Wine Outlook

All I can say is…”Oh, hell yeah!” Everyone was always saying how good the Rosenblum Cellars Désirée is over vanilla ice cream and since I finally tried it, I can agree. Wholeheartedly. The dessert wine is almost enough by itself: made of fortified wine– port from Tinta Cao and Tinta Roriz, as well as Zinfandel. As if that wouldn’t be enough alone, a chocolate syrup is whipped into the final product, causing quite the frenzy. Flavors of vanilla, cocoa, cedar box, and coconut play hopscotch over the tongue and fill the nose with chocolate-y goodness.

Rosenblum Cellars Désirée

That bottle being opened in the picture is the 2005 Rosenblum Mourvedre from San Francisco Bay. The grapes come from the Castanho Vineyard in Contra Costa. Mourvèdre is known as Monastrell in Spain where it originated…though some sources seem to think that Monastrell is really Graciano. However the DNA may fall, Mourvèdre tends to be high in alcohol and tannins with an often gamey flavor. When grown in southern France, the structure is good, as is the intensity of fruit. It’s called Mataro in Portugal and the New World, and almost vanished into oblivion until the Rhône Rangers rescued it and brought it back to life in Contra Costa County.

You may recognize my girl Shauna from the post about the Paso Robles Grower Day, in which she attempted a smile and I couldn’t even keep my head up. What you may not know is that in addition to drinking wine, this girl can make it, too. She’s been working her way around the winery, in all areas, including up in the tasting room with us. This wine was released at the August Open House, but we actually tasted it a couple weeks earlier. Shauna was excited, since she had given it some TLC before it went to the bottling line: six hours of aeration and the addition of a tiny amount of old vines Zin. We tasted and enjoyed: flavors and aromas of roasted coffee beans, chocolate, plums, blueberries, pepper, and traces of minerality. Good tannins and medium+ acidity. And quite a deal at $18.

2005 Rosenblum Mourvedre, Mourvèdre, Monastrell, Mataro

We pulled some older Pinot Noir from the library this weekend for a vertical tasting, and I have to say I had quite a surprise. Now, normally, this variety should be consumed within 10 years. A more specific generalization would be from 2-8, according to The Oxford Companion to Wine (thanks again, Mr. Kennedy). However, here was this 91 Thomas Fogarty Pinot Noir–fifteen years old–that’s still drinkable and quite interesting. Cherry, cola, and coffee jumped out at me as I tasted a bit at work. Then later, I took the remainder to some friends’ for a lovely outdoor dinner from the grill. The Pinot went especially well with fettucine cooked with bacon, tomatoes, and mushrooms.

Side note: Also tried a 95, which I found to have too much acidity and a fairly vegetal nose.

91 Thomas Fogarty Pinot Noir, Pinot Noir food pairing

….Farley Walker

Sure, I studied France when taking the introductory sommelier class years ago and look up wines here and there… but I know I shouldn’t go into tonight’s winetasting quite so blind. And since I’ve been gathering info over the past few days, I thought I’d go ahead and share.

Here’s the breakdown on the Rhône Valley:

Located in southeast France, along 125 miles of the river, there is a distinct division between Northern and Southern Rhône, and between the wines as well as the land, climate, customs, and food.

Northern Rhône
The major grapes are Syrah and Viognier, along with Marsanne and Roussanne. And the appellations include Côte Rôtie, Hermitage(< --those two are known as some of the best Syrah in the world & both can include a heavy % of white grapes), Crozes-Hermitage, Cornas(excellent value), St. Joseph, and two that are recognized for great whites-->Château Grillet, Condrieu.

Southern Rhône
Covering more land and producing far more wine, Southern Rhône is all about blends. For red, the primary grapes are Grenache, Cinsault, Mourvedre, and Carignan. For white, Grenache Blanc, Ugni Blanc, Clairette, along with others, including the three from the northern neighbor. Some appellations here are the oh-so-fun-to-say Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas (more good value ), Côtes du Ventoux (fresh and fruity reds and rosés), Tavel (best known French rosé), and the generic AOC Côtes du Rhône.

For my contribution tonight, I first went to K & L, which was beyond my current budget. The cellar rat recommended Draeger’s, and it turned out to be the jackpot. I picked up two bottles, for myself and another attendee, and together both cost about $23. One was from E.Guigal, a well-known name in the Rhône Valley, and La Vieille Ferme, made by the Perrin family, of Château du Beaucastel merit.

I think I might make a tropical fruit salsa to accompany the wines, but I’ll have to let you know later. And of course, how the tasting goes…

The Rhône Valley, winetasting group, Draeger’s

My, how things can change in ten years, especially in the world of wine. In the 1997 (burgundy) copy of The New Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia, Tom Stevenson muses about the differences between Chile and Argentina. He proposes:

What really excites modern consumers is premium-quality wine at bargain (but not necessarily cheap) prices. Argentina is perfectly placed to supply this demand, when its producers wake up to the fact. If and when they do, the producers of Chile might have something to worry about. At the moment, however, Chile has nothing to fear from Argentina.

Well, readers and drinkers, those producers have stopped hitting the snooze button. They’re up and at it, as can be attested by my attendance at a Malbec tasting the other night. After meeting The Winehiker up at Fogarty, he invited me to an Argentinian sampling of vino. I’m glad I accepted. We tasted six wines, ranging from $15 to $85, which we rated on a scale of 20 points, using our handy scoring sheets. I thought I might be intimidated by the formality of it, but that actually made for better analysis–which was not the case at the Riesling tasting a few days prior.

The results: the group favorite was the 2003 Bramare Malbec (a Paul Hobbs venture), out of Mendoza. Running at the most expensive, this wine spoke to me of vanilla, toast, and sweet strawberries. My personal favorite was one of the least costly: a 2005 Terrazas Malbec. While the palate was almost pure fruit, the nose gave off lovely hints of caramel, allspice, and cinnamon. Another bargain beauty was the 2004 Melipal, with its sweet plum, blackberry, tobacco, and coffee. (more…)

Malbec tasting, 2003 Bramare Malbec, Mendoza, 2005 Terrazas Malbec

We had the second installment of the winetasting group. Sadly, I drove up to my apartment as the UPS man was driving away with my New York Riesling in his truck. (By the way, I had put my shipping address as the winery where I work, for that very reason). Instead, I brought my back-up wine, a 2004 Trimbach Riesling from Alsace. I had high hopes, considering their good work with Pinot Gris, but it was in my bottom 3, with its aroma of hay and lemon and reluctance to give up any flavors other than citrus and intense dryness.

In additon to Alsace, we covered Washington (the Chateau St. Michelle Bryon brought was light and spritzy with tangerine and floral notes), two from Monterey, including one from Ventana Vineyards where we get our Gewurztraminer grapes (brought by Ahren, a now-loyal reader), the McWilliam’s from Australia (the least favorite of the group, due to its aromas of walking down Mission Street, thrown in with a stale car interior), and of course, several from Germany. My favorite was the 05 Schloss Schonborn, a Kabinett from the Rheingau, with minerality, umami, and flavors of tropical fruit.

I was pretty proud of my pork tenderloin cooked with apples, carrots, celery, and onions (all very tender and sweet). Poor Sara, The Winemaker’s Wife, had great plans for two different corn muffins, but the peach ones didn’t work out, sadly. There was also some delicious tapenade, several cheeses, and Ellie’s on-the-spot choice of Mongolian beef.

All in all, my showing was not as good as the first time. I think tasting 9 Rieslings in a row made it a little harder. Which worries me, because I’m going to an all Malbec tasting tomorrow.

Riesling, Trimbach, Schloss Schonborn, winetasting group

….Farley Walker

Wine Blogging Wednesday is already upon us. Luckily, the category of New World Syrah was an easy one to fill. Though I already had several Syrahs from California (and just recently bought two more on my Napa day trip), I decided to fight the onset of cellar palate and go outside the States. And as France was out….

The first was the 2004 Eventide Cellar Shiraz ($15 from K & L) from Wellington, South Africa.(100% Shiraz, 12 months in American oak) It was pleasant enough, with aromas and flavors of pepper, raspberry, clove, and eucalyptus. Perhaps part of the problem was my lackluster meal, but I wasn’t extremely excited about this one. Less than 24 hours later, I retasted to find the wine smoother, with more spice and the suggestion of cocoa.

The other wine I reviewed was The Black Chook ($17 from Beltramo’s), a NV sparkling Shiraz from Southeastern Australia. From what I could find, it’s made by Woop Woop Wines, and much of the fruit comes from the McLaren Vale. No info on percentages, except that it was made from mainly 3-yr-old Shiraz, with a bit of newer grapes to add generous helpings of fruit. When trying to make sure this was mostly Shiraz, I discovered ‘chook’ means ‘chicken,’ which seems rather appropriate considering my obsession with the Biale Black Chicken Zin.

*I should probably begin this by saying I adore sparkling reds and tend to be less critical of them due to my enthusiasm and the rare occasion of drinking them. They are always such a surprise: the combination of heavy and light… bubbles and rich, red colors. This particular bubbly smelled of raspberry jam and chocolate and leaned toward being a good breakfast wine with its flavors of raspberry muffins and coffee. (more…)

As I was talking to our sales and marketing director about our next event at the winery, she mentioned we might pour our brand new Pinot Gris (which was bottled last week) at the Pinot Noir release. I told her I thought that would be quite appropriate as I thought the first was a mutation of the second.

Research showed that was the case. Along with Pinot Blanc and Pinot Meunier, Pinot Gris began as Noir. From black to grey. Although it seems that the leaves of both are fairly similar and it’s hard to tell the grapes apart at the end of a good growing season. Which was even more difficult in Burgundy, it would seem, since Pinot Gris was grown in among the Pinot Noir vines, to add acidity and softness to the wine.

Also grown in Alsace, Germany, Austria, and Italy (as Pinot Grigio), this grape has been slower to catch on in the New World. However, Oregon and California are taking on the challenge, which seems to stem from the fact it can lose its acidity if not picked at the right time. Cooler climates, therefore, work best for the grape. (more…)

For Wine Blogging Wednesday #29: Thanks to Fork & Bottle for hosting.

Not too long ago, our winemaker asked me to help him with a letter to his Martella club members, concerning his attraction to biodynamic wines and decision to make more of them. So I read Hugh Courtney’s 40+ page introduction to What Is Biodynamics?: A Way to Heal and Revitalize the Earth : Seven Lectures to get an idea of the practice. While it’s often likened to organic farming, it goes much deeper than that.
In Courtney’s own words:
…the biodynamic attitude toward the Earth as a living being…traditional agriculture and even individual organic or chemical farmers may also have that attitude. While that may be true, the attitude in other forms of agriculture is confined to the realm of feeling, while the biodynamic farmer puts his feelings specifically into actual physical world practice through the use of the biodynamic preparations.

Well, those preparations might make some people shiver just a bit. Ingredients for the nine preparations range from rather basic chamomile,yarrow, and cow manure to the more out-there vessels for holding them: cow horns, a stag’s bladder, and the fresh skull of a domestic animal. However, the use of these preparations has been known to help make for an earlier harvest, increase topsoil, and provide relief in drought conditions.

And as long as I don’t think too much about the how of it, I can appreciate the why, as well as the results.

Since Michael Martella inspired my interest in the first place, I’ll review the 2003 Martella Mendocino ‘Fairbairn Ranch’ Syrah first. It’s made with Demeter-certified grapes that come from a vineyard owned by Joe and Julie Golden, including 5% Petite Syrah. I love this wine because it’s always changing. Sometimes I get black pepper, raspberry, and plum. Later I might get a little tobacco and cedar. Then another time I’ll find licorice and tea. Whatever flavors jump out, the strong tannins are consistent– making this one that you want to drink half the first night and save the rest for later–to see what else you can find. (more…)

Wine Blogging Wednesday #29, 2003 Martella Mendocino ‘Fairbairn Ranch’ Syrah

I’m excited to be a part of Wine Blogging Wednesday, especially since this month’s topic is sparkling wine: one of my all-time-favorite all-purpose wines. It cheers me up when I’m sad, makes me happier when I’m in a good mood. Something about the bubbles… whether they make the alcohol hit you faster or not, it’s the feeling of festivity that gets me every time. Some people think they need a special occasion to open a bottle, but it just isn’t the case. I say, “Let the wine be occasion enough.”

Plus, any wine that can go with appetizers, salads, pizzas, entrees, and desserts must be for me. With that being said, I will share just how much I truly appreciate this stuff with a poem I wrote summer before last. (more…)

The best friend is gone now, but the other day when we were traipsing around San Francisco, I twisted her arm to go to The Slanted Door. They had raw oysters on the menu, so there wasn’t all that much twisting.

Actually, there weren’t that many choices since we arrived between lunch and dinner hours. But it turned out to be the perfect afternoon snack: splitting a half dozen Kushi oysters (from B.C.) and The Slanted Door spring rolls. The first were small and succulent and the second were perfectly light: filled with rice, shrimp, pork, and mint, with peanut sauce for dipping.

Along with the tasty morsels, we each had a glass of 2005 Hiedler Grüner Veltliner “vier weingebirge” from Austria. Austria? you might ask, but this white grape is help putting the country back on the wine map (after a minor scandal in ‘85 over the addition of a sweetener confusingly likened to antifreeze). Grüner Veltliner, the most commonly planted grape, makes for a light, slightly peppery wine with hints of pear and grass. It was a great pairing for the appetizers because it allowed the flavor of the oysters to come through, while matching the refreshing quality of the mint in the spring rolls.

Who would have thought: Vietnamese food and Austrian wine? Branch out. Spin a globe and let your fingers decide the next culinary/beverage combination.

The Slanted Door, Gruner Veltliner, food and wine pairing

….Farley Walker

Earlier, I stopped at a local produce market and left with two bags of yummy fruits, veggies, and cheese. Therefore, it seemed proper to make a salad when I got home…which leads me to why I love Sauvignon Blanc. Whereas other wines find it too difficult to stand up to those hard-to-pair foods such as artichokes, asparagus, and vinaigrettes, Sauvignon Blanc thrives from the challenge. It’s usually dry and crisp with delightful acidity.

Don’t get me started on the cruelty of winemakers who decide to put it in oak, sometimes calling it instead a Fumè Blanc. Plenty of white wines have plenty of oak, so please just let SB be the beautiful refresher it is– sometimes grassy, often bearing citrus flavors such as lime and grapefruit.

Here’s where my salad comes in. No recipe, just that throwing together of ingredients I sometimes do.

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Today I drove down to the aquarium in Monterey, as the penguins are only there for three days. I have to admit, I have a little bit of a crush on penguins. They’re quite endearing. Hence the success of movies made about them. March of the Penguins instantly warmed my heart (along with some breaking), and Happy Feet seems to have a few fans at least.

As I watched the little guys swim about and recalled images of them skidding over ice, somehow it popped into my mind that the perfect wine for them would be Eiswein, as it’s known in Germany and Austria, or as Americans and Canadians call it, ice wine.

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This post is for Gillian, over at Food Past. She asked about a pairing for Pinot Grigio (so called in Italy) or Pinot Gris (France and other places), as it has a Medieval history. Well, Gillian, get out your books, cause I have a yummy treat to go with your glass of wine.

Of course there are exceptions, but many PG’s tend to be dry and light with citrus undertones. Some made in France can be a bit richer, almost fleshy, and nuttier. Either way it goes, I think you will find a friendly match with the following recipe…

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In relationships, people have ‘a song’ or restaurant or I don’t know, I’m single and it’s been a while. However, it takes a special friendship, I think, to have ‘a wine.’ Since today is the birthday of one of my best friends, I thought it appropriate to write a review of our wine.

The Coppola ‘Sofia’ Blanc de Blancs was my find, I’m happy to say. On the way to Kelly’s one night with a smoked salmon pizza, I stopped by a favorite wine shop (see MS entry: Briarwood) to get a bottle. Looking for sparkling, as it goes oh-so-well with salmon, the first thing that drew me to the Sofia was the fun pink cellophane that encased the bottle.

The second was the name, as I am a big fan of Lost in Translation and liked The Virgin Suicides as well. Meanwhile…can’t wait to see Marie Antoinette.

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