Australian Shiraz - October 2013

Australian Shiraz

A funny thing happened on the way to the commissary....someone got lost on Waikiki :-)

No, not really, but that was definitely a great suggestion from Friday night.

This month, we traveled to Australia for their signature grape, Shiraz, and what a trip it was!

Australia is the oldest continent (who knew?) and that definitely has a negative impact on their soil.  Add in the fact that they have a very limited worker pool, and you have set the stage for some of the greatest innovations in wine making since bubbles were added to a bottle!

Australia is the leader in state of the art vintner technology.  So much so, that many other wine growing areas are beginning to copy what they are doing.  Advances in machine picking and planting the rows closer together and NOT pruning the vines, but allowing nature to manage the grapes, all have had an amazing impact on the Australian wine industry.

The majority of all Aussie wine comes from the South-East corner of the continent.  Regions such as New South Wales, Victoria, & South Australia are common on the bottle.  There are some vineyards growing around Perth (SW corner of Australia), but we did not venture there for any of our tasting as the yummy Shiraz is not dominant there.

Australia, like the US, does not have a strict system of laws for grape growing and wine making.  It does have laws for viticultural regions and labeling and they are as follows:

1)  If a varietal is on the label, it must be at least 85% of the contents of the bottle.

2)  If 2 varietals are on the bottle and neither is 85% of the contents, the grapes must be listed in order of importance to the wine (Shiraz-Cab Sauv would be more of the former than the latter).

3)  Blends must state the % of each varietal in the blend (this is generally on the back label).

4)  If an area or district or region is on the label, 85% of the wine must come from there (similar to California laws regarding regional labeling).

5)  Special designations such as "Reserve," mean nothing, legally.  "Show Reserve" infers that the wine won an award, at some point, in a competition but there is no requirement to tell you anything about what or when.

Now, on to what they actually produce in Australia.

Australia is known for its Chardonnay, Riesling (dry), Cabernet Sauvignon, and Shiraz.

Of these, Shiraz is the national passion.  More Shiraz is produced yearly than any other wine.

The Aussie Shiraz is the exact same grape as the French Syrah and no on is quite sure of the reason for the name change.  There are a few legends about it, but no explanation as to why Australia and South Africa call the grape "Shiraz."

Even though it is the same grape, it is not the same taste.  Aussie Shiraz is fruitier than its French counterpart.  Flavors of rich, sappy, plums & boysenberries with some mocha and a hint of spice and black pepper are common in Australian Shiraz.  Given that most of the Aussie wines are lovely price points, it is easy to sample many to find the one you like!

So, we did!

What did we taste?

4 bottles of Shiraz (no blends) and all were from South Australia.

First up, was a Milton Park Shiraz. 

This was $9.99 at Wegmans and, while the smell wasn't inviting to some of us, the taste was wonderful!  Of course, we were sampling our wines with Shepard's Pie & Spinach Pizza along with an assortment of hard cheeses, so everything was enhanced perfectly.  That said, this bottle could stand on its own and would be perfectly yummy simply paired with a glass.

Our second bottle was the first bottle from the Barossa sub region.  

 

This growing area is known for "full-blooded" Shiraz.  Shotfire cost $16.99 and was not as well received as the first bottle (though it had its fans).  This wine did much better with food.

Third was also from the Barossa region and we were comparing a regular Shiraz (above) to a "Reserve," since we knew the label didn't necessarily mean anything special.  We paid $10.99 for a Jacob's Creek Reserve Shiraz.  

This was the best bottle of the night and I will buy it again and again.  WOW!  Yummy on its own and amazing with the food.  This was smooth and jammy and well rounded.  Do yourself a favor and go get a bottle of this for the heavier winter stews and meats that you will be enjoying soon!

Our final bottle was the much praised Mollydooker "The Boxer."  

We tried it before doing the Mollydooker shake and again, after doing the shake (you really have to see the video - click here - click on the video).  This bottle set us back $23.99 and was really worthy of the kitchen drain.  Of the 4 wines, this was far and away the worst one (though one of the most acclaimed). 

So, what did we learn?

Australia makes some yummy wine.

Shiraz is pretty good.

Jacob's Creek continues to make really drinkable wines at awesome prices.

Order of preference for the night:

Jacob's Creek Reserve

Milton Park (darn near tied for first place)

Shotfire

The other bottle doesn't make anyone's "preferred" list :-)

Next month, we are headed to Italy to learn about Nebbiolo!  Until then, remember, whether the glass is half full or half empty, clearly there is room in it for more wine!

Cheers,

Kitti 

Rioja - September 2013

Rioja

As the weather turns cool and thoughts of fall are on our minds, we turn to red wines again.

 Spain is the 4th largest producer of wine in the world and it has more land in use for vineyards than any other country - 4.5 million acres!  Rioja has a reputation for being "easier on the head and stomach" than most other red wines.  A fact that many people are grateful for!

  

This is a lovely little region in Spain that produces some of the yummiest red wines!  It is the most famous wine growing region in all Spain.  

In 1982, there were 42 wineries in the Rioja region.  

Today, there are over 500!

Rioja is very close to the French border and actually came to be a wine producing region thanks exclusively to the French.  When the phylloxera (plant louse) nearly wiped out all the vines in Europe and almost destroyed the Bordeaux wine industry, some French owners decided to run for the border and start new vineyards.  Rioja is a growing region very similar to Bordeaux, so the move was actually very sound.

Why does this matter? 

 Well, Riojas are often described as having a Bordeaux style.  To understand the start of the wine industry in Rioja is to understand why the styles are similar.

Rioja is an easy wine to understand and to buy, no matter what your price point may be.  First, all Rioja is traditionally a blend.  There are some bodegas that are starting to produce 100% Tempranillo Rioja, but we will focus on the blends.

The major grapes in Rioja are Tempranillo and Garnacha.  

The blends are not, traditionally, on the label.  

There are 3 major levels of Rioja.

Crianza - 2 years of aging, with a minimum of 1 year in oak

Reserva - 3 years of aging, with a minimum of 1 year in oak

Gran Reserva - 5-7 years of aging, with a minimum of 2 years in oak

The price goes up with the aging, with some Gran Reservas going for upwards of $200.

If the label simply states "Rioja," there is generally not much aging and this is a zippy fruit, low tannin wine.

There are some stand out years for Rioja.

1994 and 2001 are considered the absolute best by vintners and tasters alike.  

2004 is also widely recognized as an exceptional year.  

2003, 2005, 2006 are quite good as well.

There is such a thing as a white Rioja, which we will NOT be tasting (though we have, in the past).  The main grape used for this is the Viura.  Only 20% of all grapes in Rioja are white.

What to expect

Crianza - easy drinking, earth, spice, cherry, vanilla

Reserva - more subtle than Crianza, intense earth, old saddle leather, tobacco

Gran Reserva - silky, elegant, raspberry, strawberry, leather, nuts, preserved meat

We will be tasting 1 Crianza, 1 Reserva, & 2 Gran Reserva.

Pictures and tasting to notes to follow.

First up, Marques de Caceres Crianza.  VERY drinkable.  This is a typical Rioja that you will find just about anywhere nowadays.  Marques de Caceres is one of the big "houses" of Rioja in Spain.  This one cost $11.99 at Wegman's
 

 

Next was Lan Reserva Rioja.  This was $17.99 at Wegmans.  This was the least favorite of the night (though it was NOT bad at all).  It was far smoother than you expect a Rioja to be.  Nice, but most of us preferred the first one over this one.

 

Lan Gran Reserva Rioja 2005.  There IS a difference in the levels of Rioja and it IS noticeable!  WOW!!!  Takes Rioja to a whole new level!!!  This one got emptied quickly.  $23.99 at Wegmans.

 

Marques de Caceres Gran Reserva 2004.  This was the star of the evening!  2004 is considered a truly excellent vintage for Rioja (similar to the way Bordeaux has premium vintages).  This wine was gone first, though there were some who preferred the first bottle over this one.  This bottle cost $29.99 at Wegmans and will definitely be purchased by me again!  YUMMY, YUMMY, YUM!  If you want to really, really, really enjoy a Rioja, I highly recommend you try this.  Doesn't even need food (but man oh man, did the barbeque, bacon wrapped water chestnuts pair wonderfully with this!).

Cheers,

Kitti

Viognier - August 2013

Viognier

Vee-ohn-yea

Or, as I like to pronounce it "YUM-MEE"

Viognier is one of those often overlooked and certainly under-appreciated varietals, at least state side and for the time being.  It almost went away completely in France in the 1960s (less than 8 hectares) and didn't really start to come back until the 1990s.

So, what is it?

Viognier is most commonly described as "Chardonnay's exotic older sister."

WOW!

The back of one of the bottles currently chilling for tonight's tasting says that "..it represents the growing alliance against the tyranny of Chardonnay."  And yes, that is part of the reason I picked that particular bottle.  Yea to choices!

Despite the fact that there are 24 really common varietals (and that is out of over 100 varietals globally), people seem to cleave to their Chardonnay and Merlot like a childhood security blanket.  Granted, there might be the occasional Malbec or Sauvignon Blanc thrown in, but haven't we come so much further than that?

Let's work on expanding those wine purchases!  Try something different!  Be bold, be daring!

Why Viognier?

Because it is different depending upon where it is grown - very different!  Because there are more acres of Viognier in the US than in France.  Because it is a white that is so super food friendly yet can hold its own just being sipped from a glass by itself.  Because I really wasn't going to waste a month of wine club on spritzers (did I really say I might do spritzers?!).

The facts:

 (Great) Viognier from France comes from Condrieu (kohn-dree-yuh) in the Northern Rhone.  Only about 250 acres of Viognier are planted there.  It is rare and expensive not just because of the limited planting but because the grapes are so sensitive to their environment.  Usually less than 30,000 cases per year.

(Good) Viognier from France comes in the form of white Vin de Pays d'Oc from the Languedoc-Roussilon region.  This is a lighter style of Viognier and also a more affordable style.

Viognier from the US is a nationwide affair.  Up and down the east and west coast and a few states in between, you can find lots and lots of acreage dedicated to this lovely grape.  California leads the charge with the most acreage in the world of Viognier.  Washington State is in the game with their version as is Virginia, which has taken some medals for their Viognier.  The newcomer to the game, Texas, beat out all of them in a recent blind tasting (including Condrieu!)

Australia is in the game too.  The leader down under is Yalumba Estate.  They have over 70% of the country's planting of Viognier.  These wines are a little more temperamental and definitely higher in alcohol (13%+).

The rest of the wine producing world is sitting up and taking notice.  New Zealand, South Africa, Chile and more, have all started the plantings of Viognier.  This is one varietal that is poised to claim its right to shelf space in every wine shop in the world!

What to expect:

honeysuckle and fruit on the nose

some expect the wine to be sweet because of the floral and fruit aromas, but don't ignore the spice

This is a DRY wine

This loves food - especially spicy foods

Served chilled

Drink young (called "the most expensive early drinking wine in the world")

What are we tasting?

The line up!

BUY

The White Knight - California, Napa Valley, Viognier - $13.99 at Arrowine & Cheese
We started with this one as I expected it to be the lightest.  This was a nice, very nice, Viognier.  Went well with all the food and was balanced enough to drink alone.


SKIP

Roots - Washington State Viognier - $19.99 at Arrowine & Cheese
Yuck!  I mean, YUCK!  100% of us poured this wine out!  Okay, maybe one person didn't but that because she hates to see any wine that isn't vinegar go down the drain :-)  This one smelled stronger than the Cali, but the taste was wrong.  It caught you in your tonsils and not in a good way.  It was sharp and cleaved to the palette.  Food did help round it out, but not enough to make it worth drinking.


MAYBE

Yalumba Viognier Y Series - Australia - $11.99 at Wegmans
This was not bad.  It does need food though because there is a sharpness to this wine that only Aussie soil can impart.  If I were looking for a bottle to have with a spicy meal, I would definitely consider this.  However, The White Knight is better.


INVITE ME TO SHARE!!!!!!

Francios Villard Condrieu - France - $59.99 at Arrowine & Cheese (a big thanks to Doug for helping me out!)
OMG!  "Perfection"  That was the word used to describe this wine.  Only one person didn't adore this wine.  ADORE!  This is, quite possibly, the best white wine I have ever had the pleasure of tasting.  This came as a huge surprise to all of us because we usually can't stand the most expensive bottles we taste.  If you are looking for the perfect bottle as a gift or for, say, Thanksgiving dinner, this is it!  Though I wouldn't wait for dinner to drink it - bring it cold and win the hearts of your hostess & host!  This bottle is truly worth every single penny!

Maybe?

One of our members brought this Bull Run Winery Viognier.  It might have fared better at our table if we were comparing only Virginia Viognier, but we had already had the Condrieu and nothing could stand up to perfection.  Sorry!


We had fried chicken (yep, fried chicken!), spicy thai shrimp, havarti, manchego, 5 year aged gouda, 28 month aged white cheddar, & camembert.

Cheers,

Kitti

Sherry - June 2013

This is NOT your Meemaw's drink!  This does not come from any country other than Spain.  This is not the sickly sweet drink of legend and lore.  It most certainly is not an "unmanly" drink (just ask the men of Jerez, Spain who drink it every single day!).

So, what is Sherry?  It is a fortified wine.  Let's call it Spain's answer to Portugal's Port and France's Champagne.  It is every bit as complex and labor intensive to make.  Like Champagne and Port, real Sherry can only come from one place in the world.  For Sherry, that place is Jerez, Spain.

Sherry comes in seven styles which fall under 2 broad classifications.  A Sherry is either a "fino" type which is light and dry and crisp (yes, D-R-Y) or an "oloroso" type which is fuller bodied, darker, nutty and SOMETIMES sweet.  

FINO TYPE

Manzanilla

Fino

Amontillado

Palo Cortado

OLOROSA TYPE

Oloroso

Cream

Pedro Ximemez

Sherry is made from white grapes, exclusively.  95% of all Sherry is made from Palomino grapes.  These are bland grapes and easily take on the characteristics of the soil and the talents of the wine maker.  The other 2 grapes, Moscatel & Pedro Ximenez are grown in very small amounts and are used to make sweet wine for blending or for a small batch of spectacular dessert wine.  The Pedro Ximenez is very prone to disease and becoming more and more rare each passing year.  It is said to be absolutely incredible over vanilla ice cream (that's how sweet it is!)

So, how is it made?  Well, that is not an easy question to answer as the type of Sherry will determine the process by which it is made.  Because of this, each has a different shelf life as well.  As you go down the list above, the wines keep longer, especially after opening.  As with all wines, the process begins with crushing the grapes and fermenting the juice.  Only stainless steel or cement tanks are used at this point.  Grape spirits are added to the fermenting juice to fortify it.  This fortified wine is then poured into barrels and set aside for at least a year to allow it to begin to develop some depth and complexity.  From here, the wine goes to the "solera" where is it progressive blended and aged until the final Sherry emerges.

A solera is quite the feat!  Start with multiple rows of 600 liter old American Oak barrels (which are called butts).  These rows are often stacked on on top of another, building up 4 or 5 rows high.  The barrels on the bottom row contain the oldest Sherry; from these barrels small amounts will be drawn off and bottles as ordered.  This bottom row is the "solera row."  Every time Sherry is drawn off from this row, the barrel is replenished with an equal quantity of wine from a barrel in the row above it.  This row is called "criadera #1" or "first nursery."  This is the second oldest wine in storage.  When wine is drawn from here to move to the bottom row, the barrels are replenished from the row above which is "criadera #2." This process continues up the rows with the top row being replenished annually by the añada (the name for the wine put into the barrels initially).  Because of this unique process, no Sherry has a true year but is a blend of many years of aging.  It cannot ever bear a vintage date.  The date on most bottles is the year the solera was created.  No more than 30% of a solera can be drawn off each year, as per Spanish law.

Believe it or not, this is just the tip of the iceberg for creating Sherry.  To make the different styles, different processes of crushing, pressing, fermenting, etc.  We will go more into the specifics the next time we taste Sherry.

We would be remiss to leave the topic of Sherry with discussing the unique food group that comes from the same region and seems designed to specifically complement Sherry.  I am referring to Tapas!  The mere word can cause confusion in the States.  What, on earth, are Tapas?  Quite simply, they are spanish appetizers.  This is bar food served to be eaten standing up with a glass of wine.  Much like all the fried fare that our country has created to compliment beer.  Tapas can be comprised of just about anything from seafood to sausage to cheese and even soup.  The key is that they are able to be eaten without utensils.

On with the tasting (in order of dryness)!

Lustau "Papirusa" Light Manzanilla Sherry - $14.95 from Sherry-Lehmann in NY

Dry Sack Fino Sherry - $16.99 at Wegmans

Lustau "Escuadrilla" Rare Amontillado Sherry - $26.95 from Sherry-Lehmann in NY

Gonzalez Byass "Apostoles" Palo Cortado Sherry - $43.95 from Sherry-Lehmann in NY

I will add pictures and update after the tasting!

Cheers,

Kitti

Flavor Mapping Update - May 2013

WOW!

I really thought that the whole "flavor mapping" thing would be kind of confusing and totally unhelpful.  

I was wrong.

Did you get that?

I was wrong.

In a big, big way.

I think that the flavor mapping was one of the most useful and educational tastings I have ever done.  Thank you so very much, Master Sommelier Andrea Immer Robinson!

As we went through all the wine pairings (see below), each of us truly tended towards either mostly moderate zone wines or to the extremes (cool & warm).  It was very interesting and will definitely help me in my wine purchasing for gifts.  This lesson really requires the maps that Andrea created so I encourage you to either check out the book at your library or go out and purchase it.  Great Wine Made Simple is the name of the book and it is worth every penny!

The best thing I learned from this lesson is WHY I don't generally like Cali wines.  Most of California is in a moderate growing zone and I prefer either cool or warm zone wines.  It was nice to finally have a reason for my general dislike of Cali wine (there are a some exceptions, but then Cali has some pocket zones and my wines seem to come from them).

We had some yummy wines - lots of yumminess, actually.  This is not a cheap tasting as we opened 11 bottles, but it is SO worth doing!  We will do this one again, promise!

I picked up everything at Wegmans.  Order of tasting:  Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, 

Pinot Noir, & Shiraz.

Ch. St. Michelle Riesling (9.49) & Fischer Bock Riesling (Kabinett) (11.36)

Moderate zone                                        Cool Zone

Haut Caban (8.99) & Jolivet Sancerre (24.99)

Moderate Zone                       Cool Zone

Lindemann's Bin 65 (4.99) & Mirassou Chardonnay (8.49) & Jadot Macon-Villages (11.99)

            Warm Zone                            Moderate Zone                           Cool Zone

Clos du Bois Pinot Noir (11.99) & Jadot Bourgogne (17.99)

                                        Moderate Zone                            Cool Zone

Lindeman's Bin 50 Shiraz (4.99) & Red Diamond Shiraz (8.99)

                                   Warm Zone                                    Moderate Zone

See you next month when we are tasting Sherry (notes will be up in advance).  This ain't your Grannie's drink anymore!

Cheers,

Kitti

Flavor Mapping Lesson - May 2013

WOW!  2 years of wine club!!  117 different wines tasted.  Before I go into notes about the flavor mapping, which I am posting early for those who want to read up before the lesson, let's recap what we have done in 2 years.

We have done 4 tasting lessons.

We have tasted wine from every major wine producing country in the world (11 different countries!).

In that time, we have unanimously agreed on ONLY the following bottles:

King Estate Pinot Gris

Villa Maffei Valpolicella

2009 Chateau Jacquet

2008 Riserva Tomaiolo Chianti Classico

4 out 117 and only one is a white wine!

Can't wait to see what the next 2 years bring.

On to Flavoring Mapping.

This is flavor mapping lesson 1.  This is a huge topic and one that will truly help when you are in the wine store, want something new, but aren't sure what to grab.  Unfortunately, it is a LOT of information.

We are starting by returning to our big 6 grapes.  Grapes need heat and sun to grow, but the amount of heat and sun varies greatly depending upon where the grapes are grown.  That is what flavor mapping is all about.

Question #1 - Looking at the label, was the wine grown in a cool place or a warm place?

How to answer & what it means-

There are essentially 3 climate zones (for our purposes).

Cool climate zone - cool/less sunny

Moderate climate zone - temperate/moderately sunny

Warm climate zone - warm/very sunny

Cool                          v.                               Warm

less sunny                                                  very sunny

crisp & tangy acidity                                soft & smooth acidity

light body                                                   full body

"green," tart fruit style                           ripe and luscious fruit style

Logically, the farther you are from the equator, the cooler the climate.  An easy way to think about this is by thinking about seasonal fruits.  Apples & pears (crisp fruits) grow in cooler climates with less sun. (New York & Washington).  Pineapples & mangos (lush fruits) grow in sunny, tropical climates (Hawaii, the Caribbean).  A moderate zone would be citrus fruits and stone fruits (Florida, Georgia).  

Basic Flavor Map guidelines for

                                         White                         &                                          Red

Cool Zone                apples, pears, quince                       cranberries, red cherries, pomegranates

Moderate Zone    citrus, peach, melons, kiwi               black cherry, blueberries, blackberries,                   

                                                                                            plums, raspberries, strawberries

Warm Zone            mango, papaya, pineapple,                   figs, raisins, prunes

                                 banana, guava

So, where is your wine from?  Most of the US is in a moderate zone, with New England being the exception in a cool zone.  Chile spans all three zones with most wines grown in the moderate zone.  Argentina's main growing region is also in the moderate zone.  Half of France is in a cool zone and the lower half is in the moderate zone (splits in Burgundy).  Italy is in the moderate region with a couple of warm zone spots in the boot.  Australia's main growing region is spans the warm and moderate zones, but thank to our climate, it has some cool spots (southeastern coastal areas).

 A few fruit terms for those of us who haven't traveled the world eating fruits.

Blackcurrant - this is a moderate zone fruit usually used to describe Cabernet Sauvignon.  The closest thing to it is creme de cassis which is made from them.

Redcurrant - usually used to describe Pinot Noir.  They are tart and tangy.

Gooseberries - Cool zone Sauvignon Blanc.  Very tangy flavor.

Quince - references sweetened and cooked fruit and is slightly spicy with a rich apple-pear taste.

Lychee - this is almost only used to describe Gewurztraminer - spicy, zingy

Tasting Notes:

Riesling - cool zone v. moderate zone

Sauvignon Blanc -  cool zone v. moderate zone

Chardonnay - cool zone v. moderate zone v. warm zone

Pinot Noir - cool zone v. moderate zone

Shiraz - moderate zone v. warm zone

Yes, it is a lot.  We will do it slowly and in tiny sips (very light pours).  Study for now and figure out what you expect from each tasting based on where it is from.  Think of this as practice.

I will post the bottles and the specifics after the actual lesson.

Cheers,

Kitti

Italian Reds Revisited - April 2013

We LOVE Italian Reds.  Oh my, we do.  I could spend a year tasting just Italian Reds and be perfectly happy!  We only tasted 4 this month and nothing got dumped down the drain, which is a really good sign, because we do dump wine.

Sorry for the bad pictures this month.  We were not in our normal location and I forgot my "real" camera so these came off the cell phone.  On the plus side, I now have a better cell phone with a much better camera, but I digress....

We did not have a bad wine.  I could go on and on about each wine and how delicioso it was, but I will give you the basics.  Let me say that there was nothing left in any of the bottles (and there was other wine available, so it wasn't that).  On with the notes!

We learned in the previous Italian Red tasting, that we all preferred the Chianti Classico over the regular Chianti.  Classico refers to the area it is grown, not an aging of the grapes.  This lovely bottle of 2008 Riserva Tomaiolo Chianti Classico was $13.99 at Wegmans and was super yummy!  Great color and a butter & earthy kind of nose.  The Riserva status means that there can be no white grapes at all in the wine and it has been aged at least 2 years in wood and 3 months in the bottle. This one is definitely a "keep on hand" wine!  (Big thanks to my bottle holder!)  This was another 100% approved wine!  We are on a roll.

In an attempt to try wines we had not tried previously, I picked up this 2010 Masciarelli Montepulciano d'Abruzzo.  This is from the Abruzzo region and is the only good wine from the region (the montepulciano - not the vineyard).  While this was not a favorite of everyone, it was yummy on the nose and the tongue.  For $9.99 at Wegmans, not a bad choice if you have a bigger wine drinker coming to dinner.

We headed to the Piedmont region for this bottle.  Piedmont is my FAVORITE growing region in all of Italy because they have the lovely Barbera grape there.  This is from the Grandpa grape of the region; the Nebbiolo.  Nebbiolo is a big grape with a powerful flavor.  This 2006 Travaglini Gattinara is the best known Gattinara in the United States.  It is often referred to as a mini-Barolo and since they both come from the same grape, it is easy to see why.  This was the most expensive bottle of the evening at $28.99.  This is NOT a quaffing wine and definitely needed food to round it out.  Food made it quite yummy and our big wine drinkers (those who love the Barolo) really enjoyed this one.

We had to try a "rosato" or rose.  We really did.  I believe that there is a good rose out there somewhere, I just have to keep looking to find it.  This particular bottle is from Asti and is classified as a dessert wine and it was yummy with the biscotti.  This is a Castello del Poggio Rosato and was $9.99 at Wegmans.  It actually had a little bubble to it.  It would be lovely, really cold, on a hot, summer day.

So we learned that we really, really, really like our Italian reds.  There was talk of a field trip.  No surprise that Italy, the number 1 wine producing country in the world, is the number 3 country for consumption (at 14.51 gallons/person).  So many great wines and so little time.....

Cheer,

Kitti

Bordeaux - The not as scary as you think French Red - March 2013

I do not believe I have ever tried a Bordeaux.  French reds used to intimidate me and so I just avoided them.  I mean, this is a wine that they sell futures for (what the heck does that mean anyway?)!

Leave it to the French to make things complicated, again.  As we learned when we tasted Burgundy, French wines are named for their region and not their varietal.  Think what it would be like if California labeled its wines solely by growing region (Napa, Sonoma, Russian River) instead of by varietal.  Scary, huh?  In truth, it is not.  Let's break it down and move past the fear (NEVER fear a French wine).

Bordeaux is the largest fine wine region in the world, for now.
Bordeaux is a BLEND!!!  Who knew?
Bordeaux's 2 main grapes are Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon.
The deeper the color, the younger the wine (hmmmm).
Bordeaux is named by its "chateau" (that's vineyard to those of us outside of France).
There are over 7,000 chateaus that produce Bordeaux.
There is a white Bordeaux.
Sauvignon Blanc is the primary grape for white Bordeaux.
Growing regions are classified as:
                  Left Bank (best vineyard zone)
                  Right Bank
                  Graves
The Best Bordeaux towns/localities are:
                  Margaux - Left bank
                  St. Julien -Left bank
                  Pauillac - Left bank
                  Ste. Estephe - Left bank
                  St. Emilion - Right bank
                  Pomerol - Right bank
                  Pessac-Leognan - Graves (top White Bordeaux locale)
                  Sauternes - Graves

So, what is the deal with "Bordeaux futures" anyway?  This is a process of buying wine 2-3 years in advance of release at a discounted (hopefully) rate.  Professional wine tasters taste the young wine and rate it.  Based on the growing conditions of the year and the ratings, a price is set (heavily influenced by the chateau and growing region).  The goal is to buy early at a lower price than the wine will actually go to market for.  See, that wasn't too complicated, was it?

So, here is the line up...

As always, we try to work lightest to fullest.  We started with our white Bordeaux (which comes from the Graves region).  The first bottle was o-k.   This is a 2011 Chateau Fage (not related to the yogurt).  It cost $10.99 at Wegmans.  It definitely tasted like Sauvignon Blanc & smelled like it too (green grapefruit).  However, there are those in the group who love SB and this was consumed.

This white Bordeaux is actually one of the best, according to France, I guess.  This was the worst wine of the night!  This 2006 Chateau Carbonnieux set us back $36.99 at Wegmans and got dumped down the drain.  Talk about age not helping a wine!  It looked almost caramel yellow and smelled like acidic mildew.  P-U!  Skip this one.

2009 Chateau Jacquet (right bank) - the deal of the night!  $9.99 at Wegmans.  This was jammy and yummy and we drank the whole thing!  I HIGHLY recommend laying this in for regular drinking.  This wine could make anyone feel carefree about Bordeaux.  This was a 100% liked wine.

2009 Grande Reserve Chateau La Grange Clinet - right bank, Cotes de Bordeaux region (sub classification).  $13.99 at Wegmans and it was yummy also.  I nice blend of Merlot and Cab Sauv with a lovely bit of Cabernet Franc to round it out.  Not a bad wine to have, but if I had a choice, I will still go with the Jacquet.

We called this one "Hot Magnet" just cause it was funnier.  2010 Chateau Haut Maginet (right bank) was a fuller wine than the other 2 and was yummy as well.  It cost $10.99 at Wegmans and we all liked it enough to finish it, but the first red was still the fave.

2008 Chateau Malmaison was our only left bank wine.  It had a nice full body.  At only $14.99 from Wegmans, it is definitely a drinkable wine, but not as good as the Jacquet.

So, what did we learn?  We learned that California Merlot & Cab. Sauv are trying to duplicate the Bordeaux style (we will do a comparison tasting another time).  We learned that Bordeaux isn't so scary.  We learned that the whole futures thing is just bargain shopping.  We learned that we don't so much care for the white Bordeaux, but we LOVE the red Bordeaux.  We really learned that you don't have to spend a lot of money for a yummy Bordeaux - who knew?!!!

Cheers,

Kitti

California Reds - February 2013

I am a bit of a snob when it comes to California wine.  By that I mean, I assume I will not like it if it is from California with rare exception.  I take issue with the fact that California thinks itself so great that I can't send Virginia wines to my MIL who lives in Cali.  I take issue with the fact that most of the wines that California thinks are so great are mediocre to me.  I would rather have a Argentinian Malbec than a Cali Cab. Sauv. or a Spanish Tempranillo over a Cali Merlot.  The "California" Pinot Noir that I enjoy is from Chile (Pepperwood Grove).  I am so jaded that I was tickled to death (almost couldn't drive) when I saw the following bumper sticker on a car:

A little harsh, maybe, but really, really funny (at least to me).  So, I was not looking forward to this tasting AT ALL.  But, I am always up for trying new wines, so .....

First up is a California Pinot Noir.  This was $7.99 at Wegmans and was drinkable if you don't love Washington and Oregon Pinot Noir.  Compared to the standard for the grape, it was thin and lacked "umph." (yes, that is the technical term).

Next, we have 3 Blind Moose Merlot (chosen specifically for one of our members).  I don't like Merlot.  It is probably part of my problem with California Reds.  That said, this was entirely drinkable and, at $7.49 at Wegmans, very easily doable.  This one goes on the list for my Dad.

We followed up with an Old Vine Zinfandel from Plungerhead (what a name!).  For all you Zin fans, this one was not bad.  At $11.99 at Wegmans, this is pretty decent Old Vine Zin.  It was much enjoyed by many and I loved the deep color it had.  Nice earthy aroma too.

Have to throw in a Cabernet Sauvignon.  This one, from Louis M. Martini in Sonoma County, was only $10.89 at Wegmans.  It was a Cali Cab Sauv. and everything that one expects from that.

On to blends!  Snap Dragon makes a lovely blend of reds (and they have a cool label too).  This 2009 blend was $7.49 at Wegmans.  As far as blends go, this was more middle of the road in dryness and body.

Coppola, as in Francis Ford, has produced a Rosso for many years.  This was our first time trying the 2011 and while we have enjoyed the Rosso in the past, this was a little young.  I would suggest laying it down for a year and letting it mellow a little and at only $8.49 at bottle, it isn't a big risk to take.

So, what did we learn?  I still don't like Cali Reds but I know lots of people who do.  I think we need to break California down by region so that we can decide which regions we like and which we don't (kind of like the rest of the wine world).  I will buy some of the Rosso and see how it is in a year and maybe a bottle of 3 Blind Moose for my Dad, but other than that, I wouldn't repeat any of these.

Cheers,

Kitti

Champagne & Caviar - January 2013

Ah, champagne wishes and caviar dreams.  We grew up hearing that this was the lifestyle of the rich and famous.  Well, not so anymore.

Since 2005, the US has banned imported caviar.  Sorry Beluga.  You may be the best on the world market and the priciest, but you are paying the price for over-fishing the Capian Sea and endangering the Beluga Sturgeon.

So, what is a group of women who want to taste champagne (and sparkling and cremant) with caviar to do?  Go to Wegman's, of course!  Isn't that where everyone gets their caviar?  All kidding aside, caviar is not a rich man's delicacy any longer.  The restriction on the import of caviar has allowed the US market to boom.  There are all kinds of caviar available in most grocery stores at many price points.  We tasted Black Tobiko Caviar, Pacific Salmon Caviar, and Hackleback Caviar.  The first 2 were $9.99 each for 1.75 ounces and the last one was $39.99 for 1 ounce.

We tasted the caviar on spoons, with plain water crackers, on blinis, with creme fraiche, & chopped egg; though not all together :0)  We tasted them from most expensive to least.  The Hackleback was fishy tasting and salty, but was the only one we could actually press against the roof of the mouth to squash.  The Salmon caviar was the largest and the only orange one. Those babies popped in your mouth!  Not very fishy and the least salty of the three.  If they weren't so big, I would have probably enjoyed them.  The Tobiko was the most enjoyed though it did have to be chewed.

The blinis were yummy and I don't think there was much, if any, creme fraiche left.  Once we were done with the caviar, we moved on to chocolate and things progressed smoothly.  Champagne is not what you should drink when you are having sweet desserts as the taste of the champagne will be over powered by the sugar in the dessert.  Our chocolates were higher in cocoa (70% and up) with the exception of Gearhart's Fine Chocolate Sampler (16 count), but by the time we got to that, it wasn't about the wine anymore :0)

So, what did we pair with what and what did we drink?  Here's the line up (all of them are Brut - always use brut or extra brut champagne/sparkling/cremant when pairing with caviar)!

We simply cannot do a champagne and caviar tasting if we do not have a real champagne!  I wanted to make sure that we were tasting different ones from a year ago and I wanted to keep the price points reasonable, which is getting harder and harder to do with champagne.  If you want to know the difference, see the January 2012 tasting notes.

This lovely bottle is the low end sibling of the Perrier - Jouet line - you know it, it has the hand painted flowers on the bottles at the $80 price point and up.  Our bottle was NOT hand painted because I am cheap.  This bottle cost $39.99 @ Wegman's.  It was wonderful.   A true champagne and round and smooth in its own right with just the right amount of bubbles.  We poured this when we tried the Hackleback caviar and the two complimented each other nicely.  The champagne definitely off-set the saltiness of the caviar.

Next up, also from France but NOT a champagne (see the Jan '12 tasting notes - the French are very particular about this designation as current events show) is a Cremant de Bourgogne Blanc de Blanc from the Henri de Villamont house.  What does all that mean?  It is a white wine made from white grapes (remember, all wine presses white.  It is the contact with the skins that produces the color).  In this case, the grapes come from the Burgundy region of France so that gives a pretty strong impression that they are all chardonnay.  As this was made outside of the Champagne region, it cannot be called a champagne so it is a cremant.  Originally, cremant meant that it had fewer bubbles than champagne and that was true of this one, but that is no longer true across all cremant labels.  This bottle was quite enjoyable and very similar to the previous one.  For $14.99 @ Wegman's, this is a "keep on hand" kind of sparkling.

Time to come to America.  I have not had a single sparkling from Australia that I liked (too dry), so I purchased 3 from America.  I completely messed up the pricing at the tasting.  Guess that is what I get for not having the receipt right in front of me!  There is a difference between French champagne & sparkling and American and it is noticeable!  While this was still drinkable for all but one of us, it wasn't as good as the bottle before it.  At $17.89 @ Wegman's, I would rather spend less to get the French stuff.  It was good, for American sparkling, but not almost $20 good (told you I was cheap). 

 I can't pronounce this one especially not when it is the fourth bottle :0)  It sounds German, but is 100% American sparkling made in the traditional method, meaning the methods developed in the Champagne region in France.  That is supposed to make you think it is as good as the French bubbly.  It wasn't.  While this did get consumed, I believe the bottle only got emptied because there were a couple people still eating caviar and all the other bottles were done.  This bottle cost $19.99 @ Wegman's and is an absolute do NOT buy!

We have arrived at the cheap seats.  Chandon is the American daughter of Moet et Chandon and was the first French owned sparkling vineyard in America.  They use the name because they want Americans to make the connection back to France.  I have been highly disappointed by their offerings over the years, but read that this particular sparkling paired very well with Tobiko caviar (it did).  So, I spent $13.99 @ Wegman's for this bottle.  I had no expectations of it (kind of like a bottle of Freixenet).  The bubbles were okay and they didn't disappear with the first sip, so that is good.  The taste was a little drier than a brut really should be, but it wasn't offensive (like the Scharffenberger almost was).  I could drink this again, but, for a dollar more, I can have the French stuff that, while not labeled as champagne, tastes just like it!  

Final thoughts - I love champagne and sparkling wines.  There is something about a bubbly chardonnay that rises above the troubles of the day and makes you smile.  Sharing it with wonderful friends takes it to a whole new level.  This is not a special occasion beverage just as your china should not be for special occasions.  Every day that you wake up is a special day and worthy of celebrating!  Always keep a bottle of bubbly chilling at home and yes, use the china for pizza once in a while!