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Wine Pourers vs. Wine Aerators Pourers

Date: Mon, Jun 30, 2008 Wine Tasting

A completely original and patented decanting pourer, the Selection oxygenates your wine as you pour for a taste that is smoother and fuller.
Inside the neck of this pourer is an hourglass-like narrow passage-way called a venturi pipe. The venturi pipe increases the speed of wine flow and creates a vacuum that draws in air through the small vent hole. In addition, a special stainless screen disperses the flow before it leaves the pourer. Beverage Factory

Wine pourers like the one above promise to decant your wine, while it is being poured into your glass. I’ve used this pourer for a couple years now and I can’t say I’ve noticed an appreciable difference. When it comes to decanting, my rule of thumb is to pour some into your glass and if you find decanting will further enhance the experience by all means do so. Back to this pourer, which I really liked when I first started using it but after a while it started to drip around the base and just a warning it does fit all bottles the same. This pourer may actually fall into your glass, so be careful.


Serve wine with a touch of elegance. The Metrokane Velvet Wine Pourer with Stopper pours smoothly without drips. The stopper seals wine air-tight, preserving opened bottles of wine so that you can enjoy them later on. The pourer features an easy-grip velvet finish in black. Beverage Factory

This one I liked quite a bit and it does not leak or dribble around the edges. I would recommend getting more than one. From my experience, at least 4 are recommended, the ratio I go with is 2 for white wines and 1 for red and 1 for a Port or a late harvest bottling. The thinking on this for the whites is you may start off with an aperitif of white wine or the appertizer. You simply push in the stopper and off to open the next bottle. While you will most likley finish the red, you can now feel free to tuck the white away. No fuss, no muss.

They also are great to have for your dinner parties, as they you will get nice even pours and your guests will appreciate your good taste in wine and not wine dripping on thier hands.

The same can be said of after dinner wines like Port or a desert wine which you may not finish in evening. With this pourer as eluded to above you can seal the wine back up and put back in storage with out a leak. They work very well!

Riesling: To the Rescue

Date: Mon, Jun 30, 2008 Wine Tasting

Like many of my readers I’ve come to the intersection of being bored with Chardonnay and a Sauvignon Blanc won’t cut it either! You are craving something spicy and you come across this great recipe. Like the one below, from one of my friends. Uh, huh that’s right! But I digress, back to the challenge.


Spicy Chicken
RecipEveryday Italiane courtesy Giada De Laurentiis Hot & Spicy

Like many of you who’ve may be trying to pair wine or work wine into just about every meal, this one will pose a challenge. Typically, if you’re like me you’d want to pair Chicken with a Chardonnay. Normally a fantastic choice, but this time you’re up against the spicy monster.

Luckily, here comes Riesling to the rescue. Maybe your wondering why Riesling? Well because of it properties. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity; as such it is often found to be dry semi-sweet or a sweet wine. This is where Riesling will come to your rescue with spicy foods like the recipe above; it puts the fire out after each bite.
The other benefit of drinking Rieslings is they don’t have to break the bank either. So below I posted a couple which is found just about anywhere and for a good price…

1. HOGUE White Riesling Columbia Valley Late Harvest 2007 (WS 87 points) $9.00 bucks. Can be found on sale for less.



Soft and frankly sweet, emphasizing apricot and baked apple flavors, finishing with hints of spice. 81,000 cases made. --Harvey Steiman



Don’t be fooled by this Late Harvest tag, it’s not really a desert wine like most late harvest wines, it does have a nice acidity which keeps it in perfect balance.







Much like a German halbtrocken (half-dry), it has aromas of peaches and tangerines that fill the nose with a delicate fruitiness. V. Sattui. It can be ordered directly from the winery!

I know there are many different Rieslings out there, and you probably have a favorite already, but these two deliver consistent quality. There are also some other white wines out there, which will also do the trick, like Gewurztraminer and Chenin Blanc. So enjoy!




Can we say Le Midi?

Date: Fri, Jun 27, 2008 Wine Tasting

Hey what does that mean? Speaking French or something? What gives?

For today, let’s just pretend we’re on a luxury wine cruise drinking our way down the Rhone River through Châteauneuf-du-Pape and the lesser known wine regions of southern France. Here are some recommendations on some wines from the area to be on the look out for to help you take that journey without flying or packing any bags!

Here is the line up of suggestions and the price ranges:


2006 Clos Marie, Manon, Coteaux du Languedoc Blanc - $19 -23

2006 Domaine Grand Veneur, Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc - $45-55

2004 Rayas, Chateau de Fonsalette, Cotes du Rhone - $58-67

2005 La Font du Vent, 'Notre Passion', Cotes du Rhone - $12-15

2005 Chateau de Valcombe, 'Prestige', Costieres de Nimes - $13-16

2006 L'Oratoire des Papes, Chateauneuf-du-Pape - $32-39

Let me know what you think. Go ahead take a trip to Southern France!

100 % Nebbiolo

Date: Fri, Jun 27, 2008 Wine Tasting

Having heard so much about wonderful Barolo wines, with 100% Nebbiolo grapes I was very happy to find this wine @ this new Italian Restauraut here in San Diego. Villa Capri, a somewhat awkwardly designed place with a huge patio presence, which will be great in the early summer months.


We ordered a bottle of Batasiolo,Barolo 2003, this wine graced the rim of the glass with characteristic brick-orange hue and the bouquet was mature to reveal complex aromas. This wine was rich and full bodied, as evident from the tight "legs" clinging to the glass. A very distinct flavor profile, as I swirled the wine in my glass the aromas wafted and landed upon my senses with great delight!

This wine did have a long lengthy finish, with notes of tar mingled with red berry flavors. I scored this wines as very good! It sells for $ 35.00 and is worth every penny! This wine is very flexible with many Italian dishes.

These wines can be quite tannic in their youth, but the 2003's are drinking very nicely at the moment! The Barolo growing region lies to the southeast of the town Alba, Italy. This is a typical Piedmontese type wine and is a highly sought after style.

Look for one on your next trip to the wine store and take in the best Italy has to offer.


Cheers!

Ahhhhhhhhhh Pure Cab Franc

Date: Thu, Jun 26, 2008 Wine Tasting


Santa Cruz Mtns Pure Cab Franc

Regarding this wine is like what ZZ Top sang about, "She's got legg and she knows how to use them"! Amazing!

The nose really did not say much to my palate, but the viscous legs spoke volumes to the breadth and depth of this wine which touched it's skins ever so lightly and gave the cork a pink kiss!

This wine paired ever so nicely with the homemade lasagna and fresh steamed spinach with a splash of Olive Oil! It danced on my palate like a ballerina, gracefully and delightfully touching each tastebud with a beautiful bouquet of Cab-Franc delight!


Byington VineyardsCabernet Franc Bates Ranch, 2005 - $37.

"Good wine is somebody's passion"

Date: Thu, Jun 26, 2008 Wine Tasting


I'm feeling contemplative and helping that along is Tom Petty, "Runnin’ down a dream". That being said, I would like to start out by quoting Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Breecher, who write for the Wall Street Journal and can be viewed @ WSJ.com/Tastings. They wrote a piece entitled "A toast to a Pioneer" a final salute to Robert Mondavi who recently passed away. The key point of the article which caught my eye, is a quote I suppose they have coined, and have said very often in writing about wine "wine isn't just a liquid in a bottle, good wine is somebody's passion".
Yes, somebody's passion with the emphasis on good.
We have all been exposed to mediocre wine, something purple to yellow in color to fill a bottle with. They end on drug store shelves or local "liquor-ramma" and many times are in boxes or jugs. I here many people who say they just can't taste the difference, I beg to differ. I would say to them, "can you tell the difference between a Volkswagen bug and say a Porsche 911 Targa?" Invariably, they say sure I can, of course. Well those same vast distinctions lie in the world of wine as well.

I believe they just have never been exposed to the difference in any significant way. Personally, I was a neophyte to wine and really never embraced it one iota. But after my first trip to Napa, my eyes were opened! I quickly realized I had a pedestrian palate, as many folks do today. This is not a slight, it is just reality. This distinction we swirl, sniff and sip is the passion of the winemaker, the workers in the field, the desire of the winery owner, the land which was chosen, and the choice to excel beyond the pale of orthodoxy. These choices are reflected in the bottle and finally poured into our glasses for our consideration and enjoyment. You can almost here them (quality wine purveyors) saying, "look at what I made"! Enjoy!
Dorothy and John also wanted to remind us by finishing the article with another quote which I really liked. Remember the next time you have a quality bottle of wine, "which someone cared about, you are drinking that persons art and maybe a little bit or his or her soul". It does not hurt to be reflective of the amazing amount of work, dedication and excellence which went into bringing you a great glass of wine. It is too easy to be mediocre; excellence must be strived for, like the vines which strive for the water.

It is easy to take it for granted. We walk into our favorite wine store, order it online, or pick it up from the winery on a tasting and if you hastily gulp it down, I believe you are missing out. Take, your time to swirl, sniff and sip the artwork which lies in your glass.

Cheers everyone!

Willamette Wonderland Part 1

Date: Thu, Jun 26, 2008 Wine Tasting




Willamette Wonderland Part 1


As I am writing this piece I am listening to Pearl sing "Summer Time" and I am reminded that this a great time of the year to visit your favorite winery.

Summer is now upon us, maybe your mind is wondering where should I go on vacation or what should I do for a quick get-away and on the back of mind is your deep abiding love for Pinot Noir, well I would highly recommend the wonderful Willamette Valley in OR.

I spent an unforgettable week there a couple of years ago. This is a place for folks who just can't enough of sniffing, swirling, and sipping the fruit of this amazing varietal, which also thrives on this side of the pond in a place called the Willamette Valley. There are a few places which I would strongly recommend going for wine tasting and PG is definitely one of them.

The first place is Patricia Green Cellars, which is in Newberg, OR. If want to go there, you will need to book an appointment, as they don't have a tasting room. When we arrived, we were not even sure where to go, there were no real signs, as we drove up to the property we even wondered if we were at the right place, again no signs. See the pix above I snagged from their website. On the left is the barrell room.

Looked like a nice farmhouse, with out lying buildings. I poked my head into what looked like a barn and called out to the name of our contact, we were met my a few dogs and then we met our contact who brought us into the barrel room. It was damn cold in there! Another couple showed up who must have been newlyweds (get a room) but I digress, a wonderful impromptu table of various PN's were lined up, the stemware was ideal and the pour's very generous.

None of the standard dainty pours associated with the most tasting rooms. Our host was very gracious and very knowledgeable about everything wine related. PG also puts out a great newsletter. If you do show up there, please make a point to ask about the Nortorius wine they made and the story behind it. Whatever you say, don't mention WS at all and how much like the Boston Red Sox! Just a tip...

One of the highlights was the 2004 Eason in a word, wow! After we came home from our trip, we wanted to purchase another bottle, but alas they were sold out. PG is what you would call a small production winery. So buy all you can carry or afford! If you love Pinot Noir, you gotta go to PG!

What you can buy from them now is 2007 futures and 2006 (immediately available) and I would recommend the following:

2007 Winderlea Vineyard (formally the Goldschmidt)

2007 Estate Vineyard Etzel Block

2006 Patricia Green Cellars Pinot Noir Goldschmidt Vineyard Dundee Hills


Here is a link to their site: http://www.patriciagreencellars.com/

Stay tuned for part 2 where our story about the newlyweds we met @ PG takes a funny twist........
Cheers,

Top Ten Tasting Room Tips

Date: Wed, Jun 25, 2008 Wine Tasting

Just thought I’d throw out some tips about wine tasting trips, before the height of the summer travel season.


1. WINE CLUBS:
There you are in the wine tasting room and you see and hear offers to become a wine club member, but at the same time the quality of the wine you just quaffed was quite amazing. What to do, what to do, okay I am going to make this decision a little easier for you. Most wineries will give you a decent discount on your purchases if you join the wine club then and there. Most wine club agreements will allow you to cancel, after receiving one or two shipments with the average shipment being 2 bottles. Don’t wince the next time you hear the words, "join our wine club" embrace the wine club and you’ll save on average 20-30 % off a wine you would most likely purchase anyways. So if you do join the wine club, remember it is not forever.


2. TRIP PLANNING:
I’ve heard many people recommend for planning your next trip to wine country that it is best to not have a plan, just randomly drive through wine country and show up to any tasting room you may find open. In my experience and in the words of Molly Hatchet, you’re "Flirtin’ with Disaster" and you will most likely result in a miserable time. Believe me a little planning will go a long way! One wine country trip I planned for a group of friends went so well they still speak cloyingly about it today. I recommend doing a little research ahead of time. This can be done by getting a wine country map of the AVA you will be visiting. This will tell you which places have tasting rooms in first place, when there open, or if they are by appointment only. Don’t be discouraged, this can usually be arranged via email. Take this map with you on the trip and preview the wineries you plan to visit online before your trip, so you are somewhat familiar with the line up, if they offer tours or have arranged for the winemaker to be on hand certain days. Also include in your planning the wineries with relatively close proximity. So you can do build an itinerary for yourself, for example day 1 we will go to here and here, day 2, here and here, etc. Lastly, make some dinner reservations ahead of time; this will save you a lot of frustration.

3. APPOINTMENTS:
This is one facet of wine tasting you will invariably run into. This is often done because some wineries don’t have a tasting room or they don’t have the staff to accommodate a regular tasting schedule. Like I have previously said don’t be discouraged by having to make an appointment. This can be some of the best times you will have tasting wine. Often times the winemaker or proprietor is the one hosting your appointment and they are very eager to give you there wrapped attention and can interact with you on a much higher level, in comparison to a crowded tasting room with a novice tasting room assistant who has just served over a hundred pours before you got there. Speaking of pours, the pours at appointments are typically more generous, which to me really gives you a better opportunity to evaluate the wine fairly. Another benefit of appointments is being able to taste just about everything they have available, unlike the average tasting room experience where you are only allowed to taste what is on the menu for the day. Make sure you keep your appointment and show up on time and if you have to cancel please call them at least day ahead, that is just good form.

4. ARRIVE EARLY:
The best rule of thumb regarding tasting room’s visits is to go early! Most will open by 10 or 11 in the morning and they start closing up by 5 in the evening. Most of the popular places will fill up fast and this will minimize your experience.

5. DRINK OR SPIT:
Another rule of the thumb is to make up your mind beforehand, if you are going to drink or spit. I can’t be a spitter, so I indulge in a heavy breakfast and eat the crackers snacks which are sitting out, which are meant to cleanse your palate between tasting’s. (I also make sure I have a designated driver) But if you are going to spit, then make sure you are near one of the wine spittoons on the bar, which festoon most tasting rooms like an urn from Uncle Albert. By the way, while you’re in between pours please don’t pour the water sitting on the bar to rinse your glass; this will only dilute your next pour. But do stay hydrated and drink some water as well, preferably after the tasting.
6. WHICH TASTING MENU:
Another good rule of thumb, if a reserve tasting and a regular tasting or all red and all whites and if with a spouse, is to get one of each. You can then taste each others wine so you will get more bang for the buck. Likewise if they only have one set of tasting’s then you and your spouse or significant other can split the tasting, which is perfectly acceptable. Another point to remember is many times the tasting fee will be reimbursed if you make a purchase, which I recommend. Bring one with you for dinner later. Most places charge a modest corkage fee, compared with menu prices.

7. SHIP OR HOLD:
This will mainly be determined by how you got to your destination if you drove, and then you can save yourself some money on shipping which by the way is to starting shooting up. If you flew, you will most likely opt to have your wine shipped home. If shipping home I would recommend sending it to a work address, because the shipper will need to have someone sign for your wine. Shippers don’t like to wait too long for you to come to the door and have long windows for residential delivery and you don’t want the hassle of having to arrange for another pick time, while your wine is jostled around in the back of hot steamy truck. If you only plan to buy a few bottles you can easily put it in your "checked" luggage, which I have done successfully many times.
January 17, 2008 8. WINE JEWELS NOT SOLD RETAIL:
One other thing to consider is to ask for the wines which are not sold outside of the tasting room; if they are of a good caliber I would recommend purchasing those over a bottling which is commercially available. Often times this will be late harvest bottling or maybe a Port.

9. OFF THE TASTING MENU:
It has been my experience many times during a tasting, if your hosts see you have a genuine interest in wine, will offer some wine which may not be on the menu. You also may just want to ask your pourer, if there is a possibility of tasting one of the new releases not yet on the list. Remember to just have fun.

10. HAVE A BUDGET:
This is a very good idea, if you’re like me it is far too easy to go overboard. I recommend the idea of taking cash just for your wine purchases alone. When you run out of cash, you can’t purchase anymore wine. This will cause you to really be more focused about what you want to purchase and just can’t leave with out it.
These tips may come in handy before you plan your next trip. Cheers!