At a small wine event last night I found two reds that stood out.
Trione Syrah - It says "BBQ" to me as a good Syrah should. Not all fruity and round, but some edge to it; some thickness. The Trione family has been in the local wine biz for awhile. They owned Geyser Peak for awhile so they're not your typical farmers, but more what I'd call "extremely rich." Geyser Peak improved quite a bit during the time they owned it.
Trentadue La Storia Meritage - On first sip my eyes got wide and I uttered something like, "Oh, #%$@, this is good!" One of the best wines I've had in awhile. I checked their website and it retails for $32. I've always loved their La Storia line. They're usually great wines.
The evening finished with dinner--pork ribs and Zinfandel. As Rachael would say, "Yummo!"
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Touring Sonoma County
Geography
Planning a wine trip
Fairs: If you time it right there's the Sonoma-Marin Fair, the Sonoma County Fair and the Sonoma County Harvest Fair.
To the west is the Pacific, to the east Napa County, north is Mendocino County, south is Marin County then San Francisco.
Planning a wine trip
If you've been to Napa forget what you know about visiting the wine country. Sonoma County is more spread out and less crowded. If you have certain areas you wish to visit you should plan where you stay accordingly.
The Big City: Santa Rosa, pop. 140,000.
"Cute" small towns: Sonoma to the south; Healdsburg to the north. Both will be more expensive to stay and eat it because you have to pay for cuteness.
Wine appellations: Carneros to the south known for sparkling, chardonnay and pinot. Just north of Carneros is Sonoma Valley. The town of Sonoma is between. The Russian River area is west of Santa Rosa. Dry Creek and Alexander Valleys are near Healdsburg.
These wine regions are spread out so that it's best to concentrate on one area of the county in a given day. For instance, the driving time between a winery in Carneros and one in Dry Creek is well over an hour.
The wineries
Most of the ones open to the public are open daily from late morning to late afternoon. There are a few in urban areas in Sonoma, Santa Rosa and especially Healdsburg. There are over a dozen tasting rooms within an easy walk in Healdsburg.
Non-wine stuff to do
The Pacific Coast. The water is cold, and dangerous in many places. It can be quite windy and cold at the coast regardless of how warm it may be inland.
Armstrong Redwoods. An old growth redwood forest near Gureneville (it's pronounced "gurn-vil" not "gurnie-vil." If you've never been in an old redwood forest you should go.
Shopping: Healdsburg and Sonoma.
Beer (hey, you can't drink wine all the time): One brewpub in Healdsburg; one in Sebastopol; two in Santa Rosa.
Charles Schultz Museum, Santa Rosa: The life works of the guy who wrote the Peanuts comic strip.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
The World is All A-twitter
Social Media they call it. I'm now seeing jobs that include, or are mainly, doing real time Internet stuff aimed directly at customers. It's advertising by the winery. Two questions:
-- Is there enough time for someone in a smaller winery to do this?
-- Is there anything interesting for them to say?
It seems like a lot of work for the size of the audience. More importantly, what will you say that will make people want to bother reading? Sure, if the winemaker would twitter from his phone during harvest people would love to read what his/her long day is all about. There isn't any way that is going to happen with current technology.
Most wineries getting into this are looking for a marketing or retail-type person to this. Not sure I care about following along something like that. Why should I spend my time going out to pull in advertising?
There may be a bit of desperation with the economy and sales decreasing. This may be seen as a free way to spread the word.
Blogging is much better. :)
-- Is there enough time for someone in a smaller winery to do this?
-- Is there anything interesting for them to say?
It seems like a lot of work for the size of the audience. More importantly, what will you say that will make people want to bother reading? Sure, if the winemaker would twitter from his phone during harvest people would love to read what his/her long day is all about. There isn't any way that is going to happen with current technology.
Most wineries getting into this are looking for a marketing or retail-type person to this. Not sure I care about following along something like that. Why should I spend my time going out to pull in advertising?
There may be a bit of desperation with the economy and sales decreasing. This may be seen as a free way to spread the word.
Blogging is much better. :)
Monday, May 18, 2009
How to taste wine in public
Snobby wine tasting
Are you planning to visit a tasting room? Over to a friends for some wine? Going to a wine event?
First, you don't have to be any kind of expert. We can't all be Robert Parker -- and if you don't know who he is all the better. :)
A little more casual wine tasting
Most importantly it's whatever you like, not what one of the "experts" says you should like.
Almost all you get out of a wine is via your nose, not your mouth. If you have a cold or your sinuses are otherwise not up to the task you can't make good choices. Likewise, if you have some overriding "flavor" in your mouth like something spicy or even toothpaste you'll have the same judgement problem.
Palate fatigue is real after too much wine. By the time your on your 20th wine of the day you can't make sound judgements.
Don't get drunk.
The temperature of the wine makes a huge difference. If a wine is too cold you won't get much flavor. It's best to taste any wine, red or white, close to a cool room temp. to get the full flavors.
Ask how long a bottle has been open. If it was just opened give it a good swirl to aerate. If it's been open awhile smell for oxidation (a bit of a vinegar or sherry-like smell).
Put a wine in it's place. That is, in what setting are you likely to serve a wine like this if you were to buy it? Big reds are probably going with a meal; soft whites might be by a before dinner drink. Age you going to let the wine set for a year or drink in the coming weeks like most?
A Pinot Gris and a Cabernet Sauvignon are not used the same way. Think of other shopping you do. If you're buying clothes do you just pick whatever you like best, do you just pick what is cheapest, or are you shopping for some specific event--like for work, do gardening, jog, weekend casual, etc? Shop for wine the same way. I've had people say things like, "Whenever I go wine tasting I always buy reds. Then when I get home and want a white I have to go to the grocery store."
Last, but not least, I can't say this enough: It's up to your nose and palate as to what you'll like.
Are you planning to visit a tasting room? Over to a friends for some wine? Going to a wine event?
First, you don't have to be any kind of expert. We can't all be Robert Parker -- and if you don't know who he is all the better. :)
Most importantly it's whatever you like, not what one of the "experts" says you should like.
Almost all you get out of a wine is via your nose, not your mouth. If you have a cold or your sinuses are otherwise not up to the task you can't make good choices. Likewise, if you have some overriding "flavor" in your mouth like something spicy or even toothpaste you'll have the same judgement problem.
Palate fatigue is real after too much wine. By the time your on your 20th wine of the day you can't make sound judgements.
Don't get drunk.
The temperature of the wine makes a huge difference. If a wine is too cold you won't get much flavor. It's best to taste any wine, red or white, close to a cool room temp. to get the full flavors.
Ask how long a bottle has been open. If it was just opened give it a good swirl to aerate. If it's been open awhile smell for oxidation (a bit of a vinegar or sherry-like smell).
Put a wine in it's place. That is, in what setting are you likely to serve a wine like this if you were to buy it? Big reds are probably going with a meal; soft whites might be by a before dinner drink. Age you going to let the wine set for a year or drink in the coming weeks like most?
A Pinot Gris and a Cabernet Sauvignon are not used the same way. Think of other shopping you do. If you're buying clothes do you just pick whatever you like best, do you just pick what is cheapest, or are you shopping for some specific event--like for work, do gardening, jog, weekend casual, etc? Shop for wine the same way. I've had people say things like, "Whenever I go wine tasting I always buy reds. Then when I get home and want a white I have to go to the grocery store."
Last, but not least, I can't say this enough: It's up to your nose and palate as to what you'll like.
Monday, May 11, 2009
A new kind of tasting room
An underground business in the Northern California coastal areas is marijuana production; in much of the same areas as are known for wine grape production. There's a new move on to legalize pot. This time the advocates are using tax revenue as a reason to legalize in cash-strapped CA.
At this point the state gov't would do almost anything for money.
The best quote from one of the legalization advocates was that she "could see marijuana tasting rooms much as there are for wine to boost tourism." Our salvation is at hand! I can envision the buses hitting a couple of these "tasting rooms" then raiding the nearest 7-11 of every hot dog, Oreo and Slurpy in stock. Economic spillover at its best.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
It's getting hot out!
Time for a nice, cold Lagunitas IPA. If you like it hoppy this is the standard to judge the others by.
OK, this is supposed to be a wine blog. I can't help it.
How about dry rosés? Ever had one? Or are you scared to be called a sissy? :) The style comes from the Mediterranean area using the saignée method meaning it's made from red wine juice. This isn't the syrupy crap you usually get from Californian White Zinfandels. They can actually go with a meal. It's a good hot weather wine.
The unenviable task of the wine marketers is getting Americans who think pink wine should taste like Dr. Pepper with a kick. A similar problem is convincing Americans screw caps can go on good wines.
I admit I'd rather have a cold brewski on a hot, sunny day, but rosé is still an option when it's too warm for red wine or even Chardonnay.
Still, an IPA or Pale Ale would hit the spot ...
OK, this is supposed to be a wine blog. I can't help it.
How about dry rosés? Ever had one? Or are you scared to be called a sissy? :) The style comes from the Mediterranean area using the saignée method meaning it's made from red wine juice. This isn't the syrupy crap you usually get from Californian White Zinfandels. They can actually go with a meal. It's a good hot weather wine.
The unenviable task of the wine marketers is getting Americans who think pink wine should taste like Dr. Pepper with a kick. A similar problem is convincing Americans screw caps can go on good wines.
I admit I'd rather have a cold brewski on a hot, sunny day, but rosé is still an option when it's too warm for red wine or even Chardonnay.
Still, an IPA or Pale Ale would hit the spot ...
Friday, May 8, 2009
It's BBQ season!
It's getting warm and time to fire up the grill. This means Zinfandel (ok, and it means beer).
Most grilled foods will go with Zin. Some of the lighter foods, like chicken and seafood, will depend on how they're sauced.
I love grilled chicken and Zinfandel. If you marinade or slather on something a bit spicy or tomato-based then it's calling for Zin (ok, or beer). :)
Fish with a salsa to finish can work well. Grilled beef or sausage--yum! Even grilled veggies if you spice 'em up.
Zins usually have a spicy, peppery finish that works well with these foods. Just watch the alcohol levels if you want a Zin that pairs well.
Syrah is another good wine with grilled beef.
And while we're on the subject of beer I'm looking forward to grilling on a hot night with a cold Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. How 'bout you?
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Alcohol levels
From the label of a 1988 Dry Creek Vyds Zinfandel.
Out to dinner last night at a popular restaurant in Healdsburg. A nice, local wine list, but a $20 corkage fee (a little high).
They offered one Zinfandel by the glass and I figured that would go well with the Pork Chili Verde with Polenta.
By now I should know to check the alcohol level of any Zinfandel I'm not familiar with before purchasing. It was not the kind of wine to have with a meal unless you like having shot of tequila with your food. The overriding characteristics of the wine was alcohol in the nose and taste. I thought the waitress may have noticed I left my wine glass full when she handed us the check, but she didn't say anything so I didn't either.
I've been to a wine bar in Santa Rosa a couple of times trying their Zinfandel flights of three small producers--always wines I've never had before. It's great to try new stuff, but I've found most of what they pour unpleasant because of the high alcohol levels. There was one Zin from Alexander Valley that I couldn't even drink.
Why do the winemakers / marketers feel we need alcohol levels of 15.5% plus? I can't figure this trend. I've had a few of these high alcohol monsters that have enough fruit to mask the alcohol, at least while the wines are young, but these are few and far between, and usually very expensive. A few of these wines are outstanding while the majority are stinkers.
I think/hope most are looking for fruit, spices and other complexities in their wines and a balanced product that you can enjoy by itself or with a meal. That shouldn't be too much to ask.
It's not just Zinfandel; I've had a few hot Pinot Noirs, too. Pinot should never push 15%. It's no longer Pinot when it does. Heck, the microbreweries are putting out beers typically 7 to 8%.
I've talked with Europeans and others who drink European wines and when they sample California, especially zinfandel, they call it "strong" meaning they are tasting alcohol.
In the vineyards we go through period trellising trends. You can pretty much tell when a vineyard was planted by the trellising system used. Currently we seem to be using a Burgundy style, I guess it is, where the fruit is fully exposed to sunlight. That's great for even ripening, it's great for cloudy areas, I'm not sure why we need to cook 'em on the vine here in sunny California. I realize the old head pruned Zinfandels must be a royal pain as Zin is notorious for uneven ripening (and sometimes pruney tasting wines). OK, I'm no vineyard manager so maybe someone can explain this to me.
If I want a glass of alcohol I'll buy Patron. If I want a dinner wine I'm expecting the alcohol to be buried under the other characteristics of the product.
I do love my Zinfandel and Pinots. Just keep them under control!
They offered one Zinfandel by the glass and I figured that would go well with the Pork Chili Verde with Polenta.
By now I should know to check the alcohol level of any Zinfandel I'm not familiar with before purchasing. It was not the kind of wine to have with a meal unless you like having shot of tequila with your food. The overriding characteristics of the wine was alcohol in the nose and taste. I thought the waitress may have noticed I left my wine glass full when she handed us the check, but she didn't say anything so I didn't either.
I've been to a wine bar in Santa Rosa a couple of times trying their Zinfandel flights of three small producers--always wines I've never had before. It's great to try new stuff, but I've found most of what they pour unpleasant because of the high alcohol levels. There was one Zin from Alexander Valley that I couldn't even drink.
Why do the winemakers / marketers feel we need alcohol levels of 15.5% plus? I can't figure this trend. I've had a few of these high alcohol monsters that have enough fruit to mask the alcohol, at least while the wines are young, but these are few and far between, and usually very expensive. A few of these wines are outstanding while the majority are stinkers.
I think/hope most are looking for fruit, spices and other complexities in their wines and a balanced product that you can enjoy by itself or with a meal. That shouldn't be too much to ask.
It's not just Zinfandel; I've had a few hot Pinot Noirs, too. Pinot should never push 15%. It's no longer Pinot when it does. Heck, the microbreweries are putting out beers typically 7 to 8%.
I've talked with Europeans and others who drink European wines and when they sample California, especially zinfandel, they call it "strong" meaning they are tasting alcohol.
In the vineyards we go through period trellising trends. You can pretty much tell when a vineyard was planted by the trellising system used. Currently we seem to be using a Burgundy style, I guess it is, where the fruit is fully exposed to sunlight. That's great for even ripening, it's great for cloudy areas, I'm not sure why we need to cook 'em on the vine here in sunny California. I realize the old head pruned Zinfandels must be a royal pain as Zin is notorious for uneven ripening (and sometimes pruney tasting wines). OK, I'm no vineyard manager so maybe someone can explain this to me.
If I want a glass of alcohol I'll buy Patron. If I want a dinner wine I'm expecting the alcohol to be buried under the other characteristics of the product.
I do love my Zinfandel and Pinots. Just keep them under control!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
The upcoming season
Not the grape season, but the tourist season. The biggest months are May, and July through October. Yeah, June is kind of a "sleeper" month. It seems like summer, but everyone is busy with weddings, graduations, or whatever. It's a good month to visit if you like decent weather and semi-light crowds.
The 2009 season is not shaping up to be a good one. That's no secret, huh? Business is down (the number of visitors) and sales are significantly down.
What's that mean to you? A great time to visit if you're not wound up in the fear factor of The Next Great Depression looming. I was in Hawaii in February, normally their busiest month, and hotel reservations were off 60%. This meant no lines anywhere and even some good deals.
You should be able to find some good deals on lodging, if you book ahead, and at many wineries. In Napa and Sonoma I've seen some waiving tasting fees. I've also occasionally seen someone raise their fee to cover expected shortfalls. That's what happens when you put the accountants in charge!
The 2009 season is not shaping up to be a good one. That's no secret, huh? Business is down (the number of visitors) and sales are significantly down.
What's that mean to you? A great time to visit if you're not wound up in the fear factor of The Next Great Depression looming. I was in Hawaii in February, normally their busiest month, and hotel reservations were off 60%. This meant no lines anywhere and even some good deals.
You should be able to find some good deals on lodging, if you book ahead, and at many wineries. In Napa and Sonoma I've seen some waiving tasting fees. I've also occasionally seen someone raise their fee to cover expected shortfalls. That's what happens when you put the accountants in charge!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
A few April winery visits
I spent a Saturday afternoon visiting a few local tasting rooms. I was mostly on a hunt for Pinot Noir.
Dutton-Goldfield and Balletto share a tasting room and wine-making facilities. I've had Balletto Vineyards Pinot before and liked it. It's a more fruit-forward style and is the bargain of the day at about $24. Dutton-Goldfield's Pinots ran in the $50s and they had several different ones open. I wound up with a bottle of the McDougall Ranch from the Sonoma Coast appellation.
Sheldon has a tasting room in Sebastopol. It's very small production so you've probably never seen the wine. He's old school or more accurately old school European-style. That is, it's the opposite of the current fad of fruit-forward, soft/low acid wines. His wines are stark, clean, and all require bottle age. Actually, I'm not quite sure what you'd wind up with five years down the road. It would be interesting to try one with a few years bottle age.
Merry Edwards is a pretty well known premium brand--mostly for Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noirs. I didn't try the SB, but sampled a few Pinots mostly priced in the $50s. I wound up with a Russian River Valley blend that was less expensive and an estate Pinot. They have a new facility and aren't well set up for visitors. Hopefully, they'll work that out.
I wanted to stop by Joseph Swan, an old time Pinot producer in the area, but missed a turn on the road. Maybe next time.
Other recent Pinot purchases are from Gary Farrell, Artesa, Landmark and Thumbprint. Gary Farrell made outstanding wines at one time. The wines went downhill, but have made a recent comeback. Gary sold off his namesake winery a few years ago, but has another wine project starting up. Artesa is a beautiful facility in the south end of Napa (Carneros). Most of their wines are excellent. Thumbprint is a very small producer with a tasting room in Healdsburg. He does more Cabernet blends.
Most of these guys Pinots retail in the $50 range. Ouch. I guess that's why I'll take Russian Hill over most.
I wonder how they're all doing with these $50+ wines. This is supposed to be the price range that isn't selling well in this economic climate. On the other hand Pinot is the "in" wine.
Artesa:
Dutton-Goldfield and Balletto share a tasting room and wine-making facilities. I've had Balletto Vineyards Pinot before and liked it. It's a more fruit-forward style and is the bargain of the day at about $24. Dutton-Goldfield's Pinots ran in the $50s and they had several different ones open. I wound up with a bottle of the McDougall Ranch from the Sonoma Coast appellation.
Sheldon has a tasting room in Sebastopol. It's very small production so you've probably never seen the wine. He's old school or more accurately old school European-style. That is, it's the opposite of the current fad of fruit-forward, soft/low acid wines. His wines are stark, clean, and all require bottle age. Actually, I'm not quite sure what you'd wind up with five years down the road. It would be interesting to try one with a few years bottle age.
Merry Edwards is a pretty well known premium brand--mostly for Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noirs. I didn't try the SB, but sampled a few Pinots mostly priced in the $50s. I wound up with a Russian River Valley blend that was less expensive and an estate Pinot. They have a new facility and aren't well set up for visitors. Hopefully, they'll work that out.
I wanted to stop by Joseph Swan, an old time Pinot producer in the area, but missed a turn on the road. Maybe next time.
Other recent Pinot purchases are from Gary Farrell, Artesa, Landmark and Thumbprint. Gary Farrell made outstanding wines at one time. The wines went downhill, but have made a recent comeback. Gary sold off his namesake winery a few years ago, but has another wine project starting up. Artesa is a beautiful facility in the south end of Napa (Carneros). Most of their wines are excellent. Thumbprint is a very small producer with a tasting room in Healdsburg. He does more Cabernet blends.
Most of these guys Pinots retail in the $50 range. Ouch. I guess that's why I'll take Russian Hill over most.
I wonder how they're all doing with these $50+ wines. This is supposed to be the price range that isn't selling well in this economic climate. On the other hand Pinot is the "in" wine.
Artesa:
Thursday, April 2, 2009
The Barrel Tasting (and other special events)
Sonoma County hosts three weekends of "Barrel Tasting" in March. Do you get to taste barrels? NO, luckily. But maybe wine that hasn't made it from the barrel to the bottle yet. What's the point? From the wineries point-of-view it's usually to get visitors to buy futures.
I've been going out to the Russian River Barrel Tasting for a number of years. Besides the price going from free to $30 the other big change is the crowd. It's a lot younger (and for some reason I keep getting older).
There's lots of talk in the wine marketing areas about the Millennials (aka the young crowd) and their interest in wine. I can't decide if it's wine specifically or just wanting an excuse to party. Looking around downtown Healdsburg late Saturday afternoon during the Barrel Tasting event looked a lot like I'd expect Mardi Gras to look. Lots of people in their twenties having a really good time!
Many wineries don't know what to make of this. On one hand they don't buy nearly as much as middle-aged people with disposable income; on the other they are the future wine buyers. Of course, most accountant-types want to see the money now and aren't interested in who's buying what in 2030.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Trendiness
I understand how trends happen and one decade you have Merlot as #1 and another Pinot. But there's a helluva lot of people looking to be out in front of the next trend. For instance, if Syrah and Viognier gain some popularity then the buzz starts. And there will be someone wanting to know what's next after that. Hell, I dunno, go buy some Tempranillo futures. :)
In the high-end price range where people with that kind of money should be much smarter you find folks looking for the next trendy $150 Napa Cab. Not the ones that are popular now, but who's next. Remember all the rage over Pride Mtn? Are they out of fashion now? The really trendy seek out "pre-cult" wines. Want to know what these are? Just Google "california cult wines" and you'll find thousands of "answers."
There are different kinds of wine-buyers: These folks are sometime called image seekers--they're looking to impress somebody else. Other types of wine buyers are traditionalists that stick to the big brands that have been around a long time--Gallo, Mondavi, etc. Other people just look for bargains, sometimes in traditional varietals (Chardonnay and Cabernet); sometimes in non-traditional wine like Malbec. Of course, Malbec is kind of trendy. See how complicated it gets for the wine marketing people!
I guess I don't get the trendiness. I still wear t-shirts in the hot weather, flannels in the cold, and drive a Mustang, so I'm not much for being out in front of everybody else, I guess. It's great to try different and new things, but don't spend a lot of time (and money) on Albariño because you heard it's The Next Big Thing. Just try it (by the glass if you can) and see if it's worth the money.
One of the problems with new varieties in CA is learning where to plant, how to grow and how to make it. It took a long time to figure out Pinot Noir; it seems like they're still figuring out Syrah. And if CA didn't try to make Viognier like Chardonnay maybe it would do better. We're starting to get some nice Rhone-style blends; maybe we'll see some Spanish blends, too, someday.
In the high-end price range where people with that kind of money should be much smarter you find folks looking for the next trendy $150 Napa Cab. Not the ones that are popular now, but who's next. Remember all the rage over Pride Mtn? Are they out of fashion now? The really trendy seek out "pre-cult" wines. Want to know what these are? Just Google "california cult wines" and you'll find thousands of "answers."
There are different kinds of wine-buyers: These folks are sometime called image seekers--they're looking to impress somebody else. Other types of wine buyers are traditionalists that stick to the big brands that have been around a long time--Gallo, Mondavi, etc. Other people just look for bargains, sometimes in traditional varietals (Chardonnay and Cabernet); sometimes in non-traditional wine like Malbec. Of course, Malbec is kind of trendy. See how complicated it gets for the wine marketing people!
I guess I don't get the trendiness. I still wear t-shirts in the hot weather, flannels in the cold, and drive a Mustang, so I'm not much for being out in front of everybody else, I guess. It's great to try different and new things, but don't spend a lot of time (and money) on Albariño because you heard it's The Next Big Thing. Just try it (by the glass if you can) and see if it's worth the money.
One of the problems with new varieties in CA is learning where to plant, how to grow and how to make it. It took a long time to figure out Pinot Noir; it seems like they're still figuring out Syrah. And if CA didn't try to make Viognier like Chardonnay maybe it would do better. We're starting to get some nice Rhone-style blends; maybe we'll see some Spanish blends, too, someday.
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