New Year, New Wine: Sparkling Alternatives to Champagne

I've barely done any reviews this month -- it's just been crazy. Still, I've been writing. Here is a reprint of my latest post from BlackBook Magazine. Click the title or just read on!

New Year, New Wine: Sparkling Alternatives to Champagne

By Elizabeth Schneider

December 29, 2009

It’s New Year’s again, and whether you think it’s the ultimate party or the ultimate amateur night, you’re probably drinking a sparkling beverage. Notice that I didn’t say “Champagne.” You can only use the word Champagne for sparkling wine if it comes from the Champagne region of France, and is made in the serious and complicated old-school method. With the economy still in the tank, it may be better to venture beyond this esteemed region (and its $30+ price tags) and find some bottles that are unique and affordable, while being every bit as bubbly.

If you’re already in the French section at the liquor store, you can stay put because the little-known secret is that you can get awesome sparkling wine for half the price of Champagne right there. Les Français have protected the name of Champagne, so only wines from that region carry the name, but the techniques used to make it are employed all over France, masquerading under the name “Crémant.” If you want to be really savvy, pick up a Crémant d’Alsace made from Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, or Riesling, among other grapes. Or try a Crémant de la Loire for a sparkling Chenin Blanc, or a Crémant of Chardonnay from Limoux in Southern France. All completely rock and some are even better than the original Champagne, especially if you consider the value for the price.

We all know the Spanish love to party. What you may not know is that they do it with bubbly just like everyone else. Spain learned how to make their version of sparkling wine, Cava, from the French. The only difference—it’s about one third the price of Champagne. These are probably the best values in bubbles and they are pure pleasure for your mouth. If you find a rose Cava, buy it immediately. For something light and fruity, report directly to the Italian section and try Prosecco. You can pick some decent stuff up for $10, and if you spend $15 or $20 the difference is huge. Regardless of price, all these bubblies are floral, light, and fruity. They may be less serious than Champagne, but they are still a great way to get your effervescence fix.

Wines from the U.S. are another option, but proceed with caution. Our sparkling wines tend to be overpriced and underwhelming. Some are just plonk. There is one producer in New Mexico, of all places, that makes some great-value sparkling wine. If you can get some from Washington State, you may have a real find. Still, my vote is to stick with Europe. You won’t regret it. No matter what you choose, be safe, and have a fabulous time toasting 2010 with your alternative bubbly.

Elizabeth Schneider is a Certified Specialist of Wine, Sommelier, and wine educator in Atlanta who teaches about wine in a normal, relatable way. For more of her musings please visit her blog Wine for Normal People http://winefornormalpeople.blogspot.com/ or her Twitter @Vine75.

Photo attribution: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/

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Last-Minute Christmas Wine Shopping, as featured in BlackBook Magazine

This post is appearing in BlackBook Magazine's House Special Section. This is a republish for the blog...


Inevitably there is one person on your Christmas list who
a.) you’ve procrastinated buying for because they are ridiculously picky;
b.) you completely forgot you needed to get something for;
c.) got you something, and now you have to reciprocate.

Never fear: unless they’re a teetotaler (which should have you questioning why you’re friends with them in the first place), wine is the best gift to give. For $15 you can get someone a solid bottle that will taste delicious if it’s opened with the Christmas goose this week.

If you have a little more to spend, you can get a bottle for $25-$30 that will have you looking like a wine connoisseur. Better still, if you play your cards right, the person can age the wine for 3 to 5 years, and hopefully they’ll wait to open it until you come over to their house for dinner! It’s like a present for you and for them.

But what to buy?

There are amazing deals on wine right now, and if you are looking for something in the $25-$30 range, you can get bottles that are good today and will be lights-out in about 3 to 5 years. Wines that are sure to impress and age gracefully come from many places, but Europe’s got a treasure trove for age-able goodness, and it’s my pick for the best place to look. So for $25-$30…

France
• For a big, complex, age-able red try a Bordeaux, specifically from the Medoc, Graves, or Pommerol. 2005 was a historically amazing vintage and 2006 was pretty great, too, so look for those years on the bottle.
• Premier Cru from Burgundy will be amazing in a few years. Go for a red (Pinot Noir) with earthy, velvety flavors, or a white (Chardonnay) that has solid acidity yet creamy, tropical fruit, and butterscotch flavors as it gets older.
• The Northern Rhône makes delicious Syrah that tastes like dark fruit, herbs, and meat (no joke)—look for Crozes-Hermitage, which is affordable and terrific.

Italy
• Italy makes some darn fine wine. The best stuff is red and it’s expensive. Forgo the Barolo for its little, softer sister, Barbaresco—a delicious choice that will stretch your buck.

Spain
• Or try Spain and go for a Rioja Reserva, which has been aged for 3 years by the time you get it, but can stand another 3 to 5 more in the bottle. This baby will be full of spice, leather, and complex earthy flavors when you pair it with tapas.

California
• Napa Cabernet can be unreliable for long-term aging, but to drink in the next few years you can get great wines right now at bargain prices. Take advantage of the bad economy and get a steal from Napa’s Stags Leap District.

Dessert Wines
• Finally, if your friend or family member likes sweet wines, go for a 10-year old Tawny Port from Portugal, or an Eiswein from Germany or Canada.

Think about who you have in mind and take care of that shopping now! Happy Holidays.

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What You're Stepping In With Stepping Stone Cab Franc and Grenache

Recently I took part in an online tasting for the vintage release of Stepping Stone wine (full disclosure: they sent the wines for me to taste, but I'm still going to give you the truth). Cornerstone is a Napa Valley winery and Stepping Stone is their new "drop down" tier -- a bit more affordable than the $100 for their regular label. I had the opportunity to taste two wines: a Cabernet Franc and a Grenache. True to form of many Cali winemakers, subtle is not a descriptor you could use for Stepping Stone. Both wines were bursting with flavor, high in alcohol, and very fruity. They screamed California in every sip. Since they are from separate regions, I'll give a little background on each area and then give a quick review.

1. Stepping Stone Cabernet Franc. This wine is from the Carneros region that spans the southern length of Napa and Sonoma Valleys. It is a big area that is cooler, owing to the fog that blankets it from the San Pablo Bay in the south everyday. You'll find Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and therefore lots of sparkling wines (Pinot and Chard are the primary grapes in sparklers, so this stands to reason) there and it's kind of a hot spot these days, as people have been seeking wines that have more nuance and are less...um...overbearing, I guess you could say. Huge wines are very typical of Napa and sometimes Sonoma, so Carneros presents a good alternative to those whom are seeking a little more than just jammy fruit.

A word on Cabernet Franc, which is an interesting grape. It's used as a blending component in red Bordeaux and is made as a standalone wine in the Loire Valley (Chinon and Saumur to name two places). It is generally earthy (think mushroom and the smell of a forest) and sometimes minty, and it tends to be lighter than Cabernet Sauvignon (which is it's love child with Sauvignon Blanc, BTW).

Trying this wine, I had to throw out what I knew about Cabernet Franc though, since this was not what I expected...let's review
The Wine: Stepping Stone Cabernet Franc
Where It's From: Carneros, Napa/Sonoma Valley
The Grapes: 90% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot
Vintage: 2007
Price: $30.00 Color: Much darker than what I'd think a Cab Franc would be, the wine was a blood red color with an orange rim that was a little watery. Just from looking at it, you could tell this thing was going to have juicy flavor.

Smell: There was a great waft of coffee right at the start, some pretty floral/herbal notes, and a touch of vanilla creaminess. I was pretty pleased, but on second whiff, to my nose, there was also a really distinct smell of ham or even bologna. It sounds odd, but meat scents can sometimes pop up in red wine, so I was willing to roll with it.

Taste: This was, indeed, a fruity wine but not without great structure -- most likely helped by the addition of that 10% of Merlot, which adds some muscle to the Cab Franc. It tasted like a basket of fruit -- black plums, black raspberry, and pomegranate. There was an amazing vanilla essence too. A few sips more and it reminded me of chocolate with roasted hazelnuts. The wine had a good amount of tannin and a zesty bite from them. Even though it's virtually a brandy (I kid, but 14.9% alcohol is unbelievably high for a wine), the wine didn't taste "hot" like high alcohol wines often do.

Drink or Down the Sink?: Drink. With this, you are stepping into goodness. It had a nice complexity to it and was a delicious sipper. You would need very flavorful roasted or grilled food to stand up to this wine (and to coat your stomach so you don't get completely hammered from all that alcohol!), but I think it's a keeper and worth a try.

2. Stepping Stone Grenache. This wine is from Red Hills in Lake County. As background, Lake County isn't known for the best quality wines and the grapes are often used in blending for lower tier wines rather than as standalone bottles. The issue is that it's hotter than hell there, so the grapes don't benefit from the cooling influence of fog that is prevalent in Napa and Sonoma. Hence, the wines usually have less acid and structure and can be flabby fruit bombs. That said, there are some producers who do good work there and make fine product.

So without further ado,
The Wine: Stepping Stone Grenache
Where It's From: Red Hills, Lake County California
The Grapes: 96% Grenache, 4% Zinfandel
Vintage: 2007
Price: $20 Color: Viscous, heavy and purple in the center. I could tell this was going to be another high alcohol fruit bomb just by looking at that dark color and the thick tears on the glass.

Smell: Grenache from southern France or Spain tends to be a lighter and aromatic, but in Australia and the US it's a different story. This wine was similar to some Australian Grenache I've tried -- big black fruit, a Coke/cinnamon character, and coffee and vanilla notes. I smelled a delicious basil thing going on too -- unusual in a good way! Black pepper from the bit of Zinfandel was prevalent here too.

Taste: That basil flavor morphed to mint and with the blackberry and cranberry fruit flavors. There was an herbal, peppery character as well. The wine had strong acid and, for me, it seemed slightly unbalanced. It was a bit too alcoholic -- like grain alcohol punch you get at a college frat party-- and that made the wine bitter for my palate.

Drink or Down the Sink?: Not the best Grenache in town. For me, I'd "step away" and go for a juicy Australian or Spanish Grenache instead. Too much alcohol and a bitter tinge made me want to pass.

If you're interested in getting these wines, They're available online if you want to give them a try. So there you have it. My thanks to TasteLive and Cornerstone for including me in the tasting! Readmore »»

Why I love Spain: Monte Castrillo from Ribera del Duero

We invited our lovely friends MAF and MG over the other evening for some wine, cheese, and tawdry gossip and broke out a bottle from Ribera del Duero, one of my favorite regions in Spain.

Located just north of Madrid, this region is near a river but on a really high plateau so it doesn't have as much warming influence from the water. Its inland location makes it subject to temperature extremes, but the vines of Ribera del Duero know how to get around all that mother nature throws their way, and as a result the area produces some tasty grapes. In the hands of the right winemaker you can get lights-out-amazing vino. Case in point: Ribera del Duero is home to Vega Sicilia, one of Spain's most prestigious wines.

Never fear though, as this is Wine for Normal People, there are options outside of the expensive stuff and if you can't spend the coin for the high-end there are a ton of great values from Ribera del Duero, mostly made from Tempranillo with splashes of Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha (Grenache), Merlot, and a few other blending grapes. If you want a wine with lusciousness, earth, and elegance, and something that will warm you up on a cold night go for a wine from this region.

The wine we had was Monte Castrillo from the producer Finca Torremilanos. The winery is known for its lux hotel on the property, but also for turning out delicious Tempranillo-based wines (in Ribera del Duero Tempranillo is actually called Tinto Fino, but it's the same stuff). Better still, on my quest to find more organically grown wines that are delicious, I have found a friend here. The fruit for this baby is all farmed organically on 30 separate vineyard plots.

Here's the run-down:
The Wine: Monte Castrillo from Finca Torremilanos
Where It's From: Ribera del Duero, Spain
The Grapes: 90% Tempranillo (Tinta Fino), 10% Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2006
Price: $12.99

Color: Rich plum tones highlight the rim, but this wine is a purple-black. Gorgeous.

Smell: The aroma of the Monte Castrillo was so subtle but also so mouthwatering! It completely rocked. Raspberry, ripe black plum, and a touch of black pepper were noticeable, but kind of weaved in with a smell of a dusty country road. The earth, fruit, and spice together were so appetizing I could barely wait to taste it!

Taste: Yum. The Monte Castrillo is like a tall, dark, and handsome man. Easy on the eyes, suave, yet strong and slightly brooding. If Cabernet is the Johnny Depp of wine (deep, transformative, multi-layered, super-brooding), this wine is a little lighter so it's more like maybe Christian Bale from the Dark Knight (pre-freak out on that YouTube vid).

To put it in wine terms, I think this wine is the perfect combination of softness, raspberry fruit flavor, spicy pepper, and dustiness with a great underlying note of stand-up tannin that saves it from being flabby or watery. The second wave of flavor is like a raspberry bramble -- there's a dried herbal mix that underlies the fruit and is unbelievably delicious.

Food: Surprisingly this went very well with the hard cheese that we ate (it was a little less good with the soft cheese, but that's really the province of white wine, so it's ok that it didn't pair). I think an even better match would be grilled foods with delicate spices. Something roasted with an herb rub and an earthy quality may be the perfect complement. I bet this would be a winner with tapas too -- just a hunch that paella and salty Spanish ham may be winners with this native son of a wine!

Drink or Down the Sink?: Drink, and drink often. This is definitely on the greatest hits list for me for the money. Look out for more reviews on Ribera del Duero from me. This has gotten me back on the kick, and just in time for the cooler weather! Rock on RdD!
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Beaujolais Nouveau: It's That Time of Year Again

Ok, so my travels prevented me from waxing poetic on the release of Beaujolais Nouveau this year, which came out, as it always does, on the third Thursday of November (the 19th), but with the stuff on stacked display across America, I think it's still relevant to comment on my latest tasting of it.

If you're not familiar with Beaujolais Nouveau, it's a red, Gamay-based wine (Gamay is a grape) from the Beaujolais region of Burgundy in France. It's released by producers on the same date every year -- about 6-8 weeks after the grapes are harvested. With very little time to make the wine, special fermentation methods are used (for you dorks -- it's carbonic maceration/ anaerobic fermentation). This means that the wines don't develop much flavor and are simple, fruity, and frequently nasty-ass.

This begs the question, why are people so giddy about these wines if they are kind of gross? A few reasons come to mind. The first, is that in a stroke of pure PR genius, the folks at Georges DuBoeuf created marketing hoopla around the release of this stuff, noticed that people bought into the concept, and have milked it every year since. The second, is that it's a very uncomplicated red wine that has some level of sophistication because it comes from the mecca of wine: France. The third, it's cheap and easy to say.

Whatever the reason for consuming it, I'm just happy that it's a time of year when France is celebrated and people are having fun with wine. The downside is that there are unbelievably great Gamay-based wines in the form of Cru Beaujolais (look carefully on the label for this and one of 10 village names that indicate quality) that I think people may overlook because the Beaujolais Nouveau is what they associate with the region. In any case, now YOU know and can spread the word or do a taste test to see for yourself.

Clearly I don't have a great opinion of the stuff, but if you want my take on Beaujolais Nouveau, here are some notes on America's most popular, Georges DuBoeuf 2009:

The Wine: Georges Du Boeuf, Beaujolais Nouveau
Where It's From: Beaujolais, France (in Southern Burgundy)
The Grape: Gamay
Vintage: 2009
Price: $7.99

Color: Dang, this thing is DARK. Purple and opaque with a plum ridge, this is just as close to looking like prune juice as you can get.

Smell: Let's see. Cherry cough syrup came to mind at first, then cherry ice cream, then some sort of green herb, like Italian parsley. It may have been a little like cherry chewing gum too. Not so much to my liking.

Taste: Thankfully, the wine tastes better than it smells. It's a bit like cherry Juicy Juice with a touch of unripe pear, and maybe raw fennel. It has a creaminess to it that I would characterize as Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia except that the ice cream lacks the wine's astringent, bitter taste. If B&Js replaced the fudge with the cherry stems it would taste identical.

I know I'm being harsh, so on the positive side, this is probably one of the better vintages of Beaujolais in that it had a good structure -- there were moderate mouth-drying tannins that I really found pleasant and a good foil to the creaminess.

Food: I'm at a bit of a loss. You won't find me saying this too much, because wine and food go hand in hand, but Beaujolais Nouveau is really just a sipping wine. For anything beyond maybe a hard cheese with a baguette, which can provide a salty complement to the overt fruitiness, I think this wine is best served a little chilled and alone.

Drink or Down the Sink?: If you can appreciate that this is a sipping wine that's just for fun then drink. If you want something good to enjoy, dump this and go for something else. Readmore »»