Wine Of The Week and the Fall Season

Wisconsin-made pumpkin wine?
Yeap! Pumpkin wine.

Original from Three Lakes Winery

You can make wine out of just about any fruit. If it’s ripe enough you can mash it up, ferment it, bottle it and–if you dare–drink it. So when we heard that Three Lakes Winery

in Wisconsin produces a pumpkin wine

, we knew we had to try it since Halloween is right around the corner.

The wine is made by fermenting a puree of pie pumpkins–ones that are grown for eating, not decoration–before it’s filtered and bottled. The result is a dark, golden-colored wine that smells, well, sort of like a pumpkin after you’ve carved it and displayed it on the front porch for a few days. The aromas are…pungent.

On the palate, however, the wine is pleasantly semisweet if one-dimensional, but is definitely fun and drinkable.

Vega Sicilia more than a Wine

Some estates have an aura about them: they produce the greatest and most sought-after wines, often wines of legend. Sometimes the legend is created by clever marketing, sometimes by stratospheric pricing, sometimes by 100-point scores from influential critics. Sometimes the wines they produce are such exquisite expressions of the winemaker’s art, that they can achieve this legendary status purely on quality. Sometimes it’s a bit of each.

One such estate is Spain’s Vega Sicilia. My first experience of Vega Sicilia was when Bibendum substituted a couple of bottles of Valbuena for the Quintarelli Amarone I had ordered. Since then I have had the opportunity to taste or drink Vega Sicilia’s wines on just a couple of occasions. They were impressive, to say the least, so when the opportunity to visit the winery in Valbuena de Duero arose, I moved quickly.

Vega Sicilia likes to promote an aura of myth and a legend about its wine: the words recur in their publicity materials. For a myth, there’s a surprising amount that’s well recorded both about the history of Vega Sicilia and the winery. Certainly, it is an exclusive wine, made from low yields and meticulous wine-making. The wines age extremely well, and their limited availability adds to the myth.

History

In 1848 a Basque landowner, Don Toribio Lecanda, met the bankrupt Marques de Valbuena and bought from him a 2,000 hectare estate, the Pago de la Vega Santa Cecilia y Carrascal. At some stage that was shortened to Vega Sicilia. For the first 16 years, the land was used for agriculture, until Toribio’s son, Don Eloy Lecanda y Chaves, founded the winery in 1864.
From one Monsieur Beguerié in Bordeaux he bought 18,000 young vines of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Malbec, Merlot and Pinot Noir. They may have made some wine at that stage, but most of the production went into brandy and ratafia.

In due course Don Eloy went bust and the estate passed to the Herrero family, and another Basque, Domingo Garramiola Txomin, who had trained as a winemaker at the Haro Oenological Centre. At first most of the wine was sold in bulk and – presumably – passed off as Rioja. When the Rioja vineyards had recovered from Phylloxera in 1915, Garramiola turned to making estate bottled wine. Initially this wasn’t a commercial venture, but was given away to aristocratic friends and acquaintances of the Herrero family. The quality of these wines was obviously not an issue: the 1917 and 1918 wines won prizes at the World Fair in Barcelona in 1929, an achievement still celebrated on the labels of Vega Sicilia’s Unico. The next significant change was not until 1982, when the Denominacion de Origen Ribera del Duero was established. This move meant that Unico (and the other wines) was no longer classified as a “simple” table wine. At the same time, the Alvarez family bought Vega Sicilia, and began to modernise and expand, a process which has continued, including the creation of new estates: Bodegas Alion in 1992, Bodegas Alquiriz (in Toro) in 2001, and Tokaj Oremus in Hungary, founded in 1993.

Wines and vineyards

There are three key wines in the Vega Sicilia portfolio that carry the Vega Sicilia name: Vega Sicilia Unico Reserva Especial is the top of the range; a non-vintage reserva blend produced from the best years. Vega Sicilia Unico Gran Reserva is a vintage wine, produced only in good years and released after a minimum of ten years ageing, often much longer. Valbuena is made from younger vines in most years, though in years when Unico is not produced (e.g. 1992, 1997, 2000, 2001), grapes normally destined for Unico will go into Valbuena. It is released only after 5 years’ ageing. A lower grade Valbuena, released after 3 years, was discontinued a few years ago.

The estate covers around 1,000 hectares, of which 230 – 250 are under vines. The best vineyards are on north facing slopes, while others are on the alluvial deposits in the valley: in all there are 19 different soil types. The bulk of the vines are now Tempranillo (here called Tinto Fino or Tinto Pais), with some Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Carmenère, and a small amount of Albillo (a local white grape).

In the vineyards, yields are kept low by green harvesting, with each vine producing less than 2 kg of grapes. Harvest at Vega Sicilia is always late – 1st October at the earliest (2003 is the exception, when they started mid September!) – and by hand. They employ a team of around 130 harvesters who pick in several passes through the vineyards. There is another rigorous selection at the winery, and the grapes are carefully de-stemmed. The low yields and careful selection means annual production is only around 25,000 cases, and around 2000 people are on a waiting list for an allocation. Interestingly, buyers are not required to take Alion or Oremus in order to get hold of Vega Sicilia proper – this “bundling” is not uncommon with other “cult” wines.

Winery and winemaking

Two immediate things struck me as I walked round the winery one morning in Summer 2003 with Rafael Alonso, Vega Sicilia’s Export Manager: there is a lot of money floating around the place; everything is in perfect order and there are fancy designer light fittings on the walls. The second striking thing is how absolutely pristine and spotless the place is, to the point of obsessiveness.

Perhaps this goes back to the time when the 1994 Valbuena had to be recalled, it is said because of a cork problem. Certainly, everything is done to avoid any possibility of taint: metal is stainless steel throughout, down to the bands on the barrels, shipping palettes, and even the wedges on which the barrels rest (shown right). The wood used for cases is tested to ensure it is chemically inert, and no wine is shipped between June and October, unless in temperature controlled lorries.The cork testing regime is absolutely rigorous. Their cork suppliers are instructed to send samples, which are independently tested in specialist laboratory in France. Upon delivery, a further double trial is carried out, with further samples being sent for testing. If a cork fails, the whole batch is rejected, with costs charged to the supplier.

On average, Rafael Alonso believes that two out of every three corks are rejected. In the vertical tasting I attended subsequently (see below), 81 bottles were opened and none were corked. To me this proves that the Vega Sicilia regime works, and that the cork industry does have the capability to eliminate TCA, if they take the problem seriously enough.

If your interested in taste the History of Vega Sicilia the Following is a link you may like to get the chance and find almost a complete collection of the Best Vega Sicilia VintagesKoopWines.com

TGD New Wine Holiday!

I am reminded of an observation shared last November by epicurean writer She called Thanksgiving “a food writer’s most-hated holiday,” adding:
“We rewrite the food and wine pairings every goddamn year, and readers are totally happy with the tips: turkey breast up, glass wine on your rigth hand no need to be Beaujolais”

Food-wise, Thanksgiving is one huge sacred cow. Most people are more than happy to see the same spread every year. It’s nothing if not a grand exercise Comfort Food. Messing with the menu or prep is asking for trouble (at my house, we don’t even vary the rice with gandules, and have to have one pot of cranberry sauce, one without).

Wine-wise, on the other hand, Thanksgiving has come to be anticipated and embraced as a free-for-all. Different wines every year are the happy norm (with precious few even being remembered from last November). In fact, if you give-thanks with lots of wine peeps it can even be a sort of reverse scavenger hunt—wines turn up that you’d never even think of looking for. Most important of all, no matter what bottles (or even boxes) make their way in the door, chances are good that everyone finds a wine they like at Thanksgiving. And isn’t that what it’s all about?

There is no doubt in my mind that the dramatic evolution in America’s and Puerto Rico approach to wine for Thanksgiving is due largely to the Web and Restaurant family lunch. More so than directing specific wines into specific hands, the widespread on the web, News and Magazine of appropriate turkey partners has created a condition of positive laissez-faire. Thanks to the Web, it’s all good on Thanksgiving.

So what’s next? I am suggesting here—on the Web—that wine lovers declare Thanksgiving as a wine holiday.(another to Puerto Rico of course)
In fact, confining it to one day seems counterproductive. Let’s make it…a whole fortnight. Two weeks of happy wine-picking. And then, maybe, we can spill the holiday back. Just think: next year, say around November 8th, all those Halloween super-stores get transformed into Thanksgiving Wine Outposts, where (permits permitting), green-market style, vendors can show off their wine wares fit for man, bird or beast…. Call it a dream.

Maybe that’s a little far-fetched. But this I do know: People are having fun with the whole question of what to enjoy with turkey and relatives alike. That alone is reason next Thursday to pause and give thanks for how the wine has made on the food too… Thanksgiving a true feel-good day for wine.

Marce’s 2009 Gracias Top 10

At our house, where we have anywhere from 12 guests every year for Thanksgiving, I am never quite sure precisely which wines are going to get opened. That’s part of the fun of hosting—being able to run down and grab something I think of. But here are my probable picks for a Gracias Top 10:

* Beaujolais Nouveau. This stroke of marketing genius still deserves a spot at the table. I plan to buy 2 bottles of Georges DuBoeuf this Thursday and test them with my family. If it earns a thumb up, will buy more next week.

* Off-dry Riesling. from the get-go, and provides a fruity foil to sweet and tart and gamey flavors alike.

* Côtes-du-Rhône. If not now, when? All-purpose vino, made irresistible in the stellar 2007 vintage.

* Provence Rosé. It’s a good year to toast the way Europe rallied to reassert the spiritual home of classic dry pink wine. Might also result in pleasant summer flashbacks.

* Pinot Noir. This is the one bottle I’ll make a high-ender, as a reward for the conscientious pinot lovers.

* Oregon Pinot Gris. A wholly under-appreciated American white wine. I have a bottle of King Estate rattling around downstairs; time to share.

* Bordeaux. but ready to drink Bordeaux, that is. No-thin’ fancy. I crack one open every year, with fine results.

* Rioja Reserva. Like Bordeaux, a quiet crowd-please, and worth stepping up to the Reserva level. Food-friendly 4-ever viva!

* Buttery Chardonnay. Keeps the wife and others happy. That’s important.

* Pedro Ximenez. Nothing says hola! to a parade of pecan/pumpkin pies also good with “flan de calabaza” like Pedro-Ximenez.

in cooperation with PP and MJG

What is your Real Wine?

It never ceases to amaze me the amount of money that is wasted on frivolous research. While half the world is starving to death researchers are telling us what kind of personality you have based on the type of wine you prefer. And marketers just love it. You will be debonair, smooth and smart when you eat our organic pita chip or any other product they want to promote on TV. OK, they tell us that it will allow them to figure out why the Western world has so many obese people and solve the problem. I think not.
Ah, but trust those ” wine gurus” to figure it out.

 

The “wine gurus”, in this case, were wine critics. They DID rate the much more expensive wines somewhat higher, but their ratings didn’t indicate much about how much most of us would enjoy the wine. And, as Wine Speculator, Peter notes, the wine critics were able to spot the costly wines, “although still not that much more often than by chance.” Blind taste tests often befuddle even the most experienced wine critics, as when Two Buck Chuck Chardonnay was judged to be the “Best in California” and “Best in Class” at the California State Fair wine competition.

Wine lover’s describe a wine having character or personality. No, no, that is backwards. Its people that are a lot like wine.

So what are you? A Cabernet, nice and dry? Or a Muscat, so sweet?
I guess I must be a certified vino. I like them all. It depends on the mood I am in, what I am planning to eat and most of all the people with whom I am sharing that bottle of wine.

The Result can you guess the one circumstance when expensive wine doesn’t beat the cheap stuff? It turns out that the one time when cheap wine fares about as well as expensive wine is in a blind taste test so try it and find in your Real Wine.

Salud

 

 

Do Wine Points Matter? Yes or No

I’ve been asked to sit on a panel and blind wine tasting several times at Societies and Brotherhood conference in Puerto Rico. The panel is titled “Do Points Matter”? Given I founded KoopWines we are not using points as a screening criteria for wines we bring into inventory – only 90 points or higher – it got me thinking about the role that wine ratings and scores play.

Wine Bottles

Do Wine Points Matter? Yes . . .

1. Helps Lesser Knowns. As the wine industry experiences the trend of consolidation of wineries as part of “uber-brands” and large, well-financed holding companies, we all run the risk of being subject to the almighty marketing dollar. Ratings help those wineries who are not as large, well-established or with deep pockets to secure distribution and marketing reach to the consumer.

2. Helps Consumers. For those who are not wine enthusiasts and painstakingly study and taste wine extensively, points are a way to help consumers navigate the myriad of varietals, brands, regions and price points. Points provide guidance and can instill confidence in consumers – helping drive demand.

3. Helps the Trade. As a small retailer and wine bar, like consumers, we too face a plethora of choice in what wines to purchase. While we like to think our team has sophisticated palates and a deep understanding of what our consumers will enjoy, we can only stock so many wines and using established point ratings from leading wine critics helps to simplify our operational challenge.

Do Wine Points Matter? No . . .

1. Homogenizes Differences Among Wine. Any point rating scale inherently buries or internalizes what are really material differences among wines (e.g. varietal, style, geography, “terroir”, etc.) How does a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand really compare to a Chianti from Italy?

2. Puts Too Much Power/Influence in a Few. Point ratings are often the opinion of a single critic. Given the diversity in peoples’ collective palates, this means that many will not be well served by another’s singular point of view.

3. Creates Irregular Patterns in Demand. Once a wine receives a positive rating from a prominent critic, it will spike demand for that wine. Great for a particular wine maker who receives a 90+ point score (and retailers who are fortunate enough to have access to that product). So the 92 point Napa Cab sells quickly often at premium prices, while the 89 point Napa Cab, which to many would be just as good or even better, languishes on the shelves even at discounted prices.

Vineyard 29 is coming to town!

Vineyard 29 have classic winemaking techniques

2009 is a mile-stone year in Vineyard 29’s story. It was twenty years ago that the vines for our Vineyard 29 ’29 Estate’ Cabernet were planted under the watchful eye of and to the exacting standards of David Abreu and his vineyard management team. Ten years later, in 1999, Philippe Melka brought his unsurpassed talents to all the Vineyard 29 wines as our winemaker. The complementary skills of David and Philippe dove-tailed with Chuck’s dedication to utilizing state-of-the-art tools, information and methodology, to truly meld the science and art of winemaking. The resulting wines are a great balance of power and elegance to be enjoyed and savored for many years to come.

We look forward to sharing the next vintage chapter of Vineyard 29 with you this year and are delighted to present to you our collection of Fall 2009 wines. Our Fall 2009 release includes: our 2006 Vineyard 29 ‘29 Estate’ Cabernet Sauvignon, our 2006 Vineyard 29 ‘29 Estate’ Blanc, our 2006 Clare Luce Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon, our 2007 Cru Cabernet Sauvignon and our Aida Estate Late Harvest Zinfandel – 2009 bottling.

The 2006 Vineyard 29 ‘29 Estate’ Cabernet Sauvignon displays all the classic components of cabernet from Vineyard 29. Elegance and lusciousness hint at strength, style and exotic sophistication. 430 cases.

Our 2007 ‘29 Estate’ Blanc conjures thoughts of the stunningly complex whites of Pessac Leognan. It’s 18 months in new French oak create a lushness and poise while the underlying acid structure and tropical fruit flavors provide a crisp fresh flavor profile. True to it’s Bordeaux Blanc style, our Blanc will be enhanced by cellaring for 10 or more years. 130 cases.

We are proud to present our second offering from the Clare Luce Abbey vineyard. The 2006 Clare Luce Abbey Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is open and approachable with aromas of brambly fruits and Indian spices. Enjoy this wonderful 100% cabernet now and for the next five to ten years. 300 cases.

fourth release

We are delighted to present our 2007 Cru Cabernet Sauvignon. Now in its fourth release, Cru is sourced from 9 amazing vineyards from both the hillsides and valley floor in Napa Valley. Our 2007 Cru is deeply concentrated and dense with flavors of red and black cherries that linger. A classically structured cabernet sauvignon, firm but round tannins and balanced acidity will allow our 2007 Cru to age gracefully for 7 to 10 years. 4800 cases.

The 2009 bottling of our Aida Estate Late Harvest Zinfandel is a sweet wine to be savored. Rich toffee and caramel open on the nose and melt into complex layers of mulled plums and figs with hints of blueberry. 50 cases.

Former and Actual Vineyard 29 Winemakers

Gary Galleron (1992—1994) vinified at Grace Family Vineyards
Heidi Barrett (1995—1998) vinified at Grace Family Vineyards
Philippe Melka (1999—2001) vinified at Miner Family Vineyards
Philippe Melka (2002—present) produced and bottled at Vineyard 29

Are There Any Sulfite-Free Wine?

sulfites act as an anti-oxidant in wines

Sorry…there’s no such thing. Sulfite is a naturally occuring bi-product of fermentation. Any fermented product contains some sulfite…and that includes bread, soy sauce, beer, etc.

It is true that for centuries winemakers the world over have added tiny amounts (parts per million) of additional sulfite to act as an anti-oxidant. The amounts of sulfite in wine are so minute that they seem only to bother the most hyper-allergic…and you are much more likely to find quantities of sulfite that might cause a reaction on restaurant salad bars or in fresh seafood cases at the market.

Because of modern wine-making techniques (micro-filtration, etc)today’s wines have the least quantity of sulfite that they have ever had. These small amounts won’t hurt you. In fact, they may even be beneficial. Here’s some sound scientific advice from someone who not only attended and passed High School Chemistry but went on to earn a Master of Science in Public Health Microbiology, WINE EXPO-ista Linda Olsen Weber, R.E.H.S., M.S.:

“We need these chemicals. Your body contains about 6 ounces of sulfur, mostly in amino acids, which combine to make proteins, which in turn combine to make all sorts of body parts – skin, hair, nails and connective tissues. Sulfur is also a part of insulin, heparin and polysaccharides in the matrices of your cartilage, bones and teeth. You NEED to consume sulfur to replenish the supply to your body. Sources include meat, legumes, cabbage, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, garlic and – you guessed it – wine and beer! What do you smell when you chop garlic? Diallyl disulfide. Chives, leeks and onions? Other disulfides. And when you cook cabbage? Hydrogen sulfide, methyl sulfide and trisulfides.”

[...]“If you’re still bothered by the idea of sulfur products in your wine (you’re on your own with garlic), aerate the wine – pour it into another container before serving. This will allow excess sulfur dioxide to escape, but you may lose some good aromas as well. I think I’ll pour mine directly from the bottle to my glass, Bon appetit!”

That being said, there are a number of wineries who make it a policy not to utilize sulphur in either the vineyard or in the winery, and so there is just the bare, natural minimum in their wines. Frog’s Leap (who makes terrific Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon) and Frey (best for their Zinfandel and Petite Sirah) in California, for instance, follow that regime.

Richard Grant Wrotham Pinot may also be a solution for those with a sensitivity to chemicals of any kind. This amazing wine is made from grapes which developed a natural immunity to the diseases that chemicals are usually used to spray against. Their immunity means that the grapes have been grown entirely free of chemical sprays of any kind. The taste is also quite amazing. See the Wine Lovers’ Online Gift Store to order.

Another excellent source of wines made from organically grown grapes from France and around the world is the Organic Wine Company. Their web site contains a wealth of information about wine and health sensitivities.

Finally, recent evidence points to the presence of histamines in some wine (especially red wine) as being the real cuprit for some people with sensitivities. For the average person, drinking extra water after drinking wine is usually sufficient to help clear their system of any negative influence.

Wineries of the world

Find more photos like this on StartUp

BBQ vs Wine

White Wine and Red Wine

Steak with Veggie Kabbob

When people think of BBQ, or smoked meats, or even backyard grilling, the thought of pairing the food with wine is understandably not the first thing to cross their minds. Given the various kinds of wood available to cook or smoke the food, as well as many types of sauces and rubs used to prepare the food, it would seem to be a daunting task to find a wine that would pair well with the final dishes. A few obvious wines probably come to mind: Zinfandel, Syrah, Grenache or Mourvedre.
But, likely as not, many people will not even try to find a match, preferring to roll out the beer instead. Well, it really doesn’t have to be that way. You just might be able to have your “Que,” and your wine too!

Summer time wine

I know, I’ve been unusually quiet over here. My attention has been very much focused on the brick and mortar space, so the website has taken sort of a back seat for the time being. I apologize.

But I’ll be honest. The brick and mortar isn’t the only reason I’ve been quiet. The other reason is that this time of year, the usual flood of blog posts and newspaper articles on wine tend to get repetitive. I’m not sure I can count the number of articles I read the past two weeks on what wines go best with barbecued or grilled fare. Okay, I hate to be the nay-sayer but pretty much any wine you like is appropriate to serve at your barbecue, and of course it always depends on what food you’re serving. My general rule of thumb is, if you like it, it’s okay to serve. Period.

And now that Memorial Day has passed, and at least until the next wave of “wines to grill by” articles hits us as we approach July 4th, we’re going to be inundated with pieces on Rosé wines, and what people like to call “Summer Sippers.” Patrick Comiskey starts the pink season off with a nice piece in today’s LA Times that functions as a Rosé 101 of sorts. It’s informative, to be sure, but I say enough is enough with the endless cycle of seasonally-themed wine writing.

Sorry for being snarky, but I just think it’s way too easy to fall into the trap of Zin goes with barbecue, Rosé is for summer, and Sauv Blanc sipping on the porch-swing pieces.

Of course, I don’t have a proposed alternative, other than that I’ll continue to write about wines I like, and place them in whatever context might be appropriate for each wine (seasonal or otherwise). Hopefully a few of those posts will come soon. Today, all you get is this rant.

Over and out.