WINO 101

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

It’s that time of day again, during that time of week again! It’s time for the Weekly Publication of the Successful Navigation of Wine Degustation with the Carpe Vinum Newsletter and Tasting Announcement! This week we’re heading to a region steeped in many years rich in History: It’s Spain’s Old Castile! Of course, I’m no History buff, so if you want the History of the region, check Wikipedia. If you want a correct History of the region, read a book, perhaps. If you want information regarding the wines of the region, free and clear of all that boring, old Historic stuff, then by all means, read on!

The region that is considered the Old Castile is situated in the North-Central part of the country. To the west is our old friends Galicia, the region famous for the best white wines of Spain. To the North we’ve got the unique Basque regions, not-so-famous but also have some of the best white wines in Spain. To the East is the all-too-well-known region of Rioja and its next-door neighbor Navarra, the “Jan Brady” to Rioja. To the South we’ve got Madrid, the Spanish capital and gateway to what is generally regarded as “New” Castile, featuring the high-plateau regions of Vinos de Madrid and La Mancha. And to the SouthWest of Old Castile we’ve got Portugal, which is a totally different story, altogether.

So here we are in Old Castile, smack-dab in the middle of North-Central Spain. There are quite a few notable regions that make up the recognized wines of the area, and the natural progression of that should always start with the Ribera del Duero. This is the region that, a few years ago (”a few years” being about 20 years) Alejandro Fernandez proved that the wines from this region really could make a mark on the global wine map. Since then the region has exploded (figuratively) with wineries, and the prices of the best wines of the region have shot through the roof (also figuratively). Still, a constant flow of new producers rather guarantees quite a few wines within the affordable range.

At this point, the second-in-command for the red wines of the region is the region of Toro (and could be considered the “Jan Brady” to Ribera del Duero). The wines of Toro have historically been of questionable quality, but as I’m not much of a History buff, I’ve never seen it that way. There are a few I’ve had that could be considered “quite rustic” . . . by which I mean in a “good and drinkable, yet sturdy” way, not in a “did you get the number off that truck” kind of way. With that in mind, it seems Toro is currently going through greater lengths to improve their wines and shake that Historical reputation more-so than any other of the Spanish regions, And the results are impressive.

The third of the notable regions is Bierzo. It’s always been confusing to me that Bierzo is considered part of Old Castile, considering that on the map it looks like it’s more of a part of the Galicia. Perhaps it’s something on the ground level that I don’t see, like a giant canyon or a ten-foot-high fence or a giant strip-mall, or something. The wines don’t match the wines of Galicia, but yet they don’t really match the Castilian wines either. Most of the wines of Castile, including Toro and Ribera del Duero, are Tempranillo-based, while Bierzo has the Mencia grape. The Mencia is apparently used in red wines in Galicia, but as I’ve never seen a Galician red wine, I’ll jump to the conclusion that they don’t really exist. Which makes the wines of Bierzo even more unique.

And really, those are just three of the certified red-grape-growing regions in the Old Castile. There is also the white wine region of Rueda and the pink wine region of Cigales, neither of which I feel fits into the cold of winter. Outside of those areas the wines are classified as Castile y Leon or one of the numerous Vinos de la Tierra regions. (Technically “table wine”). These wines don’t lack in quality at all. Many can compete with the Ribera del Dueros or the Toros, but the regions just haven’t been upgraded by the wine laws yet.

So here’s a selection from around Old Castile, prominently featuring three wines from of one of my favorites regions in the world, the Ribera del Duero! And, of course that’s including the wine that kicked off the whole revolution, Alejandro Fernandez’s Pesquera! Also, I’d like to apologize to the Castilians for misspelling the name of the region for the last 5 years. It’s not “Castille” with the “double-L” like I had thought, and I just discovered that today with a better spellchecker than the one I had been using. And I’d been wrong all along. Thanks a lot for telling me, guys. I mean, really.

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

Old Castile!!!
Protos 2005 Tinto, Ribera del Duero
Bodegas Leda 2004 Mas de Leda, Castille y Leon
Vinas del Cenit 2004 Venta Mazzaron, Zamora
Liberalia 2005 Tinto Tres, Toro
Dominio de Tares 2005 Mencia Baltos, Bierzo

Right Next to the New Castile!!!
Emilio Moro 2004 Tinto, Ribera del Duero
Alejandro Fernandez 2004 Pesquera, Ribera del Duero

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 Sangiovese!

M

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

Happy Thanksgiving Eve, y’all! Of course, given how late I’ve gotten this thing out today, this day that is Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving Thursday, and given the fact that everyone has gone home for the day, I bet when most of you read this it will be Happy Post-Thanksgiving and Beginning of the “Holiday” Season Friday! So, given that, welcome to the Happy Post-Thanksgiving and Beginning of the “Holiday” Season Friday Tasting Announcement and Newsletter to Which it Corresponds! On the schedule for the tasting this Friday is the wines of the French Rhone! I figured, hey . . . after all that cooking and gorging on whatever food suited your celebratory table, a day with the wines of the French Rhone would make a fitting end to the hectic week. Or a fitting beginning to a hectic month-and-a-week ahead of us!

The French Rhone! It’s one of my favorites in the world, and a region I find I can always turn to, whether bored or jaded on certain wine varieties or regions. Or if the wine list at a restaurant just reads: Cab, Merlot, Cab/Merlot, Etc., Etc., Cotes du Rhone, you know it’s a pretty safe bet the Rhone wine will work with whatever you’re having. It’s versatile like that. There also seems to be spells where I forget about the region, caught up in the rest of the world of wine, (which is so easy to do, given that the world is . . . well, huge). But ocne I rediscover the wines, it’s like going home, with the realization of “Oh, yeah . . . Oh yeah!”

So anyone unfamiliar with the Rhone wines, the region is situated in the Southeasterncentral part of France, just above the warm Mediterranean region of Languedoc, and just South of the cooler Burgundy and Beaujolais. The grapes grown in the region vary from North to South with the North being dominated by Syrah and the South bespeckled by a plethora of different varieties including, but not necessarily excluded to: Grenache, Mourvedre, Cairanne, Cinsault, and so on. There are some 30-odd varietals included in some blends, so the list could go on. And does.

The regions within the region, the specific villages that have their own magnificent productions include the exquisite Chateauneuf du Pape, Gigondas, Vacqueras and Lirac among others in the South, and Cote-Rotie, Hermitage, Crozes-Hermiatage, and Staint-Joseph among others in the North. These areas have proven themselves to be making extraordinary wine for hundreds of years, and they have the price tag to show it. In fact, now that the price of the Euro has soared, and the price of the dollar has sank, and the price of fuel has also soared, so then, the price of these wines has so totally not sank. In a long time. Plus newfound interest in these regions have the “reputation surtax” on these wines also increasing. Given that, the best and most affordable way to taste your way around the region is to go with the Cotes du Rhones. The designation encompasses the whole region, but the price is a great deal less.

So here we have a wondrous selection of Cotes du Rhones, either from the 2004 or the 2005 vintages, both known for spectacular wines after a few sketchy vintages. (The vintage of 2002 was a washout from too much rain, and 2003 was a blowout from too much sun). Included in the premium pours are wines from the regions of Gigondas and Chateauneuf du Pape, both slowly rising to the out-of-my-price-range category, so this might be a “last hurrah” for some of these. But still . . .a “last hurrah” is still a “hurrah”. Not that anyone really says “hurrah” in this country. But that’s another conversation, altogether.

So Friday, November 23rd, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

Rhone!!!
Domaine Saint Gayan 2005 Cotes du Rhone
Domaine du Trepadis 2004 Cotes du Rhone
Domaine les Grande Bois 2005 Cotes du Rhone
Domaine Grand Veneur 2005 Cotes du Rhone
Domaine de Cros de Romet 2005 Cotes de Rhone Villages Cairanne

Gigondas and Chateauneuf!!!
Domaine Brusset 2005 Gigondas “Grand Montmirail”
Clos Saint Jean 2004 Chateauneuf du Pape

And Just Another Little White Wine on the Side!
M. Chapoutier 2006 Belleruche Cotes du Rhone Blanc

A stellar deal at $10 for the First 5, $6 for the Extra 2 Premium Pours. $2 for that extra white wine.

Hope to see you here!

Seize the Wine!

Next Friday tasting is Spain’s Old Castille!

M

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

Welcome to the Fifth Annual Carpe Vinum “What Wines Do You Serve With Turkey?” Thanksgiving Primer! That’s right! We’ve been recommending these things for your Thanksgiving table for five long years. Well, I guess it’s once a year, not throughout the year. I mean, not to say that no-one ever cooks a turkey on any day outside Thanksgiving, but you know . . . statistically speaking, this is when my recommendations helps the most, right? Also keep in mind that these are wines that pair well with turkey, not wines FROM Turkey. There aren’t very many Turkish wines, and although they may pair well with a turkey, they’re terribly expensive and awfully sweet. Dessert wines, mostly. But I digress. Again.

So recommending wines to go with a certain type of food can be a daunting task. I’ve checked out a number of recommendation charts in books, magazines and online pairing charts and I can’t honestly say that I agree with those things 100% of the time. In fact, one of those such charts was very vague and generic. Cabs and Merlots with beef and lamb. General whites with fish. And pretty much every other food listed “Chianti, Dolcetto, Rioja, Pinot Noir and Beaujolais.” Very vague. And didn’t really account for regional variation. But what I recommend, as many others may say as well, is to drink what you like.

What do I like? Well . . . all kinds of things. In a job such as this I kinda need a diverse set of personal tastes. There are just too many different wines out there to drink any one kind. But when it comes to pairing to food, I seem to find that I’d drink Syrah or Grenache with just about anything. Except shrimp. Or sushi. But that’s another story. But for the Holiday spread, in my experience, there really are several wines that are classic combinations to the Thanksgiving spread. So here’s a small list of some of the favorites.

Pinot Noir! We’re swimming in a sea of the stuff, here in Oregon. And really, It’s one of the classic combinations for pairing with the Turkey. It’s light (or should be) with an earthy flavor, yet is perfectly suited for clearing the palate. Oregon Pinot Noir isn’t the only one out there. There are also the French Burgundies. Many would say Burgundy warrants the mention before Oregon, but hey, Oregon is closer to home. Oh, wait, it IS home. There are Pinots from all around the world. I’d say just about any of them would work well.

Gamay Noir! This is the grape of the French Beaujolais. Now, now. Don’t make that face. Beaujolais is a big place and has a lot more to offer than that unimpressive one you had a few years ago. In fact, I go through the same thing every year. Just like convincing everyone that not all Gewurztraminers, Rieslings and Muscats are sickly-sweet, not all Beaujolais is the light, bubble-gummy lifeless plonk they fly out this time in November. The Cru Beaujolais, certain villages like Moulin-a-Vent, Morgon, and Cotes de Brouilly are great examples of what Gamay can do. I’m really partial to the Gamays from Morgon, but also I think one of the top producing areas of the world for Gamay is Oregon. Unfortunately, though, Pinot Noir fetches a higher price, so people keep plowing up the Gamay Noir to plant more Pinot . . . a practice I consider terribly shortsighted and a shameful mistake. Consider this my call to Oregon vineyard owners out there — Plant more Gamay!

Something Red and Bubbly (this way comes)! Over the last few Thanksgiving tastings, I’ve discovered something that no-one else talks about for turkey/wine pairing. The first revelation came with a sparkling Lambrusco. Now, now. Don’t make that face. This isn’t the $4 swilling Lambrusco from years past, but it is a wine that is fun and one to not be taken too seriously. Since that revelation I’ve brought in several different sparkling shiraz and other such dark and bubbly wines. This time I’ve brought in a new sparkling Grenache/Shiraz that I found, but I’m also bringing back some of the other sparkling reds that did so well in the past.

Lemberger/Blaufrankisch! This is a grape with roots in Austria, but also seems to be doing quite well in our own Washington. I’ve been enjoying this one even more in the recent years as an easy-drinking quaffer with softer tannins but still a remarkable amount of fruit and substance. It’s another dark horse that often gets forgotten by the pairing guides.

Whatever you like! Of course, this is the most important rule. If you want a Zinfandel, no one should tell you differently regardless of what someone tells you to drink. Perhaps you only drink white. (I’d say most white wines would pair with most poultry.) And sometimes the main element is just having wine on the table, regardless of what it is. But with this as a guide, at least you have the reassurance of some sure-fire hits.

So Friday, November 16th, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

Turkey Wines!!!
Patritti NV Shargren (Grenache/Shiraz . . . get it? Shar-Gren), Australia
Amity 2005 Gamay Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Domaine Dubost 2005 Morgon (Gamay Noir), Beaujolais, France
Willamette Valley Vineyards 2006 Whole Cluster Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Kiona 2005 Lemberger, Red Mountain, Washington

That is, not wines FROM Turkey, but what to serve with . . . turkey!!!
Seufert Winery 2006 Pinot Noir, Momtazi Vineyard, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Anam Cara 2004 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon

A stellar deal at $10 for the First 5, $6 for the Extra 2 Premium Pours. $2 for that extra white wine.

Also: Art show! It’s that time again! Arts Integrity, the fine operation that supplies Carpe Vinum with the art that graces our walls, has the year-end show that is a retrospective collaboration of the many artists on the Arts Integrity roster. For more information about Arts Integrity, the artists represented, examples of artwork being shown, or if you are an artist interested in being represented in locales like Carpe Vinum, check out http://www.everywhereart.net/ .

Hope to see you here!

Seize the Wine!

Next Friday tasting is The French Rhone!

M

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

Welcome to the Thursday Edition of the Thursday’s Edition of the Carpe Vinum Newsletter of Extreme Importance and Announcement of the Tasting That Immediately Follows Such an Announcement . . . immediately being in a day, or so. And in that day’s time, we will be visiting a place I’ve not been for quite some time. (Both “visiting” and “been” used figuratively and poetically.) We’re going to South Africa! It’s been quite some time since I’ve had one of these tastings, and having been reminded recently of the quality that is being produced down there, I figured it’s high time we get to it. So let’s get to it!

So the South African wine industry is one of the oldest in the New World. Jan van Riebeeck, a settler to the area in the mid-1600s, was charged with the task of planting vineyards, as well as other crops. These crops were for the local market as a way to help stave off scurvy for the sailors of ships on the spice route and the Dutch East India Company. This Riebeeck fellow was a surgeon, not viticulturist. (Dammit, Jim! I’m a doctor, not a vintner!) The wine was reportedly awful.

After Riebeeck made his awful wine, a governor in the area, Simon van der Stel took over, most likely saying, “Uh, yeah. Thanks for everything Jan, but we’ll take it from here.” Other vineyards were planted, but these were Dutch settlers. And apparently the Dutch didn’t really know anything about growing vines or making wine. Thankfully there were boatloads (literally) of French Protestant Huguenots arriving to South Africa, fleeing persecution in Europe. But think about it. They’re French. The wine connection is obvious. So the South African winemaking skills took a great leap forward at that point.

Actually, wine as we know it from South Africa really is a relatively new thing. Of course, 350 years and quite a few technological advances later, things are much better now. That’s granted. The main difficulties since then being the relative confusion of political instability and unstable contact with Europe and the rest of the world, at least from a commercial perspective. The South African wine movement really started about 20 years ago, and anti-apartheid sanctions against the country ended just 15 years ago, or so. Now the wines of the country now have a place in international markets, and this has brought on a new renaissance in the South African winemaking in experimentations with barrel aging and European varietals.

Speaking of varietals, I find South African wine one of the most interesting places in the world simply because of the unique varietals that are found there. Well, not so much unique varietals themselves, but just which varietals seems to be the flagship grapes. White wines account for a vast majority of grapes grown, although it’s unclear how much of that is for the express purpose of winemaking. (South Africa is also the top world producer of concentrated grape juice and, I believe an important producer of brandy.) Of those white wines, there is one that resounds above all the rest. That is the Chenin Blanc, a grape found in the French Loire, especially known in Vouvray. Chenin Blanc is really grown worldwide, as it is a hardy variety, produces well, and is very versatile.

As for red grapes, the unique flagship grape of the region is a grape that is seldom, if ever, seen anywhere else. This is the Pinotage, a grape engineered from the Pinot Noir and the Cinsault. Pinotage, when done well, can produce a very easy-drinking and sturdy wine, and definitely is unique. All things considered, though, the Pinotage represents a pretty small percentage of the total production in South Africa. Other reds they are known quite well for include the quintessential Shiraz, which takes on a whole different character and attitude in the region, and the Cabernet Sauvignon, quickly becoming one of the world’s most notable producers of the grape.

So for tomorrow I’ve pieced together a cross-section of what they do best in South Africa. There is the Pinotage, a South African essential, as well as a Cabernet, and a Shiraz. There are three red blends, another slice of the wine market for which South Africa is known. Also, I found an oddity, and y’all know how I love the oddities. I found a Mourvedre made by Spice Route. This is a grape from the French south, important in Bandol in Provence and often used in blending of Rhone-style wines. I’m always intrigued when it’s seen as a single-varietal wine, and especially so from a region where you don’t expect it. Is it good? Well, we’ll just have to see, now, won’t we?

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

South Africa!!!
Spice Route 2005 Mourvedre, Swartland
Capaia 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, Coastal Region
Darling Cellars 2003 Onyx Shiraz, Groenkloof
Bilton 2005 Matt Black (Merlot, Shiraz, Cab. Sauv., Petit Verdot), Stellenbosch
Glen Carlou 2003 Grand Classique (Cab. Sauv., Merlot, Cab. Franc,, Malbec, Petit Verdot), Paarl

More South Africa!!!
Meerlust 2001 Rubicon (Cab. Sauv., Merlot, Cab. Franc), Stellenbosch
Wildekranz 2003 Pinotage Barrel Selection, Walker Bay

And Just a Little White on the Side!!!
Ken Forrester 2005 Chenin Blanc, Stellenbosch

A stellar deal at $10 for the First 5, $6 for the Extra 2 Premium Pours. $2 for that extra white wine.

Hope to see you here!

Seize the Wine!

Next Friday tasting is Annual Thanksgiving Turkey Primer!

M

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

Remember, remember the First of November. For what? Well, this day is exactly 60 days from the end of the year! That’s 60 more wine shopping days until that New Year’s Eve party. Also, on this day in History, in 1512 Michelangelo debuted the Sistine Chapel to the public. On this day in 1604 Shakespeare debuted his tragedy “Othello” in London. On this day in 1952 the United States debuted a hydrogen megaton bomb named “Mike” in the south Pacific, totally obliterating an entire island. And on this day, today, 2007, we will be debuting the Carpe Vinum Newsletter for the Day That Is Today Announcing the Tasting Tomorrow Which Will Be Debuting Seven Spectacular Wines from Washington!

And, of course, that first line was an augmented version of the of the rhyme for Guy Fawkes Night, a relatively obscure British tradition held on November 5th and popularized by the movie “V for Vendetta”. That being four days away makes this day Guy Fawkes Eve Eve Eve. Of course, being that no-one in this country recognizes this event, it kinda goes without saying. But I’m saying it anyway. What does this have to do with wines of Washington? Well if you take . . . I mean . . . the connection being, Guy . . . um . . . okay, I got nothing. I just just needed an angle to get this thing started.

So talking about the wines, which I wasn’t, Washington is making some of my favorite wines in the world, and is one of the more exciting scenes to be watching. I mean, as one of my favorites, and featuring the Washington wine tastings fairly often, what can I say that I haven’t said before? Okay, I’ll do a bit of a refresher for any newcomers to the list. Washington is the state above Oregon . . . er . . . to the North of Oregon. Okay, we already knew that. Too remedial.

The most important part of Washington wines to know is the Columbia Valley which, of course, follows the Columbia River. In the broadest of terms the Columbia Valley is almost the entire area East of the Cascade mountains. Big area, yes. And a bit vague when it comes to explaining where a wine comes from within the area. The authorities that be are gradually cutting this grand area into smaller pieces, giving the wines from those areas more of a sense of identity, like the regions of Walla Walla, Red Mountain and Yakima, for example.

The grapes grown and the wines made in Washington are widely varied and include bits of almost everything you can think of, but most important are the Bordeaux Varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, but also of great importance, and increasing quality is the Syrah. The Cabernets and Merlots from highly-esteemed locations are fetching super-high prices as is the fashion for these types of wines worldwide, but where I find the most interest is in the simple blended table wines which I can find every bit as good.

So there we have it. Washington wines in a nutshell! Well, not served in a nutshell. Unless it’s for a squirrel. A squirrel of legal drinking age, of course. Speaking of ages, on this day, the First of November (Remember, remember?), today musician Lyle Lovett is 50, Playboy Playmate, mediocre actress and scatological humorist Jenny McCarthy will be 35, and were Medieval French monarch Louis the Stammerer (Louis II) still alive, he’d be 1161 years old. And probably pretty distressed about it.

So Friday, November 2nd, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

Washington Wines!!!
Basket Case 2005 Syrah, Columbia Valley
Basalt Cellars 2004 Rim Rock Red, Columbia Valley
Tamarack Cellars 2005 Firehouse Red, Columbia Valley
Canoe Ridge 2004 Red Blend, Columbia Valley
Gamache Vintners 2005 Boulder Red, Columbia Valley

More Washington Wines!!!
Seven Hills 2005 Malbec, Columbia Valley
Dalla Vina 2005 Syrah, 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 South Africa!

M