WINO 101

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

Welcome to the Newsletter of the Week From Carpe Vinum and the Tasting Announcement That Appears Herein. This week we’re continuing on with out regional study of Spanish wines and the region of Spain’s Levant! This is the 5th segment of the tour of Spain. The whole purpose of this Spanish experiment is to explore further the Spanish wines in a bit more detail. I knew I liked Spanish wines as a whole, but needed to be clear on exactly what about Spanish wines made them good. I mean, it’s a pretty big place, and this study gets us to know a bit more about the Spanish regional styles, as well as the regions. Let’s see . . . we’ve done Galicia, Old Castille, Catalunya, and the North-Central part of Spain. We’ve only got a few left before we get to do it all over again. But this time we’re heading down to the Levant, a lesser-known region of Spain that features many great values. Actually, value is what they seem to do best, considering I was a bit hard-pressed to find higher-end wines to fit into the premium spots of the tasting. (So for one of the premiums I added a wine from the Balears, islands just off the coast.) But now: The Levant.

The Levant is the region of South Eastern Spain that borders the Mediterranean, just south of Catalunya. They call it the Levant because this is where the sun rises (levantarse, in Spanish). As poetic as that sounds, from our perspective it can even have another meaning as we drink our morning orange juice, because of one of the main ports of the Levant is Valencia. And, of course, the region is best known for Oranges. Besides oranges, most folks don’t know that Valencia produces wine at all . . . which is inconsequential at the moment considering I only found 2 Valencia wine producers, and they were both sold out. Sigh.

So the main parts of the Levant that we’re concerned about include Valencia with neighboring regions of Alicante and Utiel-Requena, and the regions of Murcia: The better known regions of Jumilla and Yecla, and the practically unknown Bullas. The regions of Jumilla and Yecla have seen a renaissance in recent years, and we’ve seen a great number of wines appearing from these regions. They’ve all been great values and reliably good. The Levant, as a whole, has a few native varietals that appear in the wines, but none take quite the center stage as the Monastrell grape, known as Mourvedre almost everywhere else. The Spaniards of the Levant have proven that with a bit of an artistic touch, the Monastrell can have as much finesse and complexity as its Rhone cousins.

This was a tough one to put together, as there isn’t very much of the Levant wine out there. It was impossible to get representatives from Bullas, Valencia proper, and Utiel-Requena. Looking back to what got me interested in Spanish wine to begin with, the wines of this region played no small part, being interesting, delicious and inexpensive. Also, considering the area is a shipping powerhouse, we can expect to see more of these in the near future.

So Friday, January 26th, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

Spain’s Levant!!!
Vins del Comtat 2003 Penya Cadiella (Grenache, Merlot, Monastrell, Tempranillo), Alicante
Finca Luzon 2004 Altos de Luzon (Monastrell, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo), Jumilla
Juan Gil 2004 Juan Gil (Monastrell), Jumilla
Castano 2003 Solanera (Monastrell, Cabernet Sauvignon, Monastrell), Yecla
Bodegas Antonio Candela 2005 Barahonda, Yecla (Monastrell)

Levant & Ils Balears
Casta Diva 2002 Vina Ulises Tinto Crianza (Grenache, Merlot, Monastrell, Tempranillo), Alicante
Bodegas Ribas 2002 Sio (Mantonegro, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon), Ils Balears

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 South America: Chile & Argentina!

M

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

It’s time again for that awesomest of the awesome tasting announcement! It’s the Carpe Vinum Awesomest Awesome Friday Tasting Announcement and Awesomeish Newsletter! This week we’re tasting Awesome Aussies! It’s seven awesome wines from the warmest parts of an already warm and dry continent/island/country. And are these wines dry, just like the landscape? Absolut- . . . er . . . yeah, kinda. They’re dry red wines, yes. But they’re fruity, juicy and, like, totally awesome. Let’s discuss.

Okay. Remember the eighties? Where, like, suddenly everyone was, like, totally saying, like, “awesome” all the time? Remember that? Well okay. Perhaps it’s now time to stop using the word. I just used it in the title because it’s alliterative to Aussie. And if I called it Auspicious Aussies, no one would know what I’m talking about. I’m afraid the word has been used to death. Sorry “awesome” . . . it’s time we parted ways. Don’t worry. It’s not you, it’s the rest of us. So in what way should we describe the awes- . . . uh, tremendous power of these Australian red wines? And how do we keep it alliterative? Merriam-Webster suggests Amazing, Astonishing, and Astounding. That’s a good start. And it’s all we get from a free internet thesaurus.

So. Moving on from the linguistic eulogy of that one word that shan’t be uttered again . . . Here we are at one of the most exciting wine regions of the earth: Australia! Really, as a New World wine region, Australia has taken wine styles from around the world, and turned them on their heads. Some of the best they have to offer are the French Rhone varietals of Shiraz, Grenache and Mourvedre. The grapes may be the same, but these are akin to the wines of the Southern Rhone on steroids. And to bring us back to the Eighties, and the words of a famous Australian band, these wines are, like, totally “six-foot-four-and-full-of-muscles”. They may even wash down a good vegemite sandwich. (Or rinse the taste out. Yeeargh.)

The selection this week are the wines that caught my attention. As Australia has become the world’s largest exporter of wine, it’s easy to get lost in a sea of Shiraz. That’s why I leave all the Aussie Shiraz to a separate tasting. This one is focusing on a number of other varieties. I’m starting with a Cabernet Franc. Firstly because I love a good Cab Franc, and secondly because I’ve seen very few varietal Cab Franc wines out of Australia. Also, I also get distracted by the names of some of these wines. Therefore I couldn’t pass up a wine called “The Bitch” Grenache. I don’t know why it’s called that, but perhaps in thinking back to the Eighties again, it’s “bitchin’”. Also, and to fill out the rest, are some of the awe- . . . er . . . superb Rhone-style blends that we know and love about Australia.

R.I.P. “Awesome”. We had an awe- . . . uh . . . we had a swell time.

So Friday, January 19th, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

Awesome Aussies!!! (Just one last time.)
Hanenhof 2005 Cabernet Franc, Barossa Valley
R Winery 2004 “The Bitch” Grenache, Barossa Valley
Hare’s Chase 2003 Red Blend (Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet Franc), Barossa Valley
Cimicky 2005 Trumps Grenache/Shiraz, Barossa Valley
Lengs & Cooter 2004 “The Victor” (Shiraz/Grenache), Clare Valley

Awesomer Awesome Aussies!!! (Okay, last time . . . really.)
Torbreck 2003 The Steading GSM (Grenache, Shiraz, Mourvedre), Barossa Valley
Kaesler 2005 Avignon GSM, Barossa Valley

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 Spanish Wines of the Levant: Jumilla, Yecla, Valencia, Etcetera!

M

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

Happy . . .um . . . Second Week of the New Year! That seems a bit anticlimactic, doesn’t it? I guess for the second week we just settle into the old routines again and try not to look at the post-holiday credit card bills. On the good side, the crowds at the gym start to diminish after the first week of the year, so there’s less fighting to get on that stairclimber. Ah, resolutions. As to my resolution: I resolve to keep serving the best wines possible at the price with emphasis on the “Hey, that’s neat!” and the “This is a what? Hey, that’s good!” genres of wines. And to show that some resolutions can be kept, here’s the Carpe Vinum Second Week of January Newsletter and Tasting Announcement For Which It Exists! And this week, it’s the wines of Southwest France!

“The wines of Southwest France” seems to be a vague title. And rightfully so, as the regions that are contained within that designation are scattered about with no seeming semblance of order. They are country wines, and are as diverse, and therefore as interesting, as any others I’ve encountered. There are styles in the region that are unmatched and some native grapes that are seldom, if ever, planted elsewhere. But what makes them all “Southwest”? Well . . . that’s, uh . . .where they are located within France: The Southwest. It’s just the vast area of territory between the Southern and Eastern edges of Bordeaux, and the Northern and Westernmost reaches of Languedoc and Rousillon, and continuing all the way down to the Basque country in the Pyrenees, way far South. There are about two-dozen individual grower regions within the Southwest and, frankly, they are a bit hard to track down, here in town. Also, and as a result of these wines being so obscure, there are a great many bargains to be found in the region. So of these two-or-so-dozen wine districts, we’ve got seven.

We’re starting with the Cotes de Marmandais, which is directly bordering Bordeaux. As a result, as you might expect, the wines are in the same style as Bordeaux, being Cabernet, Merlot and Cabernet Franc blends. Further to the East of Marmandais we find one of the more famous wine districts of Cahors. Traditionally the wines were all inky-black and made from all Malbec. After the phylloxera epidemic wiped out most of the vineyards, and the Malbec had a hard time grafting onto phylloxera-resistant rootstock, the region saw more Merlot and Tannat grapes mixed into the blend. But the wines of Cahors must be at least 70% Malbec, and are still dark, dark wines.

South of Cahors we find the regions Gaillac, Frontonnais, Madiran, and Irouleguy. All feature a multitude of grape varieties that we know well, and others we’ve probably never heard of. Of a specific note is the superstar of this part of the region: The Tannat grape which dominates the Madiran and Irouleguy wines. The wines made from Tannat are burly, tannic, and spicy. I’ve been enjoying these wines quite a bit, and this region of the world is one of the only places to get it. I guess they’ve experimented with a bit of Tannat in the New World, but I’ve never seen any of them around here. It’s just stuff of legends and fairy-tales to keep the young eonophiles in check.

Oh, but that’s not all! While searching for new and interesting wines for the tasting, I came across one I’ve never seen before, and I was perplexed. No . . . not perplexed . . . um . . . piqued interest? Intrigued! Something like that . . . It caught my attention. It’s a sweet white wine from within the Madiran region called Pacherenc du Vic-Bihl Doux, if you can believe such a thing. It’s a late-harvest wine made with Arrufiac, Courbu, Petit Manseng, Gros Manseng with bits of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. I guess you didn’t really need to know all those grapes unless you were going to try to make one yourself . . . which, and of course, let me know if you do. That would be just too weird to pass up!

So Friday, January 12th, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

Southwest France!!!
Chateau de Fontalem 2004 Cotes de Marmandais
Chateau de Cedre 2004 Heritage, Cahors
Bellevue la Foret Optimum, Cotes du Frontonnais
Domaine des Terrisses 2004 Rouge, Gaillac
Chateau Lafitte-Teston 2003 Vielles Vignes, Madiran

More Wines Southwest France!!!
Chateau Montus 2002 Madiran
Domaine Brana 2003 Rouge, Irouleguy

And, yes! It’s Another Triumphant Return of the Satellite Dessert Pour!!!
Domaine Brumont 2001 Pacherenc du Vic Bihl Doux

A stellar deal at $10 for the First 5, $6 for the Extra 2 Premium Pours, and $4 for the dessert pour.
Hope to see you here!

Seize the Wine!

Next Friday tasting is Awesome Aussies!

M

Oh . . . did I say “Prime Numbers”? I meant, uh . . . “Odd Numbers”!

Yes. I know 9 is not a prime number. I knew that. Really, I did! I’m just tired, is all.

Sigh.

Okay, while I’m back here, anyway, I might mention that I’m doing a bit of an address book cleanup, so if any of you stop receiving the email next week, let me know and I’ll remedy the situation.

So see you all tomorrow. The 5th. The number 5 being a real prime number. Really, this time. 3, 5, 7, 11, etc.

M

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

Happy New Year! I hope the Holidays’ conclusions found everyone home safe and happy. I mean, not that everyone left home for the Holidays. Although that would be neat . . . considering that if EVERYone left home for the Holidays, no one would ever get to where they were going since there would be no one there to meet them. Or maybe that only makes sense to me in that weird little world that is my imagination. It’s a lonely place.

So let’s kick off this grand year of 2007 in style with the New and Improved Carpe Vinum Newsletter for 2007 and the Tasting Announcement for the New and Improved Tasting for 2007! How is it “New and Improved”? Well, it’s . . . it’s because I said so. Just like all those products that don’t change, but just say “New and Improved”. At any rate, what are we tasting? Wines of Washington! (W.O.W. for short.)

Well, as a “New and Improved” tasting, I guess that title could still ring true. At least the “New” part. I’ve been a longtime fan of Washington wines, delicious reds and whites that are readily available due to the proximity of the region and also due to the fact that the prices haven’t totally skyrocketed (yet!). There are plenty of wonderful wines coming from anywhere within Washington, and it seems there are always more around the corner waiting to be discovered. So that’s what we’re out to do this week. We’re going to debut 7 new wineries that have never been featured in Carpe Vinum. Many of these I’ve been curious about in the past, there are a couple I’ve visited and, well, one I’ve never heard of before.

So the direction I thought I might like to take with this tasting is to focus on red blends of Washington. Generally I feel that the blended reds tend to make a better wine, considering the winemaker will blend the juice until it tastes good. As opposed to the single-vineyard, single-varietal wines, like the Cabs and Merlots that just end up costing an arm and a leg for being from one locale. This blending also ensures that the cost is down. Tasty and inexpensive. Right where we want to be.

So in looking at the selection down there, you might think “Hey! All those wines are from ONE region of Washington. Columbia Valley! That’s Boring!”

“Ah, but it’s not boring!” I might reply if I could hear you thinking that.

All the wines ARE from the Columbia Valley, but that appellation covers a vast area of Washington. The Columbia Valley stretches from around the Cascades in the West almost to Idaho in the East, and as far North as the border of the Okanogan Valley down South into Oregon. It’s a big area. So until the appellations are carved up into smaller pieces, like the Walla Walla, Horse Heaven Hills, Yakima, and Columbia Gorge appellations, and so on, any wines that come from multiple locations within Washington must be labeled as “Columbia Valley.” Yes, it’s a bit vague. I think someone is working on that.

So the selections this week are all red blends with the exception of the Walla Walla Vintners’ Cabernet Franc. And that’s just because I love the Cabernet Franc, and I wanted to try this one . . . Hey, this tasting is for me too, y’know! Also note that all the wines are from 2004. I thought that might give them a sense of order and a point of comparison. And I’m sometimes a control freak that way. Also, also: Note that names of three of these wines feature numbers: Three Rivers, Seven Hills, and Nine Mile. All those numbers are PRIME numbers! Coincidence? Discuss.

So Friday, January 5th, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

Wines of Washington (W.O.W!) !!!
Vin du Lac 2004 Cuvee Rouge (Merlot, Cab. Sauv, Syrah), Columbia Valley
Three Rivers 2004 Rivers Red (Merlot, Cab. Sauv, Malbec, Grenache), Columbia Valley
Seven Hills 2004 Planing Mill Red (Syrah, Merlot, Cab. Franc), Columbia Valley
Syzygy 2004 Red Wine (Cab. Sauv, Syrah, Merlot, Malbec), Columbia Valley
Ash Hollow 2004 Nine Mile (Cab. Sauv, Merlot, Cab. Franc), Columbia Valley

More Wines of Washington (M.W.O.W!) !!!
Cadence Winery 2004 Coda (Cab. Franc, Cab. Sauv), Columbia Valley
Walla Walla Vintners 2004 Cabernet Franc, Columbia Valley

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 Wines of Southwest France!

M