Wine For Normal People Radio : Episode 018 The Grape Mini-Series: Merlot

This week we talk about the Goldilocks of red wine -- Merlot. The crowd pleaser of the reds, this versatile grape has a style for just about everyone. There are haters out there, but keep in mind, this is a main grape of Bordeaux and is responsible for one of the finest, most expensive wines in the world from there...it deserves some respect!

Show notes:

Shoutouts to friends on Twitter, Facebook, iTunes, and commenters on email (elizabeth(at) winefornormalpeople (dot)com) and on the blog

Main Topic: Merlot (yes, the "t" is silent)

• The Goldilocks wine -- medium and great because of it!
• Descriptions of different styles of Merlot and why some of it is kind of bad and some is outstanding
• Merlot's relationship with Cabernet Sauvignon
• A bit of background on this lovely grape -- where it came from
• Growing regions and styles: France (Bordeaux), Italy, the Baltic states, New Zealand, Australia, and US (Washington State and CA)
• A little on food pairing
• Prestigious producers of Merlot
  

Click here or download the 'cast below...

Wine For Normal People Radio : Episode 018 The Grape Mini-Series: Merlot

Please leave us your feedback here (including show suggestions!), on the Wine For Normal People Facebook Page, and on Twitter @normalwine

Thanks for listening!

Podcast Powered By Podbean

Readmore »»

All About Brunello: A Tasting of Tuscany's Best with Castello Banfi

Yes, for the millionth time, I am a huge nerd. I've decided to embrace it (mostly because I'm not a creepy nerd, just a dorky one, if you know what I mean). This is why I fell in love with wine. It's constantly changing, it has an amazing history, and you can never taste everything or know everything there is to know. It's nerd utopia.

So when the opportunity arises to attend an event that is less about someone pushing their brand and more about educating on a region, I'm thrilled to go. Especially when that region is in the country that I've had a love affair with since I studied abroad there when I was in college: Italy.

Last week, my fellow nerd and one of my favorite wine people in Atlanta, MO'C, invited me to a three hour seminar on Brunello di Montalcino conducted by Banfi vintners, a family-owned, US company who has been importing Italian wines since 1919, and who makes some pretty great Italian wines (if you don't believe me, know that a huge chunk of their wine sales are from Italy so they don't just make wines for export -- they walk the walk. For more on them, check out their story here.).

The presentation was given primarily by Rudy Buratti (left), the head winemaker for Banfi, who understood but did not speak English, which was just fine by me -- although I only understood about 1/3 of what he was saying from my rusty Italian, it still sounded great! Thankfully the talk was translated and framed by Lars Leicht, the VP and Assistant to the Chairman, whom I honestly thought was going to be a total suit, but who more than proved me wrong with his great humor, down-to-earth character, and passion for Banfi and for wine (it all stands to reason -- he's a fellow New Yorker-- it's hard to be from there and have nothing doing in terms of personality. Ok, I'm biased, I know).

The event was awesome because unlike many of these kinds of things, I learned a ton. I was blown away by the complexity and diversity of Montalcino, the small town to which MC Ice and I would love to retire, a decision we made after visiting on a wine boondoggle a few years ago.

The wine of Montalcino seems so deceptively simple at first. I mean, there's only one grape here: Sangiovese. Easier than the 5 grapes of Bordeaux or the 13 of Chateauneuf-du-Pape...ahhh, but there's so much more to the story.

As Rudy told us, the grape is really different in Montalcino than it is in other parts of Tuscany. There are 600 clones of Sangiovese here, each with just a slightly different flavor. The Brunello clone ('little brown one,' named for its skin color) of Sangiovese has adapted to the different soil types of Montalcino. The region's dry, hot climate also allows vines here to survive, but not thrive. These poor conditions and the area’s diverse soil types create grapes with a high proportion of skin to pulp, that maximize the color, tannin, and flavors in the wine.

Wines from Brunello are a reflection of the land-- you'll never taste wine made from Sangiovese like Brunello di Montalcino -- not from anywhere, including Chianti or in Vino Nobile di Montelpuciano, both esteemed areas for the Sangiovese grape.

It was fascinating to hear Rudy talk about his findings in Montalcino upon his arrival there in the early 1980s, working for Banfi. He and his team took a long term view of working in the area. They first looked at the centuries of winemaking tradition -- the wine was recorded as being unusually delicious in the 14th century and yet it remained a local gem -- even in the 1960s there were only 11 producers and it wasn't until recently that producers have multiplied to 200.

When Banfi invested $100 million in the area in the early 80s, they embarked on a 12 year study of Brunello and Montalcino. They found 29 different soil types and from 600, they selected the three clones they felt best exhibited unique character of the area.

Banfi also studied the all-important x-factor in winemaking: oak. This was essential because when Brunello is first picked, it's very tannic and it requires years of oak aging to help it mellow out. It’s so integral to the wine that as part of its Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin, DOCG) distinction by the Italian government, Brunello must meet strict aging requirements in oak. For regular Brunello, the wine has to age 4 years -- 2 in oak and 2 in bottle. For riserva (reserve) it's 2 years in oak and 3 in bottle before release.

You've got to have it to be a Brunello but selection of oak is essential because it can drastically change the end product based on things like oak type (American v. French v. Slovenian), age of the barrels (new barrels give stronger flavors than old ones), size of barrels (small imparts more flavor than large barrels), and toast on the barrel (do you char it to give a burnt caramel flavor or lightly toast for a subtle vanilla flavor?).

Banfi's approach to oak is very cool: Rudy actually goes to the forests in France to pick out the tree he wants his barrels made from. Banfi has its own cooperage (barrel-making facility) on-site -- a rare luxury. They take the true European approach to oak. Unlike many American barrel producers who quickly kiln-dry their wood, Banfi’s coopers "season" the wood, cutting it into staves and then storing it outside and in contact with the elements for a year or more to allow natural, subtle flavors to develop.

When the wood is ready, they don't char it to get huge burnt vanilla flavor, which you would taste in the wine, but instead they lightly toast the barrels over a small fire to just get a light toastiness that will give soft vanilla, chocolate, and toast flavors to the grape juice. The proportion of old and new oak and barrel size varies based on the end result desired in the wine, but the preparation of the oak is consistent for Banfi. Very cool story, no?

So after all this dorking out, we tasted 10 wines (my only complaint about the event was that this was WAY too rushed. We didn't have time to ponder each wine before we moved on to the next one).

This was a component tasting. We first tasted the three clones used in most of Banfi’s Brunellos. Then, to see how the land influences flavor, we tasted wines from the four primary vineyards that Rudy uses to make the finished wines. Finally, we tasted the three finished wines. It was an amazing exercise.

First the three clones with dorky names...

• BF 30 was floral with excellent raspberry notes. It was perfumed and astringent/mouth-drying -- the tannins were screaming and the acid was high. Clearly this one adds some backbone to the softer clones, but not something I'd want to drink alone!
• Janus-10 was much more earthy yet with nice plum and tart cherry flavors, and very tannic/astringent. These tannins help preserve the wine so they can age. (I personally thought Janus-10 would have been a fabulous wine without blending!)
• Janus-50 had more body and was richer in fruit and high in alcohol. It was a little astringent and hot, but still with nice raspberry and plum flavors.

The four single vineyard wines we tasted were each unique and clearly bring something different to the party:

• The Casanova Vineyard's wine was acidic but very fruity.
• Sorrena was very mouth-drying, but with pretty red berry and floral flavors.
• Podernuovo was higher in alcohol so was super mouth-coating and had a really long finish. A lot less fruit, this was more textural.
• Poggio d'Orcia Vineyard’s wine had some plum flavors, with lighter tannins, higher alcohol, and high acid.

With those descriptions, you can imagine that there are a ton of permutations the winemakers can put together to make wines that will taste really great. I sort of wished I could have played amateur winemaker and poured some combos into an empty glass to see how they tasted together. I could imagine that putting something like the acidic Casanova Vineyard’s wine with the tannic, mouth-coating wine from the Sorrena Vineyard could have been awesome. But I guess I’ll just need to leave that work to the winemakers…

Finally onto the wines that we can actually buy…made of the clones and from the vineyards above:

2006 Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino: Smelled of chocolate powder and oranges, but was soft, floral, and full of tart cherry flavor. It stuck around in my mouth but wasn't a blockbuster of a wine. Would be awesome with a hearty Tuscan bean soup!

2005 Poggio alle Mura: Opaque and brownish, the wine smelled like a pear, violets, and cinnamon and tasted like apples, pears, Chai tea, vanilla, and (weird) kind of like grilled hamburger. It had a really long finish, but it wasn't harsh or mouth-drying.


2004 Poggio all'Oro Riserva: A rare wine, it's only been made in 7 of the last 25 years. The winemakers only produce it when the weather has been exceptional. It was similar to the Poggio alle Mura in flavor, but a little more like tart cherry, perfume/flowers, and mint. It had softer tannins and strong acidity -- would have been great with food.


For the sake of full disclosure, I feel like this post was kind of long and for me, a little arduous to write. I’m sorry if it was boring to you – it’s a lot to cover. This isn’t my most fascinating post, but hopefully you got something out of it (hey, I gotta be honest with you -- especially if you've taken the time to read this far!).

That said, I wanted to get it up on the blog because this kind of tasting is so unique. You get to see the building blocks of each wine and then how they come together. If you ever get a chance to do something like this, I would encourage you to go (usually it's something only offered in wine country, since they have the components on hand!!). It gives you a whole new appreciation for winemaking as an art.

Thanks to Empire and MO'C, and to Rudy and Lars from Banfi. A great event from a winery very devoted to quality and education!

Salute! Readmore »»

Friday Lineup: Three Wines Of Italy

This Friday lineup is wholly based on my Wines of Italy tasting from Wednesday night. I've kind of been giving Italians the cold shoulder for a while, since I feel like most of the wine is either delicious but too expensive or affordable and total crap.

...Enter the rebirth of a wine that has a terrible reputation from outside of Venice, non-fancy wine from the Piedmont (where Barolo and Barbaresco, the uber famous wine regions reside), and the bounty that is Southern Italy. Long story short -- get on these. Italy is a lot more than Chianti and Pinot Grigio (which I did NOT serve at the tasting because they're a yawn!).


Wine 1: 2008 Inama Soave Classico, Italy

Soave? To answer your first question, although pronounced the same, it has no relation to 90s sensation, Rico (if you have no idea what I'm talking about, click the link). With that summarily dismissed, I can tell you that Soave is a region (in Europe most wines are named for region) that makes white wine from the Garganega [gar-GAHN-ega] grape with a few other grapes blended in sometimes. If it's grown on hillsides and the vineyard is trimmed back appropriately the stuff is unreal. If it's grown in valleys and overcropped, it tastes bitter, bland, and acidic. Bad Soave (which has been imported in droves to the US and has ruined this wine's reputation) is horrid. Good Soave is a rich white wine that is like no other white you've had.

Look for "Classico" on the label to ensure it's been grown in the best region where the quality revolution has taken place and where most of the best producers play.

Price: $16

Color: A golden hay color, and very reflective, this wine looks rich in the glass. It's not yellow like a Cali Chard, but kind of light gold. It happily looked like it would not be a horrible, wimpy Soave...

Smell: Unlike lots of other European wine, this wine was fruit-first. Pineapple and tropical fruit scents -- kind of like a pineapple Lifesaver-- dominated, with lemon, some light floral smells and a little almond to boot. Not too mineral-like, but a little touch of chalkiness from the soil. The wine also had a light spiciness -- like fresh herbs taken off the plant. Thyme or marjoram come to mind (go to your spice rack if you think I'm nuts, BTW).

Taste: OOOOO-eeee. Delicious. The overwhelming sensation for me was chamomile. I felt like I was drinking alcoholic tea! A squeeze of lemon, a little bit of minerality and almond flavor, high acid, and then a lingering creaminess. Those pineapple/tropical fruit notes went well with the floral flavor and the sensation was flavorful and harmonious.

Drink or Down the Sink? Drink. For $16 this could be your new favorite white. I love finding good, safe Soave producers. This and Roberto Anselmi are my go-tos for Soave now!


Wine 2: 2007 Borgogno Dolcetto, Piedmont

Dolcetto, as in Dolce? Doesn't that mean sweet? Actually it means "little sweet one" but historians argue that it could be named for the hill it grew on, cause lord knows it's not for this really tannic, dark colored grape that is full of flavor. Unlike the Soave, this wine is always named for the grape (I don't know why), but usually has the name of the place it's from "attached." The three most common areas :

Dolcetto d'Alba (from Alba, the best town)
Dolcetto d'Asti (from Asti)
Dolcetto Dogliani (you get the drift)

The wine is great but it's made for economic reasons. It can grow in places that Nebbiolo -- the famous grape of the Piedmont region that makes Barolo and Barbaresco -- and Barbera (the other big grape of the region) can't grow. It's also a wine that can be made and sold quickly. This is key because it's not cheap to hold and age wine in barrels, which is what you have to do with Barolo and Barbaresco. To finance the better wines, producers make less serious Dolcetto to pay the bills. But remember, these Barolo/Barbaresco guys are total perfectionists when it comes to winemaking. They make some of the most serious, unbelievable wines in the world, so when they turn their attention to Dolcetto, it's not a slouch wine...as is the case with the Borgogno.

Price: $15.00

Color: Dolcetto has thick skin with lots of dark pigment and tannins (the stuff that feels astringent and dries out your mouth). The wine was true to form -- it was dark ruby, almost purple with a watery edge. Although usually I would expect a giant wine, I know Dolcetto, so I was hoping for more delicacy than brute force.

Smell: The wine smelled like wet leaves and rose petals. It had lots of dark notes -- I visualized a forest or a bunch of maroon or purple fruits sitting on a table when I closed my eyes! Black raspberry, black plum, and a kick of alcohol all came through. Interesting and bolder than many softer Dolcettos I've known.

Taste: It didn't taste like what it smelled like but this Dolcetto was great. My first impression was black licorice. Then baked blueberry pie with cinnamon and nutmeg on top. The wine smelled even more like dark flowers as I lifted it to my mouth, and there was a lingering perception of it after I drank it. The Borgogno did have some punchy tannins -- I know the winemakers tried to temper them (they did a short fermentation to keep the skins away from the juice!) but they were still powerful.

Drink or Down the Sink? Drink. For this price, it's a more complex alternative to most Chiantis. I like this producer because this was much fuller than most Dolcettos, but I usually love the wine across the board. It's affordable, it can be gentle and taste like flowers, and it goes well with mushroom dishes!


Wine 3: 2008 Terredora DiPaolo, Aglianico

What is that?: Terredora DiPaolo is the producer of this wine made from the Aglianico (ah-LYAN-iko) grape in southern Italy. Aglianico is a dark-skinned grape and it thrives in the hot climates and volcanic soils outside of Pompeii (remember 79 AD, when Mount Etna blew and mummified a civilization?). If Nebbiolo is the monster red of the north of Italy, Aglianico rules the south. It's a blockbuster of a wine that tastes like plums and dark chocolate, has low acidity, and moderate tannins. One of my favorite reds, Taurasi, is made in this region from the Aglianico grape. It's pricey, but worth a try!

Price: $16

Color: A nice rich ruby color, but with a little bit of brown, this wine was saturated and not to much different looking from the Dolcetto...except here I expected the color to be indicative of the fullness of the wine.

Smell: Blackberry, tobacco, cedar, and chocolate were prominent with a fabulous backbone of black pepper. It was strong but kind of elegant at the same time.

Taste: Just like it smelled. Blackberry pie, with some smokiness and a definite sensation of black pepper. This was a big wine, but not too jammy or overdone. It felt more creamy than astringent, and had a super-long finish of blackberries and spice.

Drink or Down the Sink? Drink. You know, Trader Joe's has an Aglianico for $5.99 that I drink on a Wednesday from time to time and this wine put in sharp relief how flabby and overly fruity that wine is! Terredoro DiPaolo makes great wines that are always a good contrast of flavor and texture and this wine is no different. This is a good one to serve at dinner and impress your friends when you tell them it was only $16!

That's the lineup. Write and let me know what you're having this weekend! Readmore »»

A Greco, A Super Tuscan, and A Zin: Take Your Pick for the Weekend

Here's a quickie post. I had three great wines this week that you may want to try as you're heading into the weekend...

Wine 1: Greco di Tufo 'Loggia della Serra', Terredora Dipaolo 2007

What is it? Italian for Greek, the Greco grape was transported by the Greeks to Rome in about 500 BC. Grown mostly in Southern Italy, it's at its best in Campania where it grows on volcanic soils with calcium rich rocks (Pompeii is around here, for you history buffs. As an FYI, I powered through that novel but MC Ice spent 3 years trying to read the same 15 pages. Thought you should know). It's a white wine and it's known for having strong mineral character (it reflects the soil in which it grows).

Price: $19.99 (that's about what you'll pay for Greco regardless of brand, FYI)

Color: It was super golden in color but didn't look that viscous. I expected ripe flavors.

Smell: The aroma was much bigger than I thought it was going to be. Peach and honey notes were really prominent and there was a wet rock thing coming out of the glass too. It wasn't a very complex nose, more straightforward -- nice clean aroma. This was going to be good, I expected.

Taste: Delicious on its own AND with food. This wine packed a punch for a white. It was peachy, honeyed, and lemony. It even had a little bit of pineapple flavor. There was acid, but it wasn't overpowering and the sensation of licking a rock came to mind on the finish (i.e., it was minerally).

Drink or Down the Sink? Drink. Loved it. It was great with Halibut in a caper tomato sauce.


The following two bottles were sent to me by the Wineries (that's my disclosure, but I always give an honest review, much to the wineries' chagrin sometimes!)

Wine 2: Arceno PrimaVoce, Tuscany 2006
What is it? A "Super Tuscan" blend -- meaning it features Sangiovese as a component, but includes French varieties as well (Merlot, Cab, etc). This one is 65% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Sangioves, 5% Cabernet Franc, 2% Syrah

Price: $21.99 (Super Tuscans are really expensive so this is a good price)

Color: A rich ruby color -- lots of pigment. It looked exuberant!

Smell: I was none-too-pleased with the aroma of this wine. It smelled like stale cherries and prunes. It had a nice minty, cedar smell underlying the old fruit and a kicked-up dust-on-a- country-road quality that I hoped would redeem the wine when I tasted it. I was worried.

Taste: Let me be very clear. This wine is actually two wines in one. For me, the one I sipped was sour, flat, and overly acidic and alcoholic (14.5% is high for Italy) with no fruit to balance. The one I had with my pizza however, was amazing. It was full of plush blackberry and black cherry, and it had lovely caramel and wet dirt characters that made the food taste even better (sounds gross, tastes good). With tomatoes, the fat of the mozzarella, basil, and especially the sun-dried tomatoes, this wine transformed.

Drink or Down the Sink? If you want to see how a wine does a 180 with food, this is your wine. I will definitely be buying it again -- but not just for sipping on the porch with friends.


Wine 3: Murphy-Goode "Liar's Dice" Zinfandel, 2007
Where it's from: Sonoma County

Price: $18.99

Color: Just what a Zin should be -- dark red with a lighter, watery rim.

Smell: This was a JAMMY wine. Not too complex -- ripe raspberry, blackberry, and a little overripe plum (not quite prune) were the main notes. There was a hint of black pepper, some lush vanilla extract-like notes, and a touch of cinnamon spice. Definitely an alcohol burn on the nose, but not harsh just kind of sexy!

Taste: I like this wine. It's straightforward, easy, and super jammy. I love Zin like this -- ripe, bursting with flavor, and still balanced enough with acid that it doesn't taste like brandy. It's almost 15% alcohol, which is really high, but it has so much fruit that you barely notice the esophagus burn. The nice spicy cinnamon flavors made it a good treat too!

Drink or Down the Sink? Drink. This is a solid Zin -- and this IS one you can have with food from the grill or just hanging around with friends. Nice wine!


That's the lineup. Write and let me know what you're having this weekend! Readmore »»

Alternative Reds Tasting At Parish: The Re-Cap

Last Wednesday, March 31, I did a tasting at Parish Foods & Goods on Alternative Red Wines. It was a good event (prevented from greatness because some people didn’t make it due to ATL traffic, oh joy!) and we tasted five great wines, all which elicited strong reactions from the crowd.
Here’s the rundown and my take on the wines…(which I didn’t offer at the tasting since I TRY to be objective when teaching!)…

Wine I: Sierra Cantabria Rioja Crianza, Spain, 2005
Hopefully you’re already drinking copious amounts of Rioja. It’s a great wine when made well, although I’d advise against the $10 ones – they kind of suck because the wine needs oak aging to be any good and that costs $$, so the producers pass on those costs to us. Well worth the extra dough though -- it’s warm fruity, spicy goodness when its good.

Rioja is made mainly from the native-to-Spain Tempranillo grape, with Garnacha (Grenache in France), and two other native grapes Graciano and Mazuelo. Tempranillo gets its name from “temprano,” which means early in Spanish. Why? The grape ripens early (not really rocket science). It’s full bodied, low in acid, and tastes like plums and blackberries.

The wine is named after the Rioja region, in north-central Spain, where it’s usually grown at high altitude in both warmer and cooler vineyard sites to get a range of ripeness/flavors in the grapes. With an assortment of flavors to choose from, the winemakers make wine that has depth and complexity in the fruit. Rioja drinkers will concur that the fruit plays a supporting role to the real star of the wine, the spicy, sweet-vanilla character from the oak. The wines can be a little rustic and robust, and they make great pairings with strong flavored dishes.

Sierra Cantabria is made in a modern style, and is fruitier than traditional Rioja. 2005 was a solid vintage for Rioja, but this wine was really tight. It’s a Crianza, which means it is required by Spanish law (yup, the government controls winemaking) to spend at least one year in an oak barrel, and can be released to the market after two years of maturing. This one had four years in the bottle, so it should have been mellow. Maybe I should have decanted this, but I didn’t and I found this wine to be really astringent – the tannins overpowered the fruit, but jealously held on to the warm vanilla-oakiness I’d expect from a Rioja. I think you could do better than this one, which is around $16.

Food Pairings: I like pairing things with foods from the place their made. I think Rioja is awesome with tapas (tortilla Español is awesome), jamón, and other rich food.

Wine II: Damilano Nebbiolo d’Alba, Alba, Italy, 2006
Nebbiolo is a grape native to the Piedmont in Northwest Italy. There are competing theories on where it gets its name, but the most viable one is that it’s from “la nebbia” or the fog that settles on the area during harvest. This grape makes BIG A** wines that can’t be consumed for years because they are way too tannic, acidic, bitter, and nasty until they’ve had some time in bottle penitentiary to calm themselves and transform into truly rich and beautiful wine. It’s the grape of Barolo and Barbaresco and can produce wines with powerful aromas, big tannins, and complex flavors of spice, smoke, tar, and tobacco.

Not all Nebbiolo is destined to a life of an expensive, giant wine. Given the economics of the wine biz, the producers needed to figure out how to tame the beast and sell something in the short term to pay for cellaring all the expensive stuff. Enter Nebbiolo d’Alba, made with modern techniques (colder, shorter fermentations, taking the stems off before crush) to create less complex wines that still have the calling card of a true Nebbiolo -- a bold, firm structure that tastes a little like roses and tar. The best part of these wines: Nebbiolo d’Alba is right next to Barolo and the soil and vineyards are similar – this is an enormous value if you can find a great producer.

Like from Damilano, which has aromas and flavors reminiscent of roses, violets, and plums this wine was a delicious Nebbiolo. Floral, lightly fruity, with great but not-too-harsh tannins, this wine was simply gorgeous. Delicate and powerful at the same time, with a little of the petrichor scent that I just love so much! 2006 was a rough vintage for Nebbiolo, but Damilano still managed to churn out an awesome wine. For $18, this is a steal. Love it. My fave of the night, for certain.

Food Pairings: To continue the theme, I'd pair these with Northern Italian fare. I think roasted and grilled vegetables and meats, tomato-based dishes, or hard cheeses would be ideal!

Wine III: Finca La Linda Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina, 2008
I’ve waxed poetic on Malbec before so I’ll give just a short overview here and say that the grape although originally from Bordeaux and Southwest France, the best is now rich, silky, fruity Malbec from Argentina.

Malbec grapes, grown in the northwestern Mendoza region near the Andes Mountains, are from vines with small berries that make dark colored wines with velvety, intense plumy fruit and they are an awesome value.

The Finca La Linda Malbec was not anywhere close to the quality of the Kaiken I reviewed, but it was half the price ($12) and a great wine. The wine was full of bold cherry, plum, spice, and vanilla-oak aromas and flavors. I liked it and thought it was a great weeknight wine.

Food pairings: With grilled meats and vegetables and hard cheeses this would be an great pairing.


Wine IV Rosenblum North Coast Zinfandel, California, 2007
Like the Malbec, I’ve talked about Zin before too so this is the short recap. Zinfandel is California’s workhorse grape, and grows in 10% of all the state’s vineyards. It’s originally from Croatia and related to Primativo from Italy, but its best expression is really in California. Not to be confused with the powder-puff, sweet, pink, White Zinfandel, red Zin grapes produce rich, robust wines that taste like a raspberry briar patch and are jammy, minty, spicy and complex.

I can’t believe I’ve never reviewed Rosenblum’s North Coast Zinfandel, since it is such a great Zin. It’s a blend of grapes from Mendocino and Sonoma Counties. Mendocino is an up-and-coming but little known area by most. It's mainly hotter than Hades but there are a few spots with very cool climates that are great for high quality vines and these are the valleys from which Rosenblum sources.

The areas in Sonoma where the vines are cultivated are steep, cool, and are known for old vines. This wine was a great Zin – it smelled like brambly blackberry and cherry with vanilla and baking spices and tasted like juicy berries and warm spices. For $14, this is killer.

Food pairings: I’d put it with something like ribs, blackened fish, lamb chops, and eggplant dishes


Wine V: Mettler Petite Sirah, Lodi, California, 2005
This is a grape I’ve written little about, but I’ve got a few in the queue to review (excuse the rhyme) so I’ll do a summary here and get poetic elsewhere. To give a super short summary, Petit Sirah is a dark, acidic, full, and tannic grape that is very fruit forward. It’s related to true Syrah from the Rhône Valley of Southern France, and is a hybrid of this grape and another more obscure variety (Peloursin for you wine dorks).

It really has found a home in Cali, where it smells and tastes like fresh herbs, black pepper, plum, and blueberry. Compared to Syrah, it is less complex, and fruitier.

The Mettler Petite Sirah is from Lodi, an area outside of Sacramento. This is a BIG A** wine -- inky with aromas of dark berries, coffee, and chocolate. By far this was the heaviest wine and was great, but almost like drinking liqueur -- the blueberry, blackberry and spice flavors and the jammy, floral notes were strong and the alcohol was high. It’s a great wine for people who like huge wines and at $20, it packs a lot for the money.

Food Pairings: Heavy stuff -- beef, duck, and barbeque – everything else it will overwhelm.


I wish you were at the tasting to experience the wines! Come see me on April 28th for my next tasting if you're in town!
Readmore »»

My Italian Renaissance: 2004 Vinosia Taurasi Restored My Faith!

I'll acknowledge that I've been slackin' on the bloggin'. Sorry! But happily, it's because I've been building my wine education business here in the ATL, and I've been doing events at businesses and in people's homes. It's not all for naught.

And perhaps it was worth the hiatus, because out of one of the tastings comes this review of an amazing wine, about which you may never have heard...Taurasi. Get ready. It's more expensive than the stuff I usually review, but it's worth every penny, dime, nickel, and dollar (and it's only $24, so it's just a little indulgence, really).

Before waxing poetic on this massive, delicious, and low profile wine, I'll be really honest (shocking, I know): I've been off the Italian wine train for quite some time. Why? Not just because I really love Tom Stevenson (who writes Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia and laments the downfall of Italian wine too), but also because Italian wines of any ilk below $15 generally taste really bad to me -- either watery if they are whites, or way too rustic and rough if they're reds. When there is such great French, Spanish, German, Austrian, Argentinean, Chilean, New Zealand (you get the point) wines in that price point, and good Italian is $10 why buy it? That's been my philosophy and it's worked out pretty well.

The thing is, I kind of have a love affair with Italy (I know, so original) outside of the wine thing, so I feel like Tiger Woods right now. I lived there when I was in college for a semester and have been back several times both on wine business and because I just adore it (MC Ice and I plan to retire in Montalcino, home of Brunello). Hence, although I don't think the Italian wineries will hit me with a golf club through my car window, not drinking Italian wines makes me feel disloyal.

So happily, when an Italian tasting was requested I was able to rediscover some gems that I had previously forgotten (I'll review an excellent Gavi soon as well). One was the Vinosia Taurasi, a wine made from the Aglianico (said ah-ylee-ah-neek-o) grape.

When the Greeks settled in the Campania and Basilicata regions, they brought Aglianico. The name derives from the Latin word for Greek -- Hellenica. It was the principal grape of the famous Falernian wine in Roman times, and was enjoyed by lots of dudes in togas. Today, it's still cultivated in both Campania and Basilicata.

Taurasi is a town in Campania, the province that is home to Capri, the Amalfi Coast, and Pompeii. It's mountainous, hot, dry, and has lots of volcanic soils (we all know what went on in Pompeii in 79 AD right?). Not much but Aglianico can grow very successfully in this area. If yields are kept low, the wines produced from Aglianico are full-bodied, age-able, and can rival Barolo and Brunello in power and class, for a lot less $$.

Sadly, the stuff was basically unknown until about two decades ago when one producer, Mastrobernandino, began making higher quality wine from Campania and it got some attention. Now other producers are in on it, including the famous and modern Feudi di San Gregorio from which the winemaker broke off and started Vinosia, the maker of a lovely Taurasi, which I will now review...

The Wine: Vinosia Taurasi
Where It's From: Taurasi, Campania, Italy
The Grapes: 100% Aglianico
Vintage: 2004
Price: $23.99

Color: Deep, dark ruby with a brownish edge. It stains the glass on the swirl. It was practically opaque and held its color even when I tilted the glass down. I expected big flavor from so much color!

Smell: An endless stream of adjectives comes to mind with this wine. First coffee grounds, licorice, damp earth, dark cocoa powder, and tobacco leaf. The wine was not particularly fruity on the nose -- it was so much more mineral-like, earthy, and chocolately. The fruit came after the earthen scents -- dark cherry, prune, black raspberry, and cranberry weaved together subtly. It was really luscious and made my mouth water.

Taste: Wow. Although this could use a little decanting to allow the wine's tannins to soften up (oxygen helps the wine release its natural scents. I won't bore you with the chemistry lesson, but click here for more details) , the wine was imminently drinkable with a good swirl. It tastes just like it smelled, but with more ripe plum character and an unbelievably rich texture.

This wine is plain SEXY.

It's like box of Godiva chocolate truffles, but with a kick of acid and make-you-feel-alive tannin. Ripe fruit and rich mocha played so well with the mouth-watering acidity and the (not overly but just enough) mouth-drying tannin. This wine is so drinkable, and just lovely. It's ready right now, so if you have access to it, buy it and drink it tonight.

Food: You need rich food for this wine. Roasted meats, game, and eggplant dishes would work well. Don't even try to pair this with chicken, salad, white fish, or lighter pasta -- it will completely overpower the delicate flavors.

Drink or Down the Sink?: Drink now, and even buy a bottle or two to try in a year. If you like big wines, this is a wonderful choice that will rival the best Italian reds. It's a steal at $24, and it's restored my belief that Italy, when it tries to produce something with care (instead of en masse to make a euro), is a force to be reckoned with in the wine world. Readmore »»

Quickies: Two Great Wines From Our Anniversary...

If you follow me, you know that I try to do full reviews, but last night was my year wedding anniversary with M.C. Ice and we enjoyed two lovely bottles that I want to mention. I didn't pay close enough attention or take enough notes to give you all the deets but these are worth a mention...

Wine #1: Cantina di Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino
Grape: Sangiovese Grosso, a finer clone of the Sangiovese that you find in Chianti
Vintage: 2005

A few years ago when I worked for a very large winery, M.C. Ice and I had the fortune to go on a wine trip to Tuscany in Italy. Our favorite stop on the trip was in Montalcino, a little medieval town nestled in the country-side that is the home of one of the greatest wines in Italy -- Brunello di Montalcino.

The huge winery I worked for bottles and sells some Brunello under a commercial label, but we had the opportunity to buy the Italian versions straight from the winery, which were different and more refined. We picked up a few bottles of Brunello, but we also got this Rosso di Montalcino, which is really just a lighter, more easy-drinking version of the Brunello (and it's about $30 less too).

It was scrumptious and a beautiful match with our Italian food. A great nose of orange peel (typical, oddly enough), rich sour cherry, and mineral, wet-rock scents were all over the wine. It was rich, it was rustic yet elegant, and it was full-bodied. Simply delicious.

Although you can't get this brand in the US, I would really recommend that if you don't normally drink Rosso di Montalcino, that you give it a try-- especially the next time you have pizza or Italian. FAB!

Wine #2: Paul Goerg Extra Dry Champagne
Grapes: 60% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir (it says it on the bottle, I didn't just taste that into existence!)

A few facts about Champagne that are awesome to know and will make you seem smart:

1. Champagne is a region and the sparkling wine from that region is called Champagne. Everything else is called something else (cava, sekt, prosecco, etc....if it ain't from Champagne, it's got another name).
2. Unless it's a vintage Champagne (expensive), the wine is actually a blend of vintages, vineyards, and grapes. Each "House" or producer has its own style and the winemakers work to get a consistent blend year after year.
3. If you think Champagne tastes like Chard, good job.Traditional Champagne is made from 3 grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir (they press it and avoid skin contact so the juice is colorless), and a weird one called Pinot Meunier that is lesser in quality.
   
4. Champagne comes in different levels of sweetness because sugar is added during the second fermentation: Extra Brut/Brut Naturale has no sweetness, Brut is pretty dry and is the typical style, Extra Dry is lightly sweet, Sec is kind of medium-sweet, and Demi-Sec is sweet.

The wine we had was Extra Dry and went really well with the cake topper from our wedding (which held up -- pretty good, no?). Sweet with sweet -- easy to remember, delicious to eat/drink. Don't forget that when you go for the sweets at the end of the night, the bubbles are a great pairing if they have some sweetness, and the CO2 is a bit of a digestive aid, so it will actually make your tummy feel settled (at least that's what I tell myself...).

Great anniversary, great wines! Go out and get these for your next special occasion! Readmore »»