WINO 101

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

Weather is a common uniter. It’s what we talk about when we have nothing else to talk about, or things we would rather not talk about. Bush and Kerry could carry on a conversation about the weather, and besides the rest of us thinking they were maybe sideskirting a few important issues, the conversation could remain relatively civil. We’re all affected by it in some way or another, especially in the topic of wine. . .it is agricultural, after all.

Then there’s irony. Alanis Morisette talked about irony in her song “Ironic”. The true definition of irony is “the result of an action that is the exact opposite of the intended or appropriate result” (in my own words). The fact that every instance of irony in her song was not actual irony makes the song title, itself, ironic. (Don’t ya think?) If that was not her intention to make a song that was ironic to its own title, that also is a bit ironic. (Still following me?)

One of said false ironies in the song was “it’s like rain on your wedding day. . .” Although it would be deemed unfortunate or tragic if it rained so much that floods washed away the wedding party, or a bit ominous if lightning struck the altar durning the vows, it isn’t irony unless weddings had a natural law that declared it to be sunny. Case-in-point, I was at an outdoor wedding reception this weekend, (Yes, I supplied the wine. . .what a silly question. . .) where it started pouring down sheets of rain just after dinner was finished. Now contrary to Ms. Morrisette’s point of view, I feel it actually enhanced the experience as people huddled together under the few canopies that were available, or frolicked in the downpour. Considering that Alanis thought the day should be ruined, and if her word were law, then the day itself was ironic, for everyone having a great time despite the rain. (But the wine helped. And I certainly wasn’t leaving without cake.)

Speaking of wine, weather and irony, this unusually rainy weather here in Oregon brings questions about the current crop of grapes around here. Grapevines, of course, need water, but too much can ruin the crop as far as wine is concerned. That part is almost ironic: that which helps provide life to the plants can also destroy them. For example, in 2002 rainstorms destroyed a good portion of the European grape crops. Italy’s Piedmont and France’s Rhone were hard hit, and output almost destroyed. (Chateauneuf du Pape was under water, so I’ve heard.)

However, France’s Loire in 2002 had a stunning vintage! And that’s what we’re tasting here tomorrow! Reds and whites from (mostly) 2002! There’s certainly nothing ironic about that. (Unless I was actually pouring something else. But really, that would be a “switcheroo” not “irony”.)

So Friday, August 27th, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

Isn’t it Loire-onic!
Atlantique 2003 Sauvignon Blanc, Loire
Domaine du Salvard 2002 Cheverny
Chateau du Cleray 2002 Muscadet Sevre et Maine
Chateau de Fesles 2002 Vielle Vignes Anjou (Rouge)
Marc Bredif 2001 Chinon (Rouge)

The Extra-Special Premium Pours:
Domaine Henri Pelle 2002 Menetou-Salon (Blanc)
Henri Bourgeois 2002 Grande Reserve Sancerre (Rouge)

Next week is Wines of the Spain!
M

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

It’s time to tour the world again and compare the styles of the wonderfully refreshing Sauvignon Blanc grape! It’s been a little while since I did a full varietal tasting, and I think this one is well worth it. Sauvignon Blanc is the grape behind the legendary wines of the French Bordeaux’s most famous Graves and Sauternes, and the French Loire regions of Sancerre and Pouilly Fume. Vine clippings were originally imported to California in 1858 from Chateau Y’Quem by Charles Wente and Louis Mel. I’m not entirely sure who Louis Mel is, but Wente is most likely the founder of Wente Vineyards. Just a hunch.

For quite a while the grape was the most widely planted white varietal in California, until the grape went out of fashion in the early 1960’s. That was probably the same time Chardonnay had its boom. So in a traditional Californian winery way, they changed the name of the grape on the bottle to Fume Blanc as a marketing technique. (Started by Robert Mondavi. . .big surprise.) And it worked. Most people forgot why they weren’t buying Sauvignon Blanc in the first place. . .but Fume just sounds tastier, doesn’t it? At any rate, just changing that one word revitalized the grape, and wineries worldwide are producing a whole plethora of these wonderful wines. And like snowflakes, no two are alike. Also like snowflakes, they’re cold. And unlike snowflakes, you can find them here during the heat of the summer. Hm. Snow on the brain. . .must be the heat.

So here is a tour of the world Sauvignon Blanc style!

So Friday, August 20th, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

Sauvignon Blanc!
Fidelitas 2002 Tranquility, Columbia Valley, Washington
Thieuley 2002 Blanc, Bordeaux, France
Kanu 2003 Sauvignon Blanc, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Sacred Hill 2003 Sauvignon Blanc, East Coast, New Zealand
Nepenthe 2003 Sauvignon Blanc, Adelaide Hills, Australia

The Extra-Special Premium Pours:
Pierpaolo Pecorari 2001 Sauvignon, Isonzo Del Friuli IGT, Italy
Goosecross 2002 Sauvignon Blanc, Central Coast, California

A good deal at $10 for the first 5, and $6 for the Extra 2 Premium Pours.
Hope to see you here!
Seize the Wine!

Next week is Wines of the French Loire!
M

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

This week we’re rounding the Cape and visiting one of the most exciting wine regions in the world: South Africa! Over the last few years I’ve seen the South African wine industry grow in leaps and bounds. Leaping like a Gazelle and bounding like a Lion after the gazelle. (See. . .because they have those cool critters down there on the savannah.) Now, primarily South Africa is known for Pinotage, a hybrid grape of Pinot Noir and Cinsault which makes a full-bodied, earthy and somewhat unpleasant wine. Now don’t get me wrong. . .there are plenty of palatable Pinotage out there, or so I’m assuming. But I guess they’re really just an acquired taste, and it might be a daunting task to work on acquiring that taste. And perhaps less fun.

So here’s the fun! There are all kinds of non-Pinotage wines coming out of South Africa, both red and white. In fact, the Chenin Blanc from the area is becomming their hallmark grape, scoring well with those organizations that score things and are darn tasty. And speaking of more fun, I’ve added a sparkling wine to the lineup, just to shake things up a bit. . .although shaking a sparkling wine isn’t really recommended, unless you’ve just won the Indy 500. (Seems like a waste of perfectly good wine to me.) Also included is a Syrah/Mourvedre/Grenache blend that is sure to please, as I’ve never met one I didn’t like. It’ll be tasty! Like a lion snacking on a gazelle!

So Friday, August 13th, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

Reds and Whites of South Africa!
Kanu 2003 Chenin Blanc, Stellenbosch
Hoopenberg 2002 Sauvignon Blanc, Western Cape
Pierre Jourdan NV Brut, Franschhoek
Guardian Peak 2002 SMG (Syrah, Mourvedre, Grenache), Western Cape
Indaba 2002 Shiraz, Western Cape

The Extra-Special Premium Pours:
Jack and Knox 2001 Semillon, Western Cape
Mont du Toit 2000 Hawequas (Cab-Merlot Blend), Western Cape

A good deal at $10 for the first 5, and $6 for the Extra 2 Premium Pours.
Hope to see you here!
Seize the Wine!

Next week is Sauvignon Blanc!
M

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

This week it’s another regional study in wines! We bring you wines from the country that brought us Arnold Schwartzenegger, and the wines from the country that most people think he is from. It’s the country that gave birth to the Van Trapp family from Sound of Music fame, and the country they escaped into (and subsequently sold their story for $500, never to see a dime for the millions of dollars that the Sound of Music made). It’s the country famous for its rieslings and the country famous for selling its rieslings to the country famous for its rieslings. Yes, it’s Germany and Austria!

Why do I put the two together? Besides the two countries being neighbors, and similar wine styles, featuring both regions allows a broader range of wines. Besides, let’s face it. . .although Germany makes a good deal of red wine, very little is actually shipped to the U.S., so the majority of the wines available here are Riesling. Don’t get me wrong, here. Riesling can be a wonderful wine, and nobody does it better than the Germans and Austrians. The colder climates encourages the growth of the varietal, and they’ve been perfecting it for years. It would be easy to put together an all Riesling tasting. So I won’t. As always, I’m interested in the more esoteric and less common side of wine. What kinds of reds are there in Germany and Austria? This tasting is dedicated to examining a more full spectrum of German and Austrian wine.

There are a handfull of different red wine grapes in the two regions. The main one in Germany is Pinot Noir, with which we’re all pretty familliar. Austria has quite a few interesting ones, two of which I will be pouring here tomorrow: Zweigelt, a hybrid grape created by a scientist named. . .well.. .Zweigelt, and Blaufrankisch, which is known in Germany as Lemberger. . .not to be confused with the famously aromatic cheese Limberger. The wine and the cheese may go together pretty well, although I haven’t tried it. I’d be more than happy to try it should one of you bring it to the tasting. Then your stinky cheese can sit outside.

For important and intersting information about the German and Austrian wine laws shaping this tasting, follow the asterisks to the bottom of the letter. Yes, I wrote even MORE! ***

So Friday, August 6th, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

Germany and Austria!
Schmitges 2002 Riesling Trocken (Dry) Qualitatswein, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany
Johannishof 2002 “V” Riesling Kabinett, Rheingau, Germany
P.J. Valkenberg 2002 Gewurztraminer, Pfalz, Germany
Hopler 2000 Zweigelt, Burgenland, Austria
Graf Trauttmannsdorff 2001 Parc Classic Cuvee (Blaufrankisch/Zweigelt), Burgenland, Austria

The Extra-Special Premium Pours:
Heger 2002 Pinot Noir, Baden, Germany
Felsner 2002 Gruner Veltliner, Alte Reben, Austria

Next week is Reds and Whites of South Africa!
M

***
One thing to understand about German wines are the wine laws, which follow a pretty strict schedule of when the grapes are harvested. If the grapes are harvested later, the grapes are potentially riper, and therefore have a higher sugar concentration. So on a scale of Early Harvest through Rotten Grape Harvest, the categories are: Tafelwein, Landwein, Qualitatswein (QbA), Kabinett, Spatlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Eiswein and Trockenbeerenauslese. Confused? Me too. Imagine then the sliding price scale of these wines being multiplied by about 1.5 per step up the scale. Which, yes, places the Trockenbeerenauslese in the $20-Per-Drop range. (Average price $500 for a half-bottle). The laws get even more confusing than that, but I’ve bored you enough.

Austrian wines are similar to German wine laws, as the Austrian wine industry was geared primarily for the German market, but had gone even stricter after the Anti-Freeze scandal of 1985. That was the year certain Austrian wine producers added Diethylene Glycol to their wines as an artificial sweetener. Someone in the worldwine media made a mistake and had the whole world accusing the winemakers of using Ethylene Glycol (a.k.a. - Automotive Antifreeze). Diethylene Glycol was actually less poisonous than the alcohol intrinsic to wine, and adding it actually made the wines in question “safer”. This fact didn’t keep people from flying off the handle, and now there is a funny episode of The Simpsons based on this theme. Episode 011, Season One. “The Crepes of Wrath.”