My Memorable Wines of 2011

As the first calendar year of The Grapes of Rand comes to a close, I look back affectionately on this child I have conceived, nurtured, and sometimes torturously manipulated into doing what I wanted it to do.  Although this process has sometimes been agonizing and frustrating, there have been many moments of hope, joy, and sometimes even elation at seeing this so far insignificant little entity show hopeful signs of developing a unique character and personality.  I am deeply thankful for those of you who have had the patience and interest to join me on this journey of discovery and hope you will continue to see yourself as part of our natural wine-loving family.

May you have a happy, blessed, and prosperous new year!

Begin your celebration with me now by looking back at my favorite red and white wines I reviewed for you this year, and the most exciting and interesting of the runner-ups.

The most memorable red:

Vignobles Mayard 2005 Chateauneuf-du-Pape La Crau de Ma Mere  (Transcendent)  
Warm black and red fruit nose featuring blackberry, black cherry, red cherry, and raspberry.  But wait, there's more:  Mediterranean herbs, black pepper, a warm, pleasant barnyardy washed rind cheese bloom, some truffle, lavender, roses...lovely, lovely, lovely.  The palate shows a warm, soft, smooth entry of brambly preserve, then herbs and smoked pork belly opening up throughout the mouth.  All this is backed by great freshness and balance.  The finish is long with walnut, pistachio, fruit, truffle, and herbs.  Lovely!  $39.95

And the red runners-up:

Vietti 2006 Barolo Castiglione  (Delightful) 
Earthy, dusty dark chocolate coverd blueberries, cherries, and
raspberries backed by musty aging wood, black truffle,
porcini, sweet tea leaf, wet log, rose petal and violets.
All in all an exceptionally focused wine with
super-well integrated chewy tannins and beautiful balance.
The medium-long finish evokes the finish of a good
cigar, some truffle and suade.  $44.95

Domaine de Fondrèche 2007 Clos du Ventoux Fayard  (Delightful) 

Starts big, bright and complex on the nose with ripe cherries, cherry

cordial, blackberry, raspberry, red and blue plums, backed by 

garrigue, a spritz of lemon, and tons of freshly cracked pepper.  

Then moves to a pinpoint focus of dense dried fruits and baskets of 

freshly picked sweet violets.  On the palate shows great berry 

concentration, chocolate and herbs with incredibly well-structured

backbone.  Sur lie ageing with no perceptible oak influence really

lets the fruit and the terroir shine.  Excellent value!  $16.99

Bonny Doon 2006 Le Cigare Volant  (Delightful)

A very nicely constructed Rhône blend with some of the sweet fruit character
of the new world, but the complexity and restraint of the old.  A quite heady, 

masculine nose with game, underbrush, lavender and cracked pepper, balanced with feminine notes of flower infused cherry preserves, red plum and a touch of raspberry.  The fruit thins out a bit in the mouth, leaning more towards tart pie cherry.  The impressive aspect of the palate, however, is the complex gamey, wet log middle that also features some lavender-infused black licorice.  Silky smooth, yet mouth-filling tannins and good acidity create exceptional balance.  The finish is pleasure-giving and long with game, rotting log, cherry flesh, and delicate floral notes reminiscent of lilac. $32.99

The most memorable white:



Domaine Huet 2009 Vouvray Clos du Bourg Sec  (Transcendent) 
Enticing nose of sweet, freshly grated apple sauce
sprinkled with cloves, laced with clover honey and
Frangelico liqueur.  Fresh, juicy tart apples on the
palate followed by flowers, honey and hazelnuts.  A
beautifully balanced wine with depth and finesse that
could become even more impressive with a few years
in the bottle. $35.00






And the white runners-up:



St. Urbans-Hof 2010 Bockstein Ockfen Riesling Kabinett  (Delightful) 
The nose took me on a journey starting with juicy red
and yellow orchard apple and walnut turning to spicy apple tart with
vanilla custard, and finally opening up to field herbs and apple
blossoms.  On the palate the wine showed orchard fruit and
bright lemon zest, hints of kiwi and pineapple, followd by loads
of herbs and blue slate.  Bracing tartness perfectly balanced the
modest residual sugar.  Nice apple core and floral finish.  $15.99








Domaine Giachino 2008 Abymes Monfarina  (Delightful) 

Produced Biodynamically from the Jacquere grape, this lovely wine from a beautiful Savoie region of eastern France, immediately showed off it's extended ageing on the lees with warm caramel apple dipped in freshly churned sour cream, some pungent mountain cheese rind, alpine herbs, and mouthfuls of gravely granite minerality.  This would pair wonderfully with the great artisanal cheeses and charcuterie of the Haute-Savoie.  $13.99

The Eyrie Vineyards 2009 Estate Pinot Blanc  (Delightful) 
Delicately alluring sweet-tart aromas of raspberry, white currant and gooseberry with hints of pineapple and pear skin.  Rolls over the tongue smooth as liquid gold with wonderful white berry fruit concentration and a lovely bouquet of wildflowers and field herbs.  Like waling through a dewy field on a cloudy morning.  My only criticism is a somewhat low level of acidity.  Lovely medium-long raspberry seed and walnut skin finish.  $13.95










And not to be overlooked, one fabulous dessert wine:



Frog's Leap 2009 Frogenbeerenauslese  (Transcendent) 
Honey, honey, honey, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, ripe peaches and pears
drizzled with more honey and a sprinkle of orange zest.  Lively lemon zest
tartness on the palate with pear core and more spiced honey.  The beautiful
long finish shows pear skins, apple skins, and walnuts.  This is an exceptional
late harvest Riesling at this price to enjoy on its own, or pair with roasted hazelnuts, walnut tart, or apricot tart.  $23.99









Narrowing down this list was extremely tough.  Especially among the whites there were so many interesting wines that could easily have been included.  You can see all the reviews by going to the wine reviews section.

Answers to this week's quiz (Wine Label Lore)

1. DOCG
2. Quality Wines
3. Auslese
4. The actual place of origin
5. Austria
6. Higher alcoholic strength
7. A wine that has been aged at least 12 months in oak casks
8. Grand Cru

Wine Label Lore

Natural Wine Wars: Old v. New World Fizz

An Argument for Natural Wine: Part 2

In my last post on this subject I raised the question whether the quality wines of today are by and large better than those of past times, before modern technology allowed us to control every facet of grape growing and wine making.  Sure, consistency, cleanness, and uniformity of style are the natural results of modern scientific wine production.  I can be reasonably sure that if I pick up a bottle of whatever the major international wine producers have inundated the shelves of retail outlets with, it won't be undrinkable.  But I also know that all of them will taste pretty much the same.  Very few of them will excite me or make me think, 'Now that's what I love, that's what wine should be all about!'  But am I alone in my indifference to today's vast sea of industrial wine?  My previously recorded experiences with casual wine drinkers has proven the opposite.  Invariably wine novices who taste an authentic, naturally produced wine for the first time are stunned by how interesting and good wine can be after their previous experience with the standardized, homogenized fruit and oak bombs.  I suppose I was lucky to have an innate sense of curiosity and adventure as I delved into the world of wine, that prodded me to explore wines made from every possible grape and from as many geographical locations as possible.  In this process I quickly learned that what I loved was variety, complexity, subtlety and charm.  I also learned with time that the stuff I really fell in love with came largely from small producers in lesser-known regions who grew their grapes labor-intensively and without the use of chemicals, and who gently guided rather than forced their wines into submission in the winery.

So then, if I and many others have had such eye-opening experiences when we first tasted truly authentic wine, how have we arrived at this place where the vast majority of us have accepted wine for what it is (or isn't) today?  That we have accepted this status quo is no surprise.  There is just too little of truly interesting wine out there in relation to the vast sea of industrial stuff.  People simply drink what is available and therefore begin to accept what they are familiar and comfortable with.  But what has actually gotten us to this place where we are drinkers of wine more than lovers of wine?  Is it that a sinister wine critic has malevolently tricked our palates into accepting homogeneous mediocrity?  Have multi-million dollar wine conglomerates found it impossible to produce wine on a mega scale without the use of modern wine-making technology that sucks the life and individuality out of wine?  Has the world just become too quality conscious to accept the occasional fault in its wines?  I believe that we have to look a little deeper to find the answer to this question.  Granted, wine critics can and have undoubtedly influenced wine styles, but initially they can only rate wines that are already being produced.  The chain of change had to start somewhere other than on the critic's palate.  Modern technology and science have certainly made it easier to produce wine economically and reliably on a large scale, but what caused technological manipulation in the winery to be accepted as necessary in the first place?  I suppose it is true that over the past few decades food and drink quality standards have vastly improved.  We do expect everything we ingest to be consistent and wholesome, and I will grant that due to this our tastes have become somewhat dumbed down.  But we do keep wanting to go back to what is true and authentic and original, and when we find it we want more of it.  As we re-discover pure, natural, authentically produced foods we are beginning to  reject the notion that quality has to mean homogeneity.  So are we really willing to sacrifice authenticity in our wines for the sake of perfection?  I don't believe that is human nature and I don't believe that is the answer to my question.

What was it then that started the chain of events that has led to the state of wine as we know it in our lifetime?  The brilliant and somewhat iconoclastic Loire winemaker Nicolas Joly, one of the early champions of today's natural wine movement, lays the case out quite concisely, and I believe accurately.  According to Joly's thinking, and this is ironically considered old-school thinking by much of the modern wine industry, great wine must start with great grapes, which must in turn come from healthy soil.  At one point in history grapevines had all they needed to thrive and produce great grapes in their native soils, but the work required in the vineyard to maintain their health was time and energy consuming.  In the early part of the last century agricultural advances allowed farmers to increase production significantly while saving time and energy.

• As part of this trend, in the 1950's herbicides began to be used in vineyards in order to save time and eliminate the need to intensively work the soil.  
• One unintended consequence of herbicide use was the destruction of beneficial microbes and bacteria in the soil.  In the absence of these microorganisms the roots could not feed themselves, and so within five years vine growth had drastically decreased.  
• The solution was application of massive doses of chemical fertilizers
• These chemical fertilizers consisted largely of salts, forcing vines to need more water to compensate for the greater salinity
• This additional intake of water in creased the vines' vulnerability to disease and negatively affected the taste of the grapes.
• The solution was the invention of disease fighting "systemics," products that pass directly into the vine's sap, further altering flavor and introducing new and greater chemical residues in wines.
• To deal with the loss of and the new unusual tastes in the chemically altered grapes, technologies were invented that turned wine cellars into factories.
• More and more wines had to be dressed up with cosmetics such as hundreds of aromatic yeasts, added enzymes, tannins, etc.  

To be continued . . .

Quiz & Quote #19

"Here's to the corkscrew- A useful key to unlock to storehouse of wit, the treasury of laughter, the front door of fellowship, and the gate of pleasant folly."
                                                                          - W.E.P. French 

 

 

 

Wine Label Lore

Test your wine label knowledge with this week's quiz. If you don't score 100% check back Friday for the answers.

1. The legal category for Italy's highest quality wines is:
DOC IGT DOCG
2. Under EU labeling, the most stringent regulations apply to which wine category?
Table wines Quality wines Table Wines with a geographical indication
3. Which of these German wine label quality categories indicates the highest must weight?
Spätlese Auslese Kabinett
4. U.S. sparkling wine labels must list what next to the word "Champagne?"
The vintage A disclaimer stating the wine is produced outside of the Champagne region in France The actual place of origin
5. On which country's wine lables would you find the term Smaragd?
Hungary Germany Austria
6. The term Supérieur on a French wine label indicates:
Higher alcoholic strength Lower yields Wine from selected vineyard plots
7. The word "Crianza" on a Rioja red wine label would indicate what?
A young wine with little or no cask aging. A wine from a superior vintage A wine that has been aged at least 12 months in oak casks
8. The highest wine classification in Burgundy is:
Premier Cru Grand Cru Premier Grand Cru

Your Holiday Wines

Alright fellow natural wine lovers.  Here's your chance to take over The Grapes of Rand...well, at least until next week.  So go to the comments box and tell us about the wines you will be drinking, gifting, and celebrating with for the rest of the holiday season.  Get fancy if you wish with a full description, or keep it short and sweet with just the name of the wine and vintage.  I'll be back next week with Part 2 of An Argument for Natural Wine and my special pre-New Year's Eve video episode of Natural Wine Wars.

Until then, keep it natural, and keep it interesting.

An Argument for Natural Wine: Part 1

Wine.  It seems like such a simple thing.  Pick some wonderfully ripe grapes, crush them, press them, sit back, and watch magic happen.  After all, you need only sugar, yeast, and some flavor and color compounds suspended in water.  These basic elements are all found in grapes when they come out of the vineyard.  The yeasts will feast on the sugars, turn them to alcohol, and voila, you have wine.

Ah, if it were only that simple.  Consider this.  Over 1000 phenolic compounds alone, which contribute to the wine's color, flavor, and mouthfeel have been detected in wine.  Besides these there are the other naturally occurring building blocks of grapes such as amino acids, organic acids, sulfites, vitamins, minerals, and pectins.  Then new aroma compounds such as esters are created by hundreds of chemical reactions during fermentation, ageing, and maturation.  When all goes well, as it has for millennia under the right conditions and guidance, the result can be and astonishingly heavenly beverage.  Yes, all this has occurred through natural processes for thousands of years with minimal human intervention, without reverse osmosis, microoxygenation, or various additions such powdered tannins, acids, or oak chips.  Has anything ever gone wrong in this natural process?  Oh yeah.  Wine can gone wrong at any point in it's complex creation, starting with bad weather, pests, and disease in the vineyard.    Then, bacterial spoilage, uncooperative yeasts, the wrong cellar conditions, and the list goes on.

This, of course, raises the question:  Why not use all the modern technology available to help these natural processes along so nothing goes wrong, and if it does, fix it?  After all, the bulk of wine made today relies on technological intervention and does so quite successfully.   But does it?  What exactly is the measure of success when it comes to wine?  Are today's wines really better than those of, say, 60 or 70 years ago?  I suppose that will always be a point of argument and an open question.  I for one, and many other like-minded wine lovers can only answer it in context of the wines that are available to us today.  What I do know is that I am not a fan of about 70 to 80 percent of the quality wines (excluding the stuff that comes in a box, bag, or unnaturally voluminous bottle with a handle) that are available today.  I generally find them boring.  No variation.  Too much one-dimensional fruit and little else.  When there is something else, invariably it is oak.  Lots of oak, as if infusing wine with oak gave it power and complexity.  This is, sadly what people know of wine today.  No wonder when I ask the average casual wine drinker out there what they like in a wine they invariably bring up only two terms: dry, meaning oak, and sweet, meaning fruit.  When I then introduce these same people to the naturally produced, terroir driven wines I like, they almost always respond with utter astonishment.  'I didn't know wine could taste like flowers.'  'What do they do to get that nice herbal flavor in there?'  'I never liked red wine, but now I do, because this actually tastes exciting.'  'This isn't sweet, but I really like it.  I'm going right down to the wine store to buy more.'  'This is dancing in my mouth.'

So, I come back around to my question.  Is most of the quality wine made today better than it was before the days of wholesale intervention in the vineyard and manipulation in the wine-making process?  After all, I rarely hear  casual wine drinkers tell me that they can't stand the wines they drink.  And, quite frankly, before I discovered the delights of naturally produced wine I was quite happy drinking whatever uninspiring reds or whites where put in front of me.  I simply liked wine and accepted that it pretty much fell into those two color categories and beyond that it was all pretty much the same.  At the time, I have to admit, I really didn't see this as a problem.  I even marveled how amazingly consistent most wines were not only in style but in quality.  I found it interesting how rare it was to find among the vast sea of mass-produced wine a major fault that would render a bottle seriously off-putting, as I understood this to be a much more frequent occurrence with the wines of days gone by.  But was I inspired by the wines I was drinking?  Did they excite me?  Did they transport me to another realm (and I'm not talking about the effects of alcohol)?  For the most part I have to say no.  The point came however, in my personal oenophilic evolution, when I tasted wines that blew me away.  I remember the first time I opened a perfectly delicate, floral, slatey, alive bottle of, what I now know to have been a Biodynamically produced Alsace Riesling, and thought to myself: "Yes! This is different.  Now I know what wine can be!"  Not too long afterwards I drank my first truly transcendental red, which happened to be a wonderfully complex, naturally produced Sierra Foothills Syrah.  Unfortunately I didn't know at the time what it was that made me like these wines more than the vast majority I was drinking.  I had to find these transcending experiences by trial and error until, many years later, I made a fortuitous discovery.  I started to read the producer websites of the wines I particularly loved, and soon found that most of these producers shared a back to nature approach in their vineyards, and a minimal intervention philosophy in the cellar.

To be continued...

Vignobles Mayard 2005 Chateauneuf-du-Pape La Crau de Ma Mere

A truly transcending wine from one of my favorite appellations.  Watch the video to find out why I scored this Chateauneuf-du-Pape 95 points.  Comes in at just under $40

Quiz & Quote #18

"Wine is a living liquid containing no preservatives. Its life cycle comprises youth, maturity, old age, and death. When not treated with reasonable respect it will sicken and die."
                                         - Julia Child

Is it the Wine's Fault?

Can you identify the most likely cause of these "off" wine aromas?

1. Must, damp cellar, wet cardboard
Brettanomyces Lactic acid bacteria Reduction Cork Taint
2. Rotten egg
Sulfur Dioxide Hydrogen Sulfide Dimethyl Sulfide Oxidation
3. Nail polish remover
TCA Ethyl Acetate Diacetyl Acetic acid
4. Buttery Smell
Diacetyl Mercaptan Geraniol Acetic acid
5. Sharp/Vinegary
Sulfur Dioxide Ascorbic acid Acetic Acid Ethyl Acetate
6. Rotten cabbage/Burnt rubber/Garlic
Cork Taint Hydrogen Sulfide Sulfur Dioxide Mercaptan
7. Wood/warm spices/medicinal
Dimethyl Sulfide Brettanomyces TCA Diacetyl
8. Floral/sweet/pungent
Geraniol Acetaldehyde Mercaptan Acetic Acid
9. Nutty/almonds/sherry
Brettanomyces Diacetyl Acetaldehyde Lactic Acid
10. Struck match
Sulfur Dioxide Cork Taint Hydrogen Sulfide Acetaldehyde

Natural Wine Wars: Pinot Blanc, New vs. Old World

Installment 2 in our continuing series Natural Wine Wars pits old world Pinot Blanc against new world Pinot Blanc.  Find out who comes out the winner.  

Quiz & Quote #17

"Reminds me of my safari in Africa. Somebody forgot the corkscrew and for several days we had to live on nothing but food and water."  

                                                                                                    - W.C. Fields




Discovering the New World Wine Regions
See if you can identify the correct country for each of these new world wine regions.

1. Waipara
Chile New Zealand Australia South Africa
2. Constantia
New Zealand Australia South Africa Argentina
3. Maipo Valley
Brazil Chile New Zealand Arentina
4. Manjimup
South Africa New Zealand Brazil Australia
5. Breede River Valley
Australia New Zealand South Africa Canada
6. Casablanca Valley
Mexico Chile Argentina Uruguay
7. Parras Valley
Chile Argentina Mexico Urugay
8. Maipu
New Zealand Argentina Brazil Chile
9. Fraser Valley
Canada Australia New Zealand South Africa
10. Serra Gaucha
Mexico Chile Argentina Brazil

Bonny Doon 2006 Le Cigare Volant

One of The Grapes of Rand's early producer profiles featured Bonny Doon Vienyard.  The article was entitled Of Flying Cigars and Terroirs, a reference to Bonny Doon's homage to Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Le Cigare Volant.  Today I taste the 2006 vintage of Le Cigare Volant, a wine that was awarded 91 points by Stephen Tanzer.  Watch the video to find out how I scored the 22nd vintage of this iconic Central Coast Rhone blend.  

Grgich Hills Estate

Anyone familiar with Bottle Shock, the movie loosely based on the events of Steven Spurrier's 1976 Judgment of Paris, will know the central story focusing on the Jim and Bo Barrett father-son relationship as they overcame all odds to shock the world with the highest scoring wine at the historic tasting.  What those more familiar with the movie than the actual events may not know, is that the winemaker responsible for creating the winning wine (1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay), was actually Mike Grgich, founder of Grgich Hills Estates.  Part of the reason for the omission of the winemaker in the plot was, as the story goes, that Grgich did not fully support the project, and producers were not able to obtain his life rights.  Mike Grgich did, however, appear as an extra in the move.  Be that as it may, those familiar with the revered Napa Valley producer Grgich Hills Estate know that the Croatian born Miljenko Grgich went on to form his own wine legacy.  Only a year after the 1976 Paris tasting, Grgich teamed up with Austin Hills of Hills Bros. Coffee, to create Grgich Hills.  Their aim was to produce the highest quality wines from vineyards owned by Austin Hills in Rutherford, Napa Valley.  While Hills handled the business side of things, Mike Grgich went to work creating world-class wines, including the exquisite complex Chardonnays Grgich Hills is famous for.  As a side-note (returning briefly to Bottle Shock), Gustavo Brambila (played by Freddy Rodriguez in the movie) actually followed Grgich when he left Chateau Montelena and worked for him for many years until in 1999 he started his own Napa winery, Gustavo Thrace.

With his fabled wine-making history and ideally situated Napa vineyards, Grgich could have easily focused on  growth and expansion, but instead has decided to stay relatively small and put the emphasis on continuing quality improvement in vineyard and winery.  Central to Grgich's philosophy is that 'great wine always begins with exceptional fruit.' As part of that commitment, all of Grgich Hills' grapes are 100% estate grown in their organic and Biodynamic certified vineyards.  The 366 acres of vineyards spread through Rutherford, Carneros, Yountville, Calistoga, and American Canyon.  From these vineyards Grgich produces their celebrated Chardonnay, Fume Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, and a dessert wine named after Mike Grgich's daughter Violetta.

What I find interesting about Grgich's road to Biodynamic farming is that, as is the case with many other producers, the switch to Biodynamics grew out of crisis.  This seems to be a recurring theme in the history of Biodynamic farming, as Rodolf Steiner's movement itself was a response to a serious 1920's agricultural plight in Europe, the result of overuse of chemical fertilizers.  In 2003 44 year old Cabernet Sauvignon Vines in Grgich's Yountville Vineyards were badly infected with red leaf virus, and experts recommended that they be pulled out.  In a desperate attempt to save the vines, the decision was made to make the swithch to Biodynamic farming.  Not only did the vines recover, but the quality of fruit improved to such an extent, that Grgich Hills decided to convert all 366 acres of their vineyards to Biodynamic methods.  By 2006 the conversion was complete, and all the vineyards are now certified Biodynamic by Demeter.  Sometimes, I must admit, even I an ardent proponent of Biodynamics, amid frequent criticism of some of the more mystical elements, forget what solid practical footing underpins its practices.  It is always nice to see a producer provide clearly stated, down-to earth information about what Biodynamics entails in their vineyard work.  Grgich Hills has created a very useful and concise list of some of the main elements of Biodynamics and how it differs form organic practices.  I thought is might be useful to reproduce this list here for our edification:



KEY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN NOP ORGANIC* AND DEMETER BIODYNAMIC®

History
-National Organic Program (NOP) established in US in 2002
-Demeter established in Europe in 1928, and in the US in 1985

Use of imported materials
-NOP permits imported organic fertilizers and pesticides
-Biodynamic reduces imported materials by addressing its needs from within the farming system

Fertility delivered via a nutrient rich soil component, called humus, created by the:
-Integration of livestock
-Intensive use of green manure (cover crops grown to add nutrients to soil) and legumes
-Rotation of crops
-Application of field/compost sprays

Pest and Disease Control
-Creation of biologically diverse habitat encourages balanced predator prey relationships
-Humus development contributes to insect and disease resistance
Water:
-Increased humus levels result in soil’s ability to store water
-Preservation of riparian areas emphasized

Livestock feed source
-NOP allows for organic feed imported to the farm from anywhere in the world
-Biodynamic requires 80% of livestock feed be grown on farm.
Biodiversity requirements
-No specific NOP requirement
-Biodynamic requires a biodiversity set- aside of ten percent of the total farm acreage

Farm certification
-NOP is crop focused and allows for a designated parcel to be certified
-Biodynamic is farm focused and requires that the whole farm be certified

Product certification
-NOP processing standard is applied across product types and focuses primarily on ingredients used
-12 Biodynamic processing standards, developed for specific product types, require minimal manipulation so that the
agricultural ingredients used define the product

I don't know if it is that Biodynamic producers just develop an intuitive trust in the power of the sun because of the wonderful results they see it produce in their fruit, but Grgich Hills Estate, like many other Biodynamic producers, has taken its earth-friendly production practices outside of the vineyard, using the sun's energy to supply almost 100% of its electrical needs.  860 photovoltaic panels covering the winery's red tile roof provide a renewable, pollutant-free energy source in line with Gergich's overall philosophy of sustainablility.  

Seeing wine producers do everything in their power to produce wines in a natural, sustainable, earth-friendly way is always encouraging.  But in the end the quality of the wine must, of course, be the ultimate measure of success.  Judging by the many accolades Grgich Hills Estate wines have garnered over the years, and continue to garner today, I would say they are doing a pretty good job of measuring up.  Below are just a few of the high scores and other honors some of Grgich's wines have collected for their recent vintages:  

2007, 2008 Chardonnay - Stephen Tanzer  90 points

2007 Chardonnay served at the White House executive residence

2007 Carneros Selection Chardonnay - Tasting Panel  94 points

2008 Zinfandel - Wine & Spirits  91 points

2005 Miljenko's Old Vine Zinfandel - Wine News (wine of the year)  95 points

2007 Cabernet Sauvignon - Michael Apstein  96 points

2006, 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon - Robert Whitley  96 points

2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, Yountville Selection - Wine News  94 points

2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley - Wine Spectator  92 points

2008 Violetta late harvest - Wine Spectator 90 points

Grgich Hills Estate  (link)

* Some information about the movie Bottle Shock was sourced from WineCountry.com.  

Quiz & Quote #16

"Come quickly! I am tasting stars!"   

                                 - Dom Perignon

Perfect Pairings

Match the wine with it's most ideal pairing.

1. Barolo
Brie Lasagne Game
2. Alsace Gewürztraminer
Pâté Roasted Chicken Oysters
3. Champagne
Nicoise Salad Sushi BBQ Chicken Pizza
4. Oregon Pinot Noir
Salmon Roast Beef Chicken Pot Pie
5. Muscat
Pork Chops Blue Cheese Caesar Salad
6. Zinfandel
Macaroni and Cheese Veal Scaloppini Osso Buco

My Favorite Thanksgiving Quotes

I hope, my fellow wine lovers, that you will find time this Thanksgiving to celebrate the bounty of the earth, your good fortune, and health.  May your table be abundant with great food, great wine, and the company of great friends and loved ones.  As I pause this week to celebrate and give thanks with those I love, let me leave you with a few of my favorite thoughts of Thanksgiving.

Holiday Cheers to you all,
Rand

Remember God's bounty in the year. String the pearls of His favor. Hide the dark parts, except so far as they are breaking out in light! Give this one day to thanks, to joy, to gratitude! ~Henry Ward Beecher

Thanksgiving Day is a jewel, to set in the hearts of honest men; but be careful that you do not take the day, and leave out the gratitude. ~E.P. Powell

Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow. ~Edward Sandford Martin

The unthankful heart... discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings! ~Henry Ward Beecher

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. ~Thornton Wilder

Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence. ~Erma Bombeck

We hear of the conversion of water into wine at the marriage in Cana as of a miracle. But this conversion is, through the goodness of God, made every day before our eyes. Behold the rain which descends from heaven upon our vineyards, and which incorporates itself with the grapes, to be changed into wine; a constant proof that God loves us, and loves to see us happy. ~ Benjamin Franklin

 

Thanksgiving Dinner Wine Pairings

Hello my fellow wine-lovers.  Today we are getting you ready for your Thanksgiving dinner celebration with two lovely wines.  We will be tasting The Eyrie Vineyards 2009 Pinot Noir, and to pair with your Thanksgiving desserts, a wonderful late harvest Riesling from Napa Valley's Frog's Leap Vineyards.  

Cowhorn Vineyards

Could there be a more idyllic setting for a vineyard than this?  I think not.  If there are two things I'm a sucker for it's a great undiscovered wine region discovered, and great wines that come from them; wines that are unique and real and speak of the land, the soil, and the people who grow and make them.  So when I discovered that there is actually more to Oregon wine than Willamette Valley and the great Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay grown there, and that it involves the beautifully rugged southern Oregon Rogue and  Applegate valleys, I was naturally excited.  When I found out that really, really good naturally produced Rhone varietals and Rhone blends are produced there, I knew I had found a new Nirvana.  

So, where will my next wine excursion take me?  Yes, you guessed it...southern Oregon, and my first stop will be Cowhorn Vineyards, an amazing Demter certified Biodynamic producer in Appleagate valley.  What makes this incredible little corner of the Pacific Northwest so perfect for wine growing, and my next wine trip?  First of all, beautiful mountains, forests, rivers,  and scenery to provide the perfect backdrop.  Second, a great hospitality scene with world class cuisine, entertainment, and charming bed and breakfasts.  And, most importantly, ideal grape-growing conditions for an amazing array of  both cool and warm climate varietals.

Cowhorn Vineyards is located about as far south as the incredible southern Oregon countryside extends, in a ralatively dry climate zone with warm days and cool nights, creating the perfect conditions in which to grow the classic Rhone varietals Syrah, Grenache, Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne, as well as some wonderful warm climate Sauvignon Blanc.

Bill and Barbara Steele purchased the property that is now Cowhorn Vineyards in 2002, extensively tested the soil, water-holding capacity, and natural water availability, and by 2004 had put together a masterplan for their polyculture gardens and vineyards, relying on Biodynamic and Organic practices, which now includes farming of asparagus and an array of other crops such as artichokes, pumpkins, squash, apples, pears, and hazelnuts.  I love the first vision statement the Steeles wrote for Cowhorn from which their dreams and plans grew.

"There must be a Creator and she loves art!  Why else would the Earth be so beautiful? The Earth is also powerful and diverse; complicated, forgiving and patient; wise.  She buries our mistakes, grows our successes; endlessly challenges our creativity and ability, always rewards us with vision and beauty! The extraordinary intellect of the mind is matched by the extraordinary complexity of the Earth. We can protect the Earth by creating spaces that let its energies expand and flourish. The Earth needs strong spaces to balance those parts that have been weakened."

I love this statement because it speaks of the respect the Steeles have for the Earth and its creative powers, and of the importance of working together with her as her stewards.  This philosophy is put into practice in Cowhorn's vineyards in the form of Biodynamically based, labor-intensive tillage and canopy management programs, providing an environment in which "all the elements of the farm can live dynamically and with vitality."  Their holistic, environment-conscious methods include complementary farming practices that create wildlife corridors, leave landscapes untouched, and remove invasive species in order to give native plants a chance to take root. 

Like their vineyards, Cowhorn's winery is also Demeter Certified.  Gentle guidance is the word here,  meaning minimal use of intervention such as manipulation, chemicals, additives, or other ingredients.  The grapes are allowed to develop into wine as naturally as possible using only indigenous yeasts, of which readers of this blog know I am a huge fan. 

Cowhorn's commitment to these holistic farming and gentle wine making practices has been rewarded with wines that have already drawn impressive accolades from the likes of Wines Spectator and Wine Enthusiast.  As for me, spring cannot arrive too soon, as I cannot wait to make my way to southern Oregon to visit the vineyards and wineries of the Rogue and Applegate valleys.  Cowhorn Vineyards will most definitely be at the top of my list of vineyards to visit on that trip.  Reports to follow in only a few short months!

Quiz & Quote #15

"From wine what sudden friendship springs!"

                               - John Gay 

Wine-dering with the Antipodes

1. The sweet hedonistic Australian wine specialty Liqueur Muscat hails from which area?
Barossa Rutherglen Margaret River
2. Which red grape variety produces the most noteworthy wines of Tasmania?
Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon Pinot Noir
3. GSM is:
A name used in Australia for Rhone varietal blends A wine region of southern Australia An Australian wine research organization
4. The world's southernmost wine region is located in:
South Australia New Zealand Tasmania
5. Max Schubert is known in Australian wine history for:
Improving irrigation techniques Inventing innovative canopy management techniques Creating Penfold's Grange

Natural Wine Wars: Mendocino Cabs

Two value priced Mendocino Cabs, each coming in at about $17.00 do battle in our first ever installment of Natural Wine Wars.  Today I pit the certified Organic 2009 Bonterra Cabernet Sauvignon against the Demeter Biodynamic certified 2006 Jeriko Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.  To make it more interesting, I will taste them blind.  Watch to find out which wine wins the battle.  

Quiz & Quote #14

"In vino Veritas"

                         - Plato 

Great Wines of the World Trivia

1. In 2000 police uncovered a scheme to sell 20,000 bottles of a fake version of this wine.
Romanee-Conti Chateau Maregaux Chateau Petrus Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Vega Sicilia Unico Penfolds Grange
2. The producer of which wine rejected an offer to have his wine featured in the 2004 film Sideways?
Romanee-Conti Chateau Maregaux Chateau Petrus Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Vega Sicilia Unico Penfolds Grange
3. This venerable wine's vineyard was the subject of a failed 2010 vine poisoning extortion plot.
Romanee-Conti Chateau Maregaux Chateau Petrus Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Vega Sicilia Unico Penfolds Grange
4. This wine first gained acclaim at the 1929 world's fair.
Romanee-Conti Chateau Maregaux Chateau Petrus Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Vega Sicilia Unico Penfolds Grange
5. Which cult wine received poor reviews on its first release in 1951?
Romanee-Conti Chateau Maregaux Chateau Petrus Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Vega Sicilia Unico Penfolds Grange
6. Which wine is sometimes described as an "iron fist in a velvet glove"?
Romanee-Conti Chateau Maregaux Chateau Petrus Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Vega Sicilia Unico Penfolds Grange

Summer 2010 Tour of Clos Pepe

It's no secret that I am a huge fan of the California Central Coast and it's characterful wines.  I have been lucky to travel though Central Coast wine country on several occasions, tasting many lovely wines and soaking in the incredible old California ambiance and natural beauty.  One of those memorable trips occurred last summer when I had the special privilege to take part in one of the last tours offered at Clos Pepe Vineyards in the Santa Rita Hills. The extremely personable Wes Hagen, vineyard manager and the estate's winemaker, was a font of knowledge as he led the group from the vineyards, through the wine-making process, to a memorable private tasting in the estate's main house.  Wes even took time to personally put together a local cheese and bread platter as he answered the group's questions and poured several delicious wines. To top off an amazing morning, we were treated to the fruits of another of  Wes' great passions; his freshly brewed, home roasted expresso.

I absolutely fell in love with the beautiful vineyard setting with meticulously kept vines, olive groves, and even a picturesque little heard of sheep which are an integral part of the bio-intensive vineyard culture.  Eve more impressive were the wines.  We tasted two vintages of exquisitely crafted, bright, crisp, Burgundy style Chardonnay, one of them an unfiltered barrel sample.  Quite the treat.  Then came the lovely Pinot Noirs, with their characteristic Santa Rita Hills raspberry and cherry aromas backed by a hint of Central Coast herbalness. These were juicy Pinot Noirs, quite drinkable in their youth, but with Burgundy-like earthy complexity and the backbone to develop nicely for several years in the bottle.  Clos Pepe wines are a great testament to what can happen when an incredibly talented winemaker's skills combine with low-yields, organic/sustainable practices, and meticulous hand-labor in the vineyard.  

Sadly, Clos Pepe no longer offeres tours of their beautiful estates, but their wonderful wines are available online on clospepe.com and in wine shops for your enjoyment.  I heartily recommend seeking them out.  In the meantime here are some photos from my memorable 2010 tour, so you too can experience some of the beauty of this incredible estate.

R. Lopez de Heredia 2000 Viña Gravonia

In 1877 Rafael Lopez de Heredia y Landeta came to the Rioja region in Spain from Chile to follow his dream of making wine.  At the time, the wine business in the Rioja was booming, as the phylloxera epidemic drove Bordeaux producers there to seek alternate sources for quality grapes.  Lopez de Heredia began experimenting with a wide range of Spanish and Bordeaux varieties, finally determining that the traditional Tempranillo and Viura were the most appropriate grapes for top quality wine production in Rioja.  In 1913 he purchased a parcel of land that became the vineyards of Lopez de Heredia Tondonia, established one of the first Bodegas in Rioja, and began a wine making heritage based on strict quality.  Three generations later Lopez de Heredia's great-grand  children carry on his dream by making wines very much in the same traditional way.  These are old-style Rioja wines that emphasize extreme care in the vineyard in order to produce the highest quality grapes possible, and very traditional vinification in the cellar.  

Harvesting is done meticulously by hand, bunch by bunch, and grapes are brought to the winery in small wooden containers that are handcrafted in the estate's own cooperage.  After natural yeast fermentation, the wines are aged a minimum of four years in 225 liter hand-crafted American oak barrels.  This long aging period, which varies with each wine's natural development, allows them to undergo the slow esterification process needed to develop the classic and complex bouquets of great traditional style Rioja wines.  During this aging process the wines are gently and laboriously hand-racked to remove impurities without having to resort to mechanical filtering.  The wines then continue to age in bottle until deemed ready for release.  

The resulting wines are anything but the modern fruit and oak bombs many modern Rioja wines have become. These are contemplative wines of restraint, elegance, and nuance.  They offer the kinds of earthy complexity that made me fall in love with traditional Spanish wines years ago.  Thanks to Lopez de Heredia's dedication to tradition we can still enjoy this uniquely wonderful style of wine.  We can only hope the tradition will continue for generations to come. 

The wine we will taste today is made from grapes from the Viña Zaconia vineards, one of the original parcels purchesd by Rafael Lopez de Heredia y Landeta.  The 45 year old Viura vines are situated on south-facing slopes of poor, stony soil, which forces the roots to go deep, developing great character and complexity in the grapes.  This is the stuff I live for, so come along as I taste this exciting traditional white wine from the Rioja region.  

Today's Video Review Delayed

My sincerest apologies, but doe to technical difficulties today's video review will be delayed.  Check back tomorrow and we should have it up and ready for your viewing pleasure.  Thanks for your patience.

Quiz & Quote #13

"Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance"

                                                                                         - Benjamin Franklin 

Esoteric Whites and Abstruse Reds

Can you identify the color of these not so common wine grapes?

1. Mavrodaphne
White Red
2. Dornfelder
White Red
3. Inzolia
White Red
4. Corvina
White Red
5. Moschofilero
White Red
6. Plavac Mali
White Red
7. Jacquere
White Red
8. Rotgipfler
White Red

Domaine de Fondreche 2007 Cotes du Ventoux Fayard

Come along as we go back to France for this week's Video Review.  We are in the Cotes du Ventoux in 

the southern Rhône.  The wine is Biodynamically produced from the classic blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, and Carignan.  It is vinified with a gentle touch and aged on its lees to 

retain all the wonderful character of the grapes and of the terroir.  Robert Parker scored this one 91.  Find out what my verdict will be.

Quiz & Quote #12

"Good wine is a good familiar creature if it be well used"

                                                                           -Shakespeare 

Cali Wine History

1. The first Californial winery was located at Mission San Juan Capistrano
True False
2. The first documented European vines were planted in California in the 1850's near San Francisco
True False
3. Inglenook wines won gold medals at the 1889 Paris Word's Fair
True False
4. The concept of labeling wines by grape variety was introduced to California by:
Robert Mondavi Frank Schoonmaker
5. Ridge Monte Bello made history by being voted the top red at the 1976 Judgment of Paris
True False
6. Cabernet Sauvignon is California's most planted grape variety.
True False
7. California produces 90% of the wine made in the United States
True False