WINO 101

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

Here we go again for some of my favorite wines in the world: The French Rhone! And it’s the Southern Rhone, to be more specific. It’s certainly an exciting time for Rhone wines considering that the past year we’ve been having to deal with, (or more specifically NOT deal with) the abysmal 2002 vintage of Rhone wines. By the sounds of it, the Rhone was under water in 2002, so the wines from that vintage are sketchy at best. I suppose there were a few halfway-decent wines, but none I can remember off the top of my head. I think most of the winemakers just cut their losses and went on vacation.

Now that the 2003 Rhone wines are trickling into the market, it’s a welcome relief! I’ve amassed a few, or a-four of these into the lineup. I’ve also included wines from the also stellar 2001 vintage from three of my favorite Rhone regions: Vacqueyras, Gigondas and, of course, a Chateauneuf du Pape. It wouldn’t be a Rhone tasting without a Chateauneuf, would it? It’s all so exciting and tasty-sounding, I’m having a hard time not starting right now.

But the excitement continues on! Also tomorrow, I’ll be having in-house music once again! This time the featured artist is the wonderful fret-work of local guitarist Tony Smiley! If you’ve never heard guitar played in the shop, the acoustics are perfect. So this one is a must-see, must-taste, must-listen, must. . uh. . .must. See you tomorrow! Ye shant regret it!

So Friday, April 29th, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

Wonderful Wines of the Rhone!
Domaine Chaume-Arnaud 2003 Cotes du Rhone
Domaine de la Janasse 2003 Les Garrigue Cotes du Rhone
Chateau de Saint Cosme 2003 Cotes du Rhone
Delas Freres 2003 Val Muzol Cotes du Ventoux
Chateau des Roques 2001 Vacqueyras

More Wonderful Wines of the Rhone!
Caves Granier 2001 Chateauneuf du Pape “Ancien Pontifs
Santa Duc 2001 Gigondas

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

Next Friday tasting is French Rhone!
Also next Friday is In-House Live Music with local Guitarist Tony Smiley!

M

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

Last week we visited the neighbors to the South. . .This week, we’re traveling the other direction and visiting with the neighbors just to the North: Washington! The wines from Washington are one of the more exciting prospects in the blossoming worldwide wine scene. They’re some of my favorites, and I’d say they round out the portfolio of Northwest wines, considering the vast majority of Oregon wines are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Yes, I know there is a greater variety in Oregon, but really, if you fill in the blank here: Oregon “_____”, what would you write? (“Ducks” or “Beavers” not being valid answers.)

My affinity for Washington wine all starts with my birth in Washington. Oh, the wines I enjoyed for the two years I lived there. Yep. Okay, maybe not. . .but the first two years of life are the most formative, and I believe the Washington wine scene was also in its infancy at the same time. More realistically, Washington wines can be praised for the Rhone and Bordeaux varietals, exploding with fruit and weight and complexity. They’ve been winning awards across the board, and garnering Walla Walla some international recognition, not just as a country-style redneck town with a college and a funny name, but as a country-style redneck town with a college and a funny name and a lot of really good wineries.

Also, keep your eyes on the Yakima Valley. I’ve been finding a lot of gems from there, and they don’t break the bank like many of the Walla Walla wines do. And hey! Look! There’s a white wine in the lineup! It’s a Viognier, one of my favorite white wine varietals! As I tasted through all the wines at the “Taste of Walla Walla” event last month, the Cougar Crest Viognier stood out to me as one of the best. Out a few hundred wines, that’s something to take note of.

So Friday, April 22nd, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

Washington!
Cougar Crest 2004 Viognier, Walla Walla
Ryan Patrick 2003 Rock Island Red, Columbia Valley
Chinook 2002 Cabernet Franc, Yakima Valley
Sheridan Vineyards 2003 Kamiakin, Yakima Valley
Fidelitas 2003 M100 (Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec), Columbia Valley

Also Washington!
Maryhill 2002 Zinfandel, Columbia Valley
K Vintners 2003 Syrah, Walla Walla

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

Next Friday tasting is French Rhone!
Also next Friday is In-House Live Music with local Guitarist Tony Smiley!

M

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

This week we’re visiting our “Elbow-Macaroni-Shaped” Neighbors to the South: California! Think of all the things California has granted the world: McDonalds “Restaurant” got its start there. Hollywood. Kevin Costner. Guns ‘N Roses. The place where you’re mailing your hard-earned tax dollars tomorrow. And for all these things we will be willing to forgive them for, all because of such wonderful wines it gives.

The wines from California are often overlooked because sometimes it just seems so common. Not so exotic. All of the shelves at the grocery stores are overflowing with big-name, cheap California wines. Cabernet. Chardonnay. Merlot. Cabernet. Chardonnay. Merlot. This redundancy may make it easy to forget that there is a whole lot more to it than that. The selection is almost limitless, and there are always fascinating things certain winemakers are doing: Planting more exotic and odd varietals or experimenting with esoteric new blends.

But considering that the wine selection there is so vast, I decided to focus on 3 factors: Great Values, Odd Varietals, and Luscious Blends, the last always being my favorite. In the “Great Value” category we have the Crow Canyon, one of the best bottles of Syrah you can get for $8, and the Montoya Cabernet Sauvignon. Whoever heard of a Napa Valley cabernet retailing under $40? Here’s one for $12.95! As for odd varietals, I guess Sangiovese isn’t really that odd, but considering there isn’t very much of it made, I guess that’s kinda odd. Also, there are all kinds of stellar blends in there. I included the grape varieties in the description, for your convenience.

Happy Tax Day!

So Friday, April 15th, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

California!
Crow Canyon 2003 Syrah, California
Montoya 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Rabbit Ridge 2001 Brunello Clone Sangiovese, Paso Robles
Il Cuore 2001 Rosso Classico (Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Syrah, Carignane), Mendocino County
Amethyst 1998 Vinalia (Sangiovese/Nebbiolo), Carneros, Napa Valley

Also California!
Spencer-Roloson 2001 Palaterra (Carignane, Syrah, Valdigue), Napa Valley
Garretson Wine Company 2003 “G” Red (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Viognier), Central Coast

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

Next Friday tasting is Wines of Washington!

M

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

It’s time for a visit from one of my favorite wines: The Petite Syrah! Why my favorite? It’s because of the powerful heady fruit and the rigid, heavy tannin structure is this powerhouse of a wine. . .and it turns your teeth and tongue purple.

Petite Syrah, which has been the product of so many good wines for many years was finally confirmed, as recently as 1996, as the Durif grape from the French Rhone region. Botanists had confirmed this by examining the DNA structure of the grape in the same way that forensic scientists do on the shows I always get sucked into watching on Court TV, late at night.

They were able to prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt that Petite Syrah, AKA Durif, is the son of Peloursin (mother) and Syrah (father), married by French botanist Francois Durif. Syrah is, of course, the outspoken grape varietal superstar seen throughout the world. Peloursin was unavailable for comment, however she may make small appearances in blends from the Southern Rhone. Now, how they are able to prove the gender of all the grapevines in question is beyond me. But I’m no botanist.

The Petite Syrah has developed quite a cult following, although mostly concentrated around the growers in California. In the same way that Zinfandel has ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates & Producers), Petite Syrah has “P.S. I love you”, a whole society surrounding the grape, including a website and materials promoting the wines and the producers. More information can be found at: http://www.psiloveyou.org/

But for a more hands-on, purple-teeth, purple-tongue experience, I’ll have 7 of these legendary wines, made from this exquisite thick-skinned grape, here tomorrow! A few of the highlights include: Chateau La Paws, which is the secondary label for Rosenblum. Lolonis Oprheus, organically grown with ladybugs instead of pesticides. And the Petite Syrah from Dashe, the wine I liked so much I put together this tasting so I could feature it!

So Friday, April 8th, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

P.S. I love you!
Viano 2000 Petite Syrah, Contra Costa County
Chateau La Paws 2002 Petite Syrah, Contra Costa County/Lodi
David Bruce 2003 Petite Syrah, Central Coast
Foppiano 2001 Petite Syrah, Russian River
Dashe 2002 Petite Syrah, Lodi

P.S. I Love You Two More!
Blockheadia Ringnosi 2001 Petite Syrah, Napa Valley
Lolonis 2001 Orpheus Petite Syrah, Redwood Valley **Organic**

For fun I almost included a regular Syrah in half-bottle size. . .get it “Petite” Syrah? But that wouldn’t be fair to Petite Syrah to have his outspoken father intervening. . .even in smaller-bottle form.

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

Next Friday tasting is Awesome California Wines! Dude, Totally!

M

The results of the First Annual Carpe Vinum Blind Tasting are in!

The blind tasting was a lot of fun, however, it appears I made things a tad too difficult. If the idea was to celebrate April Fool’s Day by fooling the taster, I think I did just that, for the most part. So let’s look at the lineup UNMASKED!

Wine #1: I made this an easy one. Considering the choices were 2 white wines and Zinfandel, and the wine was red, you were correct in assuming it was Zinfandel. And considering that the majority of Zinfandel is from California, I thought that would be a fairly obvious selection.
The Conclusion: Joel Gott 2003 Zinfandel, California
Total Points Possible: 2

Wine #2: This was a 2-varietal blend, that I may have made a bit too tricky. It’s a Viognier/Syrah blend from the South of France. Viognier is often used in Rhone-style blends to soften the syrah a bit. Yes, it’s a white grape. (Nobody guessed Viognier)
The Conclusion: Le Freak 2003 Shiraz/Viognier, Vin de Pays D’Oc, France
Total Points Possible: 3

Wine #3: I thought this one would be a bit easier, considering it’s Italian. But alas, it didn’t seem quite so Italian upon the tasting of it. Fooled again. It’s a Sangiovese/Merlot blend from Tuscany.
The Conclusion: Farnetella 2001 Lucilla (Sangiovese/Merlot), IGT Toscana, Italy
Total Points Possible: 3

Wine #4: I tried to make this one a bit tricky. It’s Writer’s Block Syrah from the son of Jeb Steele, of Steele Winery and Shooting Star. It’s seasoned with a bit of Zinfandel. You don’t see that too often, so I thought it might be tricky. Writer’s Block also makes a Pinot Noir flavored with Zin as well. I’d have poured that one, but it’s awful.
The Conclusion: Writer’s Block 2002 Syrah, Lake County, California
Total Points Possible: 3

Wine #5: Stepping things up, it’s a 3-varietal blend from the South of Italy. The island part of the South of Italy. . .or one of the islands, anyway: Sicily! It’s a Nero D’Avola/Syrah/Merlot blend. I’ve never seen a Nero D’Avola from anywhere besides Sicily, so I thought that might be a giveaway on the region.
The Conclusion: Planeta 2003 La Segreta (Nero D’Avola/Merlot/Syrah), IGT Sicily, Italy
Total Points Possible: 4

Wine #6: It’s a 4-varietal blend. I actually had it in here a few weeks ago, and I thought it interesting enough to try again. Especially considering the blend. It’s an Argentinean wine that includes Tempranillo. How curious.
The Conclusion: Urban Oak 2002 Tempranillo/Malbec/Merlot/Syrah, Valle de Uco, Argentina
Total Points Possible: 5

Wine #7: And finally, this one was the most popular, and an opportunity to make up some good points, although I made it look like there was more possibility of losing points. Of the 17 grape varietal choices I listed, there were only 3 that were not in this wine. It’s the Toad Hollow “Erik’s the Red” and contains 14 grape varietals, by my count. On the website, they list 15, but Primitivo and Zinfandel are the same grape in my book. Grapes included: Cabernet Sauvignon, Refosco, Syrah, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petite Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Dolcetto and Barbera. The Viking themed label is also why I included “Valhalla” in the incorrect answer choices for region. It’s from California.
The Conclusion: Toad Hollow NV Erik’s the Red Lot 42, Paso Robles, California
Total Points Possible: 15

Total Points Possible for Entire Tasting: 45 (Including Extra-Credit Drawing)
Favorite Wine (Overall): Writer’s Block Syrah, with Erik’s the Red in a close second.
Least Favorite Wine: Le Freak Shiraz/Viognier (But at least it has a cool name.)

The extra credit of drawing bunches of grapes went well. Wine bottle drawings were acceptable as well, as wine bottles are filled with bunches of bunches of grapes. Even the snowman drawing gets the credit, because the snowman could have been made from grapes. Well done! You all get 10 extra points! I’ll try to post them to the website, once I have a bit more structure in there. (Coming soon!)

The vote for the breed of winery dog was pretty evenly divided. Mutt was in first with 5 votes, followed by a tie of 4 votes for both Cat and Golden Retriever. Labrador and the write-in of Old English Sheepdog tied for third, with Irish Wolfhound trailing in last place with the write-ins of Corgie, Bernese, Ferret, Hot (Dog), Pug, Border Collie and Pig (because it’s great with Zin.) I guess we all agree that the Dalmatians belong at the fire station, and Chihuahuas belong on Taco Bell ads.

As far as the prizes promised, I guess I’ll be giving out more than I figured because so many people tied for 3rd place. The scores overall were a bit more even than I figured they would be, but I guess that comes from making things too difficult. But boy was it fun!

First and second place was tied between Fay and Janis! I’ll have to make some kind of tiebreaker to see who wins the Vacuum Pump and the year’s worth of Wine Spectator, and who gets the Waiter’s Corkscrew and the 6 Months of Wine Spectator. How about a foot race? The first one through the doors wins First Place? Sounds good to me.

Third place tied between 5 people. I’ll upgrade it to 6 if Annie can draw me some grapes. As, far as the prizes, having so many people scoring the same confuses things a bit. . . but since I’m discontinuing the Wine Spectator in the shop, here’s a chance for you to stock up on your library. I’m offering for each Third Place winner to receive 4 copies, of your choice, of these leftover Spectators, as well as either a Capitano Corkscrew or a 2-Stopper Set to go with the Vacuum Pump (sold separately). What a deal!

And just on a technical note, considering that I didn’t subtract points for wrong answers, except for wine #7, if a person checked every box on the sheet, they would have scored 42 points. . .ah, well. . April Fools!

Thanks for joining me in this event! I think I’ll do it again sometime, but maybe make it a bit easier.

Seize the Wine!

M