Check your calendar ~ Winter Wine Events are filling up!

Posted on December 13, 2011 by Wine Everyday

FOUR EXTRAORDINARY EVENTS, ONE CLASSIC VARIETAL

21ST ANNUAL ZAP FESTIVAL 

January 26 – 28, 2012  San Francisco, California

 

Epicuria: Food & Zinfandel Pairings, on Thursday January 26, 2012 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., at The Concourse (635 8th Street at Brannan, San Francisco 94103-4901). This is an intimate way to explore the magic of matching food and Zinfandel, whether it’s Swan Oyster Depot’s shrimp cocktail or lamb lollipops from Ruth’s Chris Steak House.

Flights! Forums of Flavor:  on Friday January 27, 2012 from 10:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. The Westin St. Francis Hotel (Union Square, 335 Powell Street, San Francisco 94102).  This in-depth seminar-style tasting features themed flights of Zinfandels presented by the winemakers and offers insights into the Zinfandel varietal, an opportunity to experience the true character of the legend yourself.

Winemakers’ Dinner:  On Friday January 27, 2012. “A benefit with taste” 5:00 pm  – 10:00 p.m. at The Westin St. Francis Hotel. Viva Las Vegas!  Dress to the nines and bring your lucky charm to this glamorous reception and dinner where you will enjoy unusual wines chosen by your winemaker hosts. Throw your chips in for the live and silent auctions featuring rare and one-of-a-kind lifestyle lots, with proceeds benefiting ZAP programming, education and Heritage Projects.

Grand Tasting: From A To Zin:  Saturday January 28, 2012 from 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. at The Concourse. Savor the journey through the world’s largest single varietal tasting as you explore hundreds of barrel samples and new releases.

Click for details on these events from Zinfandel Advocates & Producers

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Quick Sips ~ Vincent Arroyo 2006 “Nameless”

Posted on December 12, 2011 by Wine Everyday

Such a funny ‘name’ for a wine …Nameless… it’s what happens when the winemakers are more excited about the wine, and would much prefer to get the juice in the bottle, then wait around for someone to come up with a clever name."Nameless" Vincent Arroyo

Vincent Arroyo has been making handcrafted wine in Napa Valley since the early 1970’s, selling direct from the winery. Their wine “Nameless” is blend of red wines,  dark red cherry flavors with a hint of licorice. Nice acidity makes this a great wine for homemade pizza! This wine opens up very nicely after being decanted, and wine leftover from the night before is even better!

The winery is currently selling their 2008 vintage at $30. Limited production sometimes finds these wines selling out quickly. If you are lucky, you can sometimes find it offered on Wines Till Sold Out (WTSO) Alcohol 13.9%

Posted in Red Blend, Red Table Wine, Wine | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Terra d’Oro Zinfandel Port ~ just in time for the holidays!

Posted on December 7, 2011 by Wine Everyday

In my house, holidays begin with Champagne and end with Port. Traditional Port wine is produced in Portugal and is encumbered with numerous wine laws that can make your head spin if you try to sort them all out. Just take a look at the Port shelf at your local wine shop, there is Tawny Port, Colheta, Late bottled vintage (LBV) and Vintage among others. All have their distinct attributes and are very exciting to explore.

American Port style wines are not bound by the same wine laws as their Portugal cousins. They are, however, made in similar fashion. To be considered a Port style wine, the wine’s fermentation process is halted by adding a distilled spirit called Aguardente, a brandy of sorts. This gives the wine both its sweetness and high alcohol content.

Port can also be very expensive and can take decades in the cellar to come of age. This is probably a good reason it’s served mainly on holidays and special occasions. Value Port, a/k/a “the cheap stuff”, is mainly reserved for cooking. Finding a quality wine at a price point that won’t break the bank is the challenge. Here is one I encourage you to sip.

Terra d'Oro Zinfandel PortTerra d’Oro, located in Amador County California, has been producing wine since the early 1970’s. Their Zinfandel Port is available in 375ML bottles, a fun size for holiday gifts, and it fits nicely in a Christmas Stocking! This wine has chocolate and raisin on the nose with luscious dried berry and toffee flavors. A silky finish draws you back for more.  In true Port fashion, it pairs perfectly with rich holiday desserts such as crème brule, pecan pie or stilton cheese. At a price point of $12 for the ½ bottle, and no aging time needed, this is an excellent ending to your holiday meal!

Alcohol level of 19% Retails for $12*

*This wine was sent as a trade sample

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From Barrel to Bottle ~ 2008 Merlot from Pacific Coast Vineyards

Posted on November 27, 2011 by Wine Everyday

Early this Spring I was invited to visit the barrel room of Pacific Coast Vineyards located in Paso Robles, California.  Already widely known for their International Award wining 2007 Pinot Noir, Todd and Tammy Schaefer also produce a wide variety of quality wines. My barrel room tasting included, among others, this 2008 Merlot.

When sampling wine from a barrel, one must use all their senses and their imagination as to how the final product will taste. Well, the waiting is over, and this 2008 Merlot has made its début as a stellar example of this noble grape.

Merlot is the largest produced grape in the Bordeaux region of France and a leading grape in California,  yielding some of the most expensive and opulent wines in the world.

Generally, I do not include the wine maker notes along with my tasting notes, but here, I will defer to the Schaefers on the details on both the production and the tasting of this wine.

Tammy and Todd SchaeferWine maker notes: This new release was produced with only free run juice. Rather than using a wine press and risk bruising the wine grapes’ skin, this exquisite Merlot is produced with only free run juice to ensure the finest quality wine.  This wine expresses a seamless, smoky, supple and seductive list of exotic spices wrapped around black cherry and blackberry fruit flavors.  The smooth dark plush velvet finish leaves your palate longing for another sip. Alcohol 14.1% Retails $25*

With Tammy in the Barrel RoomMy tasting notes: Deep crimson color with aromas of eucalyptus and raspberry. Flavors of clove and spice on the mid-palate, and cherry currant on the back. Long silky finish. Enjoy it now with a savory beef stew or beside the fire pit with after dinner cigars and blue cheese platter. But keep a few bottles tucked away, this wine will be drinking well for the next several years.

*This wine was provided as a Trade Sample.

Thanks to Todd and Tammy Schaefer for their hospitality.

Pacific Coast Vineyards

Post update January 10, 2012

2008 Pacific Coast Vineyards Merlot wins Bronze Medal at the prestigious 2012 San Francisco Chronicle  Wine Competition 

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Tudal Family Winery ~ Icon Series

Posted on November 6, 2011 by Wine Everyday

With four generations of winemakers, the Tudal Family Winery in St. Helena, Napa Valley, produce a portfolio of limited production fine wines.  Their Icon Series of wine pays homage to unique symbols near and dear to the Tudal Family. Claiming to be crowd pleasing wines, I brought them to my weekly football tailgate party and put them to the test!

2010 Honker Blanc ~ Sauvignon Blanc

A steely sauvignon blanc if there ever was one! Almost crystal clear with a light golden color. Mild grapefruit aromas; with clean stainless steel, melon and lemon flavors. An ultra dry finish.  This wine is named after and pays homage to the Canadian Geese that migrate down Napa Valley and nest behind the crush pad of this winery. The family believes the incessant honking over the winery is a reciprocal toast! The family’s sense of humor is evident in the subliminal message on the label. See if you can spot it! Alcohol 13.8% Retails $14

2009 Tractor Shed Red

A dark complex red colorTractor Shed Red in the glass with earthy aromas. Predominant flavors of dark berries and earth; the finish is dry with peppery spices and lingering tannins. A blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Sangiovese and Zinfandel, this wine drinks in the style of Bordeaux and Italian blends for a fraction of the price.  This wine honors the family’s 1947 Massey-Harris red tractor, still standing on full display at the winery. Alcohol 14.2% Retails $12

Results

The Honker Blanc was a hit and was gone before kick off! Thankfully, a bit of the Tractor Shed Red hung around for post-game dessert of chocolate cupcakes topped with peanut butter cups. Nothing goes better than Red Wine and Chocolate! So I say the answer is Yes, crowd pleasing wines and easy on the budget.

Thank you to Tudal Family Winery, Cerruti Cellars and Balzac Communications & Marketing for providing these samples.

Posted in Red Table Wine, Sauvignon Blanc, Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

12 Most Essential Elements in Organizing a Wine Tasting Club

Posted on October 27, 2011 by Wine Everyday

A wine tasting club is a support system for many wine lovers. It’s a chance to come together not only to taste but to talk about wine with those that share your level of enthusiasm. If you think you can find at least three wine loving friends, chances are you’re on your way to forming your own wine tasting club. Here are the 12 most essential elements to help you.

1. The people

Invite people who truly have an interest in exploring and learning more about wines. If you have that one lone wolf who just wants to drink and chit-chat it can steer the focus away from the wine.

2. The supplies

Take inventory of your supplies; you’ll need quality wine glasses (size and shape to match your tastings), decanter, spit bucket, aerator, filter, foil cutter and lastly, but most important, a corkscrew! Pool your resources; chances are you already have these items among your club members.

3. The money

Decide on price range of wines to purchase. Will one person do the purchasing, or will everyone bring a bottle? Keep your inventory organized; you don’t want everyone showing up with the same bottle of ‘two-buck-chuck’.

4. The method

Decide whether or not you will taste blind. Either way, I always recommend keeping the price a secret until the scores are tallied. The easiest way to blind taste is to keep the bottles in brown paper bags, tie a string around the top and put a number on the bag.

5. The bottles

Keep the number of wines tasted in proportion with the number of people in your group. A group of 4 can comfortably taste 6 wines in an evening.

6. The regions

Decide on what varietal and region you will be exploring. Will you taste four Cabernet Sauvignons from Napa? Or will you taste four Cabernets, each from a different region? Organize your calendar to include a variety of regions and wines.

7. The education

Have information on the wine and the region on hand. Education and tasting goes hand in hand. It can be as simple as having notes from Wikipedia, or having ‘The Wine Bible’ on hand.

8. The food

Have food on hand to go with the wines. It can be as simple as cheese and crackers, or a full dinner.

9. The scoring

Scoring wine does not have to be complicated. The easiest method is a 1 to 5 scale (5 being the best) on 5 elements. The best a wine can score is 25. Make a grid with columns for Color, Clarity, Aroma, Taste and Finish. Everyone gets a score sheet for each wine.

10. The math

Choose someone who, after drinking all this wine, can still tally up the sheets.

11. The journal

Keep a journal on the wines you’ve tasted, and how the group scored them. Circle back in a year and taste a few again. See how the wine (or the group) has evolved.

12. The clean-up

Draw straws to see who must wash the wine glasses with out breaking them! Take turns, because it’s no fun being stuck washing out the glasses every time.

My wine club is a great source of wine exploration and education for me. I hope you have success with yours. Cheers!

Check out www.12most.com for more lists on a wide variety of topics.

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2009 Smoking Loon ~ for the Bohemian in you

Posted on October 25, 2011 by Wine Everyday

Don & Sons, from the famed Sebastiani Family, are négociants that source and blend wines from some of the best vineyards in California. With wine maker Greg Kitchens, their 2009 suite of Smoking Loon reds possess a self-proclaimed independent character and bohemian personality. While maintaining true varietal character these wines share a bit of gripping complexity that make them stand out from their peer group. With seven brands in their portfolio, each with their own distinct personality, it’s safe to say you can find one to match yours!

The Wines ~ how they drank

I approached this tasting with traditional tasting methods and taking notes on color, clarity, aroma, taste and finish.  Smooking Loon Cabernet SauvignonAfter each taste, I was left with a “Wow, so that’s what Bohemian tastes like.”  As sipping wines, these reds may not be crowd pleasers, as they are not for the faint of heart.

Longing to introduce these wines to a meal, I left the tasting table and brought all four bottles to the dining room. On the menu is a traditional meal of grilled filet mignon, potato , green and white asparagus and sage bread.

Each of these wines proved to be food friendly, not overshadowing the meal, yet keeping their racy personality.  My dinner and tasting partners were split down the middle as to their favorite with the meal, and with barely a drop left, I can say these wines pleased this crowd! When I disclosed the retail price of $9.00 per bottle the group was that much happier!

Tasting Notes

Merlot ~ aromas of sage and clove folded into a medium bodied taste with very little fruit and a lot of herb. Medium tannins with a bit of spice on the finish. Alcohol 13.5%

Pinot Noir ~ aromas of berries, peat, bacon, oak, smokehouse, dried strawberries; this wine is presenting as a very masculine Pinot Noir.  The taste of strawberries and spice with bright acids and a light finish. Alcohol 13.8%

Cabernet Sauvignon ~ aromas of oak, plum, berries and wood fold into flavors of berries and oak with medium tannins and finish. Alcohol 13.5%

Old Vine Zinfandel ~ blended with 76% Zinfandel, 17% Petite Sirah and 7% Syrah; aromas of strawberry, clove, sweet raspberry with gripping flavors of clove, spice and strawberry. Finish is very pleasant and well-balanced. Alcohol 13.5%

Thank you to Don Sebastiani & Son’s and Balzac Communications & Marketing for providing the samples.

Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petite Sirah, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Wine, Zinfandel | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Quick Sips ~ Santa Julia Viognier

Posted on October 23, 2011 by Wine Everyday

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Julia Zuccardi earlier this year while debuting her line of [+] wines. One wine we did not have the opportunity Santa Julia Viognierto explore at that time was her Viognier.  Typically grown in the Rhone River region of France, Viognier now has a presence in Australia, United States, Canada, Chile and Argentina.

This wine has fruity aromoas of grapefruit and pear. Dry, with mineral flavors on the mouth with a crisp and well balanced finish. White wine drinkers will enjoy the refreshing departure from heavy oaked chardonnays. When my guests ask for something ‘white’ I reach for this wine from my cellar.

Purchased in my local wine shop for $7.50

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Celebrate Regional Wine week with the wines of New York State ~ my 47 words on the other 47

Posted on October 12, 2011 by Wine Everyday

Regional Wine Week runs thru Saturday, October 15th. To celebrate, the group “Drink Local” has invited everyone to submit essays on wine regions other than California, Oregon or Washington. Essay requirements are 47 words on the other 47 states.  I choose New York.

New York’s wine regions of Lake Eire, Finger Lakes, Hudson Valley and Long Island possess distinct influences from the lakes, river and ocean they adjoin. Vineyards take on the essence of their surroundings to give the wine it’s ‘sense of place’. They are to be enjoyed worldwide.

 Cheers all!

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The sweeter side of Rieslings from New York’s Finger Lakes region

Posted on October 9, 2011 by Wine Everyday

What to serve at an early morning breakfast tailgating? Generally, it’s Mimosa, Bloody Mary’s and lots of Champagne. But last weekend I switched things up and surprised my fellow tailgaters. While there was a lone bottle of Champagne, it got little attention, the medium dry and medium sweet Rieslings stole the show.

Medium Dry Medium Sweet RieslingsThe breakfast menu included two casseroles, one a traditional Strata and the other a sausage egg casserole. Plenty of bagels, muffins and a fruit tray completed this hearty early fall outdoor breakfast.

The Wines

2010 Rooster Hill Vineyards Medium Sweet Riesling

Harvested from vines located on the east side of Keuka Lake, all stainless steel aging; this wine is classified as Medium Sweet. Sweetness classification has to do with sugar levels in the grapes at time of harvest. This wine has fresh lemony aromas with lots of citrus flavors and a very crisp finish. The medium sweet classification on the label could turn away wine sippers who tend to prefer dryer wines. Hide the label if you have to, but get everyone to taste this wine. I loved this wine! This wine retails for $14.99* Alcohol 12.1%

2010 Sheldrake Point Riesling

Hand harvested from estate vineyards on the west shore of Cayuga Lake, this wine is classified as Medium Dry. Because it was not classified as ‘Dry’ on the label, I included this wine in my ‘sweeter side’ Riesling classification. The aromas on this wine was gorgeous fruit, lemony citrus, pear and apricot. The finish was crisp and refreshing. This wine is spectacular and was the first empty bottle of the day! A tremendous medium-dry Riesling.  This wine retails for $15* and has an  alcohol level  11.8%

2010 Lamoreaux Landing, Yellow Dog Vineyard Riesling

Harvested from one of Lamoreaux Landings newest vineyards located on the shores of Seneca Lake; this wine is labeled medium dry although it drank a bit sweeter. The aromas on opening were intense pungent petrol, and did not mellow with time. Tons of grapefruit and green apple flavors, with an intense finish. If we weren’t awake yet, we were now! I would like to revisit this wine with a jambalaya. Unfortunately it did not show well with the breakfast menu. Retails for $19.99* Alcohol 12.7%

If any of my upstate New York friends have visited any of these Finger Lakes Wineries, please share with all of us your experiences and which wines were your stand out favorites!

Thank you to the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance for coordinating the debut of the 2010 Finger Lakes Riesling offerings.

Note* This wines were supplied to me by Finger Lakes Wine Alliance

Posted in Cayuga Lake, Finger Lakes Region, Keuka Lake, Lamoreaux Landing, Riesling, Rooster Hill Vineyards, Seneca Lake, Sheldrake Point | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments