Grafting

Grafting.

I think about grafting often.





Grafting is used when a plant does not have an adequate root system to sustain it and for plants that may have difficulty budding.



I remember clear as day the first time I attempted to graft. I was stressed and nervous. I sat at my long school table, perched on my knee, agonizing about my cut, worried about my taping technique.



In general I was completely overwhelmed with a nauseating feeling of incompetence and all thumbs. Petrified that it wouldn't work the way I hoped and the plant would go into shock. As I pressed on through the project, I had racing thoughts that that maybe the new flower would be inappropriate for the root stock - that I mismatched or overestimated and both would die.



As I tend to do, I worried.

Most (if not all) of the wine you drink comes from a grafted vineyard. With a few notable exceptions in South America, vineyards in all nations either perform a bench graft in the nursery or a field graft for the vines. Grafting is survival for wine. Generations and legacy for a fine wine is premised on one fundamental success - a good graft.



Back in 1860's, this little pest known as Phylloxera began attacking vine roots and leaves in both North America and Europe. The only way to outsmart this destructive force was to graft the thick, tough root bark of a Native American vine with the delicate European bud. Thus, the post-phylloxera wine was born. This hybrid rootstock was revolutionary.


If you have the fortune (or misfortune depending on how you look at it) of being around a vinophile pontificating on the profound taste and feel of a pre-phylloxera wine - you will know what he/she is blabbering about. To me, post-phylloxera wine, the world we all live in is much more profound because everything is centered on the graft.



A graft requires two things: the rootstock which will provide the new plant's root system and lower stem; and, the scion which will produce the stem, branches and new fruit.



In grafting, the cut is critical. It is only by a deliberate slice that the cells can open to one another.


The layer of cells located between the wood and bark of a stem from which new bark and wood cells originate of both the scion and rootstock must meet and touch completely. This new union - the wound - must be protected in order to heal. In grafting, that place where root meets bud is the wound. It is always the wound.



Here, you place grafting wax around the wound, tape it and keep it moist to allow for healing.





Very little success in grafting is obtained unless proper care is maintained for the graft. If a binding material such as strong cord or nursery tape is used on the graft, this must eventually be cut shortly after growth starts to prevent girdling.

Yet, in time and with proper care and attention the grafting wound can become the strongest part of a vine.

This place where two joined to grow as one to bring something unique and individual to the world is grafting - is evolutionary - is painful - yet profound.


It is potential.

It is a healing wound.


It is a different sort of propagation - but propagation all the same.


It is an end and beginning.

It is all part of the life of wine.

All part of our life, what makes us, and what we can be - a new varietal in this ever expanding field.

Pairing Part I

Yes, the art of pairing messy dirty food with the elegance and simplicity of wine...

If you were to google or bing or search using your preferred engine "wine and food" you will come up with hit after hit of pairing principles, pairing guides, pairing books, pairing cheat sheets and apps for your phone. It is a bit overdone in my opinion. I find that people get obsessed or even scared to "pair" because there is this notion that some deep dark secret principle exists and if you don't use it, then you are an idiot.

I am NOT a fan of anything that is about making others feel like their gut instinct is somehow fundamentally flawed.

Since last night was our Take It All Off Extravaganza for Eva Luna, I am short on time, but wanted to share a few thoughts about pairing.

Pairing at its core is simple.

Pairing - like tasting - is about you and your preferences, your quirks, your unique likes and dislikes.

There is only one thing you need to know about pairing at this time to help you understand where to start.

Food influences your palate and creates a tasting base. So when you then take a long sip from your wine, you will see that your food is telling you a little secret, it is setting the stage...

In response to the complexity of taste from your food, wine responds and points out something new in the dish. She says, "yes, but look over here too."

Pairing is not about matching - it is about a conversation!

Pairing is about beautiful communication so that both wine and food look at the same thing and give you a whole new perspective.

Pairing provides the underlying art of understanding -

two is better than one.

Speaking of two is better than one, please check out this video and VOTE for this perfect pair.

The Murphy-Goode Winery is running a contest for a Lifestyle Correspondent to be relocated to Sonoma County for a 6 month period and to blog, facebook and tweet about wine and Sonoma.

You can only vote for each applicant one time per email address and you MUST verify your vote from a link that is emailed to you following your vote submission.

It is important to do BOTH parts otherwise your vote will not be counted.

Please forward to others that you think might be interested in helping vote for Tara and Ali.

This Friday, June 26, 2009 is a HUGE because they are reducing the field to the top 50.

Currently, Tara and Ali are sitting in the top 17, but it is essential to keep them there and hopefully, move them higher on the list.

The next challenge will be pushing them up to the top 10.

For which, I am counting on you, all of you and your friends.

(We need at least 250 votes I think - at a minimum - and that is just today.)

So, please check out their video – and VOTE

For evidence of why they are a perfect pairing for this opportunity, check out their blog.

Yo, Yo, Yo, Wino Wednesday

I had a special visitor this week. A dear friend who also enjoys the grape came to visit.

So, we decided to hit up a bar with a good selection, a little blanc de noir, some cheese, some smoked meats...



but we also decided this bar should have a pretty good view,

and some altitude,

so we went here...

to get a good view,

then we went down to the valley,

so that we could stretch our legs a bit more and walk around,

and check out the local falls,

you know...an average run of the mill day trip when a friend is visiting. ;)

This was a great Wino Wednesday.

(and we made it home in time for SYTYCD)

as the shirt says, "Life is Good."

Life Itself

For those that thought a cancer diagnosis in my family would scare me away from my passion of the fermented grape, the answer is a resounding "no." I am aware of the study talking about the links between alcohol and cancer. I am also aware of the study promoting red wine for heart health. I can even find a study promoting wine to prevent esophageal cancer. Not to be outdone there is yet another study promoting red wine for brain health and longevity. I also know that my stepfather-in-law's cardiologist is fairly certain that his recent heart health issues were due to him refraining from red wine for 3 months.

Here is the deal, adult world. Life is a risk endeavor. Choose your risks and understand the importance of moderation in all things (except for eating your vegetables).

In essence, a positive could be a negative and a negative could be a positive depending on the context. Oh no, context!

This is life. This is viticulture. This is wine.

Viticulture comes from the Latin root 'vit' - life, 'vita' - life itself.

Viticulture is not the same as agriculture. Agriculture is a science that seeks to eliminate variables, promote homogenization, mass production and consistency, consistency and consistency. Whereas viticulture seeks to encourage individuality and the cultivation of variables. (Granted this is a romantic notion and we all know that the wine industry has a dark underbelly but allow me my gloss. It's been a hard couple of weeks. Regarding dark underbelly, we will get to that someday.)

A fine wine is born in the vineyard. Ignore the fancy machines and computers. Even today the most notable wines take root in the vineyard. The life of wine starts from bare root stock and dirt.

What I find to be unique and fascinating about the grape to glass odyssey, is that fine wine, truly amazing, complex and deep wine is dependent on stress. As someone dealing with her fair share of stress lately, I have found myself many a night last week savoring a glass of wine and thinking "you survived your journey."

Vines need balance. In the vineyard, any one element of climate might be a positive or negative depending on the context - deja vu. For instance, a vine with too little leaf canopy may not give the grape enough food and burn the grape. However, a vine with too many leaves might prevent formation and ripening thereby compromising the fruitfulness of the vine.

It's a balance. It's life.

But my favorite thing, the thing that my friend and I were laughing about this weekend, is that grapes really need STRESS. Turns out good wine is a bit of a drama queen and needs a little adversity before it wows you.

For a vine, the ideal condition is not so perfect.

This may not be true for most plants. Particularly for the plants fighting to stay alive in my office. But for the grape, it is gospel. To create character and spunk in the fruit you must first have a challenge. Obviously, you can't stress them out too much. You don't want to put the vine in shock or permit conditions for the vine to shut down completely.

Just some stress is needed...enough to give you character and cocktail party stories.

So the wine grape must endure adversity. The grape must struggle so that it will learn to adapt. The vine needs to do a little work to grow, to be forced to concentrate the sugar and limit the clusters to create a perfect yield for the wine.

This challenge will result in a wine of greater character and concentration.

This pain is the making of fine wine.

This is life itself.

Absolutely Fabulous

• So, evidently there was a party over yonder where I lucky lil ole me won an award...
  
  

I feel as though my lifestyle is substantially less than the woman depicted in this award. Although I do have the small dog...my pups do not wear shades, but they do sport fabulous Anthropoligie sweaters...and that is truly fabulous...earlier I received this award from a fellow giant of spirit in yet another witty way that leaves me stammering...

Perhaps, I am more Absolutely Fabulous...come on, you know, what I mean...

All this talk of fabulous reminds me of almost every wine online buyer comment...I know I too have slipped into the bear trap of "faaaabulous..."


I think many a reviewer suffers from "Fabulous" Terets...and the end result is that you do not really know anything more afterwards...other than that their opinion of fabulous ranks this pretty darn high...


So if we are giving out awards for fabulousity...it should have some reference point...

Although, if you have a wine tasting like this...



it might be a bit difficult to fine tune your reference points for a wine...

So we could use the ever handy Filoli's Five Points to Fabulous:

1. Do you smell that?

No really, what do you smell...take in and do short sniffs...

Does it smell fruity?



Does it smell like you are trapped in a throng of smelly sweaty people?


Get in there and nose around, have No Regrets about it and answer whether it has a medicinal smell that you don't particularly care for?

2. How is that Body?

The body of a wine is the weight of the wine. Is it light, medium, full? Does it slip quickly across your tongue or does it linger and coat? A reference point is usually made to milk (think of a range between skim to half-and-half)...or you could describe it like bicycle tires...

Was it fast and smooth like a racing tire?

A unique mix of lightness but enough traction like a cyclocross tire?

Or did it have a fat whiskered mountain bike of a tire feel?

Think about how the wine moves...is it quick or are you dragging it across like this princess?



Understand that assessing the weight of a wine is not a reflection on quality or flavor...

It is just a necessary Speedbump that must be evaluated so that you can better pair your wines and not find yourself Confessing serving a heavy white wine with a light fish meal...

3. Mouthfeel'n It Up

Mouthfeel is slightly different than Body because when we are talking about mouthfeel we are talking about the texture of a wine - not the weight of the wine. Most often mouthfeel is described with references to fabric.

Is it as smooth and slick as a silk ribbon?

or is it bumpy and gritty like a grosgrain bow?

Do want to curl up in and cuddle in it like your favorite thick flannel blanket?

Is it fuzzy like angora yarn?

If you take time to highlight the mouthfeel you will allow your reader (or just yourself) to better understand the Fascinating Life of the wine.

4. Flavor-Fav

The basics of flavor are Sweet, Sour, Salty or Bitter. Remember that if it is a complex (better wine) it is going to smack you with variations and transitions.

For instance you may be swimming in Bitter for what seems like forever, transition through Sour, Sweetly cycle through rollers, hit a quick Salty transition, then float for miles in fruity sweetness to a beautiful finish.

So although it is frustrating to challenge yourself to see if you have the Iron to experience it - you should at least TRI once!

5. All the Colors

Okay, I know most tasting guides start with color. I say "no" do it last because most people look at color wrong anyway and it doesn't really give you too much insight (other than age) and it is best to tuck it away and savor it at the end of the tasting...like appreciating a glorious sunset at the end of a long ride...

Now when you are basking in the color of this amazing liquid light and earth creation floating in your sexy glass - DO NOT hold it up in the air above your head or against a light. You want to look down on it or across it at a 45 degree angle...and definitely against a white background...or fresh snow on a mountain begging you to ride...


All of this is so you can see the depth and true diversity of the blend or grape that rests in front of you...

think of this as a grand journey...

Does it remind you of a silk in India?

Is it inky with the sparkle of your Little Ethiopian's eyes?




So this was my lil tour of what I think is fabulous and how (and who) I think speak fabulously...

and if you happen to find yourself here...

or lucky enough to be running through vineyards here...

The Marathon des Chateaux du Medoc

You can say with great PRIDE, you know it is...




So for you the fabulous to continue...

Here are the rules to receiving this award:

You have to pass it on to 5 other fabulous bloggers in a post.

You have to list 5 of your fabulous addictions in the post.

(Mine are here you just have to look...no list for you...you tell me what my addictions are...how's that...)

You must copy and paste the rules and the instructions below in the post.

On your post of receiving this award, make sure you include the person that gave you the award and link it back to them.

Cheers!

Oui Nous Pouvons

A wonderful couple brought this to me as a hostess gift.


In honor of this special family finally receiving their referral on a not so ordinary day for their own very special someone, I wanted to talk a bit about the region of origin.

Langeudoc-Roussillon

This region of France is a bit like that girl in high school that helped everyone with their projects but seemed to go unnoticed and then all of the sudden this striking beauty returns at the class reunion and everyone goes "who is that - oh yeah, I totally recognized her, I knew her well..."

Historically this region has been a hell of a producer and at one point over 1/2 of all wine in France came from this region...now they say over a 1/3 of all French wine. This area produced the nuts and bolts of wine. A flat consistent quality wine that was used for soldiers and often considered safer than water.

Geographically this area is able to tap into the perfect mix of both French and Spanish wine culture and varietals. Over time (when the region was not constantly riddled with battlefields and thirsty soldiers) unique blends and quality wines started emerging. (New winemaking technology also significantly helped in this area as well.)

In the 80's the region was rediscovered as an opportunity to find wines at the perfect crossroads of quality and cost. Thereby increasing access to the region. By the 90's Languedoc-Roussillon was heralded as a jewel of a find providing diverse and creative blends. In 2000 and 2001 you could find Wine Spectator and other periodicals raving about this area. Unfortunately, this area was in the news this past summer when vineyard protests erupted into violence. The economic realities of increased production costs and gas prices in combination with decreased demand result in tough times everywhere. Evidently, some are turning away from consistent quality table wines. Evidently, I am not one of them.

Now we have not had an opportunity to talk about the intricacies and elements of French labels. Due to the protectionist legislation that the French use to secure wine markets they have VERY complicated labels. Because Languedoc-Roussillon kind of snuck into notoriety, the label rules for this region are a bit different.

Here you can identify in 1 of 3 ways:

1. By Appellation
2. By Variety of Grape
3. By Proprietor

If the label is identified by proprietor or varietal, then you get the status of Vin de Pays d'Oc.

Do not confuse this with AOC (we will get to it later)...and understand that if the wine is only of a table wine quality...then still no d'Oc on the label even if it is from Languedoc-Roussillon. What can I say - it is really complicated! (Technically Rene Junot falls into the latter regulatory label gap - but it is still d'Oc geographically.)

My point is this -

Vin de Pays means "country wine" or "wines of a region."

The Languedoc-Rossillon region is referred to as Oc which translates to "yes."

Vin de Pays d'Oc literally means "wines of the country of yes."

Soooooooooo, these inquisitive treasure hunters who felt oddly drawn and appreciative of wines from this region quite amusingly found they are literally drawn to the land of yes.

How freaking appropriate because I have never met a couple who so fully lives life and embodies the raw spirit of "yes!"

So as los cazadores say "yes" to new life challenges, new adventures, new opportunities, new hopes and dreams, I say "cheers!"

Congratulations!

Oui Nous Pouvons

(Yes We Can)

Beber este vino es como hablar con Dios

For France - I think wine is identity.

For Spain - I think wine is soul.

When I think of Spanish wines my mind spins in memories and images of deep flavors, earth-stained hands and muddy leather boot's. I think of the grapes emerging from dark muddy tombs tunnelling out to become liquid sun.

Like France, Spain officially recognizes and geographically defines and qualifies wine regions. For the higher quality (better than a table wine) there are 4 general categories:

1. Vinos de Pago (Estate Wines)

2. Qualified DO (DOc)

3. DO

4. Quality Wines with a Geographical Indication (Quality Wine from...)

If you see DO or DOc and the wine is at a price that you are comfortable with, then go for it.

Now for another trick to quickly find a great Spanish wine. Look at the back label and is you see that the wine is a Jorge Ordenez Selection then you will be very happy with your purchase. This might be a good way to branch out and try more nontraditional varietals (but traditional in Spain).

Jorge Ordenez is an importer of Spanish wine and is able to provide insight into smaller bodegas and unique wines. So far, I have always really enjoyed his selections. Although he has been identified twice as Wine Personality of the Year, everyone has a critic. Here, the complaint is that Jorge Ordenez is inappropriately influencing and promoting wines that appeal to an American palate and not truly representative of Spanish wine.

As someone from America who consumes her own fair share of wine and from different countries, I do not feel that these selections are being tailored to an American palate. But it is entirely possible that I lack any capability to have that level of palate objectivity.

I think that we are going to start seeing an increase focus on Spanish wines. In part because the Wine Spectator and other wine writers are highlighting more Spanish wines. My suspicion is that part of this focus is due to our current economy issues there is a real push to find quality prices with lower overhead prices for restaurants. Spain is capable of providing a high quality wine with a reasonable price.

(For these same reasons I think we will probably see South Africa popping up on more wine lists.)

So...for what it is worth...if you are making a winter stew or roast and want something special to pair with it that is smooth yet spicy and encourages long conversations - try Spain.

As they say, "Beber este vino es como hablar con Dios."

[Tasting this wine is like talking with God.]

Borracho Según lo Bebido

Tonight - after this very long day I am diving head first into one of my all time favorite (and economical) delights...Garnacha de Fuego - so in love with this Spanish wine...

If you were closer, I would say come on over!

Pop Champagne III

2008 to the curb! It is time for a New Year. As for me, I welcome it...

Obviously this is the night where countless corks will take flight and sail into the New Year. Nothing - nothing - nothing is better than Champagne for this occasion.

I have but one recommendation for tonight...

Now, granted you can have whatever you like...


and "you can pop bottles all night" (thank, T.I.)...but I think you should try and make sure you buy a bubbly that is prepared Méthode Champenoise. Sometimes the label will state "French Method" - this always makes me giggle - I am so juvenile - or the label might read "Fermentation in this bottle."

Why?

Because I think this process is a pretty good approach to us and who we are and what we should celebrate today...

First, you start with your base wine (la cuvee). This is where we start with the grapes that we have...what is surviving our winters...where we are just us...where we just have to be "brave and leave our doubts."

Next, life happens...you take the base wine in the bottle and things start being added...sometimes it is sweet...sometimes not so sweet...

but it all has to be added...because this is the tirage and it is a slow fermentation in a sealed bottle...it is a cool time, but this is where the sparkle of Champagne is produced so that we can "be walking on air"


as the wine ferments the yeast cells split open and start spilling their guts...and from this sharing we get our flavor...


but here comes the riddler...riddling (le remuage) is where your bottle is literally turned completely UPSIDE DOWN and placed in a rack...then daily someone is going to come by grab you, shake you, roughly twist you back and forth, and put you right back on the rack - but at a slightly different tilt...here you start "looking for a reason why you set my world in motion...






but it "all just a bunch of matter" because with every twist and turn the dead sediment rises to the top of the bottle which gives us an opportunity to remove it...

of course, it does require an icy-cold salt bath to freeze the sediment so that the bottle can be uncorked and the sediment removed...but my point is it is removed...

Finally, we get our dosage...this is where the last bit of wine, sugar or brandy is added to polish off our sweetness level...some of us will be very dry others very sweet...but we all find ourselves in the range...

From here our bottle is corked one last time, wired down for security and ready for just the right moment to pop the cork! Here our adventure continues or begins (I guess depending on your perspective)...regardless, remember it takes a while to get going (much like this video)...but worth it...



So, shawty, get ready and...



hey, lolli lolli lolli, let me see you "pop that body...
because as Barack Obama says yeah, it is time for a change..."


Alright you shiny wonderful people, drink your shooting stars
and go get your glow on tonight...

Happy New Year!

Pop Champage II

(*warning I am having blog formatting problems...again...)

Times right now are tough...
and probably getting tougher...

• but that doesn't change our soul's desire

  to still cling to our celebratory champagne this time of year...

  it is an exciting and wonderful time...the holidays.

  
  

  Nothing better exhibits our joys, our hopes, our lifted spirits,

  our desire to be better and do better,

  than a golden, sparkling, bubbly glass of champagne...

  
  
  
  Without going into too much detail...because I have other things I need to do today...the history of this amazing celebratory beverage is in itself a rebirth and triumph over adversity. Some of you know this, so I apologize in advance, but Champagne is not a grape but a region of France. This is why "the only thing that can call itself Champagne is from Champagne...everything else is just sparkling..." You can see how much we respect that here in the Americas.
• So your Christmas story - short and sweet version because I have a ton of work to do, then presents to wrap, etc. - is that the soil in Champagne is quite chalky...okay ridiculously chalky and their wine had these annoying bubbles that would crop up. In a still wine (non-sparkly) bubbles are obviously unwanted. Eventually, as the boots of time marched on folks in Champagne started to embrace the bubbles and then started adding sugar to their bubbly wine (thus, sec). Then they started to reduce the sugar (thus, extra dry, brut).
• So Champagne is the wine equivalent of of lemons to lemonade...only in this case, it is chalk to Champagne...or something like that...
• Now, Champagne unlike any other wine is all about the blending. (I know there are blended reds and white...but this is different.) The skill required to understand the perfect combination of still wines from different varietals and vintages is truly an art. One that continues to evolve and improve.

These are the faces of some of the most notable contributors to the great art form of Champagne. May I introduce you to Madame Clicquot and a lil ole monk Don Perignon...

Bon Jour!

Who have given us (respectively)...






Again...I am shooting for brevity today...but my naturally long-winded nature is compromising me...in their own lives, both the widow Cliquot (widowed at age 27 and took over her in-law's business and turned it into a generational dynasty) and Don P (a monk sent to wrestle with the devil's brew - no he did not "invent" champagne) have interesting stories of overcoming adversity and defying the chalk in their own soil to blossom into true art...

Christmas is a time of presents and love. It is also a time of reflection. A time to remember that many of things we love and appreciate today were first chalk in soil...and look at what we have now...

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night...

Pop Champagne I

Things have been very busy around here lately and I am running around like mad...

So today's Wino Wednesday is a bit different...and will come in phases.

if you don't know
(because you are one of those haters, I understand, but keep an open mind)
...because I wanna see you dance, see you dance

how we ball in the club I know you hate it
oh...pop champagne...

oh...pop champagne...

oh...pop champagne...

oh...we pop champagne

pop champagne

For all you teetotallers

Reds, Reds, Reds

Today is... Ages upon ages ago, we talked about doing a tasting exercise to better understand and experience the difference between the three basic red varietals (my position at least because I like to keep things simple). Remember?

Obviously there are many many different grapes out there and many more variations to come. I think that the easiest way to build a palate and start to understand reds is to just simplify and think about the reds like 3 interesting and very different sisters, all with their own personality, talents and weaknesses.

So let's meet the family!

Overly Sensitive, Artistic

and a bit Neurotic Sister

Pinot Noir, Pinotage, Sangiovese

These grapes are thin skinned and have the personalities to prove it!

When everything goes right for her, these grapes can produce an elegant spicy silk of a wine that amazes us all. The wines have a fragile delicate taste to them because it is significantly less tannic than any of her other sisters - meaning when happy, not bitter. That said, this girl is SUPER SENSITIVE to EVERYTHING at all times. She is particularly picky about climate changes and variations in the soil...and can even flip out on you during the winemaking - some might call her unstable, but if you know her, and you love her...then you realize she is just sensitive...and that sensitivity can give you amazing bouquets and an artistic balance of acidity and sweetness...much like her.

The thing is about this sister is that she is not at all one of those girls that you can just pick up anywhere and have a good time. No - you need to be pretty particular about your vineyard before just grabbing this sister off the shelf. Oregon - in true artistic fashion is producing fantastic pinot noir; and California regions that do particularly well with her would be...Carneros, Sonoma Coast...and my personal favorite (with some obvious bias) Russian River Valley.

'Everybody Loves Her' Sister

Merlot and Zinfandel

You love hanging out and spending time with this sister because she is SO FREAKING accommodating and easy-going. These wines are plump and full of softness. There is just enough tannin in her to keep the conversation going, but not nearly as temperamental or aggressive as her other 2 sisters. This wine is easy to serve with food, easy to transition in a flight of wines and easily matures. All this talk of easy, doesn't make her a slut or less complicated. To attain this level of softness and comfort is still a phenomenon. She must not be dismissed as common, ordinary or the "girl next door" because she is intelligent and challenging in her own way. If you practice, you won't fall into the wine snob trap. Most often people will confuse her with her confident cowgirl sister cabernet sauvignon in a blind taste. If you spend enough time with her and get to really understand her charms - you won't make that mistake.

Remember, the most famous and expensive wines of France's Pomerol and St. Emillion are merlots (most notable - Chateau Petrus). Bordeaux wines are great...California does this well as well as Washington State...

Confident and Confrontational Sister

Cabernet Sauvignon & Syrah

This girl is thick skinned and very strong!

I could have used a picture of a cowgirl and just as easily visually described this sister. She has extravagant high tannin and amazing structure. This girl is almost solid in color. She is very strong and does not hesitate at all. She will confront you and tell you exactly who she is and usually leaves a distinct tang. She is an amazing challenge to serve - like any strong woman, you have to take some time and consideration when thinking about pairing her up...

The cutest thing about this sister...and I have a suspicion most in the blogging community can relate to this...is that she struggles with an awkward stage. When young these wines can seem unremarkable, common, heavy, and a bit rough. HOWEVER, give her some time...let her get an education, a graduate degree, more time and experience under her belt and WOW, she will knock your socks off! She will dazzle you with her sophistication, humor and drop dead sexy taste. So don't rush her! This is one of those times when vintage should be taken into account. Not in the context of fine tuning the years ("oh the 83 is crap, there was a rain, the 84 is remarkable though...the summer was divine for the vineyard [gagging a little even writing that dribble]) - rather I am talking vintage like "2006, I don't think she finished her thesis yet, let's go with the 2004 or 2005."

Medoc (France) grows a lot of this sister and does an amazing job...perhaps because of this region's avuncular fondness for raising strong, confident and dynamic women. [wink, Cazadora]

However, I think California girls are pretty darn spectacular...(my bias slipping out again)...it is self-preservation...as one confident confrontational California sister myself - I think we do this remarkably well.

Oh, one last thing about this gal - do NOT pair her with food that is high in milk fat. This is not a sister to treat to a creamy cheese. What happens is the milk fat increases the alcohol taste and then the wine can start to taste a bit burnt...not good and not fair to her...this girl is a carnivore - she loves red meat.

I hope you enjoyed meeting the redhead side of the family. I figure I will save some of my recent tasting notes till we get through some of these basics. That way you can better critique the wine and fight with me when you disagree with my review...see, confrontational...

So glad to have Wino Wednesday back on track. Cheers!

What the Pucker!?!

I am so glad to be back even if it is just briefly. So, we are back on track for Wino Wednesday.

Today, we pucker up, baby!

What is the big difference between red and white? Answer - Tannins

Tannins are bitter. That is the central role that they play in a red wine. I do not want to delve into the science and molecular structures of tannins...they are complicated both from a Science Guy and wine tasting sort of a way.

Tannins in red wine are derived from the skins, seeds and stems of the grapes. But it can also result from the wooden barrels the wine is stored in for maturation. Tannins are your path to true insight as to the quality of the wine.

No matter what you may hear from someone swirling a glass of wine and thrusting their nose deep into a glass - You cannot smell tannins! These bitter beauties may only be experienced by mouth. So pucker, let it linger and then swallow...

If the tannins are too bitter (no fruit aftertaste) and it feels a bit grainy, then it is an indicator of problems with wine. This could be anything from simply unripe grapes, diseases of faults in the vineyard or it could be defects in the production process (pressing the seeds other things...).

If it tastes bitter with a hint of sweetness and a fruity aftertaste, then you have a quality red on your hands. Signs of optimal ripeness and mature tannins are smoothness, silk and a somewhat transparent feel in the mouth.

So, tannins are exclusively a mouth experience and then you swallow and that leads up to the wine's hopefully great finish...

Finish, next to bouquet, is a frequent term people drop when talking about wine. Just like you cannot smell tannins - you don't know the finish until you SWALLOW.

Ask yourself - Does the wine get better after I swallow? Are there new aromas or tastes in your mouth and throat? Does it linger?

Only now can you really talk about the "structure" of the wine.

Typically, a wine is either found to be complex or simple. This is pretty self evident. If the mouth taste is different from the finish, then it would be considered complex because the wine changes and develops while you drink it. If it is pretty much the same, no real variation, then you have yourself a simple wine, which you may just absolutely love and adore - because ultimately it is your call.

So now you have a way to talk about tannins, finish and structure of wines this weekend.

Now, your mission if you wish to accept it (and I hope you will) is try a fun tasting game.

Buy 1 bottle from of each of three following categories (no blends at all):

1. Pinot Noir, Pinotage or Sangiovese
2. Merlot or Zinfandel
3. Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah

Open all 3 bottles, give each taster 3 wine glasses, throw a tag on each glass identifying the wine and start sampling. Also, have a glass of water available to clean your palate. It is pretty necessary particularly when you go from a Cab or Syrah to a Pinot Noir. See if you can start to taste the variation amongst the wines. Are the tannins softer in one than another...does it feel like one has a lot of bitter and another hardly any...

Young Jedi, if you do these exercises and learn to trust yourself, you will be amazed at what you will discover. So, give it a try, the force is strong with you, young one...

Now for a quick down and dirty tasting note...I have been shipped out to Phoenix for awhile working and was lucky enough to be shacked up at this joint...

I checked out their cellar and they had a phenomenal amount of old wines. I was particularly taken by the number of Chateau Petrus they cellared and from impressive vintages. Obviously a number of wines from France's Bordeaux region were a highlight of their collection. The most commonly planted grape of the region and the shining star of the super expensive Petrus is none other than the inappropriately maligned as common and unsophisticated Merlot.

Knowing this, I was pretty stoked when I had an opportunity to crash a cocktail hour and wanted to sample their somewhat reasonably priced merlots. They should be pretty good right?

I was served Hayman and Hill, Merlot, from Napa. I know of this winery and was not too eager, but I thought "hey they must know something I don't about this wine." Uh...NO!!!!!!!!

What the Pucker!

It was so devastatingly horrible! Using the terms of the day, the tannins were low but a bit dirty tasting, the finish felt like...hmmm...how do I describe this...it was a short finish, but flat and nasty. It tasted like the sound of someone passing gas - yep, a fart. So I was not impressed.

Apologies to all that love this wine - it is just how I read the wine...and no, I will not do this wine again - ever!

It is funny because I was talking to Alpha about how silly I feel because so far I have "really liked" or "recommend" the wines we have done so far. I was wondering if I was a bit of a cheerleader. Then I was served the crap wine...argh, it hurt my stomach to look around the patio and watch people just gulping down giant glasses of that nonsense.

Regardless, the scenery was still pretty good and the weather outside (I was told) delightful...

So I can't really complain...

Wino Wednesday - Goats do Roam

Goats do Roam 2005

Very good color, okay finish, and pairs nicely with Chevre

I enjoyed this wine on many levels. The finish was a bit rough, but it is still a very good red wine for dinner. At $8.99 I think it is a very good bargain and I will definitely buy it again.



I actually gifted it to a couple of friends that appreciate puns and a good wine.

Now for an attempt at a Broadbent description:


The black night of this red wine is deep, cool and clear as a South African evening sky. The structure of this wine is strong and narrow like a loyal nanny. The finish is uplifting and twists and turns with the youth of a doe.

[Chuckle] - Your turn...

Now another wonderful fact about this vineyard from the Goats do Roam website:

"Africa has a way of bringing the best out of people. With its magnitude and raw beauty, and the intensity of day to day living. Africa draws on one's deepest spiritual resources. Rebecca and Gary Mink moved from the United States to the wilds of the Caprivi in Northern Namibia to care for children orphaned by AIDS. Their immense courage and spirit however, could not fully offset their limited financial resources, and they were soon overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problem. An urgent appeal was sent for goats - and immediately a group of young does and bucks from our Goats do Roam herd volunteered. We rushed north to supply our nutritious milk and gentle company."

For a very cute post about the charms of Goats do Roam wines - click here to read A Very Punny Wine