WINO 101

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

It’s time! Time Again! Time for another Wonderful Newsletter of the Happy Fun COOL World of Carpe Vinum and the Tasting Announcement Therein, Thereby and Thereof! It’s another exciting week! Hot. Hot and exciting. But COOLER in here. Why? We’re celebrating the new release of the Carpe Vinum Ultra-Special AIR CONDITIONING.  What are we celebrating with? More wine, of course! Wines of the Pacific Northwest, to be exact. We all need something to celebrate, right? And drinking wine in a nicely AIR CONDITIONED environment is certainly worth celebrating.

But now we turn our attention away from the new and really COOL Carpe Vinum AIR CONDITIONING to the wines of this week. As I was sitting here this week, pondering the selections for this week’s tasting in my nicely AIR CONDITIONED space, I was thinking about the Pacific Northwest wines. I was thinking about how COOL it would be to serve up a whole bunch of Oregon Pinot Noirs to honor our neighbors just outside our nice AIR CONDITIONED homes. But then I said to myself, “Well gee. . .Oregon Pinot Noirs just cost so much. And I just spent all this cash on my new AIR CONDITIONING and the electrical work to get it put in here. Perhaps I should find a whole bunch of less expensive Pinots for a full tasting another day. After all, it’s too hot outside to drink all red wines.”

“Okay.” I replied. “But you might want to stop talking to yourself. Or folks will start talking about you. But how about a few decent and affordable CHILLED white wines, as well as a few stellar reds?” To which I didn’t reply, because then I’d be talking to myself again. Instead, I assembled a lot of really good things from Oregon and Washington. Ooh. . really good things.

Firstly (and secondly and thirdly) we have white blends, all different and all delicious and CHILLED. And all really affordable, too. Next we’ve got a Rose, as I’ve been asked repeatedly about more of them. I’ve tried this one too. Also delicious. Next we have a good Washington red blend “Calico Red”, a wine that fights back all the dog-label-wine-stereotypes by actually featuring a cat on the label. (Purr-fect! . . . Sorry. . .) Then we’ve got an Italian varietal grown in Oregon. What?! Ponzi’s Dolcetto! Then, as if it couldn’t get any better, it’s the return of the superb K Vintner’s Milbrandt Syrah.

Ooh! Ooh! And there’s even more! There’s a new Washington winery available in town that is located just over the border from Canada’s Okanogan Valley, famous for late-harvest wines and ice wines. Tomorrow I’ll have a dessert pour from the Okanogan Estate’s Late-Harvest Sauvignon Blanc. Decadent!

I wouldn’t miss this for all the wine in the world! (Hmmm. . .well. . ALL the wine in the world? . . Hmmm. . .) And we’re AIR CONDITIONED. Um . . . y’know . . . in case I forgot to mention that.

So Friday, July 28th, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

The Pacific Northwest!!!
Basel Cellars 2005 “Forget Me Not” (Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc), Columbia Valley, Washington
Fidelitas 2005 M100 White Wine (Semillon, Viognier, Rousanne), Columbia Valley, Washington
Z’IVO 2004 “Three” (Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Melon), Willamette Valley, Oregon
Gordon Brothers 2005 Rose (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot), Columbia Valley, Washington
Bergevin Lane 2004 Calico Red (Cab, Merlot, Syrah, Zin, Cab Franc), Columbia Valley, Washington

Oregon & Washington!!!
Ponzi 2004 Dolcetto, Willamette Valley, Oregon
K Vintners 2004 Milbrandt Syrah, Columbia Valley, Washington

Washington (Almost to British Columbia)!!!
Okanagan Estate 2004 Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc, Okanagan Valley, Washington

A stellar deal at $10 for the First 5, $6 for the Extra 2 Premium Pours, $5 for the Dessert Pour.
Hope to see you here!

Seize the Wine!

Next Friday tasting is Germany & Austria!!

M

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

Welcome to another wonderful installment of the Weekly Carpe Vinum Newsletter of Extreme Importance and Tasting Announcement of Equally Extreme Importance! This week we’re finishing up on our Tour de France with the third installment of three, featuring three fine French wine regions: Firstly it’s the crowd favorite Rhone valley, secondly the relatively unknown Jura (and Savoie), and thirdly it’s the international wine sensation of Burgundy (Bourgogne to the French.)

That’s a lot of ground to cover in a single week, and even more so if it’s done on a bike. Speaking of which, and in reference to the actual Tour de France, apparently our American contender took a tumble and dropped to 11th place. That was sad. But just when we thought there was no hope, he kicked it into high-gear and recovered enough time to place back in 3rd. All that on a bad hip that is apparently going to be replaced once the Tour is over. That’s pretty badass.

So speaking of badass, the first of the regions we’re visiting this week is the Rhone. It’s a wonderful land of super-charged fruity reds and nicely rounded whites. It’s always a pleasure to feature wines from this region as they tend to be easily accessible, both in flavors and in physical supply and affordability. Sure, they have their super-expensive wines there, and all the spectrum of prices in-between, but not so much as Burgundy, our third region.

But first, before we get to the third, let’s visit the second! The second region, that is. Of the Tour. Of OUR tour. Whatever. It’s the Jura (and Savoie)! “What the heck are you talking about?” you may ask. “What the heck is a “Jura”, and why do you keep adding “(and Savoie)”?” Well, it’s simple! Jura is a little-known wine region in far Eastern France. Savoie is also a wine region in such close proximity to Jura that people always lump them together.

The Jura and Savoie regions are the French areas surrounding Geneva, Switzerland, which is situated at the very Western tip of Switzerland that juts into France. The wine regions are in and around the Alps and produce mostly whites and sparkling wines of apparently excellent quality. Why haven’t most of us heard of the wines from here? Well. . .because we haven’t. I guess it’s just that simple. There hasn’t been much presence in this market because exporters and importers just haven’t bothered. Except a few. And I hunted those down for the tasting because. . .well. . I do that kind of thing.

Thirdly, Burgundy! (Bourgogne to the French) It’s our third region for this tour, and second-to-last stop for those insane, and now very tired, cyclists. This is a land of Pinot Noir based red wines and Chardonnay based white wines, and the stuff that dreams are made of. As I mentioned earlier, much of Burgundy can be on the pricy end of the extended wine scale, but they do have a number of very affordable wine-for-the-people wines. One such wine I featured in my Burgundy tasting about 6 weeks ago. It was so popular during the tasting that I bought the rest of what was available in town. Get some before it’s gone!

So for tomorrow there are 5 white wines and 2 reds, to accommodate the warmer weather. Also, barring any complications, tomorrow should be the premiere of a new, super-advanced, ultra-cool air conditioning system for the shop. Should that fail, maybe I’ll bring in a kiddie pool filled with ice. Hmmm. . .that doesn’t sound like a bad idea, anyway.

So Friday, July 21st, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

Tour de France, The Denouement: Rhone, Jura, Savoie, Burgundy!!!
Domaine Jacques Tissot NV Cremant de Jura Brut, Jura (**Sparkling**)
Henri Perrusset 2004 Macon-Villages, Burgundy
Domaine du Joncier 2004 Le Maudit Blanc, Lirac
Pierre Boniface 2003 “Les Rocailles” Rousette de Savoie, Savoie
Fone de Michelle 2003 “Notre Passion”Cotes du Rhone

Tour de France: Rhone and Burgundy!!!
Francois Gay et Fils 2003 Chorey les Beaune, Burgundy
Henri Brunier 2004 Telegramme Blanc, Chateauneuf du Pape

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

Seize the Wine!

Next Friday tasting is Northwest Wines!!

M

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

Here we are again and welcome to the Ultra-Special Newsletter of the Week of Wine and Tasting Announcement for Carpe Vinum! It’s the second week of our Tour de France while we follow the real Tour de France. . .in spirit, anyway. . .y’know. . .since we couldn’t be there. But if there was a leg of the race I would want to be there for, this would be the one. Of course I wouldn’t want to be biking the whole trip. I’m just not in that kind of shape, considering they’ve been climbing the Pyrenees on the border between Spain and France. I’m sure it’s pretty, yeah, but that sounds like work to me. And speaking of work, it’s time to get to mine and explain to you, the faithful audience, just what the heck we’re doing this week.

So the race started off this week in the Bordeaux, possibly the world’s most famous wine region. So logically that’s a great place to start the tasting, as well. I’ve brought in a good white Bordeaux:a Sauvignon Blanc-based wine, crisp and wonderful on a hot day. Also thrown in for good measure is one of the legendary Bordeaux reds. Generally Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blends that are perfect for aging, or enjoying with a steak. . .or sometimes just on their own.

Tearing straight out of Bordeaux, the route took those crazy athletes through Southwest France. Now, for a wine region the Southwest is a bit confusing. It doesn’t really have specific borders like all the other regions in France. It’s more of a generalization for all the smaller individual districts situated between Bordeaux and Languedoc. But the apparent lack of organization does not detract from the quality of the wines from the region, but it does seem to make them a bit harder to track down. There are quite a lot of gems from Cahors, Jurancon, Madiran, Frontonnais, Marmandais and on and on. It’s this reason why the region is so fascinating and has become one of my favorites to explore.

Out of the Southwest the race runs through and concludes, for the week, in the Northern part of the Languedoc. The area is best known for the quantity of wine that comes out of the region and is sometimes referred to as the “wine lake,” as the production is quite high there. That doesn’t mean there’s any lack in quality. It makes it harder to pick out the really good ones, but I suppose that’s what I’m here for, hey? This is going to be another good one. A couple of delicious and crisp whites followed by some powerful reds.

Oh, and I almost forgot! To finish things off, I thought I might pour a Banyuls, since I’d never done that before. Banyuls is a region in the Languedoc that produces a red dessert wine, fortified like a port. I’ve tried it and it’s decadent!

So Friday, July 14th, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

Tour de France: Bordeaux, Southwest and Languedoc!!!
Marquis de Chasse 2005 Bordeaux Blanc, Bordeaux
Domaine Castera 2004 Sec, Jurancon
Chateau de Cedre 2003 Heritage, Cahors
Chateau Lafitte Teston 2003 Vielle Vignes, Madiran
Gres Saint Paul 2003 Grange Phillippe, Coteaux du Languedoc

Tour de France: More From Bordeaux and Languedoc!!!
Chateau Dutruch Grand Poujeaux 2001 Moulis en Medoc, Bordeaux
Mas de Martin 2004 Ultreia, Gres de Montpellier, Languedoc

Tour de France: Banyuls!!!
Domaine de la Rectorie 2004 Mute sur Grain, Banyuls

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

Seize the Wine!

Next Friday tasting is Tour de France Week 3: Rhone, Jura, and Burgundy!!

M

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

It’s our second-favorite day of the week! Thursday has arrived with another Newsletter of Great Importance for the Carpe Vinum First-Favorite Day of the Week and the Tasting Announcement for Friday! This week we’re embarking on the 3-week trip around France with the Tour de France! For the first week it’s going to be interesting. Those crazy cyclists (Not to be confused with “bikers”. Way different.) cruised all the way across Northern France, beginning in Alsace, passing by Champagne and ending in Loire. Sure, there’s some more interesting and scenic and historically rich territory between the starting point and the ending point. But as far as we’re concerned, it’s just those three.

“So you must like the Tour de France and bicycling a lot to do these tastings following the race,” you must be wondering. The answer is clear. Like most Americans, as long as we have one of our own in that race winning it for the glory of the country, we’re behind him all the way. As long as Lance is in there with that yellow jersey, we love bike races. Wait. . what? He retired? Hm. Isn’t he good enough to win without competing? Oh. Okay. Ah, well, then it’s still a good trip around one of the most important and influential wine countries in the world. On a bike, even.

So we’re starting in Alsace, the wine region situated in Northeast France, right on the German border. It’s a slightly cooler climate, and features cooler-weather grape varieties, predominantly whites. Look for some of the world’s best Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Gewurztraminer and the occasional really-really-expensive Pinot-Noir. Next up we have Champagne, just East of Paris. The Tour doesn’t actually pass THROUGH Champagne, but I thought it was close enough to throw one in there as an Extra-Special Pour. Finally, the race concludes the week on the far West of France in the Loire. . .well. . .just North of the Loire, but close enough by wine standards. In the Loire we find wines dominated by the white grapes Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc, and the noble red varietal of Cabernet Franc. I have some of my favorite Loire regions represented in here.

So we’ve got a mix of reds and whites tomorrow. Maybe someone can fill us all in on how the race is going. I last heard they kicked out half the racers for doping. Like anything called “doping” sounded like a good idea to begin with. . .

So Friday, July 7th, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

Tour de France: Alsace and Loire!!!
Domaine Schlumberger 2004 Les Princes Abbes Pinot Blanc, Alsace
Kuentz Bas 2004 Alsace Blanc, Alsace
Chotard 2004 Sancerre, Loire
Chateau de Fesles 2004 Anjou Rouge, Loire
Domaine de la Charriere 2004 Coteaux du Loire Rouge, Loire

Tour de France: More From the Loire!!!
Domaine des Roches Neuves 2003 Terres Chaudes, Saumur Champigny, Loire
Chateau de Chamboreau 2002 Savennieres, Loire

Tour de France: Champagne!!!
Heidsieck & Co. Monopole NV “Blue Top” Champagne

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

Next Friday tasting is Tour de France Week 2: Bordeaux, SW France, and Languedoc!!

M