WINO 101

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

Welcome to the Newsletter of Newsletters for the Tasting of Tastings at the Wine Shop of Wine Shops, Carpe Vinum! This week we’re heading to Oregon! Meaning, really, we’re just staying put. I mean, those of us who are already here are staying put. Here in Oregon, that is. I mean, of course we’re heading to Oregon in spirit. (Or spirits, rather. Hee hee.). Not that we were really GOING anywhere in the first place. I mean the tastings are just a travel through the space of seven wines from a region, not the actual region itself. But if we WERE going to the actual region itself, we’d actually BE there this time, right?

And speaking of going somewhere, not that the last paragraph was actually going anywhere, did anyone go anywhere during the Memorial Day Weekend? Me neither. It’s the weekend that all of the wineries in Oregon open their doors for a day or two, and then close them again until Thanksgiving. Why? Dunno. Spring release weekend, I guess. It seems like as a good a time as any for selling some wine. But is it really the best time to be out tasting some wine? That all depends on how much you like battling the traffic and the hoardes of wine-thirsty public. I heard last year it was just a stand-still-parking-lot-like traffic through Dundee for four or more hours. That’s the wrong kind of wine tasting, in my own opinion. Here comes the right kind of wine tasting! But first, let me digress . . .

I think back to one of my favorite observations of human behavior by legendary late author Douglas Adams about how humans constantly state the obvious. “‘It’s a nice day’, or ‘You’re very tall’, or ‘Oh dear, you seem to have fallen down a 30-foot well. Are you alright?’” So in keeping with stating the obvious I’ll just say that for those of us here in Oregon, it’s very hot. I don’t think this time we can say it’s the humidity. It’s just hot. Also, with the hotness, it really makes you appreciate the cool. And what’s cool is that the cool really needed to be appreciated to keep it cool. So what’s really cool on a hot day? No not beer. Don’t even say beer. I’ve found that a nice and chilled white wine is more cooling on a hot day than a beer. You know what’s even more refreshing than a nice and chilled white wine on a hot day? A wine popsicle! A winesicle! But I digress from my digression . . .

Now, if I may digress from my digression’s digression, you know what Oregon is famous for? No, besides Tanya Harding. No, not the Rajneeshis. No, no, no . . . not Courtney Love! Heck she’s technically not even FROM here. We’re talking about wine, alright? Right. Pinot Noir. There you go. It’s big right now. We’re famous! Hooray! It’s easy to lose sight, however, of the fact that we do a lot of things well here, and we mustn’t forget it! Pinot Noir may be the most widely-grown grape in Oregon, but pinot Gris is second. (And Chardonnay an unfortunate third). So for tomorrow we’ll be exploring a few (or a four) of Oregon’s finest nicely chilled white wine varieties.

We’ve got one of the finest examples of Oregon Sauvignon Blanc (and one of the rarest white grape varieties in Oregon), with Patricia Green. We’ve got one of the most misunderstood grape varieties that is Pinot Blanc with Youngberg Hill. We’ve got the new white-wine-rockstar of Viognier with Abacela. And finally we’ve got it good with Oregon’s second-most-widely-planted variety of Pinot Gris from The Pines. What fills out the rest of the tasting? Pinot noir from Big Fire, EIEIO and Chehalem!

Well, of course I’m pouring some Pinot Noir! I’m not crazy!

Okay, well maybe I am a BIT crazy, but I digress . . .

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

Oregon!!!
Patricia Green 2006 Sauvignon Blanc
Youngberg Hill 2006 Pinot Blanc
The Pines 2006 Pinot Gris
Abacela 2006 Viognier
Big Fire 2006 Pinot Noir

More Oregon! mOregon!!!
Chehalem 2005 3 Vineyard Pinot Noir
EIEIO 2005 Cuvee E Pinot Noir

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 New Zealand!

M

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

It is time, once again, for the Exercise in Enological Experimentation and Elevated Excitement Evermore (EEEEEE!, for those who love acronyms. And alliteration.) with the Carpe Vinum Thursday Newsletter for the Friday Tasting! Now that we’re entering the Summer months, or at least the late Spring months, there are a number of tastings I love to do this time of year. This week is one of them! It’s the French Loire! (“Cheer-In For ‘L’ ” for those who love anagrams . . . Did I lose you there?) Let’s talk about the Loire for a bit, shall we?

The Loire is the region that follows the Loire valley that also, not so coincidentally, follows the Loire river. The Loire river is the longest in France, stretching from the Western coast well into the heart of the country. This takes the Loire wine country across quite a bit of terrain and widely varies the growing conditions, soil types and, of course, regional specialties. There are several grapes that reign in the Loire. Ever-popular is the Melon de Bourgogne that makes a great number of Muscadet wines, popular for the easy-drinking-and-way-affordable style. The region is even better known for the other whites Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc, and is the only region in the world that specializes in Cabernet Franc as the red variety.

Now, if you’ve followed the tastings here at the shop, I think you might know of my love affair with the Cabernet Franc grape. I’ve been following the Cabernet Franc productions around the world, and although I love what they’re doing with it in Washington, the Loire is really where they specialize in it, especially in Chinon and Saumur-Champigny. Granted, it takes on a completely different character in the Loire, and varies from vintage to vintage. Recently, though, with all the warm summers we’ve been having, the Loire Cabernet Franc has been ripening to perfect levels. Well, that and the general decision in the Loire that fruitier wines are a good thing. There has been a recent shift in the way they’ve been growing those things over there. Rather than harvesting the grapes when the potential alcohol levels say the grapes are ready, they’re waiting until the grapes are ripe. Ripe grapes? Huh. Go figure. This means that although some of the reds from the Loire in the past have been the green and herbaceous and tannic beasts, the newer fruitier and easier-to-drink reds coming from the region are certainly more fun. Sure, both serve their purpose. But if the purpose of the wine is to drink it and not, say, soften up a new baseball glove, the new style is definitely it.

Alright, alright. That’s not fair to the old Loire reds we’ve had here before. Some can be a bit green and astringent but can also go as well with a steak as any Cabernet Sauvignon. But wait until you get a load of these new ones! Also, in addition to the reds becoming riper, the whites are too. The Chenins and Sauvignon Blancs are achieving riper, more refined, and also fruitier styles. Heck, even the Muscadets are getting riper and more serious. I have to say, though, the Marc Bredif in this tasting is probably the best Vouvray I’ve ever had. And I’m super-super impressed with the rest, as well. also a word: Sancerre! If you don’t know it, you should. A well-made Sancerre can be the finest Sauvignon Blanc wine in the world.

So there you have it. It’s one of the best regions to feature this time of year. It’s got some nice reds that aren’t too far over the top, and some excellent whites that are sure to please after a hot afternoon. Of the 7 we’ve got here there are 4 whites and 3 reds. It’s an excellent cross-section of the region, and Francly, I can’t wait!

Heh . . . get it? “Franc-ly”? Ah, never mind . . .

So Friday, May 25th, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

Loire!!!
Chateau de la Fessardiere 2005 Muscadet
Marc Bredif 2005 Vouvray
Domaine du Salvard 2006 Cheverny
Domaine de la Seignerie 2005 Saumur-Champigny
Domaine de Pallus 2004 Les Pensees, Chinon

Loire, Loire, Loire!!!
Patient Cottat 2005 Vielles Vignes Sancerre
Domaine des Roches Neuves 2004 Terres Chaudes, Saumur-Champigny

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 Oregon!

M

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

Welcome back for another edition and addition to the mission of wine writing, uh . . . emissions? Fission? Kitten? Whatever. At any rate it’s time for the weekly exercise in Superfluous Verbosity of the Carpe Vinum Newsletter of the Week and Tasting Announcement Also of the Week! This week we’re heading back to Italy’s Piedmont for a variety of the fine wines the region produces. It’s a region I find myself continually drawn to in these wine explorations, as it remains a source of wonder and admiration. Alright, that sounds too high-falootin’ doesn’t it? High praise and adulation just ends up costing us more in the end. Right? So let’s just get to the meat of the matter.

Mmm. Meat. And that’s one word that can describe the noble Nebbiolo grape, the superstar of Piedmont and the grape in the wines of Barbaresco, Barolo, and quite obviously, the Langhe Nebbiolo. But how did this superstar rise to fame? Was it an against-all-odds kind of rockstar story? Kinda. The name “Piedmont” literally means “at the foot of the mountain” which is where the region is, really – at the base of the Alps. Although the region is along the same latitude as Bordeaux, where the heavy-hitting grapes of Cab and Merlot are king, the climate is more like Burgundy, and it would seem to be better suited to white wine grapes. Looking at the importance of the Nebbiolo grape in the region, I imagine over the years it was the local peoples demanding a red wine grown there, and through perseverance made it work.

That’s just a bit of speculation, though. Many of the places in the world where people say it should be impossible to grow certain grapes often produces some of the best. So whereas the climate in Piedmont might suggest the heavy-hitting Nebbiolo would do better elsewhere, still here we are with a few of the heartiest wines in the world. Go figure. At any rate, Barolo and Barbaresco are both some pretty burly wines best suited for long aging and meals with meat. Mmmm. There’s that meat again. But to be quite honest, there are so many sides to the Nebbiolo grape that I haven’t completely figured it out yet. Some are the meaty and robust long-aging wines, and others are more delicate and perfumed, like several Langhe Nebbiolos I’ve had. I guess I’ll just have to keep researching these things. Dang.

Let’s not neglect the other wines of Piedmont, now. Sure, Barolo and Barbaresco may be reigning heavyweights of the region, but they also weigh in at a higher cost than the others. For that reason, as well as the fact that you can’t have a huge full bodied wine with every meal, there are a great number of other wines of the region to sustain your table. I mentioned that the region is well-suited to white wine growing and although white wines only account for 30% or so of the production, it’s a wonderful 30%. At the top of the list in that category, and lately a very popular wine is that made from the Arneis grape, especially from Roero. I have a hard time saying that name, though. Roero. I mean, it sounds like a cat. Roero. That just doesn’t sit right with me. Anyway, initially the Arneis was planted to blend with the red wines to soften them up a bit, but apparently more often was planted as a distraction for the birds to keep them away from the red grapes. That fact doesn’t really sell it that well, now does it? Suffice it to say that it has been one of my favorite white wines lately.

Okay, it appears I might be going on a bit too long again, so it’s time for a quick list of the last-but-not-least entries into the tasting. We’ve got a dry, crisp and refreshing white from Gavi, a rich and fruity Barbera, an excellent blended red that includes Nebbiolo, Barbera, Cabernet and Merlot, the lighter and fruitier Dolcetto, and the aforementioned Nebbiolo wines of Barbaresco, Barolo and Langhe Nebbiolo. There. Whew. There is so much quality and variety in Piedmont, one could live there for years and still probably not reach the entire scope of the region. But here’s a little sampling. Enjoy!

Oh, yeah . . . the Charity Pour is a Barolo this time around. This is the last of the charity pours before the Great Strides and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation walk in Seattle on Sunday. Thanks for all the support, and I hope you all enjoyed these extra pours as much as I did. This also means that the shop will actually be closed on Saturday as we head up to Seattle so please pardon any inconvenience there. Thanks again!

So Friday, May 18th, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

Piedmont!!!
Pio Cesare 2006 Cortese di Gavi
Deltetto 2006 Roero Arneis “Daivej”
Castello di Verduno 2005 Langhe Nebbiolo
Conterno Fantino 2005 Dolcetto d’Alba
Boroli 2004 Anna Rosso Langhe

More Piedmont!!!
Contratto 2001 Panta Rei Barbera d’Asti
Ca del Baio 2003 Barbaresco Valgrande

Super-Special Barolo!!! Last Call for the Charity Pour!
Marziano Abbona 2001 Barolo “Terlo Ravera”

A stellar deal at $10 for the First 5, $6 for the Extra 2 Premium Pours, and $5 for the Charity Pour.

Hope to see you here!

Seize the Wine!

Next Friday tasting is The French Loire!

M

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

Welcome to the next step into the wild and fun world of wine with the Internationally Acclaimed Carpe Vinum Newsletter Extravaganza and Tasting Announcement of the Week! This week we’re doing another grape varietal study of Mourvedre, a.k.a. Monastrell, a.k.a. Mataro. Why so many names for this one grape? Probably because of its importance in so many wines. Don’t know anything about it? Well that’s why I’m here. Heck, that’s why we’re all here. So let’s dive in! (Into a pool of Mourvedre).

Mourvedre is a grape variety grown in the Mediterranean region of Europe. Some believe it is native to Spain where it is most widely grown in the Southeastern regions of Almansa, Valencia, Jumilla, Yecla, and Alicante. In France it is grown and plays an important part in the wines of the Southern Rhone, but was one of the most important grapes of Provence along the Mediterranean, and is the key component in the wines of the Provencal region of Bandol. There has been a slight surge of growing in California around Contra Costa County with the increasing popularity with the Rhone Rangers wines. Also, there has been a handful of plantings in Australia. They call it Mataro there. And like most of the things that go on in Australia, nobody has any idea why they call it that.

Okay, that’s not true. Or potentially not true. In checking the Wikipedia (because if it’s in the Wiki, it’s gotta be correct) the name “Mataro” may have come from the city Mataro in Spain’s Catalunya, and “Mourvedre” has a certain similarity to the city name Murviedro in Spain’s Valencia, which may suggest the point of origin of the grape. The Wiki also states that the French have called it the “Estrangle-Chien”, or “Dog Strangler” . . . which, although morbidly poetic, makes absolutely no sense at all.

Now just to mess me up even more for this tasting, the Wiki goes on to say that scientists have proven that the genetic structure of the Monastrell in Spain proves it is actually the Graciano grape, and not Mourvedre after all. This is news to me as of writing time and seriously threatens the credibility of this tasting as a single-varietal tasting. But the best part of Wikipedia is the fact that we, as users, can go back and change that. So if anyone has any time today, maybe we could change that information back so I’m correct again . . . at least for the duration of the tasting. That would be greatly appreciated, so we can now pretend that it never happened. At least for the duration of the tasting. Then come Saturday we’ll find out who these “scientists” really are and why they’re trying to ruin my life.

Alrighty. So now that Monastrell, Mourvedre and Mataro are the same grapes again, let’s get on with the introductions. Considering the beautiful weather we’ve got going on, I thought I might start with a couple rose’ wines. First up we’ve got the Torbreck Saignee. “Saignee” is a French term for draining off a portion of the juice of a macerating red wine. This juice is pink and the method is usually a way to help concentrate the juice of the red wine from which it came. In this case it’s old vine Mataro. I’m not sure, but it might be a saignee from the Torbreck Pict, and all Mataro wine that goes for about $150 per bottle. Yes, I’d love to try that one. And no, we’re not trying that one. But if this is some of the same juice, it might be second-best exposure to that wine.

We’ve also got a Rose and two reds from the Bandol region of the French Provence, one spectacular great value from California in Cline’s Ancient Vines Mourvedre, and two Spanish selections of Monastrell from Yecla and Jumilla. Also, we’ve got a wine I’ve had in here before which is the Olivares Monastrell Dolce, which is a sweet and decadent red dessert wine. I love it, and it’s a perfect way to say “Yes, I still care about the CF pour.” It’s the second-to-last pour for the charity before the walk in Seattle, so come help out with that too!

So Friday, May 11th, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

Monastrell/Mourvedre/Mataro!!!
Torbreck 2006 “Saignee” Old Vine Mataro Rose, Barossa, Australia
Chateau Pierre Gaussen 2006 Rose, Bandol, France
Cline 2005 Ancient Vines Mourvedre, Contra Costa County, California
Bodegas Agapito Rico 2005 Carchelo, Jumilla, Spain
Barahonda 2005 Monastrell, Yecla, Spain

And a Coupl’a Bandol!!!
La Badiane 2003 Bandol, France
Domaine Gros Nore 2000 Bandol, France

Super-Special Sweet and Desserty Pour!!! (Still for CFF!)
Olivares 2003 Monastrell Dolce, Jumilla, Spain

A stellar deal at $10 for the First 5, $6 for the Extra 2 Premium Pours, and $5 for the Charity Pour.

Hope to see you here!

Seize the Wine!

Next Friday tasting is Italy’s Piedmont!

M

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

Happy Thursday! Why happy? It’s time for the Carpe Vinum Wine News and World Report and Announcement for the Tasting of Happy Friday! Why happy? It’s Australian wines! And those can always put a smile on your face. Last week we did the French Rhone, the folks that put the “Rhone-Style” on the roster. Now we’re doing Aussie wines, the place that made them bigger, more popular, and put cute pictures of animals on the labels. Heck, the Shiraz has become so popular coming out of Australia you’d think the Aussies invented the stuff.

Speaking of Shiraz (and not at all about a segue into the second paragraph) that’s what it seems Australia is all about. Shiraz, Shiraz, Shiraz. You can hardly swing a wallaby by the tail in Australia without hitting a Shiraz or two. But what about Shiraz’s partner-in-crime? Brother-in-Rhone? Shiraz’s behind-the-scenes-main-guy? We’re talking about Grenache! The two have been performing together in the Southern Rhone for ages and have very similar acts on the side. Both make a full-bodied and fruity wine, but whereas Shiraz can be on the meatier side, Grenache lends itself to the spicier end of the spectrum. Even though Grenache is the star player in the Southern Rhone, especially in the powerful Chateauneuf du Pape and Gigondas, Shiraz always seems to get the attention. So in the same way David Hasselhoff had to go to Germany to have his musical career taken seriously, so did Grenache have to move to Australia to blossom into its full potential.

Okay, okay. That seems to be downplaying the job Grenache does in the Rhone, and I certainly wouldn’t do that. It also seems to suggest that Grenache only does well in Australia, which also is not the case. As a lover of the Grenache I am always eager to see what it does in other places. The Aussie Grenache certainly does different things than the Rhone Grenache and lives up to a wholly different potential. I’ve been disappointed in the past year at how few straight-up Grenaches have been out there, and I find that there seem to be more made in Australia, and at a lower cost, than anywhere else. So tomorrow we’re doing all Aussie wines, but I thought we might call it a Focus On Grenache (F.O.G. for acronym-lovers).

So what got me started on this is, of course, the continuation of the Charity Pour as a way to sample wines that are generally way out of our budgets, and all for a good cause. This time around we got a bottle donated by Gordon Rappole and the Valley Wine Group/Mt. Hood Beverage. It’s the Clarendon Hills 2004 Grenache Hickenbotham, and it regularly retails for $60. That got me excited and all about the Grenache kick, since I wanted to see how a $60 Grenache measures up to the $10.50 Bitch Grenache, the $27 Burge Family Grenache or the Henschke $37 Grenache. At any rate, we only get one of them, so it’s best to get here early to get a sample of this treat . . . and all the other treats too!

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

Aussie Grenache!!!
Hewitson 2004 Miss Harry GSM (Grenache, Shiraz, Mourvedre), Barossa
d’Arenberg 2005 Grenache “The Custodian”, McLarren Vale
R Winery 2005 “Bitch” Grenache, Barossa
Fireblock 2003 Old Vine Grenache, Clare Valley
Tintara 2005 Grenache, McLarren Vale

More Aussie Grenache!!!
Burge Family Winemakers 2001 Garnacha, Barossa
Domaine de la Pallieres 2004 Johannes Garden, Barossa

Super-Super Grenache Pour!!! (Still for CFF!)
Clarendon Hills 2004 Grenache, Hickenbotham, McLarren Vale

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

Seize the Wine!

Next Friday tasting is Mourvedre/Monastrell/Mataro! MMM . . .

M