Wine

Editor’s Note: Fiona Lynch and her husband Jonathan, two passionate geologists, moved from Scotland to the Lima Valley in Minho region in Portugal. We’re very appreciative of their willingness to share their experience, and hope this will be one of many we can expect from them in the future. Like most of northern Portugal, the […] Continue Reading → Related posts: Value wine: I do not think it means what you think it means. Interview with Roy Hersh Winemaker's Take on the 2009 Harvest in Portugal Aquapura: A Slice of Extravagance in the Douro Valley Final Thoughts on the Douro and Portuguese Wine

Please consider voting for steveheimoff.com as Best Overall Wine Blog. You can click here, then hit the red VOTE button and scroll down to the appropriate category. Or you can click on the big Wine Blog Awards icon to the right. Thank you! * * * In the 1970s and 1980s, when I was coming up in wine, the conventional wisdom was that in order to be ageable, a young wine had to be undrinkable. That made sense. After all, it was the case in most of Europe. Barolo, Rioja, great German Riesling, and especially Grand Cru Burgundy and the top Classified Growth Bordeaux all required years and years in the cellar. I figured it was the same for the top California wines. The people whose guidance I was depending on–Charlie Olken, Norm Roby, Earl Singer, Bob Thompson, Harvey Steiman–were saying that Cabs in particular required aging, and sometimes for an extended period of time (10-15 years, said Olken-Singer-Roby in their “Handbook,” 20 years in Thompson’s “Encyclopedia”). I took them at their word. Trust was involved, because they were tasting a lot more and a lot better wines than I was able to (which was actually very little, given my limited budget and the fact that it was to be many years before wineries started sending me free samples), and so I had no basis other than their judgment on which to form a conclusion regarding ageability. I began collecting, modestly: Cabs from Freemark Abbey, Louis M. Martini, Beringer, Pinots from Carneros Creek and Acacia, and so on, and then aging them; but the results were disappointing. I’d open a bottle after 6 or 8 years and more often than not found the resulting wine dried up and boring. Of course, my cellar conditions were inadequate then. You couldn’t even call it a “cellar.” I had a plastic contraption that I kept in my apartment. Whatever the temperature was in my apartment, that was the temperature in my “cellar.” I knew that was bad, but it was San Francisco, where it’s pretty cool even in summer, so I kept my fingers crossed. At some point, there was a sea change in popular thinking concerning Cabernet and Pinot. The view began to be that a wine that was undrinkable (hard in tannins, biting in acidity) in youth would never age out. Instead, the theory now went, any California wine that was ageable should be good and drinkable on release. I fully subscribe to that theory, but when did it start and how did it come about? I was thinking about this as I read the following quote from the winemaker Philip Togni (Philip Togni Vineyard), in Benjamin Lewin’s new book, Claret & Cabs: “I used to claim that if the wine wasn’t pretty terrible coming out of the fermenter it would never amount to anything, but I no longer believe that.” Given Philip Togni’s wealth of experience (Chateau Lascombes, Gallo, Chateau Montelena, Chappellet, Cuvaison), this is quite a statement: The confession of a great winemaker who’d essentially gotten something very important very wrong. The only “excuse” (if that’s the right word, and it isn’t, but I can’t think of a better one) is that pretty much everyone in the 1970s in Napa Valley thought that a Cabernet had to be “pretty terrible” coming out of the fermenter in order to age well. It was the weltanschauung of the era, and weltanschauungs are the hardest things in the world to see beyond. The reason things began to shift was, IMHO, the rise of Parker. We can argue until the cows come home about him, but let’s not today. Parker pushed winemakers around the world to produce wines that tasted pretty darned good right out of the fermenter (and out of the bottle on release). Do they age as well as the Bordeaux of old? The critical community is still debating that one, and since there are now billions and billions of critics (tip of the hat to Carl Sagan), the debate may go on forever. On the other hand, the attitude toward aging wines is shifting with tectonic force. The parents of Baby Boomers aged their wines. Baby Boomers themselves might have aged some of

I’m in Logrono, Rioja, where I’m giving a talk about the role of the internet in wine communication for wineries, as part of a conference organized by closure manufacturer DIAM. Penin, the well known Spanish wine critic, is also taking part. Last night the speakers and organizers had an informal dinner at an egg-themed restaurant, Manda Huevos (location here). It isn’t a high-end place, but it is fun, and it’s certainly the first egg-themed restaurant I have eaten in. The main dishes were served in frying pans. You get some chips, you choose your topping (I chose a salt cod-based one) and then they whack two fried eggs on top. There’s a bit of table theatre, as they chopp up the egg and topping together (this is optional). The result is surprisingly delicious. There are other things you can eat here, but I do like the way that this place dares to be unique. It’s unusual, informal, inexpensive and fun.

The good news is that Jasper Hill has made the right call, and decided not to release its icon and respective Emily’s and Georgia’s shiraz wines from the wet 2011 vintage. The bad news is that the fruit of both vineyards has been combined (80% Georgia’s, 20% Emily’s) to produce an $80 wine called The [...]

Grown on vines planted in 1908 – which makes them Australia’s oldest chardonnay vines. National treasures. Naturally, it’s a single vineyard wine. 350 dozen made.

Hello from the bottom (or more truthfully, from floundering near the top) of the samples pile. This is the latest installment of Vinography Unboxed, where I highlight some of the better bottles of wine that have crossed my doorstep recently. I'm just getting back to the pile after some travel and craziness that has made it hard to find time to open boxes and taste things lately. This week we've got a pretty Riesling from Germany, with a lemon complexion and a hint of something deeper. The couple of biodynamic and mostly unsulfured wines from Ambyth Estate in Paso Robles were quite interesting, the Syrah being more successful than the table wine, but despite the slightly lower score on the table wine, I think it's quite unique and worth trying for those who appreciate the so called "natural" wine movement. The Acorn winery Syrah is an old favorite, from a parcel of older vines south of Healdsburg that are tended by a wonderful husband and wife team. Finally, a relative newcomer on the scene that started with Rhone varieties, Anaba Cellars, has branched out into Pinot Noir. This is the first of several bottles I've got in the pile, and its flavors, suggest good things to come. Enjoy! 2008 Acorn Winery "Alegria Vineyards - Axiom" Syrah, Russian River Valley, Sonoma, California Medium to dark ruby in color, this wine smells of dark chocolate and blackberry pie. In the mouth, flavors of brown sugar, blackberry pie, and hints of cocoa powder swirl underneath a gauze of faint tannins. Notes of cedar and earth linger in the finish with a raisiny quality and a hint of oak. Decent acidity. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $32. click to buy. 2011 Ridge Vineyards "Geyserville" Red Blend, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma, California Medium garnet in the glass, this wine smells of chocolate, blackberry, leather and earth. In the mouth, cocoa powder, blackberry, and prunes mix with an earthier note and black sugar flavors that linger in the finish. Decent acidity, supple tannins, and a nice stoniness under everything. A blend of 78% Zinfandel, 16% Carignane, 4% Petite Sirah, 1% Alicante Bouschet, and 1% Mourvedre. 14% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $32. click to buy. 2010 Anaba Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma, California Medium garnet in color, this wine smells of cranberry and cherry fruit with a hint of cedar. In the mouth the wine is high-toned, with an alcoholic quality that delivers somewhat sharp flavors of cherry and raspberry. A bit of astringency lingers in the finish. Good acidity makes the fruit bright, but the heat of higher octane doesn't help. Nonetheless, a solid wine. 14.8% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $30. click to buy. 2010 Ambyth Estate Syrah, Paso Robles, Central Coast, California Medium purple in the glass, this wine smells of cocoa powder, mulberries, and wet earth. In the mouth it offers tangy huckleberry and black cherry flavors that burst with bright, even searing acidity. Very little tannic structure exists in the wine, leaving it fresh and juicy on the palate, but perhaps lacking some complexity. Not short in the dynamism department, and tasty. 13.13% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $38. click to buy. 2011 Ambyth Estate "Red Table Wine" Red Blend, Paso Robles, Central Coast, California Medium to dark garnet in the glass, this wine smells of crushed nuts, dried fruit, and dusty earth. In the mouth, tangy sour cherry and redcurrrant flavors mix with caramel and a hint of wet sawdust. Searing acidity makes the tang of the wine quite sharp and mouth puckering. Moderate finish. An unusual blend of 20% Grenache Noir, 19% Mourvedre, 19% Sangiovese, 18% Tempranillo, 10% Grenache Blanc, 7% Cunoise, 5% Syrah, and 2% Marsanne. 13.14% alcohol. Score: between 8 and 8.5. Cost: $26. click to buy. 2010 Schloss Schönborn "Erbach Marcobrunn Kabinett" Riesling, Rheingau, Germany Palest greenish gold in the glass, this wine smells of mandarine oranges, lime zest and wet chalkboard. In the mouth flavors

Wham Bamboo Thank You Ma'ambooA true connoisseur must have a deep knowledge of proper wine/wood pairing.Oak? Too obvious. Mahogany? Too pompous. For a versatile, flavorful wood that goes with anything, you want bamboo. This wine rack and serving tray set is attractive, durable, sustainably produced, and most of all, delicious. You are a panda, right?

I’ve liked some of the previous vintages of this idiosyncratic wine.

Tea Information: Leaf Type: Black Where to Buy: Cuppa Crew Tea Company Tea Description: Skip the “real” bubbly and go with this gorgeous tea instead! We start with our Margaret’s Hope 2nd Flush Darjeeling – the “champagne” of teas – and add a touch of wild strawberries and whipped cream for a cuppa that’s fantastic hot or cold and with or without cream and sugar. You’ll love figuring out which way of prepping it you like best! A perfect tea to enjoy with (or in spite of) that special someone…. Learn more about this tea here. Taster’s Review: This is a tea I’ve been wanting to try since I read my SororiTea Sister Azzrian’s review of it, because it sounded so incredibly yummy!  And my sister was so lovely to send me a sampling of the tea.  Thanks, Azzrian! This Strawberries & Sham-pag-nee Black Tea Blend from Cuppa Crew Tea Company is different from just about every other strawberry tea that I’ve tasted (and I’ve tasted quite a few).  And the most notable difference between this tea and other strawberry flavored offerings out there is that the black tea base used for this blend is a Margaret’s Hope 2nd Flush Darjeeling! The Darjeeling gives this tea a lighter body than the typical Ceylon or other black tea leaf would, and this lighter quality lends a very lively, “bubbly” kind of character to the cup.  The Darjeeling is a tad on the astringent side, so I would recommend brewing this tea at a slightly lower temperature (I usually go with 195°F for a black Darjeeling), and brewing it for 2 – 2 1/2 minutes.  This will keep it from becoming too astringent.  The tea still has a dry quality to it, similar to what you might experience when drinking a dry wine.  (Note:  I also find that this tea benefits from a minute or two of cooling time so that the flavors can develop) And the tea does have a wine-like quality to it (hints of muscatel!) and I find that this is very complementary to the strawberry notes.  The strawberry is delightfully sweet and offers hints of tartness to it too.  There is a creamy undertone to the cup as well, and this adds to the sweetness. A very lovely and unique strawberry flavored tea.  I really enjoyed this one. The post Strawberries & Sham-pag-nee Black Tea Blend from Cuppa Crew Tea Company appeared first on SororiTea Sisters.

May Showers (of Wine) Bring Happy HoursAs far as plush investments go, it'll age a lot better than your Beanie Babies.It's such a lovely time of year - but not so lovely that it couldn't be made a little lovelier. Tip a glass or few of these fine wines and let their euphoric glow bring a sparkling sense of well-being to sunny and blustery days alike. Also they're super-cheap.