It's Time for Gamay

 

Every year, as the holiday season approaches, I make a pitch for Gamay as a good wine choice with the holiday turkey (aka, "The Bird").  

Mostly, my plea falls on deaf ears.  But,  I'm determined.  So, let's give it another go.

Gamay, of course, means Gamay Noir (officially Gamay Noir a Jus Blanc).  And the pitch should include Napa Gamay, which is actually, Valdiguié.  In the same neighborhood is Pinot Noir , but more on that favorite later.

One more thing before we begin.  The traditional American Thanksgiving feast is a cornucopia of different dishes with an array of seasonings and flavors.  So, save your aged red wine, like Bordeaux/Cabernet Sauvignon, Rhone/Syrah/Shiraz, for a meal planned around red meat. 

Why serve a treasured wine, when Gamay fits the holiday wine needs.  Gamay is the go-with-everything red wine, which means you'll have no worries and you  can relax and enjoy the meal, with family and friends gathered around the table.

The Meal

Holiday family meals often include obligatory dishes, like the ubiquitous three-bean casserole and sweet potato pie.  Menus for the Thanksgiving feast are highly personal, often containing ethnic and geographic preferences, such as a spicy Southwest dish or briny shellfish.  

The Boyd family holiday meal is not complete without the Creamy Onion Bake, a rich side that has been a welcome dish at our table for years.  My son, who took over preparing the Creamy Onion Bake from his mother,  once took the dish to an employee holiday buffet where he worked, prompting one person to exclaim, "It's the orgasmic casserole!"

Side dishes are essential holiday fare, and none more important than dressing, or is it stuffing?  In eastern Pennsylvania, where I spent my early years, it's called stuffing, because it goes in the bird.  I didn't hear stuffing referred to as dressing, cooked outside the turkey, until I left home.  

Another consideration for what goes into or alongside the bird is the use of poultry seasoning, that is usually heavy on sage.   My mother's recipe for stuffing: small torn pieces of slightly stale  white bread, celery, onion, salt and pepper and plenty of butter.  No poultry seasoning, oysters, cornbread or whatever.   Add carrot to that classic combo and you have what the French call mirepoix, although my mother never knew that.

In my youth, the smell of celery and onions simmering in butter, wafting from the kitchen, was the tantalizing promise of the future meal.  Many years later, I still looked forward to that sensory pleasure. 

                                                                                               IStock image

The Wines

The challenge is to select a wine that goes with all of those  multi-flavored dishes.   Chardonnay would be overpowered, Cabernet Sauvignon would lose the battle with sweet potato pie.  And Syrah should've been the wine you picked for roast beef and not turkey.

So, it's back to Gamay Noir, which I find stands up nicely to all but the spiciest dishes, and for those, you're probably better off with beer.  Gamay Noir is the grape of Beaujolais, so a simple Beaujolais, or if your budget will stretch, one of the 10 Cru Beaujolais.  The Beaujolais Crus are not that far from a lighter Burgundy, made from Pinot Noir, in the Cote de Beaune, such as Santenay or Volnay. 

At one time, Gamay Noir had a respectable place in U.S. vineyards, although there's not much planted now.  In the late 1980s, Napa Gamay was doing business in the Napa Valley until a visiting French ampelographer told vintners they had the ancient French variety, Valdiguié, in their vineyards.  Valdiguié looked like Gamay Noir, tasted like Gamay Noir, but some growers reasoned, who's going to buy a wine labeled Valdiguié?

If you like your red wine with more juicy fruit, grab a bottle or two of Beaujolais Nouveau, a ready-to-drink red wine that will be in the U.S. market in time for Thanksgiving, and a week earlier in the bistros of Paris.  

Nouveau's major distinction is a technique called carbonic maceration, where fermentation takes place in individual grapes, so long as the skins are unbroken.  Each grape becomes a mini-fermenter. Not all grapes at the bottom of the tank remain intact, as the weight of the clusters above break some of the skins.  Important to the texture and flavors of the wine is a small increase in ethanol and flavorful compounds. The high degree of fruitiness, and relatively low tannin, is what attracts consumers to nouveau (new) wines. 

And carbonic maceration marries effortlessly with a variety of foods.  Some people believe  that a special meal deserves a special wine.  Others, myself included, think a special meal, like the American Thanksgiving feast, is a time of communion, when friends and family gather for a meal with wine, but not a gathering where wine is the centerpiece. 

Next blog:  Making Wine Sparkle 

Leave a comment, without signing into Google, at boydvino707@gmail.com

Armagnac

  

                                                                                                      Image: European Waterways

Armagnac, the great Gascon brandy, was first distilled in the 17th century, although the origin of the storied eau de vie dates back to the 13th century, making Armagnac the world's oldest brandy.  

The popularity of Armagnac spread quickly throughout Gascony and by 1841, the French author Alexandre Dumas wrote that his roguish Musketeer, d'Artagnan, had been inspired to heroic exploits by Armagnac, or so the legend goes. 

Gascony, in southwestern France, is famous for truffles, the delicacy paté de foie gras, the Three Musketeers and Armagnac. The Gascon spirit is one of two famous French brandies, the other being Cognac,  distilled north of Bordeaux. 

Grapes and distillation are the two main differences that distinguish Armagnac from Cognac.  A blend of Baco 22A, Colombard, Folle Blanche and Ugni Blanc gives Armagnac the distinct aromatics of dried fruits, vanilla, roasted nuts and alcohol.  Ugni Blanc, the grape of Cognac, produces a more refined, delicate brandy, marked by floral notes.

The base wine for Armagnac is distilled in a continuous or column still and Cognac is the product of single batch pot still. 

                                                           Armagnac Facts

* Annual production of Armagnac is about 3 million bottles, while Cognac tops out at 220 million bottles.

* The latest addition to Armagnac is Blanche d'Armagnac, a clear un-aged "white" brandy.

* The "angel's share," or part des anges, is the amount of Armagnac in a barrel that evaporates and is visible as black mold on distillery buildings. 

* Though opinions differ, mature Armagnac does not age in wood beyond 15-20 years and should be racked into glass demi-johns or carboys that range in capacity from one to 16 gallons.

* Rancio is the smell of ripe cheese, overripe fruit,  sometimes metallic that develops from spirits that spend an extended time aging in wood. Rancio is common in wood aged brandy, such as Armagnac. 

Pot stills, of one design or another, have been in use for centuries; the Moors used a pot still to make alcohol for perfumes and medicines.  Today's modern pot stills, so-called because the bulbous shape is like a cooking pot, is in use throughout the Cognac region, as well as Scotland, for the distilling of single malt Scotch whisky.   Following the completion of a distillation, pot stills must be re-charged for the next round.

In 1830, Aeneas Coffey, an Irish inventor and distiller, revolutionized distilling with the invention of the continuous or column still.  The Coffey still is more efficient than a pot still, produces a higher concentration of alcohol, is easier to operate, and because it uses steam for distilling, there is no danger of burning the distillate, like in a wood-fired pot still.  The Coffey still runs continuously and does not need re-loading after each distillation.

Raw Armagnac must be matured in oak barrels and the alcohol level adjusted before bottling.  Armagnac is aged in oak mainly from the Limousin forest, but also Allier and Vosges forests.  Traditional Armagnac was once aged in Gascon Black Oak.

Armagnac is sold at these levels of maturity: 

3 Star or VS is a blend with at least one year of aging in oak

VSOP is aged in barrel for at least four years

XO and Hors d'Age, aged for a minimum of 10 years

Vintage or Single Year, 10 years minimum

Armagnac is traditionally enjoyed at room temperature, from a balloon or tulip glass, as an aperitif or at the end of a meal.  A bottle of VS Armagnac costs about $50.00, with prices climbing to $200-$300 for older Vintage bottlings.   

These are a few popular brands of Armagnac: Chateau de Laubade VS, $47; De Montal VSOP, $56; Janneau VSOP, $58; Delord Napoleon Bas Armagnac, $48; Delord 25-Year Bas Armagnac, $198 and 1984 Bas-Armagnac, $265.

Temperatures are falling outside, but you can ignore the chill with a glass of warming Armagnac. 

 

Next post: It's Time for Gamay 

Leave a comment, without signing in to Google, at boydvino707@gmail.com

Re-send of "Recycled Wine Buying Advice"

NOTE: Since I'm not sure if the following blog was received by everyone, I', sending it again.  I hope to have the problems sorted out by my next post, November 8, 2024.

 

The following is a piece on wine buying from a magazine article I wrote in 2013.  A few changes have been made to bring it up to date, but the suggestions are still relevant, especially as we enter the holiday entertaining season.

If you haven’t been wine shopping lately, you may be in for a bewildering surprise.  Whether you’re buying a bottle to have with tonight’s dinner or one to lay away for a special occasion,  you’ll find that even the most modest wine shop is stocked with a wide range of wines from most of the major wine regions at prices to fit all budgets.

Don’t panic! 

Before you head out to shop, decide if the purchase is a wine for casual drinking or for a meal, and how much you can spend.  Wandering aimlessly up and down the aisles staring at bottle after bottle of wine will get you nowhere.  

A good approach, for all budgets, is to find a wine shop where you can get some quality one-on-one advice on buying a wine that you’re going to like and that won’t break the budget.  Supermarket wine sections are convenient but not likely to have a clerk to help you select the right wine. So if the market is where you shop for wine, be prepared to do some searching on your own.

Buying a bottle of wine is like shopping for any other food product; you want to know how it tastes and how much it costs.  Read as much as you can before going wine shopping.  Numerous wine magazines (Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, to name two) and wine newsletters (Robert Parker's Wine Advocate) are helpful for the novice wine consumer as well as the hard-core wine collector.   

For immediate and up-to-date advice and recommendations, go online and click on any of the many wine sites and blogs devoted to wine, such as "Wine Review Online," and "Gerald D Boyd On Wine."

Now that you have a bottle of wine, the next step is finding a good food to have with it?  Matching wine with food can be involved, but there are a few simple rules that make the choice easier.  The pairing can be very specific, even scientific, but using commonsense will  result in a pleasing wine and food match.  

The old adage of white wine with fish, red wine with meat, still has merit, but even more important is how the dish is seasoned and what sauce or garnishes are used.  Commonsense says that a heavy Zinfandel, with its full tannin, is not a good match with a lightly sautéed lemon sole, nor will an off-dry Riesling please the taste buds when paired with roast beef.

Generally, white wine is lighter in body and weight than red wine, so Sauvignon Blanc, with its crisp acidity and lighter body will not be as heavy as Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah.    There are, of course, exceptions that have been proven time and again to be as close to perfect as you can get in wine and food pairing, such as Pinot Noir and grilled fresh salmon and Sauvignon Blanc with goat cheese.

If you're adventurous and want to make a pairing outside the box, then ignore the rules and drink whatever wine you like with any food.  Food and wine pairing suggestions are only guidelines, not gospel.

Wine availability and price vary from market to market.  Here are six wines, all priced at $20 or less, that should be in stock where you buy wine or with a little searching: La Crema Monterey California Chardonnay; Barnard Griffin Columbia Valley Washington Sauvignon Blanc; Elk Cove Willamette Valley Oregon Pinot Gris; Kenwood Vineyards San Joaquin County/Sonoma Count Pinot Noir; Mettler Family Lodi California Zinfandel; Francis Ford Coppola Diamond Collection California Cabernet Sauvignon.

Wine shopping is personal.  If the store where you shop doesn't carry the wine you want, ask the clerk for a special order, or try a recommended substitute.

Next post: Armagnac

Leave a comment, without signing on to Google, at boydvino707@gmail.com

 

 

 

Status Announcement

Dear Faithful Readers, 

For the last few weeks, I have been having problems with Blogger.com, the service I use to write and post "Gerald D Boyd On Wine."  

Blogger is a service from Google.  However, it is not clear to if Google continues to fully support Blogger, so I am not able to give you assurance that my blog will continue to appear in your inbox every Friday. 

I have heard from some readers that the "Test" posted recently was received.  It seems, then, that some readers are receiving the posts and others are not.  I can assure you that the weekly postings  will continue. 

Finally, if you are reading this post but did not get "Recycled Wine Buying Advice," posted October 25, and "Test," posted Oct 31, please email me at boydvino707@gmail.com.

Thank you, 

Gerald D. Boyd

 

Test

 Testing if my postings are going out.

Problems

 Subscribers,

My recent blog, "Recycled Wine Buying Advice," was emailed by Mailchimp on Oct. 25, but it was not received by some subscribers, including myself.

I'm working with Mailchimp and will let you know when the problem has been resolved. 

Gerald D. Boyd

Recycled Wine Buying Advice

 

 

The following is a piece on wine buying from a magazine article I wrote in 2013.  A few changes have been made to bring it up to date, but the suggestions are still relevant, especially as we enter the holiday entertaining season.

If you haven’t been wine shopping lately, you may be in for a bewildering surprise.  Whether you’re buying a bottle to have with tonight’s dinner or one to lay away for a special occasion,  you’ll find that even the most modest wine shop is stocked with a wide range of wines from most of the major wine regions at prices to fit all budgets.

Don’t panic! 

Before you head out to shop, decide if the purchase is a wine for casual drinking or for a meal, and how much you can spend.  Wandering aimlessly up and down the aisles staring at bottle after bottle of wine will get you nowhere.  

A good approach, for all budgets, is to find a wine shop where you can get some quality one-on-one advice on buying a wine that you’re going to like and that won’t break the budget.  Supermarket wine sections are convenient but not likely to have a clerk to help you select the right wine. So if the market is where you shop for wine, be prepared to do some searching on your own.

Buying a bottle of wine is like shopping for any other food product; you want to know how it tastes and how much it costs.  Read as much as you can before going wine shopping.  Numerous wine magazines (Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, to name two) and wine newsletters (Robert Parker's Wine Advocate) are helpful for the novice wine consumer as well as the hard-core wine collector.   

For immediate and up-to-date advice and recommendations, go online and click on any of the many wine sites and blogs devoted to wine, such as "Wine Review Online," and "Gerald D Boyd On Wine."

Now that you have a bottle of wine, the next step is finding a good food to have with it?  Matching wine with food can be involved, but there are a few simple rules that make the choice easier.  The pairing can be very specific, even scientific, but using commonsense will  result in a pleasing wine and food match.  

The old adage of white wine with fish, red wine with meat, still has merit, but even more important is how the dish is seasoned and what sauce or garnishes are used.  Commonsense says that a heavy Zinfandel, with its full tannin, is not a good match with a lightly sautéed lemon sole, nor will an off-dry Riesling please the taste buds when paired with roast beef.

Generally, white wine is lighter in body and weight than red wine, so Sauvignon Blanc, with its crisp acidity and lighter body will not be as heavy as Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah.    There are, of course, exceptions that have been proven time and again to be as close to perfect as you can get in wine and food pairing, such as Pinot Noir and grilled fresh salmon and Sauvignon Blanc with goat cheese.

If you're adventurous and want to make a pairing outside the box, then ignore the rules and drink whatever wine you like with any food.  Food and wine pairing suggestions are only guidelines, not gospel.

Wine availability and price vary from market to market.  Here are six wines, all priced at $20 or less, that should be in stock where you buy wine or with a little searching: La Crema Monterey California Chardonnay; Barnard Griffin Columbia Valley Washington Sauvignon Blanc; Elk Cove Willamette Valley Oregon Pinot Gris; Kenwood Vineyards San Joaquin County/Sonoma Count Pinot Noir; Mettler Family Lodi California Zinfandel; Francis Ford Coppola Diamond Collection California Cabernet Sauvignon.

Wine shopping is personal.  If the store where you shop doesn't carry the wine you want, ask the clerk for a special order, or try a recommended substitute.

Next post: Armagnac

Leave a comment, without signing on to Google, at boydvino707@gmail.com

 

 

 

Sierra Foothills

Sprawling along the west side of the Sierra Nevada mountains, the Sierra Foothills wine region offers wine drinkers variety and diversity.  Situated along the front range, the foothills are an easy day trip from the Bay Area and other popular northern California locations.  

The multi-county Foothills AVA is  east of Sacramento, the state capitol and fifth largest city.  Further east are the lofty Sierras, a mecca for winter sports fans. Lodi, a celebrated wine region, in its own right, is a short distance south of Sacramento.

One way to define the Sierra Foothills, at least in wine terms, is by referring to the Sierra Foothills AVA of 1987, that encompasses these eight counties: Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Mariposa, Nevada, Placer, Tuolumne and Yuba, plus a small group of sub-AVAs.  

Elevation and volcanic soils are key to the grapes that grow best in the Sierra Foothills.  All of the expected grapes, like Chardonnay and Cabernet, are there.  In recent years there has been a push for Rhone varieties, notably Syrah, Viognier, Roussanne and Marsanne.  Interest in varietal Viognier is not what it once was and a lot of Foothills Viognier now goes into white blends. 

                                       

 There's gold in them thar vines!

More than any grape, Zinfandel is the single variety that defines the Sierra Foothills.  In the early days of Ridge Vineyards, Paul Draper thought enough of Foothills Zin, starting in 1976, to make a Fiddletown Amador County Zinfandel. 

Since the early 20th century, books and lengthy magazine articles have attempted to tell the real story of where Zinfandel came from and how it got to California. It took heavy research by a California wine historian and DNA analysis to uncover the complete story.  A Long Island nurseryman named George Gibbs, and not California wine pioneer, Agoston Harazthy, is now credited with bringing Zinfandel to America.  Part of that heritage is the understanding that Zinfandel is related to both a Croatian and and an Italian grape.  

How Zinfandel arrived in the Foothills is another unexpected story.  The short version is that gold miners in 1849 panned for the rare metal but came up dry, so they turned to agriculture, ordering vines from a Long Island nursery, owned by Mr. Gibbs.  Unsuspecting sourdoughs and their descendants found their gold in Zinfandel.

Over the years, Foothill Zins built a reputation for boldness with underlying finesse, fruit purity and acidity; things that made Cabernet Sauvignon drinkers look at Zinfandel with new respect.  Zinfandel became another wine to learn about and enjoy.  

More than Zinfandel

In time, the Foothills wine region began to expand.  And, as more winemakers took to the hills, an understanding developed that the same conditions that worked for Zinfandel, could also work for other varieties.  There were a lot of choices, with Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varieties, showing an affinity for the diversity of climate, soils and elevation.  

Later, Syrah and other Rhone varieties came into their own in El Dorado and Amador counties and California Shenandoah Valley.  But not without controversy. Leon Sobon and colleagues in the California Shenandoah fought to use the name Shenandoah Valley,  losing to the historic presedence of Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, resulting in the awkward three-word California Shenandoah Valley appellation. 

            

El Dorado County is one of the coolest wine regions in California.  High vineyards were reaching up to almost 4,000 feet.  Growing conditions are cool at that height, forming an ideal environment for Merlot, Riesling, Chardonnay and cool-climate Syrah. 

At the far north end of the Sierra Foothills is the North Yuba AVA.  In the late 1990s, the Fellowship of Friends, an obscure religious group, founded Renaissance Vineyard & Winery and began releasing acclaimed late harvest Rieslings and a few controversial red wines, aged in German oak. The Rieslings won awards but the reds were just odd enough to keep them out of the main stream.  Today, Renaissance makes Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and late harvest Riesling.

Sierra Foothills destinations are as varied as the region's wine.  Bay area wine fans, planning  a day trip or weekend away, make the easy trek to foothills towns like Murphys, for relaxing inns and B&B's and a little wine and food.  With a visit to your local wine merchant, you can enjoy Foothills wine without leaving home.

Next post: Recycled Wine Buying

Leave a comment, without signing into Google, at boydvino707@gmail.com

  

Yammerin' About Wine Sales

   

You may not have noticed, but the wine industry is in a tizzy about shrinking wine sales and by extension, the desertion of wine drinkers for other  beverages.  Thing is, the uproar is hardly mentioned outside the trade, except for the occasional newspaper business article. 

Unless you follow wine trade news, you'd never know there's a problem.  But, is there  a problem, and if so, why is there a problem?  

Numbers bore me, so I don't keep up with wine sales, but I do read wine business articles and the occasional wine blog that often subject readers to "the sky is falling" posts.  Depending on who is writing, the yammering is either considerate or chaotic. 

Now, I am not saying that we shouldn't worry about falling wine sales , or that consumers, especially young ones, seem to prefer other beverages. What I am suggesting is the problem is complicated. 

Among those things that are complicating wine sales and causing confusion at the retail level, are: too many lists of "overrated" wines by writers and  sommeliers, who should know better; too many columns about inaccessible wines;  too much complaining about the three-tier system; too many new wines with names that have nothing to do with wine; and most egregious, too much bowing and scrapping before so-called "Influencers."

 -  I first became aware of influencers when I saw a piece by the "Wine Fashionista," a woman who displayed limited wine knowledge, attempted to show, while fawning for the camera and insinuating herself into every photo, how fashionable she, and  wine were. The Wine Fashionista is a glaring example of using wine for self promotion, while not promoting wine.

- Then, there are the headlines for wine articles that leave the reader with the impression that wine is a profane joke.  An example is this headline in the British publication "Punch," accompanying an interview with a young Scottish wine writer: "Meet Hannah Crosbie, the UK's Shitposting Anti 'Trad Wine Writer.'"  I read that headline again, and charitably thought , maybe I'm just an old  geezer trying to understand  how the use of profanity, in what claims  to be a piece about wine,  helps bring younger consumers, who reportedly are the ones not buying wine, into the fold.  

The interview is full of softball questions, but then I dug deeper and found that wine and the 27-year-old Crosbie are not full of s#@$.  Crosbie agrees that wine is not being marketed to young consumers correctly and that "trad" wine writers need to get up to speed.  Crosbie is  not the first person to make those claims.  

There's more to the interview, but my point is that while a profanity loaded headline may speak to the "anti trad" reader,  it fails to take wine seriously.

- Unless you're a tech millionaire, it's not likely you'll be attracted to wine by reading about wines costing hundreds, or even thousands of dollars.  "Wine-Searcher," the wine e-zine has a running series of "The World's Most Expensive" wines, and I wonder how many readers, new to wine, are drawn to their lists.  

Sommeliers share some of the blame for this blatant inflation, by flogging expensive wines.  Check the wine list of any upscale white tablecloth restaurant and the prices will make you gasp.  Wine is expensive, but there are plenty of moderately priced wines that may help bring more new customers into the wine fold.

(Full disclosure: In the Sept. 27 posting of this blog, my intent was to write about three excellent Super Tuscan wines, and not about expensive wine.  As it turns out, though, the Super Tuscans I chose cost $175, $250 and $300.) 

- The evils of the Three Tier system is a subject that gets too much attention, at least in the trade press.  The three tiers - importers or producers, distributors, retailers - frequently work together to determine wine pricing in the United States.  But the apparent collusion is what it is and endlessly yammering about it doesn't seem to be moving the needle, so maybe some of that energy should be channeled into a more positive way to promote wine.  

- Finally, I question if wine names like "Whiny Baby" encourage people  to think wine.  Really, do these names suggest clever marketing, or are young parents and expectant mothers the target audiences?  I don't know, but I do know that it is misguided marketing.  Craft brewers have used goofy names to market their beers for years, so I guess it was inevitable that wineries would say, why not?  But, if there's a wine connection, it's hard to see.  

   

Those are just a few of the reasons I think could be causing a drop in wine sales.  Here are three positive things I noticed recently that could give slumping sales a boost. 

+  Chris Sawyer, an energetic, unabashed disciple of wine, moderates "The Varietal Show," an on-going interview and tasting program, available on You-Tube.  Sawyer's approach is a casual tasting and chat with a winemaker, geared to bring out the personality of the interviewee and their wine.  "The Varietal Show" is a simple, non-stuffy way to promote any wine.  

+ "Harvest Stomp" is an annual, boisterous music-filled al fresco dinner and auction, to support the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation and Napa Valley Grapegrowers.  The short promotional video shows people having fun amidst what appears to be organized chaos.  An easy-going harvest dinner-auction is an effective way to show young people that wine need not be stuffy. 

+ Simplify wine is a no-brainer.  Presenting wine as elitist and complicated will turn novice wine drinkers away from wine.  Don't dumb down the bare basics, but keep it easy-to-understand and personal.  People like stories and want to know about the winemaker and other key winery and vineyard workers. 

+ Finally, "Come Over October," is a national campaign to get people to share friendship and community over a glass of wine.  It's an idea we can all get behind.  Find out more about Come Over October at www.comeoveroctober.com. 

The wine industry has been wandering around talking to itself, crowded by a lot of individual promotions, but little combined effort to tell the story of wine, like Come Over October.  It's time to stop yammerin' about falling sales and start thinking positive thoughts about all wine.

 

Next post: Sierra Foothills

Leave a comment, without signing in to Google, at boydvino707@gmail.com

 

California's "Other" Wine Regions

Every wine-producing country in the world has a premier region.  Most countries have one area that stands above the rest: in Argentina it's the Mendoza Valley, Rioja has long been the classic region of  Spain, and in Australia, there's the Barossa Valley. 

A few countries boast two top wine regions: Piedmont and Tuscany in Italy; Burgundy and Bordeaux in France.  Based on diversity and size, California is generally accepted as the top U.S. region, with the Napa Valley at the top of the list in the Golden State. 

Of course, putting Napa Valley first rankles some California wine fans, who point to Sonoma, as well as other regions.  And it should be said that there are others who object to California as premier, voting instead for Washington state or Oregon. 

But, even if we agree that Napa Valley and Sonoma are the California leaders, there are many other places in the state known for wine.  Here is a short list and the wine or wines that bring each area the most attention. 

Looking toward the bay in Los Carneros

Carneros, or more correctly, Los Carneros, is one of California's two-county appellations. Carneros stretches across  the north end of the San Francisco Bay, in Napa and Sonoma counties. Los Carneros ("the rams" in Spanish) is a cool climate region, suited for Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and sparkling wines.  Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah are also grown.

 Lake County, on the eastern flanks of Napa and Mendocino, is not as accessible as either of these places.  The seven official sub-appellations are gathered around or near Clear Lake, with most vineyards exposed to more sunshine, at elevations of 1,500 feet or higher.  An added benefit  is the moderating influence of Clear Lake.  Lake County is most known for Cabernet Sauvignon,  Sauvignon Blanc and Tempranillo.

Lodi is the Goldilocks wine region, neither too hot nor too cold.  Located in California's  northern Central Valley, Lodi grows an impressive 128 wine grapes, but is known for Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.  Breezes from the nearby Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta moderate the climate, allowing for popular old-vine blends, with Carignan and Alicante Bouchet.

Livermore Valley was a premier wine region before the rising popularity of Napa and Sonoma. Today, its popularity trails behind both places. East of the San Francisco Bay, Livermore is a warm area that still manages to produce Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.  Other varieties of note are Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Franc and Tempranillo.

Mendocino is known for its two distinct main growing areas: the warmer inland area around Ukiah and the cooler marine-influenced Anderson Valley.  The interior area, including Redwood Valley, is suited for growing Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, while in the cooler Anderson Valley Pinot Noir, Riesling and sparkling wines are best known.  

Monterey, in agricultural terms, has a split personality.  The inland Salinas Valley, known as "America's Salad Bowl," grows row crops like lettuce, artichokes and carrots.  Coastal Monterey is wine country, especially in the Santa Lucia Highlands, noted for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and Arroyo Seco, long an area for Riesling and Rhone varieties.

Paso Robles is where Zinfandel had its day in the 1880s, with the planting of the regions first Zin and the founding of York Mountain Winery.  Situated in San Luis County, the large region has 11 sub appellations, specializing in Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and white and red Rhone varieties, supplied in large part by the winery and nursery of Tablas Creek.

Santa Barbara County vineyard

Santa Barbara has an unusual land arrangement with the Pacific Ocean.  The mountains run east-west, instead of the more usual north-south.  The open passage exposes vineyards to cooling sea breezes.  Chardonnay came first in Santa Barbara, followed by Pinot Noir, established by Sanford & Benedict in the early 1970s.  Burgundy varieties found a home in the Santa Maria Valley, whereas, because of the east-west orientation,  a more diverse group of grapes, including Rhone varieties, are planted in the Santa Ynez Valley. 

Santa Cruz Mountains appellation, between Santa Cruz and San Jose, is slowly being encroached by spreading commercial development.  Still, thanks to pioneers like Ridge Vineyards, David Bruce and later, Randall Grahm, cool climate grapes like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay were well suited.  Grahm's Bonny Doon Vineyard pushed for Rhone varieties and Ridge took advantage of the warmer part of the region for Cabernet Sauvignon.

Sierra Foothills multi-county wine region, along the western edge of the Sierra Nevada mountains.  The area's heritage as a wine region goes back to the aftermath of the 19th century Gold Rush, when miners traded panning for gold for planting vines.  Zinfandel was among the first varieties to take root in places like Amador County.  In no particular order, Bordeaux varieties, Rhone white and red grapes and Spanish varieties like Tempranillo, followed.

California is a big state with numerous wine regions and a lot of wine.  Take a break from Napa and Sonoma and pull the cork on a wine from one of California's other wine regions. 

 

Next post: Yammering About Wine

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Bordeaux in Tuscany

               

Mention Tuscany and most wine drinkers think of Chianti, or maybe  Brunello di Montalcino, or Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.  There is a common thread running through this classic trio of Tuscan red wines:  Sangiovese.

Sangiovese has been the main variety for years along the narrow strip of land on Tuscany's Maremma coast.  But since 1995, Sangiovese has had to share the top spot, mainly in Bolgheri, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, red grapes more at home in Bordeaux than Tuscany. 

Before 2011, production of Bolgheri wine was mostly blends of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, supplemented with Syrah and Cabernet Franc up to 50% in the blend. The blending approach was soon changed with the introduction of Sassicaia, and a new concept to be called Super Tuscan.

Sassicaia, Bolgheri's noteworthy Cabernet Sauvignon-based Super Tuscan, is owned by the Marchese Incisa della Rocchetta, who was the first to plant Cabernet Sauvignon in Bolgheri in the 1940's.  Although it seems quaint today, the Marquis' goal was to have a house wine, not to someday make an Italian red wine fashioned after a great Bordeaux. 

The Bolgheri DOC was created in 1983, but oddly, only for white and pink wine.  It took another 11 years for the DOC to be amended to include red wine. Then, in 1994, the Sassicaia zone was established. 

 Sassicaia, a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc, is made in the Bordeaux style, aged in French oak barriques, and marketed by Antinori. The barrique bordelaise, often called the "chateau" barrel, holds 59 gallons of wine. 

Cabernet Sauvignon, a decidedly non-Italian grape has, never-the-less, brought fame and fortune to the coastal area, as well as the Marchese Rocchetta.  Sassicaia retails for $300.

Ornellaia, Bolgheri's other prestigious Super-Tuscan, is made by Frescobali, a major landholder in Tuscany.  Until 2000, Frescobaldi concentrated on Tuscany, then the wine company branched out first to Friuli, then in 2004, it purchased the Ornellaia estate in northern Bolgheri.

The name Ornellaia means "ash tree," common in the northern part of Bolgheri. Made in the Bordeaux style, the wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with small percentages of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, then aged in French oak barriques.  Although Ornellaia is a Super Tuscan, priced at about $250, it stands on its own as one of Tuscany's best-known Cabernet Sauvignons.  

Primarily, soils in Bolgheri and Bordeaux are quite different, as are basic wine making techniques.  Even though both Sassicaia and Ornellaia are made from the same grapes, they have different flavors and structures. The percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon is higher in Sassicaia, so the dominant flavor is black fruits. Merlot provides a heightened presence of fruitiness and softer tannins, while the addition of Cabernet Franc in Ornellaia gives the wine a hint of blueberry. 

Tignanello, a Chianti Classico, not from Bolgheri, is usually included in the top three of Super Tuscan wines. Owned by Marchesi Antinori, Tignanello, a popular blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, is classified as an IGT Sangiovese.  Tignanello is the first Sangiovese to be aged in barriques and the first Chianti Classico to not include white grapes in the blend. 

Tignanello has the subtle scent of cooked tomatoes, with a distinct tart pie cherry flavor, characteristics of Sangiovese dominated blend, and distinctly different from Cabernet Sauvignon. Thus,  Tignanello, about $175, is a different style of Super Tuscan.  Super Tuscan (or Supertuscan) is a term first used in the 1970s to describe a Bordeaux blend aged in barriques.  Super Tuscans are IGT wines, which replaced vino da tavola in 1992.  

Next post: California's "Other" Wine Regions

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My Favorite Wine

 

The Burgundian truffle sniffer

I'm often asked by well-meaning people: "What's your favorite wine?" I could dismiss them with the cliched, "Well, that's like asking me to pick my favorite child."

Although, when asked the question wine writers most hate to hear, I usually just force a smile and reply: "I don't have a favorite," or "All of the wines I taste are my favorites."  

But, I'd be lying.  Truth is, I've always had a favorite wine.  As far back as the late 1950s, when I  had my first epiphany, the wine I kept coming back to is red Burgundy.  And, if I couldn't afford Burgundy (Who can? ), then I'd happily drink Pinot Noir from California, New Zealand, Oregon, Victoria, Australia and anywhere else that's making good Pinot Noir.

Fans of Burgundy and Pinot Noir may tell you, without hesitation, that it is the most sensuous of red wines, packed with textured flavors  and gobs of dark cherry and ripe plum,  supported by tannin and acidity that are never harsh or intrusive.   One sip and you know that this is a wine designed for pleasure.

Savoring a favorite red Burgundy is like eating food you never tire of, especially a dish enhanced with Burgundian truffles.   And there are many positive and satisfying things to say about Burgundy and Pinot Noir, how soon will it be until I get another glass? 

When I was a young boy, my mother worked for an Italian deli, in suburban Philadelphia, known for its hoagies.  Even though, I am a strict vegetarian, the memory of Italian cold cuts, provolone cheese, tomato and lettuce, Italian seasonings and a drizzle of oil, all wrapped in a fresh hoagie roll, is still  fresh and indelible. 

Years after my hoagie days, I had what might be a second wine epiphany, when I tasted some 30-year-old Burgundies.  Not since, of the thousands of wines tasted, has there been a wine as memorable. 

On the way home from the tasting, the lingering memory of the Burgundy I had just had was as strong as if I had just had the wine in my mouth.  It was then I knew my next wine purchase would be red Burgundy or Pinot Noir. 

Rhapsodizing about  a favorite wine or food is, I'm sure, crazy to some people. But food and drink are primary and after having a memorable taste experience, you  may never be moved by that kind of craziness again, even while the search continues. 

A passion for music, art, sport, food, wine is for many people, vital to life and personal growth.  A television program, currently on FX and Hulu, called "The Bear," illustrates my point.  The series is about a life force that subtly urges the staff of a popular Chicago neighborhood sandwich shop to nurture their passion, even if they don't yet know what that is or why it is slowly taking over their life.  The multi-ethnic crew of different personalities is being urged  to refashion the "Beef" sandwich shop into a fine dining establishment, by one driven man   looking to repeat the magic he once had as a star chef. 

"The Bear" is a loud, chaotic, fast-moving set piece about people's discovery of a personal passion for food, and being immersed in a new and fascinating lifestyle...Burgundy had that affect on me by developing a passion for wine and food.  

I didn't come to Burgundy directly. While stationed in Germany, I discovered that wine was a more interesting beverage than beer and I wanted to know more about it.  The transition came later in France with my first taste of Beaujolais Gamay Noir, that prepared me for the Burgundy to come.    

Without knowing it, I was at the edge of the Burgundy region when I had the Beaujolais.  But, it was years before Burgundy became my desert isle wine. 

That's my story.  You don't have to wait years, like I did, before discovering the pleasures of Burgundy and Pinot Noir.  Next time you're wine shopping, look for a starter red Burgundy like Cote de Beaune or Macon, or try Pinot Noir from Oregon, Russian River, Anderson Valley, Monterey or Santa Barbara.

 

Next post: Bordeaux in Tuscany

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Argentine White Wine

Argentine wine is usually colored red, as in Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon.  In Argentina,  a glass of red wine is just the thing to enjoy with the country's  famous asado, a sizzling slab of grilled beef.

A contented red angus

In fact, Argentina is the number-one consumer of beef in the world, putting away an impressive 160 pounds per inhabitant, compared to the U.S. per capita of 84 pounds.  Australian beef lovers are just behind Americans.  And in second place?  Zimbabwe!

It takes a lot of Malbec to wash down that amount of asado, so you have to wonder if Argentina makes white wine.  It does.  And Argentine white wines are growing in popularity as more Argentinians turn to lighter food.  Beef ranchers are beginning to feel the pinch, with the lighter movement forcing the domestic sale of red meat to trend down.

Most U.S. wine shops have rows of Argentine Malbec, but what about white wine? Let's take a closer look at what styles of white wine are in stock.

At the top of the Argentina list, mainly because it's so pervasive, is Chardonnay.  Followers of my writing, are aware of my indifference toward Chardonnay.  To be clear, I don't dislike Chardonnay, but find there are so many more interesting white wines, like Riesling, Albariño, Semillon,  that show pure fruit flavors not hidden under gobs of new French oak. 

Fortunately, Argentine winemakers, like their colleagues around the world, have heard consumer complaints about too much oak in Chardonnay, especially new French oak.  Winemakers in Mendoza and San Juan have been focusing on the essential flavors in Chardonnay and how to best integrate those flavors with the moderate influence of oak. 

Torrontés. Virtually unknown in the United States, Torrentés is the white grape with the most potential.  And with the proper marketing, Torrontes promises to do for Argentine white wine what Malbec has done for Argentine red wine. 

My first taste of Torrontés was in Argentina. The local buzz in Mendoza, then and now, was about the winemaker, Susana Balbo, who had been crowned the "Queen of Torrontés."  Unique to Argentina, Torrontés is a dry, fruity wine, with bright nectarine flavors, highlighted by floral and citrus zest notes.  The Balbo Torrentés I had in Mendoza hit all those notes. 

Balbo Torrontés available at U.S. retail, include Susana Balbo Signature Barrel Fermented Torrentés, $30 and Signature Brioso White Blend, of Torrontés, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, $25.  Balbo also has Crios de Susana Balbo Torrontés, $19, a tribute to her children; "crios" is Spanish for "kids." 

There are three varieties of Torrontés in Argentina: Torrontés-Riojano, Torrontés-Sanjuanino, mainly grown in San Juan province;  and Torrontés-Mendocino, also common in San Juan province. 

Torrontés Riojano is the most common variety and is the second-most planted white wine grape in Argentina.  Riojano is a cross of Muscat Alexandria and Criolla Chica, known in  California as the historic Mission grape. 

                                                         

An aside.  Regulations for the production of wine and grape growing vary from country to country.  The United States has a range of rules, including the AVA system, but by and large, American wineries can grow what grapes they wish and make the type of wine they want. Apparently, the system is quite different in Argentina. 

In its September issue, Decanter magazine reported that Argentina's government entity responsible for the regulation of wine production and grape growing, has approved the Criolla Chica grape for the production of light red wine. It would seem that in the past, Argentine wineries were only officially permitted to use the Criolla Chica grape for rosé wines and in blends.  

The literal translation of "criolla chica" is "creole girl," and that makes me wonder why anyone would give that name to a wine grape?

With the new ruling on Criolla Chica, it's now likely that we will see more Argentine white wines and light reds.  Proprietary blends are popular, such as the unusual combination of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.  Until recently, Chardonnay was the only white that was rarely blended with another variety. 

There are four varieties of Torrontés in Spain, none of them the same as the three in Argentina.  The Spanish Torrontés I had was lighter and a little lower in acidity, with a flavor profile closer to Albariño.

All wine regions have a signature wine; Argentina has two: Torrontés and Malbec.  Next time you reach for an Argentine wine, make it Torrontés, priced reasonably between $12 and $19, with the odd one, like the Balbo barrel-fermented, at a higher price.

 

Next post:  My Favorite Wine

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