WINO 101

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

Mwa-hahahahaha! Welcome to the Quintessential Super-Spooooky Carpe Vinum Annual Within-Pretty-Close-Proximity-To-Halloween Spooooky Friday Tasting and Super-Spooooky Newsletter That Foretells of Its Coming! I do this tasting every year (uh, hence the “annual” part of the name), and it’s one of my ghoulishly favorite tastings of the year. It’s Spooooky! It’s Ooooky! And it’s . . . okay, it’s not “Ooooky.” That’s not even a word. Ever notice that? Whenever someone wants to call something spooky AND something else, they always choose either “Ooooky” or “Kooky”. I say by definition anything that is “Kooky” cannot also be “Spooky”. It’s just not how that works. And what with “Ooooky” not being a word, that’s just cheating. What else is there? Dookie? My cat Pookie? Some of you may know my cat Pookie. He’s not spooky at all. But he is a bit “Ooooky.”

So the Spooooky tasting this year is, of course, the Halloween tasting. But Halloween, being a whole 6 days away, isn’t really that close. And it’s always a tough call at that point. It still FEELS like the right time of year, but the window seems a bit too big to be wearing a costume to work on casual day. I mean, other than the costumes we regularly wear, right? So Halloween being in the middle of the week makes this weekend the whole “Halloween-observed” weekend. Because once it’s November those pumpkins are pie, if you take my meaning there.

At any rate, this is the one tasting of the year I get to find a place for those odd bottles that might not fit into the other tastings, or the bottles that I really like the name, or the bottles with the clever labels (since wine can wear a costume too), and certainly wines with a general Halloween-monster or Spooooky theme.

“Picking a wine by the label?” You may ask. “How sophomoric!” You may continue.

“Ah,” I might exclaim. “You are,” I may say, pausing, “pretty-much right on, there.” I may continue, conceding.

Sure we shouldn’t pick a wine exclusively by the label. But the technique isn’t completely without merit. If you’re choosing wines with clever labels and names, it’s generally going to be new-world wines. European wines, considering their wine laws steeped in hundreds of years of tradition, often don’t allow much room for creativity. Wineries in the Americas, Australia, New Zealand and even South Africa have embraced these creative labeling endeavors. In these new areas of the world where the wine regions don’t have the centuries of reputation to ride on, smaller estates can create these things for a sense of identity. And it can prove to be marketing genius, as well. It can also be what wine was meant to be. Fun!

So here’s my choices for the Spooooky Wine Costume Party!

Zinzilla — Made by McNab ridge, it’s a monster of a Zin and features one of the best labels I’ve seen in a while. That’s right. Part Zin. Part Godzilla. I like monsters.
The Technicolor Bat — I still don’t know what the name means, but the label is pretty and the juice is excellent. And bats have a certain Halloween significance. Y’know . . . from that vampire connection.
The Hangin’ Snakes — What’s scarier than snakes on the ground? Hangin’ snakes! Especially when you’re looking for them on the ground. Aah! It’s right there in the tree by your head! How’d it get there? Probably dropped out of a plane.
Killibinbin — I don’t know what it means, and that uncertainty is . . . Spooooky! Sounds like another one of those kooooky Australian words. And again, it’s got a good label.
Killer Red — From Terra Blanca in Washington. I mean, if it’s a killer, that’s frighteningly Halloweenish, right? Remember the movie Psycho? Think of that in a bottle. Just don’t drink it in the shower.
Coup d’Etat — “Overthrow of the State” as it directly translates. This should be Spooooky to all elected officials. Of course even mentioning this wine on the website will probably get me on more watch-lists. That’s spooooky too!
The Howling Dog — With almost every spooooky monster movie, or every episode of Buffy, it all starts with a howling wolf and a full moon, even if the movie has nothing to do with werewolves. That’s because howling is spooooky! This Petite Sirah is certainly something to howl about. Want to know what else is Spooooky about this wine? The price. It’s around $50. So I’ll probably be opening just one. Get here early!

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

Spooooky Wines!!!
McNab Ridge 2005 Zinzilla (Zinfandel), Mendocino County, California
Dominio IV 2005 The Technicolor Bat (Syrah, Tempranillo), Oregon
Langmeil 2006 Hangin’ Snakes (Shiraz, Viognier), Barossa Valley, Australia
Killibinbin 2004 Red Blend (Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon), Langhorne Creek, Australia
Terra Blanca 2004 Killer Red (Syrah), Columbia Valley, Washington

Spooooky!!! Spooooky!!!! Spooooky!!!!
Andrew Rich 2005 Coup d’Etat (Counoise, Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah), Oregon
Massena 2005 The Howling Dog (Petite Sirah), Barossa Valley, Australia

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 Not-so-Spooooky! wines of Washington!

M

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

Welcome to the next installment of the Carpe Vinum Friday Tasting Notes Delivered On Thursday In the Form of a Newsletter! This being the newsletter in question, here comes the theme for the week’s tasting. Are you ready for this? It’s Pinot! Pinot! Pinot! When you read that you should be saying it in a high voice while using your fingers as makeshift pistols. The wine gunslinger “Pinot! Pinot! Pinot!”. Why the sudden penchant for violence? Because it’s the Pinot Noir Shootout! It’s time for the showdown. This town ain’t big enough for all this Pinot, so I reckon we best be on our way to figure out who stays and who goes. And just whose side we’re on. Ya reckon? I reckon so.

There are many wines in the world, but there are few that emote the same sensuality that the Pinot Noir does. It is a delicate and finicky grape that can be grown everywhere except where it is terribly warm yet takes careful vineyard management and a delicate hand in the winery to produce this bottled art. It blooms early so it is prone to frost. It is particularly susceptible to all of the grapevine diseases. Fermentation tends to be problematic, and it can end up fermenting too quickly, and apparently boiling over. Also the skins are thin, so achieving color to the wine can also pose some problems. Also, the grape variety itself is prone to mutation. We’ve got Pinot Gris, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Blanc to prove that. But on top of that, there are 46 recognized clones in Burgundy alone, and the possibility of up to a thousand more worldwide, which can lead to some unpredictable results. I think I’m starting to see why it costs so much.

Pinot Noir does better in somewhat cooler climates. It’s planted in almost every grape-growing region worldwide, but has a special place in a few different wine regions. Of course, it all starts in Burgundy. There is some indication that the Pinot Noir had been cultivated in Burgundy as long ago as the Fourth Century, and the Romans knew of it in the First Century. Even still, the Burgundy tends to be the benchmark for Pinot Noir production as they’ve been making elegant wines there for centuries.

There have been a few up-and-comers recently that have challenged Burgundy’s claim to supremacy. Oregon, our own backyard vineyard, has been making some spectacular Pinots for almost the last 40 years. Sure that seems like nothing compared to 16 centuries of vine growth, but you have to start somewhere, right? Then we’ve got California. They have been producing Pinots down there for quite a few years and, if I remember correctly, have more acres planted to Pinot that Oregon does. Not that we won’t catch up, right?

From there we hear the buzz across the Pacific about the burgeoning Pinot scene in New Zealand. The climate is very similar to Oregon, and often winemakers there and winemakers here will trade off to work on each others’ harvests, considering the seasons are staggered. Also, not far from New Zealand (in the grand scheme of things) we have Australia. Most of the Aussie continent is too warm for growing Pinot of any complexity, but there is that island of Tasmania to the south that has apparently been doing Pinot quite well. Also, at least from the perspective of the tasting tomorrow, there’s Chile. I hadn’t really heard much about Chilean Pinot Noir, as most of the plantings down there are dedicated to other varieties. I’ve heard some good things about this one I found, so we’ll see how it rates against the rest of the world. In the shootout. At the showdown. Maybe we’ll find that this town is big enough after all.

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

Pinots of the World!!!
Cono Sur 2007 Pinot Noir, Valle Central, Chile
Tamar Ridge 2006 “Devil’s Corner” Pinot Noir, Tasmania, Australia
Hunter’s 2004 Pinot Noir, Marlborough, New Zealand
Saintsbury 2006 Pinot Noir “Garnet”, Carneros, California
Kudos 2005 Pinot Noir, Oregon

Pinot!!! Pinot!!! Pinot!!!
Adelsheim 2006 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Francois Gay 2005 Chorey les Beaune, Bourgogne, France

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 Spoooky Halloween Tasting!

M

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

It’s that time once again! It’s time to prepare for the wondrous sensual journey through the world of wine with the Carpe Vinum Friday Tasting Announcement and Newsletter That Brings You Such Information and Much, Much More! For the tasting this week, we’re having a visit from seven fine examples of one of my favorite wines. It’s wines from around the world made with Cabernet Franc! This often overlooked grape plays a vital role in many of the wines we see every day, yet when featured alone can make a wine that can rock your socks off. Are you wearing socks? Well, then let’s rock!

“What is a Cabernet Franc?” You may ask. “I’ve heard of a Cabernet Sauvignon. Are the two somehow related?”

“Well,” I may respond, “That is a very good observation. Gold stars for everyone!”

“Huh?” You may inquire. “What the hell are you talking about? Who said anything about gold sta-”

“But wait!” I may interject, interrupting your very valid statement, “This is an awful fictional dialogue. Let’s get back to the point.”

Cabernet Franc is indeed related to the noble Cabernet Sauvignon. In fact, it’s dear-old-dad. And Cab Sauv’s mum is Sauvignon Blanc. That’s right. The white grape. All three play important roles in the French Bordeaux alongside Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and the mostly-forgotten Carmenere. This French Bordeaux is the model for many of the most highly-esteemed wines in the world. In Bordeaux the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot usually take on the most forward roles and our beloved Cabernet Franc takes more of a back seat in blending with many of these wines. Cabernet Franc does take a more forward role in several Bordeaux districts, the most notably Cheval Blanc.

In many wine regions the grape is grown primarily for the purpose in blending for Bordeaux-styled wines, as it adds a note of complexity and fragrance to the mix. However, due to the grape’s early blooming and early-ripening properties, it lends itself toward colder climates, such as in the inland French countryside in the Loire, and in our own Washington where it winters better than some varieties. Also because of this fact Cabernet Franc is the grape of choice in the Northeastern US wine regions, namely New York and Virginia. We wouldn’t know those wines out here, though, because of this country’s absurd wine shipping regulations. More about that another time.

So in my love affair with this grape, I’ve been sampling as many Cabernet Franc wines as I can, jumping at every opportunity, as those opportunities can be rare. We’ve been seeing quite a few really good examples coming out of Washington, and they remain some of my favorite. We see a few coming out of California, mostly as wine houses there bottle the Franc normally used to blend with their other wines. But when it comes to a wine region embracing this fine grape, no one does it like the French Loire. Cabernet Franc is the primary red grape of the region making up the wines of Chinon, Saumur-Champigny and Bourgueil, among others. Recent developments in the region have been allowing the grapes to more fully ripen than in previous vintages producing some spectacular results and several of my favorite wines.

So this is one of my favorite tasting themes. I find it a bit confounding why most of the Cabernet Franc in the world is just used to blend (usually overpriced) Bordeaux-styled wines when the Franc has so much going on by itself. It can have power, yet finesse. It can have fruit and earth and herbs and spices. It can softly caress the palate or reach out of the glass and punch you in the nose. (Not literally). And as I stated before, it can rock your socks off, or it can . . . uh . . . smooth-jazz your socks off.

So we’ve put together here a selection from around the world. One from Italy’s Friuli, two from California, two from the French Loire, one from Oregon and one from Washington. This is not one to be missed. Come enjoy The Franc!

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

Cabernet Franc!!!
Dorigo 2005 Cabernet Franc, Friuli, Italy
Yorkville Cellars 2004 Cabernet Franc, Mendocino County, California *Organic!*
Grochau Cellars 2005 Cabernet Franc, Columbia Valley, Washington
Cosentino 2005 The Franc, California
Domaines des Pentes 2004 Chinon, Loire, France

Franc . . . Cabernet Franc!!!
Domaine des Roches Neuves 2005 “Terres Chaudes” Saumur-Champigny, Loire, France
Spangler 2005 Cabernet Franc, Southern Oregon

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 Pinot Noir Shootout!

M

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

It’s not a bird! It’s not a plane! It’s not a Chianti or a Brunello! It’s Super-Tuscan! That old clichéd introduction can only mean one thing. It’s time for the Super-Powered, Able-To-Write-Faster-Than-A-Speeding-Bullet Carpe Vinum Newsletter Announcing the Single-Building-Bounding Friday Tasting! This week in our dear Metropolis we’re tasting not any mere mortal wines from Tuscany, we’re tasting the SUPER wines from Tuscany. The Super-Tuscans! And, no, I’m not just making up the term for the sake of having an angle to write about the stuff. Sure, the wines may be “super” as in “super-tasty” or “super-strong”, but technically these wines are considered “Super Tuscan” by definition. Let’s learn more!

Tuscany! It’s located in West-Central Italy. It’s home to the ever-so-popular wines of Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. All these wines, as well as most of the reds in the region, are dominated by the Sangiovese grape. The way the wine labeling laws in Italy work don’t allow much diversion from the Sangiovese-based wines. For example, Chianti must be mostly Sangiovese, but can be blended Caniaolo, Trebbiano or Malvasia, the last two which are white grapes, oddly.

Years ago some winemakers in the region were experimenting with blends of the Sangiovese and other grape varieties, usually of French origin, like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. These blends, by the Italian wine laws had to be classified as simple “table wine”, even though many were made by top-tier wineries. So a new law was invented to incorporate these wines as a step between the simple table wines and the full-fledged DoC wines of designated regions. The designation is IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica), and it’s used in all Italian regions, not just Tuscany. However Tuscany seems to be the only place where the IGT reds (not the whites) are considered “super”. Why “super”, and who coined the phrase? Don’t know.

So these Super-Tuscans can be blends of Sangiovese with other varieties or single-varieties of just about anything. The most prestigious ones tend to be Sangiovese-Cabernet blends, or sometimes just Cabernet Sauvignon, as in the Sassicaia, one of the first Super-Tuscans. Many of the Italian winemakers are taking advantage of this wine designation, and it’s become one of the most popular categories of the region. One aspect that I like is that these distinct and original blends also are generally given their own names, a little sense of identity in a sea of Chianti.

So here we are. Super Tuscans! They can’t repel bullets. They can’t shoot laser beams out of their eyes, or couldn’t even if they had eyes. They’re not faster than a speeding train. They can’t fly without any outside help, and even then the “flying” is really “falling” after being thrown, destined not to end well. And finally, they can’t fight crime, unless that crime in question is serving bad wine. In that case, and in all other cases they truly are “super”. Now if only I can get that little cape to stay on . . .

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

Super-Tuscany!!!
Castello di Farnetella 2004 Lucilla (Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot)
Sanguineti 2004 Nessun Dorma (Sangiovese, Merlot, Syrah)
Mocali 2004 Fosseti (Sangiovese, Canaiolo)
Petrognano 2004 Pomino (Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot)
Aia Vecchia 2004 Lagone (Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese)

Super Tuscan!!!
Ruffino 2004 Modus (Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot)
Giusti & Zanza 2004 Dulcamara (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot)

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 Cabernet Franc and the World!

M