Wine Soiree

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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

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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…

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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

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

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.

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!

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…

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

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

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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