Lunch With a Wine Legend: Nothing to Make Me Doon About Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon

Wine is such a nerdy subject that I hesitate to say it has celebrities, since that seems to imply a level of glam that I just don't think exists, but if there were to be a wine celebrity, most certainly it would be Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon Wines.



Courtesy of Empire Distributors and Miller Union, a very trendy, great restaurant in Atlanta's West End, I had the pleasure of attending an intimate lunch and spending an afternoon with this fascinating man.



Volumes have been written on this guy (including a book that he authored, "Been Doon So Long") so I'm not going to rehash that stuff but I'll give you a quick summary of who he is and what he's done so in case you aren't familiar, this US Weekly version will get you up on the gossip. Here a few fun facts on him:

• He started Bonny Doon Winery in 1984 with a wine called Le Cigar Volant, the French term for UFO. It was unusual for the time because it was a blend similar to Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Southern Rhône Valley (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and a few other grapes) and the US was coming on strong with Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. He became an advocate for growing grapes from the Rhône and was termed the original "Rhône Ranger," for his support of those grapes in California's Central Coast. The quirky label with a UFO on it captured lots of attention for its "irreverent" vibe.
  
  
  
  
• The dude built huge brands through good wine and a genius for marketing -- Big House, Cardinal Zin, and Bonny Doon made up 450,000 cases of wine by 2008. With quirky, artsy labels, and an off-beat twist rare in the wine industry (and by this I mean the grapes, the labels, the communication with consumers and the fact that the Winery was located in Santa Cruz, rather than in traditional wine areas), Randall Grahm found a great niche in this over-crowded industry. He seemed to have it made...but he was completely dissatisfied.
  
  
  
  
• Around 2008, he decided that he'd gotten away from what excited him about wine and sold Cardinal Zin and Big House to the conglomerate, The Wine Group. He decided to get back to the vineyard and concentrate on wine and land and terroir, rather than marketing and business. He sought a retreat to his roots as a wine guy (he attended UC Davis -- THE wine university as a youth) so, regardless of how controversial it was, he sold the cash cows and focused on the stuff he loves. That's what he's doing today.

I had been told by a few people in the industry that Randall Grahm was kind of "out there" and "weird," so I was especially excited to meet him (and hoped this wasn't a euphemism for him being a giant, condescending a-hole). I'm kind of weird myself (remember that "normal" just applies to not liking jerky, snotty wine people) so I thought I'd dig him. I did.



For lack of a better description, Randall Grahm was so Santa Cruz -- long hair, a beret, and a very relaxed demeanor. And yet, there's something about him that reminded me of every great professor I've ever had -- smart, intellectual, good listener, clearly a keen observer. I felt like I wanted to be in his presence to soak up everything he had to say. My father is a professor, so I have a certain level of comfort around these academic types and I had the sense that if he wasn't in wine, this self-termed philosopher would be the next Socrates or at least the toast of Stanford or Oxford or something.



Randall started by telling us that he cashed in the chips because he wanted to make "Vin de terroir" -- wines that reflect the land. He bought some raw land in a crazy, undeveloped area called San Juan Bautista. It's southeast of Santa Cruz and known for its mission, which was featured in Hitchcock's movie"Vertigo." This area is on the big fault line that will eventually push San Francisco into the Pacific, the San Andreas Fault, and it has amazing soils and is very cool in climate, which theoretically will allow him to grow terrific grapes for wine.



Theoretically, he admits. And this is not something that most winemakers are comfortable saying. I've found that there's a certain hubris sometimes about them, like they know what the land will produce and can tell you the outcome of every vintage.



Not here. Randall Grahm fully admits that he's making it up as he goes along and he has no idea what he's going to get out of a new vineyard. There's an element of risk and reward that's exciting and scary. In an industry obsessed with margins and money, this is a very unique outlook.



I was already drinking the Kool Aid but then the dude said the thing that I've never heard another California winemaker say. He said that he strives to make the best wines he can, but that he'll never make wines that have the character of European wines. Without the soil and without the centuries of time to iterate and make changes, he just can't do as well with his grapes as they do there. Rather than putting down European producers, he was realistic about the differences in land, production and experience and showed an appreciation for the Old World that you don't always see in California.



Given that, his interest in making another Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon is nil. You're not going to see Pinot or Chard or Merlot out of Bonny Doon or its sub-brands.



Ok, so he's a big thinker and a big talker. But besides buying a vineyard in a weird place, what exactly IS he doing in wine? Well, it's not just the same 'ole stuff. He's doing something very different. In San Juan Batuista, Randall Grahm is doing a "Grand Experiment." He is trying to create genetic crosses of conventional grapes. He's identifying the best areas for red wines and the best for whites and then creating hybrids of grapes in the fields to see what happens.



He's not doing this passively, mind you. The guy is trying everything from employing new fertilization methods from gurus in Switzerland to calling in people that study nature spirits that will make the vineyard more prolific.



Why is he doing this? Because this is Randall Grahm's life work. Rather than follow his hewn path as the wine industry's best marketer, which is what all the trade rags and business writers say about him, he wants to be the industry's innovator...or die trying.



He's just starting this path so in the meantime, he still has his Bonny Doon, Ca' del Solo, Contra, and Le Cigare brands to make and sell. And in my view, these wines are better then ever. The sell off of the larger Big House and Cardinal Zin brands seem to have really benefited these brands and I was really impressed at the event.



Here are mini-reviews of the lineup:



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The Whites and Rosé



The first few wines were from the Ca' del Solo vineyard, which is farmed Biodynamically (check out the podcast or blog on this) and produces non-Rhône grapes. The vineyard is located in Monterey County, about an hour south of San Francisco. This line doesn't have standard varieties -- and I love that.



I was surprised at how well Spain's white gem, Albariño, and the grape from which all others derive, Muscat, performed in this moderate climate.



The Wine: Ca' del Solo Albariño

The Grape: 92% Albariño, 8% Loureiro (another Spanish blending grape)

Where it's from: Soledad, Monterey County, California

Alcohol: 12.8%

Vintage: 2009

Price: $18



Note: This wine was a bit of an experiment for the Winery, but they did a great job. If this is how Albariño behaves in Monterey, I think it has a bright future there! Randall did note that the Biodynamic farming and hands-off winemaking were big factors in getting the flavor right.



Color: Beautifully golden and very shiny, with kind of thick legs. The wine looked just like all the Spanish Albariños that I've had the pleasure of knowing.



Smell: Lemon, lime, and a salty mineral note just hit the mark. It was very similar to Spanish Albariño, which is rare because the soil and climate of Galicia is hard to replicate. The smell was like green herbs and green apples too -- it reminded me a little of Herbal Essence shampoo (the old school one in the green bottle).



Taste: Maybe it's because the vineyard is Biodynamic, or because the winemaking is hands off, but this wine is very true to form. It was a little simpler than some of the Spanish Albariño I've had but still had a great barely-ripe peach flavor with wet rock, and a little saltiness to boot. It had great herbal flavors and was a bit like fresh cut grass. It had good acidity and was super dry. Awesome with the arugula salad.



Drink or Down the Sink? Drink. Amazing wine and very impressive that this grape can grow so well in Monterey.

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The Wine: Ca' del Solo Muscat

The Grape: 98% Moscato Giallo (yellow muscat from Northeastern Italy), 2% Loureiro

Where it's from: Soledad, Monterey County, California

Alcohol: 12.7%

Vintage: 2009

Price: $15



Notes: Randall mentioned that he traveled to Alto-Adige in Northeastern Italy to pick out the Moscato Giallo clones himself. He did an amazing job finding grapes suited to the terroir of his vineyard.



Color: A super light yellow, almost clear with tiny little bubbles from a continued bit of in-bottle fermentation.



Smell: Muscat, in general, is really fragrant and sometimes over-the-top. Apparently this clone is a little less floral, which I found a good trait. I got that honeysuckle, orange sherbet smell but then also a celery twang. It sounds a little weird but I liked the contrast a lot.



Taste: The floral/honeysuckle note was kickin' and it reminded me of orange tea too. There was a sharp bite of acid that made the wine refreshing and not syrupy, despite the fact that there was noticeable sugar left in the wine (which is par for the course for Muscat). The acid cut the sugar and the wine was just a delicious treat and not so sweet as to be a dessert wine. It lingered around forever.



Drink or Down the Sink? I usually don't love Muscat, but this one could be a staple. What a great study in contrast of flowers and bitter celery with honeysuckle flavor and acid. Another winner.

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The Wine: Le Cigare Blanc

The Grape: 57% Roussanne, 43% Grenache Blanc

Where it's from: "Beeswax Vineyard," Arroyo Seco Monterey County, California

Alcohol: 14.3%

Vintage: 2008

Price: $22



Notes: This is Randall Grahm's white version of Châteauneuf-du-Pape of the Southern Rhône Valley. It's the Rhône Ranger at his best! This is a huge wine and we actually had it last because it's oily and flavorful so it had enough gumption after the reds. It went really well with the ginger flavored ice cream sandwich we had for dessert (yum!).



Color: I would expect nothing less than a golden yellow wine. Roussanne tends to be a darker color, and this looked like rich and flavorful.



Smell: All pear, all the time. A little bit of melon and ginger too. It smelled rich and like it was made with uber ripe grapes.



Taste: How I wish I'd had a nice piece of fish to pair with this...would have been amazing. The wine was like laying my tongue on a fluffy pillow -- so soft and full and gentle. Big pear flavor with a touch of acid to prevent the wine from being thick and gross. Loved this...although like I said, next time I'm having it with some halibut.



Drink or Down the Sink? Drink. I'm a big fan of the wine after which this one is modeled: Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc. This one is a great New World version of that big daddy of a wine. For $22 it's a steal too!

__________________________________________________________________________ The Wine: Vin Gris de Cigare

The Grape: 71% Grenache, 16% Roussanne, 11% Grenache Blanc, 2% Mourvedre

Where it's from: Central Coast, California

Alcohol: 12.8%

Vintage: 2010

Price: $15



Notes: Vin Gris is technically white wine made from red grapes, usually Pinot Noir. So this wine isn't exactly a Vin Gris because it was a salmon colored wine and it was made from red and white grapes. That said, this is a signature wine for Bonny Doon.



Color: A beautiful copper salmon color, this wine was just what I like to see in my Rosé. Too red and I know it's going to be too much, too light and it may not have panache. This was perfection in color.



Smell: The Grenache gave it a raspberry and strawberry tang and it was just a little bit like yeasty baked bread too. A pretty fresh nose but nothing that bowled me over.



Taste: I gotta say, of all the wines, this was my least favorite. It had a raspberry flavor but there was a pine tree note for me that put me off. An herbal flavor was there too, that I thought didn't mesh well with the strawberry flavors. The wine was slightly bitter for me and the acid wasn't quite strong enough.



Drink or Down the Sink? Down the sink. I really wasn't a fan. It was a simple wine and it was good in that, but I think the experiment of blending red grapes (Grenache and Mourvedre) with white (Grenache Blanc, Roussane), which is not done in the South of France where Rosé reigns supreme, really didn't work for me. That said, there were some at the event that raved about this wine. Give it a try and let me know what you think.



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The Reds



In my opinion, this is where Randall Grahm really shines. Rhône grapes made in a pure style. These reds kick ass!



The Wine: Bonny Doon "Le Pousseur' (means the trickster)

The Grape: 100% Syrah

Where it's from: Central Coast, California

Alcohol: 13.5%

Vintage: 2007

Price: $20

Color: An opaque, beautiful rich plum color with a ruby rim, this wine looked like ripe fruit plucked right off a vine. The legs were thick (so I expected high alcohol) and the wine had so much pigment that it made them take on a color. Blockbuster city!



Smell: ...And yet the smell was so much more delicate than the looks of the wine. It had a light plum scent with chocolate and then a lavender and thyme twang. It smelled fresh and delicious.



Taste: The first sensation I had was of black pepper and cinnamon with chocolate. Then there was plum and black raspberry fruity goodness. The tannins were not too mouth drying and there was a little acidity too. It was fresh! Everything just seemed to work together -- wine harmony.



Drink or Down the Sink? Drink. This is an excellent wine. Not over-the-top but still fruity. Lots of subtle flavors and something that you could drink for hours and it would be a different wine with each sip. I love that. This is especially a winner and since Syrah is so unpopular in the market today (don't get me started on why...so dumb), the price of this wine is INSANE for the high quality of the wine.



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The Wine: Bonny Doon Contra

The Grape: 55% Carignan, 16% Grenache, 14% Mourvedre, 7% Petite Sirah, 5% Zinfandel, 3% Syrah

Where it's from: Central Coast, California

Alcohol: 13.5%

Vintage: 2009

Price: $14



Notes: This comes from the warmer inland area of Contra Costa County, hence the name Contra. Randall revealed that you can see the house where that poor girl who was kept hostage with her two kids for 15 years from this vineyard.

Color: Another super-dark wine. Carignan can be kind of a ghetto grape in the Rhône, but in it's old age, it creates wines with tons of flavor and these vines are old so the wine is dark, rich, and thick!



Smell: This was the most earthy of all the wines we had. It had a ton of raspberry fruit but the overall impression was more of dried dirt and cinnamon spice than of fruit. It was kind of subtle but also seemed like it was going to be flavorful at the same time...just not in the typical fruit bomb way.



Taste: The wine was like it smelled -- subtle and earthy with a good hit of raspberry flavor and a ton of cinnamon or nutmeg thrown in.



Drink or Down the Sink? Drink. It was a good, solid red that would go well with food because it's just not too fruity or alcoholic (I'd pair it with mushroom sauces, au jus, grilled veggies or meat, simple preparations).

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The Wine: Le Cigare Volant

The Grape: 44% Syrah, 43% Grenache, 12% Cinsault, 1% Mourvedre

Where it's from: Central Coast, California

Alcohol: 14.4%

Vintage: 2006

Price: $35



Notes: This is Randall Grahm's homage to Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge and he rocks it out! There isn't much to say except that this is his flagship and calling card. He seemed really proud of the wine as he was talking about it and he genuinely believes that his increased focus on this wine after selling off Big House and Cardinal Zin has improved the juice. I couldn't agree more.



Color: Similar to the other reds, this was a dark, opaque, plum color with a rosey, watery edge. Typical of Syrah and looking delicious. Super thick legs = pretty high alcohol.



Smell: Wow. I could smell this for days. Tobacco, smoke, and bacon hit me right away. Then there was a dark blackberry or raspberry thing -- like stewed berries or compote that goes on waffles. There was a little spearmint too. It was strong, it was delicious.



Taste: The wine was true to the smell except that it had a wonderful peppery flavor that just brought it to life. The tannins were tame and the acid was prominent, so the wine tasted tangy (in a good way).



Drink or Down the Sink? Drink. I've had this wine before but I don't remember it being this good. It's such a flavorful and complex wine and it tastes damn good. You can enjoy it or analyze it, either way it's a real pleasure to have. Amazing stuff.



Thank you so much to Empire Distributors and to Randall Grahm and Miller Union here in Atlanta for a great experience. I can't wait to visit the winery in Soledad. Great guy, great wine, and a very interesting future ahead for us all if he succeeds in his quest!



Have you had these wines? Drop a comment and let me know what you think!!!

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A Very Worthwhile Taste of South African Wines

It's rare that my location in a beta wine market (let's face it, Atlanta is not exactly the most cosmopolitan place when it comes to wine) leads to a great on-the-ground contact, so I was really excited when I got an email from a local dude who found my blog/Facebook page and who wanted to taste me on some of his wines. I was even more excited when I found out that his portfolio was made up of wines from South Africa, a place near and dear to my heart after my trip there a few years back.

So after a month of trying to get it on the books, finally, on a Tuesday afternoon, I met with Tom Lynch, founder of Worthwhile Wine Company. He showed up in jeans and a Worthwhile Wine t-shirt and his warmth and enthusiasm were immediately apparent. He prefaced the meeting by saying that, even if I didn't dig his wines, from the blog/Facebook stuff I seemed like someone he'd like to hang out with. That won me over right away (ok, I'm pretty easy, but still -- I could tell it was going to be a nice hour together). Flattery will get you everywhere, apparently.

But I digress...

Tom is a sharp, very cool guy and his story was amazing. Almost 2 years ago, he left his big job working for a prestigious online ad agency following a trip that he and his teenage daughter took to South Africa. This wasn't the kind of trip I took when I went there -- all plush and full of tasty food and wine -- rather it was a 2-3 week excursion that involved staying in a ramshackle hut and doing community service in a small, impoverished village. Tom and his daughter were so personally moved by the trip that they decided to take action. Of her own volition, his 13 year old started a foundation to help this community and others like it. Tom gave her the support and help she needed (including allowing her to home school so she could focus more time on the foundation!) and it's still going strong.

What does all this have to do with wine? Well, while his daughter was working on her foundation, Tom took a stock of his life. He had grown weary of his Mad Men existence and sought to pursue a passion he had started over 20 years ago when he worked in the wine biz as a sales rep. Tying in with his daughter's new found passion, he launched a company to represent small, high quality, boutique producers of South African wines who needed a broker to bring them to the US. All the wines are sustainably made -- adhering to the triple bottom line: combining environmental and social responsibility with economic profit. You know, worthwhile wines...hence the name.

Although new to many of us, South Africa is old hat in the wine world. It has been making wine since 1655 when the Dutch East India Company set up settlements on the southern tip of Africa as restocking stations for ships traveling between Holland and India. Obviously, no seafaring people in their right mind would travel without wine, so the Dutch scouted out regions for vineyards and after some trial and error, made a good go of it. Over the centuries, they honed their techniques, made some great wines, and were famed for a sweet, Muscat-based wine called Constantia, which was enjoyed by the wealthy and elite set in Europe.

Today the grapes grown are from the International set -- the regular suspects, so to speak -- Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and Chenin Blanc (sometimes called Steen here). The novelty act that you may also have heard of is South Africa's own hybrid, Pinotage (Pee-NOH-taaahje), a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault that sometimes tastes like raspberry flavored dried paint chips (true story).

Before I get to the wines, there is one last weird thing about South Africa that I want to mention. Although they've been making wine for more than 350 years in this region (as compared to other New World regions where it's been less than 200 years), the region is still considered New World because:

a) it's not in Europe
b) the political and economic fallout from apartheid crushed the wine industry and the rebirth of the industry is New World in it's reliance on technology and techniques, and
c) the style is somewhere in between European and New World styles.

I'm not sure what wine gods decide these things, but I think there's a good argument that South Africa should be considered Old World...story for another post or over a drink sometime.

Ok, with that long-ass preface, here's the lineup:

Wine 1: Dornier Chenin Blanc

Where it's from: Stellenbosch (the most famous wine area of South Africa)
The Grape: 100% Chenin Blanc
Vintage: 2010
Price: About $13

Color: Chenin Blanc is the main grape in Vouvray of the Loire Valley and there it can be a rich yellow color because winemakers often leave a bit of sugar in the wine, which can darken it up, and in ripe vintages the skin can impart a golden hue to the appearance. Left to its own devices, however, Chenin Blanc is a very pale color and is deceptive in that it looks like it doesn't have a whole lot going on...which is why you smell and taste it.

Smell: Damn, this is an aromatic wine. Just swirling it on the table 2 feet away, the wine smelled like a bottle of really fragrant, floral shampoo. It was so distinctive, although I was a little frustrated that my usually very keen sniffer couldn't quite place the exact flowers and herbs I was smelling. All I can say is that it was smelled like a greenhouse of flowers. Add to that a bit of pistachio nut and I was hooked. Did it smell like Chenin Blancs I've had? No way. Was it delicious nonetheless? I was ready to try it.

Taste: The wine was much less floral and much more green with a good kick of mouthwatering acid than what I expected. It's a subtle wine, no doubt, and I think is one that would do best with some crackers and goat cheese. Alone, I thought it was soft, light, and a little like uncooked green herbs. Nothing stunning, but a nice porch wine for $13.

Drink or Down the Sink?: It's a good wine, but by no means the best that South Africa makes in terms of Chenin Blanc. I like its but I'm not going out of my way to seek this out. I'd rather have a dry Vouvray, with its nuttiness, peachy character, and floral depth for $6 more.

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Wine 2: De Wetshof Limestone Hill Chardonnay
Where it's from: The Robertson District, kind of inland from the more popular regions of Stellenbosch and Franschoek, had previously been known for making crap bulk white wine, but it's now an up and comer for Chardonnay and Shiraz. I feel like the literature needs to be updated on this area, since most books I have all but say that this area is kind of a wine emporium de crap.

The Grape: 100% Chardonnay
Alcohol: 14.7%
Vintage: 2010
Price: About $18

Color: This looked similar to the Chenin Blanc in color, which I was happy to see in a Chardonnay, which can often be golden because of its time spent in big oak barrels. Tom explained that the wine is made by Danie de Wet, who learned winemaking in Germany, a place where the vineyard and the grape rule flavor in wine, not the winemakers decision to put the wine in an oak barrel or use other winemaking tricks to change what nature intended.

Smell: This wine isn't called Limestone Hill for nothing -- it smells like minerals and limestone rock! It was slightly herbal, but the main impression was of a stream or waterfall. This wine is a perfect example of why I question the fact that South Africa is a New World region. This wine is much more like a European Chardonnay from Chablis or from the Languedoc area of Southern France. The land the grapes grow on produce this flavor that is so unique and distinctive -it's unlike any other New World wine region and unlike any other Old World one either.

Taste: The wine was fruitier than it smelled with green apple and lime flavors. Its mineral character was enhanced by a nuttiness and softened by the fact that the wine was aged sur lie (the yeast eats sugar and turns it to alcohol, and then the organisms die in the process, suicide machines that they are. They settle to the bottom of the tank and if the winemaker decides not to "clean up" the wine by moving it to a new barrel or tank, they can stir the dead yeast periodically, causing them to break up and release nutty, creamy flavors. Sounds gross, but the resulting flavors can be pretty damn good). The wine was light, and wasn't too textural either -- no strong acid or alcohol, just kind of middle-of-the-road.

Drink or Down the Sink?: Drink. I think this is a pretty unique Chardonnay. I liked the mineral and green apple notes. The subtlety of this wine was lovely and I think it would be great for fish, salads, or light appetizers. I'm really impressed that this kind of wine can come from South Africa, which I usually associate with oakier Chardonnay, and from a region I had previously thought of as jug wine/crap imitation Sherry country.
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Wine 3: Rupert & Rothschild, Baroness Nadine Chardonnay

Where it's from: When I was in South Africa a few years back, I actually went to this winery, which started in 1997 as a joint venture between a South African, Dr. Anton Rupert, and Baron Edmond de Rothschild or France, of the famous Bordeaux wine family (two of the best wines are produced by Rothschild Chateaux -- Château Mouton-Rothschild and Château Lafite Rothschild). It was an amazing place in one of South Africa's best kept secret in wine - the Francshoek area, which was settled by French Hugenots in the 17th century and is known in South Africa for having amazing quality that is often better than the famed region of Stellenbosch.
The Grape: 100% Chardonnay
Alcohol: 13.5%
Vintage: 2008
Price: About $25

Color: Yep, this was a blonde beauty of a Chardonnay: a golden, brassy, dark yellow wine with sexy legs. This stuff had been doing time building sugars on the vine (which leads to richer flavor and higher alcohol) and in oak barrels, which darkens a wine.

Smell: Burnt caramel, a fireplace with burnt logs, toast, and baked apple dominated my nose: A true mark that oak was taking center stage. This smelled more like a typical California Chardonnay than something from South Africa, which I always think of as having balance between mineral, fruit, and oak. I guess this is what happens when someone from Bordeaux, used to making red wines that benefit from lots of oak aging, makes a Chardonnay. The Rothschild part of the partnership stuck with what they knew and made an oak bomb. I was a little concerned, since this is patently not my style, but I went in with an open mind...

Taste: I was pleasantly surprised. This wine is pretty oaky and has strong apple flavors, but there is a fabulous acidity to it that makes it refreshing and not cloying. Tom explained that only 40% of the wine went through malo-lactic fermentation (a secondary fermentation that converts tart, green apple-like acidity into a smooth, buttery, creamy texture) so it was less creamy and mouth-filling and more refreshing than a wine that had gone through 100% malo-lactic. So we were spared the "I just drank half-and-half" sensation, but the oak was still overwhelming, so if you're not an oak lover, beware because you may be proverbially picking splinters out of your teeth after a sip of this.

Drink or Down the Sink?: It's a well made wine so I can't say down the sink, but I will say that for my palate it was just too oaky with not enough fruit or acid to balance out the burnt character. If you love oak, go for this wine -- it's interesting and high quality. My caveat to the haters of this style: try it with food. Rich creamy sauces on white meat, a butter or tartar sauce on fish, or creamy pasta could be great with this wine's acid and the burnt character could be mitigated by the flavors of the food.

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Wine 4: 2006 Lammershoek 'Roulette'

Where it's from: This wine is from Swartland, an area on the West Coast near the Atlantic with fertile soils (usually bad for winegrapes). It's one of South Africa's bread baskets and most stuff I read about it regarding wine is that it's not an area with great potential, but I think that's a big lie. I reviewed a Syrah a while back from a Mullineux, a top producer in this region, and it was probably one of the best I've ever had, so as usual, I will be trusting my experience rather than that of jaded wine "gurus." Needless to say, was excited to try this Rhône blend from the same area.

The Grapes: 62% Syrah, 20% Carignan, 13% Grenache, 4% Mourvedre, 1% Viognier
Alcohol: 13.5%
Vintage: 2006
Price: About $28

Color: The wine was a ruby color that fanned out to a lovely rosy, watery rim. I expected a lighter style from this lighter colored wine.

Smell: Awesome nose! The wine was like baked plums sprinkled with cinnamon and nutmeg -- it was really delicious. Some mint, blackberry, and raspberry were hanging out in the background, with a little bit of licorice too. It was like a richer, more pungent

Côtes-du-Rhône.

Taste: The wine tasted like black cherry and candied raspberries with a good hit of cinnamon -- this was like a fruit compote, but lighter and less syrupy. There were light mouth-drying tannins and a very interesting, flavor of thyme or rosemary cooked in butter. The wine had a little bit of a barnyard/earthy flavor too. It was interesting but still light and would be a great food wine.

Drink or Down the Sink?: Drink. This was like a high quality Côtes-du-Rhône. This would be great for sipping or with food. This was my favorite of the day. Swartland seems to be my pick for South African Rhône-style wines these days.

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Wine 5: 2010 Dark Lady of the Labyrinth

Where it's from: The wine is from Wellington, not too far from both famous areas of Stellenbosch and Franschoek. Pinotage, as I mentioned earlier, is a South African hybrid of Pinot Noir and Cinsault. It's generally very light in color and flavor and ranges, in my opinion, from an ok novelty, to a horror show that's like drinking paint chips.

The Grape: 100% Pinotage
Alcohol: 13.5%
Vintage: 2010
Price: About $19

Color: This is, by far, the darkest Pinotage I've ever encountered. Like black cherry juice, the wine held its color to the edge when I tilted it in the glass. It looked like prune juice in the glass. Very odd and un-Pinotage-like.

Smell: Ok, let's be clear: Most Pinotage is a red wine that's lighter in style and usually smells like red berries or lightly floral. So, I thought it completely bizarre that this wine smelled almost exactly like the oaky Rupert & Rothschild Chardonnay we tasted 10 minutes prior to this wine. The caramel, butterscotch, burnt smell mirrored the Chardonnay nearly to a T.

The only thing the Chardonnay had that the Pinotage lacked was a distinct minerality. Freakin' weird. Even Tom, the marketer and sales guy who sells and spins these wines all day long couldn't deny the similarity. This is the power of winemaking -- the grapes couldn't be more different, but in the hands of an oak enthusiast, the barrel was a great equalizer. Again, freakin' weird.

Taste: The wine tasted much more in line with what I expected. A light cherry and plum flavor with a touch of oak kept this wine light and pleasant. There was a distinct potting soil note, which was interesting, and although the oak was prevalent, it wasn't as overwhelming on the palate as it was on the nose.

Drink or Down the Sink?: Down the sink. Although it tasted fine, the nose was so powerful that it ruined the wine before each sip. I know the producer was looking to elevate Pinotage to something better than what it usually is -- a watery, sometimes chemical tasting berry drink -- this was over the top. Although this goes down as the strangest wine I've ever had, I can't say I'm going to go seek it out again in the future.

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So that's it. Great tasting with some solid wines. I love Tom's company, his mission, and the fact that he's bringing great stuff to my market that I would never be able to experience otherwise. Great stuff and a big thanks to him!!!

Let me know if you've had any of these or other South African wines and your opinions on Facebook or in the comments below!
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A Delicious Surprise from a Small Corner of the Southern Rhone: Chateau Roustan from Costières de Nimes

The Rhône Valley is a big place. It's got a northern region where Syrah reigns supreme in reds and native (and lesser known) white grapes Viognier, Roussane, and Marsanne play lead roles and supporting roles to Syrah (yes, they blend white and red there). It has an even bigger southern region, which is super diverse and contains the famous Côtes-du-Rhône and Châteauneuf-du-Pape designations.

I'm going to do a primer on the Northern Rhône soon, and then I'll get to the Southern Rhône shortly after, but for this post, I'll concentrate on a lesser known area of the Southern Rhône from where I have previously never tried a wine. It's called Costières de Nimes (Coat-Tee-AIRE d'Neem) and its the most southern of the Rhône's vineyards. It's so far south and west that it used to be considered part of the Languedoc region, which is bigger and less prestigious than the Rhône.

This is an area with a long history of winemaking and a whole hell of a lot of pride. Greeks were the first to cultivate vines in the Costières de Nimes. They alighted from the Mediterranean, found some native grapes, and in 500 BC started making the good stuff. Centuries later, Romans moved in, developed the area and it's rumored that Julius Ceasar's soldiers hung out here and imbibed in the fruit of the vine! In the 8th century, the real wine-lovers and perfectionists -- the monks from various sects (Benedictines, Cistercians, oh my!) started making fabulous wine.

Things clicked along for a while and then the world got a better taste of wines from this area when, in the 17th century, the Canal du Midi, a waterway connecting the Mediterranean with the Atlantic, opened international markets for this region's wine. The region was awarded its own designated, controlled origin (Appellation d'origine contrôlée) in 1986.

A funny thing about this region -- bullfighting seems to be a huge deal here. Although I didn't see anything in my research on Spanish influence, the web site for the wines of the region mentions two festival days involving bullfighting and a Pamplona-like bull chase...kind of not what I'd expect in Southern France, but what do I know?

I guess I better stick to the wine...

Like a lot of the Southern Rhône there are 5 main grapes that drive the boat in these wines: Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Carignan, and Cinsault. Growing in a hot climate, which experiences some crazy storms, and the Mistral wind that comes from the North and can rip all the grapes off a vine in seconds, these grapes are each hearty and resilient and each add a special something to the blend. The soils tend to be stony and alluvial (deposits from rivers that look like stones and dirt) and can add a dusty mineral note to the wine.

Although similar in climate and in grapes used, wines from the Costières de Nimes are nothing like their richer neighbors in the east and northeast Rhône Valley (Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Vacqueras, Gigondas). These wines tend to be lighter in style with less complexity -- more everyday wines than ageble ones! It's also worth noting that because of all the sucky weather in this area, vintage matters a lot. The wine below was a 2008, which was a harder vintage in the Rhône with wind, rain, and a wicked Mistral wind that lead to a smaller crop of just ok fruit -- very different from 2005 or 2007, for instance.

And now to the wine, which I was surprised to find and bought out of curiosity -- having never before seen a Costières de Nimes on a shelf!

The Wine: Chateau Roustan
Where It's From: Costières de Nimes, Rhône Valley, France
The Grapes: 50% Syrah, 30% Mourvedre, 20% Grenache
Vintage: 2008
Price: $12.99

Color: Syrah and Mourvedre are both pretty dark varieties so, not surprisingly, this wine was a rich ruby. It had a pretty watery rim, which I find typical of Rhône Syrah (the Australian Shirazes are so much darker and hold color to the edge practically) and medium legs, meaning moderate alcohol (it was 13%, which is pretty standard).

Smell: I really love when a wine tastes like it's from somewhere. There are so many wines out there that are generic-tasting -- not so with this puppy. Flowers, blueberry, cherry, and spice all wrapped together in a wine that was like a bottle of expensive perfume. I smelled something like a pecan sandy cookie too. The best parts of this wine for me though -- the stinky, mineral, dust smells and then the new leather that anchored this wine to the land it grew in. Very interesting, in a good way.

Taste: Syrah is known for dark fruit flavors, high tannin, and leathery flavors. Mourvedre is used for its musky, earthy notes. Grenache adds alcohol, acid, cherry, and other red fruit notes. In this wine, together these made something really delicious. Blueberry syrup, orange rind, sour cherry, and warm cinnamon spice were all over this wine. Dark flowers and roasted walnuts hung around in the background. The wine had noticeable tannin and a little alcohol burn, but it was all in balance. Even with all that flavor, the wine was medium bodied -- it wasn't huge.

Food Pairings: Like I said, this isn't a big daddy wine. Hard cheeses and salty meats like prosciutto are great for this wine. Perhaps it's because of the bullfighting stuff, but I also envision this with Spanish tapas -- mushrooms in olive oil and garlic or patatas bravas (spicy fried potatoes in a special spicy aioli).

Drink or Down the Sink?: Drink. A solid wine for a great value. If you like full-flavored, blockbuster wines, this will be too subtle for you, but I liked it's lightness and complex smells and tastes. It's a good find from a small, historical, and pretty awesome region.

Note: If you can't find a Costières de Nimes, look for a Côtes-du-Rhône with Syrah as the main grape, or a Côtes-du-Ventoux or Côtes-du-Luberon, which should have some similarly delicious characteristics! Readmore »»