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Our reviews mark the 5th edition of the Wine Book Club, and the last meeting for 2008--because no one is going to post a review between Christmas and New Year's Eve, are they? So it's all the more fitting that we mark the end of 2008 and the end of the Bush administration with a book dedicated to helping us understand the complicated political journey that wine takes from grape to glass.
We had some Wine Book Club veterans and some first-timers, too. So here is a roundup of some of their thoughts.
First time Wine Book Club participant Jim Eastman from the blog Music and Wine praised Colman's accessible style, noting that "it managed to keep me engaged without fail through the whole book. Eastman's main criticism of the book was he felt it was a little too short to cover such a broad-ranging topic in so few pages. Jim wanted more--"A little extra depth and perspective" was the way he put it--which I can tell you from personal experience is the kind of criticism an author can live with. When a reader wants more, that's a good thing.
Another first time WBC participant, Frank Morgan from the blog Drink What YOU Like, described the book as "academic and thorough." Frank found the Colman's coverage of the topic "fascinating," and while he did sometimes get "lost in the details a couple of times," the book changed the way he "looked at a glass of wine." My favorite line in Frank's review was saved for the end: "My major takeaway from Wine Politics is an increased sense of appreciation for the small wine guy and the crap they go through just to produce and sell wine to me!"
Christianne from the blog Christianne Uncorked (also a first time WBC participant) found the book was "PACKED with information about wine, history, and politics," but she sometimes found that the organization left her feeling a bit "distracted." She particularly would have liked more of Colman's informal writing and less of the formal academic style.
Taste B from Smells Like Grape added her two cents on the book, saying that it was a "breath of fresh air" given the other books she's reading for an academic course at the moment. What she most enjoyed about the book was that is wasn't just a rehash of things she already knew about wine. Instead, Colman "weaves together many observable and oft discussed conditions in the wine industry with little-known catalysts to form some pretty stark revelations."
Wine Book Club veteran Kori from the Wine Peeps made it clear that this was not the book for you if you were looking for "basic wine information or for a recommendation on what bottle of wine to drink tonight." However, "a lot of information is packed into this relatively short 148-page read," and Kori found the message thought provoking. "If you really want to know why you can?t buy a bottle of wine you fell in love with on a recent trip to California and have it shipped to your home," Kori recommends you pick up this book and learn why.
Richard the Passionate Foodie, another WBC veteran, recommends this well-written book to "those who are more passionate about wine, who enjoy learning about more than grape varieties and wine regions." While it may not appeal to the novice, Richard feels that wine lovers will appreciateColman's "measured and neutral stance" on his more controversial topics, where he presents arguments for both sides of troubling questions.
Thanks to Tyler Colman, our own Dr. Vino, for writing this excellent book which really did convince me that any drinkable wine produced in this country is a miracle, given the laws that stand in the way of winemakers and consumers. And thanks to all the participants this month.
The next edition of the book club will be announced in early December, and reviews will be due in late January--so stay tuned for another year of the Wine Book Club.
The growing sense of optimism over the 2008 vintage in Oregon has spilled over the edge of the fermenter into outright excitement. Veteran winemakers throughout the Willamette Valley are letting their enthusiasm for this vintage show now that almost all their fruit is harvested. Here are some comments on the 2008 vintage from some of Oregon’s most important winemakers.
Brian O’Donnell owner and winemaker of the one of Oregon’s finest estates Belle Pente describes 2008 this way, “In terms of my impression of the harvest, I’m really excited! We brought in 10 tons October 1st that is now done, and these are some of the most delicious young wines I’ve ever tasted! The chemistry on the stuff we picked later is a little bizarre, but with a few tweaks it should be fine….we’re planning to let fermentation run a little hotter than normal and do longer than normal post-fermentation maceration to try and “burn” some of the obvious fruitiness out of the wines to let the site characteristics show thru better. But frankly, I think we’ve got a tiger by the tail, and she’s wild and sassy and will take a lot of good (and lucky) winemaking decisions to get the best out of her.”
Few growers and winemakers have the depth of experience possessed by David Adelsheim one of the true founders and pioneers of the Oregon wine industry. About this vintage he comments, “Another weird year. Three weeks late, rain in July and August, and still we saw the beginnings of drought stress in some sites. We starting picking on Sep 29th and finished this past week on Oct 18th. A third of our Pinot noir was picked by Oct 3rd; during the next 10 days (which were damp) we picked only a few lots of white grapes; everything else was picked in the final six hectic days. And the quality is looking pretty grand. It will need to be – our crop levels were off by 30% compared to 2007”
Jerry Murray winemaker and vineyard manager of highly regarded Patton Valley Vineyards says of 2008, “The harvest has looked great. We pulled in the last of our fruit yesterday. Considering the way the season started out, late bud break and all, mother nature has given us exactly what we needed to not just to avoid a disaster but to really ripen fruit in a way that should make some amazing wines, true pinot. The chemistry of the grapes has been just about perfect, great acidity, moderate alcohol, great color and phenolic development. As a winemaker you hope for this sort of vintage every year but I would be surprised if you get more than a handful in a lifetime. All that is left is to see the quality through to bottle. It is very exciting.”
Top: Vines at the Belle Pente estate vineyard change color. Below: Harvest in Tony Soter’s Mineral Springs Vineyard
Established in 2002 by Sam and Audrey Watt from what was an apple orchard, this small vineyard makes microscopic amounts of wine. We found this place mainly due to the attractive accommodations but the wines are something of a surprise bonus. The vineyard currently spans over 5 hectares with vine densities of 2600 vines per hectare. The soil here is predominantly clay from the Moutere area. What I would really like to highlight here is their 2007 SVSauvignon Blanc which is one of the best expressions of New Zealand SB I have had this trip and perhaps the top handful I have had from New Zealand. Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm not going to mince words here - if what you want is a light, tart and aromatic quaffing wine then this is not it. Sometimes, I am convinced that the British wine trade wants to box in New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc as aromatic, tart thin thirst quenchers to serve before the serious wines- bullocks. If that's what people think will sell then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
This starts with an explosion of intense aromatic fruity & zesty fireworks. It is then followed in the mouth by intensity, density & concentrated nectar with a lingering finish. This has character, guts and strength. The fruit were late picked (by hand) and yielded 2.5 ton/acre (quite amazingly low yields for this grape and the region). 92+ Points
In a tasting of her wines, Audrey Watt put the Sauvignon Blanc last as she was afraid it would dominate if it was first. In most other shops the SB is invariably first to taste. She also told me that the wine judges didn't know what to make of her Sauvignon Blanc - I can see why it's totally out of their comfort zone and hit the ball way outside the park.
After a year hiatus in Aspen, Daniel Johnnes brought the glory of La Paulee back to where it belongs in New York City, and over 500 hundred of the country?s most eager and avid collectors descended upon Manhattan like phylloxera to old vines for a celebration of what many feel are the world?s most desirable [...]
I thought it’d be important as I setup that organization to outlast my tenure as Executive Director. I’m taking it step by step. Its established now, even attracting sponsors and producing the events (like the Wine Blogger Conference in Sonoma in the Fall). Behind the scenes I am preparing to announce the board of directors, a new strategic partner that will help attract potentially thousands of members, and eventually closing on getting official non-profit status (because there isn’t a membership fee I really need to get some revenue to pay for the non-profit paperwork preparation - a non-trivial task).
In the meantime, its pretty cool to have the Wikipedia page, in a geeky sorta way.
The best kinds of cheap wines are the kinds that have a rich story behind them. Well, The Tillerman White wine brought to you by the Hook & Ladder Winery certainly fits the bill. At first glance this wine label made no sense to me… Hook & Ladder? The Tillerman? After doing some research, I feel enlightened knowing the origins of this fine cheap wine, so I’ll share:
The owner of the family-run Hook & Ladder, Cecil De Loach used to be a firefighter! “Hook and Ladder” is just another name for a firetruck. And The Tillerman is guy who drives the back end of a firetruck. A firefighter and a wine-maker! What a life!
I sampled several bottles of The Tillerman White, and I am glad I did. Not being a fan of white blends with a lot of oak, I enjoyed everything about this wine. The peach/apricot aroma was the most prominent feature of this wine as it approached my nose. The wine was very dry, tasty, had an awesome finish. Just a perfect all-around table wine. For about 16 bucks or less, this Sonoma County wine is a steal. If you see it in your supermarket, snatch it up! I look forward to trying some of their many other varietals. This same vineyard, the Russian River Valley produces Chardonay, Gewurztraminer, White Zin, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and the “Third Alarm” Reserve Chardonnay. Oh, how I would love to visit the vineyard one day. Rating: 9/10 - Excellent! The only reason I’m not giving it 10 is because I promised my readers “cheap wines less than 15 dollars” and this wine retails for 16. Look around though, I’m sure you can find a good deal! Even if you can’t, it is worth the extra dollar.
Extra Info:Hook & Ladder - Founded in 2004 2027 Olivet Road Santa Rosa, CA 95401 phone: 707-546-5712
Tahbilk have being making wine down in central victoria since… well basically the dawn of time. I have no idea why it has taken so long for us to review what is one of the great bargains of the Australian wine world: Tahbilk Cabernet Sauvignon 2004.
This Cabernet smells of sweet dark berries, menthol and herbs growing in a pine forest. There is a bit of warmth up front on the palate, however this is carried by the fleshy yet tart dark fruits and mouthfilling and chewy tannins. Surprising length for a $15 wine, drinking well now.
I was a little skeptical while drinking the first glass, however as we progressed through the bottle this wine really started to grow on me, a definite bargain at $15 for a Cabernet that has an excellent pedigree and mid-term cellaring potential to boot.
Score: 90/100 Price: $15 Closure: Screwcap Alcohol: 14.5% Other Opinions:Tahbilk, Winorama Would I buy this wine again? Yes, time to pop a few in the cellar.
Every fan of Pinot Noir will undoubtedly know the name of John Haeger.
As author of the highly acclaimed “North American Pinot Noir,” John literally wrote the book on the fascinating history and evolution of Burgundy’s illustrious grape variety here in the United States. John’s academic approach to both the research and the writing created an instant hit and a must-have treatise for most wine lovers. But, more than anything, it was destined to become THE book for domestic Pinot fanatics. Of course, its appearance at booksellers just months before release of the movie “Sideways” didn’t hurt sales either.
Now, four years later John Haeger has written another wine book, “Pacific Pinot Noir.” Since, as he notes, “96% of North America’s Pinot Noir comes from an area I call the Pacific Pinot Zone,” it was only natural for him to focus on an area extending from mouth of the Columbia River in Oregon to Santa Barbara in California and extending up to thirty miles inland.
Pinot Noir’s rise in popularity over the last several years owes much to the different personalities of the grape itself. Join us as we talk with author and lecturer John Haeger about Pinot Noir, and discover its unique place in the world of wine.
Well it has been a few weeks since my last entry and although I could tell you all about the Rhône and Burgundy en primeur campaigns, the New Wave Spanish wines I've been trying, or the South African Reds to match the last entry of South African Whites that my father has been religiously clicking on to, only to discover nothing of what his daughter has been up to in the Big Smoke, I won't.
I am very tempted to tell you about having to pay an Australian, let's say friend, in wine for a lost - no, thoroughly thrashed - bet over the Ashes (this was his first return to England since that sorry episode). A fairly painful experience for both wallet and liver BUT let's move on to the future.
Wine Relief is upon us www.rednoseday.com/partners/wine-relief/ and there are several different bottles widely available to buy from which retailers are donating some of the profit to Comic Relief. How easy is it to open a bottle of wine and make a difference?
For my part I have been enthusiastically working my way through the offerings and on March 3rd, this Saturday in fact, I will be a guest panellist on the Virtual Wine online tasting of the 6 best on offer. The team at Virtual Wine have also studiously tasted and deliberated to come up with the finalists which will be tasted by a select (!) panel live from 7.30 pm.
The idea is that you at home can order the taster packs of 6 wines from Virtual Wine (10% still going to Comic Relief) or buy them from the various retailers, and taste the wines at the same time. You can then send belligerent, loving or simply drunken messages to us via email and your concerns will be addressed immediately. What a laugh...
So get some friends round, you must have some, put on some nibbles and sharpen your tongues. Take a look here www.virtualwine.co.uk to download instructions and tasting notes.
These people like wine and have a laugh with it, their contribution to the cork vs screwcap debate was to race bottles down river to see which was fastest, the loser then wrestled the winner to the ground in an unscripted, but thrilling, finale.
Pouilly Fuisse should not really be mixed up with Pouilly Fume although it happens. While both are white wines Pouilly Fuisse is rightfully Chardonnay and Burgundian. The other Pouilly is from the Loire Valley and is made from Sauvignon Blanc ( to be covered someday!). While Pouilly-Fuisse is an appelation on to itself it would be a shame not to give the individual terroirs recognition also. There are 4 villages in the appelation: Vergisson, Solutre-Pouilly, Fuisse and Chaintre and arguably 5 terroirs as Solutre and Pouilly are distinctive.
From a distance the twin rocks of Vergisson and Solutre are a clear giveaway that you have arrived. The certain soil zones around these rocks are limestone and give the wines that mineral taste which is lacking or more subdued in the other communes outside of Vergisson, Solutre and Pouilly.
The 5 terroirs within Pouilly-Fuisse are :
Vergisson - mineral driven, punchy with acidic backbone. Solutre - mineral driven but softer with pronounced acidity. Pouilly - Good harmony of mineral and fruit - most balanced. Fuisse - More fruity, does not have the minerality of previous 3. Chaintre - Fruit dominant.
The next time you try a Pouilly-Fuisse take a closer look at the label and see where it comes from - there should be a difference. Personally my favorite is Pouilly proper. It seems to have the right balance of fruit, minerality and lively acidity. The other all have their unique characteristics but not in the harmonious balance I get in a benchmark Pouilly.
Not a comprehensive list by any measure but the wines I liked were made by:
Last weekend there were lots of bottles–and discussion–uncorked in Sonoma at what might be considered the ultimate “offline:” the inaugural Wine Bloggers’ Conference.
The Open Wine Consortium organized the two-day event, which, unfortunately, I couldn’t attend. But 150 or more bloggers were there and many of them were new to blogging.
I have read some of the posts about the conference but mostly I read about it on Twitter, the microblogging platform that limits entries to 140 characters (follow my updates on Twitter; search twitter for #wbc to find posts from the conference). So taking a page from Darren Rowse’s successful recent posting, let’s hear your report from the WBC here in the comments. And in Twitter style, try to make your microreport 140 characters or less.
If you were like me and couldn’t make it there either, don’t let that stop you from getting in on the commenting fun! Tell us about your blog (wine or not) in an elevator pitch in the comments here. There are so many new blogs, it’s always good to hear about the newest directions, particularly for wine! Hopefully we can all find some new blogs to check out.
The wines of Bulgaria have mostly been impressing me with their value but not their complexity, to say the least. This has become so universally true that I have coined the phrase "Bulgarian Soft" to refer to them in my notes. It was time to venture forth to one of the better restaurants in the country to see what throwing money at it would bring.
What follows is a detailed review of the restaurant, but only a generic review of of the wines. As always I save the wine specifics for the readers of my newsletter. It is free and it is emailed so there is no trees to kill, and it comes with a password to unlock the full data base of all of my wine tasting notes. You may sign up for it here.
The restaurant that received our patronage this evening was the Uno Enoteca in Sofia, Bulgaria. This was the first white linen restaurant we have had a chance to visit in Bulgaria, and we had a great time. The staff was attentive and friendly, and everyone did their best to ensure that we enjoyed ourselves.
The food was simple. A little too simple for my taste. We tried ordering more Continental style fare, but even early on a Friday night, the kitchen had run out of our favorites. We opted then to try the more traditional Bulgarian style of dining, which they refer to as BBQ and I put under the heading of: kill it and grill it.
The Muscat from the Thracian region we opened the dinner with was delightful. Aromatic but crisp and dry. I have really been enjoying the many Muscats I have tried in Bulgaria. They all tend towards the drier side, and have been more successful than the other aromatic style whites I have tried.
I started with rabbit stuffed in a nest of potatoes, which I had high hopes for. It was alas, rather bland. There was no sauce at all, just a tiny piece of rabbit in the center of half dollar sized fried shredded potatoes. This was served with warm slices of cucumbers and carrots. There was no hint of herb, spice or apparently even salt in the dish.
My wife settled for a carpaccio of beef when we learned the carpaccio of duck was sold out. It was served in the traditional manner, with shavings of parmesan cheese and arugula, with a drizzle of balsamic and olive oil. This is mostly notable because olive oil is not common in Bulgaria, and it was good to see. The carpaccio was fresh, thin, and pretty much like every other time we have had it. Nothing to rave about, but perfectly nice.
Next up in the wine department we had a relatively pricey Merlot / Cab blend. At 140 Bulgarian Leva (around $115) it was the most expensive wine we have tried, even given the usual restaurant markup. It lived up the the "Bulgarian Soft" moniker, but with delightful fruit and more complexity we had seen in other Bulgarian wines.
I am a fan of the soft style in wines, Zinfandels and Pinot Noir usually being more to my taste than tannic Cabs. If your tastes are similar than you will enjoy a foray into Bulgarian wines. If you expect well defined tannins in your Cabs and Merlots, you are likely to be disappointed. I have only tried a dozen or so examples to date, but this seems to be the pattern I am noticing.
For our main course we had grilled meats. Lamb and a veal steak, ordered by weight. They came unadorned with limp grilled vegetables their only accompaniment. They were cooked perfectly, but they were, to us, rather boring. No complaints, it is just a matter of taste, and the Bulgarian love of grilled meats is not one that we really share.
The house kindly surprised us with a taste of an Austrian dessert wine, but I never got a good look at the bottle, and it happened too quickly to get details. Suffice it to say it was rich and flavorful and one of the highlights of the evening.
We finished with a small chocolate soufflé that was perfectly nice. I prefer to see them served with a bit of creme anglais, but once a saucier.... Not everyone share my penchant for sauce on everything. In this case it was more like sauce on nothing.
The ambiance of Uno Enoteca was delightful. With outdoor seating under an awning making the most of the warm summer night. The fresh air also helped disperse the ever present cigar and cigarette smoke that is a fact of life pretty much everywhere outside of the US.
The service was very good, in fact the only Western European service we have experienced in Eastern Europe to date. Usually the wait staff do their best not to be at all obtrusive, which looks a lot like being ignored to our standards. At Uno they were attentive, knew how to pour wine without over pouring, and did a fine job of making sure that everything was as perfect as it could be.
I definitely recommend Uno Enoteca to anyone dining in Sofia, and if your tastes run close to mine I can only hope that their full menu is available when you visit.
How could I omit the two intelligent value Godello picks? I chose these two because they convey distinct interpretations of the variety, in spite of the two D.O.?s not being terribly far apart. Taste them together to see the immense differences evident in each Godello within what would amount to a short bus ride from Bierzo to Valdeorras. It?s quite hard to argue that neighboring wine regions cultivating the same variety aren?t little miracles, with this sentiment growing even more potent for the wine lover within single vineyards with many producers, though that?s another topic altogether.
Enjoy this, one of many examples of all new things Spanish that will slowly become more prevalent in the U.S. market over the coming six months or so?Godello.
Before I forget, speaking of the next wave of imports from Spain, if you haven?t been paying attention to Telmo Rodríguez in the past few years, I would try his Godello and watch this video. Aside from being a fascinating Spanish entrepreneur, he exudes passion for well-crafted, regional wines. The video is eight minutes in length, though for some reason, it winds up being 3 and change. Nevertheless, listen to Mr. Rodríguez introducing his wines on a recent visit to Toronto?s Lifford Wine Agency. In essence, he is responsible for affordable little masterpieces from various Spanish D.O.?s. His progressive outlook in terms of production methods is matched by an ability to reinvigorate production of traditional varieties in the regions where he owns vineyards. This in turn, yields intelligent value wines from various Spanish D.O.?s that much like Susana Balbo?s wines in Argentina, seem to be produced in a manner which never sacrifices regional character for novelty or the wrong type of market's tastes. What with how things are going nowadays in the wine business, what a refreshing point of view!
Los vinos: 2007 Pilgrim Godello Bierzo D.O.
This wine is clean, pale straw and unassuming at first sight. The nose is vibrant, driven by wild flowers, citrus, treefruit and stone minerality. Complex mouthfeel, with a crisp, racy shot of acidity (pink grapefruit), alongside rich treefruit and distinctive mineral notes.
This wine is produced by Viñedos Agribergidum in Bierzo, located at the westernmost outpost of León bordering Galicia. The Godello vines are an average of 40 years old, with the variety purposely farmed to very low yields.
Imported by Beacon Wine Company. 2005 Gaba do Xil Godello Valdeorras D.O.
A really nice pale gold in the glass. The nose is clean and pronounced, with perfumey floral element, lush green pear, peaches, honeydew melon and touch of sweet spice. Complex but never overwhelming medium-bodied white with great balance of ripe fruit flavors and medium citrus acidity. Love the soft spice undertones that follow the lovely fruit into the aftertaste.
Tait The Ball Buster 2005 $15 Wine Label says: G’day Mates, I don’t know what aromas and flavors you’ll find when you try this wine - wine appreciation is so subjective and often too pretentious for my liking. I make my wines the way i like them - big, thick, juicy an deep in color. I wanted to [...]
The latest edition of Decanter (March) came out this week, and several articles caught my eye. The first was entitled Start Your Own Wine Cellar. As I’m often torn between buying bottles to drink and those I think I may like to keep for a special occasion, I was drawn to the profiles of the 3 different types of people for whom Decanter made recommendations. There was the couple who did not know much about wine, but wanted to learn and had £500 to get them going. At the other extreme was the couple who already drank a lot of good Bordeaux and had £5000 to spend. I found myself drawn to the example in the middle, someone who knows her grape varieties, but would not describe herself as a connoisseur. Decanter put together an interesting cellar at a cost of £1000 for her.
The one question I was left pondering with the suggestions was the distinction between wines for drinking 2008-2010+ and for 2010-2018. Why do a couple of decent Italian reds from 2004 fit in the first category, but a Portuguese 2005 and a Spanish 2003 fit in the second? I know it’s down to how it is made and matured, but how are you expected to know that for the slightly more unusual wines? Labels don’t always given enough information and certainly very few give how long to keep the wine for.
I always peruse the Wines of the Month to see what recommendations I can pick up. These wines are available from stockists in the UK so I feel sorry for foreign readers who may be unable to source them. However I’m always a bit frustrated to read other reviews elsewhere in the magazine and see the dreaded ?N/A? next to them. Although I figure what’s the point in reviewing them if they aren’t available in the UK I have to keep reminding myself how international Decanter is. In this month’s issue 4 of the 9 letters are from non UK readers. I am sure this helps the editorial team keep an international focus which is good for all us readers.
The panel tastings this month are both French, 2005 St Emilions and 2005 cru bourgeois. I was stunned to see a great value 2005 cru bourgeois at £7.35. I must seek it out.
Next month’s edition features Italy and is out, according to the ad in the magazine, on February 6. Oops ? I think they forgot to change the date from last month’s edition as I’m sure they mean March 6th!
I usually don't write about beer but this on is great. Dog Fish Head: Theobroma:
This is a recreation of one of the oldest brews, 1100 B.C. it made of coco, ancho chili, honey, its not really hot with spice even though you can taste it, and the coco is mellow but the main flavor, its smooth and tasty, not going to be around long try it if yo can
With old movies, I often find myself paying attention to background details, like the style of men's ties, typefaces, and historical curiosities.
Take this still from Charlie Chaplin's 1936 Modern Times. I've sharpened and adjusted the image somewhat, and it will be clearer to read if you click on the small photo to the right.
During an extended scene in a department store with the female lead in which our two impoverished protagonists pretend to be rich, the Little Tramp is chased into the liquor section. The sign at the top of the wall reads "Rare Old Wines in Bulk", with a smaller sign below that says "Take Home a Jug of our Guaranteed Wine". The barrels are labeled Pre-War Stock Muscatel, Choice Old Rum, Special Port Wine, Pre-War Stock Sauterne (sic), Sherry Wine, and the blocked barrel reads Angelica Wine, which is sort of a California Port made from the Mission grape. Presumably "Pre-War" is shorthand for "Pre-Prohibition".
I know in the European countryside it's common to run up to the local wine producer with a jug or a few spare bottles to stock up on table wine, but it's not something I've ever associated with American wine drinking. Moonshine yes, wine no.
I don't know a lot about how wine, fortified wine, and spirits were shipped and stored back in the 1930s, but one wonders about how the Sauternes and Muscatel would have tasted after spending roughly twenty years in oak barrels. The rum could have been amazing, though, and that's what gets sprayed in Charlie's face seconds after that screen capture above.
There's still plenty of fire left in the belly of old gnarly Grenache vines in Calatayud, Spain. These old vines manifest their destiny in Garnacha de Fuego 2007, imported by Jorge Ordoñez, and sold here in Tennessee for well under $10, and in some areas of the country nearer to $5.
This is one of those outstanding inexpensive red wines that make you wonder why some wines cost so much. Unencumbered by wood aging, it's so very pure and drinkable, yet unlike similarly priced junk wine, the wine equivalent to junk food, it's genuine. There isn't a hint of manipulation evident.
True to form for a fresh Grenache, you get a plethora of raspberry character, perhaps even some "Now-Or-Later" cherry mixed in. There's also some white pepper spice to be sure, and a mouth full of rocks. The body is light-to-medium, and the combination of youth (wine) and age (vine) come through in the somewhat rustic, lasting finish.
The vines harvested for this wine go back to the days when Franco took power and when Picasso painted Guernica. On a political hiatus for decades, these sage vines are now just coming into their own. Therefore I'm raising a glass, to remember those people who suffered before, and to be enlightened with the wisdom to help alleviate future suffering. The planting of these vines was a bit before my time, but not really that long ago in the evolutionary big picture. History is changing fast, and as was said, "those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it." Garnacha de Fuego kindles the mind, makes you think, doesn't cost a lot, and it even goes great with fried green tomatoes.
When you're gazing at endless rows of wine and you have no clue what to buy, here some generalized tips that can help weed out the crap and allow you to make an educated guess:
1) Don't buy any wine that has dust on it. Chances are there is a reason it hasn't moved. It is either a horrible wine or its a terrible value.
2) If you only see a couple bottles of a particular wine left on the shelf, it may be worth trying. This could be an indication that people are buying it up like crazy and you just happened to walk in at the right time.
3) Read the back label for helpful flavor guides. Smart wineries include descriptions and food pairings. Those that don't have any indicators are anyone's guess as to how it will taste.
Hopefully these easy-to-remember tips will help those in need. Be smart. Use common sense. Don't blindly buy another bottle of vino without making at LEAST an educated guess. Cheers!
I don't heart gimmicks (and neither does the Chef), which is why we let the Il Cuore 2000 Rosso Classico (about $11) sit in our cellar for the last year without a second thought.
You see, there's a big heart on the label and a quote to go with it: "A heart can only be held by a heart the fairest setting of the loveliest jewel." Yeck.
The bottle was a present from a friend about the time of our wedding and it came with a disclaimer: "It was a cheapie; I got it for the heart." In other words, appreciate it for the sentiment, not the quality. And we intended to.
In fact, I'm not sure we ever planned to open it, but I'm glad we did. The blend of carignane, zinfandel, grenache, sangiovese and charbono from Mendocino County has an Old World sensibility, plum and cherry fru
Tecnorati
Tahbilk have being making wine down in central victoria since… well basically the dawn of time. I have no idea why it has taken so long for us to review what is one of the great bargains of the Australian wine world: Tahbilk Cabernet Sauvignon 2004.
The one question I was left pondering with the suggestions was the distinction between wines for drinking 2008-2010+ and for 2010-2018. Why do a couple of decent Italian reds from 2004 fit in the first category, but a Portuguese 2005 and a Spanish 2003 fit in the second? I know it’s down to how it is made and matured, but how are you expected to know that for the slightly more unusual wines? Labels don’t always given enough information and certainly very few give how long to keep the wine for.
