The Country Vintner Tasting Shots

Yesterday I had the opportunity to taste over a hundred wines at the The Country Vintner trade tasting.  Lots of good wines, and my palate is still recovering this morning. Here are some shots from the tasting…

Ernst Loosen (left) of Dr. Loosen wines

Ah So, What the heck is that?

The picture to the left is a picture of a non traditional wine opener, yes a wine opener. The term Ah So, is a translation from the German saying “Ach So” loosely meaning “Ah, I see”. Aptly named, because from looking at this object you would not think that it would be capable of pulling a cork out of a bottle, and after you figure out how to use it you exclaim “Ah, so that’s what it is for!”

Another name for the Ah So is the “Butlers Friend”, because butlers who were dishonest could remove the cork without puncturing or damaging it. They would do this in order to take a swig of wine, place the cork back in the bottle and their boss be none the wiser.

So other than being able to sneak wine if you are a butler, does the Ah So provide any benefits over other cork removal devices? What the Ah So specializes in is the removal of corks that are brittle and old that may break apart when the auger of a traditional corkscrew penetrates it. The Ah So works by the two prongs sliding down in between the cork and the bottle, and then by pulling straight up and twisting at the same time, the cork slides right out. Another useful trick this wine opener can help out with is if a cork does break in half, the Ah So can help get that last little piece out versus pushing it down into the wine.

I have only used my Ah So a couple of times and it is very tricky. I could never see using it on a regular basis but for corks that are impossible to penetrate or too brittle to work with I think this is your tool. Plus a wine geek’s bottle opener collection is not complete without one.

Cheers

Great Video of Orin Swift Winemaker – Dave Phinney

Since I know how many fans of Orin Swift wines we have here at the shop, I thought it would be a treat for you guys to see some video of the owner and winemaker Dave Phinney.

The video shot by friend and fellow wine shop owner Matt Lake of Wine and Beer Westpark as part of his Virtual Winemaker Series. He has more video here, but these are a couple of clips to give you a taste.

The Orin Swift name; getting started; and the origin of Veladora Sauvignon Blanc

The origins of The Prisoner

Cheers!

Tasty Cabernet from WhiteHall Lane Winery

Last week I was really in the mood for a nice, big California Cabernet Sauvignon. To quench my craving I went with the 2006 WhiteHall Lane Cabernet Sauvignon. WhiteHall Lane is located in St. Helena in the heart of the Napa Valley and has been making wine since 1979. The Leonardini family bought the winery in 1993 and “they updated the winemaking, instituted a new barrel-aging program and continued sourcing the finest vineyards.” WhiteHall lane now owns six vineyards including Whitehall Lane Estate Vineyard, Rutherford West Vineyard and Bommarito Vineyard in the Rutherford Appellation, the Leonardini Vineyard and Fawn Park Vineyard in St. Helena and the Oak Glen Vineyard in the Oak Knoll District.

The 2006 is comprised of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and 5% Malbec and was aged for 18 months in a combination of French and American Oak.

A note on the vintage from the WhiteHall Lane site:

“A very wet and cool spring was followed by a mild summer and temperate fall in 2006. With all of the moisture in the soil after the winter and spring rains, the grape clusters and leaf canopy grew beautifully through the summer. Leafing and thinning was the routine in the vineyards in 2006 to keep the ripening process on track.”

My Tasting Notes:

nose: blackberry, mulberry, cedar, cigarbox
taste: black currant, black cherry, cola, rhubarb, eucalyptus
mouthfeel: full body, velvety and rich, leathery tannins, spicy
finish: long, dark fruit, slightly fuzzy

This is a great Cabernet, big, but not over the top with very manageable tannins for it’s young age. It had an amazing “lushness” that can sometimes be obnoxious but was well balanced with the structure and flavor profile of the wine. Nice elements of cedar showing up from the American oak, and earthy rhubarb and cigarbox notes help round out the bold fruit flavors.

We currently have it on sale for $37.45 down from $45.

Cheers

Friday Fun Pairings – Egg Foo Young

I always call my dad on the way home from the shop at night to see how his day went, chat, and find out what he had for dinner. One night this week he said that he had a craving for his favorite Chinese food dish, Egg Foo Young, that he promptly went out and got. He said that he didn’t know what wine to pair with it so he just had some beer, always a safe bet with Asian cuisine. It got me thinking about what wine would I pair with Egg Foo Young. Egg Foo Young is basically an egg scramble, or flat omelet filled with shredded pork and bean sprouts, served over white rice and topped with a brown sauce.

White wines of course come to mind first, definitely un-oaked, full bodied and dry or just slightly off dry. I think the best options would be a Viognier, Oregon Pinot Gris and Alsatian or German Kabinett Riesling. All of these have enough body and acidity to match with the subtle richness of the dish, and yet not overpower it with obtuse flavors.

Some selections —

1. 2008 Woodland Vineyard Viognier (Virginia) – $16.45
2. 2008 Terrapin Cellars Pinot Gris (Willamette Valley, Oregon) – $16.95
3. 2006 The Furst Grand Cru Schlossberg Riesling (Alsace, France) – $23.95

Cheers!

Wednesday Quick Sip – 2007 Finca Sobreno, Toro, Crianza

2007 Finca Sobreno, Toro, Crianza

Wine Information –

Region: Toro, Spain (DO)

Grapes: 100% Tinto de Toro (Tempranillo)

Fermentation: Stainless steel tanks

Aging: 7 months in American Oak barrels

Price: $18

My Tasting Notes –

Nose: bold dark fruit, meaty (roasted meat), leather

Taste: blackberry, black currant, touches of vanilla, cedar

Mouthfeel: full body, velvety rich

Finish: long and fuzzy

This is a lovely wine with a great Quality Price Ratio (QPR) loaded with dark fruit and great secondary flavors that approach all the way through the palate. Pair this wine with braised or roasted meats, duck and roasted root vegetables.

Cheers!

When Red Wine and Red Meat Hit the Dance Floor

When most people talk about red wine and red meat together, it usually revolves around how the two interact in the mouth, but an article in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry (JAFC) tells us that the two play well together in the stomach as well. Meat is usually at the end of most red wine descriptions as  “goes well with” for the fact that the fats in meat bind with the tannins in big full bodied red wines making them feel more soft and round (among other things).  Unfortunately this fat can also cause harmful bacteria as it is digested in the stomach.  The article in JAFC entitled “The Stomach as a Bioreactor: When Red Meat Meets Red Wine” tells us to fear not, when these two hit the dance floor in your belly, magic happens and they fight to reduce the production of these harmful digestive bi-products.

For all the crazy scientific details you can click HERE to read about all of the chemical reactions that are going on as the polyphenols from red wine help to breakdown the malondialdehyde and hydroperoxide, which are toxic to cell bodies.

Cheers!

Education Series – Deciphering German Riesling Labels

Today’s topic: Deciphering German wines (in particular Riesling which is the majority of wines produced in Germany)

German wines in general can be broken down into 2 categories

1. QbA (Qualitatswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete) – basic everyday, inexpensive, quaffing wines.
2. Qmp ( Qualitatswein mit Pradikat) – quality German wine with specific traits and the highest class of German wines.

• If a wine is designated as QmP it is then designated more specifically on the ripeness of the grape at harvest. The following is a list of those categories
  1. Kabinett – grapes picked during normal harvest time, typically light bodied and low in alcohol
  2. Spatlese – this word literally translates to late harvest, fully ripe grapes with greater intensity and strength. Spatlesen wines may be dry or have a hint of sweetness.
  3. Auslese – very ripe grapes harvested in select bunches, more rich and intense than Spatlese and exude a lush sweetness
  4. Beerenaulese – berry selected – very rare and expensive wines made from individually selected grapes. These wines exhibit “Deep honeyed richness”.
  5. Trokenbeerenaulese – these are the richest sweetest and most expensive wines in all of Germany and are usually made from single selected grapes that have been affected by botrytis.

The above terms all determine ripeness at harvest, on the bottle we can look for other terms to actually determine the sweetness (RS) of the wine.

1. Trocken – completely dry wine
2. Halbtrocken – from dry up to 1.8% residual sugar

The main regions for German Riesling are Mosel Saar Rower, Pflaz, The Rheingau, and the Rheinhessen.

Reasonable!

Recently, I read an article that captured my interest because it addressed a problem with a solution that seems so eminently reasonable. In order to combat the prevalence of binge drinking among its’ students, the educators at Malvern Girls School in England decided to offer the sixth-form students an elective class in wine tasting and appreciation. For those who may not know, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary school, so the students are 16-18 years old – roughly equivalent to our junior and senior years of high school. The rationale behind the decision was to expose the girls to nicer libations, with the attending nuances and culture, and teach them the art of appreciating the drink before them, thereby spoiling their taste for the rotgut on sale at the corner market. This struck me as such a reasoned and thoughtful approach, it mitigated some of my despair for the state of education. If only the school systems in the US would apply such reasoning…

In one fell swoop, the educators have accomplished myriad goals: the girls are educated in one of the finer pleasures in life, good wine; the aforementioned binge drinking is exposed for what it is – a shabby and second rate attempt to capture the sophistication of an adult pastime: and the worldwide wine culture is enhanced by an up and coming generation of informed, thoughtful consumers. In addition, co-educational dinners are planned with a neighboring boys school, which give those students a wonderful alternative to the usual awkward Friday ‘disco nights’.

As I peruse the fabulous selection at the Wine Cellar, my thoughts naturally turn to the potential choices for such a class…would it be the elegant Hendry Ranch Zinfandel, with such velvety tannins and luscious dark fruit? Or maybe the Raconteur Cabernet from South Australia with its rich, spicy layers…What would you choose?

Friday Fun Pairings – What to pair with an omelet?

It has been almost two months since our last Friday Fun Pairing, but we are getting back on track here in the new year.  Kicking it off with one of my favorite food items, eggs, in particular egg omelets.  If you are a breakfast for dinner fan, or a late brunch person, omelets are truly a fun pairing because so many things can work. What wine you put with an omelet really depends on what you put in it.

So we’ll break this pairing post out by listing some omelet fillings and then the wine(s) that go with them. In general though, Sparkling Wine (Champagne, Cava, Prosecco) will work wonderfully with just about any omelet.

Lobster: white Burgundy or unoaked Chardonnay

Mushroom: Cotes du Rhone (red), Pinot Gris

Ham/Bacon: Cotes du Rhone (red), Riesling, Pinot Gris

Veggies/Herbs: Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Rose

Cheese: Chenin Blanc (dry), Alsatian Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay (unoaked)

At the shop we have plenty of wines that fit all of these categories and in all price ranges, including a bunch in the $10 – $15 range.

Cheers! Happy Friday!

source: “What to Drink with what You Eat”