Behind Every Great Vineyard Lies A Great Dog

As a wine buyer for many years, I’ve been pitched everything you can imagine.   From crazy scientist winemakers, to movie-directors-turned-winemakers, to Old World wine making royalty, I’ve met many.  Everyone has some fantastic reason why I should buy their wine (aside from the fact that it’s just damn good juice ).  But one story continues to stick out like a sore thumb.

Several years ago, I was visited by a Spanish winemaker riding along with the sales rep, who tasted me on his wines.  All great grape growers have connections to their land and their vines.  That’s just how they live.  And many happen to have their own version of “man’s best friend.”  Yes, I refer to dogs, but by “their own version” I mean other various species of animal companion.

I’ve met vintners whose cat follows them around the rows of vines, chasing field mice, moles and other various small rodents.  Once, I even met a wine maker who had a pet Orangutan.  Yup, the big furry ape ran around the vineyard, helping pick the ever-so-perfectly-ripened grape clusters.  They even named their premier tete-de-cuvee blend after him.

But this guy was different.  His best friend was a dog.  The scraggly mutt would follow him while he toiled away in the dry, dusty vineyard.  The dog just wouldn’t leave his side .  He noticed that the dog preferred to “do his business” on one specific slope of the vineyard, a small plot that always intrigued him.  And by “him” I mean the human.

This winemaker knew that the aspect and degree of this slope would lend itself to pristine grape growing conditions, not to mention the mineral-laden  soil.  And, shit.  That’s right.  That’s where the dog liked to take a dump.  And this guy said it was one of the reasons why the grapes from here were so special.  Never has a tasting paused so abruptly, with a silence that melts butter.

Well, I’ll be damned.

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA

One of my favorite sayings among winemakers is “It takes a lot of beer to make great wine.”  Yup, wine folks love good beer too.  And here’s one of my favorites.  Dogfish Head Brewery in Delaware brings funky, robust beers meant for sipping.  And these guys know what their doing.

Their “60 Minute IPA” bottling is like an IPA on steroids.  IPA stands for “India Pale Ale,” and falls into the broader “pale ale” category of beers.  IPAs typically have a light amber to copper color, with a good dose of hops.  Hops bring the bitter flavors to beer, and there are many different strains (hops is genetically related to Marijuana).  This beer is made from NorthWest hops varieties.

The name “60 minute IPA” comes from the continuous addition of hops for a period of one hour.  The beer is full bodied with hoppy citrus and grass notes.  I recommend drinking this one out of a pint glass (definitely not the bottle).  Just like wine, beer should be able to breathe and release its aromas.

For the truly adventuresome, they also produce their “90 Minute IPA” and “120 Minute IPA.”  Be warned– these beers are for serious beer drinkers.  If you’re a fan of Budweiser or Coors, this probably isn’t for you

Possible Vineyard Sources For Twitter’s “Fledgling” Wines

In my search for great wines, I find that many second labels and “negociant” style bottlings often contain top notch juice from very prestigious vineyards.  But since the vineyard owners usually like to keep the source under wraps, this is usually difficult to determine unless you have some inside information.

I did a little digging, and have come up with some possible vineyard sites that may go into Twitter’s “Fledgling” wine label, set for bottling in August 2010.

PINOT NOIR

• Amber Ridge Vineyard, Russian River Valley, Sonoma, CA
• Bohemian Vineyard, Russian River, Sonoma, CA
• Brosseau Vineyard, Chalone (Monterey), CA
• Doctor’s Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterey, CA
• Hook Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterey, CA
• Floodgate Vineyard, Russian River, Sonoma, CA
• Hayley (Annahala) Vineyard, Anderson Valley, Mendocino, CA
• La Encantada Vineyard, Santa Rita Hills, Santa Barbara, CA
• Lone Oak Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterey, CA
• Split Rock (Gap’s Crown) Vineyard, Sonoma Coast, CA

CHARDONNAY

• Alder Springs Vineyard, Mendocino, CA
• Durell Vineyard, Sonoma Coast, CA
• Split Rock (Gap’s Crown) Vineyard, Sonoma Coast, CA

Now this is all speculation at this time, but I’ll keep everyone posted as I learn more

Twitter Wine Coming To A Wine Shop Near You

That’s right, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone has started a new project– Twitter Wine.  The project, dubbed “The Fledgling Initiative,” will benefit the non-profit group Room To Read.  The Room To Read organization focuses on helping stamp out illiteracy by providing education opportunities to children worldwide.

2009 will be the first vintage released, scheduled for bottling in August 2010.  There will be a Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  Both available for $20/bottle or $240/case.  You can find them at www.fledglingwine.com.

2006 Vinaceous Red Right Hand

I just had my first introduction to the Vinaceous wines, with their 2006 bottling of Red Right Hand.  I must say that I usually take no heed to labels when purchasing or tasting wine.  One must not judge a book by it’s cover, or a wine by it’s label.  But the packaging is great.  It hearkens to days past, when stage performances were the main source of entertainment for the masses.  It conjured up images of times when many went blind or crazy from indulging in the “green fairy” more commonly known as Absinthe.  Traveling carnivals have since become a thing of the past.  I digress, so now on to this cool wine…

My initial presumptions of this wine were quite wrong.  Coming from South Australia, and with an alcohol content of 14.5%, I assumed this was going to be another flabby New World fruit bomb.  I was pleasantly surprised upon first taste.  Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of fruit in this blend of Shiraz, Grenache and Tempranillo.  But it had wonderful structure and spice to make this wine surprisingly balanced.  You definitely get some heat from the alcohol, but other than that this was a well made wine.  The Shiraz brings some nice blueberry and dark fruit notes.  The Grenache ads a nice smokey, savory complexity.  The Tempranillo spices things up with crushed white and black peppercorns, and a slight touch of tar.

I would give this wine a rating of 86 points.  You can find it for about $20 in a retail shop.

2006 Alto Moncayo Veraton

The wines produced by Bodegas Alto Moncayo represent the modern era of Spanish wine making. Hailing from the Campo de Borja region of Spain, these wines are lush, full bodied and usually superb. The 2006 Bodegas Alto Moncayo “Veraton” is no exception. 100% Garnacha; this wine has a nose full of white pepper, cinnamon, liquorice, stewy blueberry and blackberry. As it opens in the glass it develops a beautiful floral note. The best part about this wine– you can find it for around $30 (and it drinks like a $50+ bottle).  I’d give this wine a rating of 87 points.  Vintage conditions hurt the wine’s rating slightly.

If you want to indulge yourself even more, spring for the next level up, the Bodegas Alto Moncayo “Alto Moncayo”, or their top bottling “Aquilon.” The Aquilon carries a hefty price tag of approximately $130, but worth every penny if you are a collector. This big boy can lay down for decades.  The 2005 vintage was slightly better, but most of the top wine critics rated the 2006 90+ points.

From The Cellar: 1976 Chateau Ausone

Here’s a bottle I purchased many years ago, for a steal (about $20.00).

I had been saving it, and saving it for a special occasion.  And truthfully, I purchased it already past it’s prime.  So I finally took the plunge tonight and popped the cork.

I am usually not sentimental about keeping wine past it’s time…  if you over-age your wine, you have defeated it’s purpose.  It looses all of the beautiful characteristics that it once had.  But this was the oldest wine in my cellar, and it was time to pop this cork.

This wine was fun.  The cork held up nicely, usually you can only count on a cork to last for 20 years or so (if it’s a top quality cork).

I immediately got mushroom, “garrigue,” stewed plums, and pencil lead on the nose.  Just as I would expect from an older Bordeaux.

The palate was a bit thin, with notes of cranberry, leather and a slight minerality.  And it had a faint tannic touch that has held from years ago.  But it’s always a pleasure to drink a wine older than my own age.  I’m glad I didn’t wait another day.  I’d rate the wine 83 points in its current state.  Had I drank it a bit younger, the rating would probably have been slightly higher.

It’s always an honor to pop a cork like this.  Wines this old still have lead capsules, and other markings no longer used today.  Just ads to the beautiful mystery that is wine.  And makes me think of a time much, much simpler.

Estancia Winery Responsible For California Wildfire?

The “Gloria Fire” is one of the most recent, and started just east of Soledad, in Salinas Valley.  Seems like fingers are pointing at Estancia Winery (owned by Constellation) as the cause.  Wineries often use “bird bombs” to scare off hungry birds that eat the ripening grapes.  Unlike the safer “bird cannons,” these bombs are fired by a hand held gun, and explode in the air.  While the cannons give off no sparks, the bird bomb guns do.

Seems like carelessness may have caused millions in damage; currently the Gloria fire has burned over 6,000 acres, costing over $4 million in containment costs.  In my eyes Estancia should be doing everything it can to improve its image.  I prefer not to support large wineries like Estancia (or their parent company Constellation).  Not only do I find their wines lackluster and mass produced, but they are not truly indicative of specific vineyard sites.  Wine should bring you somewhere, giving you a taste of the unique terroir and winemaker’s style.  Just my $.02.

Dogs Rescued From Michael Vick Immortalized On Wine Labels

We can all remember the atrocities NFL player Michael Vick committed against man’s best friend.  Back in 2007 he was found guilty of animal cruelty, as he was involved in illegal pit bull fighting.  Luckily for the pups, 22 of them were rescued and are undergoing rehabilitation at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in southern Utah, where they currently reside.

The Carivintas Winery in Southern California has dedicated a series to these dogs of unfortunate circumstance.  Each bottle has a portrait of one of the dogs on the front, with a little story about each canine on the back.  There’s 22 different labels in all.  While the wines have been available for a while, sales are still through the roof.  You can get your hands on the wines from Dog Lover’s Wine club (www.dogloverswineclub.com).  I haven’t had the chance to taste them yet, but they retail for $40/bottle.  10% of all sales go to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, so it’s a great way to support a good cause.  If anyone has had them, drop me a line and let me know what you think!

Sake Varieties And Sake Etiquette

Sake is quickly becoming a staple in the world of wine.  As sushi grew in popularity over the past decade, so did Sake.  There’s many varieties of Sake, just like wine.  And much like it’s grape-based counterpart, there’s the right way to drink Sake, and there’s the wrong way.

Sake Types

There are many types of Sake, ranging from dry to sweet, and filtered to unfiltered.  Some are pure rice wine, and some have added distilled spirit.  The main factor in determining the different styles of Sake is how much of the rice grain is polished away.  Sake coming from highly polished rice grains is more expensive, and has a more delicate flavor.  Here’s the general rundown:

• Junmai-shu: this style is made from pure rice wine, with no distilled spirit added.  In the past, at least 30% of the rice grain had to be milled, or polished away.  But laws have changed recently, and do not require a specific amount of polishing.  The only requirement is that the producer indicate on the label the level of polish.
• Honjozo-shu: at least 30% of the rice grain must be milled away, and a small addition of distilled spirit is added.
• Ginjo-shu: at least 40% of the rice grain is polished away.  If the Sake is labeled only “Ginjo,” then distilled spirit has been added.  If it is labeled “Junmai Ginjo,” no distilled spirit has been added.
• Daiginjo-shu: at least 50% of the rice grain is polished away.  If the Sake is labeled only “Daiginjo,” then distilled spirit has been added.  If it is labeled “Junmai Daiginjo,” then no distilled spirit was added.
• Namazake: This is a designation for unpasteurized Sake, and Namazake Sake can fall into any of the four categories above.

Just to make things more confusing, the above designations do not necessarily mean the Sake will have a specific flavor profile.  The main factor in determining the flavor profile of a Sake is the water used, the brewing techniques, and the rice variety used.  So the best way to figure out what you like is to taste them all!  And don’t assume that the addition of distilled spirit makes the Sake stronger.  Usually it is added to smooth and lighten the flavor, while increasing fragrance.

Different levels of polish on Sake rice grains

Sake Etiquette

Now that we have the basic types of Sake outlined, time to drink away right?  Wrong!  Much like any other food or beverage steeped in centuries of tradition, there is a proper way to drink Sake.

• Hot vs. Cold: traditionally Sake was served heated.  Advances in brewing technology have lead to much more refined flavor profiles, so most quality Sakes should be served chilled, or at room temperature.  These days, only Sake of poor quality is heated, in order to remove impurities.  And warming quality Sake tends to mask the subtle nuances.
• Serving: this is where almost everyone gets it wrong.  You NEVER pour your own Sake.  Pour for all of your guests, and then let someone pour for you.  While someone is pouring you sake, you should hold the glass with both hands.  Traditionally, the glass should be lifted, held with one hand, and supporting the bottom with the other.  Sake glasses tend to be small, so they can be refilled often.  Depending upon the situation, you may or may not choose to serve Sake in a formal manner.

Consumption and Storage

• Drinking: Sake shouldn’t be drank in “shots” or “bombs.”  Even if you drink your Sake fast, don’t mix it with your favorite beer or energy drink.  Sake can oxidize quickly, so once a bottle is opened, it should be consumed within several hours for best flavor.
• Storage: just like wine, Sake needs proper storage.  Sake doesn’t have as long of a shelf life as wine, so it should be consumed quicker.  If you are storing Sake for any period of time, it should be stored in a cool, dry place away from light and odors.  There are some Sakes that can benefit from aging, but they are hard to come by (and very expensive).

Sake has become more mainstream in the past several years, and many restaurants feature Sake on their wine lists.  Be adventurous, and try different Sakes with foods other than sushi.  And just for fun, try a nice bottle of bubbly with your sushi next time.  It’s a match made in heaven!