Grgich Hills Estate 2009 Fumé Blanc Napa Valley

Here's a California Classic from Napa's premiere Biodynamic winemaker.

Ridge 2008 Zinfandel Lytton Springs

One of the wonderful estate Zinfandels from Ridge, one the truly iconic California wineries with a long and storied history.

Bargain Basement Bonus: Y+B Torrontes and Malbec

This has been an unexpectedly hectic week for me, so regrettably no Quiz & Quote or producer profile.  Sometimes in life family just has to come first, and this was one of those times.  I'll say a bit more about that by way of explanation on tomorrow's video review, which you definitely don't want to miss.  

For now though, here's another $10 and under Bargain Basement Bonus for ya, my fellow wine lovers.  A little organic Tetrapack action from Argentina.  Disfruta (Enjoy)!

Natural Wine Wars: War of the rosés

Rosés from Italy's Alto Adige and France's Languedoc region go head to head in today's battle.

Domaine Pallus 2009 Chinon Les Pensées de Pallus

Back in the wonderful Loire Valley!  And this time we're going red with a Biodynamic Chinon.

Bargain Basement Bonus: Jeriko Estates 2009 Syrah

Here's a bonus episode for ya:  A nice organic bargain Mendocino Syrah ($9.99) for everyday drinking.

Alma Rosa 2009 Chardonnay Santa Barbara County

A fabulous little Chardonnay from one of my favorite producers on the Central Coast.  This is what California Chardonnay should be all about.

Alma Rosa's Santa Rita Hills tasting room taken on my Summer 2010 Central Coast trip.

Remember this guy from Sideways?  That's Chris Burroughs, and he is indeed the tasting room manager at Alma Rosa.

Natural Wine Wars: Southern v. Northern Hemisphere Pinot Noir

Two new world, cool climate Pinot Noirs go head to head in this epic natural wine battle.  Watch to find out if the southern hemisphere contender from Tasmania can stand up to our northern hemisphere contender, one of  Willamette Valley's best Biodynamic producers.  

Natural Wine Wars: Old v. New World Albariño

An  Albariño from Rias Baixas, the traditional home of this wonderful Spanish variety goes up against a sustainably produced California Central Coast version.  

Antiyal

Tasting two excellent wines from Chile's Biodynamic wine pioneer, Alvaro Espinoza

André-Michel Brégeon 2009 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine

Tasting a delightful Muscadet from Biodynamic producer André-Michel Brégeon

Azienda Agricola COS 2008 Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico

Come along as we travel to Sicily and taste our first wine of 2012 here on The Grapes of Rand.  Biodynamically produced by friends who set out 35 years ago to make wines in the traditional way from indigenous grapes the way their ancestors did it, this is also the only DOCG designated wine on the island.  

Natural Wine Wars: Old v. New World Fizz

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

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.  

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.  

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.  

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.  

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.  

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.