Earlier this month I was invited up to VinTank where they were hosting @garyvee for the day as he interviewed a bunch of wine luminaries in a still undercover content operation that should soon unveil itself on cork’d. As part of this the winemakers obviously brought along the best of their wares to share and @pmabray was kind enough of to invite others (like me) to enjoy the fruits of their labor. I did have the chance to meet Gary and he was every bit as nice as you would think (and hope) he would be. I also meant a gang of other people which made this more of a social gathering than a tasting event and will explain my limited tasting notes below :-) Given that I have four highlights of what I am hoping to become far greater wine experiences to share…

• 2009 Natural Process Aliance Sauvignon Blanc ($N/A) – There is a big broader story to be told about NPA but for today let’s stick to the wine which hails from the Russian River Valley (800 cases made). 1/3 of this is fermented with skins, another 1/3 in clusters and the last third on its own. It was bottled the morning before it was delivered/tasted which is the norm for this wine (and quite interesting). Before you even drink this one you’ll certainly notice two things about it. #1) It is bottled in a Kleen Kanteen. #2) You will be taken aback by the cloudy, hazy color this unfiltered wine displays compared to its more translucent peer set. Almost like a summer day in San Francisco if you will allow me to reminisce. Now to the main event, this one starts with a big, fragrant nose loaded with orange fruits: peach, nectarine and cantaloupe; that leave you waiting to get knocked over by the same boldness on the palate but it never happens. Instead you find a wine that is surprisingly refreshing! Loaded with the great flavors of the same aforementioned fruits this one has several more layers that I could spend an evening dissecting and I look forward to doing so. Now I just need to get on @theNPAhardy‘s milk route for a delivery!
• 2009 Pithy Little Wine Co. Sangiovese Rose ($22) – I was lucky enough to get a chance to taste through a bit of their portfolio and enjoyed all I tried (Chardonnay, Pinot, Syrah and Zin) I must say that while some men are suckers for blonde for me it is all about rose and this (hailing from Paso Robles) was no exception. Jeff mentioned that when they arrived at the custom crush facility that many were surprised to hear they were making a rose with the Sangiovese. Well I am glad they did and guessing you will be as well! The nose on their 2009 was reminiscent of a strawberry jolly rancher (with a bit of watermelon mixed in) that I found delightful. The palate delivers more of the same with loads of strawberry throughout that meet with a crisp, refreshing finish. This is a perfect light bodied summer wine that can be had as an aperitif or served with a nice meal off the grill. That said rumor has it that @winefinesse puts aside a sizable chunk of the 120 cases made for herself so you may have a hard time tracking this one down, but if you do you’ll be glad you did!
• 2006 B Legacy Reserve Merlot ($60) – Well this one started interesting; you see the VinTank team had set up a visit for me at the Bolen Family Winery about a month earlier but due to technology failure (read dead iPhone battery) I never arrived. I did my best to apologize but upon meeting Eric and his father Mike I was promptly (and rightfully) coined the “a**hole”. That said there were still kind enough to share their wine and their passion with me. Their sole focus is Merlot which allows them to take a different approach than most where it is picked earlier rather than later as Cabernet is the kingmaker. But here they can let the grapes hang. In fact they get many nervous calls from growers wondering when they are going to pick as they are often the last grapes hanging on the vine, sometimes harvesting as late as November. As for the wine itself (hailing from Oak Knoll) it is aged for 26 months in 20% new oak. The nose shows the wines nuances straight away with layers of red berries and spice. On the palate this is surprisingly juicy showing great balance before showering you with an assortment of flavors on the finish with just a hint of warm barrel spices peeking their way through. For someone like me who rarely favors Merlot this was an eye opener. At $60 a bottle it is definitely spendy but if you call yourself a Merlot fan you need to give this one a try or at a minimum get up to the tasting room soon.
• 2006 Tallulah Les Trois Voix ($30) – Again, here, I was lucky enough to enjoy a few of the wines from the Tallulah portfolio. The Como, a blend of 53% Marsanne, 37% Chardonnay, ~10% Viognier, was toasty and full bodied with a zesty, slightly sweet finish and the Syrah was remarkably approachable. But my favorite of the lot was this Grenache/Mourvedre/Syrah blend which is often associated with the Chateauneuf Du Pape. The 2006, hailing from Shake Ridge Vineyard in Amador County, is composed of 53% Grenache, 29% Mourvedre, and 18% Syrah. With rich fruit and herbs up front this one showed great meatiness and nice vibrant acidity leading to a spicy, earthy, balanced finish. There were only 416 cases made so I’m glad I have a bottle in my possession.

There was many more good wine being poured including Hanzell, Titus, Failla, Modus Operandi, Salinia and Shibumi Knoll which I am bummed I didn’t get to spend more time with. And I missed the Opus One entirely! Next time I’ll have to be faster on my feet. It was a great event, thanks to Paul and the Vintank team for having me!

Ever since I missed the 25 Grapes (you’ve never heard of) tasting at Solano Cellars back in late March I had the date for the Port4lio Tasting circled on my calendar. The event brings together 4 importers; Blue Danube Wine Company, Return to Terroir, Siena Imports and Vinos Unico, that more or less bring you the best of the best from across Europe. To put in perspective what had me so excited about this event let me just share this tidbit: “There will be over 125 wines made with 90 different varietals from over 9 different countries!” For those that know me this is the equivalent of taking a six year old to Disneyland. And like children do to their parents I stayed for the very last ride, tasting nearly 70 wines by the time they showed me the exit. My intention was to try and visit all of the importers but as I was amazed at all the new varietals and interesting wines that I never made it beyond my first two stops: the tables of Vinos Unico and Blue Danube. While I could talk forever about this tasting (still even though it was more than a month ago) I’ll share a few highlights from each:

Vinos Unico:

o A load of affordable and refreshing white wines from Portugal. Just about everyone I tasted was less that $12 and a perfect pick for any summer afternoon. As matter fact with the temperature approaching 90 degrees here today I wish I had some handy! Here were some of my top picks:

• 2009 Trajarinho Vinho Verde – An unoaked blend of 65% Alvarinho and 35% Trajadura this one clean and crisp with nice lemon flavors and a bit of spritziness on a very refreshing finish. At $9 everyone should have a bottle of this in their fridge.
• 2009 Muralhas Vinho Verde – Another offering from the same cooperative (Adega Cooperativo Regional de Monçao) this one is again unoaked but with 70% Alvarinho and 30% Trajadura. A little heavier in the mouth , no fizz here, more expressive citrus flavors and a firm acid backbone.
• 2009 Quinta de Soalheiro – This one isn’t as friendly to the wallet ($20+) but was certainly worth the price of entry. Unoaked and 100% Alvarinho this one is made from aged vines (35 years). Beautiful on the nose show great fruit. Fuller in body than I would expect but perfectly balanced with lemon, citrus notes on a mineral backbone with a crisp, racy acidity.
• 2009 Quinta de Cabriz Colheita – A blend of 40% Encruzado, 20% Bical, 20% Cerceal and 20% Malvasia Fina this is a refreshing wine full of tangerine fruits and peach stones on the palate.
• 2009 Luis Patos Maria Gomes – Unoaked and 100% Maria Gomes if I had to describe this one in a word it would be “playful”. And by playful I mean there is a lot going on here for a wine in this price range. Some lemon here, floral notes there with almond flavor peeking through. This one is medium bodied with a nice, crisp acidity and a juicy finish. I look forward to spending an afternoon with it sometime soon! Luis Patos also makes some excellent reds as well.

o A few nice red values.

• 2008 La Nevera Garnacha – Unoaked and 100% Garnacha this one is dark in color with a palate of wonderful bing cherries and a bit of creaminess on the finish. An easy drinking fruit forward wine that is sure to please.
• NV Urbanite Cellars Redart – Another great offering this one is 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Syrah and 20% Zinfandel and was made to be an easy drinking table wine and it certainly fits the bill! I already snuck out and bought a bottle of this one. Here were my notes: Big juicy blackberry fruit up front on a creamy vanilla backbone with enough acidity to balance and manage the plush, rich fruit. A smooth, pleasing wine with a warm, toasty finish that linger on nicely. Nice depth/complexity for the price point!

o Meeting the Robledo Family

• The story behind this family run winery is so compelling I dare not to try and tell it better. Here is a concise version from the Sonoma Index-Tribune regarding Reynaldo Robledo recent attendance at a recent White House state dinner honoring Felipe Calderon: “Immigrant, uneducated farmworker, dirt-poor but field-smart, works his way up to manage whole vineyards, then starts a vineyard management company, then starts his own family winery, wins countless awards, hosts the president of Mexico at his Sonoma Valley estate and, two years later, is invited to a White House state dinner.” And there wines make the story even better. My favorite was the 2006 Red Hills Lake County Cab. I sent off a query to ask President Obama his but have to hear back. If I do you’ll be the first to know!

Blue Danube Wine Company:

o Learning more about Gruner Veltliner

• I’ve had a few but this was certainly my deepest dive to date and I can certainly appreciate their snappy, refreshing minerality. It has certainly earned a place in my summer rotation. While I enjoyed many my numbering system failed me during this portion of the tasting so can’t share any specific notes. Generalizing my notes I see as expected they showed clean, pure wines with citrus and stone flavor profiles with a snappy, refreshing acidity on the finish. Each had their own complexities from floral notes, smoky and spice. This grape can express itself in any number of ways and I am looking forward to exploring it further. I’ll get you specifics as I taste them. Let me know if you have any favorites in the comments below.

o A bunch of surprising whites from Hungary. Beyond sweet Tokaj, my experience here was limited to a single encounter with the Szõke Irsai Oliver last summer and it was compelling. That said I didn’t realize that there was such a bounty of them available and at great prices to boot! Here are a few I’ll be seeking out again:

• 2009 Hilltop Cserszegi Füszeres – Another new variety for me this one showed a bit of lemon spritz on a clean, stony backbone with a nice mineral acidity on the finish. I look forward to pairing this one with a hot summer afternoon sometime soon.
• 2007 Szõke Királyleányka – A sibling offering of the Irsai Oliver I mentioned above this one shows pleasing lemon flavors but driven by floral and mineral components. The structure and body on this wine show quality well beyond the price point.
• 2008 Patricius Yellow Muscat – My wine of the day and none other than Randall Grahm agreed. Apparently him mentioning it made this wine hard to come by as I was just recently able to track down a bottle. My notes from the tasting had this to say: “very fragrant. I could smell this wine for hours. A star from the first sip. Beautiful lemon custard flavors while remaining dry and crisp throughout.” Can’t wait to open this one up!
• 2007 Pfneiszl Kékfrankos – Okay you caught me (if you are still reading) this one is actually a red. This one shows a light barrel touch, light in body and very easy to drink with dark berry flavors and a spicy pepper finish. A perfect match for a summer barbeque.

o Being introduced to the wines of Croatia and Slovenia. Earlier this year I had my first wine from Croatia, the Bibich Riserva, and was impressed and eager to explore more. I think what excited me about these wines is much the same as what excited me about the wines of Greece and the Kékfrankos above, they are all lighter in body, weight and alcohol. This has many benefits that start with pairing with a wider variety of foods and finishing with being able to have an extra glass at the end of the night. My exploration yielded two more whites and a red:

• 2009 Crnko Jarenincan – My first love from Slovenia is not exactly indigenous. A blend of Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, this one comes in a liter bottle delivering tangerine and lemon flavors with a light spritz on the palate and a refreshing mineral acidity on the finish. Fuller bodied than expected at 11%. Crisp throughout this wine is a steal at the price point, perfect for any occasion.
• 2008 Šipun Zlahtina – Another white from the Island of Krk in Croatia this time this varietal can be found nowhere else. Medium bodied with a floral backbone this is a wine that doesn’t reveal itself in a taste. At least not for me. Stone fruit flavors with a touch of nuttiness on the finish I would enjoy spending an evening figuring this one out.
• 2007 Dingac Plavac Mali – Great juicy, red berry fruit at the front of the palate that turn dry and floral with a lively acidity on the finish. A playful wine this is not one to pair with a steak dinner but make a salad out of it and this would be a perfect mate.

Phew, that was a lot of wine talk! In closing this is going to cost me a lot of money as I continue to explore these wines but I am sure to enjoy every penny of it. In the Bay Area (and Hollywood) we are lucky as K&L Wines seems to stock a solid number of these offerings. That said I know both of these importers and they are more than willing to help you track them down no matter your whereabouts. Also for good measure as I dive into these I will officially begin maintaining my application for the Wine Century Club. Who wants to go along for the ride? What is your favorite varietal or country from off the beaten trail?

With my pipedream of making it to South Africa and the surrounding wine country for World Cup 2010 a distant memory you can imagine how happy I must have been when I found out about the Celebrate South Africa 2010! tasting event. Given that the ability to taste the wine of 50+ producers in one afternoon was almost as good as getting on the plane. Well not really, but you know that lemon/lemonade story. Now being on the west coast South African wines aren’t quite as readily available as I think they might be back east. So while the temptation to try and taste each and every one of these wines loomed large I showed some restraint making the decision to focus (and not wear out my palate) early on. With that in mind I still managed to taste nearly 40 wines. That said rather than bore you all and detail my thoughts on each of these there were six highlights I wanted to share:

• Being Introduced to Worthwhile Wine: From the slogan “Great Wines. Better Lives” this seems to be an importer who shares many of the same values I do. One of my resolutions for the year was to lower my carbon footprint so every time I grab a bottle from overseas that crosses my mind. So when Tom Lynch, the founder, told me that he purchases carbon offsets for all of his imports I surely paid attention. But the commitment goes well beyond that as every wine they import is sustainably made. And by sustainable they mean protecting the environment and improving the lives of those with whom they interact. The latest addition to their portfolio, Partnership Vineyards is a shining example. Oh by the way, I wouldn’t even be telling you this if the wines weren’t good. Check out their portfolio to learn more or visit their store locator to track down a bottle for yourself!

• Terrific White Value Wines: Speaking of the Partnership Vineyards their 2009 Sauvignon Blanc is a great place to start, nice and crisp with grapefruit flavors and a snappy lemon tartness. Sure to please on a summer day! My other two favorites were both Chenin Blancs. The 2009 Man Vintners (available at wine.com for $9.99) was crisp and tangy with a mineral backbone and nice nectarine like flavors. The 2009 Painted Wolf “The Den” was crisp with green apple and melon fruit with a little sour lime on the finish. All wines I’m relatively sure you can grab for less than ten bones and each one that I would be quite happy to spend a whole afternoon with.

• Getting to Know Pinotage: I quickly got the sense that Pinotage is not as big of a part of the South African wine identity as I had imagined. While they were on display, the numbers were no more so than that of Shiraz or the other red varietals that were being poured. That said, I did get a chance to become more acquainted with this grape. Over the course of the day I tasted six different bottles and while none knocked my socks off it was interesting to see the different styles. I am used to what I’ll call the smoky, green, earthy flavor profile but had a few here that were much more fruit driven. To top it off the most memorable of the day was a 2009 Delheim Pinotage Rose.

• Tasting more of the Boekenhoutskloof Portfolio: For those with a keen memory you may recall that “B” stood for Boekenhoutskloof in my 2009 Year in Review post. There I was enamored by their ’06 Syrah and lamented that I couldn’t try it again three years down the road. As I worked my way towards the table I crossed my fingers that the ’06 might be getting poured today. Alas, it was not but the ’07 was just as memorable showing the same magnificent depth and balance. I also had a chance to taste their Semillon and Chocolate Block, a syrah based kitchen sink kind of blend, which were both compelling (and a bit more affordable) as well.

• South African Inspired Red Blends: I had a number of very interesting red blends that like the whites were not only very good but delivered a nice quality to value ratio. Let’s start by sticking with Boekenhoutskloff’s (which I can now spell without looking) second label the 2009 Wolftrap Red (available on wine.com for $9.99), a blend of Syrah, Mourvedre and Viognier, which had nice bright red fruits and spices. It struck me as a perfect grilling wine. As I already grabbed a few bottles of this one I can let you know if it turns out to be true. Next up would be the 2008 Edgebaston Pepper Pot, a blend of Shiraz, Mourvedre and Tannat, which was described as a playful side project for the winemaker and playful it is delivering loads of juicy berry fruit on a spicy, pepper laden backbone. This one is worth seeking out, I’ll let you know if I track it down. Finally, the 2007 Black Pearl Oro, a blend of 56% Shiraz and 44% Cabernet, hailing from the slopes of Paarl Mountain which had a fantastic nose full of dark, brambly berries that merged with earthy, spicy flavors on the palate to deliver a balanced wine with a smooth, lingering finish.

• Meeting the Mullineux’s: Before leaving I was lucky enough to meet the husband (Chris) and wife (Andrea) winemaking team of Mullineux Family Wines who happened to be in the Bay Area. I was fortunate enough to try their Syrah some time back as part of a Hospice Du Rhone tasting event and welcomed the opportunity to try a broader range of their offerings. They were pouring three wines a Syrah, a white blend and a late harvested Chenin Blanc called the “Strawman” and the whole lot of them were outstanding. The white blend, old vine Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Grenache Blanc and Clairette Blanche, really threw me for a loop. I couldn’t decide if it was rich or light/sweet or tart. It seemed almost chameleon like as it was ever changing and I couldn’t put my thumb on it. I’d like to spend an evening with this one to try and figure it out. Fortunately it looks like I’ll have the chance soon as it appears they are close to lining up an importer. Let me know when you do!

Thanks to the folks at Cape Ardor for putting on the event and having me! And likewise thank you to all your readers who actually managed to make it this far. A question for those of you that have, have you had South African wine? Do you have any favorites to share? I’d love to hear as this is a country I would like to explore further.

– photo by Lenn Thompson

A month plus ago, I was lucky enough to join a group of bloggers for an online tasting event organized by the Wines of Chile. The tasting was the first of its type. Prior to the event an exquisite wooden box arrived containing the eight bottles of wine for the event in addition to stemware, a corkscrew and a spittoon. Talk about getting off on the right foot… With the tasting nearly underway the bloggers logged into a videoconference feed that was split between New York, where Gourmet magazine’s Wine & Spirit consultant Michael Green moderated the event from, and Chile (Santiago), where the eight winemakers had convened. The event was groundbreaking and the bar has been set. The one mistake in hindsight was trying to squeeze eight wines from eight different winemakers into one hour. This made it difficult to keep up with the tasting alone much less keep up with what my fellow bloggers were saying about the wines on twitter, listening to the winemakers speak or think of questions to ask them. So while I did taste some very nice wines I feel like I missed out on an opportunity to further my education by tapping the knowledge of the winemakers at the table. So moving forward, IMHO, we need more time with fewer winemakers so that we can all be more engaged with each other, the winemakers and the wines themselves.

So you may ask, after many moons why am I writing about this now? In a nutshell I wanted to share my take on how I see the wines of Chile. As many of my readers know I am a long time fan and think Chile is a tremendous source of value. My first love was the 2005 Casillero del Diablo Carmenere and I have been a long time Carmenere bandwagon rider. The Veramonte Sauvignon Blanc was my next great discovery and after the Emiliana (and a few others I have had) I am ready to jump on board for the Sauvignon Blanc as well. These aren’t the only two grapes coming out of Chile; other include Cabernet, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Syrah. Their Cabernet’s are easily recognizable by the green pepper aromas you will find present while the Merlot is mostly used in the many Bordeaux blends they put on offer. The Pinot and Syrah are up and coming varietals in the region and remain a bit inconsistent. That said I can see potential for both to evolve into value plays in the future. That said, for those looking to begin to exploring the wines of Chile today Carmenere and Sauvignon Blanc, I think, are the easiest places to find good value.

Oh, I did mention there was wine involved didn’t I? Each is listed below with my quick notes and the suggested retail price (most can be found for less). If you want more background on any of these offerings or are wondering where to track down a bottle for yourself let me know as I have much more information available on each…

• 2008 Emiliana Natura Sauvignon Blanc ($11) – Very aromatic, all the expected crispness but there is something rich and intriguing here as well. Nice mineral on a zingy finish with healthy acid. Another feather in Chile’s Sauvignon Blanc hat, really starting to like their style.

• 2008 Cono Sur Visión Pinot Noir ($15) – Unfortunately this one missed my shipment. Bob Dwyer of The Wellesley Wine Press had this to say: “On the nose, I really liked its strawberries and spice. The finish was big, but not as silky as I’d hope for from Pinot Noir. Overall, I thought it was very good, and at $15 it gives me hope that Chile may be an area for further exploration of value Pinot Noir.”

• 2006 Los Vascos Reserve ($21) – The first of the blends (65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Carmenere, 10% Syrah, 5% Malbec), early on the tannins made the wine appear unbalanced but with time oak, fruit and acid seemed to come into harmony. I wouldn’t buy it again but it might just be me, it was the favorite of some others that participated in the event.

• 2007 Santa Carolina Reserva de Familia Carmenere ($15) – Finally the Carmenere, I heart Carmenere! This one is even bigger than usual. Loaded with fruit and spices but slightly less smoky than I’m accustomed to. A nice, dense effort that is a joy to drink.

• 2007 Errázuriz Single Vineyard Carmenere ($26) – Even better yet, single vineyard Carmenere. Been dying to try one of these and now I know why. This one had beautiful balance while maintaining its usual power. Expensive but fantastic.

• 2007 Undurraga T.H. Syrah (pdf) ($24) – A wine from Limari, my first from this region, this one was smooth and balanced. Maybe to a fault as nothing shined through. I would have preferred more depth.

• 2006 Haras Character Cabernet Sauvignon – Carmenere ($21) – The second of the red blends this one was 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Carmenere, 9% Cabernet Franc, 7% Syrah. I expected green peppers and I got them along with smoke, a bit of tobacco and leather. A nice dry, long finish.

• 2006 Veramonte Primus ($20) – The last of the blends this one was 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Syrah, 17% Merlot, 16% Carmenère. On the nose it is brooding with dark fruit aromas and delivers a big dose of the same on the palate. This wine shows a lot of layers and continued to evolve in the mouth until the tannins and acidity can no longer be held in check. You can sense good things on the horizon here. Not sure if this bottle just needs a bit more age or if the vines just need more time in the ground but this is one I will be checking up on again…

A great wine night no doubt! Most important learning of the night? Carmenère is pronounced Car-men-YAIR not Car-men-air-a like I have been saying for the past five years (though I like my artistic interpretation better!). If you want to host a Chilean wine night of your own I’m starting dinner with Emiliana Sauv Blanc, then the Errzuriz Carmenere and finishing with the Veramonte Primus. Thanks again to the Wines of Chile for hosting the event. Here’s to hoping there is another one like it soon…

As mentioned in my visiting the Mosel post, a few weeks back I was lucky enough to be invited to a “trade” only event sponsored by Wines of Germany previewing the 2008 Riesling vintage. The event featured 21 German wine exhibitors showcasing their offerings. With a hundred plus wines on offer I made my decision to focus early on. With that there were five highlights I wanted to share:

• Tasting Weingut St. Urbans-Hof – If there is one winery where I was going to taste everything they had to offer it was Weingut St. Urbans-Hof . And taste I did. One thing I learned while at this event, though I intuitively had an idea, was the low alcohol percentage of Rieslings. The offerings here were between 7.5-9.5%. You may want to refresh your memory on Riesling classifications and check out the 2008 vintage report before getting to some quick notes tasting notes on their offerings:
  • 2008 Riesling QbA ($13) – sweet on the nose, not as much on the palate. Lemon flavors with a nice mineral component coming through. A typical light and refreshing example from the Mosel.
  • 2008 Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Kabinett ($16) – more floral notes and higher in acidity. You are going to want food for this one.
  • 2008 Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Kabinett ($19) – Much more depth here. Sweeter and more full bodied on the palate this one shows some nice fruit.
  • 2008 Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Spätlese ($25) – surprisingly not much on the nose. Lemony tart with a great mineral background and abundant floral notes, my favorite of the bunch.
  • 2008 Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Spätlese ($30) – Described this one as funky on the nose. The palate doesn’t match. Sweet, savory and juicy with a hint of bubbles.
  • 2007 Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Auslese ($45) – Faint on the nose but rich and full on the palate. Overpowering with taste of honey, nuts and candied golden green apples. Guessing this one would last forever and a day.

• Learning about Silvaner – My first encounter with this grape which is sometimes referred to as the “King Riesling’s Queen”. Silvaner is celebrating its 350th anniversary in Germany this year and was being showcased at the event. These wines traditionally come in a Bocksbeutel , a rounded, flattend brown or green bottle, and were minerally, lemony and high in acid. Glad I was able to experience them but I am not going out to hunt down a bottle anytime soon.

• Comparing an ’07 and a ’98 Auselese from Weingut Rappenhof – This winery offered a nice array of Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Spätburgunder (see more below) but the opportunity to sample these two Auselese offerings with roughly a decade in between them easily overshadowed the rest. Not often you get to do these comparisons. Here are my notes:
  • 2007 Niersteiner Pettenthal – Full bodied and peachy. Certainly sweet, comes off as syrupy which overpowers some juicy apple flavors that struggle to breakthrough on the palate.
  • 1998 Niersteiner Pettenthal – The age is immediate apparent on the nose with nutty aromas. What was once perhaps syrupy now delivers a carmel flavor on the palate that is accompanied by honey, nuts and apples. Layers of complexity and this one could easily age another decade or three.

• German value wines and Pinot Noir – In talking with Seb from Megawine while sampling some offerings from Dr. ZenZen and Peter Brum he mentioned that most of the wines retailed in the $7-$10 value range. Of course my curiosity was piqued, doubly so given that a Pinot Noir was included in the tasting. This lead me to wonder if Germany, like Chile, may be somewhere to start looking for a deal on some nice Pinots. My tasting here was inconclusive.

• Spätburgunder vs. Pinot Noir: Did you know that Spätburgunder is Pinot Noir? I learned this on my recent tasting trip in Germany. In talking with Claus Burmeister, the CEO and winemaker of Weingueter Heitlinger and Burg Ravensburg, I asked why he had labeled his as Pinot Noir while others chose Spätburgunder. His take was two-fold: 1) Pinot Noir is the universal term and no one outside of Germany has heard of Spätburgunder so 2) if you are making your wines in an international style for an international market you should label it as Pinot. If you are making a wine for the domestic market in the traditional style it makes sense to use Spätburgunder. I thought this was an interesting dilemma that he framed quite succinctly. By the way, I was very impressed by all the wines Claus had on offer, none sweet, all dry and crisp with lemon, lime and mineral notes backed up with varying levels of acidity. To top it off these wines all retail for less than 10€. I know he was seeking an importer, I’m hoping he found one!

As you can tell I learned a lot. This was a great event. Thanks to my friends at RF Binder for the invite. I look forward to attending more of these in the future. On a closing note, just in case anyone thinks that life as an owner of a small winery is living a dream (like me!) you should see the travel schedule these folks had for this event alone. 14 stops, 9 countries and 3 continents. Ouch! Hope they have enough energy to get back to San Francisco next year…

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

Wines of Greece, Wines of Chile, Wines of Germany. Three topics that need tackling, which to do first. As the title indicated Wines of Germany is taking priority for the evening. Why you might ask? I am headed to the Riesling Week 2009 tasting event tomorrow afternoon and decided to get into the spirit a day earlier. You see, on my sojourn to Greece we detoured through Germany on the way home to visit my wife’s sister near Dusseldorf. Given that we were in the vicinity and my brother-in-law happens to own a small parcel of vineyards (more on that later) in the Mosel (formerly known as the Mosel-Saar-Ruher, thanks for the name change!) we had to make the trip. The Mosel region is named after the eponymous “Moselle” river. The area is cooler but benefits during a temperate summer from the heat reflected from the river. Even more so, the south facing slopes are in demand as they receive direct sunlight leading to better ripening for the grapes. Mission accomplished we headed back to the winery in hopes of doing some tasting.

So, two hours on the audubon which is fun in its own right to the land of the steep, hillside vineyards. Though the Mosel is only the th largest wine growing region in Germany it is the one that has vaulted them to international acclaim around the world. The primary grape is, of course, Riesling. There are also spatterings of Muller Thurgau, Elbing and tiny amounts of others. On driving in, the region was certainly a site to behold.

On arrival, our first stop was Staffelter Hof. A winery with an immense history; dating back more than a thousand years. This is the winery that tends to my brother-in-laws small parcel among any others. We were scheduled to meet the winemaker but upon arrival he was still out in the fields completing the days work. With some time on our hands we decided to set out in search of my brother-in-law’s parcel of land. I’m glad we did as the experience was very memorable. The air was refreshing as we walked through the vineyards and the views were stunning and watching the winemakers work the land was a sight to behold.

As we roamed about looking for his plot it became clear that there was two ways to cultivate this land. It all depends on how far you want to separate the vines. Looking to get just a bit more yield from the vineyards? Ouch, you have some manual labor on your hands. Make it too narrow to get any power machinery between the rows and you are riding a sled (see picture on the left). This sled has a tow cable that is attached to a tractor on top of the hill. Sit on the sled and the crank starts to pull the tow cable in and the plowing begins. Want it a bit easier? Spread it a bit wider. Ahh, automated bliss. Instead of a sled, think snowmobile. A nice easy ride up the hill. On the flip side, the narrower the rows the more grapes you can get from a parcel. Take your pick, I’m tempted to side with taking a lower yield and making the labor a little easier. Does that make me lazy? Per wikipedia, the Mosel required “nearly seven times more man hours are needed here than in more flatter terrain such as the Médoc”. The main reason here is that you have to work the vines horizontally rather than vertically to prevent yourself from traipsing up and down a hill all day. Couple that with the plowing methods and that renders the modern trellising system useless.

That aside, we continued the search for the family plot. A 40×25 piece of paradise. As we roamed about I learned that in return for letting Staffelter Hof tend to the land and pick the grapes he received some discounted wines… not a bad deal. Wonder if I can get someone to come tend the vines in my backyard, any takers? While walking about I noticed a few things. The first that struck me was the drainage/sewage system that was in place to handle runoff from the storms that make their way to the area. I failed to capture a picture that shows these tiered, liked the vineyards, quickly escorting the water to the river giving it minimal opportunity to run over the land. As you can see from the above slideshow, the terroir here is largely rock and these rains would quickly wipe away whatever nutrients are present. The second thing I noticed was the size of the parcels. No mammoth estates here. Just small parcels of land side by side. Perhaps owned by the same winery, perhaps not. Very neat, except for the difficulty it created in tracking down the one we were in search of. That said, eventually, as you can see from the picture (me left and my brother-in-law Christoph right) we did track it down. Needless to say, I know what to get Christoph come next Christmas!

Are return to the winery was more successful than our initial visit as we were able to find the wife of the winemaker, Gundi (middle), who welcomed us and gave us a tour of the facility and sat us down to so some tasting. The first wine was the 2007 Alte Reben Riesling Spätlese trocken , translates to roughly “old vines”, which retails for £12. An excellent wine, nice fruit on the front of the palate with minerally finish that gave me flashbacks to handfuls of rocks in my hands as we stood in the vineyard. The second wine was the 2006 Barrique Rotweincuvee, a blend of three German reds. The winery has this to say; “The varieties Spätburgunder, Frühburgunder and Regent come together in our cuvée “Drei Farben Rot”; a dry red with fruity aromas. Be prepared for a wonderful suprise.” It retails for £14 and is produced in extremely small quantities, approximately 500 bottles per year.

As we were tasting the 2nd offering Gerd (right) returned from the vineyards. He was clearly spent after a long days labor but was courteous enough to spend some time with us before having dinner and getting on with his evening. During our conversation I learned Staffelter Hof farmed about 8 hectares, equivalent to 20 acres, which placed them squarely on the larger side of wineries in the Mosel. They produced about 75k bottles or 6,000+ cases annually. Of these 90% were white and 75% were Riesling. Another interesting note was around the generational aspect of these family wineries. Gerd’s son, Jan Matthias (left), who I did not meet as decided to continue the family’s legacy in the wine business. After studying in New Zealand and Australia he has returned home and is involved in the wineries operations today. It appears this scenario is becoming less of the norm as Gerd mention he has been unexpectedly acquiring vineyards from local winemakers that are retiring and have no one to carry on the tradition. Lastly, he also mentioned that red was making a comeback in the region. Apparently ages ago the area was predominantly planted with red. In the late 19th century nearly all of these vines were replanted to white wine grapes and just recently has it began to claw back some space in the vineyards. At Staffelter Hof they’ve been working with reds since 1998.

So, will I see some Staffelter Hof wines tomorrow at the Destination Riesling tasting? Stay tuned to find out. In the mean time, what is your favorite wine from the Mosel?

We rented a fabulous place, Villa Arkadia, here in the hills of Nafplio. The benefits started before we even got here. Those being that due to our late arrival the caretaker was willing to stock the house with groceries based on our direction. Knowing that we would be rolling in with a minimum of 24 hours of travel under our belts I certainly wanted some wine to be on hand. In truth, I thought champagne may be more appropriate after extensive travels with two children but I digress. I literally added it to our grocery list as just “wine” curious to see what would be waiting upon my arrival.

So what did I find waiting for me? The Tsantali Medium Sweet Red. In the fridge of all places, color me skeptical. A magnum bottling, 11% alcohol by volume, price unknown. The first evening it was impossible to be objective. We were here. We all made it one piece without killing each other. With all of our luggage to boot! Sitting on our terrace looking at a lighted castle in the distance this just needed not to be terrible and it easily delivered on that. Over the next few days I took a closer look at the label and came to realize the wine label one I had come across during my preview of Greek Wines. The winery, Evangelos Tsantalis, seems to cover all ends of the market here in Greece from the cheaper bulk wines to the more premium selections. This one certainly falls more towards the former than the latter checking in at 5.50€ for 1.5L. No nose worth mentioning. On the palate, the sweetness is on the dry side which I prefer, medium bodied and slightly tannic on the finish. The closest parallel I can draw is to an Aussie Sparkling Shiraz. The chilled aspect certainly helps, not sure I would want to meet this one at room temperature. I’ll trust the local, who left it in the refrigerator, on that one thought the bottle advocates for serving at 61 degrees. Good for drinking, not tasting, which makes it a perfectly acceptable sipper for a nice spring evening on the patio.

The Saturday following our arrival the caretaker, Mattina (pictured with yet to be mentioned dinner), offered to meet us down at the local weekly market to help us pick out some good food. Fortunately for us she wasn’t all that impressed with what was on offer and decided to bring us a homemade Greek meal for dinner that evening. What a stroke of fortune that found our way to her. She was a tremendous help throughout our stay in Nafplio, especially when she took my wife to the local medical facilities when her ear infections were near dehabilitating. Thanks again Matina!

Back to the wine, along with that meal she she brought her 2nd offering of wine. Let’s call it the Matina Cola Reserve NV White. The ultimate in blind tasting. Obviously nothing else to go by, all Matina tells us is that this is a house made wine she gets from a friend and “das ist gute”. She speaks German, me very little but fortunately my wife is fluent. Based on my limited knowledge of Greek wines I was able to deduce and/or assume a few things. First off the wine must be young given they don’t age their whites. Second, based on the golden, translucent hue to the color it can’t be 100% Moschofilero as that would require zero skin contact which would be difficult to achieve in a home wine making arrangement. Now to the wine, at first the nose seems nearly pungent, perhaps it was the plastic. With time it became indescribable. Meaning I was continually searching for an answer but having difficulty pinpointing one. I finally settled on a medley of fruits; banana, peaches and maybe even cantaloupes. I noticed there is an ever so faint presence of bubbles in the glass, perhaps residual from the soda that use to reside in this bottle. On the palate you first notice the fullness of the body weight on your tongue which is unexpected. You quickly find some citrus notes towards the back of the palate but this fullness keeps them at bay until the end. In the mean time, the aforementioned fruits our rotating through the palate. There is little to no acidity to be found in this wine. I’m guessing it is a blend of the Moschofilero and Roditis varietals. Right or wrong, a fantastic wine experience and a pleasant afternoon quaffer at that.

Stay tuned for more! Next up, my adventures at the local wine store and supermarket…

As mentioned in my last post when trying to learn more I discovered All About Greek Wines. Given the vast amount of information they had available I decided to write them to ask for tips on where I should pay a visit. I let them know I had tried the wines of Domaine Skouras and Domaine Tselepos and asked for their recommendations. They kindly responded noting that the two I mentioned were great and gave me some others to consider visiting. This was the list:

• Domaine Spiropoulos which has a very nice winery in Mantinia, close to Domaine Tselepos and another one in Nemea (which I subsequently learned is not yet ready for visitors).
• Gaia Wines which is located in Nemea in the village of Koutsi.
• Palivos Estate which is located in ancient Nemea.
• Semeli Wines which is located in in Nemea, in the village of Koutsi very close to the Gaia Winery.

Armed with the information I was ready to begin making my arrangements. Right about then my wife came down with a combination of strep throat and double ear infections and my son’s pink eye made a return visit tying me to our home away from home for most our week in the area. Most unfortunate as the Easter holiday weekend virtually shuts down Greece and we are set to move on the day after. I was able to make one appointment with Apostolos Spiropoulos from the Domaine of the same name who I am excited to be visiting shortly. As for the others I am trying to rearrange some travel plans to return for a day towards the end of my journey

Lastly the map above is the best that exists for Nemea, I’m sure to get lost at least once. They are in need of a good winery map if there are any cartographers available. If you are lucky they might even pay you in wine…

Shortly after we decided on Greece for our holiday my better half sealed the deal with an introduction to Greek wines and varietals by bringing me home an assortment of bottles from K&L Wines; 3 were from the Peloponnese and 1 each from Macedonia and Thessalia. The five bottles averaged in at just under $16 a piece and I’ll have some notes on each below. At the time I was much to excited about exploring new regions and varietals to notice that my wife had sublimely already decided where we would be traveling during our time in Greece. Most of you are probably quicker then me and noticed 3 wines from a single region. You guessed, just about the entirety of our holiday will be spent in the Peloponnese. The most well known region in the area is Nemea which will be my first stop. With that in mind, I opened the first bottle and decided to educate myself a bit on the wines of Peloponnese.

Where to start? How about by finding out more about the new varietals in the these bottles. There were three from Nemea; two white (Moscofilero and Roditis) and one red (Agiorgitiko). Here is a quick description of each from my go to resource when exploring new varietals; the Winegeeks:

• Moscofilero (mos-co-FEE-le-ro) – A grape of Greek origins with a rosy hue and a spicy flavor. Grown throughout much of Greece but especially in the Peloponnesian islands where it is used to make a dry and bold wine with lots of spice and perfume. Can have similar characteristics to the Muscat.
• Roditis – Deep-hued Greek varietal that is often used as part of the resinated wine “Retsina.” The Roditis grows best in the warm climate of the Peloponnesian islands. Despite the amount of time that Roditis needs on the vine to achieve ripeness it still retains a high acidity level, something that is prized in the hot climates in which it is found. Known for flavors and aromas of citrus fruits and almonds.
• Agiorgitiko (ah-yor-YEE-ti-ko) – Also called ‘St. George’ due to the town it originates from, the Agiorgitiko is a light and lively grape grown almost exclusively in Greece. A productive variety, it is often fruity and easy-drinking but can lack the acidity necessary to make a substantial wine. Agiorgitiko is frequently produced by Carbonic Maceration, a method in which whole clusters of grapes are fermented under pressure to acheive maximum extraction from a lighter wine. It is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon to make the popular table wine Katoi. Agiorgitiko is the 2nd most planted varietal in Greece. The best examples of Agiorgitiko come from the Peloponnesian region of Nemea located on the eastern coast of Greece. Though lighter in style, when grown at high elevations it can produce serious reds of both quality and ageability, exhibiting aromas and flavors of red and black currants and exotic spices. Agiorgitiko also works well as a rose.

Now that I had the varietals down, time to find out more about the region. Some effort led me to All About Greek Wines which offered me this gem of an article from Sante (pdf), from April 2008. Here I learned that phylloxera wiped out the grapes in the late 19th century and wine making did not truly emerge again until after World War II. Even still, wines were rarely focused on export until the Euro Zone opened the doors to a wider market. Beyond the history I learned that Peloponnese is filled with mountainous terrain creating a plethora of micro-climates and Agiorgitiko is also referred to as “Lion’s Blood”. Perhaps most interesting of all I learned that all wines bearing the designation of control (DOC) of Nemea must be 100% Agiorgitiko. Rather strict no? It seems that even if a wine is 100% Roditis from Nemea it has to be labeled a regional wine of Peloponese. Even stricter, wines that are 100% Agiorgitiko but bottled as a rose can not bear the name. Hard to believe that can be best serving the interest of the winemakers!

So now, back to the wines. What did I think? Let’s get to the notes:

2007 Skouras Moscofilero ($16) Per K&L “In this wine we have Moscofilero in all its fragrant floral and spicy glory. This most precocious of Greek whites is as wonderful on the patio as it is at the table with simply roasted branzino or grilled octopus salad.” My Take: Above I saw this mentioned as having similar characteristics to the Muscat. I kept looking for those but couldn’t find them. It was a nice offering but simple. Looking forward to some other bottlings when in Greece.

2007 Skouras White Roditis/Moscofilero ($10) – Per K&L “This great value is a refreshing blend of Roditis and Moscofilero, two of the most important indigenous Greek whites. Roditis adds body and texture to the blend being fairly neutral in flavor, allowing the Moscofilero’s highly aromatic and bright nature to shine through creating a delicious wine for times when you need something to quench your thirst.” My Take: I actually found this one by the glass at a restaurant (Town Hall in San Francisco) and was very pleased I did, very nice and refreshing with a nice crispness. Definitely want to try some more of these.

2005 Domaine Tselepos Agiorgitiko Nemea ($18) – Per K&L “From the Southern Greek region of Peloponnese, which is famous for its red wines based on the indigenous agiorgitiko grape of Nemea. Yiannis Tselepos is one of the great winemakers of Greece and he makes the most of some of the best vineyard sites in Nemea. Spicy, rich and just the thing for grilled lamb served with yogurt.” My Take: The signature grape of Nemea, this one was a nice introduction with flavors of cherry and spices. The heaviest of the reds at 13%.

2000 Hatzimichalis Xinomavro Naoussa ($17) – Per K&L “This dry red, made from the Xynomavro grape in the Naoussa region of Greece, has a bright ruby color with spicy and cinnamon flavors and aromas. With ample tannins to support a balanced structure, this wine can be drunk now or kept for up to 5 more years.” My Take: An offering from Macedonia, this one was super dry and light (12%) and slightly on the thin side. Showed some earthy components with a green aspect as well. Coats the palate nice on the finish.

2005 Evangelos Tsantalis Rapsani ($18) – Per K&L “This wine is a blend made exclusively from Greek varieties (Xynómavro 33%, Krassato 33% and Stavroto 33%). It is an appellation Rapsani from high elevation (800 meters) fruit from open canopied, untrained vines. Vinification is designed to maximize the best features of the varieties; controlled temperature fermentation, 6-8 days of skin contact, a year in first and second year barrels and at least two years in bottle. It offers smoky notes and layers of red cherry fruit like rich cherries. Great tannic structure makes it ideal with lamb doused with rosemary.” My Take: An offering from Thessalia, this one uses three indigenous Greek varietals and delivers loads of cherry aromas and flavors with leather and a dose of tannins on the finish.

With the preview down we have much more to cover. What do the locals recommend? How about the wine store? And where will I go tasting? Stay tuned for that and much more…

My dad was visiting with his wife last week and they had yet to make the trek to the wine country and wanted to see what it is all about. I had hoped to make it up during the week as fewer people usually mean a better experience. Alas, that job got in the way again and the calendar was on Sunday. With their return date looming we hopped in the car and headed for Sonoma County. I found a few wineries in Dry Creek that piqued my interest so we headed in that direction knowing that I had a few favorites in the Alexander Valley next door.

Our first stop was Pedroncelli, this one caught my eye as it did not seem like a massive operation but still had a number of wines that you could take home in the neighborhood of $10. I wanted to make sure that if my dad was going to buy something he could get it at reasonable price point. Further more, I wanted to go here first so they could see the difference in prices as you went from winery to winery. The experience here was very nice, the staff were very friendly and they had plenty of wines available for tasting and I don’t think any of them were more than $20, I knew I should have saved my tasting sheet… Just checked the net and all 13 of those currently listed for sale were available at the tasting bar. None of them were bad, none were remarkable. Fair value for the dollar would be the best way to sum up our experience here. I am a sucker for a good rose when out tasting, but never barbeque so they end up piling in the wine rack. Nonetheless there is a new one know as I picked up a bottle of the Zinfandel Rosé ($10). The Port ($16), which I always seem to come home with as well, was very nice and made the shopping bag. Lastly, the Petite Sirah ($14.50) seemed worthy of a buy, if any are going to disappoint it may be this one. Very nice wine for the price but may have rather rolled the dice on something else. When tasting my wallet tends to open wider that when in the store so this one found its way to the car and we were off.

By this point the intentions of those along for this ride were clear and everyone was more interested in a day in the wine country than in tasting, except for me of course. So upon leaving here we immediately headed to the winery I wanted to visit the most, Martin Family Vineyards. I am not sure how I knew of them but I was sure I did. I think a friend brought over a bottle of their wine sometime back, though maybe not. Here nor there, we entered the tasting room and cozied up to the bar. Most of those mentioned here were available for tasting. First on the menu was their Chardonnay ($14), those of you that read here often know that I am not a fan, but boy was I impressed! They let the grapes do the talking, most chardonnay all I seem to here from is the barrel. I enjoyed this one so much that I likely should have grabbed more than the bottle that I did but I was attempting to be fiscally responsible. Next up was another Zinfandel Rosé ($14) which was again a very nice wine. Had it not been for me walking out of our previous stop and promising myself no more rosé or port this would have been headed back to San Francisco as well. We followed that up with their Merlot ($18), which I like even less. I have posted 98 reviews here and if you look closely there is a grand total of zero for this varietal. At the time, this one was more or less making its way home with me. Sadly, it appears this was the last time the Chardonnay and the Merlot will be available. Most of the fruit for these was usually sold, I believe to Clos du Bois, and apparently the business plan had changed and these vines were uprooted. From there we tried a few other offering which were all very high quality efforts before our kind hostess pulled a bottle of Old Vine Red Rooster Zinfandel ($31) out from underneath the counter to share with us. Apparently this was one of the 21 bottles left, which I could have afforded them all. A stunning effort I was ready to buy at first taste, what made it a no-brainer is when my wife was on board with me purchasing it. This was a great stop! I think I am likely to join this wine club once I figure out which one I can drop. The quality of all of these wines plus their interest in trying things, there was a Carignane that I saw listed and was hoping to taste and they were selling futures for an Alicante Bouschet I would love to try, oft the beaten path match perfectly with what I am looking for. These are bottles that you can look forward to receiving not only because the wines are good but because they are also interesting and likely to be rewarded by learning something new about wine, your palate, or maybe even yourself.

Hope I didn’t lose anyone there, obviously really enjoyed the experience at Martin Family. Back in the car it was clear my dad and his wife were only interested in seeing what the wine country was all about. Thoughts of quickly heading over to Sausal and/or Ridge were rapidly disappearing. Though I was tempted to run in and see if they had any of the 2003 York Creek Zinfandel left. I was able to buy some of the ’04 but sure would have loved another try of that ’03. Common sense and/or fiscal prudence overcame nostalgia and we headed into Healdsburg for a quick bite before returning home. Time to start saving for next time!