Who knew that there is a revolution going on in Wine?

Let’s look at the confluence of events that have resulted in the unprecedented explosion of value, accessibility and knowledge.  The US will soon become the largest consumer of wine in the world and we have access to more world wines and types of wine than ever before.  This increase in demand has driven increased exports and planting in countries like Argentina, New Zealand and Chile by 100-800% in the last 5 years alone.   Shipping around the world has become very inexpensive and during this recession it is almost free.  You can load a container and ship it around the world easier than you can ship your car across the country.    The internet has created a seamless transfer and sharing of knowledge that creates communities based on energy and engagement as opposed to geographic boundaries, and yet for all the transparency that exists in this era, physical boundaries have become more important than ever.  The climate of regions like Anderson Valley differentiate themselves from areas even 1 hour away given their proximity to the cool ocean breezes (flowing from North to South – unlike the Atlantic) and daily sunshine.  Marlborough has always been a great agricultural production region and their world wide recognition of bright and drinkable Sauvignon Blanc has resulted in a staggering amount of new plantings which will only support a stronger wine community and hopefully more value based wines for the world market.  Knowledge sharing leads to opportunities like Carmenere (believed to be Merlot until 1985), Malbec and Pinots from regions like Patagonia (which can be found at France & 44 wine shop – Humberto Canale) becoming wines that can easily be obtained at the corner wine shop or many small but good restaurants (like Cafe Maude).

Additionally, in the US we have an amazing selection of $7 to $15 wines.  Wines like Torrentes from Argentina, excellent Bordeaux blends, etc.. make trying a new wine easier and less of a risk than ever.  If you travel across the world, you will see how good we have it in the US (even given our three tiered distb. system and state by state shipping laws), where a $10 bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon costs $40 (China) to $90 (Russia) around the world.  So, take advantage of it.

We are celebrating Thanksgiving with one of our favorite wine makers, Londer Pinor Noir and Syrah.  Speaking of Syrah, with its darker fruits and earthy acids, WineTribe offers up a blog from a distinguished lover of wine, Charles P Donly, who has been drinking the best of French wines for over 40 years.  We are lucky enough to have him share his love of Rhone wine with us.  The Rhone region is south of Burgundy to the east of Paris and before you get to the Mediterranean.  The best of these wines provide a beautiful blend of plum fruits mixed with earth and a beautiful long finish without being as heavy or serious as a big burgundy.  So, enjoy this gem over the holiday and let it inspire you to pick up a few new wines from these regions we describe.

My tip to you from this blog is to pick up an appellation map of France and the next time you open a bottle, figure out where it is from.   Then, take the extra step to look for the regions surrounding it.  You can usually find great values by picking a wine near a well known appellation (like Gigondas vs. Chateauneuf-de-Pape).  Or, you can go one step further and find others who create similar blends, like the “Rhone Rangers” in California (e.g., Marilyn Remark in Carmel Valley).

Bon Appetit et a vous Sante!

C&C

The Journey Is Complete

The Red Wines Of The Rhone Valley by Charles P Donly

I am not a wine connoisseur or a collector and, point in fact, I am simply a daily wine consumer and have been for the past fifty years.

Nor do I have a dazzling enology vocabulary that many of the nouveau wine world find even more enjoyable to articulate than the consumption of this magnificent gift from Bacchus.

I live by the philosophy of two men I greatly admire for many reasons and wine is certainly one of them.  Dr. Samuel Johnson, an English writer in the seventeen nineties, was quoted as saying:

“A day without wine is like a day without sunshine”

while Ernest Hemingway succinctly stated:

“Wine is the most civilized thing in the world.”

My journey through the fascinating and constantly evolving world of enology started about 1960. From that time to the present I have religiously drank nothing but wine, most always with dinner, and stayed almost exclusively, by choice, in the  French Burgundy and Bordeaux regions.

Toward the end of the eighties we were blessed here in Minneapolis when the D’Amico Corporation opened a restaurant downtown called The Azur (check out any of the alums at Tavern on France, The Local, La Bell Vie, Sea Change, and Black Sheep pizza). It featured French Mediterranean cuisine and the wine menu was dominated by French red wines from the Rhone valley.

As I subsequently learned the Rhone river valley is in Southeastern France and is a wine grape growing and wine producing area known for its red wines. The region is just under 150 miles long from North to South. It is located between the cities of Lyon in the North and Avignon in the South. All qualities of wine are produced there from Appellation Controllee to Vin du Table. Wine production is mainly red and rose, with only two percent white wines. Some of the vineyards there are very rocky. A wide variety of wine grapes are grown and blended in the region but the two most commonly used are Syrah and Grenache.

These wines were a totally new experience for me as Rhone wines were still virtually unknown in the United States. It was, far and away, my favorite restaurant with an outstanding cuisine, flawless service, an ambiance that led you to believe that you were in Southern France and that newly discovered and fascinating wine list. I spent many hours talking to the manager and key staff of The Azur and they told me that some of them had been sent by the owners to France with the mission to tour the vineyards of the French Rhone region prior to the opening of the restaurant. Without any real planning, analysis or classes on the subject, I just followed my taste dictates and soon was exclusively converted to those wines.

At this juncture I will have to point out that, like many of us Americans, I am not wealthy but I do earn, and always have, slightly higher than average income, and I have had the advantage, on occasion, due to my marketing profession, to be the beneficiary of New York City style expense accounts, so I have enjoyed the best wines from most regions.

However, on a day to day basis, I look for reasonably priced wines and it’s been my experience that the red wines of the Rhone Valley are the best priced for the quality they deliver. In particular, most of the reds are full bodied, have the exclusive French “terroir” aspect to enhance them, and therefore, are, as a group more earthy, full bodied and food friendly than any other wine region.

Whether you’re at the very top of their price range ( Cote-Rotie, Hermitage, Cornas, Chateauneuf-du-Pape) or at the lower scale with the Cotes-du-Rhones all Rhone wines have that earthy, very real and substantial characteristic to them. I would like to single out Gigondas as my favorite when I consider price and product represented. They are in the price range of $25-35 and seldom disappoint so I would say that’s what I’ve uncovered as my choice for the best buy in wine today. They never seem to fail and it’s bite and muscularity translate into one word – real. They are almost always robust, well balanced and aromatic. A close second to Gigondas but in a slightly lower price range, and with similar qualities, is Vacqueyras.

In the $10-20 price range I’d rather take my chances with various Cotes-du-Rhone selections than the Argentine Malbecs or the Chilean reds which although adequate, on a random basis don’t match up to the Cotes-du-Rhones. American Reds in that grouping? If you’re prepared to do encyclopedic cogitation and traveling you’re blindly looking for the proverbial “needle in a haystack.”

In this “Opinion Paper” I’ve made it abundantly clear that I’m focused in on Reds of the Rhone Valley. Nevertheless, I’d be remiss if I didn’t cover White wines. I’ve occasionally had White Hermitages and Chateauneuf-du-Papes but my favorite moderately priced white wines are still from the Chablis region. On the other hand, I never turn down, when opportunity strikes, to truly enjoy a Meursault or any of the magnificent Montrachets from the Cote-Du-Beaune region.

- CP Donly

*Disclaimer: I received this wine as a sample from Roberts Fine Wines.

I felt like something jut a bit different the other night, so I pulled the 2006 Domaine La Combe Blanche Minervois La Liviniere La Chandeliere from a sample box. An online store, Roberts Fine Wines sent me a couple of bottles from their selection. They carry only small production French wines and the La Chadeliere had a pressed cork, clocked in at 14.5% alcohol by volume, and retails for $24.  The wine is a blend of 75% Syrah and 25% Grenache. (Mmmmm, Grenache….)

On the nose I got black cherry, blackberries, black fruit, black currants, pepper, spice, crushed violets, cedar, and chocolate.  In the mouth I found black cherry, currants, leather, spice, tart red berries, spice, and pepper.  I thought the wine had great acidity and nice tannins. I think I’d serve this with one of my lamb dishes as a substitute for a full on Syrah, just for something a bit different.  I always think that I need to expand on my wine experiences and try more French wines, though at the moment my wine budget is all tied up in my wine clubs!

Today’s guest blogger is Pia Gardner, area manager in Perth.

Pia Gardner

My territory comprises the on-premise trade here – bars, hotels, restaurants, cafes, bistros, nightclubs, and function centres. I focus on the Perth CBD and the South Metro. Spending most of my time in this area is special, surrounded by the river, beach and lots great places to wine and dine.

To try and paint a picture for you … when I’m in a restaurant, before seeing a client, I find myself looking out the window. I can see kite surfers, small boats, big boats, fishermen, cyclists, or school groups at rowing training, not bad hey! We Perthites can sometimes forget how truly lucky we are to live here. “How good is this?” I think to myself … ah now back to work.

It is a competitive industry around here, especially being on the doorstep of “Margs”, Swan Valley, Great Southern and Pemberton. There are lots of wines around and people want to support their home turf.  It’s common to say a quick “hi” to another rep entering the restaurant you’ve just left. Sales will always be competitive, so you just have to get out there and enjoy what you do.

What makes my job most enjoyable for me are the wines I get to sell (OK, get to taste, too). People ask me, “What is your favourite wine?” I could go on for days, so I think, “What is good now”?

Yalumba Bush Vine Grenache

Well as of today, I am feeling summer knocking, and if I were on a boat on the Swan River this would be my perfect line up:

• Pour myself Jansz Premium Vintage – keep a close eye on who starts to hang around you because once they “sample” the 04 vintage, it could be gone before you say “Freo”.
• Throw the fresh lemon and cracked pepper marinated prawns on the portable barbie, give a couple of stubs to the skipper. Gotta keep them happy, and also to keep them away from your Jansz.
• Hmm … Riesling with the prawns – yep sounds good. But which one? Heggies 2009 drinking lovely, crisp, fresh pear and apple characters. Balanced with a clean, mineral finish.
• Can you go on a boat without another cold white? Yes you can. Get your hands on The Y Series Sangiovese Rose. This is bang for your buck. Funky new label too. You can afford more than one or two of these.
• Drink the Y Rose with a tandoori chicken salad. Fresh coriander thrown in is a must.
• Keep the chatter and the tunes going, no dancing unless your boat legs are in fine form. The sunsets here are really something special.  If the Freo doctor (read: sea breeze from Fremantle) is still around, it’s time for a red to warm you up on the 8 knot cruise back to shore. The choice for me is very difficult- it would have to be the Yalumba Bush Vine Grenache 2008. Put it in the glass and enjoy it while it keeps you warm.

I first encountered Halifax wines at the McLaren Vale’s “Vale Cru” tasting a couple of months ago and was impressed.  After my recent visit I am even more impressed.  I got onto the mailing list at the Vale Cru tasting and got myself an invite to their yearly new release tasting.  Well what an absolute joy – it does not take long to see Peter and Lizzy’s outlook and even the wines show the same.  They are passionate about – good food, good wines, good friends, good times.  Their pride (after the wines) was a large dining table where we were invited to share a light lunch with other Halifax wine lovers and try their wines in a relaxed food and friend atmosphere.

Halifax Entrance

The shiraz vineyard is on Binney Road between the towns of McLaren Vale and Willunga.  This south eastern area of the McLaren Vale region and has a higher elevation and slightly cooler than the plains regions of McLaren Vale.  Wine made in the vineyard and sustainability are the 2 catch cries from Peter.  Peter is committed to minimal interference with the wine – minimal oak influence, no filtration or fining - he lets the vineyard and the fruit do the talking.  The shiraz is supplemented with cabernet sauvignon, grenache and soon mourvedre.

Halifax Cellar

The winery is not open for cellar door visits – it is purely by appointment only.

The website is www.halifaxwines.com.au

2009 Holiday Rose ($A20)

 This grenache based wine is effectively sold out (to restaurants) – and after tasting it I can understand why.

A salmon colour followed by an aroma hit that is just like freshly crushed grenache berries.  The palate is full of nectarine and apple with an almost creamy finish.  This is a lovely dry wine with lots of acid.  It is a shame it is all but sold out.  If this is representative of the rose to come bring on next vintage with a block of goats cheese and crusty bread.

Inside HALiFAX Cellar

2006 Ad Lib ($A23)

A blend of 70% Grenache, 25% Shiraz and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.  This is a lighter style than the normal McLaren Vale Grenache based wines, and I for one believe there is room for both styles.  A juicy infusion of red berries on the front palate and blackberries on the back palate.  This is a soft wine – minimal oak and fine grape tannins.  Drink this wine now with lasagna (my wife makes the best lasagna).

2006 Halifax Vineyard Shiraz ($A25)

The wine is bright red – a surprise considering it is a bit older than general red wine releases.  Quite fragrant with lots of black fruits – particularly black cherries.  When I tried this I was taken by how soft this was is – all the usual McLaren Vale shiraz fruits come through – plums and blackberries, all in waves with minimal oak influences.  This wine would last a while – but it is so juicy why wait!  Have a bottle or three of this with slowly braised lamb shanks and make sure you share this with friends.

2006 Coach House Cabernet ($A35)

Two words – silky smooth.  The vineyard the grapes came from the vineyard Penfolds Bin 707 came from.  The wine is a sensory wave of blackberries and blackcurrant (both on the nose and palate).  The oak treatments are not evasive and supply a pleasant dusty tannin finish.  Drink it with a big juicy medium rare steak.

2002 Halifax Vineyard Shiraz ($A35)

The wine is for current customers however, for Lonely Grape readers, this museum release shows what the current vintage may evolve into over the coming years.  The wine is showing a small amount of browning.  The nose is showing the black fruits with savoury characters of chocolate and a mushroom earthyness.  Bring on a huge plate of Grilled Field Mushrooms (with vin cotta added to the upturned cups) with ricotta gnocchi covered in a simple butter mushroom sauce at a table full of your friends.

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to taste and write about what were then the current Cabernet Sauvignon releases for Cornerstone Cellars in Napa. Both wines were truly exceptional; the Howell Mountain Cabernet was a particularly special bottle. A few months later I had the chance, while I was out in Napa Valley, to taste some of their older vintages as well as what were then upcoming releases. Once again the wines were very impressive. So I was quite pleased to find wines from their second label Stepping Stone on my desk to sample. Today I’ll look at their current releases of Grenache and Cabernet Franc. Stay tuned for a close look at the current releases from their main label soon too.

First up is the Stepping Stone 2007 Grenache. The fruit for this wine was sourced in Lake County. In addition to Grenache (96%), a bit of Zinfandel (4%) is blended in as well. 500 cases of this wine were produced and the suggested retail price is $20.

Personally I’ve been drinking more and more Grenache of late. As time has gone on I’ve found it to be amongst the food friendliest of red varietals. This Stepping Stone selection opens with deep, dark berry aromas. Strawberry, rhubarb, blackberry pie and a host of spice notes are all part of the full flavored palate. The dark fruit continues through the finish where it’s joined by black pepper and a final savory note that clings persistently to the back of the throat. Ultimately it draws you in for another sip. This Grenache is framed by good acidity.

The second selection is the Stepping Stone 2007 Cabernet Franc. The fruit for this offering was sourced in Carneros. In addition to Cabernet Franc (90%), Merlot (10%) has been blended in. 500 cases of this selection were produced and the suggested retail price is $30.

When I’m out tasting wine, there are certain varietals whose mere presence on a tasting sheet build up anticipation. Even before getting to them on the list I find myself thinking about them and hoping that they live up to my expectation for that varietal. Cabernet Franc is most definitely one of those grapes. So as you could imagine, I’m glad that the second selection from Stepping Stone is a Cabernet Franc.

This 2007 Cabernet Franc from Carneros leads with leather, plum, blueberry and a hint of eucalyptus in the nose. Continued plum and blueberry combine in a gentle, layered and diverse palate. Cigar box emerges on the finish along with mineral and gentle hints of earth and little waves of spice. This wine has absolutely terrific acidity. Much like the Grenache this Cabernet Franc is a food lover’s delight.

First off these two releases under Cornerstone Cellars Stepping Stone label are delicious wines in their own right. Secondly, each is an excellent examples of Grenache and Cabernet Franc respectively. They also do a fine job representing the regions where the fruit was sourced. While not intended for long term aging like the Cornerstone Cabernet’s these Stepping Stone wines will be delicious for the next 3-5 years. They’re reasonably priced for the quality they offer and both would be solid bets with a wide array of food.

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Here is some very exciting news, Perrin et Fils is at your local Costco for amazing prices. Among the bottles available are the Cotes du Rhone Villages (9.99-always great to find Villages, they are so much more reasonably priced than their counterparts), a Chateneuf du Pape (pricy), Vinsobres a Syrah/Grenache blend for 13.99, and the “bargin” brand, the Vacqueryas. The Vacqueryas is very interesting because it is being sold in Magnums (as a party wine) for 8.99. This is an amazing Thanksgiving deal!

Ryan’s Speech at WineFuture Conference in Logroño, Spain:

For the past decades the everyday consumer has been ignored. I’m not talking about the high end or even weekend wine geek, but rather the consumer who likes wine, wants a better bottle and could give a shit if the wine has terroir or 90+ points. They want to enjoy the wine for what it is, social lubricant,..

The problem is retailers, importers, and the press were all trying to sell the same package of BS that you need to “know wine” to love wine. It’s the teach first drink later model, which I believe leads too often to consumers afraid that they might do something wrong, and as a result they end up simply buying based on price and what the label looks like. Why, because they are the only things not trying to tell them that they aren’t smart enough to enjoy wine. The consumer has choices, or is starting to, and the internet is bringing us these choices.

these consumers now are talking about wine and buying wines, and are doing it with the tools they use to communicate within their social circles everyday.

Facebook, once a college meet up site, is now a place where brands are being built…While in another more recognizable form for many of us we have Social tasting note sites like Adeggaand Cellartracker which are allowing consumers to share online what wines they own and to see what their friends are drinking.

A lot of people laugh at these online tools  but it reminds me of a quote I found online: “This ‘telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.” This was Western Unions response to the telephones invention.

Ironically similar statements are being made about blogging today. The truth is that we are seeing the fading away of yesterdays’ tools of communication, giving way to a new way of looking at wine.

Today’s consumers have voices. The internet have given them voices, And these voices are not your competitors or enemies, but rather clients, readers, buyers, and sometimes new friends.But the real truth is that the consumer is tomorrows critic. And in the end if they don’t know where Tempranillo comes from it doesn’t matter,  they do know whether or not they like the wine. As a group they have an aggregated voice that is powerful and broad.

they will be the ones to buy your products, and share their thoughts with their friends, just like they always have. If you do not listen to them…you lose. If you choose to engage with them…you win.

Today the internet is also a conversation. It is not monologue it is a dialog. If you are not prepared to engage and talk to your consumer, be prepared for disappointment. Today’s consumer wants a conversation…no they expect one.

YEEEAAAPPP…. I could not agree more with you Ryan (Catavino ) ! Thanks.

Jancis Robinson M.W. : “I can’t honestly say that we solved the wine business’s problems.  In fact I felt that we did not discuss its gravest ones – economic peril for so many – in enough detail.

Jancis Robinson M.W. – O.B.E & Robert Parker Jr

But the conference was certainly not a waste of time, and represented a huge coup on the part of Pancho Campo (seen at the microphone) and the Wine Academy of Spain team to have managed to get such a high-profile crowd together.”

WineFuture on video | Tasting Notes & Wine Reviews from Jancis Robinson

____________________________

Robert Parker’s ‘Grand Garnacha tasting”: The Grand Garnacha Tasting – Wine Future Conference – Catavino

“Tonight ( Friday 13th) in the hall of the Rioja Forum in Logrono Robert Parker sat at the head table overseeing a sold out auditorium of 450+ representatives of the wine world eager to share a glass with him. Kevin Zraly, the pre-eminent figure in wine education in the US & Pancho Campo MW, President of the Wine academy of Spain who organised the event, moderated the session. Catavino was there, live-blogging, photographing, tweeting, and recording tasting notes live on adegga.com, and I was part of the team.

List of wines poured:

Châteuneauf-du-Pape –France/Francia
1. Domaine Charvin 2007
2. Marcoux Vieilles Vignes 2007
3. Mont Olivet – La Cuvee du Papet 2007
4. Chapoutier Barbe Rac 2007
5. Barroche Pure 2007
6. Vieille Julienne 2007
7. Pierre Usseglio-Mon Aieul 2007

Spain/España
8. Atteca Armas 2007 – DO Calatayud
9. Mancuso 2005 – Vino de la Tierra de Valdejalón
10. Espectacle 2006 – DO Montsant
11. Clos Erasmus 2005 – DOCa. Priorat
12. Aquilon 2006 – DO Campo de Borja

California
13. Pandora – Alban 2006
14. Sine Qua Non Atlantis 2005

Australia
15. Killikanoon Duke 2006
16. Greenock Creek Cornerstone 2006
17. Clarendon Hills Old Vines Romas 2006
18. Torbreck Les Amis 2005

Rioja
19. Marqués de Riscal de 1945
20. Contador 2007

He ( Robert Parker)  spoke lucidly and passionately about his love of wines and his unpretentious style and incredible knowledge was somewhat captivating. For Parker the responsibility of the great winemaker is to “capture and translate the essence of your terroir and faithfully respect the vintage given to you by Mother Nature”.

Report from Raymond Magourty for “Catavino”.

YYYEEEAAAAPPPPPP…. When it’s nice…it’s nice?? STOP the fuss ! Enjoy on your own  !!

IVO

A new ATP wine has arrived on shore from the blustery viticultural seas! And yes, I admit that’s a weirdly inappropriate nautical metaphor, but a swashbuckling wine like this deserves … well … an eyepatch!  

All tomfoolery aside, this really is a wine for the passionate, the daring, the rogueish, the rebel. It’s got fire in its belly, and it recognizes no master but the code of freedom; freedom to live, to laugh, to love! 

Now, of course I highly recommend engaging in all the appropriately oenophilic rituals when experiencing this wine; foil cutter, Ah So, decanter, double-decantation, aeration, consideration of the visual, the olfactory, the first plush dance onto the palate floor … But on the other hand, if you just grabbed this bottle by the neck and jumped into whatever fray awaits you, you’d be fine in my book … I mean, you’d be welcome on my ship! My ship of lost souls, on the seas of the damned! 

Ok, ok, I’m getting a little carried away again. But I’m TELLING you, tasting this wine makes you feel, I don’t know, FREE! It’s emotionally emancipating, and it makes you feel a little dangerous, a little more willing than usual to take that extra step into the sensual unknown …Perhaps it’s the history of the Grenache in our vineyards; they were a discovery. And an unexpected one at that. So really, Ridge was in fact a wild band of explorers! Seriously though, this “discovery: is documented in the winemaker notes for this wine:

Ridge became involved with grenache quite by accident when, in 1972, we first harvested the vines on the eastern hills of Lytton Springs. Though we didn’t know it then, one of the hills—planted in 1902—had a high percentage of grenache, interplanted with small amounts of zinfandel and petite sirah.

Maybe it’s the age of those elder Grenache vines; they date to 1902, an altogether different era. An era when pirates ruled the seas, and tall tales of their adventures captivated the hearts and minds of young readers everywhere, readers who imagined themselves as those brave and daring ruffians flying across the high seas with nothing to think of but the passion on the moment … 

The image above is from Howard Pyle’s Book of Pirates, which was published … you guessed it! 1902. So there! The 2004 Lytton Estate Grenache IS SO a pirate wine.  

Anyhow, here are some reasonably proper tasting notes:

Appearance:

Deep, deep ruby tones, with a nearly black core, and a subtle magenta limn; substantially viscous glaze in the bowl, that somehow still allow for reasonably narrow and swift legs to do their running …

Aromatics:

Spoonful upon spoonful of cocoa powder, shaken over richly ripe black cherries, on a plate piled high with warmed autumnal nutfruits. Very slightly minty, with a faint trace of rootiness as well. Definitely still a little tight in its youth, awaiting a fuller expression of fruit …

Front:

Black cherry, black grape, warmed strawberries, blueberry, loganberry, just a whole panoply of low-tone fruit notes, but all decidedly low-acid in character, with an emphasis on dense and darkly fleshy opulence, as opposed to overt vivacity.

Mid-Palate:

A certain degree of chalky tannins and granular minerality counter-weighting the tongue-side acidity that begins to emerge. Powerful on the palate, without being particularly weighty; a rather enticing yet somewhat unfamiliar integration of force and restraint …

Finish:

By the time I reach the finish, the true decadent power of this wine has become evident; every portion of my palate is covered with a plush duvet of sweetly ripe, yet muscularly structured weaves that twine together fruit, spice, and minerals. It’s as if I’ve dipped my weary tongue into the soothing reward of an autumnal herb and fruit bath at some secluded vineyard spa …

Summary:

It’s a pirate wine, pure and simple. It’s flamboyant, yet determined. Wild, yet clever. At once aggressively forceful, yet deceptively wily and restrained. It doesn’t trust you right away; rather, it reveals its secrets slowly, only after your palate has proven its mettle. Join its crew, stand by its side through thick and thin, and a treasure chest of rubies is yours …

In closing, both our Lytton Springs and Monte Bello Tasting Rooms are celebrating the release of this wine with the wonderful members of our ATP Program on Saturday night. If you’re an ATP member, and you’re in our respective areas, then we certainly hope you’ll be in attendance. And if you’re in our areas, and not yet an ATP member, this might be a good time to consider membership.  I’m just sayin’ …

So, from the deck of my ship, I extend my hook your way, and ask you, “Are you ready for the adventure of a lifetime?” Then join us! For now is no time to be a drivelswigger! It’s time to climb up Jacob’s Ladder, dodge the Hempen Halter, quit Swinging The Lead, and lift your Black Jack full of wine to the heavens! All Hands Hoay!

Oh, and here’s the specs on the event, just in case!

November After Hours – ATP Members Only
November 14
4pm – 7pm at Lytton Springs (Healdsburg) and Monte Bello (Cupertino)

Can’t make it to First Friday, but still want to pick up your ATP shipment? Our After Hours event is just the ticket. Our 2004 Grenache Lytton Estate is king this month, and we’ll pour this new release alongside the 2006 Santa Cruz Mountains Estate cabernet blend. We’ll also be showcasing the 2006 Monte Bello chardonnay; if you haven’t tasted the 2006 vintage yet, you’ll be delighted by this medium bodied chardonnay with notes of ripe pear. And what better pairing than with cheese? Harley Farms joins us at Monte Bello for the evening with their variety of unique cheeses adorned with toppings from flavorful fruits and herbs to edible flowers grown in the garden behind their goat dairy. The Lytton Springs tasting room welcomes Doralice Handal from the Cheese Shop of Healdsburg with an assortment of local artisanal cheeses paired specifically with our wine line-up for the evening.

This event is complimentary for all Ridge ATP Program Members (+1 guest per membership).

Hi everybody and thanks for joining me for Lonely Grape TV Episode #9.  This tasting was conducted at the Freerange Gallery from McLaren Vale.  I taste the 2008 Reserve Bush Vine Grenache (which won a Gold Medal in the 2009 McLaren Vale wine show) plus the 2007 Inkwell Shiraz.  Check out their previous blog reviews at La Curio and Inkwell.  The contact details for the wineries are:-

www.lacuriowines.com

www.inkwellwines.com

Thanks to James Hook for digital copies of some of his photos and to the Freerange Gallery for their patience while I was filming.

It’s been a long time since I drank a bottle  of Cotes du Rhone, and as I am trying to break away from my well established favourite wine regions, I decided to try a bottle of Cotes du Rhone rouge. The Southern Rhone had a number of different appellations including Chateauneuf du Pape, Gigondas, Vacqueyras etc but the real volume comes from the basic Cotes du Rhone. The grapes used for the red wines are Grencahe, Syrah and Mourvedre. These wines can have varying quality and can be blended from anywhere within the specified CDR region. The yield for these wines is 52hl/Hectare

Wines that are deemed to be better than basic CDR are entitled to the Cotes du Rhone Villages Appellation. There is a lower yield required, 38hl/Hectare, and the blend of grapes must be as follows ‘ Grenache 50% minimum, Syrah and / or Mourvèdre 20% minimum, other grape varieties tolerated within the Appellation, 20% maximum.’ Rhone Valley website. The soil and climate criteria are also stricter.

A named village will also be subject to these strict criteria and the yield is slightly lower at 37hl/Hectare. The appellation will still be Cotes du Rhone Villages but the name of the specific village will be prominent on the label, i.e. Cairanne, Rasteau, Sablet being some of the better known. Before becoming an appellation in its own right, Vacqueyras would have been a CDR Villages.

Caves St Pierre Cotes du Rhone Vielles Vignes 2007 was a lovely, bright medium ruby core with some purple on the rim. Dark fruit aromas of cherry and spice. Surprisingly elegant, in its context, with dark cherry fruit, some strawberry flavours and a decent length. Widely available at €12.99 but have seen it for less.

There’s no two ways about it: this could only happen in Austin, city of musicians and just simple plain good folks.

Yesterday, our beloved Kat Edmonson was feeling under the weather and called at the last minute to say that she didn’t think she’d be able to perform last night at Vino Vino.

Well, it just so happened that one of Austin’s top musicians, singer-songwriter and guitarist extraordinaire David Garza was sitting at the bar, sipping on some Domaine de Fontsainte, Corbières Reserve ’05 (Carignan, Grenache, Syrah). So, we asked David if he wouldn’t mind “singin’ for his supper.” David, one of the nicest guy’s in the business, said, “sure, is that piano working over there?” He sat down at the keys and indeed it was working. So he ran home and grabbed his guitar and amp. But by the time he got back, Kat and her keyboard accompanist Kevin Lovejoy had also showed up. What ensued was one of those impromptu jam sessions that can only happen in Austin. The “ad hoc” trio did two amazing sets of jazz standards that had the crowd on the edge of its seat, hanging on every note. The highlight was a duet, “Mood Indigo.”

Who knew that Carignan paired so well with Ellington?

Kat’s headed out on tour but she’ll be back later this month at Vino Vino (Tuesday, November 24). And, hey, you never know who might be sitting at the bar, sipping on some Corbières.

LAST CHANCE TO HANG WITH KERMIT!

Reservations required, space limited. 

space is filling up fast and there are
just a few spots left!

To reserve, please call (512) 465-9282 or email jeff@vinovinotx.com.
 

DON’T MISS THIS UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY
to meet wine industry legend and
singer-songwriter KERMIT LYNCH! 

Man’s Temptation:  

 An Evening with Kermit Lynch

Monday, November 9

 @ Vino Vino, Austin, Texas

listening party and wine tasting
singer, song-writer, and wine industry legend  

 Kermit Lynch plays cuts from his new album Man’s Temptation (Dualtone) and talks about his music,
his life, and his wines

Monday, November 9, 2009, 7 p.m. (doors at 5 p.m.)
$20 (ticket price includes 1 glass of wine)

Vino Vino
4119 Guadalupe St
Austin, TX 78751-4222
(512) 465-9282

All currently stocked Kermit Lynch wines will be available by the glass and available for sale retail.

In addition Chef Esteban Escobar has created a 4- course prix fixe menu inspired by Kermit’s travels. $40.00 per person. All menu items also available a la carte.

Menu

Califlower Soup, hazelnut brown butter

~

Root Vegetable Salad, grain mustard viniagrette

~

Snapper, eggplant, Provencal relish

or

Boudin Blanc, purple hull peas, fennel, poached egg

~

Grenache Cake, marigold mint ice cream

The Taranga Vineyards are 6th generation owned by the Oliver Family with Corrina Wright (part of the 6th generation) being the winemaker.  The 96 ha of vineyards, first planted in 1841, are home to mainly Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, but also include 14 other varieties.  Most of the grapes are sold, with the added distinction that one block is sold as  Penfolds Grange stock (the only Grange supplier in McLaren Vale).  The family are experimenting with “new” varieties such as Fiano to review the ability of these varieties to assist in sustainable farming (in this case reducing water consumption).  The Olivers are part of the McLaren Vale sustainable initiative called Generational Farming Sustainability Farming where vineyards will be assessed on their sustainability (in the areas of pest & disease control, soil & weed management, water use, environmental management & continuing education).  The system will lead to vineyards being able to obtain a sustainable certification.  About 60 McLaren Vale vineyards have joined this excellent local initiative.

The wines have been of a quality for James Halliday to give the winery a 5 Star rating.

The cellar door is on Seaview Road (see map).  They are open 10 am to 4 pm daily.

Oliver Taranga's Cellar Door

Their website is www.oliverstaranga.com 

Olivers Taranga Art Work

 

It was interesting to note that a winery on the right as you come into McLaren Vale which is now owned by Simon Hackett was once called Taranga (about 25 years ago).  I had thought that this winery was owned by the Olivers.  Corrina put me straight that this winery had no association with the Oliver family.  It was a mistake that many people make and they get asked this quite often.

 

Olive oil is also available with excellent award winning packaging.  The bottle with an olive wood stopper is classy.

 

And now the wines……

 

Please note that the wines attract a discount if you purchase any 6 wines or more from the cellar door.  The pricing below will indicate the individual price first and then the 6+ purchase price second.

 

White Wines

 

2009 Fiano ($A24 / $A22) 

Plenty of general fruit on the nose with a hint of tropical characters.  Excellent acid finish on the wine with a textured mouthfeel – almost viscous!  One of the Italian trial varieties with the fruit showing good acid even during the hottest growing seasons - like to 2009 growing season.  This is a good food wine and I would like it with a plate of BBQ’d Octopus with a lemon marinade.

 

2008 Viognier (A$18 / A$15)

I found the nose on this wine a little closed – possibly as the wine was a bit cold.  The palate had lots of apricot and dried fruits with an excellent acid zing on the finish.  This wine should be drunk while young and a pan seared tuna steak would be a good match.

 

Red Wines

 

2008 Tempranillo ($A30 / $A28)

This spanish variety is showing some good wines in McLaren Vale.  Taranga Vineyard is doing a good job with this emerging variety.  Some of their grapes are going into other winery wines in the district and the grapes going into this wine are also pretty good too.  The wine has earthy characters with a hint of spice on the nose.  When it enters your mouth it shows lovely black berry fruit and finished with very dry dusty tannins.

 

2007 Cadenzia Grenache ($A30 / $A28)

The wine has a lighter colour that I would normally expect from a McLaren Vale Grenache, however this does not take anything away from the wine.  With a perfumed nose with hints of stewed plums followed by a flavour packed mouth full of plums, cherries with hints of pepper.  Bring on Mums Sunday Lamb Roast with a bottle or 2 of this wine.

 

2006 Corrina’s Shiraz / Cabernet Blend ($A30 / $A28)

This wine is a vineyard blend – in other words Corrina has enough confidence in the vineyard blocks that the grapes are picked, crushed and fermented together.  By doing this the extraction from the 2 varieties are different that if the wines were fermented separately.  It is also great to see another example of the blend seen alot back in the 80’s.  There is the black fruits of the Cabernet coming through on the nose.  When the wine hits the mouth there is a lingering composite of blackberries, chocolate, tannins and oak characters.  If this wine style has been out of favour then this wine should be seen as a beacon to say otherwise.  The wine is drinking well now but it has a few more years ahead of it.  I can think of nothing better than to drink this with BBQ’d meats.

 

2006 Shiraz ($A30 / $A28)

This is a dense big wine that is a joyful arrangement that fills the whole mouth full of licorice and rich ripe black fruits that finished with some spice action.  Fine tannins and good fruit/oak balance makes this a winner.  It maybe me being one dimensional but yet again I see this with a juicy Whychood Meats Rump Steak with an infusion of mushrooms, red capsicum, onions and tomatoes brought together with some Coriole Vin Cotta.  

 

2005 HJ Reserve Shiraz ($A48 / $A45)

The best barrels of the yearly shiraz offerings goes into this reserve wine.  This wine does not disappoint.  A spiced lift on the nose through to the silky smooth palate.  Here is all the black fruits, plums, pepper mixed with the elegant tannins from fine french oak.  This wine has all the finesse one should see in a reserve wine and leaving this for about 10 years would see a gem.  

 

Fortifiedes

 

NV Banished Fortified Grenache ($A30 / $A30)

 

This wine is not available at this time – it has been so popular that they had to remove it from sale.  The wine is drawn from a 20 year old solera system, so to keep with wines integrity only a certain amount can be withdrawn.  Expect the wine back at the cellar door in about 6 months.  The wine shows all that you would expect from a 20 year old fortified – rancio characters, hazelnuts and toffee – YUM.  The packaging is first class and I understand this wine has been frequently purchased with gift giving in mind!

The announcement that our first load of this season’s grapes would be arriving on August 19, sent waves of excitement throughout the winery.  The arrival of the palomino grapes, from our Oakley vineyard, kicked the 2009 harvest into high gear. Charlie Tsegeletos, our winemaker, informed us that this year’s palomino crop (one of the four varietals used in our Oakley fourWHITES blend) looks to be down about 13%.  “But,” says Charlie, “that’s because these 75 year old vines are dry- farmed and struggle to produce every year, and has no bearings on this season’s bounty.  These lime flavored little jewels are picked when acid levels are high and sugar levels are low, making a brighter, crisper flavored wine.”

With a relatively dry, cool spring and summer at our heels, we have seen some of the vineyards behind a week or so in relation to last year’s picking schedule.   The cooler weather, in addition to a few spikes in temperature in August and September, have allowed for longer hang times and higher sugar amounts in this year’s crop.  The juxtaposition of yields this year to last has much to do with the less volatile weather patterns that we’ve experienced.  Growers and vineyard managers who rode a rollercoaster of wild atmospheric conditions last season (while watching their crops grow smaller and smaller) have seen much larger crops this year, followed by the irony of demand for the fruit being at an all time low.

Our harvest came to a close on October 26 as the last passel of Syrah grapes entered the hopper.  Overall this season, yields are very good; the quality of the fruit is spectacular and Charlie is calling this harvest “a piece of cake.”  Not much could cast a shadow over this year’s near perfect produce, not even a season ending whopper of a storm that sent an assemblage of vineyard workers to pull damp dangling fruit from the vine. 

Sight
Clarity: Maybe clear to slightly cloudy
Color: Very dark
Depth: Very deep
Viscocity: Normal to heavy
Legs: Presence of legs indicate high alcohol

Smell
General Appeal: Decent appeal but not great
Aromas: Berries, alcohol, spicy, leather, herbal
Bouquet: Decent but not great

Taste
Sweetness: Dry
Tannins: Medium- to medium tannins
Acidity: Medium- to medium acidity
Body: Medium+ body
Length: Medium+ lingering
Balance: Decently balanced
General Comments: Decent wine to have without food though nothing stood out as great.

Food pairing
Local wild mushroom Risotto – The wine didn’t go well with the Risotto. Doesn’t seem like a good food wine. Need to try with other food.

Overall
About a 3.8 “without food” wine.

Sight
Clarity: Didn’t look cloudy but couldn’t really say it was totally clear either because the wine was dark
Color: Dark Red
Depth: Deep
Viscocity: Normal to heavy
Legs: Presence of legs indicate moderate to high alcohol

Smell
General Appeal: Good appeal
Aromas: Cherry/Cranberry, some Oak, Mushroom (earthy?), Alcohol, Malt/Butterscotch (retro-nasal)
Bouquet: Pleasant

Taste
Sweetness: Dry
Tannins: Slightly tannic
Acidity: Medium- acidity
Body: Medium+ body
Length: Medium lingering
Balance: Decently balanced
General Comments: Nothing against the wine – but nothing seemed to stand out as special during the tasting.

Food pairing
Local wild mushroom Risotto – The wine made the Risotto really yummy. First, the wine removed the Risotto’s “sticky in the mouth” feel. The Risotto seemed to melt in the mouth. There was a flavor expansion – i.e. I could start to recognize the different flavors in the Risotto instead of a single combined (sticky) flavor.

Overall
Didn’t think much of the wine until I had it with the Risotto – thought it went extremely well with the food. I would definitely try this again with other food. A 3.5 “without food wine” but a 4+ “food wine”.

Sight
Clarity: Clear
Color: slight yellow/golden sparkle
Viscocity: Watery
Legs: Not much indicating low alcohol

Smell
General Appeal: Appealing smell
Aromas: Fruity and flowery, started getting other food smell (especially calamari that was brought to our table) at this point and could not smell the wine anymore
Bouquet: Quite pleasant

Taste
Sweetness: Fruity/flowery, dry
Acidity: Medium-, not crisp enough for my liking
Body: Medium body
Length: Medium lingering
Balance: Not enough acidity for my liking
General comments: Expected the wine to be more crisp. Didn’t like the wine as much as I wanted to but could be because I expected more acidity from it. Certainly not a bad wine – I would have enjoyed it more if I didn’t compare it with some other wines included in the flight.

Food pairing
Pan Roasted Local Calamari – Wine didn’t seem to change the food taste/texture/mouth-feel. Thought the Calamari made the wine taste a little bitter. Didn’t think it paired well with the Calamari.

Overall
Like I said earlier – I think it’s not a bad wine. I think it was unfortunate that I had this with some other better tasting wines. Would be a 3.5 or better wine. In other words, a good minus.

9.11am, behind Grand Central Station, Manhattan, New York, NY, USA
I went out early to grab a coffee, and I’m going to have to pinch some lines from that old musical Oklahoma – “O what a beautiful morning, o what a beautiful day etc etc”. Or come to thinkof it, maybe I’ve still got a bit of a Hugh Jackman hangover from last night’s theatre thing, cos I think he was in Oklahoma and did that song. Any rate, the sun is shining on Noo Yark Sitty today. It’s crisp but clear and I’m going to lash out and buy a new pair of jeans today, then head up to a part of town I haven’t been to before – Spanish Harlem for lunch, or maybe Dinosaur BBQ in Harlem itself. It’s too good a day off to waste, so once I’ve caught up with the blog – I’m out.

Later on this evening, the New York Yankees (another one of my passions that I’ve managed to avoid mentioning until now) will be in a position to take Game 6 of the ALCS (American League Championship Series) against the Anaheim Angels at Yankee Stadium up in the Bronx. This would get them a berth against the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series. That would be a good thing, as they’ve not won a title since 2000 when they beat the other New York team – the Mets – in “the Subway Series’. So I already know what I’ll be doing tonight – it’s a full house, so I’ll be crushed into the Yankee Tavern across the way from the Stadium with all the other diehard fans without a ticket to yell and scream our boys past those pesky Angels. And I’ll have had dinner over the road beforehand at the old Crown Diner, made famous with a feature role in the recently released and sensational independent Spanish language film about minor league baseball, “Sugar”. Remember yesterday when I said sometimes the travel puts you right in the right place at the right time? Today, I love this job!

Now back to the business and back to Wisconsin.

Wednesday 21st October: Genesee Depot – The Union House Consumer Wine Dinner Rewind

The Union House circa 1899

Genesee Depot is a sleepy hamlet in southeast Wisconsin between Milwaukee and Madison and grew up as the support centre for the Milwaukee & Mississippi Railroad in the late 1800s. It started with a mill and wagon factory, and by the end of the 1890s there was a slaughterhouse, blacksmith. woolen factory, quarry, and train depot with ticket office, baggage handling, waiting room and storage shed – hence the town name Genesee Depot. The Union House was built right on the main road and railroad crossing in 1861, built by an Irish immigrant as a bar and hotel for locals and travellers, and seeing as it gained a small upstairs ballroom soon afterwards – became social events central for the whole region. See the “before” black and white photo for how it used to look.

It’s now in the hands of Patty and Curt Robinson, and they run it as a local bar and restaurant – featuring a Wine Spectator Wine List of excellence and a menu that regularly has locally shot wild game. They’ve been great supporters of our wines for some time, and through John – the local rep for our Wisconsin distributor Purple Feet (and who visited Yalumba earlier this year) – we were able to arrange our first consumer wine dinner with The Union House for 60 people. Patty runs the kitchen and designed the menu, and Curt picks the wines to go with the food. According to the locals, the matches always work. That’s why the place was full. Curt has two of our wines on by the glass at the moment (thanks!) – the 2007 TGV Tempranillo Grenache Viognier and the 2006 Patchwork Shiraz – and it was the Tempranillo combination with the Herb & Spice Roasted Cornish Game Hen dish that won the popular vote as best combo of the night.

If you want to have a better look at what they do, check out their website at www.theunionhouse.com. They’ve got a recipe for their famous Pecan Crusted Chicken with Kentucky Bourbon Sauce – amongst other things. It all went really well, and we’re now set to make The Union House & Yalumba Wine Dinner an annual event. Another goodie – thanks Patty & Curt … and Bill the celebrity waiter as well, can’t forget him.

We had a late run back to Chicago Wednesday night and an early flight through to New York, and on to the Wine Spectator Wine Experience.

9.07pm, Chicago – Chi Town, The Windy City, The Big Shoulders – downtown, Illinois, USA
Just finished one of the least glamorous – but one of the most important to get right – parts of the job. Yep, it’s the credit card reconciliations. I’ve been able to keep some serious order with hundreds of receipts over the 4 months I’ve been travelling, and so far I have only lost two! I reckon that at one stage, before I got on top of the paperwork, I had about 2 kilograms (4 pounds!) of receipts in envelopes all catalogued. Now they’re sorted, stapled and sticky taped together, and in the post already – or will be tomorrow. An achievement of epic proportion! It’s always a good thing to keep the accountants happy – they keep me out there operating on the road. Thanks to the beanies from me!

Now to today’s business. Things went well today for us in Chi Town. Due to some interesting circumstances involving one large retailer buying out another, we reworked our schedule with our distributor in the state of Illinois – Heritage – to be added in to a prestigious Mediterranean Tasting they were staging today. Heritage are simply lovely folks. Like us they’re family owned, and we’ve built up some extraordianry bonds between their people based here and our folks at the winery. Not to forget our favourite go between who manages the area – Kiwi Dave.

They had a fabulous turnout from the industry – both retail and restaurants – for the tasting tables as well as the seminars from each country exhibiting, so we picked a pretty good show to gatecrash. Lucky for us, and thanks Heritage – especially Patty our brand manager, Danny – for being Danny, Scott, Dave & Jody. We had an interesting set of wines on the day, and our themes provoked a lot of conversation. According to popular opinion, our stars on the day were:

• 2008 Eden Valley Viognier - apricot and elegance
• 2005 Tricentenary Grenache (planted 1889) – most folks don’t realise we have vines of such age in the Barossa, and there was genuine surprise at the depth and length of flavour in a 100% grenache
• 2008 Sangiovese Rose - usually expect sweet and lollyish, not fruit and interesting (and Captain Colourscheme – folks loved the colour being called fuchsia)
• 2001 Reserve Cabernet Shiraz - literally power with elegance; enough said – Kev put a very good wine into that bottle
• 21 Year Old Antique Tawny – magic fortified – go Dr Zimmy, you introduced a lot of folks to a whole new world today.

And talking about a new world, I was introduced to one myself. The world of vintage Greek red wine – no retsina in sight. The featured winery at today’s Mediterranean Tasting was Domaine Skouras, and their winemaker George Skouras hosted a masterclass which presented a vertical tasting of ten vintages of their top red wine, Megas Oenos, 1997 to 2006. Now this wine is a blend of two red varieties – Cabernet Sauvignon and Aghiorghitiko. And I thought we had trouble getting folks to wrap themselves around the word “viognier”! So it makes sense when I’m told that they refer to Aghiorghitiko as “St George”. It also turns out that some of their St George vineyards are up to 70 years old on their own roots – similar to our region – and that Domaine Skouras puts great stock in the quality of the fruit that comes from these dry grown, low yielding older vines. Great stuff, and sounds really familiar. So I thought you might be interested to see the notes from the two wines I tasted:

2006 Megas Oenos: dark berry fruits on the nose with a touch of charry smoky meat and pencil shavingsy oak, followed by some generous fruit solid and even through the length of the palate with teeth hugging tannins – but not overly aggressive.

1997 Megas Oenos: a little bit raspberry & old stonework, barnyardy but not in a nasty way on the nose, with a really “cooled down” palate with slightly sweet dark berry fruit, a bit Pinot like, through to a drying granuley finish.

I was really pleasantly surprised. I’d not seen these sort of things from Greece before – so what a great way to be able to catch up with what’s going on really quickly. Thanks very much to George Skouras and Patty for the chance to see the wines.

Off to hit the sack as we’ve got an early start in the morning – working across the state line in Wisconsin’s capital, Milwaukee – home of Laverne & Shirley for those folk the same age as me who loved that TV show.

We interrupt these Zinfandel musings for an important message from the Federal Trade Commission. As you may know, the FTC recently announced new rules requiring bloggers to disclose any free goodies they receive, if and when they choose to write about said goodies or the companies that make them.

When I read about these rules in the paper, my first thought — probably a common one among those of us who’ve had longish careers in print media — was “it’s about time those pesky bloggers got held to a higher standard!” Then I realized “oh yeah, I’m now a blogger who receives free stuff.” So these rules actually apply to me.

And while I still think the aim of this mandate, which I assume is to call out biased and misleading coverage of everything from Malbec to mascara, is an admirable one, I do see the inconsistency that its critics have been grousing about. Print media, you see, is held to no such standard. It’s up to individual publications to form their own policies on freebies, and the most respected ones have earned that respect by ensuring the impartiality of their writers.

The down side of taking the high road is, of course, financial. When I first began writing about wine for a newspaper, a perfectly adequate “wine allowance” was built into my fee. In accordance with my editor’s wishes, I made my no-freebies policy known and was able to keep my nose clean. Then the recession hit, ad sales went down, and my fee was cut — twice. Had I not changed my policy (with my editor’s blessing), I would have basically been paying to write my column. Instead, I continued to taste wines blind and never felt obligated to praise a wine I didn’t like. And because no regulatory agency had ever opined on the matter, my readers were none the wiser.

Today, I still accept free wine, but I always try to make it clear to the purveyor that accepting is not the same as promoting. In my column, which appears in another publication, I still speak freely about wines I don’t like. In this blog, I probably won’t mention the dud wines I’ve just tried — but that’s only because it seems like a waste of space. You surely care more about what’s good than what’s bad.

In that spirit, here are three recommendations I can stand behind. The reds were sent to me for free; the Riesling was purchased by my husband. (Cheers to the FTC.)

2006 Red Right Hand Shiraz-Grenache-Tempranillo blend ($12) and 2007 Zeepard Shiraz ($16). These hearty Australian reds are just the thing for weathering a storm, and their price tags make them a guilt-free school-night purchase. Both would be a great accompaniment to meat dishes, but the Zeepard’s more nuanced flavors make it a delightful wine to enjoy without food as well.

2007 Targovishte Riesling ($6.99). My winemaker husband Peter, who is incredibly skeptical about most wines under $10, can’t stop gushing about this off-dry, crisp, and subtly effervescent Riesling. He praises its light fruit, floral, and vegetal notes and its great acid and balance. A fine choice to go with your Thanksgiving turkey — especially if you’ll be cooking for a crowd.

3.26pm, Chicago Downtown

Wednesday, 14th October: Tampa, Florida Rewind
We caught up with the Bern’s “family” in Tampa across Wednesday afternoon and evening – we’ve had a tremendous relationship with all three of their “houses” going back several years: Bern’s Steakhouse (unique dining experience destination and old school steakhouse), SideBern’s (just down the road, modern Mediterranean cuisine restaurant) and Bern’s Fine Wines & Spirits (joined to SideBern’s at the hip).

Bern’s Steakhouse is one of those rare stories you come across every now and then where someone sticks to their “no compromise – do it the right way” idea of running something, and it becomes a benchmark by which everything else is measured. When Bern Laxer opened his diner in 1956, he only wanted the very best produce, and in no time at all became known for that. The diner became a restaurant, the restaurant grew, the wine cellar grew with it, because in those days, not many people drank wine in Tampa, so Bern bought up well from European, American and Australian producers alike, and cellared even better. As the restaurant grew, Bern’s demand for produce grew, so they started growing their own produce when they couldn’t source what they needed. On the wine side, they now have over 30,000 vintage wines on their main cellar list, and over 120 wines by the glass on any given night.

So the initial desire of Bern Laxer to provide “Art in Steaks” has become a reality. Prime steaks are cut to order, the fresh fish of the day are still swimming in the kitchen tanks, trays of fresh shoots and vegetables arrive daily from the Bern’s farm, and folks will make the trip to Tampa to “do dinner” at Bern’s as a destination dining experience. Thanks to the David and the Laxer family sticking to their guns. We’re always keen to catch up with Eric and the wine boys to find out what’s happening in the wine world across the globe, as everyone beats a path to their door. It’s very nice to see our Organic Viognier, Signature and Octavius on this particular list, and one of these days, I’ve promised myself the whole dining thing. This means dinner downstairs, then upstairs to the Harry Waugh Dessert Room – something that Bern instigated after a dinner with Harry, then a director with Chateau Latour. After dinner, they did fortified wines, cognac, cheese and coffee separately in the Waugh’s drawing room, hence the idea of moving to a more relaxed and private area for after dinner conversation came about. Ater dropping by the kitchen to show Eric and David our latest releases, we were off up the road to Bern’s Fine Wine & Spirits to do a consumer tasting.

These Wednesday tastings aren’t your average get together though, as they involve folks doing the tasting taking home a “pot luck” boxed dinner from Side Bern’s. This night’s dinner was a traditional cassoulet, so the wines Mark (our man in Florida) Diamond chose for the evening were based around Rhone styles: Eden Valley Viognier, Bush Vine Grenache, Barossa Shiraz Viognier, Hand Picked MGS (Mouvedre, Grenache, Shiraz). We were thrilled to bits as we sold out the store on the night – thanks a huge amount to Kevin and his team, and the great gang of Tampa Wineophiles that came out on a steamy evening to taste through the set.

Smoke's Skillet Mac & Cheese

We had such a good time – you should enjoy your work – that we ended up going to a local BBQ restaurant called Smoke with several of the tasting crew. I was introduced to skillet-cooked mac & cheese, which is an extremely good and spicy version of the instant macaroni cheese thing we see at home. In the photo, it’s sitting next to a rack of the best succulent slow smoked pork ribs that I’ve seen this trip. Thanks to the legal eagle and the medico for their company – we’ll definitely see you next trip.

And that made it Goodbye Tampa – nice town, very nice people, small but excellent wine and food circuit that holds it own with anywhere in the world – as the next morning we took the early flight down to Fort Lauderdale.

Mission Codename: A hop, skip and a jump

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Visit the Lirac AOC to find a wine of true Terroir character

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Les Vignerons de Tavel

Wine Subject: 2003 Richesse des Lauzeraies Lirac AOC

Backgrounder:

The Lirac AOC in France’s southern Rhone, just west of Chateauneuf-du-Pape and north of Avignon was originally known for its distinctive dry rose but it is its reds that show real Terroir driven character. These wines are blends of Syrah, Mourvedre and Grenache, and sometimes Carignan and/or Cinsault. The wines are known to have a distinct spicy character and silky but textured minerality.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Clear garnet and crimson with both ruby and orange brickish hues. Along the edges the color becomes ruby. When swirled, slow fat legs descend to the wine below.

Smell – Well developed old world aromas of smokey and earthy red cherry with an herbal and licorice kick. Candied fruit, caramel and minerality immediately follow as well as a subtle hint of vegital asparagus.

Feel – Smooth and dry, this full-bodied wine has ripe well developed tannins and good acidity that shows itself through tart tangy and spicy fruit. At mid-palate, this wine spreads across the tongue and shows a touch of spiced minerality.

Taste – Tart and ripe red cherry, dense spiced plum and a tiny bit of strawberry over an earthy base. New oak and spice blend with a touch of licorice, vanilla, smoke and herbal eucalyptus.

Finish – This wine lingers with spiced red fruit and earthy minerality with its textured ripe tannins hold the flavor cleanly until your next sip.

Conclusion – The 2003 Richesse des Lauzeraies Lirac AOC shows its Grenache and Syrah components well with classic old-world Terroir driven flavors. Classically southern Rhone in style, this wine’s Mediterranean aromas and flavors will pair well with your next venture into rustic French cuisine.

Mission Report:

Sitting and enjoying lunch at one of my favorite local French cafe’s with a prospective new asset, I decided to put this gal to the test. I pulled a bottle out of my wine bag and set it on the table, slowly rotating the bottle towards our new asset.

She paused for a moment, almost seeming absent minded, then said ”Just a hop, skip and a jump”, as she signaled to the waiter to bring a wine-key and some glasses. With the bottle open, glasses poured and the wine starting to breathe, I asked her to explain her comment.

She looked at me, almost with contempt, and with a heavy sign, she said ”you don’t know?” I smiled, and she explained, ”Lirac, its just a hop, skip and a jump from Chateauneuf-du-Pape, and I particularly like the spicy minerality of these wines.” As we tasted the wine and enjoyed our lunch, I though to myself, it will ne nice to bring on a new asset, particularly one as spicy as this one.

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Lirac AOC in the southern Rhone can be seen in this satellite photo.

Mission Codename: Inspired For Greatness

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Revisit our good friends at Epiphany Cellars (Fess Parker) to retrieve their

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Epiphany Cellars

Wine Subject: 2007 Inspiration White Rhone Blend

Winemaker: Blair Fox

Backgrounder:

France’s Rhone Valley stretches from Vienne in the north down to the Arles in the south may be best known for its intricate blends of red varietals as demonstrated by its legendary Chateauneuf-du-Pape, but the white varietals of this region are not to be underestimated. It is in the spirit of these unique Terrior driven white varietals that inspires today’s selection. Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne and Grenache Blanc, all native to the Rhone Valley find an excellent home in California’s Santa Ynez Valley just north of Santa Barbara.

The Santa Ynez Valley, in Santa Barbara county is influenced but not dominated by the proximity to the Pacific Ocean. A little elevation and well drained soil makes for an ideal environment for viticulture as demonstrated by the range of great wines from the region.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Clear pale yellow core fading to straw yellow and pale clear along the edges. When swirled fast and thin clusters of legs streak down the glass followed by a widely space slow thin legs.

Smell – Fragrant with vivid tropical fruit (pineapple and melon) followed by a complex salty and nutty component. A touch of orange blossom and honey followed by a touch of spice and almonds rounds out the nose.

Feel – This full-bodied white has good and well textured weight and bright but balance acidity and tannins followed by a touch of spice and tanginess that lingers into the finish.

Taste – Bright and fresh flavors of tropical fruit with rich fresh white peach and Anjou pear are layered over hints of honey, spice, toasted nuts and a touch of oak and a slight hint of grass.

Finish – Clean and tangy with lingering bright and tart fruit and touch of spice that is well supported by this wines balanced weigh and structure.

Conclusion – The 2007 Epiphany Inspiration is a great food friendly white wine with great character and fresh vibrant flavors. A fresh and aromatic nose, balanced structure that lingers, bright fruit and enough complexity to keep things interesting. Will even please those who ‘only drink reds’. Enjoy this wine with grilled spicy Mexican-style chicken.

Mission Report:

WINEMAKER INTEL BRIEFING DOSSIER

SUBJECT: Blair Fox

DATE OF BIRTH: 10/74

PLACE OF BIRTH: Santa Barbara, CA

WINE EDUCATION: B.S. Viticulture and Enology, UC Davis

CALIFORNIA WINE JOB BRIEF: Enologist for Fess Parker Winery ‘99, Winemaker Sunstone Winery 99-02, Consultant winemaker fess Parker Winery 02, Vintage Winemaker- Haselgrove Winery- McLaren Vale South Australia 03, Associate Winemaker in charge of the Rhone Varietal programs at Fess Parker 03-05, Head Winemaker for Fess Parker Winery 05-present

WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY: I spend a lot of time in the vineyard because I feel that wines are truly made in the vineyard. I try to show the different qualities of the different vineyards and create wines with distinct varietal character.

SIGNATURE VARIETAL: I have always been particularly fond of Syrah.

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: Traveling throughout the Rhone Valley in France and tasting some of the best examples of Syrah and other Rhone varietals the world has to offer.

WINEMAKER QUOTE: I feel privileged to work with some of the best vineyards and fruit in Santa Barbara County.

AGENT RED: Greetings, Blair. We are thrilled to be working with you again. This time around, we are showing your Inspiration. Thanks so much for taking some time to answer questions for our Operatives today.

BLAIR: Thank you for showing my wine today.

RED: Was there a specific experience in your life that inspired your love of wine?

WINEMAKER: My parents were always traveling the globe and bringing home wines to be drunk around the dinner table. I was planning on going to medical school to become a doctor but was lured into the Viticulture and Enology program at UC Davis.

RED: And where did you learn the most about winemaking?

BLAIR: I really enjoyed the viticulture side of the program, but then fell in love with the enology courses and being able to see the conversion of grapes to a final wine.

RED: What is your winemaking style or philosophy?

BLAIR: I feel the best wines are made in the vineyard. You have to be diligent with your vineyard practices to grow grapes worthy of making great wine. It is all about fruit quality, canopy management and managing your yields to produce the most exciting wines possible.

RED: What wine or winemaker has most influenced your winemaking style?

BLAIR: I am impressed by all great wines made around the world. I have gained experience making wines in two different hemispheres and like a sponge have absorbed as much knowledge from every winemaker I have ever worked with.

RED: How long have you been making wine?

BLAIR: This is my 13th vintage.

RED: Who do you make wine for?

BLAIR: I make wines to be enjoyed by all. At Fess Parker Winery we have various levels of wine from less expensive to quite expensive. I feel the consumer gets a very good value for the quality of our wines across the board.

RED: Tell me, what makes the Santa Barbara region so special?

BLAIR: Santa Barbara is a very unique region. We have very cool areas such as the Santa Rita Hills, which is the ultimate place to grow high quality Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and we have the more interior Santa Ynez Valley where some of the most exciting Rhone varietals in the world are grown.

RED: What is occupying your time at the winery these days?

BLAIR: HARVEST!!!

RED: Please tell me a little bit about the wine we are featuring today

BLAIR: It is our Epiphany 2007 Inspiration. It was created to emulate the classic white wines of the Southern Rhone. It is a blend of 36% Marsanne, 30% Roussanne, 24% Viognier and 10% Grenache Blanc. It is grown entirely on our estate vineyards. The wines were barrel fermented and aged for 10 months and then blended prior to bottling.

RED: What is your favorite pairing with today’s wine?

BLAIR: Pan seared Halibut

RED: How would you recommend that people approach your wines, or wine in general?

BLAIR: I am very casual about my approach to wine. I feel wines are best drunk with food, but are also great as an aperitif or after dinner. I feel you should drink what you enjoy regardless of price or region. It is fun to be adventurous with wine and see what else is out there.

RED: If you could choose any one wine to drink (regardless of price or availability), what would it be?

BLAIR: I love Syrah and would choose something like an old Grange from Penfolds or Cote Rotie from the Northern Rhone.

RED: Thank you so much for your time. We learned a lot about you – and about your wine. Keep up the great work, we are big fans!

BLAIR:Thanks!

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Epiphany Cellars in Solvang can be seen in this satellite photo.

8.37pm, Westshore, Tampa – spring training home of the New York Yankees , Florida, USA
Another steamy morning in the gator state, and we worked our way across Florida from New Smyrna Beach to Orlando, where we did our trade lunch, then on to Tampa, where we have the night off. We’ve just come in from dinner at Kojak’s House Of Ribs, and now I’m going to catch up on last night’s wine class, and today’s events.

Jane's famous!

The wine class was at Norwood’s Restaurant & Wine Shop back in New Smyrna Beach, and we worked with proprietor/chef Don Simmon’s and eight of our wines. Check out the Norwood’s billboard – finnally got my name up in letters – maybe it’ll be lights one day! Seriously though, this place is off the beaten path but an absolute gem with a great story, and this is how it goes. In 1929 it started out as a petrol station, then went through a string of shopfronts – mosquito control station, piggy bank factory & general store – before being bought in 1946 by Earl Norwood and turned into a seafood restaurant, renowned for buying the daily catch from the local fishermen and making that their menu. He ran it until 1953 and sold it to Mr & Mrs Bulchunis. It stayed a restaurant for the next 19 years, and they sold it to Marvin Age, who kept it going through the 1980s.

Don Simmons

During this time, young Don Simmons worked in the kitchen before going off to college. Don came back in 1985 to run the restaurant, and he and his wife are now the owners. Not only that, they’ve built the cellar up to 30,000 bottles, and have regular wine classes – which brings us to the Yalumba session last night. We had a big act to follow, as the last class two weeks ago was the famous riesling winemaker Dr Loosen. We had 40 people, eight wines, two seafood appetizers and one beef appetizer … and a lot of wine ground to cover. Stars of the night were definitely the 2008 Y Viognier and the scallops, and the 2007 Scribbler Cab Shiraz with the rare roast beef.

Happy folks at Norwood's

What a great crew! I’ve taken some pics of Don and part of the class group in the bar after the event – you can’t paint those sort of happy smiles – they come from having a great time, and last night we all did our bit for economic recovery. Nice to know that a dozen of those wines are going to be a thanksgiving wine tasting lunch for a group of the local schoolteachers’ families. That will be a good house to drop in on! Good news yet again is that we’re going to make the Norwood’s Yalumba tasting an annual event, so that’s a date! I’m going to make sure we bring some of our big guns to the next one, and really spoil the New Smyrna locals, as they really looked after us last night. Thanks Norwoods, thanks Mark, thanks New Smyrna – see ya next year.

The Riverview

PS and thanks to the gals at The Riverview – real Southern hospitality – when I actually went out the front door this morning to have a look at the river, what a lovely old place. It was built in 1885 as a place for hunters and fishermen to stay while chasing fish and waterfowl in the Indian River Lagoon. Charming stuff, and you almost expect Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn to come floating down the river on their raft!

So we dragged ourselves away from New Smyrna and went across to Orlando, or more correctly Winter Park, to do our trade lunch at Chez Vincent. Another gem with a couple of our wines on the list, and we sat down with 20 people from our distributor (Transatlantic), restaurants and retail around the area. We had a spirited lunch with Pewsey Vale Riesling, Wild Ferment Chardonnay, Eden Valley Viognier, Bush Vine Grenache, Patchwork Shiraz, The Scribbler Cabernet Shiraz and The Menzies Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon - covering two regions, a stack of varieties, and four vintages. There was a stream of rapid fire conversation and questions – then bam – it was over! Terrific food from a great family business, with the only underground cellar in central Florida – beautifully bricked up and seating 30 people amongst the temperature controlled wine vaults.

There’s a lovely photo of Vincent (Gagliano), the chef/proprietor, and Paul Bocuse on the wall, taken when he dropped in for dinner – big memorable moment for Vincent, and the only time that he says that he’s ever been nervous at the stoves. A really good turnout and a great session – thanks Transatlantic, Mark and everyone at Chez Vincent.

PS I was telling everyone that this being our 160th birthday year, the actual official day is next month – on the 17th November. Chez Vincent has decided to jump in and be a part of it all, and will do a special Yalumba 160th birthday wine dinner that night. Thanks very much folks – I’ll make sure I get the menu for the event up on the blog beforehand so we can all be there at least in spirit. Cheers!

Kojak's for ribs

We continued crosscountry to Tampa, a port city that was also the home of a flourishing cigar industry from the late 1800s. We had the luxury of a night off, so we went out for dinner to Kojak’s House of Ribs. They turn out good BBQ under massive old live oaks, and I had the rib dinner with corn, beans and coleslaw. Came back to the hotel, did the washing (a hotel with a washing machine and dryer in house – yay!), caught up on the blog, and now it’s an early night. Good thing too, as we’ve got a big solid three days for the rest of the week. But we continue to win hearts and palates, so it’s all good.

See ya tomorrow when it’s still humid.