temperature in the hermetically sealed underground vault. Since Thomas Jefferson was living in Paris from 1784 to 1789, speculation that this bottle may have been his gave rise to an “inestimable” value. In a bidding war, Christopher “Kip” Forbes, son of Malcolm Forbes, won the lot at the highest price ever paid for a bottle of wine: £75,000. It is an absolute mystery why no one solicited the opinion of the Thomas Jefferson archives: they doubted the authenticity of association with Jefferson all along.

Hardy Rodenstock

But there really is more: Rodenstock’s treasure trove produced ever more of the rarest of wines dating back to the waning 18^th Century. His “Midas touch” produced access to caches in Russia, smuggled to Germany with the help of a Lufthansa employee. Another “discovery” was made in Venezuela. Allegedly $1 million was paid for the cellar containing wines experts doubted were ever sold to Venezuela.

The members of Rodenstock’s quasi-fanatical following tried to outdo each other in “mega-tasting mania.” On what seemed almost weekly basis, seriously expensive “best of“ tastings were held, where each member had to produce the best bottle of his cellar. These events finally became spectacles where guests had to dress up in period costumes. At an earlier event, Christian Moueix, requested to see a cork of a bottle of 1921 Pétrus, Ralf Frenzel, the sommelier replied with a brusque Nein!

Over time, Rodenstock’s inner circle began nursing suspicions. Little by little, even his  ardent supporters grew suspicious and abandoned him. Hans-Peter Frericks, member of the inner circle,  was the first to openly challenged the authenticity of the wines. Some of the wine writers who attended his many tastings backtracked, some did not. Robert Parker stuck to his original 1995 opinion: “the wines I tasted were great wines–real or fake.”

Rodenstock sold his ancient wines, among others, to a U.S. collector, Bill Koch, of America’s Cup sailing fame. Koch also grew suspicious, and he wanted revenge. He hired a team of investigators and sued. His investigators found Rodenstock’s apartment in Munich, a duplex where Andreas Klein, his landlord lived as well. Rodenstock was a fussy tenant with no compunction about his noise emissions, but complaining loudly about others’. Klein thought his tenant was an amateur carpenter, a strange hobby for an internationally famous wine merchant. After the estranged parties sued each other, Rodenstock moved out and Klein found stacks of unused wine labels, corks, dozens of old wine bottles, and a mound of dirt covered in mold. Apparently, Rodenstock was boxing up “his” wines, not making furniture.

Koch vowed to pursue this perpetrator of fakes, no matter what the price.

Reads like a whodunit. Fascinating. There are some chilling similarities to Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme. Read it for your love of wine, or read it for what Germans call der Krimi, but read it, you must.

JürgO

The post Is this book worth its salt and vinegar? appeared first on vintuba.com.

ChrisO takes a look at the 2008 Fontanafredda “Briccotonde” Barbera which heralds from the Piemonte region of northern Italy. Come see what $11.99 will buy you.

Enjoy,

ChrisO

The post Vintuba TV – Review Fontanafredda Barbera appeared first on vintuba.com.

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This posting was penned by JürgO, a regular vintuba.com contributor, in response to Ed Schwartz’s article that appeared in the December 25th edition of the Napa Register. To read the article click on the link below:

A Silly Champagne Award (Out Of My Mind, 12/25/09

There are those who subscribe to truth-in-origin, and others who dismiss this notion as silliness. You could count the French, however you feel about them, most Europeans, the Slow Food Movement and perhaps Alice Waters among the former. The latter are of the flat-earth persuasion: the Mondovino coterie, the varietally obsessed wine lovers who discount the origins of wine and those who uphold McDonald’s uniformity of quality as something to attain as a goal. After reading Ed Schwartz’s ramblingsabout what he calls  “A Silly Champagne Award,” he has firmly positioned himself in the latter category. Schwartz completely misses the overarching principle: Champagne is an Appellation. And, he seems to take the French so very personal: obviously, they have made a lasting impression on him many years ago. Judging from his column, it was not a mutually enjoyable experience. Neither speaking French, not working for a French company nor wearing a Hermès tie made him a Francophile. He may be a Francophone, more likely a Francophobe.

His current lament is about the first Awards of Excellence given to Schramsberg Vinyards and Beringer Vineyards for Truth-in-Labeling, given by the Champagne Bureau, the U.S. representative of the CIVC, the Comité Interprofessionel du Vin de Champagne. He calls this move “oppressively self-serving,” because the recipient Napa producers abstained from using “Champagne” on their label. He yawns about this. Yes, it is a well-deserved victory for the Champagne industry. No one outside the Champagne region should be allowed to use the moniker. Moreover, when Schwartz refers to the “French Champagne” industry, he is using a tautology.

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Let’s look at “Champagne.” It is nowadays synonymous with vin mousseux produced in, you guessed it, Champagne, but only Champagne. It does not indicate sparkling wine from anywhere. First of all, it denotes a region of origin, not a style of wine. There is, after all, Marc de Champagne. As foreign as the concept of Appelation d’Origine might be to some, a Sherry is only a Sherry if it comes from the Jerez-de-la-Frontera region in Spain. Conversely, Port comes only from the Douro region in Portugal, not from Napa Valley or from Australia. Swiss cheese is what its name denotes, from Switzerland, not produced in Wisconsin, nor is Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Monterrey County or anywhere other than that specific part of the Rhône Valley. Asperges and Melon de Cavaillon (Cavaillon asparagus and melons) are only from that designated area in the Provence (not from California, like a Google search might suggest). A producer making a product similar in style and ingredients to the original resorting to “borrowing” the original’s legally protected name constitutes an egregious transgression. Aren’t we up in arms about illicit copies of Rolexes, DVDs, CDs, software? If the Chinese make an oversized, gas-guzzling SUV, is it o.k. to call it a Detroit car?

Oh, I forgot. We are only up in arms if transgressions are committed against our interests. And we already know how Ed Schwartz feels about the French.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anthonygrimley/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

While the U.S. suffered from that collective hangover called Prohibition, Congress felt it did not need to sign the international treaty wherein such concepts as Appellation d’Origine were to be protected. After all, we would never be drinking alcohol again. That is the reason why U.S. producers  can  use such blatant falsehoods as “Champagne” for wine that does not come from Champagne.

Perhaps one more example is needed. There is a wine-producing village in the canton Vaud in Switzerland named Champagne. They wanted to call their wine… well, you guessed it. In spite of their reasonable claim to the name, they lost in court because Champagne is a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin), and as such a legally protected Appellation d’Origine reserved for wines originating in the part of France known as Champagne. Christian Dior wanted to launch a perfume named Champagne, and he had to change its name.

It is not about you, Mr. Schwartz. The silliness, however, is with you!

JürgO

The post A Silly Champagne Award? I think NOT! appeared first on vintuba.com.

ChrisO reviews the 2008 Veramonte “Ritual” Pinot Noir from Casablanca Valley Chile.  See what cool climate, Paul Hobbs, Chile and value wine have in common.

The post Vintuba TV -Review 2008 Veramonte Ritual Pinot Noir appeared first on vintuba.com.

Vintuba celebrates the season of Festivus.  In the true Festivus spirit  ChrisO continues the tradition of the “airing of grievances” and the “feats of strength”.

For more on the tradition of Festivus click here

JonM, ChrisO, JessicaL, and CatherineS wish you all  very happy holidays no matter what tradition you celebrate.

The post Vintuba TV-Festivus 2009 appeared first on vintuba.com.

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Disclaimer: The following might be considered too geeky for some. Proceed at your own risk!

What is Eiswein? Well, for those of you who might not be familiar with this beautifully aromatic and sweet dessert wine here is a little background.

Although Eiswein/Ice wine can now be had from regions around the world one could say that Germany is the re-birthplace if not the birthplace of this unctuous elixir. While Germany often gets the credit for creation of ice wine there are indications that frozen grapes were used to make wine in Roman times.  Pliny the Elder (AD 23 – 79) wrote about certain grape varieties that were not harvested before frost had occurred. The poet Martial (AD 40 – 102) recommended that grapes should be left on the vine until November or until they were stiff with frost.  However, some time later the practice seems to have either been forgotten or abandoned. It was not until 1794, in Franconia Germany, that ice wine or Eiswein reappeared as a winemaking practice.
Even if counties as far flung as Canada now produce Icewine on a regular basis genuine Eiswein (German Ice Wine) is counted among the great sweet wines of the world.

Eiswein is an an extreme version of the late harvest method; the grapes are left to hang on the vine long after the late harvest, such as Trockenbeerenauslese and Beerenauskesse, has been completed.  Great care is taken to protect the remaining grapes from the attack of birds and wild boars which pose a constant threat to the remaining grapes. This special wine can only be made when the weather cooperates. This means that grapes must be picked at temperatures that are at least -8 degrees Celsius,  usually in December, or even as late as January.  Since weather prognostication is not an exact science (contrary to the beliefs held by weathermen all around the world) the winemaker and the vineyard crew have to be at the ready as soon as the temperature hits the magic – 8 degrees Celsius, which usually doesn’t  happen until the dark of night.  When the alarm sounds, signaling the right temperature, the crew heads into the vineyard to harvest the frozen berries which must remain frozen all the way through the pressing process.  It is this freezing process that is absolutely essential.
Once at the winery, the frozen grapes are pressed.  The ice crystals remain in the press and the resulting juice obtained is high in both sugar (in Germany

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referred to as Oeschle), acids and aromatic compounds.  This concentrated juice is then collected and fermented.  The result is a wine that is both exceptionally sweet and exceptionally tart. See below for flavor profiles.
The must weight required for a wine to achieve classification as Eiswein varies from one region of Germany to another. Eiswein must hit at least 110º Oechsle in several regions, including Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, but this figure climbs as high as 128º for Baden. Note that in all cases, however, this is less than that required for Trockenbeerenauslese, which must be at least 150º Oechsle.

Because it is so difficult to make, ice wine tends to be rare and expensive. 375 ml to 500ml bottles can start at +$50 and go up from there paying $100’s of is not unheard of.  Eiswein has established itself as a wine that people will pay a fortune for.

Eiswein is distinguished by the contrast between its fragrant sweetness and acidity. A great Eiswein is both rich and fresh. Young Eisweins have tropical fruit, peach or berry overtones. Older Eisweins suggest caramel or honey. Colors can range from white to rose.

Über GEEK WARNING:  If you thought the above information was geeky the geek factor that follows is even higher!

The following was originally posted in German here

Here are the first 2009 Eiswein vintage reports from Germany.
AHR
Weingut Deutzerhof Cossmann-Hehle (Mayschoß): Riesling-Eiswein with 163 ° Oechsle harvested at -9° C
BADEN
Alde Gott Winzer eG (Sasbachwalden): approximately 350 Liter of Riesling-Eiswein with 221° Oechsle, harvested at  -13 ° C.
WG Burkheim: 220 Liter Gewürztraminer-Eiswein with 178° Oechsle, harvested at  – 10 ° C In der Lage Rheinhalde in Burkheim.
Weingut Dreher (Emmendingen): Spätburgunder-Eiswein with 226° Oechsle, harvested at  – 14 ° C in der Lage Hochburg.
WG Königschaffhausen: Cabernet Sauvignon-Eiswein harvested with 194 ° Oechsle on Saturday at -10 ° C in der Lage Hasenberg.
Weingut  Krebs (Binzen): 80 Liter Spätburgunder-Eiswein with 221° Oechsle, harvested on Sunday at – 14 ° C
Weingut Landmann (Freiburg): 110 Liter Cabernet Cubin Eiswein  with 233° Oechsle , harvested at  – 17 ° C
WG Oberbergen: Ruländer-Eiswein with 212° Oechsle, harvested at – 10 ° C .
Zeller Abtsberg Winzer eG: 200 Liter Riesling-Eiswein with 217 ° harvested at – 13 ° C.

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FRANKEN
Weingut Baldauf (Ramsthal): Silvaner-Eiswein harvested at  7:30 am with 18 pickers at – 9.5 ° C.  and a mustweight  of 189 ° Oechsle.
Weingut Waldemar Braun (Nordheim): approximately 150 Liter Rieslaner-Eiswein harvested at  -15 ° C  with 240° Oechsle in vineyard Nordheimer Vögelein and approximately120 Liter Domina-Eiswein with 184°Oechsle at – 10,5 ° C in the vineyard Nordheimer Kreuzberg.
Fürstlich Castell´sches Domänenamt: Silvaner-Eiswein with 180 ° Oechsle harvested at – 9 ° C in Schlossberg and Kugelspiel.
Divino (Nordheim): 160 Liter Silvaner-Eiswein in vineyard Nordheimer Vögelein harvested at
– 9 ° C  with 193 ° Oechsle.
Weingut Gebrüder Geiger jun. (Thüngersheim): Silvaner-Eiswein with 234° Oechsle, harvested at  – 17,4 ° C on Saturday around 5am in the vineyard  Retzbacher Benediktusberg.
Weingut Johannes Popp (Iphofen): first harvest Riesling-Eiswein from the vineyard Rödelseer Küchenmeister with 188° Oechsle  on 18 of December at -9°C- and a Silvaner-Eiswein from the vineyard Rödelseer Küchenmeister with 217° Oechsle on 20 of December at -12° Celsius.
Weingut A & E Rippstein (Sand a. Main): approximately 100 Liter Silvaner Eiswein from the Kronberg vineyard with 191 ° Oechsle, harvested at 6am at – 9 ° C.
Weingut Römmert (Volkach): Weissburgunder-Eiswein with 200 ° Oechsle from the Voklkacher Ratsherr vineyard harvested at – 11 ° C.
Weingut Schwitht´s Kinder (Randersacker): Silvaner-Eiswein with  212 ° Oechsle harvested at – 11 ° C from the Randersackerer Sonnenstuhl vineyard.
Winzerkeller Sommerach: 200 Liter Silvaner-Eiswein from the Katzenkopf vineyard harvested at – 9 ° C. According to the business manager, Frank Dietrich, around 600 kg of frozen grapes were pressed.
Weingut Hans Wirsching (Iphofen): Riesling-Eiswein with 193 ° Oechsle in harvested from the vineyard Iphöfer Kronsberg at – 10 ° C.

HESSISCHE BERGSTRASSE
Bergsträsser Winzer eG (Heppenheim): 200 Liter with 175 ° C Oechsle on Friday and on Saturday  two Riesling-Eisweine with 271° Oechsle from the Heppenheimer Eckweg vineyard and 274° from Heppenheimer Maiberg vineyard. These could currently be the highest must-weights recorded so far this year.

MOSEL
Weingut Klaus Lotz (Erden): 120 Liter Riesling-Eiswein with 190° Oechsle harvested at – 16 ° C.
Weingut Philipps-Eckstein (Graach-Schäferei): two Riesling-Eisweines: One of Friday harvested at -10 ° C  from the vineyard Graacher Himmerleich with 165° Oechsle and the other on Saturday harvested at – 18 ° C from Graacher Himmelreich vineyard with 192° Oehsle.
Weingut S. A. Prüm (Wehlen): approximately150 Liter Riesling Eiswein harvested at -10.5° from the Graacher Himmelreich vineyard with 165 ° Oechsle and 14 % acid.
Wein- und Sektgut Walter Rauen (Detzem): Riesling-Eiswein with 208° oechsle harvested on Saturday at -15 ° C.  This is the highest must-weight from the property since the 1989 harvest.
Weingut Reh (Schleich): Riesling-Eiswein with 170° Oechsle harvested Saturday at  -12 ° C in from the Pölicher Held vineyard.
Weingut Zender-Göhlen (Wittlich): 300 Liters of Riesling-Eiswein with a must-weight of 140 ° Oechsle. This was harvested on thursday morning makeing it possibly the earliest Eiswein of the year.

NAHE
Weingut Klostermühle (Odernheim): 60 Liter Riesling-Eiswein from the  Kloster Disibodenberg vineyard  harvested at – 8 ° C. with a must-weight of 135 ° Oechsle
Weingut Wilhelm Sitzius (Langenlonsheim): 150 Liter Riesling-Eiswein with 163° Oechsle.
Weingut Udo Weber (Monzingen): 60 Liter Riesling-Eiswein with 180° Oechsle harvested at  – 13 ° C from the Bad Sobernheimer Marbach vineyard.
PFALZ
Aloisiushof (St. Martin): Silvaner-Eiswein „Alte Reben“ with 231° Oechsle harvested Sunday at -14 ° C .

Weingut Bühler (Kallstadt): Riesling-Eiswein approximately174° Oechsle

Weingut Braun (Meckenheim): Riesling-Eiswein approximately170° Oechsle
Weingut Breitling & Walter (Neustadt-Duttweiler): Chardonnay-Eiswein
Consulat des Weines (St. Martin) Eiswein from Chardonnay und Spätburgunder with approximately140 ° Oechsle
Weingut Darting  (Bad Dürkheim): Scheurebe-Eiswein and Huxelrebe-Eiswein with over 170 ° Oechsle.

Winzergenossenschaft Edenkoben eG: approximately 450 Liter Cabernet Withos-Eiswein harvested at -10,5 ° C  with an average must-weight of 142 ° C Oechsle.

Weingut Fitz-Ritter (Bad Dürkheim): Riesling-Eiswein with 165 ° Oechsle Harvested under a clear moonlit sky and a dusting of fresh snow this morning 7am 7 at -10° from the   Dürkheimer Hochbenn vineyard
Weingut Winfried Frey & Söhne (Essingen): about  500 Liters of Eiswein each of  Merlot, Chardonnay und Muskateller with mustweights betweein 165 und 180 ° Oechsle.

Weingut Martin und Georg Fußer (Niederkirchen): approximately 70 Liter Muskateller-Eiswein with 157° Oechsle

Weingut Christian Heußler (Rhodt unter Rietburg): approximately 100 to 150 Liter Cabernet Sauvignon Eiswein with 230 ° Oechsle harvested at -14 ° C.

Weingut H.-M. Hochdörffer (Landau-Nußdorf): Silvaner-Eiswein 
Weingut Naegele (Neustadt-Hambach): approximately 280 Liter Riesling-Eiswein with approximately 142° Oechsle
Niederkirchener

Weinmacher eG.: approximately 300 Liter Riesling-Eiswein with 215 ° Oechsle harvested at – 13,5 ° C from the Ruppertsberger Nußbien vineyard.

Weingut Heinz Pfaffmann (Walsheim): approximately 400 Liter Riesling-Eiswein with approximately 150° Oechsle

Weingut Pfeffingen (Bad Dürkheim-Ungstein): Riesling-Eiswein with approximately 170 to 190° Oechsle

Ruppertsberger Winzerverein Hoheburg: 3.500 Liter  Riesling-Eiswein from the Linsenbusch vineyard with approximately145° Oechsle

Vier Jahreszeiten Winzer (Bad Dürkheim): 4 Eisweins harvested at – 10 ° C this morning at 6am: Rieslaner-Eiswein with 190° Oechsle from Königswingert in Wachenheim, Ehrenfelser-Eiswein (185°) und Gewürztraminer-Eiswein (165°)from Fronhof in Bad Dürkeim and a Gewürztraminer-Eiswein with 170 ° Oechsle in from Schnepfenpflug in Forst.

Weingut Wegner (Bad Dürkheim): 230 Liter Chardonnay-Eiswein with 216 ° Oechsle harvested at -15 Celsius from the Dürkheimer Feuerberg vineyard. Will be produced as a Chardonnay Eiswein Barrique.

Weingut Winterling (Niederkirchen): Riesling-Eiswein approximately180 ° Oechsle
Weingut J. Zöller (Kirrweiler): approximately 200 Liter Riesling-Eiswein with 200 ° Oechsle harvested from the vineyard Kirrweiler Oberschloß at  – 15 ° C .

RHEINGAU

Weingut Norbert Barth (Hattenheim): 50 Liter Eiswein harvested at -8 ° C. Riesling Eiswein with 180 to 200 ° C Oechsle.

Weingut Reiner Flick (Wicker): 200 Liter Riesling-Eiswein with 160 to 170 ° Oechsle harvested at  – 7 ° C from Mönchsgewann in Wicker. This is the 15th eiswein Harvest for the winery.

Weingut J. Koegler (Eltville): 120 Liter Riesling-Eiswein with 230° Oechsle.

Weingut Freiherr Langwerth von Simmern (Eltville): Riesling Eiswein from the Eltviller Sonnenberg (Erste Gewächslage) vineyard  with 160° Oechsle.


Weingut Schönleber-Blümlein (Oestrich-Winkel): 120 Liter Riesling-Eiswein with 265° Oechsle. Harvested on Saturday at -12.5 ° C from Winkeler Gutenberg. On of the 10 highest must-weights of the vintage.

Weingut Spreitzer (Oestrich): Riesling-Eiswein with 260 ° Oechsle harvested at – 15 ° C. This is so far the 5th highest must-weight of the vintage.
RHEINHESSEN

Weingut Jean Buscher (Bechtheim): 180 Liter Weissburgunder-Eiswein with 205° Oechsle, 160 Liter Riesling-Eiswein with 220° Oechlse. And 50 Liter Eiswein from Südtiroler Nobel grape  Rosenmuskateller with 180° Oechsle. All harvested on Saturday at  – 15 ° C.

Weingut Ernst Fischer (Bingen-Dromersheim): approximately 250 to 300 Liter Grauburgunder-Eiswein with 183 ° Oechsle.

Weingut Schales (Flörsheim-Dalsheim): 500 to 600 Liter Riesling-Eiswein with 160° Oechsle. This is the 55th vintage of Eiswein for this winery.

Weingut Peter Schreiber (Gundheim): Scheurebe-Eiswein und Huxelrebe-Eiswein with 150 to 190 ° Oechsle from the Bermersheimer Hasenlauf vineyard.

SAAR

Weingut Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt (Wiltingen): 500 Liter Riesling-Eiswein harvested at -8 ° C with 130 ° C Oechsle.
WÜRTTEMBERG
Weingut Graf Adelmann (Kleinbottwar): 250 Liter Kleinbottwarer Muskattrollinger-Eiswein from Oberer Berg with 140 G° C Oechsle, harvested at – 11 ° C.
Weingut Gerhard Aldinger (Fellbach): Riesling-Eiswein with 190° Oechsle harvested at  – 10.5 ° C from Fellbacher Goldberg.
Weingut am Stein (Würzburg): Riesling- und Silvaner-Eiswein with 220° Oechsle harvested at  – 17 ° C from Stettener Stein vineyard.
Weingut Drautz-Able (Heilbronn): 70 Liter Riesling-Eiswein with 270 ° Oechsle (after pressing the reading was 310° Oeschsle) harvested at  – 15 ° C from Heilbronner Stiftsberg.
Weingut Jürgen Ellwanger (Winterbach): 150 Liter Riesling-Eiswein with 190° Oechsle, harvested from Hungerberg vineyard at  -11 ° C.
Fellbacher Weingärtner eG: 200 Liter Riesling-Eiswein harvested at -11 ° C Celsius from the  Lämmler vineyard  with  175° Oechsle.
Felsengartenkellerei (Hessigheim): Riesling-Eiswein with 216° Oechsle.
Weingut Gemmrich (Beilstein): approximately 300 Liter Cabernet Cubin-Eiswein with approximately 190 to 220 ° Oechsle from Beilsteiner Wartberg, harvested at 5am at  -12 ° C.
Weingut Gruber (Obersulm-Eschenau): 130 Liter Johanniter-Eiswein with 252° Oechsle harvested Saturday at – 18 ° C from Gewann Hetzlesberg.
Weingut Hans Haidle (Kernen-Stetten): 80 Liter Riesling-Eiswein with 210 ° Oechsle harvested from the Stettener Pulvermächer  vineyard at -12 ° C
Weingärtnergenossenschaft Heuholz (Pfedelbach): 300 to 400 Liter Riesling-Eiswein with 197 ° C Oechsle harvested at -11 ° C between 10 and 11am with only 20 hand harvesters.
Weingut Michael Schiefer (Lauffen a.N.): 100 Liter Kerner-Eiswein with 224° Oechsle. This is the first Eiswein vintage for this winery.
Weinkellerei Wangler (Abstatt): approximately 400 Liter Lemberger-Eiswein with approximately 225° Oechsle (the first pressing had levels as high as 260° Oechsle) harvested Sunday at 6am by temperatures of -18 ° C Celsius from the Abstatter Burgberg vineyard.
Staatsweingut Weinsberg: Riesling-Eiswein with 184 ° Oechsle harvested at – 11°Celsius.

Cheers,

ChrisO the “geek”

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Introduction: We at VINTUBA are very honored to welcome CatherineS as a new contributor to our very humble site.  CatherineS is one of the most talented and knowledgeable wine writers and educators that we are lucky enough to have in our circle of friends. We look forward to sharing many more posts penned by CatherineS.

The Magical World of Portuguese Wine

by CatherineS

Entering wine country in Portugal is almost like being Alice falling down the rabbit hole. It’s a whole other world. It is also one of the most intriguing wine regions of the world.

Port wines have been famous for centuries, and its winegrowing area was one of the very first in the world to be legally limited by certain boundaries (called demarcation). Now Portugal’s wine producers are taking their table wines just as seriously as their fortified wines. And table wines from Portugal are among the top ten imports into the U.S. There are roughly 230 grape varieties grown here.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lgcustodio/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

On top of the sheer number of grapes being grown in Portugal, the very thing that makes Portugal so fascinating is its fastidious loyalty to indigenous grapes. In the increasingly homogenous world of wine, where a Right Bank merlot blend can easily be mistaken for a Napa Valley cab, what could be better than tasting a Baga or Antao Vaz and knowing that you are tasting wines not replicated anywhere across the Atlantic? Suddenly, chasing a rabbit around the unknown seems rather intriguing.

To truly understand this magical world, lets put it into perspective historically, and then
take a trip around the wine producing sub-regions of the country to see what is going on there today.  We’ll cover some basic information that is good for those studying the region, but even if you are not studying, you just have to take in these grape names!  Some of these names you will see nowhere else on earth.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mimo28/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

A 3 ounce Pour of History
Wines from Portugal were popular with the British as early as the 12th century. Sales got even better once England went to war with France in the 17th century and Portuguese wines, including Port, replaced sales of French wines. The East Coast of the United States, not yet officially the United States, was another big market for the wines of Portugal. Phylloxera slowed things down in the 19th century, and quality suffered as a result of government mandated co-operatives. Not that co-ops are always bad—some have turned around the fortunes of wine regions around the world—but the heavily burdensome Portuguese government kept getting in the way of winemaking, and quality suffered as a result. Good news came in 1986 when Portugal was admitted into the EU. That always means money for agricultural undertakings, at least for now, and the wine industry benefitted from a new cash flow.

Now let’s take that tour. You’ll be amazed by all of the really interesting sips going on.

In the North West, on the Atlantic, is Vinho Verde. Every good wine making country can use a white wine appellation and Vinho Verde is Portugal’s. It is the largest DOC in Portugal.

Vinho Verde two ounce pour (of a tour) on the subregion:
Climate: Maritime with warm summers and high rainfall which often falls in the summer through harvest causing fungal problems and disease.
Topography: Minho river runs north of the region and the Douro river runs through the south.
Soils: Lots of granite – granite bedrock with sand and granite topsoil
Star Grape: Alvarinho (white) –  Not a wallflower grape, it produces high alcohol wines with perfumed aromas. This is grown mostly in the North, especially in the sub-region, Moncao.
Other white grapes: Paderna, which retains acidity; and Loueiro, which some liken to Riesling.  These two whites are more grown in the South of Vinho Verde, and not as prized as Alvarinho.
Before you start thinking that this is only white wine country, Amaral is a red grape which produces tannic wines with a purple hue.
Viticulture: Recent plantings are trained double cordon but the high-trained Cruzeta (in the shape of a cross) system has traditionally been used, as well as enforcado (trained up a tree).
Winemaking: Traditionally, the region’s famous whites went through malolactic fermentation to get a slight prickle from the CO2, but now malolactic is avoided and CO2 is injected.  It sounds bad, but the wines still taste truly refreshing.
Style of Vinho Verde: the goal is to be a light-bodied wine with less than 11 ½ % alcohol unless Alvarinho is used, which produces higher alcohol wines at 12-13%.
Subregions: There are 6 subzones, and Moncao is one of the most important; Alvarinho dominates here.
Production: Although the region is known for its white wines, 50% of production is reds.
Fun facts: Although Vinho Verde means “green wine”, the green name refers to the fact that the wines should be drunk young.

Bairrada lies just south of Vinho Verde, also on the Atlantic.
Bairrada two ounce pour:
Climate: Maritime, Damp
Topography: low hills
Soils: Area named after the clay soils; there is some limestone content
Grapes: Baga (red) which has many of the same characteristics as Nebbiolo; and Bical (white) which is also no wallflower: it is a nutty white with high acidity and high alcohol.
Styles: Baga was traditionally fermented with the stems which added tannins to the wine; but today styles are less tannic, but still peppery and high in acidity.
Fun stuff: The region is named after the Portuguese name for clay; In the mid 1700s, Pombal ordered the vineyards of Bairrada uprooted because the wines threatened to compete with Douro wines.

Estremadura lies below Bairrada. It is not a DOC, but a Vinho Regional – which is like France’s Vin de Pays classification. Innovative winemaking can take place; regulations are less strict than for DOCs.  Since we are talking about Vinho Regionals, the other ones in Portugal are:

Minho – within Vinho Verde
Tras-os-Montes  – for Douro
Beiras – for Dao and Bairrada
Ribatejano – for Ribatejo
Alentejano – for Alentejo
Terras do Sado
Madeira
As with the Vin de Pays, winemakers love the freedom and use the VR if they want to bottle wines young, or blend with international varieties. In the center and south of Portugal, many are ignoring the DOCs and even the second legal level of wine classification, the IPR, to bottle creative and innovative wine styles under the Vinho Regional classification.

Just in from Estremadura is Ribatejo. It is near Lisbon and on the Tejo river, getting its name:  riba tejo.
Ribatejo two ounce pour:
Climate: Hot Maritime
Topography: Influences from the River Tejo (also called Tagus River) which cuts diagonally across the subregion.
Soils: Broad range of soils, but dominant clay towards the north, sandy in the south
Grapes: Castelao (red) which is red raspberry, with good acidity and firm tannins; also Trincadeira – dark colored, plum and chocolate flavors; Fernao Pires (white) is a neutral white wine.
Production: Fernao Pires accounts for 40% of the vineyard area.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsome1/ / CC BY 2.0

Palmela sits below Ribatejo.
Palmela two ounce pour:
Climate: Warm Maritime; warm winters, warm summers
Soils: limestone hills with sandy plains.
Grapes: Around 70% is Perquita (which is the same grape as Ribatejo’s Castelnau.)
Fernao Pires is used to make soft, dry whites.  Cabernet Sauvignon is permitted here.
Styles: Perquita is used for many different styles, including sparkling wine.
Viticulture: The grapes are cropped high; vines trained on low wires to allow for mechanization.
Winemaking: modern: stainless steel and temperature control widely used
There are a high percentage of DOC wines here.

Let’s go North East, across from Vinho Verde, where we find the Douro. Long the most famous region of Portugal for its Port, table wines are now being feted as something to regard.

Douro DOC two ounce pour:
Climate: More continental here but Maritime influences reach the west of Douro.
Soils: schist and granite; rocky hills
Grapes: There are 80 varieties in the Douro alone. Some of the most popular grapes are:
Red: Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz (which is Tempranillo) are the star grapes
White: Gouveio, Malvasia Fina, Viosinho and Rabigato
Viticulture is labor intensive and expensive due to steep terraces
Subregions: Cima Congo – considered to produce the best grapes; Baixo Corgo – lower graded; and Douro Superiore.
Legal Stuff: The legal boundaries for the table wines of the Douro are the same as for Port. Traditionally, Port production is limited every year, and any grapes that can not be used for Port are used for table grapes. Table wine was purely a secondary product. Not so today–vineyards are specifically designated for table wines. 50% of the vineyards are designated for Port and 50% for quality light (not fortified) wine.

Below the Douro and to the right of Bairrada is the Dao.  Indigenous varietals reign supreme here.
Dao DOC two ounce pour:
Climate: Maritime with Continental as you go inland from the Atlantic.  Long, warm summers with lots of winter rain.
Topography: Dao lies on a plateau at 200-400 meters high; the region is sheltered on all sides by high granite mountains
Soils: granite dominates in the north and schist and sand in the south
Grapes: Touriga Nacional and the other Douro grapes are also used here. The region is known for Jaen, however, which is a deeply colored wine with light tannins. Encruzado is a full-bodied and nutty flavored white wine.
Other stuff:  When then ruler, Salazar, instituted co-operatives around the country, quality fell in the Douro.  Today, these wines are being marketed as some of the best table wines in Portugal. Not everyone agrees with this assessment, but the wines are certainly getting there.
Production:  80% of the wines are red

The South East of Portugal is dominated by the Alentejo subregion. This region uses indigenous and international varieties.
Alentejo two ounce pour:
Climate: Continental. Hot summers, low rainfall. Drought can be an issue here. There are 3,000 hours of sunshine a year, and irrigation and other modern methods allow for viticulture.
Soils: Loam soils with granite and schist, but also sand and clay
Grapes: For whites:
Roupeiro is a floral and honeyed flavored wine which oxidizes easily; it is drunk young.
Antao Vaz is an important variety here. It is drought resistant. Wines are full bodied, aromatic, often with tropical fruit.  Winemaking can include some oak aging.
Arinto (which is the same grape as Vinho Verde’s Paderna) is usually added to blends for its acidity.  It has high acidity with floral and fruity aromas and flavors.
Reds:
Aragonez – (same grape as Tempranillo) which likes hot climates. Wines are concentrated with high alcohol, low acidity when grapes are grown in this dry climate, sandy and clay soils. Wines can age well.  Often used for blending.
Castelau also likes hot, dry climates and produces concentrated, raspberry flavored wines here that age well.
Trincadeira: is a dark colored wine, with plum chocolate and coffee notes.
Viticulture: traditionally bush vines, but moving towards wire for mechanization. Yields are low and the area is experimenting with canopy management.
Winemaking:  There are still ancient cement presses and other old cellar equipment used in the area, but very little.  Modern technology has taken over.  Red wines are fermented at a pretty low temperature, and many whites are fermented on their skins for a period of time.

See how incredible this wine country is?  What is not to love about wines with plum, chocolate and coffee aromas and flavors as with the Trincadeira? Or the floral and honeyed Roupeiro?  The soft, raspberry fruit of the Castelau?  It is time for a sipping tour, wine glass in hand, to be had of the country.

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There is a trend in the wine blogging community and I have dubbed it the de-snobbing of wine. I read many blog post daily and I would say 90% claim to be bringing wine to the common folk, de-mystifying it, de-snob it, etc… Ok so this is a good thing I guess. Right? I mean wine is a complicated subject with lots of history, nuances, and regional variations. There are people who dedicate their lives to studying and understanding it. However you don’t have to be an expert to know what you enjoy. Everyone seems to want to de-mystify wine, why? The mystery is part of the allure and experience. Wines (at least good ones) do a slow reveal in your glass, unfolding with time, morphing, evolving, all the while telling you a story about the people who made it, the land that grew it, and its journey in the bottle (or 3 liter bag-in-box). To draw an analogy with the music world wine can be as simple as a Britney Spears or Jonas Brothers song or as complex and layered as a 10 minute Pink Floyd psychedelic experience or one of Vivaldi’s masterpieces. Do we want to de-mystify these too? Or is the mystery part of the allure? I fear that some bloggers and press might be confusing making wine approachable with dumbing it down, trying to suck out the mystery and complexity. We can not make the complex simple but what we can do is encourage more people to attempt to understand the complexities of wine through experience, experimentation, and open mindedness. To truly understand wine all you need is a willingness to try different wines, a corkscrew, and a glass, oh and an open mind helps too.

What are your thoughts?

Cheers,

ChrisO ‘the everyman’s wine snob”

The post The de-Snobbing of wine (let’s discuss) appeared first on vintuba.com.

A recent blog post on 1winedude.com got me thinking! You have heard of the slow food movement but is there a wine equivalent? Have speed tastings (the wine world’s take on speed dating) and TasteLive (a twitter facilitated experience) become the MCDonalds’s equivalent to wine, resulting in a “fast wine” experience? Is this really what wine is about?  What does wine mean to you? Join me as I explore the concept of slow wine and ask some questions. I would love to hear what you think, so please leave a comment.

Cheers,

ChrisO

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I would like to take a moment to introduce our latest guest contributor JurgO.  JurgO has over 30+ years in the wine business and has worked both sides of the Atlantic. He currently resides in Napa.  We look forward to more posts from JurgO!  Take it away…

At the time of publication of George Taber’s book To Cork or not to Cork in 2007, of the roughly 20 billion bottles of wine produced world-wide, some 13 billion were still closed with natural cork and about 3 billion have technical corks. Together, that amounts to 80% of closures made from cork. This is down from the virtual monopoly cork enjoyed until the eighties when suddenly the incidence of cork-tainted wines from faulty corks became pervasive and intolerable.

Technical issues
“Muffton und Korkgeschmack im Wein” (cork taint in wine), the title of Hans Tanner’s paper published in 1981 with Buser and Zaina, was the first systematic inquiry into the nature and source of the first of a host of haloanisoles. It was only possible by employing the new technology of gas chromatography and mass spectrometer, GC-MS. The source of 2,4,6-trichloroanisole was found to be chlorinated compounds used precisely to eradicate the mold in cork. Haloanisoles include the previously described TCA, TeCA, PCA and TBA, all super-odorous compounds giving musty, off-flavors to wine from sources other than cork. They are detectable by some in concentration of 2 parts per trillion, ppt, the equivalent of taking two steps toward the distance of the sun. They come from the biodegradation of certain wood preservatives and certain flame-retardants, materials previously readily found in wineries.

The discovery of haloanisoles has spawned highly sophisticated labs such as ETS in Napa and Etablissements Chatonnet in Bordeaux, utilizing GC-MS equipment in the aid of detecting and lowering acceptable thresholds of haloanisoles. Most wineries nowadays soak samples from all cork bales in low-alcohol white wine for a couple of days to bring out releasable TCA, the wine is then sniffed for any trace, the soak wine is then analyzed by ETS. Results above 1 ppt. lead to a rejection of the bale.

Aside from the dramatic increase of cork taint, there was one other factor leading winemakers to search for alternative closures to corks: oxygen ingress. The amount of free SO2/ascorbic acid in the bottle acts as antioxidant to prevent oxidation. If there is oxygen ingress, the wine will pass three stages of diminishing quality: 1. Antioxidant depletion, 2. Maturation, and 3. Oxidation (Winemaking, August 2009).

Louis Pasteur, the first scientist to investigate wine systematically in the 19th Century, found what makes grape juice ferment: microorganisms called yeast cells, but only when they came into contact with air. He countered the trend to exclude oxygen a priori by postulating that oxygen also helped mature wines. Pasteur’s mantra: wine needs some oxygen. French winemakers had experienced that if a cork made too tight a seal, strange sulphur-like odors developed after bottling,

On the other hand, Jean Ribéreau-Gayon, along with Emile Peynaud, claimed in scholarly 20th Century works that wine does not need air to age, but the opposite: asphyxia, or reduction. If reductive flavors developed, it merely showed flaws already in the wine.

Alan Limmer, PhD chemist from New Zealand, warned against the dangers of excessive reduction in scholarly papers understood by few. He argued screw cap impermeability encouraged thiol accumulation, while cork’s permeability discourages it. Speaking of the transition from cork to screw caps he said one problem (i.e. TCA) may have merely been traded for another (sulfide accumulation).

Now that the wine industry has the equipment to control oxygen in the headspace and tools of measurement of the oxygen transfer rate in the closed bottle (e.g. PreSens) the truth with regard to oxygen contributing to the maturity of wines lies somewhere between Pasteur and Ribéreau-Gayon. Clearly, the same wine packaged anerobically will mature and develop differently if bottled with some oxygen ingress. Also, an airtight seal calls for changes in the vinification process to eliminate the potential of reduction. Copper fining is just a short-term solution. A winemaker should not rely on oxygen ingress to assure maturation, because there are serious risks because it is not known when the wine will be consumed.

There have been numerous attempted solutions to closing a wine bottle: natural cork, technical corks consisting of composite cork material held together by glue, injection-molded synthetic closures, extrusion-molded synthetic closures, crown corks, various designs of screw-caps with plastic and tin liners and finally the glass stopper known in Europe as Vino-Lok. Every closure has its own problems: cork (taint, oxygen ingress), technical corks (taint, oxygen ingress, glue), injection-molded synthetics (high OTR), extrusion-molded synthetics (cork extraction, re-corking), screw-cap plastic liner (elevated OTR, reduction, market acceptance, danger of seal damage), screw-cap tin liner (reduction, market acceptance, danger of seal damage), Vino-Lok (precision bottle needed, OTR seal, market acceptance outside German-speaking Europe).

Financial issues
The financial considerations in the closure debate are substantial. Consumers’ tolerance of wine defects due to the closure are at an all-time low, and pervasive closure failures, whether cork taint, oxidation or reduction, costs add in lost sales, lost good-will, returns of faulty wines, and loss of confidence. Doing nothing is the worst, and shortsighted, possible strategy. Investing in alternate closure systems requires meticulous planning: introducing a Stelvin-type cap requires different bottles, different bottling equipment, different packaging to avoid seal damage. Furthermore, depending on the market condition, it also may be a huge gamble. On the other hand, saving just a penny on a closure in a million-case production will contribute $120,000 to the bottom line. It makes perfect sense, as in dollars and cents, for wineries in the mid-to-lower market segment constantly to be evaluating the cost of closures.

Aesthetic issues
Typically the U.S. wine drinker accepts white wines and every-day reds under $20 with screw caps (or, for that matter, with practically any closure. The same can be said about the British consumer buying wine in mass-merchandising supermarkets. After the introduction of screw caps for some Swiss white wines in the early eighties (which were in direct response to Tanner et al.’s paper), there are two notable introductions of screw caps: the early Australian one failed, and the large-scale, successful New Zealand screw-cap initiative. Today it is de-rigueur for Kiwis to bottle their whites and reds under Stelvin.

Depending on the market, a screw cap may be perceived as cheap, fashionable or even ahead of the curve of acceptance. Inexpensive wines, i.e. wines not destined for extended cellaring, have changed to alternate closures more easily than expensive wines, although there are notable exceptions such as Schloss Vollrads, (Vino-Lok) and Plumpjack and Bonny Doon (screw cap).

Some markets are decidedly more conservative. Italy, Spain, France and Portugal along with Argentina and Chile are lagging behind with respect to new closures. Their wines for domestic consumption are utilizing mostly natural corks. The U.S. market is somewhere in between.

Environmental issues
Cork trees growing in Mediterranean Europe are an important element in the biodiversity and in protecting the soil from erosion and from drying out. Cork is biodegradable, a renewable resource and the backbone of entire economies. If current trends toward alternate closures were to continue, cork forest could become endangered by 2015.

Most alternate closures are made of synthetic material which is difficult to recycle, but they are much cheaper to produce. The exception here is the glass stopper sold under the brand Vino-Lok. That is the one non-cork closure which is both expensive and recyclable.

Notable wine writers, e.g. Jancis Robinson, MW, encourage consumers to purchase wine under cork.

Conclusion
So far, the traditional closures have done surprisingly well: they increased sales, enjoy the support of environmentalists, have the approval of the upper tier of the wine-buying public and producers, and they have tradition on their side. At the same time, the sea of an expanding wine market has lifted all boats: whole new industries of alternate closures have developed alongside.

The debate is far from over. At present each closure occupies only a certain market segment: natural cork the premium and super-premium, technical cork the sector just below, synthetics the lower-priced sectors. The only closures making progress across various segments are screw cap and Vino-Lok. The debate may be done if, and when, a substantial part of super-premium producers will settle on alternatives to cork.

Cheers,

JurgO

Title pictures courtesy of Flickr.com

The post To cork or not to cork? – that seems to be the question appeared first on vintuba.com.

What happens when you have ChrisO and JonM separated by 2,000 miles and you add a organically grown cabernet sauvignon from Napa? Why a “Date Night” of course. Listen in and learn about the latest release of the 2006 Phifer Pavitt “Date Night” Cabernet Sauvignon. We have some fun at our own expense and talk about wild yeasts, Pope Valley, winemaker Ted Osborne (no not Ozzy’s long lost brother), and the merits of a $75 Napa Cab in the current economic climate.

ChrisO’s Tasting Notes:

2006 Phifer Pavitt ‘Date Night’ Cabernet Sauvignon

In the glass it shows a dark ruby core that fades to a lighter ruby rim. Oak plays a leading role in the aromatics of this wine; aromas of Christmas spices, licorice, sweet vanilla pod and smoke, are backed up by fruit notes of blackberries, ratatouille, plum, cassis, and kirsch. There is also a more savory than sweet quality to aromatics. On the palate the wine reveals medium intense flavors of chocolate, tobacco leaf, hoisin sauce, dark berries, black cherries, plums, and liquid smoke. The tannins are fine grained well integrated but provide a nice structure and textural experience. A little more acid would give some needed lift to the fruit and add to the balance. I found the wine to possess a long pleasing finish that was punctuated by complexity and more savory then sweet flavors. This is a BIG wine and remained enjoyable to the last drop.  If you are in search of a more elegant style this might not be for you, however if you are a fan of power house Napa cabs this is one to try.  Drink this wine now or over the next 4-5 years.  Retail $75 (from the winery).

Cheers,

ChrisO

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So here I sit on the 11th of November thinking of my wine pairing suggestions for Thanksgiving.  I swore to myself that I would not succumb to the holiday sirens that beg anyone who writes about wine to do the obligatory post about holiday food and wine pairings.  But alas, I have surrendered!

Since it was the Spanish who discovered America, I thought it would be fitting to find a Spanish wine that would complement the schizophrenic culinary delight that is Thanksgiving. I knew that the wine I chose would have to stand up to not just the turkey but also the myriad of sweet and savory side dishes that accompany the “bird”.

My attention deficit thought processes took me first to Loire France, then to Rheingau Germany, then to Wachau Austria, and then finally settled on Rueda Spain. Located in the northwestern portion of Spain the Rueda D.O. produces only white wines, from the Verdejo grape. Wines labeled Verdejo from Rueda must be at least 85% Verdejo (the remaining 15% can be a blend of Viura and/or Sauvignon blanc), however most are usually 100% Verdejo. These wines are known for being dry, fruit forward and possessing a lively acidity with hints of herbaciousness. They are unaged (no oak) and meant to be drunk young, while their primary fruit and acid are at their best.

Why Verdejo from Rueda you ask? Why not, I say? It’s time to try something new, different, and exciting. Verdejo’s fresh acidity and bright fruit flavors compliment the multitude of both sweet and savory flavors that are Thanksgiving. The citrusy acid cuts the sweetness of the cranberry and other dishes, while the fruity aspect compliment the more savory aspects of the turkey and stuffing.

The two wines I tasted for this post are:

2008 Bodega Gotica Poligono Verdejo Retail: $18
The wine has a medium golden core that fades to a light lemon rim. On the nose the aromas are muted and  youthful with hints of lemon curd, wet stone, melon and bell pepper. On the palate the wine is dry with medium acidity and medium plus flavors of lemon rind, melon, and dried herbs. There is a bitterness on the finish throws this wine out of balance. Alcohol was medium and well integrated. I found this wine to be average and not the best example of all Verdejo can be. PASS!

2008 Vinedos de Nieva’s Blanco Nieva Verdejo Retail: $18
Bright lemon core with a water white rim. The nose shows medium plus intense aromas of youthful green apples, ruby grapefruit, and fresh mowed grass. Flavors of grapefruit pith, green apple, peach, and some herbaciousness are supported by crisp acidity and some tongue tingling spritz. This is a balanced wine that offers the palate a nice refreshing zing while backing it up with fresh fruit flavors. I found it to be a very good quality example of Verdejo and the one that I am going to pair with my Thanksgiving feast. PAIR!

There you have it, my two cents on what to wash down your turkey with!
Happy Spanish Thanksgiving!

Cheers,

ChrisO

The post A Siren Song and a Spanish Thanksgiving appeared first on vintuba.com.

This week my palate has taken a trip south of the border, no not to Taco Bell, but to South America.  What I found was great quality and value galore!  Finding great value wines from South America is by no means anything new.  Chile and Argentina have been producing some good value wines since the early 1990’s. Both countries have chosen an obscure Bordeaux variety to call their own.

Listen to our podcast here:

Chile chose Carménère. It was not until 1994 that Carménère was discovered in Chile. A large number of the vines previously believed to be Merlot are in fact the historic bordeaux variety Carménère. It is presumed that the Carménère vine was imported directly from Bordeaux, France in the late 19th century.  Known for its ability, at it’s best, to produce a wine with some of the charm of Merlot but with the structure of Cabernet Sauvignon, and at it’s worst, wines that exhibit stewed tomatoes on over-herbaceous characteristics.

Argentina chose Malbec which originated like Carménère from France and can still be found in its home country. Before the Bordeaux frost of 1956, Malbec was quite popular, it is still permitted by all major red bordeaux appellations today, however total Bordeaux plantings have fallen significantly.  The other major wine region in France that calls Malbec home is Cahors. However it is Argentina’s most important red grape variety. The wines that are based on Malbec are generally much more ripe and lush than their French counterparts, although some have proven that they are similarly capable of extended aging.

The wines that I have chosen to review from the respective countries of Chile and Argentina are:

2006 Veramonte Primus, Colchagua Valley, Chile. Primus is a blend of 16% Carmenère, 31% Syrah, 17% Merlot and 36% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Veramonte is owned by the Huneeus family, who like the wine, herald from Chile. Incidentally the same family also owns Quintessa and Faust in Napa, California and is also responsible for producing the Argentinian Malbec listed below.  The winemaker is young Cristian Aliaga, and he was assisted by the renowned Chilean consultants Alvaro Espinoza (one of the first in Chile to distinguish Merlot from Carmenere).

As mentioned above the provenance of the grapes is the Colchagua Valley, an area that is located in one of the Rapel Valleyʼs two sub-appellations. In little more than ten years, the valley transformed itself from a sleepy, fertile farming area to a leading producer of some of Chileʼs finest red wines, and many long-time grape growers have established their own wineries and now offer wines under their own labels. Particularly worth watching are the expressive, full-bodied Cabernet, Carménère, and Syrahs. Colchagua lies closer to the low and rolling Coastal Range than to the higher Andes and benefits from the cooling breezes that blow in directly from the sea, effectively extending the growing season for a long, slow ripening period. In fact, temperatures vary widely on any given summer day, which further contributes to the expressive, fruity, well-balanced character of the wines crafted here. Combine this with the economic advantages that benefit Chilean wineries and one can understand why the country delivers world-class quality wines at half the price of similar blends from the new world.

Tasting Notes:
In the glass it has a dark ruby core that fades to a light ruby rim that show some purple highlights.  Initial funky (reductive) aromas give way to developing aromas of chocolate, cassis, blackberry, cherry, leather, cedar, mint and lightly herbacious notes. On the palate, the wine springs to life with medium grained and grippy tannins that lend good structure and give some pleasing texture to the wine. The acid is medium and supports the flavors very nicely. The alcohol is well balanced an appears to be medium plus (14% range). Flavors are medium plus in intensity and of dark fruit, bilberries, black cherries, dark chocolate, chard oak, cooking spices, vanilla, and some ever so slight hints of rubber. The finish is medium plus in length and shows some good complexity.  This is a very good quality wine that delivers way above its $20 retail price point. Drink now or over the next 1-2 years to retain balance. BUY!

2006 Cruz Andina, Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina. A blend of 85% Malbec, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot, and 2% Bonarda.
This is a partnership between the Huneeus family, of Veramonte in Chile, and Carlos Pulenta from Argentina. The man responsible for this wine is again Alvaro Espinoza, the same consulting winemaker that helped craft the previous wine. This is his first effort with this specific property in Argentina.

Luján de Cuyo is a part of the Mendoza River high region and was Argentina’s first region to be awarded controlled appellation in 1993. The majority of the vineyards in Luján de Cuyo are planted with red varietals, the most important one being Malbec. It’s vineyards are located at altitudes between 800 and 1,100 m (2,640 and 3,630 ft).  Many Argentine winemakers consider this to be one of the best areas for viticulture and capable of producing wines that can stand shoulder to shoulder with other great international wines.  The specific malbec vines for this wine come from the Vistalba Vineyards located at 3,200 feet and were originally planted back in 1948. The Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Bonarda come from the Uco Valley and are planted at 4,000 feet.

Tasting Notes:
In the glass the dark ruby core gives way to a purple rim.  The nose is very clean and shows medium plus intense developing aromas of black cherry, licorice, macerated raspberries, blueberries, chocolate, hints of smoke, oak and lavender. The mouth feel is voluptuous with flavors of coffee bean, dark chocolate, plums, black fruit, vanilla, amaretto liquor, red licorice and cedar. The tannins are soft and very well integrated. The acid gives a nice lift to the flavors and the alcohol is in harmonious balance with the other components. The finish was long and complex.
This wine was a BIG surprise and continued to improve from the first glass to the last.  The value here is incredible at $20, this Malbec could go head to head with many  a $50 bottle of northern California wine and win. Drink now or in the next 2-3 years. BUY!

These two wines clearly show that both Chile and Argentina have a lot to offer the wine world in terms of value and quality.  California and the west coast of the U.S. in general have something to fear.   I for one am impressed with many of the wines that I have tried from these two countries and expect much more good things to come.  The level of investment in vineyards, winemaking equipment, talent, and marketing continue to grow as does the quality.  One cannot help but wonder if, as the global recession drags on that, wine drinkers will tire of drinking the $40 to $50 plus cabs from northern California  and make the switch to the value wines of South America that offer the same enjoyment at half the price.

Stay tuned as I will be reporting on more efforts from Chile in the next couple of weeks.

Disclosure: We received these two wines as tasting samples from the importer.

Read about our sample policy:

The skinny on Wine Samples (code of ethics):
All the wines featured or reviewed are either purchased by VINTUBA or are submitted samples (however, VINTUBA does not solicit samples of wines or wine related products. Should an individual, producer or its agents decide to send samples, VINTUBA’s acceptance of such samples does not imply a review will be conducted. In addition, should VINTUBA decide to review a submitted sample, the submitter is advised that neither VINTUBA nor it’s host  guarantee or warrant that  such reviews will be made public, or that the reviews will be positive.)

The post Podcast 18 Drive time wine review – Value across the Andes appeared first on vintuba.com.

I had the fortunate pleasure of being invited to meet Chris Phelps, head winemaker for Swason Vinyards in Napa.  So this past Monday I made my way up valley to Rutherford to meet Chris at the winery.  What follows is a podcast of me recounting my encounter to JonM.  This is like the hearsay of interviewing techniques, Chris Phelps tells ChrisO who then tells JonM.  If you like it make sure and tell someone else.

Listen here:

Tasting notes of the lineup of Swanson Vineyard wines I tried:

2007 Swanson Pinot Grigio – Very fruit forward aromas of citrus, melon, peach and apricot. The flavors were equally as expressive and reminded me of apple skin, ripe melons, and white peach that gave way to some bitter almond skin.  The acid and alcohol were in balance and played nicely off the ripe fruit aromas. The finish was pleasing and medium in length. This is a nice effort and sure to appeal to many a wine drinker looking for a nice patio pounder on a hot summer afternoon by the pool.
PRICE $22 (available nationwide)

2008 Swanson “Salon Wine Selection” Chardonnay – Fresh crisp aromas of green apple, citrus, pear and tropical fruits on the nose. No perceptible oak! Racy acidity gives a nice lift to flavors of baked apple, spiced apple cider, kaffir lime and pear. Alcohol feels in harmony with other components.  A very refreshing Chardonnay. I was taken by surprise by it’s freshness and food pairing affinity.  This is such a welcomed reprieve from over oaked chardonnays. The only issue I have with this wine is that it should be priced at the mid $20’s (especially since it does not see maturation is expensive new oak barrels)  opposed to the $40 level.
PRICE $40 (available only direct from winery)

2005 Swanson Merlot (80% Merlot, 15% Cab Sauv, 5% Syrah) – Developing aromas of dark plum, cassis, cedar, macerated black cherries and some cigar box. Very clean on the nose! Tannins are soft and well integrated and give the wine a nice texture and structure. Both acid and alcohol seem to be balanced nicely with the flavors of dark chocolate, dried lavender, coffee, dark fruits and oak. The finish is both long and shows some nice complexity. In a blind tasting I would have been very hard pressed to distinguish this wine from a Cabernet. I thoroughly enjoyed this wine, it reminded me that Merlot when done right can be a sublime experience. This wine packs a ton of value at $36. This wine affirms that Chris Phelps time in the Right Bank of Bordeaux paid off!
PRICE $36 (available nationwide)

2005 Swanson “Alexis” Cabernet Sauvinon (90% Cab Sauv, 10% Merlot) – Very expressive developing aromas of Creme de Cassis, blackberries, bilbery, eucalyptus, lingonberries, dark chocolate and tobacco leaves. The tannins are fine grained, tightly wound, giving this wine an incredible structure. Acid seems a little lacking, however the same can not be said for the flavors of bakers chocolate, espresso bean, graphite, dark plum, blackberries and raspberry jam.  The finish is quite impressive in its length and complexity. I would recommend a further 3-4 years of cellaring to better integrate the impressive tannins. While not inexpensive this wine does deliver for the price point and I am sure it can currently be found for less then its full retail asking price making it an even more affordable luxury.
PRICE $75 (available nationwide)

Thanks for listening,

ChrisO & JonM

The post Podcast 17 A Swanson Song- The story of Chris Phelps appeared first on vintuba.com.

ⓒ Ryan Opaz

It’s funny, you work for a winery and everyone imagines that you’re either literally making the wine or in charge of shaking hands with the public every single day. People who try to sell me advertising space, distributor trade reps, the guy who delivers the bottled water, my mother – all betray themselves in conversation as having absolutely no idea what I do all day. “Well you must be insanely busy now that harvest is on.” -anonymous sales person “True, I haven’t returned your unsolicited phone call, but its because I am authoring a wine club customer feedback survey, not because there is a whole bunch of Sauvignon Blanc being delivered today.” – a perhaps overly sassy Me. Kidding, I’m not actually rude to strangers, but sometimes I think people completely forget that the Wine Industry is a business like any other. And that there are many, many of us completely disconnected from the physical act of winemaking. But wait JessicaL, aren’t you a wine marketer? Is it not your job to reinforce this notion that the gloriousness of wine sprouts forth, whole cloth, from magical fairies or is delivered from storks? That bottles are bottled without any of the boring Xeroxed-copyness of typical corporate America? Well yeah, I guess it is my job. I’m just always surprised it works.

That being said, I am VERY lucky, because I work for a place that does treat wine with reverence. A place where the year’s first grapes are toasted with champagne and each harvest sports its own ‘vintage’ t-shirt. The cynic in me has to admit that, while it doesn’t really affect my position, there is a certain energy this time of year. That there’s something totally sexy about powerful, established, high-ranking men coming to meetings with ten-day-old stubble because a clean cut appearance just doesn’t rank in the top ten list of things to do. These next few weeks offer all of us, even those who push paper for a living, an opportunity to come out from behind our desks and get intimately connected to our product. And for those of us who think that business is business and that we could sell or market ANYTHING, we’re reminded that we’re wrong. This IS special. And different. And wonderful. As much as we pretend otherwise, we know that because of this experience we’re completely ruined. It’s nothing like figuring out why people buy a certain brand of toilet paper or milk or tennis shoes. And that is just a small part of what makes it beautiful.

-JessicaL, Wine Marketer and Professional-Know-It-All

The post The Season of Harvest – from someone who has nothing to do with it appeared first on vintuba.com.

We at Vintuba are so happy to welcome back JessicaL as a regular contributor to our humble blog, welcome back Jessica! Now please tell us what consumer packaged goods and romance have to do with each other?

If ChrisO is the Everyman’s Wine Snob and JonM is the Wine Snob’s Everyman I guess I’m probably closer to An Educated Faker. Meaning, after working in the industry for awhile I most definitely spend more time thinking and drinking wine than the average wine buyer, but I don’t have anywhere near Chris’s palate or Jon’s objectivity. So take my ramblings for what they’re worth, BUT you need to pay more than $10 for a bottle of wine. That’s it. I said it. The entire rest of this post will do nothing but reinforce that belief. Get out now if you want to remain unconvinced.

Enough said

Commodity is not wine’s natural state. In fact, sometimes I don’t know how we (as in the wine industry) managed to get here from there. How we took something so inherently different and made it so the same. How in our mad-dash to lay a business plan and margin analysis over a vineyard, we overlooked what gives wine value in the first place. Forgot what makes it mysterious. Ignored what makes it special.

To get cost down you have to make more units. To make more units, you need more supply. And to eliminate variables. And to maximize efficiency. To run a strong business, you should produce a consistent product. Your consumer won’t like variation in quality. Your product isn’t successful unless its predictable and reliable. Does any of that sound like wine? No? Of course not.

For as much as we save by streamlining production costs, we spend in professional storytellers trying desperately to strong-arm romance back into a bottle that has been stripped of any identity. The vineyard sketches on the label, the big glossy leaves in the magazine ad, the overly prose-y descriptions on the back label – all tools of the wine marketer. Tasked with wrapping wine in an air of luxury and playing on the intimidation of the unknown, the wine marketer has to distract you from the fact that their brand has succeeded in making wine not much different than ketchup. And the cheaper the bottle, the cheaper the tricks. Huge volumes of wine allow the brand to keep costs low. This strategy requires sourcing from many, many vineyards where high yield is king and homogenization is queen. Any hint of terroir is thrown out in favor of consistency and the gentle nurturing of the family farmer is exchanged for the efficiency of the machine.

In my humble opinion, what makes wine interesting, worth spending time on, is the incredible number of variables that go into shaping the flavor and character of the fruit. I often tell people that what attracts me to this subject is that the more you learn the more you realize what there is to learn and how very much we don’t really understand. Climate, soils, clonal selections, rootstock, vintage variations, varietal characteristics, winemaker style, oak profile and on and on and on. This is the fun part! The part where we get to sit around and try to figure it all out. The part where we appreciate the nuances the way we appreciate art or the way that wonderful writing or inspired music touches our soul.

You should be drinking single vineyard wines. Small production wines. Estate wines. Wines that aren’t distributed. Wines from places you’re unfamiliar with. Wines that have personality and legacy and pride. It’s the difference between an original and Xeroxed copy. Between a gourmet meal and McDonalds. Between a face to face conversation and a text message. It costs more. It requires more thought. And it’s completely, completely worth it.

-JessicaL
Wine Marketer and Professional Know it All

The post Wine as Consumer Packaged Goods or how we sucked all the romance out appeared first on vintuba.com.

Well we have made through our first year of drinking, talking and blogging.  And like any 22 year old (legal in all 50 states plus one) facing their future, we looked back at what we had accomplished, attempted, and abandoned and decided the website needed a bit of work.  So got to work and created, we think,  a better organized format that makes this collection of commentaries, podcasts, and videos easier to navigate and more pleasent to look at.

As the dust settles, let us know how we are doing and what you think of new design.  We’d love the feedback.

As far as our mission, both myself and ChrisO have learned a thing or two about wine.  ChrisO has recently passed another test in his journey to receive his Masters of Wine qualification so I am sure the disscussion will intesify as he prepares for the next exam. Why, just the other night I made a wine recommendation without any real knowledge of the choices at hand, but thanks to the steady mentoring of ChrisO I carried it off  with the air and over confidence of a real wine snob!

Thanks for visiting

JonM
The Wine Snobs Everyman

The post Happy Birthday Vintuba! appeared first on vintuba.com.

I Know my wine!

DID YOU KNOW?

The Rhône Valley  in the South of France is split into Northern and Southern regions.

Northern Rhône

• Syrah is the major red grape of the north.
• The most sought after reds and whites include Hermitage and Cote-Rotie.
• White wines are primarily made from Marsanne, Roussanne, and exclusivly from Viognier in Condrieu.
• Very small growers, producing only 5% of all the Rhone wines.

Important Northern Rhône Appellations:

• Côte-Rôtie AOC
  • Reds of Syrah and up to 20% Viognier.
• Condrieu AOC
  • Whites of Viognier only.
• Château-Grillet AOC
  • Whites of Viognier.
• Saint-Joseph AOC
  • Reds of Syrah and up to 10% Marsanne and Roussanne; whites of only Marsanne and Roussanne.
• Crozes-Hermitage AOC
  • Reds of Syrah and up to 15% Marsanne and Roussanne; whites of only Marsanne and Roussanne.
• Hermitage AOC
  • Reds of Syrah and up to 15% Marsanne and Roussanne; whites of only Marsanne and Roussanne.
• Cornas AOC
  • Reds of Syrah only.
• Saint-Péray AOC
  • Sparkling and still whites of only Marsanne and Roussanne.

Southern Rhône

• Larger and better known than Northern Rhône - 95% of all wine grown and produced in The Rhone valley come from the southern part.
• The best regarded red is Chateauneuf-du-Pape, the largest production is Cotes-du-Rhone.
• Southern Rhone reds are usually blends rather than varietal bottlings.
• The southern Rhône’s most famous red wine is Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a blend containing up to 13 varieties of wine grapes, both red and white.
• Depending on the specific AOC rules, grapes blended into southern Rhône reds may include Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignan and Cinsault.
• White wines from the southern Rhône sub-region, such as in Châteauneuf-du-Pape whites, are also typically blends of several wine grapes. These may include Ugni Blanc, Roussanne, Bourboulenc, Picpoul, and Clairette

Important Southern Rhône appellations:

• Côtes du Vivarais AOC
• Côtes du Rhône AOC
• Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC
• Côtes du Rhône Villages (named villages)
• Coteaux du Tricastin AOC
• Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC
• Vacqueyras AOC
• Rasteau AOC
• Gigondas AOC
• Beaumes de Venise AOC
• Tavel AOC

As always I encourage you to seek out these wines and enjoy. Contact me if you would like some recommendations.

Cheers,

ChrisO

The post DID YOU KNOW?
France’s Rhone Valley appeared first on vintuba.com.

TGIF Today is Grüner Veltliner Friday:

Today I would like to talk to you about Grüner Veltliner, no it is not a new strain of flu or the latest socially transmitted disease, however I do want to warn you that once you have tried it you might become infected with the desire to drink it a lot!

Grüner Veltliner is a white wine variety grown primarily in Austria and in the Czech Republic, but almost nowhere else. In Austria it accounts for 36% of total plantings.  It has a reputation for being a food-friendly wine – notably, it is one of the few wines that pairs well with the otherwise hard-to-pair asparagus. It also pairs well with spicy Thai and Indian foods as well as makes a sublime match for sushi and sashimi. Oh yea it also goes well with Austrian food!

Map of Austria

Grüner Veltliner is vinified into wines of many different styles – much is intended for drinking young in the Heuriger (bars serving new wine) of Vienna, a small amount is made into sparkling wine (see Schloss Gobelsburg Brut Reserve for a fine example), but the very best is capable of long term aging (check out Weingut Prager). The steep, Rhine-like vineyards of the Danube west of Vienna produce very pure, minerally Grüner Veltliners intended for laying down. The best from Wachau, Kremstal dac, Kamptal dac have proven to be world-class and have held their own in blind tastings against Premier and Grand Cru Chardonnays from Burgundy. Here are some of the most outstanding examples:

• Hirsch Kammerner Lamm Vineyard (Kamptal)
• F.X. Pichler’s Smaragd “M” (Wachau)
• Schloss Gobelsburg Kammerner Grub Vineyard, (Kamptal)
• Franz Hirtzberger’s Smaragd Honivogl Vineyard, (Wachau)
• Bründlmayer Käferberg Vineyard, (Kamptal)
• Prager Smaragd Achleiten (Wachau)

Here are some terms that you might want to become familiar with if you choose to drink the Grüners from the Wachau region (FYI these terms only appear on the label of wine from this specific area)

• Steinfeder: Wines of the Steinfeder category have to reach at least 15° KMW at harvest and ferment classically
  in stainless steel tanks to very dry wines. Their alcohol content is 11% by volume at the most and
  therefore very low. The climate and soil in the Wachau enables this wine-growing area to produce wines with such low alcohol content, but with all the charm and richness for coping with the highest demands.
• Federspiel: Wines with a ripeness of at least 17° KMW, and the alcohol content lies between 11.5% and 12.5% by
  volume. All wines of the Federspiel category ferment classically in stainless steel tanks to dry
  wines. They are marked by their fruity charm and powerful delicacy.
• Smaragd: These wines have a minimum ripeness of 18.2° KMW and grow only in the sunniest
  vineyards. These especially precious wines, with an alcohol content
  starting at 12.5% by volume, ferment in stainless steel tanks to their natural end and are always
  dry wines. The bottles have to be closed with at least 49mm- long natural corks, marked by the
  brand of the year of harvest.
  Even after 25 and more years of correct storage, these wines will still be a pleasure to drink. Wines
  of the Smaragd category cannot be sold before May 1 following the harvest. Smaragd wines
  represent the region’s speciality and are thus subject to severe control measures

Down in the plains, citrus and peach flavours are more apparent, with spicy notes of pepper and sometimes tobacco.

Here is one of my favorite recent discoveries from this area:

• Höpler Grüner Veltliner (Neusiedlersee-Hügelland)

A lot more can be said about Grüner and Austria in general, but now its your turn to do some of the work! What are you waiting for go out there explore your local wine shop and buy yourself some kick ass Grüner Veltliner and report back to us your thoughts. You will not be sorry!

Cheers,

ChrisO

PS. Stay tuned for an upcoming VINTUBA TV episode on Grüner Veltliners

The post Its Grüner Veltliner Friday appeared first on vintuba.com.

by JessicaL, Vintuba Guest Blogger

Intro: I write for a living. Kinda. I market for a living and writing copy tends to be a decently large part of it. Over the last few years, I’ve grown adept at taking on different voices, tones, faking expert subject matter etc. So when Chris O, of Vintuba fame, offered me a guest spot on his website, I said “Sure. What do you want me to say?” And when he responded, “anything you want,” I thought, “Wow, do I have anything say?”

After some crumbled up drafts, here is my humble contribution to the world of wine webbery. I’ve got some opinions regarding the secret password of the modern wine industry. No not Social Media – Millennials. Hell, I am one.

An open letter to Wine Industry:

Dear Colleagues,
As someone in the trade, who both is young and looks younger, I’m pretty weary of being the spokesperson for this “future of the industry.” Here are the multitude of reasons why:

1.    We’re some weird ‘other’ that can’t possibly be understood:
•    Stop thinking of us as ‘kids today. What with their slang and whatever.’ Yes, we’re tech savvy. We live on-line and know how to investigate product claims and reviews. Your messaging should be adapted to the changing times. But not just for us, also for the giant rest of the population that is getting their media in different ways and multiple formats.
2.    We don’t have money to spend on wine:
•    Maybe some of us don’t yet have the salaries of your target demographic, but we also don’t have families or mortgages or alimony payments. I know the dotcom bubble has burst, but do yourself a favor and if your 20-something customer doesn’t reek of BudLight, consider that they may actually be a wine enthusiast. Nothing turns us off quicker than being pigeonholed as amateurs.
3.    We’re apparently not loyal:
•    Umm, most wine drinkers aren’t. Experimenting is part of the process, age not withstanding. And no, its not great for the producers, but its wonderful for the consumers. The industry should accept that loyalty is a lifelong challenge and you either saddle up or wring your hands in the corner, but it isn’t about being under 35.
4.    We can only be reached on Facebook:
•    Give me a break. Don’t try to be cool. The only thing more obtuse than not Facebooking is Facebooking badly. I know as well as anyone, that its hard to keep up regularly, but if you don’t know why you have a page, or what the present tense of twittering is (to tweet!) do yourself a favor and stick to what you’re good at.

The truth of the matter is that everyone discovers wine at different times and at different paces. I started drinking Gallo White Merlot (purchased by the magnum) in college. Now I find myself studying the relationship between soil types and acidity levels. And while that might be a more dramatic spectrum swing than your average consumer, at the end of the day most people don’t spend much time at all considering their choices. They want wine to add another layer of enjoyment or sophistication or experience to their lives. As an industry, our job should be to continue to work together to break down the barriers of intimidation and confusion and snobbery. Not singling out this generation for more isolation. We should be sharing what we love about wine, not how much we know. And when that happens, wine might become more intertwined in the fabric of American culture, and we’ll all benefit. In the mean time, try to treat your Millennial demographic with the respect you have for their purchasing power.

Sincerely,
JessicaL
Wine Marketer and Professional Know-it-All

The post Confessions of a Wine Marketer and Professional Know-it-All appeared first on vintuba.com.

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I thought that I would take a break from the Wine Bloggers Conference navel gazing and bring you a post about what is sometimes referred to as the “oak monster” or the “winemakers spice cabinet”

I find it fascinating that an oak tree takes almost 100 years to grow to maturity and can live up to 200 years. Sadly 80% of this majestic tree’s wood is discarded when the logs are turned into barrels. And within two to three years, the tree gives up its soul in the name of world-class wines. I think it is important to examine how the use of oak became important in the world of wine. Barrels were originally invented by the Celts to transport beer and later adopted by the Gauls who were very important in the wine trade. The Gauls originally used several types of wood to craft barrels, but discovered over time that oak, beyond simply transporting wine contributed to its development, and used it for elevating wine. The shape of the barrels and production techniques have changed only slightly over the last 200+ years, coopers have become much more adept at wood selection, drying methods, and heating methods, all very important aspects in the crafting of a barrel.

It was soon realized, and still holds true today, that oak is the best wood for keeping and aging wines.  Oak’s inherent properties, such as the quality of its tannins and aromas and its ability to micro-oxygenate the wine, make it invaluable in winemaking. Beyond this realization, it became apparent that a winemaker must select his oak barrels carefully as his decision will impact the end product significantly.

Beyond the question to oak or not to oak, the winemaker has to decide which kind of oak to use. Used or new? And what type of barrel? First, lets look at the different types of oak and where they come from. Did you know that oak trees come in three important species?

• Quercus Sessile or Quercus Rouvre – This is the most suitable oak to aging wine. It grows very slowly and can reach 160 feet (40 meters) tall. This slow growth produces very fine grained wood that is said to be rich in aromatic compounds and releases its supple tannins slowly.

• Quercus Robur (aka Peduculate Oak) – This type of oak grows faster than Sessilis put can also reach up to 160 feet (40 meters) tall. Its trunk is always wider than Sessile Oak, the wood grains are coarser and release more extractable wood tannins, but less aromatic compounds.

• Quercus Alba (aka American White Oak) – Normally not a very tall tree, typically 65-85 feet (19.5-25.5 m) tall at maturity. In the U.S. the oak is quarter sawn and kiln-dried which can give the wines an aggressive and bitter quality. It can often be identified in tastings by its strong flavor of vanilla, coconut, and green notes that sometimes resemble either dill or cucumber. Thankfully many coopers (barrel makers) have adopted a more French approach in making barrels from white oak by employing a careful selection of wood, slow drying and more controlled toasting. Barrels crafted from white oak are usually less expensive than their European counterparts. This variety of oak is best suited for maturing rich white wines because it imparts lots of vanilla and whisky flavors. Chardonnay aged in this oak usually gives the best result, however it also lends itself to big and structures red wines (think Aussie Shiraz, Riber del Duero)

The following regions are associated with one or multiple of the species listed above:

France: Quercus Sessile and Robur with the most important regions being;
• Vosges- (Sessile & Robur) located near the wine region of Alsace
o Sessile best suited for whites. Robur for reds.
• Nievers – (Sessile) central France
o Soft velvety wood. Best for Grand Cru Pinot Noirs, Cote Rotie and Hermitages, and in Bordeaux for Cru wines
• Allier – (Sessile & Robur) southwest of Nievers
o The sessile oak gives great results for all types of wines, be they red or white. These are the most sought –after and expensive oaks.
• Haute-Vienne- (Robur) southwest of Allier and home to Limousin oak
o Usually used for spirits of sweet white wines.

United States: Quercus (Jessica) Alba – white oak. The most important regions being:
• Ohio Valley
• Missouri Valley
• Pennsylvania
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
Germany: Quercus Robur
Croatia: Quercus Robur
Lithuania: Quercus Robur
Poland: Quercus Rouvre
Romania: Quercus Rouvre
Russia: Quercus Robur

So once the oak species and region have been selected, the crafting of the barrel begins. The wood used to craft quality barrels must come from trees at least 100 years old. The heart of the trunk must be perfectly centered and the tree cannot have any faults such as gnarls, splits, frost damage, or wormholes. The cooperage uses only the core of the tree to make the staves. The wood is then separated into different oak grain categories:

Large grain – such as Limousin (Pedunculate Oak)
Medium Grain (aka fine) –Vosges Forest (Sessile Oak)
Tight grain (aka very fine) – Nivers Forest (Sessile Oak)
Very tight grain (extra-fine)- Troncais Forest (Sessile Oak)

The grade of wood grain is linked to the width and uniformity of the rings that indicate the tree’s age. When the rings are close together and uniform, the grain is considered to be fine; when the rings are irregular, the grain is large.

Now the trunks are chopped into logs and split into quarters. Splitting the oak is better than quarter sawing because it goes with the grain of the wood (traditionally American oak barrels were made with quarter sawn wood, but increasingly splitting is being used to increase quality). From here the wood needs to have any humidity from the green wood removed. The preferred method used by quality-conscious coopers is to dry it out naturally in the open air, exposed to the elements. The staves are piled in such a way to allow air to freely circulate and allow for even drying. The drying period lasts anywhere from 12 to 30 months. The other method employed by producers of American oak barrels has been to employ a kiln to accelerate this process, however this often leads to issues with quality, and reputable producers of American oak barrels now also employ the natural process.

Following the drying process, the staves are ready to be made into a barrel. The length of the barrels will vary depending on the size of the end product. In Burgundy for example the barrels hold 228 liters and in Bordeaux they hold 225 liters. The Burgundy barrels will appear shorter and wider in girth whilst the Bordeaux barrels will be taller and skinnier. The staves are then double tapered and joined on a jointer. Temporary hoops are fitted to hold them in place. The shaping happens when the barrel is centered over an open fire of oak chips (now we know what happens to at least some of the 80% of the tree that is discarded) so that it can finish the assembly process. Now that the barrel is shaped it will be subject to further heating to eliminate any residual humidity in the wood. This second heating leads to a breakdown in the carbohydrates of the wood and encourages the formation of aroma substances. The intensity of these aromas is determined by the level of toast (char) the barrel receives:
Light toast- 10 minutes at 120 to 225 oC
Medium toast – 15 to 20 min at 120 to 275 oC
Heavy toast – 15 to 20 min at 200 to 300 oC
The lighter the wine, the lighter the toast of the wood should be. Therefore it is important that the winemaker communicates his wine-making philosophy so that the desired outcome is reached by matching the right toast level to the wine. For more info click here

Once the barrel has been shaped, the barrelheads are made, reeds are placed between the joints to ensure that it will hold water, and a hole is drilled in one of the staves (this hole is referred to as the “bung” hole, alright stop the snickering). The barrel is then sanded down and tested for any leakage.

Tada!!!! The barrel is finished, but now what, you ask? Well now things get interesting! Scientists have studied the physical and chemical interaction between oak and wine for many years. The chemical reaction that occurs has considerable impact on the drinker’s perception of the wines aromas, flavors and ultimately the quality. By now we know that strength and the quality of the wines oaky flavors are impacted by the geographical origin and species of the wood, how the barrels are made, how long the wine is aged in barrel (red wines are usually matured from 12 to 24 months, some times longer, and whites 6 to 12 months).

I apologize now in advance because I am about to get very geeky, ok so here it goes; the color and intensity of the wine is impacted by the process called micro-oxygenation whereby the porosity of the wood causes a modification in the polyphenols of red wine which results in the anthocyans and tannins combining. Furthermore the polymerization of grape tannin increases which makes the wine less astringent. Or in plain English - oxygen plays an important role because during maturation, the oxygen that gets in through the pores of the wood and during the racking process, attacks the tough tannins in the wine, causing them to drop out of suspension and fall to the bottom of the barrels, leaving the wine softer. Oxygen also plays an important role in the stabilization of the color in red wine, it is needed in the creation of stable coloring matter to enable anthocyanins and tannins to interact in ‘oxidative coupling’. Contrary to popular believe, oak contributes only a low amount of ellagitannins (wood tannin). The length an intensity of the toast imparts the aromatic compounds that are responsible for the following aromas: liquorice, maple syrup, and smoke. Other aromas that are naturally present in wood, such as whisky lactose which impart coconut aromas, are destroyed by heavy toasting.

Ok geek hat is off, now on with the show! It has been noted that wide-grained oak can render more soluble tannin, a hint of bitterness, and less aromas of clove. Conversely, fine-grained oak barrels give more “oaky” flavors in wine. Now keep in mind when the “oak monster’ rears his head this constitutes a fault, kind of like when a frat boy uses a whole bottle of cologne to hide the fact he has not showered in 4 days. There also seems to be an inverse relation between the porosity of the wood and the perceived quality of the wine; more porous=less enjoyment. It is known that heavy toasting will increase the wine’s astringency and bitterness but also add notes of cocoa, coffee and toast.

The question of new versus used oak is an old one.  All one needs to do is look at any wine spec sheet handed out by wineries, distributors, or retailers and one can see that much is made about what percentage of the wine was aged in new versus used oak. Simply put, new barrels are superior to second or third fill barrels in that they offer the winemaker more intensity of aromas and chemical reaction. This is not to say however that all great wine needs to be aged in 100% new oak to be world class, quite to the contrary. Think of it in terms of garlic in cooking - a little is good, a little more is better, too much and no one enjoys it. Balance, as with anything else in life, is the key.

There is no question that oak’s contribution to wine is vital!

Here are some of the most common aromas impart by oak:
Smoke, Liquorice, Bitter Almond, Toast, Green Wood, Medicinal, Leather, Spice, Vanilla, Clove, Coconut, Chocolate, Coffee. This is by no means an exhaustive list…

Go forth and taste a lot of wines and try and discern the type of oak used. I would also encourage you to visit a cooperage if the opportunity presents itself, or at the very least, visit one virtually.

Cheers!

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I must say that day 1 of the wine blogger’s conference was interesting in three ways:
1. I finally got to meet the Windy City Wine Guy in person. His is one of my favorite blogs and this guy knows his wine.  He has also been a guest host on some of our VINTUBA podcasts.

2. The conference was fraught with wi-fi connectivity issues that resulted in the agenda being re-arranged and made for a laborious and tedious live wine blogging event.

3. Applying the whole “speed dating” concept to wine tasting was an idea that did not work for me. If you are not familiar with how it works let me explain, basically each winery (22 participated) has 5 minutes per table to explain who they are, where they are, what makes them special,  and explain their wine.  You cannot compress this romance into 5 minutes! I found it to be way too3 fast, impersonal and totally counter to what wine is all about; taking it slow, enjoying, fostering relationships and savoring.

My two favorite wines of the Live Wine Blogging Event were:

1. 2007 MATTHIASSON Napa Valley White Wine. This wine is a blend of Sauvignon blanc, Ribolla gialla, Tocai Friulano and Semillon. This wine has a great acidity and fruit expression that include green apple, melon, peaches and a slight herbaciousness.  Fruit and acid balance is the key here! There is some rich lees character that makes for a great mouthfeel.  There is interplay in the wine between lightness and richness, and focus and complexity. The wine was barrel-fermented in 50% new barrels, and left on its lees, with occasional stirring, until bottling—never racked. Three of the ten barrels went through natural malolactic fermentation. After nine months of elevage, sur lees, the wine was filtered, to prevent further malolactic fermentation.  LOVED this wine!!! $35

2. 2005 CORNERSTONE CELLARS Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain. This is an elegant Cabernet showing great complexity! Notes of dark chocolate, minerality, earth, spice, vanilla and cedar. Fruit notes of dark berries, cassis, and some compote. On the palate, the tannins are chewy and big but integrated, good acid structure is balanced by ripe but elegant fruit, all of which combine to make this a wine capable of aging (give this wine 5 yrs minimum to develop) not cheap at $100 but will kick a lot of other $100 Napa Cabs in the groin!

Cheers and good night!

ChrisO

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Today I am attending day one of the wine bloggers conference in Napa & Sonoma and it is off do a great start! Sofar I have tasted some GREAT whites from Rueda Spain, Sherries, wines from Bonny Doon, Faust and met the producers from “Bottle Shock”. The life wine blogger event will be starting shortly and I can’t wait to see what is on deck.

Stay tunes for more,

ChrisO

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ChrisO stopped by Kaz Winery in the heart of Kenwood to be interviewed about his day job at Benziger Family Winery and Imagery Estate Winery on Wine Biz Radio, soon however the subject changed to vintuba and the bloger love-in was off to the races.  A big thank you to Randy and Kaz for their hospitality, if you don’t know these guys make sure and stop over to WineBiz Radio.com and have a listen.

Listen Here

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Image courtesy of flickr.com

In episode #8 JonM interviews ChrisO about a variety of subjects from wine headaches to the Masters of Wine program. First in a series.

Click Below to Play the Show:

Show #8 m4a format
(25:37min 11.8MB)

The post Vintuba Podcast-8- Miscellaneous Wine Ramblings 1 appeared first on vintuba.com.

A toast to our VP candidates

So I was watching the VP debate tonight and started thinking what wine would I pair with each candidate based on their performance.  Here are my recommendations based on what I saw and heard from Sarah Palin and Joe Biden (so as not to discriminate based on wine color I will provide you with both a red and white pairing):

• Sarah Palin- White Wine -2006 Mad Housewife Chardonnay

• Sarah Palin-Red Wine – 2005 Goats do Roam Red

• Joe Biden – White Wine – 2005 The Dog’s Bollocks White

• Joe Biden – Red Wine – 2004 Happy Camper Merlot

Cheers and Drink up!

The post Wine and Candidate Pairing (not whine and Candidate) appeared first on vintuba.com.

Its time to conquer our wine insecurities!

We trust our senses when it comes to judging whether our laundry is dirty or clean, the pork roast in the fridge has gone off, the food over salted, or if the guy sitting next to us on the subway OD’d on Brut that morning.  But why is it that most people do not trust their own sense of smell and taste when it comes to wine?

So many people out there are afraid to trust their own senses as to what wine is good, bad and down right ugly.  They instead choose to follow the wine pundits, reviewers, and the numerical ratings that in my opinion will give you no more indication as to whether or not you will ultimately enjoy the wine, than the weather report will give you an indication as to what color socks to wear.  What written reviews will give you is information about one person’s impression of a wine on a given day under certain circumstances. They will not make something you disliked good or something you liked bad. Wine is about so much more than what is in the bottle; it is about your state of mind, the company you have surrounded yourself with, the food you have chosen to eat with it, the glassware (or lack thereof), and where you are drinking it etc. You don’t build your own wine expertise when you rely solely on scores, reviews, and journalistic editorials. I am not saying that you should never choose based on a recommendation, but make sure it is from someone you trust, someone who knows what you like, and someone you can ask questions to and get interactive information from.

Trust yourself!  Whether you are new to wine or an enthusiast with 10,000 bottles in your climatized man-cave (the latter by the way seem to lack the most amount of wine self-esteem and stake their whole collection on numerical scores), you don’t need to know fancy terms, poetic descriptors and esoteric fruit references (hello, what is a bilberry?).  All you need to know is yumm, yuck, and give me more. Here is the prescription that should cure your insecurities; swirl, smell, taste, experiment with new wines (drink outside your comfort zone. YES you can break your CAB addiction), build your sensory memory banks, and remember it is a journey of discovery whose destination holds your wine self-esteem in its hands. Approach it like a child does eating new foods for the first time; look at it (does it look ok?), smell it (does this smell like something I want to put in my mouth?), taste it (does it taste good?), and evaluate (do I want more?) It is that simple. Just think you will be able to break the ties that bound you for far too long to those numerical scores and less than personal reviews.

Trust me, I am an expert!! ☺

The post Get yourself some wine self-esteem… appeared first on vintuba.com.

As the great election cycle of 2008 comes to a head, grapes are coming in for crush all over the Northern Hemisphere. In non-election years, more of our focus as winelovers rests with the incidence of rain in Bordeaux or the sagging cordons of a record Cab crop in Oakville, than it does with lipstick and farm animals.

The post The Audacity of Taste appeared first on vintuba.com.

WELCOME to VINTUBA

We are proud to introduce Vintuba, a podcasting site for the wine drinker with a thirst for the journey of discovery, not just the destination of an empty bottle.

Vintuba is about the adventure of wine; the pleasure of sharing and enjoying it with your peeps.  So hop aboard the Vintuba Vespa and hold on as we meet the people, swirl and sip and feel the passion that makes the world of wine so unique and special.

Your host,

ChrisO “CrizzO”

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