tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48199142916706785302024-03-11T07:57:52.562-07:00Cuvée Corner Wine Blog Will Eyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183703307642614234noreply@blogger.comBlogger618125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4819914291670678530.post-65221319748317415352023-08-02T15:41:00.000-07:002023-08-03T12:38:03.387-07:00Wine Profitability <p><span style="font-family: georgia;"> <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; text-size-adjust: auto;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi58DfX2rlLPITTigQnCttj9CbLsYgvu7lz-fMYvW1mVIdGPm2TyX00pOrtXXm5vZUs-YMwM2cuXLVURGNW0DZ3iU_qiLErFBy4DGqkSqUF4FFeB4034tJdrzrEzqRjZhXE76SLJHtxaXVJq8Ai-adZypxI3rnBQ3eb7g3Rnnkkm9y_kftZN4gTr-IQy_KM/s2048/IMG_3740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi58DfX2rlLPITTigQnCttj9CbLsYgvu7lz-fMYvW1mVIdGPm2TyX00pOrtXXm5vZUs-YMwM2cuXLVURGNW0DZ3iU_qiLErFBy4DGqkSqUF4FFeB4034tJdrzrEzqRjZhXE76SLJHtxaXVJq8Ai-adZypxI3rnBQ3eb7g3Rnnkkm9y_kftZN4gTr-IQy_KM/w640-h426/IMG_3740.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div><p></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 9px 0px 8px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 19.2px;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Drink freely the wine life offers you and don't worry how much you spill.” – Marty Rubin</span></b></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 9px 0px 8px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: georgia;">Have you ever wondered which wine varietals are the most profitable and why? </span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: georgia;">If, so, then lets us dive in a bit. </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: georgia;">The wines that will produce the most profit for a winery will depend on a variety of factors, including the winery's target market, production costs, and pricing strategy. Some popular and profitable wine varieties that are often produced by wineries around the world include:</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><ol class="ol1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-size-adjust: auto;"><li class="li3" style="font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Cabernet Sauvignon: </b>This is one of the most widely planted wine grape varieties and is known for its full-bodied, tannic flavor profile. Cabernet Sauvignon is often produced as a premium wine, commanding higher prices and generating greater profits for wineries.</span></li><li class="li3" style="font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Chardonnay:</b> Chardonnay is a popular white wine grape variety that is known for its versatility and ability to be produced in a range of styles, from oaky and buttery to crisp and mineral-driven. Chardonnay is often a profitable wine for wineries as it has a broad appeal among wine drinkers.</span></li><li class="li3" style="font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Pinot Noir: </b>This is a red wine grape variety that is known for its delicate, nuanced flavor profile. Pinot Noir can be difficult to grow and produce, but it is often highly sought after by wine enthusiasts and can command premium prices.</span></li><li class="li3" style="font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Merlot:</b> Merlot is a popular red wine grape variety that is known for its soft, approachable flavor profile. Merlot is often produced in large quantities and can generate consistent profits for wineries.</span></li><li class="li3" style="font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Sauvignon Blanc: </b>Sauvignon Blanc is a white wine grape variety that is known for its bright, refreshing flavor profile. It is often produced in New World wine regions and can be a profitable product for wineries due to its popularity and broad appeal.</span></li></ol><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: georgia;">It is important to note that while these wine varieties are often extremely profitable for wineries, other factors such as the winery's location, production methods, and marketing strategy can also play a significant role in determining profitability.</span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Many people think or assume, the best way to make money in the wine business, is to have bundles of cash, just laying about waiting to flush it down the first few years of attempting the new start-up. </span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">But is it? I guess it depends on where you want to go in the first place, and what your ultimate goals are, before determining how you would or will achieve profitability. </span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p>Will Eyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183703307642614234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4819914291670678530.post-20853421659239086152021-12-02T17:22:00.022-08:002021-12-02T17:29:40.844-08:00A Spoonful of Social Media<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tULohyqH4k4/T4-pmnL-boI/AAAAAAAAGzk/nr9D5yrfxL0/s1600/The+Spoon.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tULohyqH4k4/T4-pmnL-boI/AAAAAAAAGzk/nr9D5yrfxL0/s640/The+Spoon.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>“You can buy attention [advertising]. You can beg for attention from the media [PR], or you can bug people one at a time to get attention (sales). Or you can <b>earn </b>attention by creating something interesting and valuable and then publishing it online for free.” –David Meerman Scott, Best-Selling Author & Speaker</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Jumping into the way back machine, it's time for a quick drive down memory lane, Gladius is playing the harp in the background. A traveling companion and I were visiting the Paso Robles area, one of my favorites stops on the wine trail. I love to hit the road nice and early. Before I head out for the day, I make it a point to have a big breakfast, and staying at the Paso Robles Inn, I thought what a great opportunity to dine locally and have breakfast there at least once. The food was tasty, the service was excellent, and the coffee was hot. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Right before I get to the point of this old story, it's important to note, that while this occurred way back at the beginning of "social media engagement", the truths found in the story still hold value for today's social media-savvy travelers.</b></span></i><span style="font-family: "verdana";"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Just one thing was missing that morning; there were no spoons, yes you heard me right, not even a single spoon anywhere to stir cream and sugar into my coffee. We looked at the tables behind us, nothing, we looked into the server station, the slot where the spoons usually would go was bone dry. It was a spoon shortage of epic proportions [oh-my], and I was afraid to ask what happened to the spoons, perhaps they had to sell off the spoons to pay a lousy gambling debt or some other addiction. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana";">So as I stirred the coffee with the fork, I pulled my smartphone from my pocket, checked in via FourSquare for Android, and jokingly commented; "I'd give up to half of my kingdom for a spoon." Not more than a minute later, did I get a tweet back from <a href="https://twitter.com/TravelPaso">@TravelPaso </a>[City Hall] asking if I would like them to bring me a spoon, from their office across the street from the Paso Robles Inn? I tweeted back, "Nah, I'll get along fine without a spoon" [<a href="https://twitter.com/cuvee_corner">@cuvee_corner</a>]. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">The reply came back, "oh-no that won't do; we are having a spoon brought to you now" I shared this exchange with a traveling companion, who could see me laughing while the conversation via Social Media ensued and marveled at what was transpiring over a simple spoon. A few moments later, an elderly woman, tapped me on the shoulder and said, "Are you, Will?" why yes I replied, and she said, "Here’s your spoon." I said, "thank you very much" and as she walked away, I looked over at my traveling companion, and I just started to laugh so hard, I could not believe what had just happened, moments later I was stirring my coffee with that very spoon. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">This moment of levity is a small demonstration of the potential power of social media and how it can be wielded for good in the right hands and obviously for nefarious reasons as well. If I, as a garden-variety wine writer with a modest following can leverage that kind of service for a simple thing like a spoon, hand-delivered to my table, then imagine what a business could do with a dedicated Social Media presence? That said, building your brand in the twenty-first century through social media channels is not and should not be an option, it's a deal-breaker to go without it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana";">The power to change and shape folk's minds is not being accomplished these days through slick marketing campaigns, girls in bikinis holding puppies, or fast-talking spokes-holes. Oh no my friends, if you want to swing the power of direct marketing [known as Social Media] to the masses, you had better get on the social media bandwagon before it leaves you in the dust. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana";">Many folks today question the value of social media and its impact on the bottom line. Is it driving the consumer to buy the products being discussed, these are fair points to make, but I think when it comes to wine, it's an entirely different story.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Possibly you still think, I don't know what I'm talking about in this regard, fair to say. That said, consider this example for a moment; I wrote an article about a winery in the Santa Lucia Highlands, a winery I only became aware of during a tasting at the annual event called, "Pinot Days" because their juice rocked and still does. The winery in this example is called Paraiso Vineyards, located in the Santa Lucia Highlands, producing world-class Pinot Noir, in the reasonable range of the price scale [The point is coming, building the story for maximum impact]. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Especially when compared to many of their counterparts other AVA's like the Russian River Valley or even the smoky [foggy] points of the Central Coast, known for their extended "waiting" list. They were surprised by how much my review lit up their website according to their owner [who I later met at the SLH tasting in LA] after my Pinot Days Top-Ten list came out. After that, they had put my notes in PDF form on their site for everyone to find. It was a proud day for my blog and a firm stamp of approval on the value of Social Media. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9FiAfr5d6dWOJh0Og982zzGFtv9FYstVF9FeBCHvpChy-rIYIkqcytsCybV3RlGUcZd6LQpoNOu9jVUP9AO04fnEfVqdB7MMcmLsvCPHX9SRPV_-oYW4ZJhwc1zjgtJSpEBfwjudJTAiT/s1600/real-impact-social-media-article.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="477" data-original-width="848" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9FiAfr5d6dWOJh0Og982zzGFtv9FYstVF9FeBCHvpChy-rIYIkqcytsCybV3RlGUcZd6LQpoNOu9jVUP9AO04fnEfVqdB7MMcmLsvCPHX9SRPV_-oYW4ZJhwc1zjgtJSpEBfwjudJTAiT/s640/real-impact-social-media-article.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">I picked up a few quotes I found from a gentleman on Twitter who made the following observations, about the impact social media has on the wine business. “Wine in itself is the most social product together with food. Consumers hate to buy wine as if it were a jar of peanut butter” ~Emilio Saez van Eerd.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">He went on to give some further ground rules about how wineries and or wine-related businesses should use or consider using Social Media to engage their customers. By the way, many wineries are successfully using Social Media and reaping the benefits. But for those still apprehensive about diving into the deep end of the social media pool, here are a few more tips about the possible course of action you may want to take if you do decide to jump in. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><b>1.</b> Give the people want they want, engage, meet them where they are in Technology Land, and like the Marines say, adapt, change, and overcome. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><b>2. </b>Reward your customer’s eagerness to share your wine with their friends, incentivize their efforts, and reap the rewards. [The "how" is up to you]</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><b>3.</b> Answer consumer questions promptly, be friendly, open up, and be your product or service and above all, be genuine. [By the way, "I don't know," "I'll get back to you on that" is a perfectly acceptable answer as well.]</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">One other thing I wanted to share with you about what I believe is the proper role of Social Media, is advice that comes from a company we all know and most of us respect. The quote is derived from the CEO of a business we're all familiar with, as iconic as Apple, it's Starbucks. Perhaps you've heard of them before. Their CEO, Howard Schultz commented on the role of social media in their business, and I think it's excellent advice for wineries and or wine-related companies newly seeking to use Social Media to build or bolster their brand. If his words don’t get your attention, nothing will. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"> </span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: verdana;">“This is the mistake firms make in using these channels to try to sell stuff.” Schultz went on to clarify that point more by saying; “They [social media channels] are not designed for that but to add value and build trust. We understood that from day one.” </i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Can bringing someone a spoon ultimately change anything, maybe not, but I’ll tell you one thing, I will never forget that story and now neither will you. So I hope the story I shared above was in some way instructive and perhaps someone who considers employing social media to build their brand found the information here helpful. For me, this story fully illustrates just how powerful social media networking can be in the hands of the right person, with the correct motivations. Until next time folks sip long and prosper cheers!</span>Will Eyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183703307642614234noreply@blogger.com41103 Spring St, Paso Robles, CA 93446, USA35.6255535 -120.6920599999999712.058766000000002 -162.00065399999997 59.192341 -79.38346599999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4819914291670678530.post-27245051051885560332021-12-02T17:13:00.000-08:002021-12-02T17:13:40.861-08:00It's the Willamette Dammit! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">"The three things that make a vineyard great are the climate, the soil, and the exposure. Bien Nacido Vineyard ~ James Ontiveros </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Willamette Valley in Oregon is known as a 'mecca' of sorts; it's where powerful, yet delicate, soulful Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay are grown, harvested, fermented, aged, bottled and eventually sold to wine enthusiasts around the world. I thought it was high time, I give some content space to the Wines of Oregon, just because that's the kind of guy I am.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Secondly, because of some of these relatively inexpensive [<b>$18-$28</b>] examples of Pinot Noir, which I tasted, slurped, sniffed, vigorously aerated, were in a few words, better than good. You can also see there's a bit of a theme, with four of the five wines below labeled Willamette Valley AVA. Now with no further ado, here's the skinny on what I've found over the years, many found in your local off-premise chain stores (read that grocery stores and the like). Keep in mind, there were more than a few wines which didn't make the cut. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>2010 Big Fire R. Stuart Pinot Noir:</b> I acquired this bottle as a sample in 2013, it became lost in the cellar. After moving up to Oregon, unpacking my wine collection, I spotted it and was finally able to give it a swirl. This wine, which is packed under screw cap, did age wonderfully and is a testament to the fantastic winemaking going on with this producer. I've tasted many of their wines [many from barrel] over the years, I've always been impressed. This is not one of their most expensive wines, but the power, soul, and substance of this Oregon AVA labeled Pinot was really impressive. Considering the direct to the consumer price of this wine is under<b> $20</b>. As you can see from the glass, it's very light in color, a shimmering ruby color, bright and vivid. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">A point of interest, I didn't finish this wine on the first go-around, I just put the [screw] cap back on, dropped it in my cellar overnight, and finished it the next day. It was still fresh, and thoroughly enjoyable to drink on day two. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /> I didn't decant this wine at all, I wish I had. The aromas, bursts of cranberry, summer strawberry, fresh baking spices, cut black tea, and freshly broken damp earth. On the palate, it's fresh, vivid and inviting. The fruit to acid ratio, spot-on, it couldn't have been better. Spice, cranberries, strawberry, sandalwood, and cherry. The finish long and lasting, a food pairing champion, to delight the senses. Sadly, as much as I could find out, there's none left to be had, except one small wine shop in Illinois, but I think I did see a goodly number of their <b>BFPN current releases </b>which are widely available at their tasting room in downtown McMinnville. <b>The Score: 91 points. Highly Recommended. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><br /></b> <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>2013 Elk Cove Vineyards, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir: </b>As you can, in the background, this wine was decanted and enjoyed slowly over a long snowy evening in early January. The color again, transparent, a bright vivid, garnet-colored core. Only ten months in French oak, produced from the grape of all five of the ECV properties, plus some purchased grapes. Pommard and Dijon clones play nicely together. A splash in the glass brings up a nice plume of, raspberry jam spread on warm toast, black tea bags, baking spices, and a bit barnyard. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /> The palate has a smooth and creamy texture, the round mouthfeel begs for a second sip, but is light with bright cranberries, toasted strawberry, dark cherries delight and deftly balanced. In the mix, medium to light tannins are delightfully integrated and a vivid streak of acidity helps hold it all altogether. A great example of a relatively inexpensive Pinot Noir, which over-delivers for its price point. I've seen this wine selling someplace as low as<b> $19 </b>and as high as <b>$26</b>. No matter how you slice it, dollars to donuts this one of the very best bottles of 2013 Oregon Pinot you'll find at this price point. <b>My Score: 93 points. Highly Recommended. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>2014 Rex Hill, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir: </b>This bottle I just opened last night, needs decanting, it's a bit of wallflower. In the glass it's darker in color, not the bright garnet color, instead, the color leans toward a dark ruby, but it's not opaque. I paired this wine with chicken-fried steaks, grits, and a summer fresh salad, dressed up with a raspberry vinaigrette. This was not a terribly aromatic wine, still, you could get some notes of fresh rhubarb, freshly broken moist earth, black cherries. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /> On the palate, I found it more earthy, than fruit-driven. Still, cherry and cranberry played a fun tune, while dusty baking spices, black tea leaves, and funky damp earth played bass in the background. The tannins are more evident in this wine than the others ranked above, making me think, perhaps six more months of bottle time would do wonders for the maturity of this wine. It's an excellent food wine, very balanced fruit to acid ratio. You can find this wine selling between $24 and $28 in most places. <b>Score: 90 points, Recommended. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span> <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>2015 Black Magnolia Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, OR: </b>It was with great delight, I received a request to review [<i>sample alert</i>] the wine you see above. As you can see from the copyright, this is a borrowed image. My image, vanished from my phone, most likely the victim of an accidental delete, doh. That said Black Magnolia Wines was gracious enough to allow me to use this image, which I did edit a bit, for formatting. <i><b>The bottle shot was taken by Brian Richardson. </b></i>Now with those formalities out of the way, it's time to dive into this wine. This wine does not need decanting to show off its round, rich, enticing aromas and flavors, but as I always recommend, when in doubt, decant.</span></span><br />
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In the glass, a light-colored garnet, mostly transparent. Giving it a good swirl, the aromas rise easily from the glass, sandalwood, sweet baking spices, wet earth funk, and cranberry toast, so very aromatic. On the palate, the tannins are seamlessly integrated, this wine coats the mouth nicely, generously embracing. Taste-wise, generous amounts of cranberry, sweet strawberry, baking spice, orange tea, and damp earth. I would say this wine is more fruit-forward, less about the earth tones. The acid to fruit ratio is excellent, the finish long and sumptuous. <b>Score: 93 points. Highly Recommended. </b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /> When I asked Anthony Van Nice Co-Founder of BMW about how they came up with the name of the wine, he answered, </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; font-style: italic;">"The name evolved over a few glasses of wine. My wife is from the South and is found in magnolias. I wanted the name to describe the wine indirectly and magnolias are beautiful, fragrant, and velvety just like great pinot. There is no such thing as a black magnolia, at least there was not until now. We wanted it to evoke something new, a little dark, and intriguing." </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I really liked this answer, it's a great name. Coming up with a wine label, that sets you apart from the competition is not as easy as it sounds. The grapes pressed into service to deliver this fantastic juice, I hear come from some well-regarded acreage. You can expect to see many tasty vintages from this label in the future. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">At least two of the wines in this report are <b><i>media samples, </i></b>the others were acquired the old fashioned way, cold hard cash, earned by the sweat of my brow, don't you know. That said, keep in mind the reason behind this article is not because I was asked to do so by a PR company, not that that's a bad thing. I'm just doing a bit of virtue signaling, so you, dear reader can be assured of the fact, that I have no other motive than my love of the grape varietal Pinot Noir.</span></div>
Will Eyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183703307642614234noreply@blogger.com1Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA44.942554 -122.933761542.057010500000004 -128.0973355 47.8280975 -117.7701875tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4819914291670678530.post-120649718245595172021-12-02T13:42:00.000-08:002021-12-02T17:33:49.788-08:00Wine of the Week: Château de la Charrière Pinot Noir Bourgogne<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>“The world is a contradiction; the universe a paradox.” ― Kedar Joshi</i></span></div>
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Yes, we've arrived at the cooler part of the year for many of our readers in the northern hemisphere, the searing temperatures of the summer, smoke-laden skies for a majority of us living on the west coast, the wearing of beach attire, floating down-river, has given way to all things pumpkin, shorter days and football.<br />
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I got to thinking about which wine of the samples I've received recently, wondering which would be crowned the Wine of the Week, and it looks like this time around a delicious example of value Bourgogne would be the ticket, so here you have it. I thought it should be a wine that's both, something different and at the same time something familiar. I say different because this producer is entirely a new-to-me unexplored region of France seeing I've still not trod upon the soil there. While I've uncorked many bottles of red Burgundy over the years, this is my first dance with this producer.<br />
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As I mentioned earlier, this wine is also something familiar because the wine-bearing grape involved is from the list of usual suspects, in this case, Pinot Noir. Because of my ongoing interest in uncovering exceptional wine values, I was quite intrigued and thought this wine would be of great interest to share in the <i>Wine of the Week </i>segment to kick off the official fall season.<br />
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It's easy to think of Bourgogne or Burgundy as just red and white, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but with its unique terroir, its centuries of winemaking, and the diversity of its appellations, this region is far from being a one-dimensional cookie-cutter wine-producing region. In fact, there are over <i><b>84 </b></i>different expressions or AOC's within this relatively tiny area, each said to express its own unique characteristics. You'll find this region runs the gamut, everything from the basic Appellations Régionales to the lofty heights of Grand Cru status.<br />
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While it's easy to succumb to the impression that wines from this region are super pricey (some are), there are many exceptions to that perception. If you know where to look, read some great articles (like this one for example) you can score dozens of wines like this one and have plenty of 'coin' leftover to grab some cheese, a baguette, and a healthy smattering of charcuterie.<br />
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Today's wine in the review spotlight comes from Château de la Charrière, a tasty, and relatively inexpensive everyday Pinot Noir Bourgogne. This wine is what you'd call 'easy on the eyes,' ready to drink, and with more de-stemming than in the past, this wine shines brightly in aroma, taste. Still complex, and wonderfully robust tannins which fold wonderfully into the fruit. The finish is long and lasting. At the SRP of <b>$18.99</b>, the <b>QPR</b> is off the charts.<br />
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This wine earned the sometimes dreaded, but occasionally numerical score of <b>89 points</b>. Not a cellar dweller, but a few more years of aging wouldn't hurt. But that said, this is a quick pop-and-pour wine, that will leave you scratching your head about its affable nature and its unbelievable affordability. If you're still only shopping for wines in your local grocery store aisles, folks, you're missing out on a slew of fantastic wines that don't even come close to breaking the bank. Break the mold, shop online for some of your best deals and depth of choices that will take you past the shelves full of the ordinary everyday commodity juice, you've grown accustomed to.<br />
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<b>Full Disclosure: </b>This wine was sent as a sample for the review process.Will Eyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183703307642614234noreply@blogger.com121590 Santenay, France46.9093903 4.6818991000000124.9107843 -36.62669489999999 68.9079963 45.990493100000009tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4819914291670678530.post-91693109413155216542020-03-08T11:03:00.000-07:002020-03-14T15:47:20.134-07:00Cognac: The Spirit and the Place<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Cognac; it's a city, a color, a digestif, a state of mind. <a href="http://articles.sfgate.com/2006-02-23/wine/17283513_1_cognac-fins-bois-grande-champagne">Richard C Hacker</a></span></i></div>
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Let's take a virtual trip "across the pond" over to the beautiful region of France, called Cognac. Like Champagne is not only bubbly, Cognac is not just a spirit, it's a magnificent place in France known for producing one of the most excellent 'spirits' in the world. <br /><br /> Let's face it, when it comes to the vine and winemaking, the French stand-alone and their 'spirit' of record, Cognac is always a 'top-shelf choice.' No other country has the breadth of history, nor can they beat France regarding its quality or the sheer volume of diversity in the types and styles of wine. Many wine enthusiasts believe, that France is the template and the standard-bearer in the winemaking world. I know some may want to argue this point, feel free to do so, but don't miss out on this inspiring introduction to possibly adding <a href="http://www.le-cognac.com/">Cognac</a> to your bars line-up, if you haven't done so already. <br /><br /> While many of its regions like, Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne are the most obvious and well known, for producing rare and highly sought-after wines, nearly as expensive as the rising price of gold. Places like Cognac can be overlooked by the casual drive-by wine & spirits enthusiast, so forget about the uber-expensive diamond crusted bottles you've seen on TV or in print. <br /><br /> Today's Cognac is much more than just a pretty bottle, more than a lush spirit to be sipped after dining out at your favorite restaurant, oh-no it's much more my friends it's an experience waiting to happen for prince and pauper alike. It's much richer and rounder than bourbon, and far more savory than scotch, it has a smoothness and elegance neither of those other spirits can ever hope to match. Of course, there's the common and everyday grocery store Cognac's from powerhouse Courvoisier, who delivers VO and VSOP in a variety of value price points, but for just <b>$40 to $50</b> more you could be swirling and be sipping "le cognac de Napoleon" [fine Champagne Cognac] in your glass, true luxury at a very reasonable price, talking one 'Benjamin' territory. <br /><br />For just a moment to take a virtual look around France's wine-strewn landscape, there are just as many obscurities as there are outstanding values to be had from little known appellations throughout the country and this is one of those gems I will be sharing with you today. In this review of Cognac the spirit and the place, you'll discover some fun facts and wonderful pairing suggestions. Even though I predominantly write a "wine-review" blog, it's not much of a stretch to include a guided tour of this wondrously palate-pleasing and spirit-lifting libation, one I enjoy as often as possible.
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong><em><span style="color: #990000;">Mix it up:</span></em></strong> </span>Maybe you got a bottle of Cognac as a gift, and you're thinking "I really don't want to drink it neat, I'd like to mix it up" so what's the answer? In today's techno-savvy world comes the familiar refrain "there's an app for that" and the folks at the <a href="http://www.cognacfans.com/iphone-app-cognac-summit/">Cognac Summit</a> would love to help you "mix it up," with their iPhone app. This app provides the everyday cork-dork or lounge lizard with some of the most contemporary recipes and has also mixed in some of the "classics" to help you mix it up in style. Their mixed Cognac recipes are drawn from critically-acclaimed sources spanning two centuries. Sounds like a great app, I'd give it a swirl.<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><em><strong><span style="color: #990000;">Not your father's Cognac: </span></strong></em></span>"While the making and traditions of Cognac are a passion for many, steeped [not like your morning tea] in time-honored traditions." So the commercial goes; frankly folks it's time to say goodbye to its stodgy old-guy image. Today's Cognac is shedding its snobby smoking-jacket image [think Captain Nemo] as a country-club spirit, tossing aside the idea that it's only a rich man's [evil-capitalists] drink. Oddly enough it's finding itself mentioned in rap-songs and being mixed in a new wave of innovative cocktails by mixologists [aka bartenders] coast to coast [hello Sidecars]. <br /><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong><em><span style="color: #990000;">Sweet Side of Cognac</span></em></strong></span>: Who doesn't like the sweet side of life? Even in Cognac, there's a sweet-side, it sheds its cloak of woody, floral aromas and flavors by inviting Poire Williams Pears to the party. This is a much different Cognac than anything you may have encountered before. One of the great things about this sweet-cognac is that it's easy to spot on the shelf, as it comes in a pear-shaped bottle. This style of cognac is infused with about 20lbs [on average] of Poire Williams pears per 750ml bottle. I have had the chance to sample other well-known cognacs, which were more austere and on the rustic-side of the equation, but Belle De Brillet, Poire Williams Cognac eases the beginner into discovering Cognac, also a nice step-up from Port.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong><em><span style="color: #990000;">Cognac Today:</span></em></strong> </span>The cognac region of France, is just some 4 and a half hours southwest of Paris. The region consists of six cru appellations, contained in a small area of some 185,000 acres. Cognac is produced from the areas distinctive, chalky limestone soils, which translate wonderfully in each sip.<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="color: #990000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong><em>Top-Crus:</em></strong></span> in order of quality are Grand Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies, Fins Bois Bon Bois and Bois Ordinaries and as with table wines each region is designated on the bottle's label. The grapes are still traditionally harvested in October, where they undergo two distinct distillations. From December to March the casual observer can see the delicate traditional operation of Distillation Charentaise [2 times] in the Traditional Charentais Pot Still made from pure copper in a ritual unchanged since the 17th century.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong><em><span style="color: #990000;">1st Distillation:</span></em></strong> </span>The first 'chauffe' which lasts between 8 and 10 hours produces a cloudy liquid is called <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CBYQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cognac-world.com%2Farticle.php3%3Fid_article%3D530&ei=1BoLTIOqNY72Mqn1-bUE&usg=AFQjCNFisO4SCEryx6XR0qgucaAlSEfZNg&sig2=GFSrmijrPlW2dqWZnvfGRA">brouillis</a> [slightly hazy liquid], and during the 2nd distillation a master-distiller separates alcohol vapors, where the clear spirit emerges from the brouillis.<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong><em><span style="color: #990000;">2nd Distillation:</span></em></strong> </span>When it's complete the white-wine, [which the French call "eau de vie" water of life] is transferred to oak casks made of 100-year-old Sap and Heartwood trees, where it will stay for 2 years. This old-wood is what transforms this clear liquid into wondrous amber/golden yellow color we have come to know and love. Of course, if it's allowed to more time to barrel-age, [unlike table wine, Cognac does not age in the bottle], you'll see a lot more amber than gold.<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong><em><span style="color: #990000;">Blending:</span></em></strong> </span>After the cognac is summoned from its slumber, the master-blender will determine the blend and bottle a "consumer-ready" cognac with a minimum ABV of 40%. Each Cognac blend will comprise 100 or more different lots of eau de vie [water of life]. Now this is where an important distinction lies in this process I've described above, in order for Cognac to be labeled "Cognac" that process must be completed by the end of March, or it will be labeled a brandy [a poor mans cognac], it's important to note that "while all cognac is brandy, not all brandy is cognac."<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong><em><span style="color: #990000;">The Grapes:</span></em></strong> </span>Many folks wonder if Cognac is wine or spirit, the answer really is yes, it is both. Unlike many other spirits, Cognac is actually made from grapes. Yes, grapes many of which the casual wine-drinker are typically unfamiliar with, but they are still part of the Vitis-vinifera [the wine bearing grape] family. The grapes of Cognac are not your everyday household names, nope it's the likes of Ugni Blanc [no not the ugly-grape] as this is the most widely planted and the other two minor players known as Folle Blanche and Colombard.<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong><em><span style="color: #990000;">Cognac Code:</span></em></strong> </span>Like a page from the movie "Code Talkers" you need to know what all the letters on the label stand for or you'll just be stumbling around scratching your head.<br />
<br />So here are the decipher codes; VS, stands for Very Special a cognac which is stored for at least two years.VSOP stands for Very Special Old Pale, these cognacs are stored for at least four years in barrel before being bottled. <br /><br /> XO stands for Extra Old, the cognacs in this category are stored for at least six years, but typically the average is around twenty years. Finally, you have, Napoleon which is supposed to be equal to the XO quality, aged at least six years before release. The more aging a cognac receives, mean you will likely encounter a much higher price.<br /><br /> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #990000;"><strong>Sticker Shock:</strong></span> </span>Many of you see that fancy bottle, and you may instantly think oh-my this won't be in my price range. Folks honesty I've seen some bottles with this description, “handcrafted crystal, dipped in 24-karat yellow gold and sterling platinum and decorated with 6,500 certified brilliant cut diamonds" on a bottle of Henri IV Dubognon selling for a cool two-million each. I know you're thinking cmon really? Perhaps a bit on the ostentatious side of the equation, but you don't have to pay a <b><i>kings-ransom</i></b> to get your hands on some very-good Cognac.<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong><em><span style="color: #990000;">Affordable Cognac:</span></em></strong> </span>Want to dip your foot in the pool without having to take a dive? Here are a few picks that are sure to make your palate and wallet happy. Prunier V.S. - one of my top picks, most intriguing flavor [IMHO], with little to no burn, very affordable and approachable, celebrated with a nice Monte Cristo number four [under $40].<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong><em><br /></em></strong></span> <span style="color: #990000; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong><em>Martell V.S</em></strong>. </span>Here you have complex, hits ya with a warm-you-up feeling like brandy, the tastes says "I'm worth the money." To me, it undoubtedly represents the 'replacement' to cheap brandy [around $50]. <br /><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><em><strong><span style="color: #990000;">Courvoisier V.S.</span></strong></em> </span>A bit on the austere side of the equation, invoking floral and woody flavors and aromas [under $50] but great for mixing, where it's not the star of the show. <br /><br /> There is also the Belle De Brillet, Poire Williams Au Cognac, with just a touch of sweetness, still sophisticated, approachable and very inviting [under $50]. And of course, the most common Cognac, under $50 Hennessey's is excellent for mixing.<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong><em><span style="color: #990000;">Know before you go:</span></em></strong> </span>Just as a reminder, many wine stores will not carry Cognac simply because they don't have the license necessary to sell spirits, good to know before you go. Even if your favorite wine and spirits retailer has its stock, it is most likely not an item that will have a lot of depth in their inventory.<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong><em><span style="color: #990000;">Cognac and Coffee:</span></em></strong> </span>Who knew this would be a great match, but folks I'm here to tell you that they really are sublime partners under the right circumstance and mixed appropriately. I discovered this combination when I ran out of my favorite Irish Whiskey, typically, a fun a favorite-mixer for me on the weekends, but I had run out. So what to do? Head over to the pantry, score what did I find, a bottle of Remy that was leftover from a party. So, I decided to blend the two and wow baby, game-on. It was fantastic, since then I've added [invited] a scoop of cocoa to the mix and bang, spot-on and may just have you saying Bonjour Paris yourself. I highly recommend giving it a go.<br /><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong><em><span style="color: #990000;">Pairing Cognac and Cigars:</span></em></strong> </span>This is one of my favorite pairings and of course not in the traditional sense, thinking about the word pairing [matching food and wine]. That said, Cigars and Cognac are as old a combination as Napoleon and Josephine. Which begs the question; which cigar and which Cognac? According to Cigar Aficionado, "A light panetela would be as inappropriate with 30-year-old XO Cognac as a Muscadet is with a saddle of venison." well said and I would have to say I agree entirely with the sentiment, thus choosing correctly is paramount to maximizing your experience.<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #990000;"><strong>Other Voices:</strong></span> </span>Max Cointreau, chairman of Cognac Pierre Frapin, had this comment on the subject of pairing cigars and Cognac, "There is a range of Cognacs for cigars, such as a lighter VSOP with milder cigars, but any Grande Champagne Cognac can be good with a cigar." Similarly, master blender Jean-Marc Olivier recommends Courvoisier Napoleon as an excellent choice for all cigars. <br /><br />
I tend to agree with both of those recommendations, but in my experience, there are many Cognac's which makes for a "spot-on" companion to a majority of cigars, but my favorite is the Monte Cristo number four. Just like the wine treasures you take the time to collect, great cigars need a place to call home, stored properly and a well-made cigar humidor will definitely help you get you there.<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong><em><span style="color: #990000;">Recommendations:</span></em></strong> T</span>his is a fantastic libation to have around the house at all times since it's something you will be sipping over a period of months and not days. It makes for a great after-dinner drink to sit back and enjoy with friends and some cigars or just to sip on its own. Cognac makes for a wonderful any-time quaff, neat, chilled or on the rocks and can easily be stored in the pantry without worrying about spoilage for months on end. The next time you see Cognac on the menu of your favorite eatery or on the shelf at your local wine and spirits store, hopefully, you now feel a bit more confident give this wonderful libation a-swirl and live like a king for a moment. So until next time sip long and prosper cheers!<br />
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Will Eyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183703307642614234noreply@blogger.com116100 Cognac, France45.691046 -0.3287440000000287945.646683 -0.40942500000002879 45.735409 -0.24806300000002879tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4819914291670678530.post-62627238688273035622020-03-03T10:56:00.000-08:002020-03-14T14:35:42.636-07:00Yes-Way Rosé: Ten Delicious Rosé's <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>"We want to drink pink wine the same way we want to be beautiful, effortlessly thin, and maybe French. We want the idea of rosé." ~ E. Saladino</i></div>
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More than a few years ago (2014) now the <b><i>rosé</i></b> category for wine, was flat, dull and rather uninteresting. It was known by a few different names, and mostly unflattering. Fast forward a few years and the bandwagon of fans and advocates are overflowing its recommended weight capacity. But there's still time to get with it and jump on the bandwagon, check out these great anytime sips below. </div>
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This refreshing 'dry' pale-colored style of wine makes for the ultimate summertime choice, but it's not just for summer any longer, it's a great foodie driven wine which has a variety of pairing partners. Many vino-sapiens (another word I made up to describe wine enthusiasts) baking in the summer heat can appreciate this wine for its refreshingly light style, but for those who proclaim winter is coming it's also boon for you, as it's the perfect aperitif wine to highlight pre-dinner activities.<br />
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In the not too distant past, these styles of wine suffered from a bit of an identity crisis, being confused with insipid blush wines; typically those found lining the bottom row of shelves in the local neighborhood drug store, quickie marts, and known as the dreaded white-zin or white-merlot. These blush-wines resemble more of an adult version of a sippy juice box; where the only thing missing is the straw. </div>
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So what can you expect to find in what I call a true rosé? They are often made in a “dry” style, displaying vibrant, fresh red-fruit flavors, like strawberry, raspberry, ripe summer peach, ripe red-pear or even watermelon side of the fruit spectrum, peppered with subtle spicy floral. A true rosé is an excellent dry, tangy and crisp wine, and nothing like the blush wines, which tend to be heavy and syrupy-sweet.<br />
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In fact, their only real similarity is in the semi-pink to fluorescent-red color. In my opinion, a properly made rosé will always have a great depth of flavor, crispness, lightly layered red-fruit, floral spices; characteristics all of which make a great summer sipping style of wine. It's also important to note, that while many of the rosé wines clamored for today are a lightly color salmon, there's 'clairet' which is typically a ripe watermelon to strawberry color, commonly coming from producers in Bordeaux and Tavel. </div>
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I originally wrote this article back in <b>2012</b>, long before the days when I worked as a<i> wine steward</i> for Vons in La Jolla, and long before "It's Rose Season" became a thing, like it is today. I was a big fan of dry rose then as I am today. My advocacy for dry rose really came into fruition, when I was hired by Vons to be their Wine Steward. The interview process was short and sweet, a good friend from France put in a good word for me, and I was hired on the spot. </div>
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Fast forward to 2015, spring was in the air, and I said to the store director at the time, "It's Rose Season," he looked at me puzzled, "err, what?" That's when I launched into my idea for a full display to be put in what chain stores (grocery stores etc.) call the A spot, not to be confused with that other spot that starts with the letter G. </div>
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In an off-premise store, i.e., grocery stores, this spot is the prime location of entry where everyone coming into the store will see it. Because he trusted my judgment, he said go for it. I went to work with the distributors and suppliers to build an impactful Rose display. As the sales of Rose blew up in the store, people took notice, Vice Presidents of Operations, suppliers and the different distribution companies I worked with on an almost daily basis, I could see this idea was a phenomenal success. </div>
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It wasn't before long, that this idea <i><b>"It's Rose Season"</b></i> became a company-wide campaign, it was on like Donkey Kong, other stores were told to emulate the display and then it was an entirely new category area was cut into the companies schematic. Now did I get any of the credit? No, not even one bit. But it's worth noting here on this blog, my little corner of the internet that I was in some small way ahead of the <b><i>Rosé wave</i></b> I knew was coming and how to get out ahead of it. Too bad I squandered that trend spotting skill by not launching something of my own. Like all those folks who watched Forest Gump in the theatre, thinking "ah-man" it's probably too late to buy Apple stock."</div>
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<b>Food Pairing Champ: </b>Trying to beat the summer heat this year and you still want to drink wine, you’ll find rosé wines are very versatile food pairing champions. They lend themselves easily to pairing with many different food types and styles. Rosé wines also tend to be low in alcohol [but not always], making it the perfect wine for taking on an afternoon picnic. Some recommendations; hot or cold (perfect leftover) chicken, pasta, pork, Sunday morning Tortilla-Espana omelets or even a New York deli-style quiche, and other lighter picnic-foods like charcuterie and fresh cheeses, mix in some fresh fruit, and you are on the way to food and wine pairing nirvana.<br />
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<b>1. Chivite's Gran Feudo Rosado [Navarra, Spain]: </b>A Garnacha based rosés which typically sports zippy acidity. Ripe watermelon punctuates the color, a red-fruited distinctive fragrance, ripe summer plums, raspberries and a fresh basket of strawberries on the finish. On the palate, slim and friendly, with a lasting structure and a firm finish. I discovered this wine while in the Kingdom of Navarra last year, I scored this wine 90 points, it sells for a crazy-good price $9 <a href="http://www.pjwine.com/store/product/31347/Chivite-%22Gran-Feudo-%22-Navarra-Garnacha-Tinta-Rose-2010-%28750ML%29/">here</a>, providing tremendous QPR.<br />
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<b>2. Envie d'été 2010 Château Garrineau Rosé [France]: </b>A very tasty rosé composed of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. On the nose, you'll find elegant aromas and flavors of cherries and strawberries, wrapped in floral overtones. It’s the kind of wine that feels like summertime in the South of France. I scored this wine<b> 88 points</b> and it sells for about $15 USD, though I couldn't find a place that sells this wine here in the US.<br />
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<b>3. <a href="http://www.pineridgevineyards.com/#wine/2011-napa-valley-rose?&_suid=13420228977950060680650315507956">Pine Ridge 2011 Encantado Rosé [Stags Leap]</a>: </b>This rosé was crafted using the saigneé, [to bleed off] a technique where the juice is extracted from the must. A true-rosé composed of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, a fantastic rosé brimming with the fresh red-fruits flavors of - strawberry, raspberry and a hint of citrus. I discovered this wine on one of my recent trips to the Napa Valley, where Mrs. Cuvee and I could be found slurping this wine down while reclining under an umbrella-covered picnic-table on the wonderful grounds of Pine Ridge. I scored this wine <b>89 points.</b> It sells for an SRP of <b>$22</b>.<br />
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<b>4. V. Sattui's 2011 Gamay Rouge (Napa Valley):</b> This rosé is a great wine for folks who like it saa-weet, but may want to dial it up a notch or two. This wine would be perfect with spicy Thai food or even barbecued ribs, sports generous RS, with just enough acidity to carry the fruit and not be cloying. Produced by extended grape skin contact, in the glass a summertime strawberry color. The flavor profile provides the palate with ripe strawberry, a touch of cherry and some gentle baking spices. This wine is only available at the <a href="http://www.vsattui.com/Gamay">winery</a> and sells in the neighborhood of <b>$18,</b> I scored this wine <b>87 points.</b><br />
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<b>5. <a href="http://www.dinastiavivanco.com/bodega/bodega.asp">Vivanco Tempranillo Garnacha Rosé 2009</a> (Rioja)</b>: This is a vibrant Rosé with dominating flavors of rose petals, raspberries, and toasty-strawberries; there is a kick of spice on the finish. This wine was made in the traditional “Sangrado” style, where skin contact was <b>12-24 </b>hours for the color. This wine sells for <b>$15 </b>a bottle, and I scored it<b> 92 points.</b> It goes great with spinach quiche.<br />
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<b>6. <a href="http://www.penmansprings.com/osc/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=36">Penman Springs 2010 Estate "Two Roses"</a> (Paso Robles):</b> This rosé is no simple cut-out from the Syrah grape, but as I recall this wine had the most "funky" nose. Some incoherent barnyard aromas were the first impressions to greet my nose. After a few more swirls some toasty cranberry and strawberry aromas, which carried through to some wonderful dried red fruit flavors, just a bit of white pepper and refreshingly crisp finish. I initially thought this was Grenache, but later learned it was Syrah. I scored this wine <b>89 points</b>, and it sells for $15 through the website or in the tasting room.<br />
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<b>7. <a href="https://shop.sokolblosser.com/Shop-Online/Rose-Sparkling-Wines">Sokol Blosser Estate Cuvée Rosé of Pinot Noir, 2016</a> (Dundee Hills): </b>The color of this wine resembled a water-colored Caribbean sunset, kind-of a light salmon and cotton candy mix. This lively wine comes from a careful touch of skin contact from Pinot Noir; small quantities of free-run juice really [no press in sight]. On the nose, plenty of vibrant rose petals dried strawberry and a kiss of a meaty summer peach. The palate bites with ripe strawberries 'kisses' on your mouth oh-my, along with tangy-citrus, wet-stone, and lemongrass. I found this wine well balanced, piped with bright acidity. If you’re looking for pairing suggestions, this rich enough to pair up with salmon or even duck, yet light enough to handle a plate of fresh mussels. I scored this wine<b> 92 points</b>; it sells through the wineries website for <b>$18</b>, great QPR.<br />
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<b>8. <a href="http://www.banfivintners.com/">Banfi 2010 Rosa Regale Brachetto</a> (Italy): </b>Another wine for those who like it <b>sweet and bubbly</b>. In the glass it has the appearance of drinking dark ruby soda pop, a frothy little number full of raspberry-colored foam, giving a very festive feel in the glass. You'll find hints of rose petals, where sweet raspberry and strawberry nuances abound. Rosa Regale is produced by <a href="http://www.vigneregali.com/index.html">Vigne Regali </a>in Strevi, Piedmont. I scored this wine<b> 87 points</b>. I've seen it available to purchase this at a few local Costco locations for $14.99 each. It has an amazingly low ABV of just 7%, sweet, a perfect pairing partner with spicy foods.<br />
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<b>9. <a href="http://www.jjbuckley.com/2010-Rol-Valentin-Rose-Bordeaux-Blend/p~2010~12095~750">Rol Valentin Rosé 2010, St-Emilion</a> (France):</b> Another nose full of bright, fresh baskets of strawberry, watermelon and ripe raspberry fruit that carries through to the palate, some dried spice notes and a boat-load of crisp acidity to balance the big, up-in-your-face fruit. This beauty sells for $10 in most places, and I gave it 90 points. A stunner of great value [QPR], overflowing with flavor, from one of the new a·vant-garde of garagiste wines that have emerged in St-Emilion.<br />
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<b>10. <a href="http://www.gloriaferrer.com/royal-cuvee/">Gloria Ferrer Royal Cuvée </a>(Sonoma): </b>Who says a rose wine can't be bubbly? Hmm? No one. In the flute, you'll find this Pinot Noir led 'Cuvee' blend casts a slight rosé color leaning toward the orange/pink salmon side of the equation. On the nose dried cherries, over a freshly baked brioche. In the first slurp, ample fat bubbles and creamy mousse composed of strawberries, smeared on freshly baked buttermilk biscuits, leading to a long, sumptuous finish. I've had this wine several times, and I've never been disappointed. It sells for in the <b>$14 to $32 </b>price range in most places. I scored this wine 90 points and highly recommend it.</div>
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<b>Bonus: 2012 Chateau De Marsan (Bordeaux): </b>Wow, this rosé (clairet) wine just says drink now and drink often. Say hello to Bordeaux with this blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot which provides the swagger of fruity/floral aromas with a slap of blackcurrants, pinned against a solid structure, made in a dry style. If that was not enough summertime ripe strawberries, enchant you, while finely toned elegance plays its part on the palate, providing a vivid canvas for summer-time sipping. Bold, fresh and just waiting to please, the price is easy on the eyes as well at an <b>SPR of $11-$13.</b><br />
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An okay folk that’s the list, I hope one of these wines will be filling your glass soon. Summer is in fine form, heating up the landscape, sending folks scurrying for a way to be the heat. You may want to get busy stocking up on a few of these gems, as you definitely don't want to be on the outside looking in when it comes to securing some of these beautiful rosés for your upcoming weekend festivities. Until next time sip long and prosper.</div>
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Will Eyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183703307642614234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4819914291670678530.post-61172005440477141202020-03-01T14:30:00.000-08:002020-03-02T19:21:51.113-08:00Myth Busted: The Top 5 Myths about Sulfites in Wine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>“A myth is a way of making sense in a senseless world. Myths are narrative patterns that give significance to our existence.” ― <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/313093.Rollo_May">Rollo May</a></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Invariably any number of folks who work in the wine-biz or wine-trades, whether it's your favorite tasting room in Napa or the wine bar down the street, will be asked about the health effects of sulfites in wine and its supposed link to headaches and other sundry ailments. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This has become even more a question in our health-conscious nation, where even the question of where their food comes from and whether it's ethical is a topic of daily discussion. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Since food and wine are so tightly tied together, it's only natural that questions about chemicals that perhaps are potentially lurking in our vino should also be addressed. Thus the focus on sulfites has become more mainstream, especially since a law was introduced and passed forcing producers to add the phrase </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #990000;">"contains sulfites"</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #990000;"> </span>to the ominous warning label found on wine bottles.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The team at <a href="http://vinecrowd.com/"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><i>Vine Crowd</i></span></a> has compiled a list of the top five myths about the sulfites found in wine we all drink every day. Done in a style, which I believe to be a similar [style or fashion] to the folks on the once [hugely] popular show <b><i>Mythbusters. </i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>A fascinating show, </i></b>where they take a common-sense approach [aka. scientific method] to prove or disprove popular recurring myths. So, sit back, buckle-up as it's going to be a bumpy ride today on our way to discover together what is really going on in our wine and like some popular <i>nineties</i> show once proclaimed, <i><b>"the truth is out there". </b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1. You or someone you know is allergic to sulfites. </span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">NOPE, not true. Someone’s been badly misinformed. Sulfites are something that our body naturally produces at a normal rate of about 1,000mg a day. Compare that to the average 10mg per glass of wine and it’s pretty clear that if someone was allergic to sulfites, their problems would be a little more severe than a life without wine. There are, however, individuals that have high sensitivities to sulfites. We’ll get to that in a second. Oh </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2. The sulfites in wine are extremely high. </span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Again, not true. Sulfites are a part of the winemaking process all around the world. They are added in moderation in order to preserve wines for aging. They are also added to other foods for the same reason – anything from the vegetables in a salad bar to dried fruits will contain added sulfites. Sulfites in an average glass of wine will measure <b>10mg</b>, whereas a<b> 2oz</b> serving of those bright orange dried apricots typically has <b>112mg.</b> Yep, over 10 times as much as a glass of wine.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3. Sulfites give you headaches.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">FALSE. Probably the biggest myth of all. There has been no link to sulfites and headaches in research groups – even among people with high sensitivity to sulfites. Even among the highly sensitive people, adverse reactions (mainly asthmatic) only presented themselves when subjects were given four times the normal amount of sulfites in a single glass. This is not to say that some people don’t get headaches when they drink certain types of wine or alcohol, it just shows that it’s not the sulfites that are causing them. New research is showing that headaches may be related to the type of yeast used in fermentation.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i><b>Clarification:</b></i> "<i>I wanted to clarify that the infamous ‘red wine headache’ is very real for some people, but as mentioned above, it’s not the sulfites that are causing them." ~ Jennifer Kaplan</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the June issue of the Harvard Health Letter, it says ''The red wine headache is a real if poorly understood phenomenon." and according to <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/17/dining/eating-well-the-puzzling-red-wine-headache.html">Marian Burros</a> that quote is what she would call "<i>a masterpiece of understatement</i>." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">4. There are less sulfites in white wine. </span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s probably safe to say that we all know someone that doesn’t drink red wine<i> “because of the sulfites.”</i> In reality, white wines have slightly more sulfites than reds.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">5. There are more sulfites used in American wines.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Surprise, things listed in bold are still <b><i>NOT TRUE</i></b>. Though winemaking practices differ in each country and region, a number of sulfites used in winemaking tend to be the same among Old World and New World countries. Several studies show that sulfite levels are similar throughout Europe and the US specifically. The fact that the US has a sulfite warning label but Canada and European countries do not tend to add to this myth.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Other Resources:</i></b> For more information on the topic there's a great article posted entitled; <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/17/dining/eating-well-the-puzzling-red-wine-headache.html">Eating-well the puzzling red-wine-headache</a> by Marian Burros who writes for the NYT. And one other insightful article on the subject; <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCYQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.beekmanwine.com%2Fprevtopbd.htm&ei=3jaeTb7oHYTp0gGIppjPBA&usg=AFQjCNG4X7Cct7KLxe2I9JCPQ-f3lEI8XA&sig2=clfPjBCljrUIkgIwKjrDMw">Red Wine Headaches vs. Sulfite Allergies</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This article is cross-posted at <a href="http://vinecrowd.com/">Vinecrowd.com</a> and posted here courtesy of the author <a href="http://importantmedia.org/members/jkaplan">Jennifer Kaplan</a> who was gracious enough to allow the Cuvée Corner Wine Blog to post it here in its entirety. I believe the information contained in this article is important and will be helpful for the vast wine swirling and the wine-slurping public to get their heads around this sometimes controversial topic. Jennifer Kaplan's article does just that with a very common-sense approach to dispelling the myths about sulfites. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I hope everyone found this article at the very least helpful and make others feel a little more comfortable about the sulfites found lurking in their wine glass. I believe we can say this myth was emphatically <i><b>busted.</b></i> So until next time, remember to sip long and prosper cheers!</span>Will Eyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183703307642614234noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4819914291670678530.post-36599566162377721252020-02-27T14:58:00.000-08:002020-02-27T19:38:02.474-08:00Viognier Uncorked: Grab the Deets Here<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">It has been said that; "The only difference between reality and fiction is that fiction needs to be credible.” ~Mark Twain</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Well, I couldn't agree more with that statement. But one of the funny things I observe, if that if you go to any tasting event, you'll definitely find white wines tend to be the wine, which is left over at the end of the day. Check it out for yourself, the next time you throw a party for a bunch of cork-dorks [a technical term] I believe you'll see that the white-wines will often sadly be the last to go, compared to their red wine counterparts.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'm sure everyone is familiar with the phrase "Variety is the Spice of Life" which is one of my favorite quotes, and one I subscribe to myself. Is not life much better when it is filled with a <i><b>"variety"</b></i> of the things we like? Of course, it is. It is inevitable that some wines in your life will become trite and your palate will crave new tastes, new experiences, so it's nice to have other wines that you still enjoy to fall back on.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Now there's is nothing wrong with giving the garden-variety Chardonnay a swirl now and then. But it's, of course, a wine which is very plentiful, one you can find on just about any grocery store shelf. But when you've got to the point, that many seasoned vino-sapiens ultimately get to, the last thing you want is Chardonnay. Especially when the world is brimming over with a virtual cornucopia of other white wines, all sporting many different styles, flavors, and aromas. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Wine with Depth:</span></b> So you think the Golden State Warriors has depth on the bench? Uh-no not compared to this champion with roots in the Northern Rhone Valley of France. It's with the idea of "depth" that I bring to your attention a white wine with some depth, complexity, intermixed with bold flavors and floral characteristics, sure to please even the most discriminating palates, yes maybe even you lurkers out there. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I present to you <i>Viognier <span style="color: #990000;">[pronounced vee-oh-nyah].</span></i> A white wine which has its roots in France's Northern Rhone Valley. In fact, according to one so-called wine expert <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remington_Norman"><span style="color: #990000;">Remington Norman</span></a> who has identified <i><b>two</b></i> distinct strains of Viognier an <b>"Old World"</b> strain, most common in <b>Condrieu</b>, and a <b>"New World"</b> strain, which is found in the Languedoc and other areas. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Although made from the same grape, the two strains produce distinctly different wines, and Viognier from Condrieu tends to be on the expensive side of the equation. So with that said, you will mostly find the NW strain here in the states, although if you stretched yourself and did some research, you could find yourself some of the Old World style Viognier, a feat which to many is not unlike obtaining the <b><i>holy-grail</i></b>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Personality Disorder:</span></b> Uh-huh, so you thought only people were the only ones with personality disorders? Sadly it too can be said that even your favorite wine can have the same dysfunction. There are a couple styles of New World Viognier to be found, and the style you chose depends on whether it has been aged in <b>Oak</b> or <b>Stainless Steel</b>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If the wine has been aged in Oak, it will give creamy nuances along with its floral expressions you can also look forward to an in a heady bouquet of nectarine, lemon peel and lychee complemented by floral notes of lime blossom and honeysuckle. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But if you prefer the more traditional stainless steel approach or made in neutral oak barrels, look for more clean flavors, higher acid, tending toward a more restrained style and but at the same time more elegant. Meaning the wine will be more pronounced on the nose and typically feature a bit less weight on the palate.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Aroma Therapy:</span></b> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone needs a little “aroma-therapy” now and then, it’s also happens to be in true in<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #993300;"> </span></b><b><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Côte-Rôtie</span></b><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"> [known by many as the roasted slope] because it’s here that the very aromatic </span><i>Viognier [up to 20% allowed] </i><i><span style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">lends a hand at perfuming the blends of Syrah from this very well known</span></i><i> </i><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span lang="EN" style="color: #993300;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_wine" title="French wine"><span style="color: #993300;">French wine</span></a> <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appellation_d%27Origine_Contr%C3%B4l%C3%A9e" title="Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée"><span style="color: #993300;">Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée</span></a></span></span><span lang="EN"> (AOC) in the northern <span style="color: #993300;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rh%C3%B4ne_(wine_region)" title="Rhône (wine region)"><span style="color: #993300;">Rhône wine region</span></a>.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span lang="EN">The beautiful red wines of the Côte-Rôtie typically exhibit an almost paradoxical combination of meat aromas <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">[including bacon]</span> and floral aromas, or as I've heard, it liked to as, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“the flowers on my breakfast-in-bed tray.”</i> </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Pairing Champion:</span></b> Viognier is a food pairing champion and can stand up nicely to rich, creamy dishes and butter-based sauces. It is especially useful as an appetizer pairing wine, which pairs ever-so-nicely with lightly toasted French baguette, cut in small bite size slices covered with a base blend of goat cheese, topped with fig paste, orange rind, it's just fantastic. Viognier also pairs nicely with soft and semisoft cheeses: Fresh chèvre [goat cheese], gruyère, aged Gouda, and double and triple creams, give it a swirl, you won't be disappointed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Other dishes:</span></b> Foods that I've found pair best with Viognier quite nicely include but are certainly not limited to, Chicken Cutlets based in anise, tarragon butter sauce. Another good option is roasted Salmon covered in a creamy yogurt herb sauce and will also go nicely with any number seafood dishes, shellfish Scallops, lobster, crab, and shrimp.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Shopping Tips:</span></b> I've gathered a few other selections as well, some great choices that I've run across myself recently, that I'm sure will please a broad range of palates.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">K Vintners Viognier 2009</span></b> (Columbia Valley; <b>$20</b>). Edgy spices and minerals under honeyed white peach, orange blossom, and apricot. I tasted this one at the 2010 Walla, Walla Wine Bloggers conference this past summer and it's just fantastic. <b>90 Points</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Miner Simpson Vineyard Viognier 2009</span></b> [Napa Valley, CA <b>$20</b>] Nice minerality and citrusy yet lush, with white peach and apricot nectar. I've tasted and purchased this wine on many occasions and is for sure one of my go-to labels. Year after year, it's a well-made wine. <b>90 Points</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Cold Heaven Viognier 2009</span></b> [Sta. Rita Hills, CA <b>$24</b>] Wet-river stone, a bit restrained, with stone-fruit blossoms, juicy citrus, and white peach notes. I've had this wine a few times, and for folks who like the "dry" approach this would be an excellent choice, look for the blue label. <b>89 Points</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Les Jamelles Viognier 2007</span></b> [Languedoc-Roussillon, Vin de Pays d'Oc France <b>$10</b>] I uncorked this bottle just a couple of nights ago, it delivered nicely for the meager price. In the glass, you have a lovely pale gold color core and a watery rim. Nose: A rich, intensely aromatic wine, with lots of characteristic fruity scents, and typical varietal aromas, such as apricots and fresh white peaches a small bit of white pepper. This wine represents a great value. <b>87 Points </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Fess Parker Viognier 2008</span></b> [Santa Barbara, CA <b>$20</b>] Fess Parker Viognier's like many others displays excellent fruit focus, offering peach, apricot, and pear note that are ripe and well-structured, with a supple texture. I've had this wine also on many occasions; folks this wine is a tasty New World style Viognier. <b>90 Points</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Serving Tips:</span></b> I recommend sipping and slurping these wines chilled, but not too cold. Otherwise, you'll lock in many of the beautiful perfume-like aromas wanting to escape from the swirl of the glass. I'm thinking about 58 to 60 degrees would be perfect. In my opinion; serving this wine too warm will dull the experience considerably. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">From the wonderful folks at <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/winedinetv">Wine Dine TV</a>, I present to you the Viognier as the word of the day. Until next time, sip long and prosper cheers!</span><br />
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Will Eyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183703307642614234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4819914291670678530.post-77495100118517160902020-02-24T06:00:00.000-08:002020-02-20T06:03:53.474-08:00Orange is the New Black<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>“Women think of all colors except the absence of color. I have said that black has it all. White too. Their beauty is absolute. It is perfect harmony.” ― <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3004479.Coco_Chanel">Coco Chanel</a>, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/2185112">Chanel</a></i></b></span><br />
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While l love to quote the rather outspoken Ms. Chanel, I have to disagree with her this time, because in the case of Pinot Gris Orange from Beauregard Vineyards [Santa Cruz Mountains] orange is the new black. This is a standout wine, for it's a unique approach to Pinot Gris, its unique aromas, and flavors. This was the first time, I've had the opportunity to sample wine like this. Frankly, I had no idea what to expect. I really did like where it took me tho. <br />
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This wine represents the perfect mid-March springtime review, while it's still cool outside here in Southern Oregon, my palate was treated to the summertime sipping delights of the Regan Vineyard, Pinot Gris Orange. The nose itself I thought was quite captivating, it again reminded me of another Chanel quote. <br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">"Perfume “is the unseen, unforgettable, ultimate accessory of fashion. . . . that heralds your arrival and prolongs your departure,” Chanel once explained.</span></i></b><br />
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The nose is pretty unique, burnt dried orange-peels, new baseball mitt [freshly oiled] but not off-putting, a funky-monkey that will captivate and compel sip after sip and perhaps even the occasional slurp. It's a wine best served chilled, but not too cold. On the palate, bone-dry, high-acid, more citrus and a distinctive dried orange skins, textured tannins and an elegant ground minerality. On the long-lasting finish, a very compelling blood orange thang. <br />
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For those who like to keep scores, I gave this wine a crisp <b>90 points</b>. I've not had enough wines of this style to form much of an opinion, but this wine was exceptionally well-executed, firing on every cylinder. If you'd like to grab a bottle of this wine, it can be purchased directly from the winery for $33, last time I checked, but feel free to do your own research.<br />
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In response to the question posed via #winechat "as for whether this style of wine is love and/or relationship" my immediate thought was that, <b>"it's definitely a niche item, but a great <a href="http://twitter.com/search?q=%23wine">#wine</a> for adventurous minded vino-sapiens."</b><br />
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<i><b><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">"Typically, red grapes are left on the skins during fermentation, while there is no skin contact when making white wines. However, sometimes a winemaker will choose to let macerated white grapes ferment on the skins. The result of this process is known as an orange wine." ~Winemaker note</span></b></i></div>
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But I'd definitely say. Further, most wine drinkers don't use the word "hate" when speaking of wines they don't like, with the possible exception of cheap bulk wines posing as the real thing. They tend to use words or phrases like, "that's not my cup of tea," or I don't prefer that style of wine. Something much akin to my general disdain for much of the domestic Sauvignon Blanc I encounter. <br />
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The recommended pairing for this wine is Havarti Cheese, because of its creamy texture, wines high acid and red wine like tannins are perfect pairing partners. I, unfortunately, did not have any of that cheese on tap, seeing I'd not done the required shopping ahead of time. But what I did have was, what they call in Hawaii <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/12/dining/12plate.html?_r=0">plate lunch</a> something which is varied as the islands themselves.<br />
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<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/12/dining/12plate.html?_r=0" target="_blank"><i><b><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">“The cultural significance of the plate lunch is that it illustrates Hawaii as a special place where all of our mixed cultures share their foods with one another,” Matthew Gray, Hawaii Food Tours</span></b></i></a></div>
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I've got this dish dialed-in real good as any intrepid would find while traipsing across the islands. I had prepared one of my go-to dishes, Chicken Katsu Curry. I use fresh chicken breast instead of thighs, it's a bit healthier. It's served with white/brown rice, that's sprinkled with Nori Komi Furikake and the "golden" curry [which comes in different heat levels] which is partitioned in bricks you break off and bring to a boil in water. <br />
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The preparation of the chicken is critical; cut the breast into strips, rinse in water, dredge in flour, dashes of salt and pepper, then the chicken is then thrown into a bowl of beat eggs [1-2 max] and then it hits a bowl of panko [Japanese style bread crumbs]. Once those steps are complete, then it's time to "fry" best done in a large skillet, filled with 3/4 cup Avocado Oil. The fillets cook rather quickly over moderate heat, so have a paper towel-lined plate ready to go take on the perfectly cooked fillets. <br />
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As for the rice, that is so easy. First, put away that box of Uncle Ben's and bust out that rice cooker you received when you were married the first, second or third time. Then bust out the bag of Cal-rose [Japanese sticky rice] pour in two cups and then add water [rinse twice] from the tap, put your finger into the bowl touching the top of the rice. The water level over the rice should meet the first crease [critical] of your finger, hit the cook button and in about 20-25 minutes you'll have perfect sticky rice. <br />
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You're now ready to get those fillets on the cutting board, take a sharp knife and cut the fillets into bite-size pieces. Cover it with piping hot curry, add a small scoop of rice, hit rice with the Furikake, add some steamed edamame and you're all set to have plate lunch perfection. Now, going back to the wine, its dryness and crisp acidity paired perfectly with the dish. It's now my recommended go-to pairing. Give it a try yourself, and let me know what you think. Until next time folks, remember life is short, compromise is for relationships, not wine, so sip long and prosper cheers!<br />
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<b> Full Disclosure: </b>This wine was sent as a sample for the review process. </div>
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Will Eyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183703307642614234noreply@blogger.com0Santa Cruz Mountains, California 95037, USA37.1108921 -121.8448905999999913.5441046 -163.15348459999998 60.677679600000005 -80.536296599999986tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4819914291670678530.post-2937847006340633112020-02-21T16:05:00.001-08:002023-08-06T09:20:09.192-07:00One Trick-Pony?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><b>"No one likes to think of themselves as a one-trick pony as an actor, but on the other hand, it's nice to be part of something that has international popularity, that is seen literally everywhere in the world and stays in the marketplace forever."~ Robert Picardo</b></b><br />
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<b> </b> In a recent article that appeared in Wines and Vines, it stated some statistics in which they directly or indirectly attempt to paint the Oregon wine industry as a one-trick pony. I'm paraphrasing here, "More than half of all wine grapes in Oregon as a whole is Pinot Noir." Does this paint the picture of an industry relying on a single grape varietal for its market success?<br />
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Also, considering one of Oregon's main competitors, wines from California, there's more varietal diversity, but the cost of land and the scarcity of water can help bring Oregon some parity with its rival in the Golden State.<br />
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Inside that same article, there's also made a mention of diluting of the Oregon Pinot Noir brand, a group of investors from Boston purchasing inexpensive land in Oregon's Douglas County is doubling down on Pinot Noir, in an attempt to make Oregon labeled Pinot Noir with the generic Oregon AVA designation. The reality of the situation is that Southern Oregon is not well suited for that varietal, but that's no hindrance to a business apparently motivated purely by profit.<br />
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<b>"Oregon ranks as third in the U.S. for the number of wineries but comes in a distant fourth regarding overall annual production. More than half of that production is dedicated to Pinot Noir. The results paint a picture of many small wineries relying on a single market for success." ~ Wines and Vines</b></div>
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Whether it's acting or winemaking, few would like to be thought of as the one-trick pony. Regarding Oregon's wine industry as a whole, yes, while it's most certainly known for one varietal. It's also a place of great diversity, varietally speaking. Especially if you consider Southern Oregon, which sadly, many vino-sapiens do not fully grasp. But, I wonder if perception is possible to change.</div>
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There's been a push recently, relatively speaking, regarding the production of Chardonnay, and it would make sense, that in premium Pinot Noir-producing areas, adding Chardonnay to the mix would be a good thing. Seeing in Burgundy Pinot Noir and Chardonnay produced there are in many people's opinion the best in the world.</div>
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Now that said, I believe it would be smart for the Willamette Valley producers, in general, to add this varietal to what they're doing, if they're not doing so already. Many folks may not realize this, but for the majority of consumers, white wines beat the pants off red wine, by large margins. The majority of those white wines are Chardonnay, so seeing it's the cash cow, the smart money, at least for now would be to add Chardonnay, to their portfolios. This is being done, and there is great confidence among many growers that the price of Chardonnay grapes per ton could overtake Pinot Noir at some point.</div>
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<i><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #4c4e4d; font-size: 16px;">“We have the right clones, and it’s proven that Oregon makes high-quality Chardonnay that stands up with other regions (such as Burgundy or California),” noted Michelle Kaufmann, assistant communications manager for the Oregon Wine Board. “I can easily see how the market price would increase.” </span><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #4c4e4d; font-size: 16px;">Copyright © via Wines & Vines</span></i></div>
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Despite the appearance of relying upon a single varietal, Oregon's wine community is growing steadily, getting tremendous accolades along the way, while staying true to its artisanal roots and keeping sustainability at the forefront. Thus the way forward is to stay true to original goals, while other states may produce more quantity; they're not delivering better quality. Take Burgundy for example, in lean hail years, the production of Burgundy goes down, but the demand stays high. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay have been the signature grapes of this region since the 14th century.</div>
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Yet, no one questions how Burgundy can survive if they only rely on these two varietals. My point, the demand for finely crafted Oregon Pinot Noir is not shrinking, if anything it's intensifying. The fact that Joe Wagoner took his Constellation fortune to buy up some Pinot Noir land, even down south, means the question of whether reliance upon this varietal is a good idea or not is a moot point.</div>
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If they're [firms from Boston] are ill-advisedly planting Pinot Noir in southern Oregon, they're doing so because the demand for commodity Pinot Noir under $10 is extremely high. Slapping an Oregon AVA on the label gives an impression to novice wine consumers that this is "Oregon Pinot" and by doing so, insulting the hard-won reputation of Oregon Pinot Noir in general.</div>
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But in a day, where most people just don't care about anything, other than their next FB post, it's not hard to see why moneyed interests from outside the state, will take advantage of the situation. The purple-toothed wine-swilling and swirly masses seem concerned only with the price of the wine they purchase, if it says Oregon PN, and it's under ten dollars, with a screw cap or can, they [the public] don't give a wit about reputation.</div>
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As far as the issue of water demand is concerned, in my opinion, California's wine industry has more to fear from this issue than Oregon does. The land values in California keep their bottle prices much higher than they do in Oregon, as a whole. Despite any doom and gloom predictions made in Wines and Vines about Oregon Wine, I'd say the pioneers of Oregon Wine have left their forebears with an incredible legacy, one that will stretch out over the centuries, without much fear, only genuine hope for a bright future.</div>
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Will Eyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183703307642614234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4819914291670678530.post-29482084592742965092020-02-18T05:00:00.000-08:002020-02-20T21:14:04.432-08:00Wine of the Week: 2010 Chateau Le Thil Comte Clary, Pessac Leognan <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><i><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Is the flavor <b><i>winegrapes is merely a collection of chemical compounds, or can we just manufacture these compounds and combine them in water to produce a "wine"? </i></b></span></i></b></div>
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Well, when replicator technology does arrive in the 24th century as promised by popular science fiction, the human race will be ordering a finely aged vintage of something or the other, and a 3D printer like-device will potentially use the described chemical compounds to whip up a glass of wine.<br />
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Flavor compounds are sold today and typically employed to produce <i><b>homogenized bags of chain store commodity wines attempting to masquerade as the real deal. </b></i>That said, I'd argue that 'manufactured' wines via grape-derived chemical compounds in one way, or the other are already here, take Bronco Wines, for example, is, in my opinion, is the king of crass commodity plonk.<br />
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But of course,<i><b> I don't believe </b></i>'taste' is simply a byproduct of chemical compounds, that's silly. But at the same time, inexpensive chain store wines made for the quick turn sale all seem to have a signature faux wine flavor, aroma, and color. It's much easier to recognize that faux characteristic in red wines than it is in white wines, in fact in white wines it can be nearly undetectable unless you count the heavy vanilla, added sugar and oak influences. But if you're looking for a giveaway clue, the generic statewide AVA on the bottle is generally a good indication.<br />
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While specific chemical compounds are part of every wine, not every wine can be produced by mixing those compounds into the water to create something, that only a particular clone, a place, weather conditions of the vintage, etc can singularly produce. It's my opinion the wines I know and love cannot be replicated by a simple combination of chemistry and water. Take, for example, the bottle featured in today's Wine of the Week article, which I will get to in a moment.<br />
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Terroir has much to do with what's in the bottle, how is that defined? From the <a href="http://www.terroir-france.com/">Terroir France</a> website: <i><b>"A 'terroir ' is a group of vineyards (or even vines) from the same region, belonging to a specific appellation, and sharing the same type of soil, weather conditions, grapes, and winemaking savoir-faire, which contribute to give its distinct personality to the wine". But</b></i> that being said, the French are also fond of saying, <i><b>"Je ne sais quoi" </b></i>to describe what is sometimes indescribable, where words simply fail to express the uniqueness of the experience.<br />
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It is with those thoughts in mind, that I give the Wine of the Week, while this vintage is likely no longer available, this producer still has plenty of the 2015 vintage ready to grabbed up and socked away for years, to enjoy much later as I did. I opened my last bottle of this wine, just last night. As I really needed a dependably good bottle to uncork after a tumultuous day off, spent agonizing over a certain undisclosed situation, uncovered while futzing around the Chez Cuvee. </div>
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<b> Here come the tasting notes, 2010 Chateau Le Thil, Comte Clary:</b> this blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon was made by winemaking guru and well-known consultant Stephane Derenoncourt. This wine’s 14.5% alcohol tells you something about its amazing richness and intensity, which is atypical for most Bordeaux producers. Another very good 2010, but a bit more of a modern style Bordeaux. Still, it has a lovely vein of acid, which keeps the abundant red and dark fruit in check. Medium tannins and finish. </div>
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Drinks like a mid to high priced Napa Valley Cab, which sells for half that price <b><i>$29.99.</i></b> With this kind of stellar QPR, you could easily buy 6 or [which I did] more and enjoy for many years to come. After finishing this bottle late in the evening, just last night, paired with grilled Tri-Tip, and prawns, I scored this wine, <b>94 points.</b> It just kept getting better and better, bottle after bottle, year after year. This is the power of Bordeaux and more specifically the power of cellaring wine and doing it correctly. Until next folks, remember life is short, compromise is for relationships, not wine. Slurp long and prosper cheers!</div>
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Will Eyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183703307642614234noreply@blogger.com0Château du Thil, 35 Chemin le Thil, 33850 Léognan, France44.736956 -0.5659779999999727822.760199999999998 -41.874571999999972 66.713712 40.742616000000027tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4819914291670678530.post-79591563134068510142020-02-17T21:38:00.000-08:002020-02-17T10:37:13.222-08:00Got Corkage Fees? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">“</span><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">The disparity between a restaurant's price and food quality rises in direct proportion to the size of the pepper mill.” ~ Bryan Miller</span></i></b></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What is a <a href="http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-corkage-fee.htm">Corkage</a> fee? It's the fee charged by a restaurant to patrons bringing their own wines to enhance their dining experience. The "size" of the 'fee' does appear to be larger or smaller in price in direct proportion to the size of their pepper-mill, as it has been said, size does matter.<br /><br />The corkage fee is usually minimal in most places and is considered a convenience charge to the restaurant for opening and serving wines from outside their cellar. The use of a corkage fee is widespread in many parts of the United States, especially in heavy wine-producing areas such as Napa and Sonoma Counties.<br /><br />The corkage fee is not designed to be a penalty for the patron and should not be viewed that way. But in the same breath, under no circumstances is the [BYOB] bottle price to become part of the tipping equation.<br /><br />Wine corkage policies appear to vary state-by-state and even city-by-city. So while visiting another state, you may want to call ahead to find out that states or the restaurant's policy are regarding BYOB. Like it's often said, it's good to know before you go.<br /><br />For example; with my experience in Arizona; where BYOB is not permitted unless you have a very specific license. It does appear to be frowned upon by restaurateurs there, well at least that was my experience as I inquired by phone and in some cases in person about their BYOB policy. Many states have widely different laws regarding this practice and have different licensing requirements disguised as revenue generators. <br /><br />What are some of the issues or wine service irritations which motivate folks to want to BYOB or even BYOG in the first place? Good question; here's what I've found out via a bit of research.</span><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Stemware: </span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Most folks I've talked with and some of my own experiences say the desire to BYOG [bring your own glass] is brought on by the fact that far too many restaurants idea of a wine glass is cast-offs from Medieval Times. I've seen 'stems' so thick and clunky you could potentially take out a mugger if you need be. Frankly, if that is the case, I'll just have a beer.<br /><br />Because of this oft-encountered scenario; you may see some wine-geeks with what can only be called a "wine-purse" bringing in their own stemware. But please don't laugh too much; as I imagine you would have wished that you also had the excellent sense (the stones) to do the same.</span><div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Wine List Markup:</b></span><span style="color: #990000; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is the one issue that has most folks boycotting buying wine in a restaurant period. Why, because ordering wine in a restaurant can cost up to six times [400% markup] as much as drinking the same bottle at home. Most folks believe, and I also concur that this kind of gouging is beyond the pale. I also think this issue alone is what has really driven most vino-sapiens to BYOB, when and where they can.</span></div>
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<b style="color: #990000; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Commodity Wines:</b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ugh, this issue is driving a lot of folks bonkers. A few vino-sapiens who consider themselves to be somewhat savvy wine drinkers are oh-so-tired of only being offered "plonk" wine-list chock full of overinflated prices and adding insult to injury many of those wine isn't even correctly stored.</span><br /></div>
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<b style="color: #990000; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Reasonable Corkage: </b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So what kind of corkage fees are reasonable? There as many arguments about what "reasonable" is and is not, like stars in the winter night sky. But if you really want to get down to where the wine bottle meets the linen-topped table; I would say that $20 and under is a good place to start. In my opinion, that's what I'd call reasonable. Another option [good policy] is having the fee waived if another bottle of wine is purchased from their list. That's what I call good form. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />The fee to merely uncork your wine for you can vary greatly. Some restaurants charge what I consider an outrageous corkage fee, so the safe bet is to always call ahead, before making a reservation. For example, some higher-end restaurants [dependent upon the size of their pepper-mills] may charge as much as $50 [IMO rip-off]. But in more reasonable establishments you can expect to pay anywhere from $10 to $20 for a corkage fee, as always though, caveat emptor.</span><br /></div>
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">More Tips Uncorked:</span></b></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l5 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana";">Another trend that I've experienced is that a few restaurants will waive the corkage fee if you purchase an additional wine from the restaurant. Time for some bubbly.</span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l8 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana";">This is a refreshing new trend and one I've experienced myself in Paso Robles. Many wine-country restaurants will waive the corkage fee if you bring a wine from the wine region where the restaurant is located. It is my hope that this is a growing trend not only in Paso Robles but around the country.</span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana";">Whether you're dining in your favorite eating establishment in your hometown or any other restaurant that does not have a great wine list, feel free to bring a wine that is preferably <em><b><span style="font-family: "verdana";">NOT </span></b></em>on their wine list, preferably one that's of good quality.</span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l7 level1 lfo4; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana";">If you have brought "anniversary" bottle or maybe just something special, consider offering the 'Somm' or perhaps the waiter a taste of the wine, I think it is good form.</span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l6 level1 lfo5; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana";">Let's say you have a bottle of wine that requires chilling before it's served, I would attempt to chill the bottle beforehand and once you arrive ask the wait-staff for an ice bucket.</span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo6; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana";">Restaurateurs, if you are going have a wine menu, keep it updated and secondly, could you store your wine collection correctly, really tired of being served warm red wine.</span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo7; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana";">Restaurateurs get steamed when they see someone bring in a cheap bottle of wine just to avoid the restaurant markup. I can't say I blame them, it would seem that s<span style="color: black;">ome restaurant patrons are just cheap, please don't be this guy or gal.</span></span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo8; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana";">One significant trend that I've experienced is seeing some restaurants have corkage free nights [yay!] to help increase traffic on slower traffic days.</span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo9; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana";">Another trend I've seen, some retailers around town who promote 'free corkage' if you bring in a bottle from their store with a coupon or sticker on the bottle.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Okay, folks, those are the trends I see currently and have experienced in the real world. I would love to get some feedback from you all three of the readers. I want to hear about your experiences, the good, bad or just plain indifferent. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It does not matter if you agree with me or not. I hope you'll think of this as just a conversation, not my soap-box where communication is only one way. So please join in, and I look forward to hearing from you. Until next time sip long and prosper cheers! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>BTW</b>: There are a some great comments below, check them out and/or add a few of your own. </span>Will Eyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183703307642614234noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4819914291670678530.post-22806309541271791862020-02-09T14:15:00.000-08:002020-02-16T13:40:54.824-08:00The Tasting Room Experience<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>"You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, well you might just find, you get what you need!” ~Rolling Stones</i></span></div>
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Spring is fast approaching, for many aspiring vino-sapiens, with warming temperatures on the way soon, some of you may still be looking to do some wine tasting under blue skies. In the vineyard, spring activities to look forward to; birds are chirping, the vines have awoken from their slumber, and the first buds will start to break open. Here in Oregon, the weather is still quite hilly, pruning for some is delayed, some gambled and pruned already, but the days are getting longer.<br />
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Perhaps last season, you took a tour, grabbed a group of friends, or it was just you and the significant other, off on a wine-tasting adventure for the day. Most likely you were not the only one with that idea, which means some of the more popular wine tasting destinations are going to be quite busy. I've experienced this more than once myself, and I either wait and politely wade through a sea of thirsty vino-sapiens, or I attempt to find a winery far off the beaten path. Somewhere the crowds may have glossed over when they planned their wine tasting route for the day, one that does not service Limo Buses and the like, if you know what I mean.<br />
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Here's my strategy for a successful wine tasting trip is pretty simple really. I typically try to avoid weekends, I like to go mid-week or when it's not the high season. If I know the place I'd want to taste, and it will be crazy busy later in the day, I'll go there first right when they open. For a better experience (if offered or required) I book tasting appointments in advance. Some wineries provide enhanced experiences that I've found are very much worth the price of admission.<br />
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With the advent of Social Media in today's world <b><i>"everyone's a critic,"</i> </b>and they'd like to have their opinion heard by the entire world, or so they hope. I mean who doesn't like to pontificate from their portable soapbox (aka your phone). Often it's a good thing, but other times because of improper planning or<b><i> unrealistic expectations s</i></b>ome folks take to "rant" sites like Yelp to voice their displeasure. Still, other folks will use other platforms such as Twitter and or Facebook to let these businesses know they're not pleased with their perception about the quality of service.<br />
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Still, you can't just pin it on the customers, sometimes the folks in the tasting room (who are only human) make decisions when interacting with customers, which can put the winery in a bad light. There are always two sides to the argument, but I believe both customers and tasting room attendants bear equal responsibility on their own shoulders in the <b><i>tasting room experience.</i></b><br />
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If you're a <b><i>wine club member</i></b>, that's awesome and thanks for supporting small wineries with DTC sales, which help these businesses stay in business. So kudos to you and on their behalf, thanks for your patronage.<br />
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<b><i>Now most wineries, because they're in the customer service business, don't want to tell you this, but since I don't work for a winery, I'm going to tell it to you straight. </i></b></blockquote>
<b>However</b>, just because you're a wine club member, it doesn't entitle you to special or fawning attention by tasting room staff. Someone who will remain nameless posted an email from a "wine club member" who didn't get the special reach-around-service they believed they were 'entitled' to, because of their 'status' and because they were buying wine. Some folks just need to get over their sense of entitlement, but those in that camp don't want to hear those reasonable recommendations, instead, they want to throw temper tantrums, to show how victimized they truly were, it's so not fair.<br />
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So before you blow your cork (see what I did there), spouting off on social media, slow-your-roll just a moment, take a breath, step away from the situation. Enjoy that glass of wine, while sitting on their patio overlooking the vineyards, it will help you to gain some perspective on the things that really matter.<br />
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Which is why I put this list together in such a way as to speak to both sides of the tasting bar. I've never worked in a tasting room, but I've poured at many other events and at a wine tasting bar in La Jolla. So I think I understand both sides of the coin, pretty well. By all means, if you have something you'd like to add, please do so below in the comments.<br />
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<b>1. Wine Enthusiasts</b> (tasters) need to manage their expectations. Walking up to a tasting room door five minutes before they close up for the day is a recipe for sour grapes, this is a practice I'd avoid.<br />
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<b>2. Customers</b> should call ahead, this is common courtesy. You do this to assure yourself that the winery is indeed open, that way you don't drive all that way for nothing, as not all wineries operate on the same schedule either, so plan ahead.<br />
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<b>3. Customers </b>do well to remember like I said above tasting rooms can be hectic places for both the consumer and the staff. Speaking of the tasting room team, it's easy for a tasting room staff to become overwhelmed (See the picture above) by even 2-3 groups of folks visiting at the same time, so please be patient. If you see limousines parked outside, be prepared it's going be a bit of wait making your way to the counter.<br />
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<b>4. Customers</b> (tasters) should remember you're there to taste and not to drink this is an important distinction. These are samples, to help you form an opinion about the wines being tasted and to hopefully help you make an informed purchasing decision.<br />
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<b>5. Tasters,</b> please have a designated driver who is either committed to spitting or not sampling wines at all.<br />
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<b>6. </b>As a wine <b>'tasting' customer</b>, please remember to stay hydrated, this point cannot be <b><i>stressed </i></b>enough.<br />
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<b>7.</b> If it's needed/required to make appointments ahead of time, please do so. This is an excellent way for you and the winery to be on the same schedule. And while winemakers need to be good stewards of their time, because they have a lot going on in the winery and vineyards [behind the curtain] - and it's possible for an "oops" to occasionally happen. So always call to confirm the day of the appointment, is welcomed and appreciated.<br />
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<b>8. Tasting Room attendants</b> should never bad-mouth their neighbors (other wineries) that's poor form and a very tacky move.<br />
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<b>9. Tasting Room attendants</b> should do their best to acknowledge each new customer who walks through the door with a "Smile, hello, I'll be right with you!" This honestly works every time and if you'll be delayed further just excuse yourself a moment to let new arrivals know you'll do your very best to accommodate them soon.<br />
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<b> 10.</b> <b>Tasters [customers]</b>, please remember when you belly-up-to-the-bar other folks may have come in behind you, and they would be delighted that you've made some space for them.<br />
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<b>11. Lastly,</b> please remember this should be a fun experience, follow some basic guidelines of common courtesy and common sense, plan ahead and everyone will have a better experience in the long run.<br />
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<b>Bonus:</b> Wineries I know you've probably have heard this before; but don't you think the Tasting Room should be a 'cool' environment where you can fairly evaluate each of the wines sampled? I've been to far too many tasting rooms which are hot and uncomfortable. That's not a fun experience.<br />
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Until next time folks, I hope you all remember that life is short, so sip long and prosper cheers!Will Eyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183703307642614234noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4819914291670678530.post-56793400632938800432020-01-31T06:00:00.000-08:002020-02-20T05:56:33.765-08:00Trentino-Alto Adige Uncorked: 2009 Foradori Granato<img alt="14 filmów o winie, które musisz zobaczyć i 14 win, które do nich wypijesz – Z winem do kina" height="199" src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fzwinemdokina.files.wordpress.com%2F2016%2F12%2Fforadori_granato.jpg&f=1&nofb=1" width="640" /><br />
<i style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;">It has been said, "Wine buffs write and talk as though the food and wine will be in your mouth at the same time, that one is there to be poured over the other. This is bullshit. Gustatory enjoyment comes from food and wine and cigars of your liking. So far no one has said that a Monte Cristo is the only cigar to smoke after Armagnac, Romeo, and Juliet after Calvados ... but the time may yet come." ~ Clement Freud</i><br />
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It's always a fascinating adventure to uncork wines from previously unknown-to-me wine regions of the world, there are so many that fly under the radar of the better known, tried and true varietals, this bottle delivered on nearly every expectation. Mr. Freud here makes some good points, and he is right who am I tell you what to drink or eat for that matter? I mean c'mon we can all agree, that each of us should drink/eat what we like. But like the patrons who visit the wine store where I once worked, who often would query me for recommendations and or opinions on specific wines before making their purchases, I only offer my impressions for your and their consideration; what you or they do with that advice is ultimately in your hands.<br />
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I can tell you this though; many customers over the years come back to the shop and tell me how happy they are with my recommendations. I've even recommended wines while working the wine demo scene in a local San Diego Costco, only to have a customer who was visiting from Atlanta and who had purchased quite a few cases based on my recommendation to enthusiastically thank me via an out of the blue phone call. Enough tooting my own horn, while standing on the proverbial soapbox shouting my opinions to the world of wine enthusiasts who busy themselves with the mundane domestic choices all around them, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, etc..<br />
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But again, please drink what you like, and if I may be so bold to state without any hesitation; if you'd want to drink better than the average vino-sapiens, then please stick around for this review and the many to follow. How many wine writers do you know that have put their opinions about wine to the test, putting said wine on the shelf to gauge wine consumers' interest?<br />
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After being uncorked on a Thursday evening, and sealed up via a vacu-vin at the end of [COB] evening, opening the bottle again on Friday evening brought much joy. This wine improved significantly, the fruit was far more accessible, the tannins had mellowed, and the fine ground minerality was much more evident. It's the type of wine that will significantly benefit from a few hours of decanting, or you could just 'uncork' the day before, and then thoroughly enjoyed the next day. I'm so glad I had another opportunity to get to know this fantastic Northern Italian gem better.<br />
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The <b><i>2009 Granato is <a href="https://www.wine-searcher.com/grape-484-teroldego" target="_blank">100% Teroldego</a> </i></b>[a new grape to me] comes from three different vineyards of the Campo Rotaliano in the Trentino-Alto Adige region in Northern Italy, very near the border of Slovenia in the appellation of Vigneti Delle Dolomiti [IGT]. Reportedly an ancient grape variety with hundreds of years of growing, evolving and making extraordinary wines.<br />
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Many other reviewers have given this outstanding wine scores and praise, I echo a few of those sentiments but slow my roll just a bit, when it comes to the use of the word phenomenal or other jumping up and down adjectives. This wine is a beauty no doubt, offering gorgeous aromas of blackberries, dark cherries, herbs, and firm but drying tannins. You also may notice subtle hints of coffee and lovely fine ground minerality and a bright underlying acidity bringing the balance.<br />
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While this wine demonstrates impressive depth, underlying power, and a medium-sized finish, it does require patience. It’s not a bottle of wine that comes dressed to impress right away; it’s a bit of a wallflower. To thoroughly enjoy this wine, bust out the decanter many hours before you plan to get out onto the dance floor via your empty wine stem.<br />
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This wine is a real beauty, consider honestly seeking it out. It's a unique experience that will bring you much joy. I can't go<b> 94 points</b> on it as so many have, but I'd give it at least it a solid<b> 91 points</b>. It sells for<b> $54 </b>most places, and it's bottled under a cork closure. Until next time folks, please remember life is so short, don't settle for the ordinary when you can have the extraordinary, slurp long and prosper cheers!</div>
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Will Eyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183703307642614234noreply@blogger.com0Via Trento, 65/b, 38017 Mezzolombardo TN, Italy46.2064495 11.10003170000004522.639661999999998 -30.208562299999954 69.773237 52.408625700000044tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4819914291670678530.post-61900668222491065752020-01-28T16:21:00.000-08:002020-01-26T21:20:34.490-08:00Travel Tuesday: Third Growth Bordeaux Producer Chateau Giscours<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes” – Marcel</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Today, as some of you may know is Travel Tuesday; that means it’s time to think long and hard about taking a step away from the shore and jumping on a ship of exploration. It's has been said you can keep your foot on first and expect to steal second, and so it's with wine exploration. Having taken more a few trips to meet the gracious folks behind the labels in faraway lands like Bordeaux; I’d like to encourage each of you to give the old wine-world a good swirl, and put something new and fresh in your collective glasses and lean into it.<br /><br />France is home to many of your favorite varietals you know and loves today, and a trip to Bordeaux is like taking a trip back in time to where it all began. Many winemakers here in the U.S. they draw their inspiration from the great wines found in Bordeaux. So with that said; welcome to Bordeaux and a beautiful Third growth property [one of fourteen] in the heart of <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/regions-margaux">Margaux</a>, called Chateau Giscours, as you can see it's an age-old property dating back to the 14th century. Although it's a third growth property, it doesn't have some overly inflated prices to match the prestige that comes with such an august title. <br /><br />So the evolution of wine here has more than a few centuries on New World producers, and as a result, you'll find the same grapes, have a very different expression than wines produced from those same grapes in the New World. The wine produced at Left Bank <a href="http://chateau-giscours.com/en/the-chateau/"><b>Chateau Giscours</b></a> comes from one of fourteen properties which were classified as Troisièmes Crus [Third Growth] via the <b>Official Classification of 1855,</b> and if you happen in for a taste and tour, be prepared to experience 600 years of commitment to exceptional vines and wines. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“There is no creation without tradition; the 'new' is an inflection on a preceding form; novelty is always a variation on the past.” ― Carlos Fuentes</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">People often say to me, "I don't want <b>‘that’</b> because I can't taste it!" But what I think they are really saying is "I'm not familiar with <b>‘that’ </b>and I so they can't trust uncorking an unknown wine and what it will do for me." That's a good point, and I truly get that, but how do you fix that issue? One way I recommend; is to go to "focused" tastings where you can experience many new wines from new regions, for anyone interested in expanding their vinous horizons, this is a habit I'd highly recommend leaning into with gusto, maybe even some reckless abandon. <br /><br />But if you want to truly drill down a bit deeper and you fancy yourself as the adventurous type; you can take a <a href="http://chateau-giscours.com/en/giscours-events/"><b>wine-tourism-trip</b></a> to get the first-hand experience with new wines flavors and styles in their country of origin. Which is something I've been doing for many years now and the experience has been invaluable. Many folks just learn from books and that is fine, but there's really nothing that can replace the experience of being there, and I believe it makes all the difference. Don't just come for the bountiful wine-experience, stay for the rich culture. So what are you waiting for? Book it now, you'll thank me later.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This where you have an opportunity to make a connection to the folks behind the label; where you can not only learn to drink like a local but eat like one too. Taking the road less traveled, with each sip, swirl and slurp and possibly [maybe inevitably] the eventual burp oh-my. This idea is the tipping point for a majority of wine-geeks like myself because once you experience the wine lifestyle outside the comfy confines of the ‘states,' I believe this where you become complexly hooked. If you'd like to get down and dirty, with all the nitty-gritty details about<b> <a href="http://chateau-giscours.com/en/the-terroir/">"a terroir like no other"</a> </b>you'll want to click on the link to read about why dirt matters.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">"Chateau Giscours is a large estate with nearly 400 hectares of vines and landscaped grounds. With 97 planted hectares of vines, the vineyards are planted to 70% <a href="http://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/wine-topics/wine-educational-questions/grapes-for-wine-making-flavor-characteristics-explained/cabernet-sauvignon-flavors-character-and-history">Cabernet Sauvignon</a>, 25% <a href="http://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/wine-topics/wine-educational-questions/grapes-for-wine-making-flavor-characteristics-explained/merlot-wine-grapes-flavor-character-history/">Merlot</a>, and the remainder 3% Cabernet <a href="http://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/wine-topics/wine-educational-questions/grapes-for-wine-making-flavor-characteristics-explained/cabernet-franc-wine-grapes-flavors-character-and-history">Franc</a> and 2% Petit <a href="http://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/wine-topics/wine-educational-questions/grapes-for-wine-making-flavor-characteristics-explained/petit-verdot-wine-grapes-flavor-character-history">Verdot</a>." ~ <a href="http://chateau-giscours.com/en/the-wine/">The Soul Of Great Wine</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You go abroad enamored with wine drinking and wine culture and come back with a passion that can lay siege to your very soul [maybe a bit of hyperbole]. But honestly, [speaking from personal experiences] once you have peeked behind the curtain, there's no going back to the mundane world of commodity wines. Even folks with a cursory knowledge of history can see the imprint wine has made upon lives and culture throughout the ages. For me, it's the kind of experience that just grabs you and pulls you in, like no other beverage really can or ever will, wine is in the fabric of many nations around the globe and its peoples on this planet, embrace it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The first wine is our group's glasses was their <b>2004 La Sirene de Giscours</b>, a second label, mostly not available here in the states, but if you do happen to find it, you'll be thrilled by its excellent balance and sense of place, wines which will meet many of your expectations. Definitely, a leaner year but this wine still has dried plums, coffee, old tobacco and other toasty aromas swirling just above the rim of the glass. On the palate, there's a richness on the front end, which seems to fade a bit on the mid-palate, but still finishes nicely. The tannins are soft, and the red/dark fruits have plenty of 'acid' to carry the weight of the generous fruit. I really enjoyed this, and it paired perfectly with many of the French cheeses seen above. I scored this wine<b> 90</b> points, and it sells for an SRP of <b>$30</b>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've had the good fortune to sample this wine [<b>The 2006 Chateau Giscours, Cru Classe, Margaux</b>] more than a few times, I've tasted it while I was visiting their property last year and more recently I sampled it again after taking it home from a tasting at <a href="http://www.birdrockfinewine.com/store/searchresults/pg?q=chateau%20giscours">Bird Rock Fine Wine</a>. Which by the way, currently stocks this wine. My overall impression this wine is classic Bordeaux, sporting traditional characteristics of cedar notes, cigar, freshly ground espresso beans and old-leather and not to worry there's plenty of rich red and dark fruits, vibrant dark plum, blackberry, and dark cherry. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The aromatics, of pencil lead and underbrush, are not all that enticing, but once you get into the body of this, after it has been decanting for hours, it unfolds ever so nicely and makes each sip and slurp, pure wine drinking pleasure. Textured and layered this wine offers a delightful experience. The finish is long, and lean at the same time if that is possible. Would I recommend purchasing this wine again? You betcha, I scored this gem <b>92</b> points and highly recommend it to you. It sells for <b>$59</b> and has the stuffing to go many more years in the cellar. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As you're reading this, I hope you'll think of my words as a type of invitation to get out there, book a trip to see great wines of Bordeaux up close and personal. Go see for yourselves the breadth and depth of what is available on this vinous third rock from the sun. I think you too will come back with a more profound, greater appreciation and understanding of why wine is not just an ordinary beverage.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>Like that sad, little bottle, of Jack Daniels you slurped down, on the last flight you took to Reno, why Reno, who knows but we won't talk about what may have happened to you there. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Honestly, tho I think wine-exploration whether by<b> travel </b>or just <b>uncorking </b>something new can help the average person find a broader and perhaps better perspective on the wine world. Until next time folk, remember life is short, so sip long and prosper cheers!</span></div>
Will Eyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183703307642614234noreply@blogger.com010 Route de Giscours, 33460 Labarde, France45.0088005 -0.6456435999999712344.6484915 -1.2910905999999711 45.3691095 -0.00019659999997123645tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4819914291670678530.post-76446668965763450612020-01-28T13:44:00.000-08:002020-01-28T20:22:41.451-08:00Do You know the Way to Bordeaux?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">“I’m not sure what I'll do, but— well, I want to go places and see people. I want my mind to grow. I want to live where things happen on a big scale.”― <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3190.F_Scott_Fitzgerald">F. Scott Fitzgerald</a></span></i></div>
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A visit to Bordeaux had been and is still high on my list of places to see and experience [again and again] I can't wait to go back. And all not so long ago I had the opportunity to see that desire fulfilled. At the beginning of 2013, I had no idea that I'd be invited to take two different press trips to this fantastic wine region, where "things [honestly] happen on a big scale." <br /><br /> That said, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the sponsors [full disclosure] of this trip, <a href="http://usa.planet-bordeaux.com/">Planet Bordeaux</a> and <a href="http://balzac.com/">Balzac Communications</a> for your kind invitation to be part of this great adventure into exploration. I'm very excited to share this experience with all you [my readers] via this blog. Thanks to all you for taking the time, to stop by to read my first-hand impressions about this very accessible age-old region. <br /><br /> To say I was ecstatic would be a vast understatement of epic proportions. I'm happy to say it was and is still one of the very best memories from last year, this trip was the capstone of truly memorable wine immersion experiences. But as it's often seen that with great joy, equally great sorrow will sometimes also come along for the ride, some might call this irony. <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
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Although an opportunity to visit Bordeaux was high on my list, of wine destinations to visit and it was ultimately granted, it was also a very tough year for me personally. It was the year [2013] I lost both of my parents, and the pain of that loss is still genuinely real and hard for me to fully grasp. I miss them both very much and the stamp of exploration they both imbued upon me at an early age, is something that still lives within me to this day. I just can't stop exploring, there's far too much to see, to do, and to know before my own time on this mortal coil comes to an end. <br /><br />Now with that said, let me ask do you know the way to Bordeaux? It's too easy to get lost in the perception of 'Bordeaux' and all the things many folks imagine it to be. From an outsider's perspective, it must seem quite confusing, an old wine region filled with places and names which can be hard to pronounce. Some mistakenly associate Bordeaux with a wine-region full of fancy Chateaux where only the wealthy and famous live lives of unimaginable luxury and opulence and while there may be some truth to those appearances, I found that it's not even close to being the whole story. <br /><br /> Yes, there are many, many Chateaux strewn about the vine-covered countryside, historical, centuries-old buildings that easily predate the existence of the country I live in and are located on extensive properties that are often handed down from one generation to the next. But again, that is not the whole story. <i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></i>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">“There are things known, and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception.” – Aldous Huxley</span></b> </div>
<br />As I've stated before, there are real people behind those beautifully sculpted buildings; something I think many folks seem to forget, perhaps bogged down by the weight of perception. Marc Milhade [his sister is seen to his left] the Son of Xavier Milhade, explained to us that life on a Chateau is one that is similar to anyone else running a winery or family business, whether that business is here in the Napa Valley or on the ancient vine-lands of Bordeaux. <br /><br /><br /> When they say it's a family-run business they really mean it, it's all hands on deck. On the day we arrive, the sights and sounds of harvest were well underway, it was a hot and very humid harvest [October 2013] the day, when Marc [who you see above] showed up still wearing his crush-pad boots to greet us and welcome us to <a href="http://www.chateau-recougne.fr/">Chateau Recougne</a><a href="http://www.chateau-recougne.fr/">.</a> <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></b></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>So you want to see these machines in action? Check out the video <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIG1bltTB4A">here.</a></i></span></div>
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He went on to briefly explain that while they do embrace the present, its technology, and the ability manage such a significant endeavor so much easier than in the past, they still hold onto some of the elements of the past, weaving them together to make a bright new future for the next generation. <br /><br /><br /> Our meeting with them was fascinating, insightful, and also very delightful. I was ravenously hungry by the time we had arrived and was so glad to hear that 'lunch' would be served within moments of our arrival. The setting you see pictured below set the stage for a lunchtime feast I won't forget anytime soon. <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span></span></span>
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<br />One of the most fantastic wine discoveries came the day our team [myself and two other bloggers] visited Chateau Recougne, it was also one of the very best dining experiences I had while I was in France [mind blowing really]. Robert Parker at one time called Chateau Recougne one of the finest of all Bordeaux Superieur [personally I think it still is]. <br /><br />It is an estate that has produced wine for over 400 years, and its name is said to have come from King Henri IV in the early 17th century, in "recognition" of the quality of its wine. It would appear that even then, their wines were very well regarded not only for the caliber of their wines but for their inexpensive prices. So in drinking their wines, it would be safe to say you can actually drink like a king.<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">
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Their vineyards [which surround the Chateau and the Crush Pad] were classified under the Fronsac Appellation back in the day, where Merlot is the majority planting taking up 75% of planted vineyard space. Merlot also happens to be very well suited to the terroir, which is then complemented by both Cabernet Sauvignon (15%) and Cabernet Franc (10%). <br /><br />As you can see from the picture above, we tasted three different vintages 1966, and 1999 as well as 2010 [not pictured]. Folks, you may not believe but look closely they have not changed the label too much in all those years. They also have not changed the recipe for producing high-quality wines that won't break the bank. These wines retail for $15 to $19 each in the U.S. at most places. <br /><br />These wines are not supposed to age well if you listen to the so-called experts who purport to know all and see all in the wine world. But I'm here to tell you that they're dead wrong. The bottle from 1966, a 47-year-old bottle had aged amazingly well, I was blown away by the depth and polish this wine was still displaying. While you can no longer purchase their 1966, it's a reminder to all guests of the magnificent aging potential of their Bordeaux Superior.<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">
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Their 1999 wow, it wanted to party like it was still 1999. This wine [decanted] had excellent body and depth to it, and smoothly textured; a wine with light tannins and a long finish, tasting of dark plum, underbrush, cassis, licorice, vanilla, and toasty oak in the background. Another incredible blast from their past that I thought had to be from a much more exceptional pedigreed background, but no a Bordeaux Superior drinking like Grand Cru Classe [no I'm not kidding].<br /><br />Their 2010, uh I'd grab all you can and then grab some more because it's off the charts good-to-great and in my opinion, will only get better with a bit more bottle age. If you have a case or two socked away, you'll thank me later because it's that amazing.<br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">
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<i>Poetry is just the evidence of life. If your life is burning well, poetry is just the ash. ~Leonard Cohen</i></div>
</span><br /><br />Folks, if you've not encountered their wines before [and to be honest I've never had until that day], you owe to yourself to give their wines a swirl at your earliest convenience. I found their wines to be of real substance, wines with a soul which definitely tasted as I expected they would, it said to me this is authentic Bordeaux. There's no mega purple here, no fillers, no just solid well made wines that may not blow your mind, but they will have you believe you really are drinking like a king for a pauper's price [don't doubt me]. So until next folks remember life is far too short to drink insipid commodity wines, please don't settle, expand your vinous horizons, and as always, please remember to sip long and prosper cheers!</div>
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Will Eyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183703307642614234noreply@blogger.com01 Route de Savignac, 33133 Galgon, France44.99573 -0.2545099999999820321.4289425 -41.563103999999981 68.5625175 41.054084000000017tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4819914291670678530.post-91169014467446511562020-01-21T06:30:00.000-08:002020-01-28T20:16:24.323-08:00Umbria's Jewel Uncorked<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>"Let me tell you now, something’s got a hold on me (Oh, it must be love)" ~ Etta James</i>.</span></div>
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Ms. James, a beautiful talent, whose music I really adore, perfectly sums up for me, my feelings and impressions about one of my latest epicurean excursions into the Italian wine scene, one found via this bottle of Sagrantino from <a href="http://www.antonellisanmarco.it/web/ita/pannone.htm">Antonelli</a>. <br />
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I was fortunate enough to be invited on a wonderful trip into the heart of Umbria and Campania [2012] with <a href="http://www.iwinetc.com/news/page/9/">the International Wine and Tourism Conference </a>which was held in Campania that year. Part of the tour was spent, getting to know, the fantastic (sadly flying under the radar) Sagrantino DOCG. After uncorking this beauty [seen above] more than a few moons ago, it really brought back the fresh, vibrant memories of that trip. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6jvQc5sVsWBoH6GKVefE9bmCXiYA37k_vS61B9i71WfIiDyBHCFWFX2aSbWGYETWzs334P126cwFs1Ou-8r_Z283l4Gudmsi1u0h4fBI8zSzgJ66rk85kxVX6k0pWhWwmt4bB-JLOVm9n/s1600/IMG_6282.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6jvQc5sVsWBoH6GKVefE9bmCXiYA37k_vS61B9i71WfIiDyBHCFWFX2aSbWGYETWzs334P126cwFs1Ou-8r_Z283l4Gudmsi1u0h4fBI8zSzgJ66rk85kxVX6k0pWhWwmt4bB-JLOVm9n/s320/IMG_6282.JPG" /></a>I had the good fortune to hang out with some of the very best food and wine writers [bloggers] in the U.S. and also at the same time, the experience of being trapped in freak snowstorm [bonus] it was late January and early February of 2012. The fun of (slurping and sipping) sampling through some best wines being produced in Umbria was and is still an unforgettable life moment.<br />
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Unfortunately, far too many of these wines still remain largely unknown to the average, garden variety, vino-sapiens. Hopefully, this review will change that trend just a bit, by shining a bright lamp on one of the unsung <a href="http://www.winemag.com/Web-2012/Discovering-Umbria/">Sagrantino di Montefalco</a> heroes of the Italian wine scene.<br />
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Frankly, at the time I was also guilty of not entirely having much more than a cursory knowledge about the many splendid wines from this region. But that experience has taught me one thing, never stop exploring. I'm continually challenging myself and my palate to sample, sip, slurp and spit my way through previously unexplored regions. </div>
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I can no longer accept the notion "this is it, there's nothing more to see here." It's time to just settle for mundane domestically produced conformity, blech. That would be an unfortunate statement for anyone to make, but it is a decision I see a few vino-sapiens making. But I don't think they even realize it. How do I know? Because I've been in their shoes, and it was not so many years ago either, wallowing in abject wine-mediocrity, a self-imposed wine-ghetto if you will ha.<br />
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It is with that thought in mind that I offer one thing further regarding travel. From my few experiences, don't just visit new lands or place like a picture-taking [tourist] zombie, instead become a traveler. Yep, that's right slow-your-roll for just a moment. Drill deep, right down into the bedrock of the places you visit; soak it in and never let it go [If this sounds like a bit of over-the-top navel-gazing, you have my apologies in advance].<br />
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Do I grow from these adventures; I like to think I have. I am thrilled I had the opportunity to explore this great wine region in Italy, and I invite you to do the same by uncorking something new and novel tonight, like this bottle of Sagrantino seen above. This wine which is unlike so many other wines, you may encounter, offers real soul and substance, which is part of the reason my score for this wine is 93 points. The average price of this wine is USD 50, but in my opinion, it's well worth the price of admission. I understand that for most folks, this may not be an everyday drinker, and possibly more like a weekend treat, but again, one well worth the wait.<br />
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This delightful gem pictured at the very top is from the <a href="http://www.tuttomontefalco.it/eng/index.php">Montefalco DOCG</a> a delightfully aromatic wine, which immediately grabs your attention, and for me, it was love at first slurp. The nose immediately opened up with a blast of crushed blackberry fruit, dark ripe cherries that grabs your senses and doesn't let go. <br />
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On the first slurp (none of that dainty sipping here) down, you'll encounter abundant dark fruits dark plum and vivid blackberry, vague minerality, smooth tannins [but firm] a light sprinkle of chalk and long lingering finish, that will have you coming back for more. Even though this wine would be considered very dry by some standards, there is enough dark plumy, dark cherry juiciness, coupled with fresh, rich earth flavors to keep you very interested.<br />
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The structure is quite complex, some smoked licorice, laid over massive tannins and a barrel full of stunning mouth-watering acidity that makes this wine a perfect match with any Italian theme dish you could ever imagine throwing at it. This wine is also high on its own. Frankly, I could not get enough of this wine; it just draws you in over and over, a real head-turner. <br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">“Umbria and the wine revolution it has experienced over the past 30 years makes for big potential in a small package,” ~ Winemaker Riccardo Cotarella</span></i></div>
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<b>Full Disclosure: </b>Yes this bottle was sent as a<i><b> sample </b></i>for the review process. I wish the bottle had arrived in a bit better condition, as wine had pushed its way up past the cork and leaked a bit into the capsule. But after a full month's rest in the cellar, it seemed to straighten out any of the potential issues it may have had. Until next time folks, remember life is too short to reach for uncorking that same bottle of domestically produced wine again, explore, but remember to sip long and prosper cheers!</div>
Will Eyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183703307642614234noreply@blogger.com206036 Montefalco, Province of Perugia, Italy42.889293599999988 12.65028430000006742.877660099999986 12.630114300000066 42.90092709999999 12.670454300000067tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4819914291670678530.post-69316366380224863342020-01-09T16:51:00.000-08:002020-01-13T05:53:30.172-08:00Tasting Through the Wines of Europe <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">"Wine in balance has the proper fruit to acid ratio, judicious use of oak, no discernable flaws, like VA, or aggressive herbaceous notes, etc.. The nose and palate should be similar and in concert with each other, but one intensifying the other. " A Wise Vinosapien </span></i></div>
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Think of the nose as a trailer for a summer blockbuster, the coming attractions which woo and wow you. Once you see the movie, and the ending is satisfying, then you feel it was worth the price of admission, so it is with wine. The finish should be long and lasting and after the last drop of wine has departed from the glass, the aromas of what was once there linger like a sweet perfume. This is, in my opinion, is a 'balanced wine.' Wine tasting, like any other skill, is a learned behavior. It's also a good way to give and gain perspective, via immersion into those regions, that many have merely heard of, or only read about before.<br />
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Today's wine review feature wines from Europe, Germany, Spain and an excellent dessert wine from Hungry, two were a bit disappointing with the remainder receiving the coveted thumbs up. Part of the class involves the writing of a tasting note about the wines presented, in what I consider a rather perfunctory style, notes which are not in my typical inimitable tone and tenor found on my blog.<br />
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<b>Reichgraf von Kesselstatt, 2014 Scharzhofberger Riesling Kabinett, Mosel, VDP Grosse Lager:</b> In the glass, this wine appeared light in color, the color was a pale yellow, and the clarity was clear. This wine was nicely aromatic, but moderately so. After a few good swirls, allowing the wine to warm a bit, wet-stone, diesel, apricots, and other undefined stone fruits. The wine was a bit off-dry, the acidity was low to flabby. The body was light, and the tannins levels were hardly discernable, not too evident.<br />
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<b>Flavor descriptors</b>, more undefined stone fruit, similar to a mashed-up melody of punk rock and rap music fusion. The flavor parade continued sadly, broken, wet slate, overripe peaches, homogenized honey bear, a light note of diesel and dying floral blooms. The finish was a medium minus. Reportedly a vintage with many ‘challenges,' as noted by the winemaker, perhaps one of those challenges was producing this Kabinett. According to the back-label information, the grapes for this wine were harvested from Scharzhofberger, a famous site in the Saar. In my opinion, the overall profile of this wine was too simple, too flabby and lacked any real structure or finesse. Not recommended. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Reichgraf von Kesselstatt, 2015 Scharzhofberger Riesling Spatlese, Mosel, VDP Grosse Lager:</b> In the glass, this wine appeared light in color, with a shimmering straw core and the clarity was quite clear. Again, not an overly aromatic wine, sporting moderate aromatics; but after warming up a bit, wet river rock freshly plucked from the icy waters, fragrant florals, some petrol and a note of brininess in the background.<br />
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The taste, I found this wine to be off-dry to dry, much more balanced than the Kabinett, the body was medium, and the tannin level was moderate to low. A bright vein of acid ran through the unctuous fruit, delivering a food-friendly wine, with low alcohol and a modest amount of sweetness that would pair wonderfully with spicy cuisine.<br />
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The overall flavor profile was pleasing, and sporting newly bloomed honeysuckle perfuming the air, a slight citrus note, summer-ripe white peaches, pears, and crushed river rock. The finish was medium to long, pleasing, inviting another sip, swirl, and slurp. The grapes again were harvested from a famous site in the Saar on the Mosel River. In my opinion, the overall profile of this wine snappy and crisp, cut with enough acid to balance the higher RS of 4.5% and sported real structure and finesse. Highly recommended, an excellent representation of German Riesling. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Disznoko Tokaji Aszu 2008: </b>In the glass, the appearance is gold to amber, the color depth is light in intensity, and the clarity is clear. After a good swirl or two, and a few moments of warming up in the glass, white tea leaves, dried apricots, honeycomb, an odd vegetal note. Perhaps from the effects of Noble Rot. The overall taste profile, this wine is sweet but balanced with crisp acidity, the body is light to medium, and the tannins levels are moderate, well-integrated.<br />
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The <b>flavor descriptors</b>, orange peel citrus, vanilla, white tea, apricots, and dates. The finish is long and lasting, a wonderfully balanced dessert wine which pairs exceptionally well with pungent blue cheese. I also thought this wine would be an excellent addition to the Thanksgiving festivities after-party, where they serve pumpkin pie from scratch exclusively to insiders. The details: 5 Puttonyos sweetness level, this wine is a blend of 70% Furmint, 20% Zéta and 10% Hárslevelu, and 12.5% alcohol.<o:p></o:p></div>
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After the fall of communism in Hungry, <b>Disznoko Estate</b> was reborn, with new ownership infused cash into the dying husk of the 1772 first-growth property. The vineyards which needed massive work, it was replanted; despite the replanting undertaken, it's still considered a classified 1st growth. There was much cleaning up which needed to be done; not only did the vineyards need an overhaul, but many of the buildings and winemaking equipment also required updating as well. This vineyard essentially sits on a hill of volcanic clay soils with perliter pebbles. Atop a hill in the vineyard is a boar-shaped rock, from which the name of the winery takes its name. </div>
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Formally known as<i> <b>“a wine of kings, and the king of wines”</b> </i>[sounds like a Budweiser commercial] this property and its new owner help set in motion, a wave of renewal, the return of Tokaji’s reputation as a wine region to be taken seriously once more. It's a region with a rich past and now an even brighter future built upon the traditions of those who went before them. Some of the vineyard here is quite steep and held by terraces, which present their own issues regarding erosion and picking, making machine picking and even vineyard maintenance difficult. </div>
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<b>Disznoko </b>is one of a few vineyards planted entirely on a single tract of land, making them 100 percent estate harvested, vinted and bottled. They control 100 percent of the property and have a more intimate knowledge of how it lives and breathes. The Disznoko estate has been planted with four of the six approved noble grape varieties of the Tokaj Wine Region: with Furmint leading the pack at 70% planted, while the rest Hárslevelű, Zéta, Sárgamuskotály bring the balance.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>Switching gears here, with a previous wine tasting, where we took a quick look at the wines of Spain. </i></b></div>
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<b>2011 San Cristobal, Ribera del Duero:</b> In the glass, the color depth and appearance are deep to very dark, brooding really. The color is akin to baked-on, burnt red to deep purple, and at the core, it's opaque. The aromas of this wine, are off-putting, in an oddly unflattering aromatic kind of way, I thought the wine was off for a few moments, but I was incorrect. It may have suffered heat damage in transport or was left in the back of the vehicle far too long.<br />
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Who knows, that said the aromas reminded of stewed bell peppers, cans of asparagus left open overnight, roasted plums, burnt French roast lingering overnight in the office coffee pot. The taste, which was not pleasing, tasted dry, the acidity was more sour than balanced. The body was full; the tannins were quite firm, and not well integrated. The flavor descriptors were not much different than the aromas found in the nose, more stewed green bell pepper, charred oak, burnt coffee, and sour black cherry, and plum. The finish was hot and heavy, like a zombie breathing down your neck, it lingered. This wine is a hot mess. I think opening a second bottle from a different source, it could tell a different story. </div>
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<b>Fillaboa, Albarino, Estate Grown 2015:</b> In the glass, the color depth and appearance are light, the color is a straw to pale gold color, and at the core, it's clear. The aromas of this wine, are wonderfully aromatic, citrus, pineapple and other floral notes. The overall taste profile is dry, the acidity is crisp, the body is light, and the tannins are low. Flavor descriptor wise, freshly sliced green apple, citrus, white flower blossoms, and just a dot of honey. The finish is light and refreshing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Will Eyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183703307642614234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4819914291670678530.post-43020232564870863002020-01-07T19:19:00.000-08:002020-01-12T20:50:15.350-08:00Travel Tuesday: Campania Uncorked a Taste of Taurasi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“The Roman belief that wine was a daily necessity made the drink "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic" title="Democratic">democratic</a>" and ubiquitous: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wine" title="Wine">wine</a> was available to slaves, peasants and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristocracy_%28class%29" title="Aristocracy (class)">aristocrats</a> alike.”</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">It's worth noting that among mankind's accomplishments, "wine is perhaps one of its oldest inventions, possibly dating back over 3000 years" [according to my WSET book]. It's thought that its cultivation was brought to fruition by the Roman Empire, who spread the love of the vine to other major-player nations we know today, like Spain and France. It is most likely though, the French who can [and possibly should] be credited with having refined and perfected the art of the process of turning grape juice into wine. </span></div>
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But going to Campania, which I did two years ago, as part of the IWINETC press pool, is like going back to the source of where it all began. Some folks may want to argue, some of the finer points of historical record that may be pointing in different directions, if so please feel free to comment below. I'm no historian or an expert on this region of Italy, but that said the point of this post is not about an exercise about historical perspective. Instead, it's meant to shine a bright light on a region that may not get as much coverage [flying under the radar] as I think these wines deserve and that the quality demands.</div>
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When you hear Taurasi, just think of one word, and that word is Aglianico. Big dark, brooding grapes, a massive tannin structure meant for aging, as they often spend three years in one barrel [before being released] and if labeled a "Riserva' it must be four years with 18 months of wood. Thankfully to stay within the DOCG guidelines, they age the wines for you and when they are finally released many of the wines are dressed to impress right away.But I'd decant for a few hours for best results, as these wines are very "big" and take time to unfold. </div>
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Just as a side note for the ABC folks, there are two tasty white wines produced in the Campania region which I believe you'd thoroughly enjoy, one is Fiano d' Avellino, and the other is Greco di Tufo both great wines with fantastic depth and complexity. The style of wine which invites drinking early and often. Once you uncork either of these wines, you'll find great flavors, like splashes of honey, bees-wax, citrus, floral notes, and a refreshing herbal quality, great wines to help you kick the Chardonnay habit.</div>
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When I heard about these wines in my WSET courses, I must have been sleeping that day or perhaps it was the fact that our class sadly only spent about five seconds discussing this fantastic region. While it looks like the latter is true, as I reach for the text, cracking open the book once more, the entire wine region of Campania was discussed in two paragraphs [ouch]. Apparently, they forgot to pay tribute to WSET wine lords. </div>
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I don't think Campania is feeling the love, especially for a wine touted as the "Barolo of the South." Not much effort for such a stellar [and oddly unknown] region. A wine region that in my opinion offers even the garden variety vino-sapiens some very intriguing wines, well worth seeking out and we're not just talking about Aglianico either. These are not the type of wines you'll find just sitting on at your local TJ's or even most wine shops; so you may have to do a bit of hunting, but believe me, it's worth the effort.</div>
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Hopefully, this post has piqued your interest in knowing more about this unique region and Campania's Taurasi DOCG. If so, then please click on the links provided here and drink it all in. Someone at wine-searcher has gone to great effort to give a wonderful tutelage about this exciting region. So that said, I'm going to dive in head-first into the reviews of four wines from this region, which I encountered at the Romeo Hotel in Naples.</div>
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I had a chance to sample these wines while staying at the beautiful Romeo Hotel. A perfect place to recharge the travel-batteries, it sits just across the street from the harbor, with grand views of the still active Vesuvius off in the distance. It also makes a great jumping-off place for other tourist and travel destinations like Pompeii [a must see]. </div>
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Just moments after check-in, our group was invited to an Aglianico Taurasi tasting, where we encountered four different wines of widely different vintages. There was a 1999 Radici Taurasi Aglianico, which I thought was just about over the hill, but still had nice fruit and very mellow tannins. If they had possibly decanted this wine a bit, beforehand it may have shown better. But still, it would have made an excellent wine to have with dinner and would have paired with just anything you throw at it, except a spicy dish.</div>
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The 2001 Feudi di San Gregorio Taurasi Riserva Piano di Montevergine: A wine which left me breathless, wow a real stunner. My score for this wine mirrors Parker's spot-on analysis; with a solid 94 points. Of course, attempting to procure a bottle [by any means] before returning home, left me empty-handed [sigh]. Even when I did get home to search for it online, I was sad to see nearly no shops with it in stock and ones that did were very proud that they still had a few left in their inventory [if you feel me].</div>
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Nearly no one in the group had a good experience with the Taurasi Riserva Piano di Montevergine Feudi di San Gregorio 2004, it was a bit too tannic, chalky, with too much campfire nuances, overriding the fruit. Finally, there was the 2006 [black label] Radici Taurasi, which was quite good, loads of blackberry, dark cherry fruit, leather, and smoke, but pulled up a bit short on the finish.</div>
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Overall, it was an excellent introduction into the Taurasi Aglianico, all wonderfully powerful wines from one of Italy’s premier grapes, alongside Sangiovese Grosso, Nebbiolo, and Sagrantino. I hope you will pull together a few of these wines for yourself and give them a swirl; I think you will be as impressed as I was, until next time sip long and prosper cheers!</div>
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Will Eyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183703307642614234noreply@blogger.com0Campania, Italy41.109947299999988 14.84751389999996739.57024229999999 12.265726899999967 42.649652299999985 17.429300899999966tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4819914291670678530.post-91597596861826760222020-01-04T13:42:00.000-08:002020-01-12T14:26:39.840-08:00Are You In da Club?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">“Give me books, French wine, fruit, fine weather, and a little music played out of doors by somebody I do not know.” ― <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/11978.John_Keats">John Keats</a></span></b></div>
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Wine clubs, they come, and they go, some for better and some for worse. But if you'd like to explore different styles of wines from a variety of French wine regions, then a wine club is the right vehicle to do so. Let's face it though, the business of wine clubs is more competitive than ever, with every club claiming they have an 'expert' who has been ordained by Baccus himself to guide you to the correct path of wine swirling and slurping enlightenment.<br />
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I've been in many wine clubs over the years, along with allotment lists which some will wait years to obtain access to the coveted allotment from the newest must-have winery to add to their unicorn collection. But I've kicked them all to the curb, I don't follow trends or do I wet my pants over so-called must-have collectibles because I like most people have a drinking collection of wines I can afford to open, anytime or any day.<br />
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At the moment, I don't belong to any wine club, but if I were going to choose just one, I'd prefer to link up with the team at<a href="https://sommailier.com/how-it-works/"> Sommailier</a>, who focuses exclusively on French Wine. One of the most significant differences with this club is that it's not just any French wine, these wines are currently not available in the U.S. marketplace, this is all small production, small lots and unearthed caches of wines sitting in cellars just looking for a home. It's worth mentioning that this club [a recent startup based in San Diego] is currently only available in California, but no reason to fret as Sommailier is considering expanding to 14 more states shortly.<br />
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But the reason, I recommend this club over the myriad 'other' clubs vying for your dollars, is two things, the authenticity of quality from previously unavailable producers. Even though I live here in Oregon now, they were still able to send me a sample shipment, much like any other wine club would receive.<br />
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The second reason is the three wines sent were outstanding, to excellent and extremely well balanced. The third point is that their pricing is remarkedly reasonable considering the quality of the wine in the bottle, the QPR is excellent. Finally, the packaging sent is cardboard, not foam. The information about each wine is short and sweet, getting right to the point and offers a pairing suggestion.<br />
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As you may know, I'm a huge fan of French wine in general; one I've personally explored in person, both in Bordeaux and Champagne. It's a vast region to get to know and understand. If you're are at all interested in knowing more about French wine and French wine culture from its origins, this club is an excellent place to get started.<br />
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I've been reading the book "Exploring Wine," when I get to Chapter 7 about French wine, it starts off with the premise, that "French wine has lost the luster on the once shiny crown." Stating that the average wine consumer no longer values French wine as it may have in the past. This statement is sadly in a way accurate because many consumers here in the states don't have the same access to French wine, as they do to diluted California, Oregon, and Washington jug wine producers who line the shelves of their grocery stores.<br />
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There's also a profit model driving distributors who service these grocery stores to push commodity juice, give special incentives for floor and shelve placement. Sommailier is a different wine club, one that can be of great assistance, cutting out the middleman and delivering incredible wine values previously unseen.<br />
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<b><br /></b> <b>Domaine Anny Derain, Cote Chalonnainse 2014: </b>In the picture above, a delicious Cote Chalonnaise, from a small Domaine with parcels located in the villages of Mercurey and Givry, a west-facing vineyard, shallow limestone-rich soils, and fifty-year-old vines. After uncorking the bottle, pouring a glass, beautiful aromas dancing away in abundance, aromas of barnyard funk, damp earth, freshly picked mushrooms, Bing cherries, sage, and beets. Taste-wise, I found this wine dry, balanced, with a medium-minus body, medium-plus tannins that folded effortlessly in the wines flavor profile. Flavor descriptors were few, raspberry, cranberry, roasted beets, a whiff of sandalwood and overall it's an easy to love wine without decanting. The finish is long and caressing. An excellent first choice to represent the direction this wine club will take with future shipments. This Burgundy does drink a bit less traditional but is still wonderfully appealing from the first splash to the last drop.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>"A love story between the man and his soil; with trust in nature and an acceptance of fate. You may suffer in winemaking, but you’ll never end this sacred relationship. The vineyard on which you were born and raised will be a part of you forever." Sommailier, Our Story</b></span></div>
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<b>Denis Lurton 2015 Margaux: </b>This left bank beauty, assembled from 3ème Cru Classé Chateau Desmirail property in the Margaux appellation. <b>Cru</b> is "a vineyard or group of vineyards, especially one of recognized quality." "It is a French wine term which is traditionally translated as "growth." It is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the balance is Merlot. 13% abv, but drinks a like a sexy monster from Napa while being completely balanced. This wine does need a proper decanting to allow it to unwind, revealing its many facets and intricacies. Some espresso dust, dark plum, crushed gravel across the nose give this a sexy, appealing edge right off the bat, followed up by chewy tannins that only will soften with a few more years in the bottle. Still for those who appreciate, a wine of this quality, at the crazy price point it's offered at, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better bottle of wine from the 2015 vintage. I sampled this wine over a couple of days; it held up wonderfully.<br />
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<b>Chateau La Fleur Des Pins, Graves 2016: </b>A Sauvignon Blanc, 25% Sauvignon Gris 50% Semillon blend often referred to as a 'White Bordeaux.' While it was not a stunning wine, not one that will make you insta-famous. But it is a bottle of wine I'd recommend uncorking, pouring and enjoying again and again. It's great to have wines like this in the cellar, ready to go at a moment's notice. A delicious, white Bordeaux that makes for an ideal way to dress up a lazy summer evening, with friends, family or even the occasional impromptu co-worker get together.<br />
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I really enjoyed this wine this 100% hand-picked grapes, from Pujols sur Ciron appellation, the soil composed of clay and limestone on a small nine-acre parcel from fifty-year vines. This wine has real soul and substance to it; a blaze of acid was pinning the [fruit driven] Semillon to the mat, while vibrant minerality kept things interesting. In my mind, it was the perfect wine [apple/pear lemon butter] for the occasion, simple, light and most of all refreshing. Each sip and slurp had me thinking about what it must be like to sit on a porch/veranda in Bordeaux, relaxing with friends and family, and perhaps watching the sunset over the vineyards.<br />
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There was, of course, in addition to the sample of what Sommailier has to offer consumers, I had the opportunity to interview Laurent Yung, over the phone. His English is fantastic, while my French is rudimentary at best, truly a man of the world. We discussed the wine culture, his passion for sharing the joys of wine exploration, why this wine-club is different and how he and his family had arrived in San Diego, my old hometown of many years. After tasting the wines, reading through the website, and the wine club materials, I'm happy to recommend Laurent Yung and this wine club, Sommailier.<br />
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<b>Q: How did you and your family come to live in San Diego? </b><br />
<b>A:</b> While we have lived in many places around the world, like New York, Sweden, and Bordeaux, San Diego presented itself with some unique opportunities. Also, seeing California as a great place to raise a family and community with a growing interest in wine diversity, meaning the exploration of imported wines. </div>
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<b>Q: When you say, "one of the major goals of Sommailier is to spread the family tradition of French wines" what should the consumer take away from that statement? </b></div>
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<b>A:</b> To us, wine is all about family. The authenticity of small batch production from family-owned vineyards has a traditional feel of the wines we enjoyed around our dinner table in Bordeaux. Through our wine club, not only did we want to share these unique wine but more importantly the stories behind the labels; of the winemakers, the challenges of working in the vineyard. I grew up in Bordeaux, being exposed to wine business daily, I come from five generations of winemakers. We hope to spread the word about life on the vineyard, and in the wineries, the everyday struggles and the joy of accomplishment in the French tradition. </div>
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<b>Q: When you say the previously unavailable wines, do you mean to say that these wines are uniquely sourced from producers who had not already offered them to the export market?</b></div>
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<b>A: </b>I noticed a lack of wine clubs in the American market featuring smaller, harder-to-find French wines. I also wanted to truly showcase the hidden jewels and hard, if not difficult to acquire treasures of French wine, which my partners and I have unique access. We sit at the right hand of the small-batch wineries with the ability to market and leverage the small niche wineries previously unknown in this marketplace. The connections we have developed allows us at times, for example, to merely import 300-500 bottles, are okay with the small batch. My brother, Patrick, recently acquired a wine distributor in Paris, one who has had great success bringing boutique French wines to the marketplace, since 1948. As a result, our wine club, Sommailier is benefiting from his expertise and closely-tied network to import these wines to the United States.</div>
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<b>Q: Tell me more about the opportunity for a "personalized wine tour in Bordeaux", is this something offered exclusively to members? </b></div>
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<b>A:</b> At the moment it's a developing process, but with can work with small itineraries, such as giving advice on where to go, we make advance contacts with our partners, to set up appointments and tours. If you're a club member, please contact us before you travel, and we'll be in touch. </div>
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<b>Q: When you say "wine is all about family" what are you attempting to communicate? In a world of hyper-connectivity, how does the wine experience break through the clamor and noise of the modern world? A:</b> You have my story, you know about my winemaking heritage, so when you join the club, you become part of the Sommailier family.</div>
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<b>Q: The wines sent, would you say some are better to be enjoyed in the here and now, or like the Margaux, I received as a sample, would it be better to hold it, and drink later? </b></div>
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<b>A:</b> In general Burgundy, in the club selections are drink now, while wines like the Margaux sent in our first shipment. We acquired nine thousand bottles of the Margaux [750 cases] and five thousand bottles of the red burgundy [416 cases]. There are limitations, on supply, and all wine is kept in our cold facility for storage.</div>
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<b>Q: Are these wine club selections bottled and labeled exclusively for club members, meaning the labeled bottles will have unique labels setting them apart? </b></div>
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<b>A:</b> Exclusive to the club, very famous families, general consumers cannot access them. On the back label, you'll find variety, best-serving temperature, a when to drink window and a pairing suggestion.</div>
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<b>Q: Many consumers will ask are "organic" wines available from Sommailier? </b></div>
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<b>A: </b>While we currently do not offer any certified 'organic' wines; we are discovering new bottlings all the time, a vegan choice, approved for the Sommailier Club shipments is in the clarification and approval process.</div>
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<b>Q: In the first shipment there was Bordeaux, Burgundy, but what other regions will be offered like Champagne for example? </b></div>
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<b>A:</b> Champagne not in the cards, for the moment. White, Red and Rose, but white and red only at that moment. Older vintages could be the cards, possibly, evolving and taken under advisement. Thanks for the suggestion. Our overall goal to educate is the current wine club model, but we are open to change and modification as the club grows. Feedback from club members is very important to us. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Will Eyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183703307642614234noreply@blogger.com0San Diego, CA, USA32.715738 -117.1610838000000331.861779000000002 -118.45197730000002 33.569697000000005 -115.87019030000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4819914291670678530.post-41585119029406939942020-01-01T18:05:00.000-08:002020-01-01T17:22:05.052-08:00Champagne Roger Coulon Uncorked<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“The path to our destination is not always a straight one. We go down the wrong road, we get lost, we turn back. Maybe it doesn't matter which road we embark upon. Maybe what matters is that we </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">embark.” ― <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/40579.Barbara_Hall">Barbara Hall</a></span></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The year 2019 has come to an end, for many thankfully and for others, it was a year of drastic uncomfortable changes. For me, it has been another year of getting to know a bit about my new surroundings here in Oregon. It's a significant change for me, but I'm embracing it enthusiastically. Since many of you ring in the New Year with Champagne, I'll leave this post from my 2013 adventures in Champagne as the first post of 2020. I hope every one of you has a fantastic 2019; I'm looking forward to the many new and exciting adventures just waiting to be uncorked in the new year. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">When I stepped off the plane in Paris and headed over to the train station, conveniently located in the airport, boarded the train to Reims, I knew I was in the right place. I was about to embark upon another wine discovery adventure, my destination laid just ahead of me. After getting my luggage situated above me, I sat down, across from a young lady, who spoke perfect English, she was from the area, she told me I was going to have a great time. She explained that she was a big fan of Champagne herself, but lamented that many of her peers were not, but she was glad to hear of American's interest in her favorite libation. <br /><br />I was puzzled by her response, but then again, when you live in a country such as France, with a wine culture that spans the centuries, it's easy to take something even as beautiful as Champagne for granted. Perhaps there's a bit of rebellion running through their young minds when they smirk at the ways of the older generation. I can quickly recall, when I was a young boy, there were a plethora of items I turned my nose up at, foods that both my parents consumed with great enthusiasm. Now that I'm the "old-guy" those foods I once despised and took for granted as a child, I now hold dear and consume with great enthusiasm. <br /><br />I love how the trip was structured, we met with the big guns, the well-established houses, whose names are as familiar, as the blue sky above the vineyards and then we also met with grower-producers like Eric Coulon who you see in the picture above. His wife Isabelle, who met us upon our arrival at the cellar door, her English was so much better than my French, which to be honest is pretty much non-existent. But she was a good sport, entertaining our questions and doing her best to answer until Sebastian, one of their employees showed up to give us a quick vineyard tour and who thankfully for us, had a superb grasp of English. But apparently, he was a bit unfamiliar with Mrs. Coulon's vehicle, it took more than a few minutes to get it going. But eventually, we headed up a few hills and dales until we landed at the spot you see above with the incredible sweeping views of their vineyards.<br /><br />If you do visit, realize, they're quite far off the beaten path; when even <a href="https://twitter.com/EdChampagne">Edward Champagne</a> didn't recognize them immediately, you know you're on an infrequently explored territory. When the group heard, Roger Coulon is represented by none other than<a href="https://madrose.com/company-info/"> Neal I. Rosenthal</a>; we were all thrilled for this opportunity to sample some excellent grower champagnes. The tasting room, the show barrel room you see below, the offices, conference room, and a gorgeous B&B were all recently updated and modernized. Staying at their B&B is a great idea, a beautiful spot to get away from the drum-beat of everyday living and soak in the Champagne lifestyle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Great sparkling wines come from all over the world, but only <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Champagne?src=hash">#Champagne</a> comes from Champagne, France </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Upon our arrival, our group of wine writers was introduced to both Eric and Isabelle Coulon. They represent the eighth generation of the Coulon family to be working as recoltant-manipulants [a grower who makes champagne from grapes they grow] who produce Champagne from Vrigny, and they also source some grapes from the surrounding village, some 7500 cases on average. You can find them located in the northwest corner of the Montagne de Reims. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />One of the more unusual things to point out about Champagne Roger Coulon is the fact they have some 'old vine' vineyards of the Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay which is used to produce some of their Grand Crus; I say unusual because in Champagne most vines rarely live longer than 25 years. This is something most folks in Champagne consider a curse, rather than a blessing. Continuing with that theme, at Roger Coulon they use something called<i><span style="color: #990000;"> <b>selection massale</b></span></i> to help maintain a consistent flavor profile. You can read more about that process<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMZPp0wpnl0"><b><span style="color: #990000;"> here.</span></b></a> I'm not sure we tasted them all because we were short on time, but RC produces six cuvées of Champagne, the grapes are hand-harvested, they rely solely upon indigenous yeast, and no herbicides are used to subdue vineyard pressures.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>"So I waited with high hopes, and she walked in the place, I knew her smile in an instant, I knew the curve of her face, if you're not into yoga if you have half a brain and dig the feel of the ocean and the taste of champagne" ~ Rupert Holmes</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Champagne is a fascinating and different wine-growing region than most of us are familiar with, especially folks who have grown up here in the states, understanding the basic winemaking model. Here the wines are <b>generally </b>[meaning, yes there exceptions to the rule]<b> </b>produced by winemakers who own their own vineyards and make wine from those grapes they harvest, bottle it, market it, and sell it. In Champagne, things are run quite a bit different. But there are some commonalities. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Before my visit, I had not really given it much thought, but once there, I realized that in Champagne there something like, 19,000 growers [give or take] who serve a handful of houses. These 'growers' as they've come to be known are responsible for growing and selling grapes to the <i>mega international brands </i>we've all come to know and love, Champagnes like <a href="http://www.veuve-clicquot.com/">Veuve Clicquot</a> for example, which is sold and wonderfully known around the world. But a few growers thought, hmm, I could cut myself in for a piece of that pie as well, and become not only a grower but a producer. This is just an infinitesimally small summary of the story; so for those really interested there are many fabulous books on the subject, like this by Edward [Champagne] <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1?ie=UTF8&field-author=McCarthy&search-alias=books&text=McCarthy&sort=relevancerank">McCarthy</a>, any dummy can easily <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Champagne-For-Dummies-McCarthy/dp/0764552163">find here</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">"A single glass of Champagne imparts a feeling of exhilaration. The nerves are braced; the imagination is stirred, the wits become more nimble." ~ Winston Churchill</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The tasting portion of our visit was cut a bit short, and I had to furiously taste, spit and make a few notes about these fantastic Champagnes I was tasting. They were very bright and fresh, not even a hint of that funky monkey oxidation style which I'm not really a fan of too much. These wines were crisp, spoke of the place they came from eloquently and delicate, tasty fruit shined through wonderfully. As I tasted these wines, my first thought was, 'wow' now this is how you do it, and when I got back to the states, I immediately looked for a place to buy their wonderfully, well crafted Champagne.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Roger Coulon Réserve de l’Hommée </b><b>Premier Cru</b><b>: </b>All three grapes were present in this fantastic cuvée PN, PM and Chardonnay from the oldest part of their vineyards, aged five years on cork after disgorgement [date found on back label] and before release. The nose was magic, golden apples, vivid pear, a bit of tartness on the mid-palate, a blaze of zippy acidity, dense, tight bubbles, a bit yeasty, more brioche, bright pear, layers of complexity and the finish is sumptuous, like you were drinking the stars. My score for this beauty: <b>94</b> points.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><b>Roger Coulon Brut Millésimé Blanc de Noirs: </b>A gorgeous 50/50 blend of PN and PM, sourced from vines planted in 1953, not on American root-stock, so the production for this bottling is smaller by comparison and a bit more expensive as well. No malo what so ever and just 5 grams of RS dosage, Extra Brut territory. This wine is a sharp, crisp golden color in the glass, orange rinds aromas hover above, light red berries, honey, spices, and zippy minerality, the length is long and lasting, a very memorable wine. My score again <b>94</b> points, positively outstanding.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I truly was hoping to spend a bit more time with these folks, but as I said earlier, we were running late for our next appointment and sadly needed to leave early to stay on schedule. But now that I know where I can find these wines, I'll be sure to secure a few more for further exploration and research. Until next folks have a great New Year, all the best to you on this Champagne Day, remember life is too short to only drink commodity wines and house Champagnes, explore, try new things; as always slurp long and prosper cheers!</span></div>
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Will Eyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183703307642614234noreply@blogger.com112 Rue de la Vigne du Roy, 51390 Vrigny, France49.2342994 3.913697800000022725.667511899999997 -37.394896199999977 72.8010869 45.222291800000022tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4819914291670678530.post-88226876061265460642019-12-26T16:16:00.000-08:002020-01-04T13:34:07.406-08:00Will your #NewYears2020 Celebration Sizzle or Fizzle? Six Uncommonly Good Bottles of Bubbly Under $20 <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>I made no resolutions for the New Year. The habit of making plans, of criticizing, sanctioning and molding my life, is too much of a daily event for me.“ — Anaïs Nin</i></span></div>
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A fresh new year is once again upon us, for some, it's a sigh of relief, for others it's a continuation of the madness of 2019. However you look at it, it's the time to be thankful for the many blessings of the past year and to take stock of the disappointments, achievements, goals attained and other everyday victories. I've resolved to drink, taste and uncork many new wines in the upcoming new year, that is one resolution I can count on keeping and many of you reading this as well if you're honest. </div>
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As an older human being, I take each day in stride, I suck up the frustrations and drive on; I've learned each year above ground is a celebration, regardless of the many and varied political strivings which seem to be festering near the surface of everyday life, which I mostly just ignore. There's far more to life than who is in charge at the moment, life marches on, seasons change, the rain comes, but also does the sunshine. </div>
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Another year of varied experiences and another year to live, love and uncork some fantastic bottles of wine. Ringing in the New Year is always exciting, from house parties to quiet dinners, everyone across the globe has their style of ringing in the New Year. In case you should find yourself without a proper celebratory bottle of bubbly you plan to open this New Year's Eve, see one of the fantastic suggestions below, to help you ring the new year in right.</div>
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So here we go, time for another wine-soaked list of bubbly recommendations to help the even garden-variety vino-sapiens to make their way past the hollow and pedantic pages of <i><b>wanna-be wine-sages </b></i>who offer little in the way of finding uncommonly good bottles of bubbly. My goal, on the other hand, is to help you find a quaffable, yet a wildly affordable glass of bubbly to uncork for the upcoming <i><b>New Year's </b></i>celebration.<br />
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With that random mess of thought-provoking eloquence having smacked you across the face, like the awkward toss of a <i><b>stinky mackerel</b></i> at your favorite local fish market, it's time swerve into a review of more than a few newfound bubblies I've recently received as samples. With it nearly being time to suck down a few suds to ring in the New Year, I know many of you may be thinking what kind of (colloquially known) <i><b>'juice' </b></i>you should you be uncorking for <i><b>New Years, which is why I'm here to help with that dilemma.</b></i><br />
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If you want to make it something new and different than you could not possibly get more different than this bottle of sparkling wine from our mutual friends at Freixenet, their <i><b>Freixenet Elyssia Pinot Noir Brut Rosé </b></i>is a real standout in both appearance, taste and aromas. The budding wine enthusiast readily recognizes their signature and ubiquitous (Cordon Negro) black bottle, known for its role as a mixer for Sunday brunch mimosas, but their Elyssia bottling is a cut above.<br />
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This beautiful bottle of bubbly [Cava] resides in an eloquent bottle, the wine itself is dressed to impress from the first sip to the last bubbly drop. Need a pairing suggestion; I'm thinking a holiday style glazed spiral cut ham and a fresh homemade summer potato salad, replete with olives, hard-boiled eggs, macaroni, and tuna.<br />
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This bottle of bubbly offers a unique blend of Pinot Noir and Trepat, full of intensely ripe summer red fruit aromas evocative of summer simmer on the beaches of Barcelona. Rich, elegant yet ripe raspberries, red currants, and bright newly harvested cherries fill your glass, while at the same time bringing beautifully balanced acidity to the party and at long last giving the weary reveler a refreshing, yet long-lasting finish. It has an SRP of a mere <b>$18 </b>and is widely available. I gave this bubbly score of <b><a href="http://www.xn--cuvecornerwineblog-dwb.com/p/wine.html">91 points</a></b>, and award it the "drink now and drink often" seal of approval. </div>
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<b>NV Domaine de Bois Moze Cremant de Loire Brut, France:</b> This wine is one hundred percent Chenin using <a href="http://www.californiachampagnes.com/methode-champenoise/">méthode champenoise</a> to create the delicate, yet tightly formed well-honed bubbles. The overall flavor profile was pleasing and sporting newly bloomed honeysuckle perfuming the air, a slight citrus note, summer-ripe white peaches, pears, and crushed river rock. The finish was medium to long, pleasing, inviting another sip, swirl, and slurp. An excellent pairing partner with spicy cuisine or as summer aperitif before the main event. This wine earned a score of<a href="http://www.xn--cuvecornerwineblog-dwb.com/p/wine.html"><b> 87 points</b></a>, and the price ranges from <b>$15.99 to $20</b>. Another solid buy recommendation, fantastic appetizer selection.<br />
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<b>NV Gratien & Meyer Crémant de Loire Brut Rosé, France: </b>In the glass, you can see a gorgeous salmon leaning toward tangerine in color. What we have here is a sophisticated Crémant de Loire Rosé made by macerating the one hundred percent Cabernet Franc grapes and, using <a href="http://www.californiachampagnes.com/methode-champenoise/">méthode champenoise</a> to create the delicate finely honed bubbles. A medium-bodied wine, mild to chewy tannins, a bouquet bursting with the aromas of freshly sliced strawberries and red currants.<br />
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The palate is plush, and the acid keeps things interesting, bright cherry, tangerine, a hint of crusty bread, and strawberry compote with a long and lasting finish. An excellent food wine, which delivers far beyond its very reasonable price. This wine earned a score of<b> <a href="http://www.xn--cuvecornerwineblog-dwb.com/p/wine.html">91 points</a></b>, and the price ranges from <b>$15.99 to $20</b>. Another strong buy recommendation and it's awarded the highly coveted, "drink now and drink often" seal of approval. <b>Pairing Suggestions: </b>Smoked Pulled Pork sandwich on a thin multigrain toasted Orowheat roll, Coleslaw salad, and Stubbs Barbeque sauce, hickory flavored.<br />
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<b>JCB No 19 69 Rosé Burgundy, Crémant de Bourgogne: </b>Who says a rose wine can't be bubbly? Hmm? The simple, straightforward answer, no one. This wine brings the 'sexy' it's not name '<b>69</b> for nothing, a real charmer in the glass from the first pour to the last lush drop. Of course, <b>69 </b>is also a rosé Brut based exclusively on pinot noir; a rosé that captures and entwines the full spectrum of both masculinity and feminity. In the glass, it casts a slight rosé color leaning toward the orange/pink salmon side of the equation. </div>
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On the nose dried cherries, over a freshly baked brioche. In the first slurp, ample fat bubbles and creamy mousse composed of strawberries, smeared on freshly baked buttermilk biscuits, leading to a long, sumptuous finish. I've had this wine several times, and I've never been disappointed. It sells for in the <b>$17-$20 </b>price range in most places. I scored this wine <i><b><a href="http://www.xn--cuvecornerwineblog-dwb.com/p/wine.html">90 points</a>, </b></i>and it's highly recommended. <b>Pairing Suggestions:</b> The pairing options with this wine run the gamut from New Year's Eve white truffle oil popcorn to barbequed pork ribs. Champagne's taste without the Champagne price. </div>
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<b>Ferrari Brut NV Sparkling Wine:</b> One hundred percent Chardonnay from Trentino, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy and one hundred percent fantastic, made in true <i><b>méthode champenoise</b></i> style; which requires a secondary fermentation in the bottle. This secondary fermentation is accomplished by adding a mixture of sugar and yeast, called the <i><b>liqueur de tirage</b></i>, to still wine. Italian precision and style are exemplified in this blanc de blanc 'Champagne' like bubbly from Ferrari. Putting my nose in the glass, poof beautiful aromas of white-fleshed fruits, and bright florals mingle quietly, while hints of almond are playing bass in the corner of the room.<br />
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Splashing about on my palate I found this bubbly to be a smooth operator One lead by a host of complex flavors, powerful minerality, near-ripe summer fruits, nectarines, white peach, and pear which find themselves nicely complemented by a fresh, elegant finish. You'll see this wine is ideal as an aperitif or just something cooling and soothing to slurp upon while chilling on the deck taking in the view of New Year's fireworks displays. My score for this beauty is<b> <a href="http://www.xn--cuvecornerwineblog-dwb.com/p/wine.html">91 points</a></b><a href="http://www.xn--cuvecornerwineblog-dwb.com/p/wine.html"> </a>and is available on Vivino selling just under <b>$20. Pairing Suggestion: </b>A few dragon sushi rolls to go, you'll be in heaven.<br />
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<b>Casa Bianca Valdobbiadene Prosecco Brut DOCG NV: </b>In the glass, this wine appeared to have light to medium intensity and the core was a straw in color, while the clarity was clear. A wonderfully aromatic wine, sporting vibrant florals, lime splash, honey-crisp apples, underripe pears and a drop of honey. The taste was dry, the acidity was crisp, and the body was light and airy. </div>
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The tannins were low to moderate. The overall flavor profile was underripe pears, lime peels, freshly cut honey-crisp apple slices, and wet-stone minerality. This wine made in the Charmant method and the style was Brut, and often a majority chain store Prosecco's are not produced in Brut style. The finish was long and lasting, vividly fresh.<br />
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<b>Perfect Pairing:</b> Fresh on the minds of many, is what to pair? May I suggest an uber-simple dish, sauteed shrimp, garlic, Italian spices, olive oil, paprika and voila you have a tremendous low-carb keto inspired recipe you could throw in with a garden salad. I'm at least <b><a href="http://www.xn--cuvecornerwineblog-dwb.com/p/wine.html">90 points</a></b> on this pairing and selling for an incredible price of $12-$15 in most places, fantastic QPR.<br />
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<b>Tenute la Montina Aurum Franciacorta Brut Saten N.V.:</b> This a bonus bottle and priced over <b>$20</b> threshold, but man does this bottle of bubbly deliver the goods in spades. Wow, a very sexy number. You'll find this La Montina Argens Saten, Franciacorta to be quite vibrant and creamy. Persistent, lip-smacking acidity greets you with delightful flavors of freshly baked patisserie pear, bright honey-crisp apples, toasted almonds, a drop of honey and scented by acacia blossoms. This fantastic juice is punctuated by a rich note of sensuous minerality, quietly playing bass in the background, and a long, sumptuous finish will have you thinking about opening another bottle. I scored this bottle <b><a href="http://www.xn--cuvecornerwineblog-dwb.com/p/wine.html">95 points</a>,</b> yes it's that freaking good.</div>
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It's has been a fun year, filled with many adventures, both near and far. There were ups and downs, many new things learned, and new wine friends made. I want to thank each, and every one of you, my readers, the subscriber list is growing, over six hundred email subscribers now. Without our small core of readers, the team and I'd not put the time in needed to create the content that keeps you interested in reading the variety of article I and the team of contributors who share this space with me create. All the best to each of you, in the new year, don't make any resolutions you can't keep, and continue to explore the vast world of wine. Continue to slurp long and prosper, remember compromise is for relationships, not wine cheers!</div>
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<b>All original content: </b>Including text and photographs remain the copyright © of the author, (W.R. Eyer) and © Fotogui Photography except where otherwise noted.<br />
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<b>Full Disclosure: </b>Reviewed wines are from medias sample provided (not for sale) for the review process.</div>
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Will Eyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183703307642614234noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4819914291670678530.post-49193148837423126582019-12-09T13:38:00.000-08:002020-01-13T06:17:59.795-08:00It's All Garrigue to Me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">"The ability for Garnacha based wines to express themselves in their precocious youth, as well as with bottle age is part of their charm." ~ Manfred Krankl of </span></i><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Sine Qua Non</i></span></div>
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Why does one travel? Is it to see new places with new eyes or is it something more we desire? Perhaps, experiencing new places and connecting with other cultures speaks to a desire in our souls to be part of the larger human tribe, for which we all belong. Some say traveling can make us who we are, but I say traveling helps bring our lives into focus, we see the broader world with new eyes, and we grow stronger from the shared experience. Just like the grapes, which I came to look at, photograph, taste, learn of their nuances and contemplate their place in the greater world of wine, we too as travelers, writers, and humans find we evolve into our better selves.<br />
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The Garnacha grapes we experienced on the trip, many still waiting to be harvested (manually) looked and tasted terrific, and sampling the finished wines from previous harvests was eye-opening; the spice, the textures, the tannins and acid to fruit ratios were tantalizing.<br />
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Travel was definitely part of this trip, my first press junket in many moons. It was a real-life plane, trains, and automobiles week-long odyssey through both Spain and France. There was also the harrowing moment or two on an what could only be described as an old goat path. I was part of a press pool, traveling with a troupe of intrepid journalists, just last November 2018, where we uncorked<i> <b>Biodynamic </b></i>and <i><b>Organic </b></i>Garnacha and indigenous Albillo Real from a<i><b> boutique</b></i> producer Las Moradas, and what we discovered were sandy soils, goblet trained century-old vines, and simply sensational Garnacha based wines built for long-term aging.<br />
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After climbing into the steep hills just an hour and a half from Madrid, we arrived at Las Moradas de San Martin. It was early in the morning, and the harvest was still in full swing, we caught up with winemaker Isabel Galindo, who was fussing with her rather mobile press, squeezing the freshly picked Garnacha Grapes, the pressed juice, was deep dark and brooding. Isabel was unfazed by the instability of the situation, obviously not her first rodeo. Steady hands and an ever-present gaze saved any of the precious liquid from falling to the crush pad's deck. </div>
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It's here, an hour and a half outside Madrid we find Bodega Las Moradas de San Martín who's focused on old vine Garnacha in the high hills, averaging 900-1000 meters, which skirt the traffic corridors. Garnacha a native grape to Spain is an extremely versatile vine, with some great tolerances for little water and warm temperatures. It's trained into what is known a goblet style vine; there's little if any leaf pulling during the growing season. The harvesting season typically starts in September and goes well into the latter parts of October, all harvesting is done by hand and vineyards are dry farmed. The rain we experienced before our arrival, was abnormal for this time of year. As Isabel explains, her approach to winemaking is minimalist, preferring not to place her fingerprint on the wine, thus allowing the vineyard to speak its truths.<br />
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There's very little disease pressure, as they have a goodly amount of wind blowing across the vineyards, sandy soils are well-drained and native vegetation, while aplenty, poses no threat to vines for nourishment. Both the young and old vines coexist in the same space, though vines of older than <b>100 years </b>produce far less fruit, it's mature in way young vines cannot match. The wines produced here are a bit more tannic, plumbed with vibrant acid and an overall spice characteristic many similar Garnacha's from other regions don't express.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">"For me, Garnacha is perfect for Spain, because it arrives at harvest with perfect acidity, which is most important for wines of finesse." ~ Isabel Galindo Winemaker Las Moradas</span></i></div>
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I was fascinated by Isabel Galindo's passion as we peppered her with questions, she reflexively engaged us with witty banter and made substantive points about why this growing region was so unique, and style of Garnacha wines produced here was so different, and unique. She also explained that Garnacha in this region produced by cooperatives had little interest in producing wines of unique terroir, and substance, as they were more interested in bulk sweeter styles of wine. She thought when she first arrived at Las Moradas, from her previous position in Bordeaux, that the hot, dry weather, would produce hot flabby uninteresting wines, but admits she was wrong in that assumption, as the alternative is valid.<br />
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When we asked about where Garnacha is predominantly grown, she stated, "it is in the poorer regions of Spain, where you'll find an abundance of Garnacha, and it thrives much better than the most regions planted grape which Tempranillo." When we ask so what is Gredos? She replied "it is the natural border between Madrid and Castile-León, a well-known area for granite, fantastic for growing Garnacha and the recently grafted over Albillo Real," which sadly is not available in the U.S. market at that moment. This wine-growing region in Spain, known as D.O. Vinos de Madrid, Ms. Galindo described as the lungs of Spain, helping to keep the air clean.<br />
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When we asked winemaker, Ms. Galindo, about the term<i><b> garrigue </b>("bushy, fragrant plants that grow wild there, such as juniper, thyme, rosemary and lavender, and garrigue refers to the sum of them." WS</i>) and its possible influence on their wines, she explained it refers to low to the ground naturally growing native inhabitants which produce a variety of aromatic plants, like juniper, thyme, rosemary, and lavender. Thus the word is used to describe the sum of them all. Because of their abundance, many of the aromatics of the wine were influenced and could be detected on the finished wines. She also broke off many examples of the garrigue, offering us to examine the plants and take note of the various aromas. Garrigue is not unique to Spanish wine, but also other Mediterranean regions and varieties found in Southern France, which is where we headed next after hopping on a train leaving from Madrid.<br />
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Now it's time to dive into the tasting notes, up first was their only white wine, Albillo Real, a new grape to me and one indigenous to the region. At present, it has no market in the U.S., but that could change, considering their move to convert (graft) over an entire vineyard block of well developed Syrah for an unproven wine, with no marketable track record. It does have the unique and unknown vote going for it, but beyond that, it's profile is not too dissimilar to other acid-driven white wines from Spain.<br />
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<b>2017 Las Moradas Albillo Real: </b>In the glass, the color depth was pale, the hue yellow with a slight haze in the clarity department. The aroma intensity was moderate, even with a few good swirls and the development youthful, having been bottled earlier this year. Aromas escaping from the glass, white flowers, honey, almonds, a subtle brininess. On the palate, the wine was dry, the body was light, the acidity tart, and the tannins low. This wine did have a good sense of balance, and the overall flavor intensity was moderate: flavor profile, citrus, brininess, or salinity, drop of honey on wet stone minerality, with an essence of almond and lemon rind. This wine did see some barrel aging, but its influence was subtle to non-existent. Overall, this a good wine, better with food, than without and more bottle age would result in my opinion to iron out some of its rough spots. The finish is medium in length, and sporting a13.5 percent abv. I scored this wine <b>87 points</b>.<br />
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<b>2014 Las Moradas Senda Garnacha: </b>As you see the labels which are in Spanish, but from what I gather, and I failed to inquire about, but they appear to be quotes from various Spanish based authors, like this one from <i>Oscar Sipán. <b>In the glass, </b></i>the color depth is medium, the color hue is garnet, and the clarity is deep but not opaque. The aroma intensity is moderate, the development is still youthful, and the aromas of overturned earth, tobacco leaves, bell pepper, mint, lavender and a faint whiff of blackberry dominate the scene. On the palate, it's dry, the body is medium, the acidity is fresh, and the tannins are rough to chewy.<br />
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The overall balance is good, and the flavor intensity is moderate. My first impressions on flavors, this wine is rustic, traditional, the fruit restrained, dark plum skins, subtle blackberry and aging tobacco leaves sitting in the hot sun. The finish is medium to medium minus, falling off almost immediately. In conclusion, this wine would benefit from further bottle aging, the rough tannins and vivid acid cry out for a slab of a fatty ribeye to accompany it. This wine scored 88 points and the abv 15 percent. This is not a cocktail wine, it's a 'serious' bottle for those who consider themselves to have a more refined palate.<br />
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<b>2011 Las Moradas Initio Garnacha:</b> This time a bit more bottle age, this wine is from a block which to winemaker Isabel Galindo's thinking is the "heart of the winery." In the glass, the color depth was deep, darker than the previous bottle, but still not opaque, a delightful ruby core. The aroma intensity was moderate and the development showing signs of aging, again bell pepper attempts a standup routine and fails, sage, dark plum, blackberry, licorice dance a merry tune with each swirl of the glass. The bell pepper aromas suggest that some of the grapes may have been picked to\\ soon, or <b>2011</b> was vintage with uneven ripening.<br />
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On the palate, the whole rustic picture continues, think dark cabin in the woods with no modern conveniences, pumping your own water from the well, outdoor plumbing, etc.. The wine is remarkedly dry, considering the abundant <b>15% </b>abv, the body is medium to full, the acidity is a bit tart, the tannins are chewy and the overall flavor profile is moderate, no plushness here. The flavors dancing on the head of a pin, rustic blackberry and dark plum, more bell pepper, dried old leather, and licorice. The finish is a bit abrupt, medium in intensity. Hold and cellar for maximum enjoyment. I'd recommend this wine with food, something high in fat content, a pulled-pork sandwich perhaps? My Score <b>88 points. </b><br />
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<b><br /></b> <b>2011 Las Moradas La Sabina Garnacha: </b>Another bottle with some aging, but from the less than well developed 2011 vintage. Just my opinion, but overall wines from this vintage in the northern hemisphere require a bit more cellaring to fully suss out their finely tuned qualities, which are more difficult to appreciate with early drinking. In the glass, the La Sabina has a medium to a deep ruby-colored core, with a slight haze, but not opaque clarity. The aromas are moderate, an older bouquet of wild licorice, trail dust, sage, tobacco leaves, dark plum, and cherry. No bell pepper insight.<br />
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On the palate, the wine is very dry, the body is a medium-plus, the acidity is bright and vivid keeping the abundant fruit in check, to the rustic side. The tannins are rough and chewy, but the overall balance is good, sporting a moderate flavor intensity. Flavors of cracked black pepper, summer dark plums, espresso, spices, subtle blackberry and chocolate. The finish is medium to long, decant for an hour so the wine can unwind or at best, hold and enjoy in three more years; again these are finesse wines, not the cocktail variety with plush fruit, tolerable amounts of VA to sweeten their profile. Instead what you find here are serious food-driven wines of substance which take time to understand and appreciate. <b>My score 90 points.</b><br />
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<b>2008 Las Moradas Libro Ocho, Las Luces Garnacha: </b>The oldest wine in the lineup, we tasted last, and the tasting order is as you see it here. In the glass the wine has a deep color depth, the hue is more garnet than ruby, with a bit of bricking becoming evident. The aroma intensity was moderate, needing a good swirl to unlock its full potential. The only pricing described that day was for this wine, and can be found for <b>$30</b> in the U.S. market. Aromas from the glass, essence of tobacco, bell pepper, blackberry, trail dust, and dark plum skins. On the palate, the wine is dry, the body is medium, the acidity is fresh, the balance is excellent, with taut high-toned tannins in tow.<br />
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The overall flavor intensity is moderate to favorable, tobacco, sage, licorice, blackberry, cherry, and lavender. A bottle of wine with rustic charms, in contrast to fat fleshy domestic styles of wine you might experience from Paso Robles, where much Garnacha is grown. The finish is medium to long. Again, plenty of decanting well ahead of preferred time to drink this wine is advised and pair with fatty foods, my best recommendation sheep cheeses, a fresh baguette, olives, and charcuterie. <b>My score for this wine 90 points. </b><br />
<b><br /></b> <b>That's all for today folks, check back here next Sunday for next wines of Garnacha article. Until next time, remember life is short, so sip long and prospers cheers! </b><br />
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<b>Full Disclosure: </b>Reviewed wines are from medias sample provided (not for sale) for the review process. Also please note, the wines experienced and reviewed here were presented during a press trip sponsored in part by the European Union and the Wines of Garnacha.<br />
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<b>All original content:</b> Including text and photographs remain the copyright of the author, (W.R. Eyer) except where otherwise noted.</div>
Will Eyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183703307642614234noreply@blogger.com128680 San Martín de Valdeiglesias, Madrid, Spain40.3383787 -4.380429499999991117.0678357 -45.68902349999999 63.608921699999996 36.928164500000008tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4819914291670678530.post-41342045671400811052019-11-12T13:44:00.000-08:002019-11-13T11:29:51.748-08:00Travel Tuesday: Bodega Del Señorío De Otazu Uncorked<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L5fIY9BGfHw/ToTUMy3gVQI/AAAAAAAABkA/BXLrCHyj-Tw/s1600/IMG_5203.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"></span></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">"Wine to me is passion. It's family and friends. It's the warmth of heart and generosity of spirit. Wine is art. It's culture. It's the essence of civilization and the art of living." ~ Robert Mondavi</span></i></div>
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I've recently received a few <i>new </i><b><i>samples </i></b>from Navarra, a fantastic wine region in the northern part of Spain, I thought this would be a good time to refresh an article I wrote about my experience there in 2011. So here's some throwback Thursday piece to put you in the mood for the next article about Navarra, a region which still flies under the proverbial radar, as it's not Rioja, though they're neighbors who share a very similar winemaking culture.<br />
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This sentiment expressed for me so wonderfully by Mr. Mondavi in his Autobiography, <i>"Harvests of Joy" </i>and really sums up so many of the beautiful experiences to be found in the Kingdom of Navarra, Spain. Many of those same experiences and impressions expressed by Mr. Mondavi in the quote above really resonated with me during the press trip to this beautiful wine region known as Navarra. If you've not been to this fantastic wine-producing region, then you owe to yourself to make the trip or at the very least put it on your bucket list.<br />
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The reason I say that's because where ever I went on this trip, I experienced a real warmth of the heart and a generous spirit with the many various producers, winemakers, and just ordinary 'everyday' folks who I met while I was there. I was really made to feel right at home like I belonged there and I don't mind saying this either; this place, its people, the food and of course the wine really scratched my soul.<br />
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Please forgive me for waxing-on philosophically. Perhaps you're wondering what does that means? Honestly, I'm still digesting what that means for me personally. But a few things I do know is that I came away with a new appreciation for the things that really matter in life. To sum it up, I just see things a little differently than I have before and I'm better for the experience.<br />
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Pondering further; perhaps it's because I ran smack-dab into the middle of a place, that had a prodigious culture long before the Roman Empire. I say that, because if you listen carefully, you can still hear the echo of history rumbling through the streets, you feel its vibe and sense the passion for life in this place, it just moves you. Perhaps it's the same vibe Hemingway and his pals sensed in the fantastic novel <i>"The Sun Also Rises."</i><br />
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I still don't know the full answer, but I like the sense of satisfaction, as the pulse of exploration rushed through me and really made me think about life a little more circumspectly. So yes while I found the wine, the food and people there to be generous and vibrant, I also found the soul of a great people, visiting Navarra, Spain for the first time and look forward to returning again someday.<br />
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Now enter our experience, just last September and that of the Navarra Five. Whereat <a href="http://www.otazu.com/home.php/en">Señorío de Otazu</a>, we met their lively ambassador and General Manager, Javier Banales Vanes for the first time. You immediately sense the passion for his vineyards and the wines they produce. I and the rest of the Navarra Five may have been caught off-guard by his vigorous enthusiasm, but nonetheless intrigued by his exclamations of <i>"welcome to your home"</i> I think we all immediately felt at home in what could only be described as a Temple of Wine.<br />
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He also said regarding winemaking;<i> "give not only muscle or bone, only blood" </i>and that<i> "acidity and balance is the blood of wine" </i>and finally <i>"recover and respect the terroir."</i> Everything he said, was amply reflected in the dedication of imparting those qualities to the wine, throughout the winery, the terroir and mightily abundant in the vineyards. He went on to say further regarding Señorío de Otazu, that their business is Wine, Wine, Wine. After tasting through the wines presented that day, all I can say, "yes it is!".<br />
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<b>2009 Otazu Chardonnay: </b>A brilliant unoaked Chardonnay chock full of vibrant mouthwatering acidity, beautiful stone fruit, citrus and minerality shining through every sip and slurp. This is my third or fourth time encountering this wine, and it's a winner for me every-time, and I'm typically NOT a fan of the un-oaked movement.<br />
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<b>2010 Otazu Rosado: </b>This wine is absolutely brilliant, bright and vivid, displaying cherry and strawberry colored hues. On the nose, this 100% Merlot flashes the smell of sweet rose petals. On the first splash, vivid acidity, great structure, and almost creamy strawberry and cherry on the super-clean finish [SRP USD 15]. I gave this wine a score of <b>90 points</b>, this is the kind of Rose wine I would filling my pantry, really well done.<br />
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<b>2006 Bodega Otazu Crianza: </b>This wine is a blend of 35% Tempranillo, 35% Merlot, and 30% Cab. Sauv. In the glass, you'll find a deep, black ruby core. On the nose an apparent use of new oak, toasty, leathery aroma with ripe black fruit notes. On the palate I found this wine to be soft, luxurious, complex compote of lovely mature [but not jammy] red fruit flavors, beautifully balanced acidity, a discernible terroir minerality, and firm tannins. A special tip of the cap to food-friendliness as this wine paired effortlessly with the grilled squid and boiled octopus. For those of you keeping score, in the audience, this wine scored <b><a href="https://www.xn--cuvecornerwineblog-dwb.com/p/wine.html">89 points</a></b>, and its SRP is USD 15. In Spanish wine shops, this wine sells for about 7-8 euros.<br />
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<b>2006 Altar: </b>One of two big boys in the room. The 'Altar' a gorgeous blend of 90% Cab. Sauv and 10% Tempranillo which spent 18 months on French Oak. In the glass a nearly opaque ruby colored core. Beautiful aromas immediately escaping from the bowl of the stem, tobacco, dried tea leaves, licorice, blackberry, and meaty worn leather. On the palate a dense coating of blackberry, plum unsweetened black licorice and a dusting of bakers cocoa. All hanging together on the stoop of long finish and fitting nicely on a canvas of great structure and acidity. Decant first, to maximize the flavors and aromas at least two hours.[$60 USD] I gave this wine a score of<b><a href="https://www.xn--cuvecornerwineblog-dwb.com/p/wine.html"> 92 points.</a></b> Well worth the price of admission.<br />
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<b>2005 Vitral:</b> Wow, this was some fantastic juice and with only 700 bottles produced this kind of wine many collectors would love to put their hands on this blend of 95% Cab Sauv and just 5% Tempranillo. Dark, dark ruby core gives way to brilliant aromas ripe with black currant, unsweetened licorice, and leather. On the palate, nothing but layers of ripe spiced cherry, berry fruit and mocha stretched over a canvas of well-integrated new oak and dusty tannins. The finish is long and caressing. This bottle appears to be quite pricey with a quick look on wine-searcher, but the SRP is $105 and worth the price of admission. I gave it a score of<b> <a href="https://www.xn--cuvecornerwineblog-dwb.com/p/wine.html">94 points,</a></b> it could age longer but is drinking very nicely at the moment.<br />
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<i>"This wine is too good for toast-drinking, my dear. You don't want to mix emotions up with a wine like that. You lose the taste. ~Hemingway</i> A quote from his book, "The Sun Also Rises" reminds us all of one thing when it comes to wine from Spain and Navarra in particular; it's not about power, it's about finesse. This is the beauty, the allure of Spanish wines which as Mr. Hemingway deftly points out that these wines are too good for mere toasting, they are made to be enjoyed with family, friends and great food. I hope you will join me in seeking out more wines from the Navarra region, so you can taste the passion as well. Until next time, sip long and prosper cheers!<br />
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<b>Full Disclosure: </b>Also please note, the wines experienced and reviewed here were presented during a press trip sponsored in part by the European Union and the Wines of Navarra.<br />
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<b>All original content: </b>Including text and photographs remain the copyright © of the author, (W.R. Eyer, Fotogui Photography Inc., and the Cuvée Corner Media Company) except where otherwise noted.<br />
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Will Eyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183703307642614234noreply@blogger.com0Señorío de Otazu, 31174 Otazu, Navarra, Spain42.786102 -1.781018000000017320.809345999999998 -43.089612000000017 64.762858 39.527575999999982tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4819914291670678530.post-66808121933121653442019-10-30T16:11:00.000-07:002019-10-29T10:35:53.958-07:00Washington Wine Uncorked: Terroir Hunting on Red Mountain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“It is one of the commonest of mistakes to consider that the limit of our power of perception is also the limit of all there is to perceive.” – C. W. Leadbetter</span></span></div>
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People [okay mostly cork-dorks] often talk about "terroir" if you're new to the concept, it can be one that's difficult to wrap your head around. You may also have heard it tossed around at the local wine-bar or possibly bandied around the proverbial wine-cooler saying things like "wow, this wine is really terroir-driven" or you may see in tasting notes, wow beautiful <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/09/30/ST2008093002360.html">minerality</a> as a descriptor of the wine they are drinking. But what does that mean? Is it just wine-nerd talk or does it really say something about the wine in your glass?<br />
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While some of us say yes and undoubtedly some will say no to this possibility. It may further be suggested by some skeptics that if one believes minerality [a word not found in the dictionary] can be tasted in the wine, then you're either one of two things; a snob attempting lord knowledge over folks or you just don't have a clue about what they're talking about. To see how that discussion unfolds and make up your own mind, click the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/09/30/ST2008093002360.html">link</a> here to read Jancis Robinsons take on whether minerality is a real or contrived characteristic to be found in wine.<br />
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Perhaps, before you finish reading this post, you may want to pop over to this other <a href="http://www.terroir-france.com/theclub/meaning.htm">link</a> for a fast and easy one paragraph definition of the what terroir means, it provides an insightful baseline of information to see where I'm attempting to go with this post, I hope you will find it helpful for a fuller understanding of the subject.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;"><i>"The French have named this interaction between cultural practices, the local environment, and the vines, the "terroir.” While there will always be some disagreement over which aspects of the terroir are most influential, it is clear that the prudent grape grower must understand their interactions and controls on grape growth and quality (for a good review of the concept of terroir see Vaudour, 2002)." ~ Gregory V. Jones</i></span></div>
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Frankly speaking, if you're mainly drinking commodity wines [jug, bottom shelf 750ml's or box wines] which indicate on the label that the fruit used to produce the wine in the bottle comes only from geographic area known as California for example, then you're not going to be able to appreciate or perceive any real influence of terroir in my opinion. The reason being is that these wines are so highly homogenized to the point of being generically uniform, any of those unique identifying qualities have left the train station long ago.<br />
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On the other hand, if you're wine drinker who likes to consume and collect small production wines produced from places like the Red Mountain AVA, for example, you are going to start seeing a trend in the flavor profile of these wines. A uniquely Red Mountain profile that you that you won't sense when drinking wines produced from the Oakville AVA in Napa, for example. Both have some very unique soils, and both provide very different styles of wines, of course, terroir is not the only influence to affect the overall flavor profile you experience.<br />
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If you want to put this theory to the test; grab a bottle of an estate wine from both regions, pick a producer like Terra Blanca and one from Bobby Mondavi's place in the Napa Valley, decant, serve the wines blind and then compare and contrast. I'm pretty sure you will see the differences that soil-types can play with what happens with these grapes final product, the finished wine in your glass.<br />
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So you may recall I spent a week on Red Mountain with fantastic folks at <a href="http://www.terrablanca.com/">Terra Blanca</a> a few years ago. They generously hosted me for the entire visit, which was supposed to result in some crush activities, but harvest was sadly delayed. The video I produced while I was there can be watched below, I think it will really help most folks to understand the impact of soil type on wine and why it's important to delineate between one AVA and another. Watch the video below to see how that difference is made in the overall flavor profiles of the [distinctiveness] wines you drink.<br />
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Big thanks to Keith Pilgrim, Terra Blanca's owner and winemaker who starred in this video and the entire wonderfully professional staff at Terra Blanca, who put up with me all week and their very kind hospitality. I had a great time and learned so much from my visit, perhaps for my next visit, I could stay a little longer, work as a harvest intern for the season, hmm. Until next time folks sip long and prosper cheers!<br />
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Will Eyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04183703307642614234noreply@blogger.com034715 Demoss Rd, Benton City, WA 99320, USA46.264506 -119.46775822.701016499999998 -160.776352 69.8279955 -78.159164