WHEW what a trip

Well it was certainly a world wind vacation. Amongst spending some time with my girlfriend I also got to experience some really interesting wines from Italy. To give you some background we left Frankfurt, Germany on May 20th, drove down through Switzerland and into Italy. We stayed in Cinque Terre, a group of five towns built on cliffs in the middle of the Italian Riviera. They produce a lot of wines here, most white, but there are some reds. We hiked through the region in the midst of vineyards and Olive Tree and Lemon Tree Orchards (this is after all the home of Lemoncelo). While I wasn't able to visit any wineries while in Cinque Terre, I did of course go out and experience as much of the food and wine as I could. One of the best whites I had was an exotic Vermintino from the region with some grilled squid salad and pasta. We also had a few glasses of red Frizzante. Frizzante wine is partially sparkling i.e. frizzy instead of the bubbles we are used to seeing in most Sparkling wines and many times Frizzante is Red and not white.
After 4 days in Cinque Terre we drove up to the Parma region where we stopped for some Parma Ham and of course Parmersian cheese. To go along with this picnic we grabbed a bottle of 2004 Vignette Cal Zetti, Colli Di Parma Rosso. To me this was a great example of what a Frizzante can be. Very fruity, but not sugary sweet. Well structured and really complimented the bite of the cheese. I would grade it a nice B.
After Parma we drove up to Trentino which is in the middle of the Alto-Adige wine region of Italy. Miles and miles of Vineyards and we were lucky enough to visit the Rotari MezzaCorona winery. According to our tour guide this is the largest Wine Co-op in all of Europe. And it was HUGE, they get grapes from all over Italy and have smaller wineries in Sicily and Chianti where they do local wines. We were able to tour their sparkling wine facility which was extremely interesting as I have never seen the process that sparkling wines take. Here we were able to taste a wonderful sparkling Wine made in the Champenois Method (or Classical Method), known in Italy as Spumante (very different from Proseco). Rotari Arte Italiano Cuvee 28 Trento DOC 90% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot Noir. It poured a honey golden color with tiny microscopic bubbles. Toasty with hints of Apple, dry with hints of sweetness. Chardonnay is the overpowering presence. I'd give it a B+. One of the last things while in Italy was visit an absolutely fabulous wine shop in Trento called 12 Grado. This shop had everything, from obscure California wines to big French Chatau's. I was able to pick up a really nice bottle of Vin Santo and a Pino Nero (local name for Pinot Noir). In my travels I picked up quite a few wines that I can't wait to pop the cork on and taste and post here, so if you are interested in some unique Italian wines stay tuned as I will be tasting and posting my experiences here in the next few weeks.

Over the Pond I go

Well after a couple of weeks of tasting Italian wines here in the states and a couple of months of being without my Girlfriend I figured I would resolve both issues. So, tomorrow I will be heading over seas to meet my girlfriend in Germany where she is living and after a day's drive through Germany and the wine country there I will be heading to the Piedmont region of Italy for some spectacular Nebbiolo based wines (I hope!).
Stay tuned as I will try to update this blog while I am over there and give everyone reviews of wines and even some restaurants.

2003 Bogle Phantom

Since I discovered wines outside the cheap box wines and white zin of my college years I have been a fan of Bogle vineyards, specifically their Petite Sirah which I think is one of the best wines in the world for the value. So when I was in Napa last year and I saw this Phantom Wine I was intrigued. I didn't pick it up then and have regretted it ever since. However the other day I was visiting my local Spec's on Bay Area and saw this wine calling me, so of course I picked it up.
The Winery: The first vineyards were planted by the father and son team of Warren and Chris Bogle in Clarksburg, Ca in 1968. The family had been into all sorts of farming since the mid 1800's, but it took those two to create the Bogle Vineyards that we know today. They have over 1200 acre's of vines along the Sacramento River. Bogle vineyards is known for creating one of the best values of California wine. From the afore mentioned Petite Sirah to their Syrah and Zinfandel, the wines are always a great 'bang for the buck'.
The Wine: While not as cheap as other Bogle wines (about 17.00) this was still a pretty decent value. The wine weighs in at 14.6% alcohol and is a blend of 59% Petite Sirah, 34% Old Vine Zinfandel, and 2% Old Vine Mouvedre. It pours a nice dark ruby red in the glass. There is smoke cherry, and chocolate with hints of spice in the nose. In the mouth there are tastes of blackberries, black cherries, cocoa, and black pepper. This is a very good wine for a pretty good price. I'd grade it an A.

2002 Caparzo Rosso di Montalcino

In my latest installment of Italian wines I went to the classic region of Montalcino. This wine is the little sister of the great Brunello di Montalcino made with 100% Sangiovesse grape. Montalcino is a region in central Italy in Tuscany. While the Brunello version is aged 4 years in oak the rossi version is only aged a minimum of 1 year. A great wine to experience young.
The Winery: The Caparzo is named after Ca' Pazzo or Madman's house. The estate was founded only in the late 70's by a group of businesseman, not one single vintner. Caparzo is known throughout the world as one of the best Brunello's and well Montalcino's values in the world.
The Wine: This wine weighs in at about 13.5%. In the glass it pours a beautiful red color in the glass. A subtle nose ofcherry, wood and oak. In the mouth there is a light cherry oak flavor. Not an outgoing flavor profile. A nice wine that I'd grade a B.

2005 Dr. Loosen Bernkasteler Lay Reisling

This is a special wine. My girlfriend who is living in Germany right now shipped this over to me. When I opened the box I was worried that the wine may have gotten to warm (some chocolate she also sent was semi melted). However I let the wine rest for a week or so and opened it up with some good Asian food this weekend. What a WINE!
The Winery: Dr. Loosen, world famous for their great German Riesling wines. Originally started 200 years ago, the winery has stayed in the same family and is now run by Ernst Loosen since 1988. The Loosen estate extends to the States where they have a joint winery in Oregon named Eroica with Chateau Ste. Michelle. The Bernkasteler Lay is a vineyard that is situated between a town of the same name and the Dr. Loosen estate. Lay, pronounced LIE is an old dialect term for Slate, which of course is what the soil mostly consists of.
The Wine: The wine weighs in at a very nice 12.5%, and pours a golden honey almost effervescence nectar in the glass. On the nose there are hints of peaches, melon, honeysuckle and slate from the soil. In the mouth you can taste the over the top acidity eased by the peaches, honey dew melon and the hints of slate that permeate through. This is what makes Riesling the white wine for food pairing. This wine would go with most anything, and it is such an example of why Riesling is one of my all time favorite wines. I'd grade it a very strong A.

Where Texas Ranks

We Texans like have a superiority complex like there's no tomorrow. I mean we DO live in the greatest state, and we don't ever hide that fact from anyone. We do think that we are the best at most everyting......
Well not to knock us down a peg or two (although we sometimes could use it), but a nice blurb from the Ft. Worth Star Telegram and where the great state of TEXAS ranks in the world of wine:

Texas is the fifth-largest wine state in the nation, farming over 3,100 acres and producing about 8.7 tons of grapes. The Texas wine industry contributes about $170 million a year to the state's economy and supports 1,600 jobs.

WE ARE ONLY FIFTH!!!!! Texas Wine Makers, YOU CAN DO BETTER!
Seriously its great to see the growth of the Texas wine industry and things are only going to get better as we learn what grapes grow best wear and get smarter in our techniques both in the vineyard and in marketing.

2001 Barbera D'Asti Guasti Clemente e figli

As I have mentioned earlier I am getting into Italian wines more and more. In Italy there are two BIG regions for wine, especially Red Wine. Their is the world of Tuscany which produces the so called 'Super Tuscans' along with Chianti, all made primarily with the grape Sangiovese. In the northern region of Italy you also have the Piedmont region which produces mostly Nebbiolo based wines. Along with Nebbiolo however is the Barbera grape. Approximately 15 times MORE Barbera than Nebbiolo is actually grown with in the Piedmont region. Within the Piedmont region one of the best places to get Barbera is where it is thought to have Originated....Asti. In Asti, Barrique aging, or aging is small French Oak barrels, for many years is popular.
The Grape: Barbera is popular with growers due to its vigor and reliability in a wide variety of soils. The grape itself is high in acid, but low in tannins which create wines of deep purplish black in their youth that tend to brown in their old age. The oak that most vintners use helps stabilize the color. Barbera can make wines that range from racy and tart to spicy and rich.
The Winery: Guasti Clemente e Figli is a small winery that produces about 1200 hectolictres of wine. They are located in Nizza Monferrato a town in the province of Asti. They are family owned and family run.
The Wine: Nice bright red in the glass, not the typical deep dark purple. Nice dose of acidity in the nose with some earth, mustiness and earthiness, with hints of BRIGHT red fruit. In the mouth its much thicker than I expected, with nice levels of acidity, fruit, soil, tartness and hints of oaky vanillan from the barrel aging.
A really nice wine to go with food, something I always appreciate. I'd grade it an A-.

2003 Paraduxx

This wine holds a special place for me. My girlfriend Steph and I went to San Francisco so she could run in the NIKE Women's Marathon. Since we were in the neighborhood we ended up staying a few days traveling through Napa Valley. One of the tastings we were able to do was at the brand new Paraduxx winery where we were able to taste the 00, 01, and 02. By far the best of the three was the 01 with its rich ripe fruit. The Paraduxx was probably Steph's favorite of all the wineries we were able to go to for its fruit forward style and the experience we had at the winery. So when she was sent to Germany for work for 6 months I bought some bottles of their new release and sent one to her so that we could both have a taste of the newest vintage.
So on to the experience.
The grapes: One of the reason I love Paraduxx is the uniqueness of its blend, 63% Zinfandel, 33% Cabernet sauvignon, and 2% each of Merlot and Cab Franc. An unusual blend to be sure. The blend changes every year sometimes including some Petite Sirah. The grapes all come from Napa and specific vineyards such as Napa's Korte Vineyard or Rector Creek Vineyard in Yountville.
The Winery: Paraduxx is actually an offshoot of the great Duckhorn Winery. Duckhorn has been a big name in the Bordeaux varietals making an awesome Merlot and Cabernet. Blended as well as separate wines. In 1994 Duckhorn decided to make this Zinfandel blend and named it Paraduxx. In the fall of 2005 they opened up a separate state of the art Paraduxx winery and tasting room along the Silverado Trail in Yountville. The winery itself is a beautiful place with a wall of windows that opens up and looks out at the surrounding vineyards.
The Wine: Ahh yes the best part. The wine pours a deep dark purple in the glass, almost reminiscent of squid ink its so dark. On the nose there is a sense of raspberries, jam, hints of currants, earthy soil, and tar. In the mouth its got the fruit forwardness of a great California Zin, with the depth of a Cab. I tasted strawberries, blackberry or blue berry jam with a hint of leather and earthy vanillan undertones from the oak barrel's.
I think this is the best of the Paraduxx's I have tasted and grade it a strong A.

Wine Therapy

No its not something I need for drinking too much wine....its a Spa treatment at a local Houston Spa. The Touch Salon and Spa has created something called vino-therapy that "helps customers relax and possibly find the fountain of youth." The article states that this has been around in Europe for years but is just now coming to the US....
Well for $100.00 a treatment not sure its worth it, but really is this anything new? Wineries in Napa and Sonoma have been spouting the greatness that is Grape Seed extract for years now. Is this nothing more than immersing the body in the extract? Its all about the antecedents, which as any news article these days will tell you , RED wine, and subsequently the grapes that make up the wine are full of.
Anyways an interesting concept and if your willing to pay for it, more power to you.

1998 Zonin Berengario

You will notice in the next few weeks that I will be tasting more Italian wines. There is a reason that everyone will soon find out....not to be too mysterious.
The Winery: The Zonin family has been producing wines for zeven generations along the green hills of the Veneto region of Northern Italy. The Zonin company consists of 11 wine estates with more that three thousand acres of vineyards. Zonin has taken on the task of creating one of the world's most modern wineries which to me is good to see in the sometimes overly traditional wine makers of Italy.
The Wine: From the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, with a designation of IGT, which only means it doesn't follow the rigid standards to be designated a DOC or DOCG (similar to France's AOC designation). This wine is 60% Cabernet Savignon and the rest is Merlot. It weighs in at 13.5% alcohol and is aged 12 months in French oak barrels. It pours in the glass a dark red with something that looks like a copperish tent. It smells of fresh earth, currants, black pepper and dried fruit. While those smells persists in the mouth they are joined by oaky undertones, cherry and subtle fruitiness. Very nice, I'd grade it an A.

2004 Siduri Pinot Noir Gary's Vineyard

I am going to do a little something different with this tasting note. I usually try to spend a paragraph or more on the Winery of the wine I am tasting then delve into the grape and then on to the wine itself. However I have already touched on the story of Adam and Diane Lee when I tasted the Novy Grenache. Since Pinot Noir is one of the big grapes and most if not all know the story on this thin skinned temperamental varietal I am going to focus on the Vineyard where this grapes came from before delving into the wine itself.
The Vineyard: Garys' Vineyard...a name synonymouss with great Pinot Noir grapes. Owned and run by THE two Gary's, Fransiconi and Pisoni. Both have a long experience in growing grapes and having their own wines. Mr Franscioni operates the great Pinot Noir specific ROAR wines, and Mr. Pisoni runs the Pisoni Vineyards and Lucia Vineyards.
The Vineyard it self is located in Santa Lucia Highlands an area that is getting better known for producing great Pinot Noir and Syrah. The vineyard was planted in 1997 with a yield of about 3 tons per acre. The soil of the vineyard is mostly Sandy Loam. They use a very specific clone in the vineyards named after one of the owners the Pisoni Clone. The total vineyard acreage is about 50 acres. The vineyard is locate din marine climate with foggy mornings and breezy afternoons that help create a long drawn out growing season. All of this helps in developing the grapes into something that makes tremendous wines.
The Wine: It weighs in at a hefty 14.5% for Pinot. Pours a very nice cherry red in the glass, hints of earth, cherry, strawberry and cola and a small whiff of mint. In the mouth there is a very nice level of acidity that balances the alcohol with earthy minerals, strawberry jam and cola flavors rounding out this very nice, very complex wine. This wine earns an easy A-.

2002 Alexander Valley Vineyards Syrah

Alexander Valley Vineyards are based in Healdsburg California and is family owned, named for the original homesteader Cyrus Alexander it was purchased by the current owners in 1962. They have a proprietary Red blend named Cyrus after the winery's namesake. The Wetzel Family Estate Vineyard where the grapes that make this Syrah come from is based in Sonoma County and is the family vineyard where most of the grapes from AVV come from.
This particular wine, their Syrah weighed in at about 14.0% alcohol. Its aged 14 months in both American and French oak and a small amount of Viognier is added to round out the flavors.
The wine pours a deep dark intense ruby red in the glass. There are hints of smoke, oak, Chocolate and some spice in the nose. In the mouth there are rich exotic flavors, with a mouthful of Chocolate covered cherries. A very nice fruit forward Syrah, not to dry, not to sweet.
I'd grade it a B+.

WBW # 20 Wrap Up

The gang over at the Podcast site Wine for newbies has put out the wrap up of Wine Blogging Wednesday, this one of course focusing on non-blends of white Wines, not named Chardonnay, Savignon Blanc, and Riesling.
I urge everyone to check it out, some really great and interesting white's were represented.

WBW # 20

A few weeks ago over on Wine for newbies it was announced that this months Wine Blogging Wednesday's would be non blended white wines that weren't one of the big three (i.e. Chard, sauvignon Blanc, or Riesling). This will be fun, since its my first time to participate.
On to the wine.....
A few weeks ago I picked up a wine that I had never had, from a varietal I had never tried: 2003 Bleasdale Verdelho.
First the Grape: Thanks to Wine Pro's (a great resource) for some of the information on the Verdelho grape. The Verdelho grape is actually one of the many grapes that are used in the making of Madiera, however there is very little of this vine growing in Portugal anymore as it is very susceptible to Phyloxera. Recently though it has been grown quite well in Southern Australia, Western Australia, and New South Wales.
The Winery: Bleasdale is owned by the Potts Family in Langhorne creek in Southern Australia. The Winery was founded in 1850. They make a wide variety of wines, not only the standard Shiraz, but a sparkling Shiraz, and a Malbec. On the White side, they produce a Chardonnay, the Verdelho and a Late Harvest Verdelho. The vines that produce this grape are around eighty years old and no machine harvesting is performed, which is a little suprising to me as high tech as some Australian wineries are.
On to the Wine: The wine is packaged in a Screw Top Bottle, which I really like and weighs in at 14.0%. In the glass its almost crystal clear, with a slight look of effervescence. In nose its very herbacious with hints of lemon grass and citrus peel. In the mouth it has a nice acidity that levels out the alcohol. Its very crisp, clean, and tart, with a nice taste of grapefruit and pineapple.
A very nice wine that I'd grade an A-.

Underage and online wine buying

With all of the new legislation going around in what seems every state, it couldn't be too long before people started bringing up the subject of underage teens buying wine online and being able to consume it. An editorial by Bill Stephens the Executive Director of the Christian Coalition of Florida brings this subject to light in the Orlando Sentinel. While I respect the Christian Coalition, I have to completely disagree with them on this point. As someone who receives at least one, sometimes two orders of wine a month, its hard to even begin to explain how difficult it is to actually get my wine. Every shipment UPS or FedEx has a big sticker that states it MUST be signed by an adult with an ID of over 21 York old. There are some months that I have almost had my shipment returned because I couldn't meet the UPS guy due to my work. And when the UPS guys do come to my apt, they card me EVERY time, heck I know the guy on a first name basis at this point, I'm 28 York old and I STILL get ID'd. Its ridiculous.
But that's not really even the point. Imagine that you are 18 years old again, and you want to get some alcohol....what do you do? Do you go online, order some alcohol with your credit card or debit card that your parents could see, then wait 5-7 days until the shipment comes in, then hope that your home and your parents aren't when the UPS guy comes, then hope that against all regulations and federal requirement's the Delivery man doesn't card you....or do you go down to the local ice house and attempt to pick up some beer?
I think its a pretty easy answer and I think the last worry that anyone should have, and the lowest priority that the Christian coalition should have is underage drinkers ordering wine on online.

A nice bouquet of Wood Chips

A month or so back an agreement was reached between the European Union and the US on wine shipments into and out of the EU. Many things were discussed and agreed upon among them that within a certain period of time the US would stop using Burgundy, bourgeoisie or Port on their labels since those are place names and not wine names. Another item that was agreed upon, and one that I initially didn't pay to much attention to was that the EU would allow US wines that used wood chips instead of aging their wines in barrels. I really didn't know if this practice was wide spread in the US, until I came upon this article today. Now this article was repeated in numerous places around the web, so its not just one place reporting. A fairly well known and well liked winery admits to using wood chips instead of barrels, stating expense and space as the biggest issues. Mr. Runquist of McManis, states that you can not tell the difference between a wine aged in true oak barrel's and one that was aged in metal tanks with wood chips. That may be true, but that's not the point. As a consumer if I read on the wine label that a wine is aged in oak my assumption right or wrong is that it was aged in oak chips, and I will pay for the expense that the winery went to, to age their wines in new oak barrels. However if a wine is aged in only oak chips then the label should say that.
The bigger problem is the use of Wood Alternatives, what ever that means....True toasted oak does give the wine hints of esspreso, vanilla, and mocha, things that we love to taste. But putting those "flavors" on wood alternatives. One of the companies that creates these alternatives prides itself in developing flavors such as vanilla, caramel, butterscotch, nuttiness and toast without barbecue smokiness. Sweet, freshly baked bread characters for its wood alternatives. This is where I start to have some issues, I mean at what point to draw the line? Are we creating ways of getting flavors into our wines? What's wrong with using actual toasted oak? Where is the craftsmanship of toasting the oak and then the wine maker carefully aging the wine the appropriate amount of time as it seeps the flavors creating a wonderful experience of flavors on the tongue. At what point does this become wine processing instead of wine making?

2002 De Loach Zinfandel

De Loach vineyards started in the mid 70's as direct shipping only, starting with their first wine a Zinfandel. They are a somewhat small winery, but you can pretty much find them anywhere. They make wines that are estate bottled and others from grapes around the region of the Russian River Valley They have also converted 22 acres of their estate vineyards to Biodynamic farming, a trend I hope will continue to the balance of their estate.
This wine is estate bottled at weighs in at a comfortable for Zin 13.5% alcohol. It was aged in small oak barrels, which should impart a more oaky taste than that of French or larger barrels would.
The wine pours into the glass a dark ruby red, not quite the purple ink that I am used to. It smells of dark chocolate raspberry jam with hints of Vanilla and oak with maybe a little cocoa. In the mouth its rather dry which I attest to the oak and unfortunately not as fruit forward as I like my Zins to be almost astringent along the walls of the mouth. I have had De Loach Zins in the past and while I think this one is OK I would mark it somewhat of a disappointment. I'd grade it a B-.

2000 Castle Pinot Noir Los Carneros

Castle Vineyards has been around for about 13 years or so, owned and operated by winemaker Vic Williams. His story is one that is familiar to the Napa and Sonoma world, he was a professional in another industry in this case he was a pharmacist. He got into making wine slowly, a barrel at a time starting in the mid 70's but it wasn't until the early nineties that Castle had its official first vintage and was designated a commercial winery. Castle works a lot of small family own vineyards and Williams manages somewhere around 40 acres of vineyards throughout Sonoma and Los Carneros. Williams believes in a minlimalist approach which I appreciate, minimal interference, minimal oak, which creates VERY fruit forward wines. I have had a number of Castle wines in the past and have been pleased, by not only their taste, but their prices as well.
This particular Pinot Noir is from the Sangiacoma Vineyard in Los Carneros and weighs in at about 14.2% alcohol.
A nice light red or a dark Rose if you prefer when poured.
In the nose you can actually smell the alcohol which was somewhat disconcerting at first, along with that was hints of strawberry and earth. Tastes slightly acidic which took away some of the alcohol in the mouth, there was nice layers of strawberry, cherry, rhubarb, and a little bit of that cola flavor that Pinot is so well known for, even mildly sweet aftertaste.
A nice wine, one that I would give a grade of B.

Wine Blogging Wednesday

Its that time again, WBW is back upon us. For those that don't know Wine Blogging Wednesday is where all participating Blogs have a virtual Tasting Room, where everyone tastes something from the Theme. This months theme is White Wine, but not just any white wine, it has to be something out of the big three, i.e. not Chardonnay, Savignon Blanc, or Riesling.
Some suggestions? Gewurztraminer, Verdelho, Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Gruner Veltliner, Roussanne, Marsanne, Torrontes, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Ribolla, Soave, Prosecco, Muscat, Zibibbo, Semillon, Pedro Ximinez, Fernao Pires, Colombard... etc. etc.
This month is hosted by Wine for Newbies.
Check back around April, this is my first time to participate so I'm pretty excited.

The Next Napa

An interesting article on the CNN travel page. The author writes about the great Texas Hill Country. The author tells the reader about the great scenery, rolling hills, blue bonnets blossoming during spring and of course the wine. It even reports something I didn't' know, that the Texas Hill Country AVA is one of the fastest growing wine producing regions in the country and that many think that it could be the "next Napa." While I support the enthusiasm, I have to agree with Richard Becker (of Becker Vineyards) that may be over stepping things a bit.
I will say this, its a very interesting and delicate time for Texas wine makers. I think for the most part and from my experience of visiting Texas Wineries, that we have learned how to make decent and in some cases pretty good wines. However I don't know if any winery has made GREAT wine and its still to be determined if someone will. I think a lot has to do with the varieties that was originally chosen to be grown in Texas. I don't think you can grow great Cab in the heat of South Texas, same with Chardonnay. It makes to vegetable of wines. However I am excited to see them branching out into Syrah, Nebbiolo, Zinfandel even. I think that to make great wine, Texas Wineries are going to have to come up with unique wines.....now that doesn't mean planting new varieties, but taking a grape and making it its own and making it in the Texas Style. This is the time when Texas is going to need to experiment and find what suits the Texas soil and weather patterns the best. Now is the time.