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This South African beauty is a steal at just $6! Well, that was the sale price. Regardless, the regular price is more like $10 which is still a good deal for a fruity, elegant, and nicely textured wine.
I could see this pairing well with a variety of dishes, and it also was delicious to drink on its own. I encourage you to seek out South African Chenin Blanc. Some wineries use the grape name Steen, however, it seems more of them are reverting back to the French name for the grape on the label. Either way, it's often great stuff at a modest price. Raise a glass!
by Martin Field So I?m sculling a tasty New Zealand pinot noir at Laguna Jacks and this guy comes up to me and asks me in an American accent how I like his wine. I learn that his name is Quintin Quider and that the pinot is from a Central Otago winery, Wild Earth that he owns with wife, Avril. He adds that he hails originally from California, came to Australia after a stint in New Zealand, and now lives in Noosa.
This wine was in a flight of 2004s from DRC at the Mornington Peninsula International Pinot Noir Celebration. I wrote about the Echezeaux 10 days ago and someone pointed me to an article on DRC in the Dec/Jan 07 Gourmet Traveller Wine, which gives some indicative pricing. This wine has not been officially released but I may take out a loan to get a bottle or 2 for a benchmark tasting of the future. DRC is not the sort of stuff your average serious pinotfile buys all the time. In fact the Chardonnay Princess reminds me how many lovely Chardonnays I could buy for a single bottle of DRC. But that is why I want to write about it so the Winorama readers can share this very fortunate experience. The nose was very clean, showing pure fruit, mainly of the cherry tree type. The palate was rich with silky sweet red cherry as well that seemed to flow on and on with just a little crescendo of plum on the finish. Over the hour I managed to keep my meagre portion in the glass it revealed some dark cherry and plum. The classic iron fist in a silk glove fruit power and texture combination.
Scott Paul Wines is a boutique winery dedicated to producing ultra-premium Pinot Noirs from the Willamette Valley of Oregon. Proprietor and winemaker, Scott Paul Wright, came to winemaking as a second career. For thirty years, he had a career in the radio and music industries. As a disc jockey, his handle was “Shadow Stevens” and those of you from the East Coast remember him well. His financial success in the music world allowed him to cellar and drink good wine from an early age. As the music business became more and more a corporate-driven industry, Scott lost interest in continuing in that field, and left to learn winemaking.
Under the mentorship of Greg Le Follette and others, and taking inspiration from Burgundy, he developed his winemaking skills. After ten vintages in Oregon, he is now very comfortable with his career change.
Part of becoming a connoisseur of cheap wines is knowing where to look for them. I’ll share with you one of my little secret places I attempt to seek out cheap wine: the “Reduced for Quick Sale” shelf at your local supermarket. At Meijer, my local super-mega-ultra-store, this shelf is usually located in the bottle return area. Not a very pleasant place to be searching for wines, but just think of it as a treasure hunt! You may find a bounty of cheap wines that you never knew existed.
While picking over the wines yesterday, a cartoon label caught my eye: Big Daddy Vineyards Merlot. I picked up the March 2002 vintage for about 6 dollars.
Why was this reduced for quick sale? Was it worth enduring the stench of the bottle return area to bring home this wine? Yes, yes it was. It’s almost sad that this wine traveled all the way from Argentina to end up in my bottle return area.
Big Daddy knows how to make a good cheap wine. Believe it or not, the first attribute of this wine I picked up on was the light hint of bacon. Mmm bacon. Who doesn’t love bacon? Big Daddy loves it, that’s for sure. Look at that belly! On top of the bacon was a strong berry with a leathery taste.
If you’re looking for a full bodied cheap red wine with a lot of character, give the Big Daddy Merlot a try.
Rating: 8/10 - High score for originality Price: 6.00 Place of purchase: Meijer Vineyard Info: Big Daddy Vineyards Mendoza, Argentina www.bigdaddyvineyards.com
I am anything but a teetotaler. Ask any of my friends if they?ve ever seen me without alcohol in my hand (after 6pm... okay, when i'm awake) and they?ll laugh you silly. Mind you, I am a responsible drinker. I don?t drink and drive (mainly ?cause I don?t have a car) and I don?t get shit-faced to the point I can?t remember my name (that?s what friends are for, right?).
I do, however, enjoy a great mug o? coffee or cup o? tea. That?s why when the press release from Teaposy crossed my desk? okay, it?s really more like an old door on sawhorses, I had to get a sample. Because very few products end up looking or performing as well as the press release boasts.
The Garden Gift set (pictured above) lived up to all expectations and PR boasts. The cute little Socrates cups (every time I hear/read Socrates I remember Bill & Ted?s Excellent Adventure and pronounce it ?so-crates?) are just that, and the tea pots are not only elegant but thoughtfully functional. Granted, the little cups hold about as much tea as I consume in one sip (I solved that prob by drinking directly from the pot), but for a special dinner or meal (or prelude to sex) this is the perfect tea set to bring out.
Wait, there?s more. If you really wanna WOW your guest(s), drop a Teaposy ?Blooming Tea? into your pot and watch a beautiful blossom unfold before your eyes. There are eight blooming teas to choose from, each containing silver needle white tea and herbal flowers, stitched together with natural cotton thread. And each produces a wonderfully unique experience and taste.
Ports vary in color, taste, and complexity based on the grapes used to produce them and the material used in the aging process. Among the most commonly found types of port are:
Tawny Port - Tawny port is made from red wine grapes, aged in wood. A reserve tawny is one that has been aged at least seven years. Tawny ports are usually light yellow in color and have a slightly "nutty" taste. Tawny ports made from a single vintage are called "colheitas" and indicate the vintage year on the bottle.
Ruby Port - Just as the name indicates, ruby ports are deep red in color. These are the least expensive ports and are made with red wine grapes and aged in stainless steel to preserve the color. Generally, ruby ports are aged from three to five years.
Vintage Port - The finest kind of port wine, vintage port comes from a single year's grape production. Not every year is declared a vintage year in Portugal and, as with fine Bordeaux or Burgundy wines, some years' growing conditions create a better product. Vintage ports are aged a maximum of 2 1/2 years before bottling.
LBV Port - LBV or "Late Bottle Vintage" ports were originally crafted to be vintage ports. However, due to lack of demand or other factors, they are left in the barrel longer than allowed for a vintage port. Generally, LBV ports are lighter in color and texture than the vintage cousins.
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Leelanau Cellars markets this unique spiced wine as Witches’ Brew around Halloween, but let me assure you that it is a great wine to have on hand throughout the winter. This wine has two labels, the Halloween one (Witches Brew) and the label for the rest of the year, simply named Leelanau Cellars Spiced Wine.
If you’re looking for something fun and unique to bring to a holiday party this year, this is your wine! This wine is best served heated! Simmer in a pot over low heat until it is warm (the temperature of a witches’ tongue, if you’re celebrating Halloween). This spiced wine should not be served with dinner, but rather as dessert, with some good, dark chocolate. I suppose it could also be good before dinner, while folks are still arriving to the party. It would make a great ice-breaker!
Witches Brew is obviously a sweet wine, with aromas of cinnamon and cloves. It has very different characteristics when heated vs. room temperature. Try both!
Rating: 9/10 — Truly unique! Price: $5.99 Where can I get it? Many places in Michigan carry this wine, especially around the holidays. I found it at Meijer. You could always visit the Leelanau Cellars north of Traverse City to stock up!
Oh I like this. I thought the inaugural vintage was pretty good but this one really hits the bullseye. It is matured for 8 months in one, two and three year old French oak. This is a very fine example of new school Australian chardonnay.
Aromas of honeydew melon, lemon and almond meal with dusty cinnamon and vanilla flecked oak. It also shows some lavender like perfume and a little matchsticky barrel ferment complexity. On the palate fine and tight with flavours of lemon rind, grapefruit, melon, vanilla spice and attractive slightly dirty earthy flavours. Flinty and bone dry finishing with a mouthful of pebbles, citrus and ginger spice flavours. Beautiful wine.
Merlot lovers, rejoice! A new documentary film made in response to the post-Sideways Merlot backlash (read more on that here) is about to debut. That's right, Merlove, made by Napa filmmaker Rudy McClain, is set to screen Tuesday, May 27th at COPIA in Napa. The film apparently includes footage of renowned Merlot makers from...
Mongrain Glass makes beautiful and fancy wine glasses. James Mongrain is the artist behind this beauty. The thing that impresses me most about James Mongrain is that he has worked with Dale Chihuly since the late 1990?s. Dale Chihuly is a world class glass artist.
I looked through the Mongrain Glass website at the pictures of fancy wine glasses. The white glass goblets were magnificent, as were the chartreuse and yellow. I looked further at the Solid Series and there were more fancy wine glasses in blue, pink and the prettiest black glass I?ve ever seen.
James Mongrain and Mongrain Glass have so many fancy wine glasses for sale. It is important to keep in mind that each of the pieces is handmade and one-of-a-kind. If you want to order any of the Mongrain Glass fancy wine glasses, you need to e-mail or call with your order.
Mongrain Glass has a series of fancy wine glasses called the Creature Series. These are so beautiful. The stems of the fancy wine glasses are creatures like swans and sea horses. There is one design in particular, that has a frosted look to it. There are even dainty flowers around the base of these fancy wine glasses.
The Modern Venetians line of Mongrain Glass fancy wine glasses are very sophisticated in appearance. The glass detail work brings lace to mind because of its intricacy. I would have a very hard time trying to choose which line of Morain Glass fancy wine glasses I wanted. I actually like them all.
In addition to fancy wine glasses, Morain Glass makes commissioned pieces of art. Some of the pieces pictured in the gallery on their website were very large. There are no prices listed on this website, but these look like they cost many thousands of dollars.
Fancy wine glasses really do seem to be a small part of what Morain Glass does in their studio. I found a picture of a piece of art entitle Vortex. Vortex is described as a 7-foot stainless-steel slice of sensuality. The foundation of this piece of art is set in steel and a collection of glass forms illuminate neon light from within. The union of glass and steel in this piece of art is somewhat of a contrast, both in form and idea. Glass and steel are two distinct elements that have been joined so intimately it?s as if they are one.
It was time for the main event, and there must have been four or five hundred giddy people gathered in downtown Manhattan. One or two of dozens of Burgundy’s elite winemakers sat at each table in anticipation of this Bacchanalian orgy. The long, army-style lunch room seating had to have about forty people per table, [...]
Some wines from indigenous varieties, recommended by Angela Lloyd
When wine statistics are trotted out, Italy always arrives somewhere at the top of the global list: third in area under vine (849 000 hectares? in 2004), second in wine produced (5 300 000 000 litres) and per capita consumption (46.50 litres). Another figure that would also leave many other countries in its wake is the number of indigenous grape varieties in this land of the long boot.
Of course, the ubiquitous international quintet of cabernet, merlot, shiraz, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc? are also found in Italian vineyards, but the country's real strength lies in its lesser known varieties, many producing wines of great individuality and distinction.
Such varietal? diversity is as much due to Italy's geography as its history. Wine grapes are grown from 47º North, near the Swiss and Austrian borders and close to the Alps, all the way to 37º South, on the sun scorched island of Sicily, in climates both continental and Mediterranean. Historically, the Greeks, the mysterious Etruscans and of course the Romans themselves have all helped to develop the varietal mix.
The good news is that the Italians have now realised the worth of these grapes, from both quality and marketing points of view and much more is being done to promote the wines made from them.
Fortunately for South Africans, there are several good examples available here. Before recounting a few I tasted recently courtesy of importers Stefano Gabba and his son, Lorenzo, who run Melgab International, a word on the Italian system of naming the origin of its wines.
The DOC? ? Denominazione di Origine Controllata? ? system is modelled on the French Appellation? Contrôlée. This set of regulations covers such aspects as viticulture?, winemaking and labelling. As with the French AOC?, place names rather than grape names often appear on the label, the variety or varieties being implicit in such place name.
Less confusing is the Italian culture of enjoying wine with food, thus their focus is on creating food friendly rather than show winning wines.
The following quartet is a small representation of worthwhile examples of the lesser known Italian varieties available here.
Cantina? Lunae Bosoni Colli di Luni Vermentino 2006 12%R95.19 The Colli di Luni is a DOC on the Ligurian coast just to the east of Genoa. Both white and red grapes? are grown there; the whites based on vermentino with up to 10% other white grapes. This example has presence without showiness in its firm?, fresh structure?, good flavour intensity?, without being overtly fruity?, and dry? finish?. As its coastal situation suggests, vermentino and seafood are natural partners.
La Giustiniana Gavi di Gavi DOCG? Lugarara 2006R99.75 The 'G' in DOCG stands for Garantita, its purpose to identify the finest Italian wines ? 'guarantee' as opposed to merely 'control'. If it has gained credibility in the few number of DOCG's awarded, some have been seriously questioned, but overall it does confer an image of quality where awarded. The town and DOCG of Gavi are on hilly slopes in south east Piedmont, just to the north of the Ligurian coast. Cortese, the only grape permitted, was originally used as a base wine for Asti Spumante?. As a solo act, under the Gavi di Gavi nomenclature, it rose to fame in the 1960s, in the process becoming Italy's most expensive dry white wine. Burton Anderson's Wine Atlas of Italy describes the it as having a 'clearly refined scent and acutely dry flavour with pronounced acidity? countered by a vague sensation of fruit.' Elegant La Giustiniana's fragrance combines flowers and herbs; its fine, mineral? acidity lends a lightness of touch, and it does indeed end bone dry, and has just 12% alcohol?. Again, it is the ideal partner for Mediterranean's seafood bounty.
Damilano Barbera d'Alba 2006R118 The red barbera is known in South Africa, mainly from the version produced by Durbanville winery?, Altydgedacht, although now it also features on the lists of another two or three cellars. It enjoys much greater popularity in Italy, where it was the third most planted red variety in 2000. It is best associated with Piedmont, where it comes second only to nebbiolo in terms of quality. Characteristically high in acid and low in tannin?, the black cherry/berry fruit is fresh and succulent, spiced by the pointed acid. The Damilano family, whose barbera vines are between 30 and 50 years old, follow a traditional style?, aging the wine in older, large wood, which focuses on the wine's mouthwatering qualities and leaves it ready to be opened now. This is a delicious example that should go well with any spicy or rich dishes where the richness will benefit from the wine's cutting fruity acids.
Mastroberadino Radici Taurasi Riserva? DOCG 2000R269.04 Some of my favourite Italian wines come from the great red grape of Campania, aglianico (a corruption of Ellenico, the Italian word for Hellenic). Its worth is acknowledged beyond provincial borders: the 2003 version of this example of it has recently been voted one Italy's 50 greatest wines, as selected by 19 global authorities on Italian wine. A remarkable achievement, given the Mastroberadino family was the only producer to market an aglianico until the early 1990s, but they have been in the forefront of championing Campanian varieties for ten generations. Two important features account for aglianico's success in Campania: the volcanic soils (Vesuvius is a favourite tourist destination), and the vicinity of Taurasi, which lies around 500 metres above sea level on the elevated spine that runs down the centre of the country. Aglianico is an imposing wine, especially in its youth when it is noted for its fine, if ferocious, tannins, a feature which can see it age for decades. This Radici ? single vineyard? ? remains youthfully stern, its characteristic fresh acid backbone focusing and lengthening the deep scents and savoury flavours? of plums?, tobacco and bitter chocolate?. Despite its current austerity, a game dish or mature hard cheese should show off its great potential. With the Rand weakening, it also offers value for money. Patience will be well rewarded!
Prices quoted are wholesale, including VAT. If you find these available retail, expect to pay 30+% more. Click here for the Melgab website.
This $10 sparkling wine from Vouvray France is really very nice! Made from Chenin Blanc, it is pale straw in color with a lemony melon bouquet that is understated. It is somewhat thin on flavor but is crisply made and refreshing.
Somewhat non-descript but I tell you this is a "best buy" sparkler and worth seeking out! I'll buy more if given the chance. Raise a glass!
I've just finished going through a clutch of Hollick reds. I always think of them as one of Coonawarra's better producers, though clearly in recent years they've invested more and more in the nearby Wrattonbully region. I tasted through the following wines:
... and I was expecting that the Hollick Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 would come out clearly on top. It didn't. Indeed it wasn't even a Coonawarra wine that I preferred the most.
Reviews are in the Latest Reviews section of this website. The Latest reviews section is available to paid Subscribers only.
96-100 points Parker: "The 2005 Chardonnay Kistler Vineyard Cuvee Cathleen is a selection of the finest lots from all the vineyards, but most of it comes from the Kistler Vineyard. Full-bodied, firm, and backward, it is behaving more like a red wine than a Chardonnay. It boasts fabulous concentration, superb ripeness, plenty of honeysuckle, orange rind, and tropical fruit characteristics, copious minerality, and enormous length as well as richness. This beauty is as good as any Chardonnay made in either the New or Old World."
Keeping a wine bottle sealed is probably the most important factor when it comes to maintaining a good wine.
A cork is essential, as it keeps oxygen out of the wine bottle. If a bottle of wine is not airtight then it may become oxidized and undrinkable
Traditionally, the only corks worth considering were those actually made of cork. Recently, however, many wine experts have recognized that cork may actually cause more problems than it solves.
Cork, due to its malleable nature may have imperfections; these can result in the seal of the bottle not being as airtight as it could be and the wine being spoilt. In an attempt to avoid this problem, modern cork manufacturers may treat the cork with a chemical called TVA. Unfortunately, this chemical can cause the wine to taste and smell a little damp and musty.
Having said this, cork is able to expand to fully fill the neck of the bottle, which therefore, still makes it the preferred option for special wines that need to be stored, over a long period of time.
Plastic corks are becoming increasing popular, of late. One of the main problems associated with traditional corks is that the wine becomes 'corked'. Plastic corks prevent this occurring. Great! I hear you say. However, there can be minor irritations with plastic corks. A plastic cork can sometimes be difficult to extract from the bottle and virtually impossible to fit back into a half drunk bottle.
Another recent development is the widespread use of screw-top bottles. Until recently, this type of seal was used for only the cheapest of wines. Wine producers across the globe are now recognizing the benefits that screw tops provide. This type of seal ensures that wine is kept fresh; there is no chance of the wine becoming 'corked' and the bottle can be easily resealed. In reality, the only reason that screw tops are not more popular is because of the ingrained snobbery associated with this method of sealing a bottle.
No matter which type of cork you choose, it is important that you are able to recognize whether the wine has been properly sealed or not. A useful test is to see whether the top of the cork is level with the top of the bottle; if it isn't, then that particular bottle of wine is probably best avoided.
If a traditional cork breaks when you are removing it - don't panic! Use a corkscrew to attempt to 'dig out' the remaining cork. If this fails, simply push the remains of the cork down into the bottle. Contrary to popular belief, this will not destroy the wine's flavor. You may have to fish out a few bits of cork, but the taste of the wine should remain unaffected. However, you'd be wise to finish the whole bottle, under these circumstances!
When choosing your wine, base your decision on the wine itself and not the type of cork. Resist the temptation to be a cork snob; a screw top bottle may just give you a pleasant surprise
About the author: Ever since Neil Best first pondered the question, Who made the first wine anyway? he's been recording his findings at Good Glug. Find about your favorite wine regions, wine recipes, and speciality wines along with how it's made and how best to store it for maximum enjoyment
If I wasn?t a wine writer I would probably be a technology writer. I certainly have blurred the line between the two on occasion in this very venue. Wine can be as high tech to produce as it is low tech to enjoy. A glass and a way to get the bottle open is all you really need to taste wine, but the number of choices technology brings to the modern winemaker is staggering.
There is of course already a catchy phrase for the coming wine revolution: Dialing In. The winemaker will be able to dial in exactly what they want their oak barrels to accomplish. They will have the opportunity to dial in traits for the yeast they use. Soon there may even be ways to dial in exact flavor components like black pepper.
Recent advances have pointed research in the right direction to someday be able to create the black pepper taste on demand in any wine. This is done in the vineyard, and that is where we will see some of the biggest changes.
The wine grape?s genome has recently been mapped. Now that we know what the genes are we can begin the laborious task of doing something about it. The sort of benefits we can expect include disease and pest resistant varieties, tailoring to specific micro climates and of course, greater defenses against drought and heat.
I have already postulated on robotic vine tenders, so I am hardly taking a risk to speculate that someday we could have vines that change color when they are ready to be harvested. They could even indicate their water and nutrient requirements, with easy to respond to visual clues. As the saying goes, the possibilities?
At this point some of you may have come to the conclusion that I don?t buy into the ?frankenfood? hysteria. Anyone that knows me realizes that this is where I will *cite Norman Borlaug who ?believes that genetically engineering crops is little different from the cross-breeding among plant species that occurs in nature, and he argues that it is irresponsible for affluent environmentalists to prevent these types of foods from reaching developing nations.*
Oak is getting the modern makeover as well. Gone are the days when a cooperage would only make a few types of barrels. Increasingly they are using computer control of heat and time to specify different barrel characteristics for different needs. This is exactly what they have been doing for centuries, but now they claim a precision that makes a barrel specific to white wine, or even a single varietal.
A little more or less heat over a little more or less time and you add more or less flavors like vanilla and clove and woody spices. Mix up the type of oak in the barrel and add or take away a characteristic. One can even go so far as to mix grain size or oak species in a single barrel. All in pursuit of control.
The hardest workers in a winery are also the smallest. The yeast may be tiny, but what the lack in size, they make up for in numbers. It would seem to make common sense that the more control over the fermentation process you have, the more control over the resulting wine you have. This is what the yeast companies are banking on, as they continue to separate strains of yeast into ever more specific cultures.
It is not just about picking yeast in an attempt to influence flavor profile, some yeast foams less, some unstick fermentations, some do better or worse in more or less alcohol. There is a fascinating glimpse at all of the choices one can make in selecting yeast here at the Winemaking Home Page. Genetics will be having a huge affect on yeast as well.
New techniques in filtering are making wines less prone to bacterial problems, while leaving less of a mark on the wine. Removing alcohol has been one of the most recent innovations to have a huge effect. it has been estimated that 40% of wines in some regions have been through this process. It allows one to use riper grapes without making a wine that is too overwhelming in alcohol, or to reduce the tax liability (wine is taxed on alcohol content).
The choices don?t end at growing grapes or making the wine, there are an increasing number of choices in bottles and closures. Everyone has seen a screw cap on a decent bottle of wine by now, but have you seen the Zork? This clever closure has a peel away strip, then you just pull out the top which makes a satisfying cork like pop as it is released.
I am particularly enamored of the Vino-Seal myself. This glass stopper has a tight fitting o-ring and all the benefits that sterile glass offers. The first time you open one you will have no doubt that the seal it makes is sufficient to protect the wine. It is also easily recycled and even easier to keep to reuse.
Glass bottles too are in line for a refreshing. Rising fuel costs have made weight a great issue while demand continues to outstrip availability. As new glass manufacturers come into play the industry may well see innovations in materials as the new companies find ways to distinguish their product lines.
Nifty barrels, new closures, even genetically designed grapes are all going to make a huge difference but as always it is the winemaker that makes the wine. I love technology; I love gadgets; I love the promise of a shiny tomorrow, but mostly I love what works. Sometimes the best solution is pencil and paper. Time will tell.
Set your sights on wine, and you?ll set your eyes on some of the most incredible scenery in BC?s three main wine regions. Here are ten of the best scene-stealing sights and activities that insiders guarantee will tempt your palate...
If you were to sit down to your last dinner and were offered one last bottle of wine from anywhere in the world - what would that wine be and why?
Additionally - if two sommeliers, namely Robert Parker and Hugh Johnson, approached your table to offer you advice - who's suggestions would you take most to heart?
I'd go with Johnson and signal Parker away from my table :)
Tecnorati
This wine was in a flight of 2004s from DRC at the Mornington Peninsula International Pinot Noir Celebration. I wrote about the Echezeaux 10 days ago and someone pointed me to an article on DRC in the Dec/Jan 07 Gourmet Traveller Wine, which gives some indicative pricing. This wine has not been officially released but I may take out a loan to get a bottle or 2 for a benchmark tasting of the future. DRC is not the sort of stuff your average serious pinotfile buys all the time. In fact the Chardonnay Princess reminds me how many lovely Chardonnays I could buy for a single bottle of DRC. But that is why I want to write about it so the Winorama readers can share this very fortunate experience. The nose was very clean, showing pure fruit, mainly of the cherry tree type. The palate was rich with silky sweet red cherry as well that seemed to flow on and on with just a little crescendo of plum on the finish. Over the hour I managed to keep my meagre portion in the glass it revealed some dark cherry and plum. The classic iron fist in a silk glove fruit power and texture combination. 
Oh I like this. I thought the inaugural vintage was pretty good but this one really hits the bullseye. It is matured for 8 months in one, two and three year old French oak. This is a very fine example of new school Australian chardonnay. 
