Wine Shopping in San Francisco, Italian Style
Date: Tue, Jul 15, 2008 Wine Tasting
I'm warning you right now that you may feel a little shlubby if you wander into the chic wine store Biondivino in San Francisco's Russian Hill neighborhod wearing worn-out yoga pants and a sweatshirt. I was wearing one of my more presentable vacation-type outfits, which is not saying much admittedly, and I still felt underdressed. Biondivino is staffed by young, good looking, and hip people who can climb ladders and pull wine off of vertical displays gracefully. This does not precisely describe me, so I kept pulling at my shirt tails and hoping that no one noticed that I was solely responsible for raising the average age of people in the store by about a decade. (photo of the store's owner, Ceri, doing the death defying ladder crawl at Biondivino, courtesy of Yelp!)
The reason to go to Biondivino is not to feel dumpy or old, however. The reason to go is this: they have an astonishing range of affordable Italian wines for sale. What's more, handy little bright orange tags on the bottles indicate (even if the bottles are way up there and you are way down on the floor) that the wine is under $20.
Because of the layout, the store is not a browsing kind of store. It's not that browsing is prohibited--they were happy to let me stroll around--it's just that you can't just pick up and put down bottles on your own and read the back of labels given that some of them are accessible only by the aforementioned ladder. Instead, you are dependent upon the sales staff to help you out, which might frustrate you if you are used to anonymity in the wine shop. The good news on this front is that the staff knows what they're talking about. I waltzed in and started asking for Sardinian reds and roses from Abruzzo, and (!) a white wine from Basilicata and there was nothing that the store didn't have and the staff knew where it all was, too. At Biondivino they arrange the wines from the north of Italy to the south on vertical shelves, so as long as you (or they) know the geography you can head for more or less the right part of the display. I kept insisting that maybe the Pecorino I reviewed yesterday was actually from Le Marche, and they just shook their heads, smiled, and said firmly that it really was from Abruzzo. (Once I got the bottle in my hands and checked the back label I had to admit they were right.)
You can find a regional list of their offerings here and see for yourself what an excellent assortment of Italian bottles they have. I can't get the search function to work on their website, so you have to browse this list for a sense of what the store carries. They are happy to special order wine for you, and the day I visited the shop a special party was being arranged for some customers--so it's definitely a full-service wine store. They even do private tasting events for 10-15 people at their big, central table. If you are in San Francisco and looking for a fun idea for a birthday, anniversary, or even a "just for the hell of it" event, this might be a good option for you.
Biondivino is located at 1415 Green Street at the intersection of Green and Polk--aka the food and wine danger zone. If you're out and about in the Russian Hill neighborhood one day, stop in and see what Ceri's got in stock. I would have no hesitation in contacting her with any Italian wine questions you might have, and inquire about whether she can ship to you if you aren't in the area. I saw wines in that small store that I have not seen anywhere else, and I've not had a bad bottle yet from the small stash I purchased.
Abruzzo Mistaken Wine Identity, Case #1: Pecorino
Date: Mon, Jul 14, 2008 Wine Tasting
As I mentioned in my first post about wines from the Abruzzo region, some of them have a bit of an identity problem. Some of the grapes used are masquerading as wines--or even cheese--from other parts of Italy. In the Abruzzo, no doubt they will tell you that it's the Tuscans and Romans who are stealing from the Abruzzese. Take today's wine from Abruzzo: Pecorino. Type it into The Oracle (i.e. Wikipedia) and all you will get is the Roman cheese. You have to specify "Pecorino Grape" to get it to cough up some viticultural information. And if you are looking for information on the grape, I'd skip the 1-line Wikipedia entry entirely and head to this article at Wine Library Terroir.
If you head to that article, you will discover that the variety was thought to be extinct until it was found growing wild in Le Marche, that sheep liked to snack on it which may be why it's named Pecorino, and that it's now grown mostly in Le Marche and Abruzzo.
This was my first Pecorino, but I can assure you right now that it won't be my last. It was made by Cantina Tolla, an Italian wine cooperative founded more than 40 years ago that now has 1200 partner growers and makers involved in producing a wide range of wines.
The 2007 Cantina Tollo Pecorino was clear straw yellow in color with a slightly greenish tinge that made it very summery in appearance. ($18, Bion Divino; unfortunately, I haven't been able to find it online elsewhere) Fresh aromas of Crenshaw melons and white nectarines continued the summer appearance of the wine into the aromas, and these elements were echoed in the juicy flavors of melon, peach, and nectarine. The wine picked up a briney, saline note in the aftertaste that really carried the wine over from very good into excellent QPR territory. The wine had all the medium-body and fresh citrus flavors that I was led to expect given the varietal characteristics, but that little saline kick at the end made it the latest example of a charming yet surprising Italian whites.
We had our Pecorino with a cheesy pasta dish made not with Pecorino but with goat's cheese dreamed up by Mario Batali: orecchiette with hazelnuts and goat cheese. It combines those little ear-shaped pasta with olive oil, goat cheese, parsley, a pinch of red pepper flakes, some toasted hazelnuts, and some toasted breadcrumbs in a dish that is so fast, so comforting, and so easy that it should be in everyone's repertoire for "what's for dinner" emergencies. Basically, it's like the best mac and cheese you've ever had, and for 20 minutes I considered becoming vegetarian and eating this every day. The salty goat cheese and that saline note in the wine were divine together, and the hazelnuts and breadcrumbs picked up a little bit of a nutty note in the wine that I hadn't noticed before. The fresh melon and summer fruit flavors cut through the richness of the cheese and the wine's medium body kept it from being overwhelmed by the pasta or tasting too sharp in the mouth.
I'm sounding like a broken record, I know, but in January I was not prepared for the delicious diversity of Italian white wines that I've encountered so far this year. I've just had my 7th Italian white and I know that they are in my wine cellar to stay--even if I have to get rid of some Italian reds to make room for them.
Through the Looking Glass: Seeing Online Wine Culture from the Other Side
Date: Sun, Jul 13, 2008 Wine Tasting
When I'm with people in the wine business, I'm usually the one on the outside looking in. I try to get a glimpse of the people, places, and hard work that it takes to make a great bottle of wine, then I get online and share that information with you.
On Friday, I had the privilege of participating in Inertia's annual Direct Symposium for their clients in the wine business. The theme was "Innovations for Today's Wine Marketplace" and it fits into Inertia's REthink Initiative to help people imagine new ways to sell and market their wine to you and me. For the conference, Inertia gathered together some of us who are active in the wine web scene to talk about how social media (Twitter, blogs, Facebook, etc.) can be a useful tool for wineries who want to forge closer relationships with their customers. Gary Vaynerchuk was one of the speakers, as was Joel Vincent of the Open Wine Consortium. In the audience were several other blogging and wine friends, like El Jefe of Twisted Oak, Patrick from Iridesse Wines, and Kaz from Wine Biz Radio. I spoke on a panel on wine blogging chaired by Tom Wark of Fermentation which featured Mike Duffy of the Winery Website Report and publicity and marketing specialist Julie Ann Kodmur.
I found myself on the other side of the looking glass this time, listening to questions from smart people in the wine world who are trying to figure out what to do about and how to understand this flourishing online wine culture in which you (by virtue of reading this blog) are participating. Here are a few impressions of what happened, and how I think it might effect how you learn about and buy wine in the future.
People in the wine business know that online wine culture is important. This can't be said enough, because I think there is still a pretty widespread belief that people in the wine business ignore, don't care about, and diminish the importance of online wine culture. I saw no evidence of this on Friday. On the contrary, wine bloggers were included in the category of journalists, people wanted to know how to spread information to customers without spamming people, and there was a great deal of curiosity about how to deal with online comments and criticism with sensitivity and respect.
Online wine culture is really no harder to figure out or more time consuming than email. There was a lot of justifiable concern about how much time it might take to get your bearings in the online wine world and participate in it. I had an a-ha moment when I realized that's exactly how I once felt about email. Now, I can't really imagine not having email, but at first I couldn't figure out how time spent on email was ever going to be productive. Sure, you have to manage your online time carefully so that it doesn't suck all your energy but this is no different from managing the other tasks in your day--and it might free up time you are spending on similar activities elsewhere. In general, I find I waste as much time in a day as I did before--I just waste it in more places, i.e. walking the halls, talking on the phone, hanging out at the copy machine, and on Twitter. And if Twitter saves you from the donuts in the breakroom, it is a good thing!
All of these developments are going to make the world of wine more interesting for consumers and producers. If you are a winery owner or maker and you're reading this and wondering how to get started in social media, you can always contact the folks at Inertia or take a look at Mike Duffy's great tips shared on his blog. And if you're a consumer, let your favorite wineries know that you care about personality more than points and you want to know more about them and how they make the wine you love. Whether you are a producer or a consumer, stepping through to the other side of the looking glass is always fun, and we all need a change of perspective every know and again. Twitter, blogs, Facebook, the Open Wine Consortium--all of these social media sites can help you to get that fresh perspective, every single day.
Telling the Truth About Sherry
Date: Thu, Jul 10, 2008 Wine Tasting
Is it hot and humid where you are? Temperatures in northern California have been over 100 degrees in many places, and all across the country folks are complaining about the heat. (photograph "hot hot sun" by masaaidh)
If this sounds like you, you need to go out and get yourself a bottle of Fino Sherry. This may sound wrong, wrong, wrong if "sherry" conjures up great aunt Alice's stuffy front room, crocheted doilies, and tiny glasses of amber liquid served at room temperature that were cringingly sweet. But I'm telling you the truth: Sherry is the best wine you aren't drinking in a heat wave.
There are a few rules if you are interested in putting my veracity to the test. First, you need to
go to a store that carries and sells a lot of Sherry. If it has dust on the bottle, you don't want it. You also need to buy a bottle from Spain. Sherry comes from Spain, in much the same way that Champagne comes from France. Other places make make wine with Palomino grapes, but it's just not Sherry. Finally, it needs to be dry and it needs to be pale--this means looking for labels that say Fino, Pale Dry, or go for Manzanilla. (the glass to the far left in this picture has Fino sherry in it, fyi) I've had a few bottles of Sherry here in the US, and the one I go back to over and over again because it's indecently affordable and widely available is Osborne Pale Dry Fino. It also is bottled with a screwcap in a process that keeps it tasting fresh as long as possible. This will cost you somewhere between $7 and $17 a bottle depending on where you are, and where you buy it. I bought my bottles for $11.99 at Weimax just outside San Francisco.
When you get your bottle home, put it in the coldest part of your fridge. Wait until it's very, very cold. Then put two small wine glasses in the freezer. Not thimbles--proper small wine glasses like the ones in the pictures above. My first glass of Fino was served to me in frosted glasses in Bilbao, Spain, so you want to trust me on this detail: frosted glasses keep the sherry cold and that's a good thing.
While you're waiting 5-10 minutes for the glasses to frost up, scrounge the cabinets and fridge for some cured meat (chorizo? salami? pepperoni?), some cheese (Manchego? Parmigiano? goat cheese?) some olives, and some nuts. Good potato chips are also an option. Put whatever you find on a plate--congratulations, you have just made tapas--take your frosty glasses out of the freezer, and pour some of your Fino into the glass.
It should be very, very pale. If it isn't, your bottle wasn't that fresh and you can either drink it anyway or take it back to the store and ask for something that's arrived in the store sometime this year. As you drink it, your body temperature will feel like it went down 10 degrees and you will swear that you have filled your lungs with ocean air. You will be struck by the slight brininess of the Fino (especially if eating olives), or its nuttiness (especially if eating a handful of nuts or some cheese). And you will be amazed at the way the spicy meat of your choice is perfect with the cold, cold wine.
This is the truth nobody tells you about sherry. And when people do tell you these truths, you probably weren't listening. This may sound like a "me, too" post and that I'm jumping on a moving bandwagon since Eric Asimov posted about the attractions of Sherry on Wednesday in the New York Times, but I'm going to post it anyway. There can't be too many people talking this stuff up.
AVIN8443490598145
Curious about the small print? I'm trying out a new way of linking to a social networking site for wine called Adegga. It automatically picks up this AVIN number and links it to a data entry for the wine, and to the contents of individual cellars and tasting notes. I'll be writing a story about it soon, but until then expect to see tiny alpha-numeric lines at the bottom of wine review posts.
Wine Blogging Wednesday #47: This Wine Brought to You By the Letter "S"
Date: Wed, Jul 9, 2008 Wine Tasting
This month's Wine Blogging Wednesday, Lenn Thompson's online tasting event, is inspired by Sesame Street, Sammy the Snake, and all other good things that start with the letter "S." Our hosts, Erin and Michelle from Grape Juice, wanted to see what we would come up with if left to our own devices with only a consonant to guide us.
My choice was the 200-
Scenic Root Growers
Spicerack Vineyards "Punchdown"
Sonoma Coast.
How's that for sticking to the theme!
First, a little bit about Scenic Root Growers. You may not link all their wines together, but Scenic Root are the people who bring you Pey-Marin and Pey-Lucia Pinot Noirs, Texbook Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Tamalpais Merlot, and Pey-Marin Riesling. The folks behind these labels are Susan and Jonathan Pey, who are proponents of natural and sustainable growing practices. They are also helping to keep alive the tradition of wine-making and grape-growing in Marin County (you may know Marin County as the northern end of the Golden Gate Bridge), which began back in the early 19th century.
For this bottling, Susan and Jonathan did things a little differently from what you might expect to see in a California Syrah. First, they obtained cool climate, Sonoma Coast fruit. Then, they used neutral French oak barrels for fermentation and to age the wines which means there is little to no oak influence on the wine. Finally, a little bit (4%) Grenache was added to the juice to compliment the existing fruit flavors and textures.
The result was an excellent QPR discovery. ($20.89 in our local coastal grocery store; expect to find it for $19-$40 at a retailer near you) The 2006 Scenic Root Growers Spicerack Vineyards "Punchdown" Syrah reminded me of the northern Rhone's red wines, especially those from the area around Cornas, with its blue-black fruit profile and spicy touches of pepper. It was inky purple color, which hinted at the aromas of plums, blueberries, and smoke that were to come. The flavors opened up into blueberries, plum, huckleberries and finished with a touch of bacon fat.
Because of its cool blue fruit, this Syrah will be very easy to pair with a wide range of dishes from mac and cheese to chili and hamburgers. We had it one night with leftover chicken chili and it was excellent, but it really shone with some barbecued ribs. The meatiness of the pork picked up that bacon fat taste in the finish, and the pepper was very nice with the spices that were used.
Thanks to Erin and Michelle for such a fun theme. It led me to a wine that I may not have bought otherwise--and am I glad I did. I don't have lots of room in my cellar for multiple bottles of the same wine, since I'm always hunting for something new to taste and write about here on the blog. This is one of the few bottles I've had in the past few years that I knew I wanted to have again--and again. Somehow, somewhere, I need to find some room for a few more bottles!
Exploring the Wines of Abruzzo
Date: Tue, Jul 8, 2008 Wine Tasting
Between the Apennine Mountains and the Adriatic 
coastline, on the calf of Italy's boot, lies the region known as the Abruzzo. Like many regions in Italy, Abruzzo is a study in contrasts between oceanside resorts and high mountain passes, abandoned medieval villages and modern hydroelectric plants. The local wildlife includes Swiss ski bunnies and much more formidable bears, wolves, and other vanishing species that find refuge in the Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo. (photo of the village of Colleedimezzo by kruder396)
Abruzzo is a place where the mass- production of wine is giving way to a more careful, smaller approach to grape farming that is more reflective of the region's agricultural past, and part of a general swing in the south of Italy towards wines that can be more competitive on the international market. One of the Abruzzo's problems is that their great red grape, Montepulciano, shares a name with a place in Italy that makes pretty good wine, too. But consumer awareness is gradually catching up with the region. After decades of being associated mostly with Trebbiano d'Abruzzo (you may know is at Ugni Blanc), it is now possible to find rich roses made from Montepulciano d'Abruzzo that are labeled "Cerasuolo"and full-bodied reds made from the same grape that are suitable for some time in the cellar. (picture of the Torre Medicea near S. Stefano di Sessanio by kruder396)
This month I'll be exploring the red, white, and rose wines of
Abruzzo to learn more about the region and how it is changing. I'm looking forward to tasting a Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, of course, made by a well-known maker that retails for slightly more than $20--but everybody tells me it's well worth the splurge. I've also purchased a "Cerasuolo," and a white wine that isn't made from Trebbiano grapes, but from another grape with an identity crisis: Pecorino. (picture "Vigna" by Antonio Dell'Elce)
Along the way I'll be pairing the wine with some Italian foods that will bring a smile to your face this 
summer. The Abruzzo is known for its liberal use of chili peppers, and for its grilled pork and lamb. It's also home to DeCecco pasta, so there will be at least one pasta dish made with the native noodles. (Red Camp, by Giuseppe Andrea)
I'm eager to hear about your experiences with the wines of Abruzzo. Have you only had a cheap Montepulciano d'Abruzzo with your pizza on a Friday night? What about your luck with Trebbiano? And for those of you who know the wines better than I, which producers do you look out for in the stores?
Chardonnay: Toothpicks Not Included
Date: Mon, Jul 7, 2008 Wine Tasting
Everybody has at least one story about their joys and sorrows drinking chardonnay. Some remember when they tasted it and were enchanted by the buttered apple flavors. Some remember when they tasted it and felt like they had just had a bottle of toothpicks. Some even remember the moment that they had had just one bottle too many of overoaked chardonnay and became card carrying members of the ABC Club--the group dedicated to drinking Anything But Chardonnay.
No grape deserves to be written off, no matter what shenanigans winemakers get up to sometimes. There are good and even great Chardonnays, as any fan of white Burgundy will tell you. And while there are fans of unoaked Chardonnay (I'm one of them), there are still many, many drinkers who will confess to liking a buttery chardonnay on occasion (I'm one of them, too). It's a pleasure, therefore, to be able to recommend a very good QPR US Chardonnay that's made with a bit of restraint, is still creamy, but does not have that fakey, toothpicky woodenness to it that I just loathe. And it's affordable, too.
The 2006 Bennett Family Chardonnay The Reserve has a suggested retail price of $15.99. (I received my bottle as a sample, and you can find it at a retailer for between $13 and $20.) The wine is made from Russian River Valley grapes, and is fermented in French oak barrels. There, the wine does undergo malolactic fermentation to smooth out the acidity and is left on its lees for eight more weeks before being lightly filtered and put in its bottles. This method produces a pleasant, summery Chardonnay that is straw in color and has aromas of lemon, golden delicious apple, and a touch of vanillin oak. Flavors of apple and sour cream turn a bit more buttery after you've swallowed a bit of the wine. The final alcohol is 13.9% alc/vol, which is higher than Burgundian Chardonnay, but lower than many of this wine's US counterparts.
I find chicken an ideal partner for Chardonnay, and this wine went beautifully with Nigella Lawson's butterflied chicken with lemon and rosemary and her oven-roasted crispy potatoes. This is the most often-requested meal in my repertoire among friends coming to dinner and it is a dream to make for weekend parties, even in the summer, provided you can eat outside since it requires the oven. The lemon, rosemary, and olive-oil marinated chicken is laid out flat after some wielding of the poultry shears and cooks in 35 minutes or so (ps. it can hold in the oven semi-indefinitely at 300 degrees if you linger over cocktails). The recipe accentuated the lemony aromas in the wine, and the tender, moist chicken paired nicely with its buttery texture. I always substitute olive oil for the goose fat in Nigella's potatoes, and they turn out perfectly every time as long as you follow the recipe exactly in every other particular. The brown, caramelized outside of the potatoes was fantastic with the apple and cream notes in the wine, as was the potatoes' creamy insides.
If you are looking for a nicely made, well-balanced, and delicious white wine for creamy Chardonnay lovers and don't want to pay through the nose for it, the 2006 Bennett Chardonnay is the wine for you. Happily, if you want toothpicks you'll have to bring some of your own.
Wines for Summer Barbecues
Date: Fri, Jul 4, 2008 Wine Tasting
Today I posted a seasonal "wine survival guide" to summer barbecues in my Serious Grapes column on Serious Eats. (cover of Nick Sanchez's Walkout Diary from the blog China-Burma-India)
With the barbecue season kicking into high gear, you may have had your fill of zinfandel and chardonnay. Or, you've already been to so many barbecues that you've completely depleted your local stores' stock of these wines . If so, I've got some suggestions for other wines to try with everything grilled. I've even included an easy way to remember my recommendations, but you'll have to click over there to read all about it.
Drive safe, have a happy Independence Day holiday weekend, and I'll see you back here on Monday bright and early.
Wine Book Club #4: Tasting Pleasure by Jancis Robinson
Date: Thu, Jul 3, 2008 Wine Tasting
We'll be Tasting Pleasure during the dog days of summer
thanks to the leader of the 4th edition of the Wine Book Club, Farley of Behind the Vines.
Tasting Pleasure: Confessions of a Wine Lover ($18; used copies available for under $2!) is a classic wine book written by one of the most illustrious wine writers in the world, Jancis Robinson. Known for her direct, witty writing style, Robinson talks about her career in the wine biz as it evolved from contributing writer to international wine expert. I'm hoping that some of the bloggers from the US wine biz join in this month and tell us how the inner workings of the UK wine biz differ from those on this side of the pond. And the book will also offer insights into the experiences of women and wine writing (as well as the wine world more generally).
When our attention wanes and our good intentions start falling by the wayside, we'll be reminded to pick up Tasting Pleasure when Michelle from My Wine Education "spins the bottle" and reviews Natalie MacLean's Red, White, and Drunk All Over. This is one of the more recent wine books written by a woman, and MacLean is open about following in Jancis Robinson's footsteps. The two books offer an interesting compare/contrast exercise in writing style and substance.
A surprising number of wine lovers and bloggers confess to never having read this book, and if you are one of them I hope that you will consider joining us for WBC #4. We only had three participants in June, and I'm hoping that we have at least four this time around. If you are a blogger, please publicize this event on your site and consider joining in. And if you are one of those widely-read folks who has read this book before, your reminiscences will be welcome, too--and you can leave encouraging comments below. Please post your "book report" on the due date of Tuesday, August 26. For more details, please see Farley's post, or visit our club pages on Shelfari or Facebook.
Coming in the September/October "back to school" edition of the WBC: a book that's hot off the presses that's written by a wine blogger. Stay tuned for details.
Sauvignon Blanc--With All the Bells and Whistles
Date: Wed, Jul 2, 2008 Wine Tasting
Sauvignon Blanc can be a bit of a one note samba sometimes. Don't get me wrong--even simple Sauvignon Blancs are pleasing, especially in summer when their crisp, citrusy fruit feels like it lowers your body temperature 5 degrees with every sip.
But a Sauvignon Blanc with all the bells and whistles can remind you just how terrific this variety is, and how much it's capable of delivering in terms of taste when it's in good hands.
I recently tried a 2007 Raymond Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Reserve that was sent to me as a sample. It's from Napa, and even though I often find it difficult to find good wines under $20 from that area. With a suggested retail price of just $15, this wine definitely qualifies as an excellent QPR find.
The Raymonds have been producing wine under their own label since 1971, but their roots in the Napa Valley go deep into the past. Roy Raymond Sr. came to Napa in 1933 and married Mary Jane Beringer in 1936. Roy then took an active role in the running of Beringer Winery, which survived Prohibition by making communion wine and was busy trying to rebuild following repeal. Roy and his two sons, Roy Jr. and Walter, continued to work for Beringer until the winery was sold in 1971. Then they struck out on their own, and the family now makes several lines of wine including a series of reserve wines, a series of small lot wines, limited edition wines (including a late harvest Sauvignon Blanc that looks fantastic), and the "R Collection" of budget-friendly wines.
The 2007 Raymond Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Reserve that I tasted was a delicious and distinctive wine. The fruit sees no oak and is fermented and aged in stainless steel. The Sauvignon Blanc juice is blended with 5% Semillon, which gives the wine beautiful body while retaining its crisp flavors and textures. Pale straw in color, the wine had succulent aromas of pear, lime, and hints of freshly mown grass as it opened up. As you sipped it, zesty flavors of citrus rounded out into juicy melon and then softened further into pear. There was a mouthwatering aftertaste that kept you coming back for more.
We had the wine with some simply grilled halibut and vegetables, and it was lovely with the buttery fish. The crispness of the wine cut through its fleshy richness without being tart or assertive. And with the vegetables that nice grassy note in the aromas became even more interesting, shading towards tarragon and thyme.
This is truly one of the more memorable and complex Sauvignon Blancs I've had for under $20. If you've been drinking a lot of tangy, grassy Sauvignon Blancs from down under, I highly recommend you remind your palate that Sauvignon Blanc has some other flavors up its sleeve. It's a new release, so don't get discouraged if it's not yet at a retail store near you--just keep your eyes peeled and buy several bottles when you see it. This one will be on my list of Thanksgiving suggestions come November, and you'll want to have enough to drink now and still have some left over come turkey time.
Headlines from Pinot Days 2008
Date: Tue, Jul 1, 2008 Wine Tasting
I attended the 2008 Pinot Days in San Francisco again this year, and what follows are some
impressions and musings on what I heard, saw, and tasted. Just so you know, I make no attempt at any trade tasting to drink everything in the room. Instead, I have a plan of who I want to talk to and what I want to taste. So there may be other people who attended and drank different wines that will disagree with me--but that's part of what makes wine fun, yes?
Reply Heard Most Often After Saying "Hi": "We don't have anything under $20."
Only in California moment: The massage station, where they were giving out back rubs.
Wildest Thing Seen at Pinot Days: The WinePod, a home wine-making machine pictured to the left with full video-support beamed in over the internet. It's the R2D2 for wine lovers. If you and your loved ones have $4400 to spare, you can have one of your very own.
Naughtiest T-shirt: "I want to put my Pinot in your mouth." (name withheld to protect the not-so-innocent)
The 2006 Vintage: it's all about the spice, based on the wines that I tasted. Clove, cinnamon, nutmeg--a spice box full of rich flavors greeted you in most glasses of wine. Accompanied by a firm core of acidity, I think this is a vintage that will (on the whole) age well, and in time some of those intensely spicy notes may soften. If you like Pinots that are approachable and easy to drink when young, with buckets of raspberry and earthy flavors, this may not be the vintage for you--I'd buy carefully. If spice is your thing, the standouts for me were the 2006 Londer Estate Grown Anderson Valley ($16-$40) with it distinctive flavors of clove, allspice, mushroom, and cherry; the 2006 Copain Kiser En Bas which ($56) was a bit tight now but had terrific spiciness and a slightly caramel aftertaste that worked very nicely with the black cherry fruit; and the 2006 Alma Rosa La Encantada ($49) with lots of cherry and baking spices and a clove finish, along with touches of rose petal.
What was missing: perfume. A lot of the wines were closed down and tight, and when I finally swirled a glass and got that floral and fruity smell I associate with the wine, accompanied by mushroom, forest, and earth aromas, it hit me right between the eyes. Melville's Pinot Noirs were a treat in the aroma and flavor departments, as were the wines from Londer Vineyards, Row Eleven, Sarah's Vineyards from the Santa Cruz Mountains, Anglim, and Eric Kent. The most stunning aromas came from the 2005 Fort Ross Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast ($35-$50), which had gardens of flowers, herbs, and cherry blossoms accompanied by touches of cedar and a core of raspberry and cherry fruit--and that was before you sipped any of it.
Favorite producers who continued to please: My favorite Pinot Noirs these days continue to be made by Fort Ross and Eric Kent. Fort Ross just released its 2005 Pinot Noirs, while Eric Kent brought along bottles of the 2006s and barrel samples of the 2007s.
Fort Ross's 2005 Sonoma Coast bottling had arresting aromas and velvety flavors of blackberry, raspberry, and earth. This is one elegant, refined, and captivating wine. The 2005 Reserve is still wound tight, and has more spicy notes with the berry fruit. This one will take some time to really settle down and show its full potential.
The 2006 Eric Kent Pinot Noirs I tasted last year in barrel samples lived up to their early promise. The 2006 Eric Kent Stiling Vineyard ($37-$53) had beautiful cherry blossom aromas, bright cherry fruit, and a lavender and herbal lift just when you least expect it. The 2006 Eric Kent Windsor Oaks ($37-$47) had soft, seductive red fruits and a black tea note in the aftertaste that made the wine deepen and darken. And there's more great wine to come with the 2007 vintage, with the Windsor Oaks barrel sample showing bright strawberry and cherry fruit with a caramelized edge to them. The 2007 Stiling Vineyard barrel sample was just exploding with raspberry fruit, and had more acidity than the Windsor Oaks and notes of earth and bitter chocolate. Eric Kent has a new Pinot Noir for 2007 from the Cleary Vineyards, which will please traditionalists with the earth, mushroom, and Asian spice flavors and cherry fruit and a bit of licorice for good measure. The 2007s will be spending another 6 months in the barrel before bottling, so it will be fascinating to track how they continue to evolve.
Impressive newer producers: I found three producers at this years tasting that I will be buying from in the upcoming months. They all have relatively small production, so if you are interested in their wine, I'd contact them directly.
The first is Scenic Root Winegrowers, headed up by Susan and Jonathan Pey who have made a variety of wines from different appellations under seemingly distinct labels since 1999. Their 2006 Pinot Noirs were quite impressive. The 2006 Pey-Marin "Trois Filles" ($42) was made with organic grapes and had aromas and flavors of chocolate, raspberry, and white flowers. The wine had a beautiful satiny mouthfeel, and was very elegant. The 2006 Pey-Lucia "Frisquet" ($39) had sweet raspberry top-notes in the aromas and flavors, which got darker and richer as you held it in your mouth. This wine had great acidity, too, and I suspect it will only get better with time.
Lutea Wine Cellars, headed up by winemaker Suzanne Hagins, are made with organic and/or biodynamic fruit and a restrained use of oak. Her wines are fascinating and well-made Pinots that can be enjoyed by all your senses--including your brain. I loved the stone and mineral notes and the bright raspberry fruit in the 2006 Pinot Noir Carneros ($35), and the satiny blackberry fruit in the 2006 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley ($35) had a charming lift of lavender and mint. How good are they? I've already signed up for their wine club.
Paul Mathew Vineyards makes wines under the leadership of Mat Gustafson. I was leaving the event when I met up with some of the folks from Vinquire, and they said their new favorites at the tasting were Lutea (see above) and Paul Mathew. Thanks for the tip! You are going to be hearing a lot about their wines in the upcoming months, I am sure, because they are well-priced and very flavorful. The 2006 Paul Mathew Sonoma Coast ($30) had high-toned cherry and raspberry fruit aromas and flavors. The 2006 Paul Mathew Russian River Valley ($32) had shyer strawberry aromas and flavors, and nice earthy and mushroom notes. The 2006 Paul Mathew Ruxton Vineyard ($35) had interesting spicebox and raspberry aromas and a light and lean flavor profile of cherry fruit with a spicy aftertaste. The 2006 TnT Vineyard ($35) had explosive aromas and flavors of cherries, spice, clove, and herbs.
Good Pinot under $20: there aren't that many of them, but I'd look for the 2006 Londer Anderson Valley described above, or the 2006 Row Eleven Vinas 3 ($18-$20) which has a sweet, juicy cherry aroma and a bit of earthiness added to the cherries in the flavors. This is not as complicated as many of the higher-priced wines, but it is a terrific, well-made, everyday Pinot Noir.
I'll be returning in more detail to these (and more) Pinot Noirs in upcoming posts, but I wanted to get out the highlights straight away so you can start placing orders, signing up for mailing lists, and doing what you need to do to keep yourself in good red wine for next year.
Anderson Valley Fire Update
Date: Mon, Jun 30, 2008 Wine Tasting
The sun wasn't orange today at 7 am, which was the first sign I had that things may be improving on the weather/fire front in Mendocino County and the Anderson Valley. When I took my walk, the sky was blue and the purple marine layer was sitting out on the horizon.
Yesterday I talked to people from several Anderson Valley wineries, including Londer and Handley. They said that so far everybody is ok in and around their immediate area. The tasting rooms are open, and though the air is likely to be smokey through Thursday the situation in the Anderson Valley is improving. Boonville, at the southeastern edge of the valley close to Highway 101 is a bit congested with firetrucks and there was a road closure last night related to fighting the Mountain View Road fire, but that situation has eased as of noon today.
At present the Mendocino fires are 38% contained, and the number of fires burning currently is down to 123. A red flag warning for the county, which was posted for fear there would be more dry lightning strikes, was recently lifted. The 100% containment of the large Walker fire in Lake County has freed up firefighters for Mendocino County. That extra manpower, combined with the colder temperatures and higher humidity, is making the difference.
If you are traveling to any vineyards in the area over the next few days, it's best to call ahead and make sure that all is ok before heading out. Fingers crossed that the situation will continue to improve over the next few days. Thanks to everybody for their messages, and their good wishes.
Cannonau: Proving "Rustic Wine" Isn't a Bad Thing
Date: Mon, Jun 30, 2008 Wine Tasting
I'm wrapping up my month of Sardinian wines today with a wine that exemplifies the wine description "rustic."
What is a rustic wine? It's a topic of debate, and some people use it as a put-down to describe wines they find simple, unsophisticated, and lacking in the fruitiness that might make a wine "quaffable" (that's a subject for another day). Like my esteemed colleague Tyler Colman of Dr. Vino, however, I think it's a good thing. In a post made way back in February 2007, he entered into a spirited discussion with some readers about the definition of a rustic wine. Dr. Vino described rustic wines as "off-the-beaten-path varieties or regions that maybe have some quirks or rough edges but also have a certain undeniable charm, particularly in the face of a pasteurized, homogenized wine in an “international” style."
This definition certainly fits the Sardinian red wine that I tried. I was made from Cannonau grapes--which is what Grenache is called on the island of Sardinia. Turns out there is a bit of controversy these days about the origins of Cannonau. We used to say the Spanish brought it to Sardinia, but now experts wonder if it isn't indigenous to Sardinia ,and the Spanish took it back with them after they invaded the island in the 13th century. Whatever you call it, Cannonau from Sardinia has retained the idiosyncratic rusticity that can make you feel that you are drinking wine from a different age. Craig Camp had a Cannonau a few weeks ago, and likened it to an old-fashioned Chateauneuf du Pape from the Rhone.
The 2003 Santa Maria La Palma Le Bombarde was one of those wines that reminded you that rusticity is something that you happen upon all too infrequently these days when drinking wine. ($18, Bion Divino) Upon first sip, it smalled and tasted like iron--overwhelmingly so--with some gamey notes that made me think I had made a serious mistake with this wine. I left it alone in the glass for 15 or so, then sipped it and the iron tang had gone, replaced by flavors of meat and leather. Another 15 minutes and the meat and leather had melded with a strong, cherry liqueur flavor. In the end it was very much like an older Chateauneuf du Pape, with all the rusticity and funkiness left in and none of its opulence of plushness. This wine had great varietal typicity, but it may not appeal to New World Grenache fans. Good QPR for a wine that has oodles of character, but may cost more than you want to spend on a wine with lots of rough edges.
Like most rustic wines, the Cannonau was much better with food than without. Our favorite pairing was with a BLT and some sweet potato fries. The sandwiches were made on some toasted sourdough made by our friends at the Twofish Baking Company, and the sourdough tang was perfect with the any remaining iron notes. The smokey bacon was terrific with the meat and leather tastes, and the tomato and the cherry flavors sparked off each other without clashing.
Listening to Lynne Rossetto Kasper's The Splendid Table podcast for June 21, I discovered a new reason to love this rustic wine: Dan Buettner discovered that is has 3 times the antioxidants of any other grape on earth. It's one reason why Sardinians (who love their Cannonau) are one of the five groups highlighted in his book Blue Zones, which studied communities with exceptionally long-lived members to learn about life habits that could contribute to health and wellness.
Sardinian Cannonau will be one of the reds that stands out from my Italian regional tour. Like one of the centenarian Sardinian sheep-herders interviewed in Dan Buettner's book, it proves that rusticity is not such a bad thing, after all.
The Wine Lover's Break Room--for Techies Only
Date: Sat, Jun 28, 2008 Wine Tasting
Ever wonder where wine bloggers go when they aren't blogging? Many of them work for a living (!), but since they are creatures who live partially online, they often take their coffee breaks in a virtual break room on Twitter, the micro-blogging platform that lets you chat to friends in 140 characters or less. (image from animationrollercoaster)
Increasingly, however, Twitter has been a problem. You show up in the break room and you can't get on because the servers are overloaded, you can't check messages because the servers are overloaded, you can't snoop on old conversations because the servers are overloaded. You get the picture.
Frustrated with the slowdowns, stoppages, and inflexibility of Twitter, Catavino (with some help from Twisted Oak's El Jefe) started an exodus to another micro-blogging platform called Pownce. This service lets you upload videos, texts, pictures, and messages. Problem is, fewer people are on Pownce, and even though it works consistently, it's slower.
I was bored and fidgety yesterday, and found two tools for micro-bloggers that you may want to check out if you are into this world of techie procrastination. The first is Summize. This site pops up with a simple search window, and you can enter the username of any of your friends, or your own username, to take a look at past conversations and posts on Twitter. You can even create a feed in your reader for a particular search term like "@YOURUSERNAME" which will update your feed whenever someone replies to you on Twitter.
The second is HelloTxt. This is a micro-blogging platform that enables you to post an update
once to multiple services (such as Twitter, Pownce, and Facebook, among many others). You can also monitor your friends' updates to Twitter and Facebook. They are working on Pownce but it isn't fully functional yet so you will still have to go over to Pownce and follow conversations and replies if you are active there.
If you spend inordinate amounts of your time online like we do, and feel like hanging out in the "break room" with a lot of wine bloggers, head over to twitter, Pownce, or wherever you like to hang out online and search for us. We're easy to find! Just search on our blog name, our blogging handle (like drdebs), or even an email. Send a friend request, and you'll be in for a wild ride (especially on Fridays when we all seem to go collectively and individually bonkers). Wine recommendations, recipe tips, baby updates, networking, ideas for collaboration, whining, weather updates--everything that happens in your break room at work happens in these virtual rooms, too. You can even complain about your real job, if you feel like it.
