Organic/Biodynamic Wines: A Tasting and An Overview

I had the awesome opportunity to attend an organic/Biodynamic wine tasting at the Atlanta Botannical Garden on Tuesday (thank you to Eric and Michael at Empire!). It was a gorgeous setting with some fabulous wines...and it provides a reason to talk about Organic and Biodynamic wines, which I get asked about all the time.

I've mentioned it before, but to dispel any ambiguity -- I LOVE organic and Biodynamic wine (and food for that matter). Perhaps it's because I was raised by a hippie mom (I knew what macrobiotic meant by the time I was like 5) or maybe it's because I'm an earth sign, but actually, I think it's because the wines taste amazing and they do so without polluting my body or the environment.

Now before I get started on talking about organic and Biodynamic wines, I should define what they heck they are. I'll try be brief, but it's a little complicated...

Organic
Organic farming is about keeping soil healthy and controlling vineyard issues by using naturally occurring stuff to fight off maladies. For example, organic farming means you use compost instead of chemical fertilizer, and introduce natural predators into the vineyard to eat pests that eat grapes (spiders, hawks to eat rodents). Any sprays are made from ingredients that occur in nature, not that are made in a lab. It's back to basics farming. There are three ways a wine can be labeled if it's organically farmed (in the US, definitions from The Daily Green):

• 100% Organic has the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) seal. This wine can contain only naturally occurring sulfites (or sulfur dioxide, an antimicrobial substance) in less than 100 parts per million.
• Organic has the USDA organic seal and indicates the wine has 95% organically grown ingredients (the other 5% must not be available organically). The wine has the same sulfite requirements as 100% organic.
• Made with Organic Grapes or Made with Organic Ingredients means the wine contains at least 70% organic ingredients. It can have artificial sulfites added, but it may not contain more than 100 ppm. (It does not have the USDA organic seal.)

This labeling is hotly contested mostly because the USDA has decided that the use of sulfites (which are organic) to preserve wine prevents them from being organic, even though they are farmed that way. I think the issue is elegantly addressed by The Organic Wine Company, a great resource,

“an organic wine is defined as "a wine made from organically grown grapes without any added sulfites". By this unfortunate restriction, the vast majority of what you and I have been calling organic wines can now only be referred to as "wines made from organic grapes" (or organically grown grapes), since they are allowed to contain up to 100 ppm of added sulfites...the truth is that wines without added sulfites are very few in number and very unstable in quality, giving the public a negative perception Organic Wines in general (Organically Grown I mean!)! The wine industry has the dubious honor of being the only one that cannot call its product "organic" even though it is made with more than 95% of organic components.”

I'll let you decide what you think on that subject.

Biodynamic
Biodynamic viticulture is a little out there, but whatever they're doing they're doing right because Biodynamic wines really are outstanding. Again, to quote The Organic Wine Company:

"...The great 20th century philosopher Rudolf Steiner is the originator of this approach. He taught that growth was influenced by a flow of energy radiating from the moon, stars and planets. According to Steiner, the position of the moon and the stars within certain constellations influenced the growth of leaves, roots, flowers, and fruit. Biodynamic farmers plant their crops accordingly. They employ various methods for nourishing the soil, as do organic grape growers. However, biodynamic growers put a greater emphasis on the vines and since they believe that plants respond to all the various forces of nature, they also time their activities in accordance with the cycles of the moon, planets and stars."

So these are the different philosophies. There are differences, but both are adamantly against the pesticide movement that's been afoot for the last 100 years.

Amen, I say.

If I may dork out for a second, archaeologists believe wine was first made from grapes as early as 6000 B.C. (ironically, in Iran, which now essentially bans the stuff). I may be going out on a limb here, but I don't think there were chemical pesticides back then. For millennia, wine has been made with nary a chemical in sight...and it's been pretty fabulous. In fact, it's evolved to where it is today without this crazy ass chemical warfare on the vines we see today. I will concede that new pests and vineyard nastiness have evolved (mold, fungus, etc), but when there are wines in the market that have proven they can make kick-ass wine without poisons, I get my back up in arguments against organic and Biodynamic wine.

You may be wondering why, if it's just basic farming (and seems cheap), all wineries don't just become organic. Pretty simple. The green god. Cash money. It's expensive to convert vineyards back to a more natural state. Sadly, it's cheaper to use polluting chemicals than to farm organically. That said, once you destroy the land with chemicals the cost of cleaning up groundwater and restoring vineyard soils is pretty high too, but like politicians, business folks tend to be short-sighted.

Getting back to the tasting, I enjoyed it but I have to say I was a little disappointed because it didn't feature any European wines. Germany, Spain, Portugal, and certain parts of France are making great strides in organics/Biodynamics, and it would have been nice to experience the wines from those producers. That said, the event was a nice look into some of the producers in the New World (meaning anything except Europe) who are forward thinking.

I'll list the Biodyamic and organic wines here, since people are always asking me for producers, and I'll highlight the few that I found outstanding. What I won't do -- list wines that call themselves "sustainable." Beware of that term. There really is no set definition and more often than not, it's just large companies trying to bandwagon onto our shifting sentiment that we don't want to drink things that have been sprayed with poison. Most "sustainable" companies do things like introduce hawks into the vineyards, but most still use pesticides and they are much less concerned with soil and vine health. Last I checked, Wal-Mart says it's sustainable too, but it's responsible for more waste than any other company in the world. All relative, I guess.

Ok, ok, the wines...here are 6 highlights and then the list:

1. Robert Sinskey. No one mentions Biodynamic and organic American producers, without mentioning Sinskey. This guy is a pioneer and his shop proves that every vineyard, when farmed purely, can make outstanding wines. I tried 5, each were great but my three favorites follow.

The 2009 Abraxas ($34) is a blend of Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Blanc. It smells like a gardenia and an herb garden, and has a round, refreshing character that tastes kind of like Italian parsley, a tobacco leaf, and a honeysuckle. This is unequivocally a halibut or shellfish wine.

2007 Three Amigos ($56) is a beautiful light ruby color. I didn't need to stick the beak in too far to get a big hit of cherry, red raspberry, and spice. This is a classic Cali Pinot. It was pretty silky, but with good acidity and red cherry, red raspberry, cinnamon and blueberry flavors. All yum.

2005 Marcien Red ($65). The story goes that Robert Sinskey decided to grow Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot in the cool Carneros region where everyone grows Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and all his neighbors called him a martian. Traditionally those grapes are grown in the hotter part of Napa. Beam me up, Robert. This tastes like a Bordeaux. An excellent balance of blackberry, black raspberry, and black plum is balanced with coffee and cinnamon flavors. This is more like a Bordeaux than a Napa wine. If this is wine on mars, I'm volunteering for the space station.

2. I love Tablas Creek so much and have already done an extensive post on their Chateauneuf-du-Pape style blend, Esprit de Beaucastel. Tablas Creek adopted the traditions of the Rhone Valley, arguably the hottest hotbed for organic agriculture in France and they've got amazing wines to prove it. The 2008 Cotes-de-Tablas ($24) was light and fruity with lots of super-ripe cherry flavors. It had a slightly bitter finish, but was pretty delicious and lightly acidic to give it a little sizzle. Tablas Creek rarely lets me down.

3. I am so excited to recommend an Australian wine. I feel like Australia is out of style-- like it's the acid-washed jeans of the wine world. Well, I don't think acid-washed jeans are coming back (then again, I didn't think florescent colors would either but I see them all the time and am horrified), but I think Australia is coming back and Yalumba is part of the reason. Not all their wines are organic, but the Organic Viognier ($16) is and it needs to go on your list for fabulous summer wine. It's really restrained -- it doesn't beat you over the head with aromas or flavors like many other Viogniers do but still has lovely floral and ripe peach flavors. It's got great acid, which is rare for a Viognier. Big thumbs up.

4. McFadden from Mendocino County in California is organically farmed. Totally new to me. I've never even heard of them. They remind me of my favorite Mendocino producer (whom I can't get in Atlanta), Navarro Vineyards. The 2006 Pinot was awesome. It smelled like red cherries and dusty country road. It kind of tasted like that too with just the slight hint of some barnyard and hay in it. Mendocino makes Pinot like no other region in California, and I think it's amazing.

5. Casa Lapostolle from Chile had two great Carmeneres. They are made biodynamically and have a carbon neutral winery. Feel good about drinking their wines! The base wine wwas good, but thier Cuvee Alexandre for $14, which is made from 100 year old vines (on average), is great Carmenere. In my last post on carmenere I complained about the wines that tasted sulfured or vegetal. This is not either of those things. It was velvety, rich, and tasted and smelled like red raspberry, blueberry, and red plums, with a little cinnamon and leather thrown in. Fabulous.

6. Last but not least, DeLoach showed their Nova Zinfandel. DeLoach has gone biodynamic and this Zin seems to really like that. A huge wine from the rarely used Lake County appellation, this is all the spicy, raspberry briar patch, vanilla, coconut goodness you expect in a Zin. Delicious.

As promised, here's a list of the other Organic an Biodynamic Wines featured. I'm also attaching a few links on these farming/winemaking practices and ideas of more wines you can buy (I will always tell you in my post if the wine is organic or Biodynamic, FYI!):

• Bonny Doon Wines: Le Cigare Blanc, Vin Gris de Cigare, Ca' del Solo Albarino
• Bonterra Wines: I only tried the Sauvignon Blanc and was very impressed.
• Pacific Rim: Their Wallula Vineyard Riesling 2007 is farmed organically. I absolutely love dry Riesling (if you've only had sweet, try this -- great with lighter foods or for sipping).
• Rubicon Estate: CASK -- Farmed organically.

Here are some links on Biodynamic wines:
The Daily Green
Wine Anorak ( A great wine blog, FYI -- here is a list of Biodynamic wines from around the world on this site)
Demeter, the Biodynamic Certification Agency

And on Organic Wines:
The Organic Wine Company
Organic Wine Journal
Readmore »»

Paradise in 2 hours: A Rare Veuve Clicquot Champagne Tasting

We all drink wine on many different occasions, but most of us are unanimous that nothing marks a special time like a bottle of bubbly. As you might have seen on my Facebook page (shameless plug, I know), I had the honor and privilege of tagging along with my mentor and friend, Eric, to the Veuve Clicquot tasting at the Four Seasons in Atlanta last week (sorry for the lag in the write up -- I was busy getting my Certified Sommelier distinction!).

Veuve Clicquot has significance for me and a special place in my heart. It was the first bottle of bubbly that I ever enjoyed and it has marked nearly every major occasion in my life -- graduation from high school, undergrad, and business schools, first jobs, new jobs, and probably the best day of my life yet -- my wedding (yes, we splurged, but we only had 60 people so it was ok!). That yellow label on Veuve Clicquot's non-vintage brut screams joy and happiness to me, as I'm sure it does for many of you. But even without the significance. I have to objectively say that this is a luscious, complex, and perfectly crafted wine.

Although some criticize the House for being a big producer, I eschew that idea. It would be one thing if quality suffered at the hands of production, but I've been drinking this wine for a long while and I can attest that, regardless of volume, it has never wavered in quality or consistency. Wine snobs may say that the wine has become sweeter or that bigger equates to worse quality, but I've got to disagree. Veuve Clicquot doesn't mess around with their quality -- their brand is too significant and historical to do so.

With that said, if you think I'm full of crap I'll drop some history here.

The Clicquot family has been making wine since 1772 when Philippe Clicquot established a business under his surname. Three years later the House shipped the first rosé Champagne (G-d bless him -- as you'll see below I could drink this all day long!).

Their history really became interesting in 1805, when Philippe's son died and left his 27 year old widow (aka, veuve in French -- now you see where this is going), Barbe Nicole Ponsardin with the estate. She completely rocked and decided to run the business even though it was taboo at the time for women to take the reins. She built the brand, combined her name with that of her deceased husband, and the house became Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin (if you notice on the label, that's the official name of the brand, although we all usually just stick with the first two names).

We should all love La Grand Dame, as she is referred to. We should. She's the reason Champagne is clear and not cloudy, as it had been before she got her hands on the winemaking process in 1816.

You may know this, but here's a refresher on Champagne making. Like regular white wine, Champagne growers pick the grapes, press them, ferment them, and then age them. But most Champagne (except in exceptional years) is a non-vintage blend of up to 60 different lots from different vineyards and years. This ensures consistency in the "house style" and means that a rotten vintage doesn't ever spoil the wine. In assembling the blend (wine dorks -- this is called assemblage), a winemaker can draw on the reserve of good years to gain balance. Hence why my yellow label Veuve Clicquot tastes the same every time. The other way Champagne differs from white wine production -- the bubbles (shocking, I know).

How do they get those fine, little, and ever-effervescent bubbles in the stuff? Well in Champagne, it's from a secondary fermentation inside the bottle, which requires that a mixture of yeast and sugar gets plunked inside a heavy duty bottle with white wine. As the yeast eat the sugar and die, they produce CO2, which is trapped inside the bottle. With time and aging of 18 months for non-vintage wine, eventually the CO2 gas reaches a zen state and becomes one with the wine. Voila! The bubbles are in and you have Champagne (or sparkling wine/cava/cremant -- anything outside of Champagne cannot be called Champagne).

It all sounds great, but there's then the problem of the nasty dead yeast sitting at the bottom of the bottle. Before the lovely Veuve Clicquot, people drank the Champagne with yeast floating in it. The wine was cloudy and had a little graniness to it (ick, in my opinion). The Dame cleverly realized that if you slowly turn the bottles (over months) until they are on their necks, you could get all the yeast to fall into the neck and the closure. The slow movement over time prevents the cork from shooting out (remember, the CO2 puts the bottle under pressure), but accomplishes the goal.

So came her invention of riddling or remuage, where bottles are turned slowly to a vertical position until the yeast is contained in a small cup, which is then either popped out by hand or eased out after being frozen. Few Champagne houses still rotate the bottles manually, opting for machines instead, but it's a great idea, a romantic process and was all the esteemed Veuve Clicquot's idea. Just more ways women have contributed to wine in history!

So onto the tasting and to winemaker Pierre Casenove. Ah Pierre....I love MC Ice, but I'm not dead...he is a cutie! And very intelligent and earnest. You can tell he loves his craft. He is originally from the Basque Country between Spain and France and he told me that he loves Spanish wines. He shared information about each of the wines and tasted some of them with me. I felt so honored (and had to keep myself from swooning a little at this young cutie with the fabulous accent. Sorry to you dudes, but I just had to add this in for my ladies!).

The genius of his palate is reflected in the vintage styles which range in price from $58 - $250 per bottle. Each is unique and wonderful. The tasting was probably my most memorable ever, with each of the wines as beautiful as the last. This is one of my more difficult events to write about. I feel so frustrated that I can't begin to capture the essence of any of these insanely good bottles. I've tried.

2002 Veuve Clicquot Vintage Brut.
Price: $58
Color: A beautiful pale straw, this wine was not foamy at the top but had a continuous stream of bubbles -- all very small, which is a sign of quality.
Smell: The wine smelled yeasty, green apple-y, a tad grapey, and like a bag of almonds.
Taste: Fresh, clean and like a green apple skin, it was so refreshing! The balance of apple and an almond-milk type flavor made it just heavenly. It was a little less bubbly than their standard yellow label wine, but I think this allowed the complex, nutty flavors to shine through. Pierre told me that the wine was 60% Pinot Noir, 7% Pinot Meunier, and 33% Chardonnay (these are the traditional grapes of Champagne). You could cellar this for another 10 years and it would still be delicious!

1998 Veuve Clicuqot La Grande Dame (this is the good stuff, or the Prestige Cuvee -- their flagship wine)
Price: $125
Color: A very platinum blonde wine in appearance, but not in character (no offense, blonde friends!). After 12 years I think the foam had died from the bottle, but the bead continued -- just not as furiously as the younger wine. All mellows with time!
Smell: Almonds, red delicious apple, and a baked bread character were deliciously combined. The wine smelled streamy -- like a waterfall -- and a little chalky, which makes sense, since that's the soil on which it grew. There was also a grapefruit character that was oh-so-refreshing on the nose!
Taste: This wine is about 64% Pinot Noir and 36% Chardonnay. The word that comes to mind when drinking this wine is pure. It was crisp and it tasted just like it smelled. The almond and croissant-like flavors rounded out the wine and made it less sharp than it could have been given it's strong acidity. The contrast between this wine and the 2002 is the clarity of flavor and richness in the blend. The bready, almond characters were more developed and, not to be too weird, but this wine just caressed my mouth. It is simply delicious.

Before we launch into the reviews, a word on rosé Champagne. Normal rosé gets its color when the wine has a brief period of contact with the skins, imparting a touch of pink to the otherwise clear juice. In Champagne, however, a bit of Pinot Noir is put aside and made as a red wine. It's then added to the white wine to impart color (black grapes can be pressed gently so you get juice with no color. So the red is added to a blend that includes colorless Pinot Noir juice too).

2002 Veuve Clicquot Vintage Rosé.
Price: $65
Color: A pale salmon color that was dazzling. A little orange and pink with a lovely and consistent bubble stream. What a pretty wine!
Smell: Floral notes with raspberry and plums funneled into my nose. I couldn't wait to taste it.
Taste: Dried raspberry, black plum, and floral flavors were in great balance with mouthwatering acidity. The wine was a little bready, dry, spritzy, and just made me want to drink more of it. It was lusciously fruity struck a great balance between fruit and acidity. I will drink this everyday when I get a bigger pocketbook.

1998 Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Rosé
Price: $250 (!)
Color: White at the bottom third of the glass with a orange/salmon color on the top 2/3, the wine was showing a bit of age on the color. There were small, subtle bubbles.
Smell: Incredible! Red berries, a slight orange character, some nuttiness, and barnyard and dried herb scents that you might find in a Pinot Noir from Burgundy. I love this kind of wine. You keep smelling and it keeps giving you new things to think about. Yum!
Taste: The blend is the same as the regular La Grande Dame (2/3 Pinot, 1/3 Chardonnay). Blackberry, dark cherry, and nuts dominated. A slight flavor of vanilla and clove -- I was in complete heaven. This is a wine that could be aged and would just keep getting better. In contrast to the 2002, this wine had stronger acidity, mature vanilla spice and a slight earthy/barnyard quality that made it rich, but still crisp and refreshing. I think it's worth the $250!

1985 Veuve Clicquot Rare Vintage Rosé.
The wine had enormous complexity and it was a joy to taste something that had been given so much time to mature. The blend is 49% Pinot Noir, 14.5% Pinot Meunier, and 36.5% Chardonnay.
Price: $88
Color: This rare wine was amber after 25 years of aging -- kind of onion skin color. The bubbles were few and small, but still provided a constant stream for just a touch of effervescence. Not as pretty as the other rose but really unique looking (not like an ugly girlfriend whom you are trying to compliment, but actually cool looking).
Smell: Have you smelled Sherry before? It has an aged smell to it that prickles your nose, but is really fresh too. This was similar. In this wine there is a combination of sweetness and yeastiness in the backdrop of dried berries and dried flowers. It smelled like an aged Pinot Noir too -- distinctive wet earth and barnyard smells were present. I love wines like this so I was really excited to taste!
Taste: OMG -- I was in heaven with this wine. It lacked the fresh fruit of La Grand Dame and the 2002 vintage wine, but it made up for that in complexity. It was like a combination of sherry, dried berries from Special K cereal with strawberries, and baked bread. I don't think I'll ever forget that experience. A stunning, stunning wine for those who like aged French Pinot (I do!).

Besides the charm of the winemaker, what struck me most about this wonderful tasting was the broad spectrum of flavors offered by each different wine and vintage. All were unbelievable in their own right and stood out from one another, and stretched far from the standard cuvee.

This tasting did nothing but reaffirm my love for Veuve Clicquot. I respect the wines, I revere the Veuve for her contribution to wine, and I will continue to enjoy these wines at many happy occasions in my life to come (especially to commemorate my trip to Champagne...hope Pierre doesn't forget that he invited me to come for a big tasting there : ) Readmore »»

I'm Now a Certified Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers! Thanks To All!

I had a great moment yesterday. After much study and tasting and tableside practice, I passed my Certified Sommelier Exam through the Court of Master Sommeliers. It was a tough exam and tough day, but with a little bit of deep breathing, a good dose of studying, and a HUGE bunch of support from my wonderful husband, M.C. Ice, my family, and all my fabulous friends, I did it!

I feel great and am better for having studied more. The blog only gets better the more I study, I think. I hope you agree!

Thanks so much for reading and passing the blog on to other friends. Readership keeps getting stronger and I'm completely honored and humbled that you think enough of the blog to keep coming back!

A million thanks to you all! Readmore »»

Vibrant Rioja Tasting: A Study in Contrast of Classic and Modern Style Wines

Thursday was a tasting bonanza -- I was so fortunate to have my wine mentor and friend, Eric, bring me to the Veuve Cliquot tasting at the Four Seasons in Atlanta, and then my dear friend Beth (one of the best people and wine women I know, whom I respect, adore, and am blessed to know!) invite me to the Vibrant Rioja tasting at ONE Midtown Kitchen (a sister restaurant to Parish where I do a monthly tasting). I took copious notes at the Veuve Cliquot Champagne tasting, but also had an amazing opportunity to meet the winemaker, who promised to send more detailed information to me, so I'm going to hold off on reporting about that amazing experience until I get those notes (probably Tuesday of next week -- it's worth the wait!!!).

That means today is all about Rioja, the region and wine of Spain with which most people are most familiar.

This is going to be a bold statement, but I'd say Spain is THE rock star of the wine world these days. It's shown that a country with the foundation for great wines can bring new fans into the fold by reinventing itself. I'm a giant proponent of the third largest producer of wine in the world (and if you haven't travelled to Spain yet, put it on the list because it is one of the most diverse, fun, fascinating places in Europe).

Spain has made wine since the Phoenicians landed in the Jerez (sherry) region in Southern Spain in 1100 BC (!). There are vineyards throughout the country, but some of the best lie in the north, which is where Rioja is located. In the mountains of north-central Spain the Rioja (named for the River Oja or Rio Oja) region has been making wine since the 2nd century BC. Although already recognized for its natural bounty, the region got a real boost in the1860s when Bordeaux experienced an infestation by a pest called phylloxera, which devastated vineyards and wiped out crops (BTW -- this is the downside of globalization since the pest came from the US).

What was France's nightmare was Spain's fortune. Talented winemakers from Bordeaux, which is right over the Pyrenees Mountains, came to Rioja and started making wines in the French style. Quality improved and this region became Spain's crown jewel of wine, ready for export and publicity that was well deserved.

There are three growing regions in Rioja -- Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa, and Rioja Baja. Alta produces full wines with lots of great fruit. Alavesa has more firm tannins and lots of acid. Baja is kind of desert-like and produces very alcoholic wines.

Most red Riojas are a blend of the Tempranillo, Garnacha (this grape is native to Spain but the French are awesome marketers so most people know it as Grenache), Graciano, and Mazuelo grapes. White Riojas taste a little like Sauvignon Blanc and are made mostly of the native Viura grape. The Rosados (pink), which are fabulous, are made from Tempranillo and Garnacha for the most part.

Tempranillo (temp-ra-NEE-yo) does well with oak, which adds vanilla, tobacco, and leather flavors to its juicy berry, cherry, and herbal nature. Garnacha (gar-NACH-a) adds spice and alcohol to the blend. Graciano (graa-cee-AHN-o) is really low yielding but high in tannin and is very aromatic, with a big black berry, violet, mint, and herb aroma to add to the blend. Mazuelo (ma-SWAY-lo) is also known as Carignan (cahr-ee-NYAN), and gives raspberry and cherry notes to the blend, as well as some needed acid to balance the rich wood tannins from Rioja's extensive oak aging regimen.

I obviously love wine, but part of the reason it's so interesting is because every region has it's nuance. In France they are obsessed with the classification systems (Crus and Classes in Burgundy, Champagne Bordeaux) and in Spain, they are all about age, specifically how long the wine has been aged in oak. Give that, there's a proportional relationship between age and price, so if you're going shopping for Rioja here's vocab you must know:

Joven (HO-ven) =no oak age. They usually just say the brand name so if you don't see any of the words below on the label and it's cheap, it's probably a joven.

Crianza (Cree-AHN-sa) = 1 - 1.5 years in oak barrels and at least 1 year aged in a bottle.



Reserva (Reh-SEHR-vah) = 1.5 - 2 years in oak barrels and another 1-2 years in a bottle before release. More complex than a Crianza.



Gran Reserva (Gran Reh-SEHR-vah) = 2-3 years in oak, 3 years in the bottle. They only make these in great vintage years when Mother Nature cooperates. According to Vibrant Rioja, who hosted the tasting, these are known as "Meditation Wines," to be enjoyed while contemplating life (I personally just like to contemplate the wine, but I AM kind of a winedork).


Ok, so with that out of the way, let's get to what this stuff tastes like...which varies enormously.

Why? Because Rioja has changed recently. The wines used to be aged for VERY long periods of time in American oak, which is super pungent and sometimes makes you feel like you need to pluck splinters out of your gums. American oak is the opposite of subtle -- wines aged in it usually have a coconut, pencil, 2 by 4 quality to them that, in the right wine (one with a lot of fruit that needs some finesse) is a good thing, but in a more subtle wine is a bad thing. Nowadays winemakers have spent the extra cash for French oak, which is more refined, and have opted for more juicy fruit in their wine. There is also a wave of new producers who kind of eschew the old style and are making super-fruity wines. All are interesting and have merit, but it's important to know what you're getting yourself into before you put down the cash for a bottle.

As you can imagine, when presented with a tasting of 15+ wineries from Rioja, you've got to find a way to narrow the field. I tried about 10 of the producers and I was seeking stuff that I could tell you about that was worthwhile -- either super classic styles or newer ones that were of interest. I found some great stuff and I'm going to share them below in short blurbs, so you can figure out what sounds good, buy it and then comment either here or on Facebook so we can all benefit from your ideas.

I'm going to break this up into Classic Styles vs. Modern Styles. As you read about these, see which is more interesting to you and then make sure to describe your preferences when you go to the wine shop or restaurant. Here goes...

THE CLASSICS
Marques de Riscal. Started in the 1850s, this is just about as classic as you can get. These wines are always solid examples of Rioja's tradition. I tried the Gran Reserva, vintage 2000 (I went right for the good stuff! It's about $36). This was spicy and oaky, and had a very traditional quality of stewed tomato that sounds gross but is really delicious when you put it with the spice and oak. This is a wonderful wine and one that I encourage you to try if you want to see what Rioja is all about.


Muga. Started in 1932, this Bodega (winery) quickly gained recognition and acclaim for being unflaggingly faithful to Rioja and its traditions. This is a serious operation -- they have their own cooperage on site, and make all their barrels as needed (very unusual and expensive but cool!). All the wines in this line are stunning and most are perfectly classic as well. The 2009 Muga Rioja Blanco (white) had aromas and flavors of lime, grapefruit, and grass and a slightly waxy texture that was lovely. It was a bit bitter and spicy from the oak, and super refreshing. The Muga Rioja Unfiltered 2005 was another classic example of Rioja -- there was the familiar tomato flavor enhanced by rich plum and black cherry. I loved the oak on it -- vanilla, pencil lead, and leather were simply delicious. It's about $30.



Sierra Cantabria Crianza 2006. This was the real surprise of the tasting for me. Named after the Mountains in which the winery is located, this is the youngest of the three classic wines I'm writing about (crianza vs. reserva and gran reserva). This wine is about $16 and is a complete steal. Red cherry, plum, and that classic cooked tomato flavor dominate and there is this phenomenal balance of spice like a chai tea, leather, and vanilla toastiness to round out the palate. I've had the lower end Tinto and haven't been impressed, but I really enjoyed this wine, and hope that I get an opportunity to try the Reserva and Gran Reserva sometime too. Seek this one out!

Others that you may know...So I tried three other big Rioja brands as well -- Campo Viejo, Bodegas Montecillo, and Bodegas Faustino. I'm sure you've seen them around. I have had the Crianza and Reserva in each of them but tried their Gran Reservas as well at the tasting. I hate to say it, but although classic in style, the Gran Reserva in each of these just didn't hold a candle to the ones above. They make decent wines at the low end, but if you're going to spend $30+ look for Muga, Riscal, or Sierra Cantabria.

MODERN STYLES
These styles are much more fruit forward with more subtle oak. I like these wines, but I find they lack the complexity of the ones above. They are definitely more like New World wines, so if you like the splinter-y quality of the ones above, skip these. Here are the greatest hits:

Bodegas Orben. From a newer winery, but one that still uses 60 year old vines, this wine packs a punch. It's mostly Tempranillo and has lush blackberry, black raspberry, black plum, and other dark fruit flavors. This wine has massive tannins and is absolutely fantastic, but it doesn't have the oaky spiciness that I find in the more traditional Riojas. If you don't like the oak in Rioja, the 2005 is a great modern style to try for $35.

Muga Torre 2006. Wait, didn't I just say that Muga was an awesome classic producer? Yes, I did. I was just as surprised to see that at their top end, they strayed from tradition and had a wine that was opaque in color, bursting with black fruit aromas and flavors and had softer tannins and tasted like a good California Merlot even though it is 75% Tempranillo, 15% Mazuelo and 10% Graciano, which are traditional varieities. Either way, it was delicious wine and a great example of the modern style of Rioja. For $75 it's pricey, but good if you get the chance to try it.

Bodegas Dinastia Vivanco makes fruity wines in a modern style. Apparently the property has a must-see wine museum that offers visitors a deeper understanding of how the wines of the region are made. Very cool and on the list for when I get over to that neck of the woods. I loved the Blanco (white) -- it was so fresh and fruity and the addition of a little bit of Malvasia to the Viura made it less bitter and softened the acidic citrus that is typical of the latter. The Reserva was very fruity but also had a balsamic vinegar note to it that added complexity to the dark fruit compote character of the wine. At less than $20 a bottle these wines are great deals and great examples of new style Rioja.

Finally, the Baron de Ley Finca Monasterio 2001 was oh-so-smooth. It was dark in color, fruity, delicious and tasted very modern and clean, with jammy black fruit and subtle tannins and acids. I didn't really love their Reserva or Gran Reserva, but this special selection was simply delicious and is well worth the $35.


Sorry for the long post. I hope this gives you more of an idea of the spectrum Rioja is offering and helps you sort through the brands and selections when you head to the wine shop or look on a menu. Let me know your thoughts! Readmore »»