WINO 101

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

Greetings once again, and welcome to the weekly newsletter and wine-y ramblings! You’ve tuned into a good one, since this week we’re treading into fairly new territory: An All-Grenache tasting!

That’s right, Grenache is going to be taking center stage tomorrow, and I think it’s high time this was to happen. For so long, the Grenache grape has been hiding behind the scenes of some of the most important wines in the world and, although it might be doing most of the work, seldom gets the credit where credit is due. Take, for example, the Southern Rhone. Syrah seems to take all the credit because Northern Rhone is 100% syrah, however, Syrah is just the secondary grape in Southern Rhone. So while you’re tasting the bold, spicy and fruity flavors of the Southern Rhone wines, really you’re tasting the Grenache.

Grenache also is one of the main grapes around the world, appearing with Syrah in the Rhone-Style blends, and mixing it up in other odd sorts of places. But on its own, it’s just as potent, and can be mistakable for Syrah on occasion. If Syrah is McCartney, then Grenache is certainly the Lennon of the wine world. Which. . .I guess makes Harrison the Mourvedre grape. Which grape is the Ringo? Cincault? Picpoul? Terret Noir? Bouroulenc? Ah, who cares?

This is the Grenache solo project, and what a lineup it’s gong to be. I’m so excited about this one, I practically want to start right now! Don’t miss this one! It’s a bit of a tour around the world, finishing off with the all-Grenache Telegramme, which is the replacement wine for the highly sought-after Vieux Telegraph Chateauneuf du Pape, which was not made in the 2002 vintage.

So Friday, October 1st, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

Grenache!
Faristol 2003 Ni Negre, Terra Alta, Spain
The Fifteen 2001 Grenache, VdP Pyrenees Orientales, France
Bonny Doon 2003 Clos de Gilroy Grenache, Hecker Pass, California
Yalumba 2002 Bush Vine Grenache, Barossa, Australia
Argiolas 2001 Costera Isola Dei Huraghi IGT, Sardegna, Italy

The Extra-Special Premium Pours:
Twelve Staves 2002 Grenache, McLarren Vale, Australia
Henri Brunier 2002 Telegramme, Chateauneuf du Pape, France

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 Aussie Reds!
M

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

This week we’re featurning the Noble Cabernet Sauvignon grape. Why “Noble”? Just because I think it is, or just. . .why not? It’s used in the most prestegious Bordeaux, and the most highly-sought-after wines everywhere in the world (Also see: Expensive). Perhaps it’s noble, considering the hefty price tags on most of the ones with the higher reputations. The first-growths of Bordeaux, with names like Petrus and Margaux and Rothschild (Oh, My!) and have their own private auctions and markets. Most of the reputable houses of California like Silver Oak and other Napa cabs are mostly available on auction sites. Perhaps they’re noble, because you must be one of nobility to afford them.

But, really. . .would most of us really notice the difference if tasted blindly between any of these $100-$1000 wines and the more-modestly priced wines I’m pouring tomorrow? The answer is a resounding, definate “Maybe.” In actuality, I’ve heard of many wine tasting “Professionals” getting stumped in picking out 3 white wines in a lineup of 20, (the rest being reds) out of a darkened glass tasting. Okay, so that test might have just been a wine-tasting anomaly, but to those of us who are non wine-tasting “Professionals,” it indicates that a price tag might just affect the flavor as well.

So now for a little bit about the wines I’m tasting. Worldwide, every region has its own laws about what information can be on a label, and what grapes can go into a certain wine. In France, the laws have classified that what goes into a wine is determined by the region, therefore a red Bordeaux will usually be blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Spain, Italy and Portugal have similar laws, but in most other places, the varietal name is printed on the bottle (I.E. – Cabernet Sauvignon). For the most part, the wine laws of particular regions determine what percentage of that grape (printed on the label) is in the wine. Some bottles that read “Cabernet Sauvignon” on the label actually have as little as 70% Cabernet in it. With that in mind, I took a few liberties with some of the wines in the tasting because they were WAY tasty, but they are all “Mostly Cab.. .Mostly.”

So Friday, September 24th, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

The Noble (Mostly) Cabernet Sauvignon!
The Magnificent Wine Company 2002 House Red (85% Cab), Columbia Valley, Washington
Kaiken 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, Argentina
Chateau Thebot 2001 Bordeaux, France
Nepenthe 2002 Tryst (70% Cab), Adelaide Hills, South Australia
Liberty School 2002 Paso Robles, California

The Extra-Special Premium Pours:
Son Bordils 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon, Mollorca, Spain
Five Star 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla, Washington

(Five Star just got a 90-Point score in the Spectator this week! That’s gotta be worth something!)

Next week is Grenache!
M

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

It’s been a long-standing philosophy of mine, regarding the world of wine, that it isn’t rocket science. Wine is a beverage to go with dinner, chat with friends, benefit the heart, prevent dementia, or at the basest level, a tasty way to catch a buzz. But it isn’t rocket science. There is no real need for pretentiousness and it’s not all about higher culture. If someone can afford to pay $1000 for a Bordeaux, then that’s their own deal, but for the rest of us, it’s more about fun.

Now on the other hand, wine can have an effect on rocket science, as I read in an article recently. Scientists (rocket, or otherwise) have discovered that solar panels when developed while imersed in a solution of wine, perform better than those that were created the same way with water, or any other liquid. To me, that’s pretty facinating. Considering I’m not a rocket scientist, I won’t pretend to understand it all, and I’m not sure if I want to know how they discovered the wine-soaked solar panel efficiency thing. Furthermore, I don’t think I want to know which wine they ruined by soaking a solar panel in it, but you can add that to your list of Good Things Wine Does: Makes Solar Panels Better (Somehow). Also keep in mind that the solar panels were developed while imersed in the wine, so if you own a solar panel, it would be inadvisable to dump your best Zinfandel on it. It won’t make it more efficient and it just might ruin more than just the wine.

Now a way in which wine IS a bit like rocket science, or rocket launches anyway, is that it can be affected by the rain. The Space Shuttle won’t launch if there is rain, and this week’s region, the French Rhone, was pretty well decimated by the rains in 2002. (I know I’m stretching that a bit, but I have to hit the point somehow.) So the best thing to do with a shoddy vintage, like a delayed rocket launch, is to sidestep it a bit, or wait. And here I’m sidestepping 2002 altogether, and wait until I can find one that deserves to be in the tasting. Many producers didn’t make a wine at all that vintage, so the ones that did should be suspect.

So, now! It’s time, once again for your favorite and mine: The French Rhone! Contained here are some old favorites and soon-to-be new favorites! Both North and South! Enjoy!

So Friday, September 17th, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

Rhone-ket Science!
Chateau Pesquier 2003 Cotes du Ventoux
Domaine de Cassan 2001 Beaumes de Venice
Domaine Andre Brunel 2003 Cotes du Rhone
Domaine du Joncier 2001 Lirac
Cave de Tain l’Hermitage 2000 Crozes Hermitage, Hauts de Fief

The Extra-Special Premium Pours:
Clefs d’Or 2000 Chateauneuf du Pape
Louis Cheze 2001 St. Joseph

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 The Noble Cabernet Sauvignon!
M

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

We are in Wine Country! It’s just out our back doors. . .and, well, our front doors too. It’s all around us! Of course, considering that wine is now grown in all 50 states, this pretty much applies to everyone in the country, but try explaining that to someone in Juno, Alaska! Of course, I am referring to the Great Northwest, where the bulk of this bulk-email is delivered to. Although wine is grown in 50 states, the Northwest has a great deal of great wine. Things have progressed so far in the Northwest Wine department, that we are almost self-sufficient wine-wise and will be able to secede from the rest of the country soon! (See Coup D’Etat, Extra-Special Premium #1.) But I jest. . .

But now something about the wines! As a possible side-effect of global warming, there have been more and more warmer-weather grape varietals grown here and squashed into bold, tasty reds. I felt it my duty to explore some of these interesting wines, a journey beyond the seas of Pinot Noir. Firstly, but not foremostly, I bring you a Gamay Noir, the varietal behind the Beaujolais region of France. Also, I have 2 Bordeaux-Style blends, one Zinfandel, 2 Rhone-Style blends (Including the wickedly tasty Sinister Hand), and one certainly amazing Cabernet Franc from the Walla Walla winery Colvin Vineyards! There aren’t enough words to describe them! So, I guess you’ll just have to taste them for yourself. . . here! Tomorrow!

(And speaking of the Great Northwest, someone not-so-great in this Great Northwest has taken it upon themselves to run off with one of my planters with the Baby Twisty-Locust in it. Besides leaving my doorway asymetrical, it leaves the other Locust kinda lonely. So considering this is a small town, if anyone sees it anywhere, let me know. I’ll offer a decent reward for its safe return! And oh, the tasty things I can reward with! Thanks, all!)

So Friday, September 10th, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

The Great Northwest!
Amity 2002 Gamay Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Foris 2000 Fly-Over Red, Rogue Valley, Oregon
A to Z 2002 Claret, Southern Oregon
Westrey 1999 Zinfandel, Layne Vineyard, Applegate Valley, Oregon
Owen Roe 2003 Sinister Hand, Columbia Valley, Washington

The Extra-Special Premium Pours:
Andrew Rich 2002 Coup D’Etat, Oregon/Washington
Colvin Vineyards 2001 Cabernet Franc, Chelle den Pleasant Vineyard, Washington

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 Rhone!
M

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

Happy almost Labor Day weekend day! Or, if you will, Labor Day Eve Eve Eve Eve. Labor Day is the holiday to celebrate the workers of this great country by (almost ironically) not working. That should technically make the day after Labor Day “Get Back to Work Day,” since I remember that was when everyone seemed to go back to school, or ended their vacations, or found civilization again from getting lost in the woods while camping. So in honor of Labor Day, tomorrow night (Labor Day Eve Eve Eve), I will be returning to the Mostly-Red-End-Of-Summer tastings with one of my favorites: The Wonderful Wines of Spain!

This will be a good one, as I’ve selected some of the best Spanish wines I could find. One of the wines of specific note is the Capcanes 2002 Mas Donis, (Which I believe may translate to “More Donuts.” What? No?) The previous vintage of the Mas Donis was one of the best sellers of last year, in this shop, and gets grand reviews from the wine critics. Before it gets too much press and skyrockets the price, I thought I might pour the new vintage of this and we can all say we liked it before it was popular. Also featured here is the newest venture of Alejandro Fernandez (not the Latin singer. . .at least I don’t think so. . .), the powerhouse behind the Condado de Haza, Pesquiera and El Vinculo. This new wine is the Dehesa la Granja, and is sure to be just as stellar as the rest of his lineup.

It’s going to be tasty, and a great way to begin the weekend that ends the Summer!

So Friday, September 3rd, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

Spain!
Los Caminillos 2002 Blanco, Vineos de Madrid
Campo Viejo 1999 Tempranillo Reserva, Rioja
Ochoa 2002 Graciano/Garnacha, Navarra
Castano 2002 Hecula, Yecla
Capcanes 2002 Mas Donis, Montsant

The Extra-Special Premium Pours:
Senorio de Valdehermoso 2002 Joven, Ribera del Duero
Alejandro Fernandez 2000 Dehesa la Granja, Vadillo de la Guarena

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 Great Northwest!
M