The Holiday Season

The month of November is a big month for me, it signals the wind down of another year and the unofficial start of our holiday season. The hectic pace of getting ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas seems to make time fly by with shopping, parties and gatherings. It is a time when there is much excitement, fun and of course some stress. During these times wine plays an even bigger part in our everyday life. What Thanksgiving Day dinner would be complete without wine and I find it a lot of fun to pick the wines I will serve. I like to select a pre-dinner wine and take great care in selecting a wine to serve with dinner, something that will complement the flavors of the traditional turkey dinner. Some special Ports and dessert wines are always a part of the after dinner spread as well. Next up after Turkey day is the gift giving of Christmas where I get to shop for some really nice wine I would not normally buy. I give to those special people in my life that appreciate wine as much I do. Some of these special bottles are somewhat pricey and I may not have sampled them previously, so I rely on reviews and recommendations when purchasing them. My local wine store manager can usually point me to something special also. I guess I am a little selfish in thinking I may get to taste some of the wines I have gifted to the special people in my life and it sure makes the selection of the bottles easier!

Thanksgiving Day Wine

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is almost here?  Once Thanksgiving is here more holidays flow quickly behind and the next thing you know, it is New Years Eve.  All of these upcoming holidays are a time for celebration, family, friends, and wine.  I have started to think about our Thanksgiving Day menu and what food as well as the wine I want to serve.  I will most certainly serve some chilled wines in the white and Rose family.  I have a few bottles of Raymond Burr Chardonnay set aside for the occasion as Chardonnay is always a safe bet and a favorite of some of our guests.  I am also trying to decide if I want to select a Rose in addition to a Sauvignon Blanc, which is a must on the menu.  A nice Sauvignon Blanc that is crisp, clean and refreshing is a nice offset to the dry turkey flavors of Thanksgiving.  Don’t get me wrong, I love turkey, but between the turkey, stuffing, potatoes and rolls, a nice refreshing cold wine is just the thing to break up the flavors.  I am a red wine fan, but when you have a red with a lot of tannins that remind you of cotton balls, you do not want additional dry foods along with it, therefore I prefer a white with dinner.   A favorite Sauvignon Blanc of mine is Hanna, but there are so many out there. I also have some St Clement Sauvignon Blanc and some Venge Vineyards Champ des Fleurs Proprietary White from our California trip last year.  Actually, now that I think about it, I have a lot of favorites!  Decisions, decisions, a word of advice, start deciding what you want to serve now…there are still a few weeks to make up your mind!

Wine Appreciation

Often as I enjoy one of my favorite bottles of wine, I stop and think about everything that goes into the making of that wine. If you think about the complete process, right from the start it is almost mind boggling that so many good wines make it to the market. Starting with the purchase and maintenance of property that will support the growth of grapes, you then need to worry about the growth period from early spring to fall harvest where weather could wreak havoc on the grapes at anytime, especially in the more volatile growing regions. Outside of the weather, there are diseases, funguses, and pests, just to name a few that can also destroy or significantly diminish your crop. This came to mind while watching the news last week about a big storm that hit northern California with heavy rains and high wind. I know that many of the growers may still have their big Cabernet grapes hanging, and as a big fan of Cabs; I worry about the potential loss of some good wine grapes. I remember last year meeting the owner and winemaker for Chadsford winery in Pennsylvania. He related to us how his entire crop of grapes had been destroyed by a freak late summer hail storm. Just imagine what you would do if your entire harvest of grapes that you lovingly cared for from early spring to fall is destroyed in what probably amounted to a 30 minute freak storm?  The point I am trying to make here is when you enjoy one of your favorite bottles of wine, take a moment to think about all the effort from start to finish that went into making that wine. We also certainly need to show our appreciation for all those folks who worked so hard to bypass all the potential pitfalls over a growing season to produce that wine in your glass. Yes, we show our appreciation by purchasing the wine, but do remember for most winemakers wine is their passion and life and they love to share that passion with other wine lovers.

The House Of Mondavi

I am in the process of reading the book; The House of Mondavi, the rise and fall of an American wine Dynasty by Julia Flynn Siler.  The book was first published in June 2007 and is a fascinating look deep inside the Napa Valley’s well known Mondavi family.  I have not yet finished the book, but already I have learned so much that I did not know.  For example, most people know the name Robert Mondavi, hailed by some as the father or founder of Napa Valley as we know it today.  While, Robert was clearly the most outspoken Mondavi there is a whole family tree of Mondavi’s dating back to the early 1900’s.  It begins with Cesare and Rosa Mondavi, Peter and Robert Mondavi’s parents.  Cesare an immigrant that imparted his wise business skills to his sons was the head of the family until his death in 1959 when the fighting between the brothers could no longer be controlled.  There were also the daughters of Cesare and Rosa, Helen and Mary Mondavi who were involved in the wine business but much less than their brothers.  The book leads you through the early days when the family purchased the Krug winery, the turmoil amongst the family members, the divorces, the deaths, and of course, the winemaking. 

As I mentioned, I am in the process of reading the book and will provide a complete review once completed.  However, I already recommend the book to anyone with a love of wine and the history of the Valley.

To purchase a copy of this book click here.

Back from Napa

Getting back to work after a week in Napa Valley is certainly challenging. You go from the serene, beautiful, relaxing wine country back to the hectic pace of everyday life. Not to mention there is no afternoon wine tasting at my office, but I find one of the hardest things to do is not run down stairs into your wine cellar and sample all the treasures you have shipped home. Maybe it is an attempt to recreate vacation, I’m not sure. It may be a bit of recreation on our part, but also because we ship what we cannot buy at home so there is some intrigue to make sure none of our purchases were what you would call an “impulse or moment” purchase. You know you are having a great time, but somehow the wine doesn’t taste nearly as good when you get it home. Luckily, we have pretty much grown out of those type purchases over the years and we have gotten much better at letting our purchases sit so that we can enjoy those special bottles throughout the year.

There is one winery that we visited for the first time this year that I have to say, we haven’t been very good at following our rules with their wine. In fact, we have already decided that we will just have to order another case when we run out as it is damn good wine and we want to drink it now! That winery is Stryker in Sonoma. In particular we love the old Vine Zinfandel and drank our second bottle last evening. It was the 2005 Russian River that offers lots of ripe fruit with just enough spice to offset the fruitiness for a perfect balance. There are hints of oak as the wine spent 15 months in French oak. Stryker makes several different Zinfandel wines, but this Russian River Zin has a case production of only 198 cases.

A view of the Far Side of Eden

If you read my last wine babble post you will recall I talked about the reading “the far side of Eden” a story about the Napa Valley. Well, I just returned from a week long vacation in the far side of Eden. Let me tell you, it is beautiful country out there. Not only is it wine country, it is true country, ask almost anyone you can find, they will tell you they are farmers first and wine makers second. If you think about it, wine is truly all about farming as you need to be able to grow the grapes first in order to make good wine. There is also a tremendous amount of olive oil produced in the valley as well as other types of fresh produce. While I have only visited the valley during certain seasons, this is one of my favorite times. I would imagine with the mountains surrounding the valley floor that almost anytime of year would offer a tremendous view, but I personally find this time of year to be breathtaking. The golden backdrop beautifully highlights the bright green perfectly planted rows of grapes, full of life with large clusters of grapes waiting to ripen, the tree tops also offsetting the golden backdrop with their green leaves. A palate of blue sky with golden ground and green life offer a sight that one doesn’t want to look away from for too long. Along the Silverado Trail one also catches a glimpse of the occasional palm tree and bright flowers adorning either a vineyard or personal driveway and the very colorful wild flowers that grow almost anywhere along the roadside. A sight we do not see all that often on the East Coast of New Jersey with most of our plants dying off for the winter, a fact that just keeps me staring longer at the beauty of the valley. As enticing as the scenery is also the wildlife, the people, and of course the wines make this a trip that you must take once in a lifetime if not multiple times.

Wine Country Reading

I am currently reading the book, “The Far Side of Eden”, by James Conaway. The story of new money, old land and the battle for Napa Valley is the second to the book “An American Eden” written a decade earlier by James outlining the early days of Napa Valley. I really enjoyed the first book and looked forward to this new chapter in the history of the Valley. This book tells of the start of the 90’s in the valley. It no longer was about the wine itself, it had begun to change where owning a winery was a symbol of status. As you can imagine the local folks and the “outsiders” views differed greatly. Let’s face it; you have a home grown Napa Valley winemaker living next door to an absentee winery owner. The fact that one lives in the valley and one merely visits the valley would make them different. It also would naturally change their regard for the land itself. While I am not done with the book, it is clear to see how many issues can result from the scenario above. As well as overcrowding of wineries becoming an issue, the amount of tourists, and the water supply are all key factors in the struggle. Although I don’t care much about the political views outlined in the book, I still find the history of the valley fascinating. What is more exciting to me is the fact that I have visited the valley several times and recognize many of the names and places discussed, but I am also excited by the fact that I will be back in the valley in less than a month. It is always great to read a book about Wine Country just prior to vacation, sometimes it prompts a new idea of some place you’d like to visit or a winery mentioned that you have yet to visit. It sure gets the excitement building if nothing else. A full review of the book will follow when finished. In the meantime if you have a Wine country vacation planned, or just want to gain some knowledge about where some of best wines are produced pick up one of the many books about the valley.

To purchase a copy of this book, click here:

Non Stop Wine Education

As wine lovers and website writers there is always a lot to know about the ever changing world of wine. I feel like a broken record saying “there is so much to know about wine” but there really is. There are appellations, regions, states, countries, you name it. There are varietals, there are reds, there are whites, there are blended wines. Then you have sparkling wines, dry wines and so on. Besides all that there are the descriptors of wine, the ways to sniff it, the ways to swirl it, all of which could be very overwhelming. It still amazes me how many wines there are I have yet to try and how much knowledge I still have yet to absorb, it could take me a lifetime. I guess that is why those that are so passionate make it their profession. Heck, who wouldn’t love to have a job similar to that of Robert Parker? I recall on a trip to Napa one year a gentleman that poured for us at one of the wineries we visited recounted how he had been a club member and grew so fond of the wine, he applied for a job at the winery. I would have to believe if you spoke to tasting room employees, you would find quite a few similar stories of folks that found their way into a wine profession the same way.
Along the lines of how much there is to know, I read an article the other day that again fascinated me on a topic I had never considered. I don’t recall where I read the article or even the particulars , but it mentioned how the importer of a wine (especially in the case of foreign wines) is sometimes just as important , if not more, than knowing about the wine itself that you are purchasing. I guess that could be very true with foreign wine as I know I struggle to understand how to select a foreign wine. I thought to myself, I have enough trouble remembering what I do know about wines and now I need consider who imported it? That seemed a bit crazy to me considering all of the other aspects that we keep in check such as winery, winemaker, varietal, vintage and so on. But a funny thing happened, I recalled reading the name Polaner Selections in the article and the other evening while enjoying a bottle of wine with dinner, I saw Polaner Selections on the back of the bottle and it rang a bell. Go figure, I really can absorb another factor regarding wine into my brain!

White Wine Time

Ah, spring is finally arriving in the Northeastern part of the country, New Jersey to be exact. Actually, not only has spring arrived but we had a taste of summer already as well. We had some extreme heat a week or so ago that prompted us to take a look at our white collection in our cellar. Being the huge red wine fans we are, we really don’t touch our white wines until the weather heats up. Since white wines do not typically store as long as red wines, I was careful in selecting which whites we took out as the first bottles of the 2009 white wine season. I knew we had a lot of whites, but to my surprise we had some Napa Valley treasures from our trip two years ago in July. It is always exciting to me to try wines I have not sampled in a while and there is something so outstanding about the crisp cool flavors of white wine on hot day that makes me wonder sometimes why I am not more of white drinker. Then when the temp drops at night and I crack a bottle of red following the crisp white, it all comes back to me. Not to take anything away from the whites, trust me they are wonderful, but for me it is all about the temperature. It must be hot for me to drink cool wines. As they say to each his own. Anyway, back to the Napa Valley treasures…I pulled out a few bottles of Saddleback Cellars. I had forgotten just how brilliant these wines were, however, I should know as we visited Venge Vineyards last year and loved all of their wines and Saddleback is in the family. Nils Venge produces Saddleback wines, while his son Kirk Venge produces the Venge Vineyards wines. I guess in my mind I knew the connection, but I really had forgotten how good the Saddleback wines were as we had devoured the reds almost immediately upon returning that summer, but luckily for us, we still had some whites hidden down there. As I tasted the Viognier that hot afternoon, it all came rushing back. We happened upon Saddleback Cellars by accident on a hot July afternoon while riding around in our rental car. As is our typical MO we looked for winery names we did not know so we could discover new wines. We sat at a picnic table at the edge of the vineyard with our host and one after another enjoyed each wine we were poured. We enjoyed each one to the point that we had a difficult time deciding what to order to be shipped home. Yes, I remember it well as while there are so many good wines out there, a trip to both Saddleback and Venge will definitely be on our list for this year’s trip.

Building a wine cellar

Building a wine cellar is an exciting prospect and can be anything from a small rack in a damp cool corner of your cellar to a state of the art custom built cellar, but basically it should be what suits you best. Now as you know we have a 980 bottle self contained wine room, that was somewhat “prefab” meaning we purchased the whole room and just had to assemble it upon delivery. Well, we inspired our staff writer “beer guy on wine” to build his cellar. He will tell you all about it, step by step from the beginning, but we were invited to assist in the final phase, the racking set up. How exciting! Well, actually if I were to be honest, the men built the racks while us women discarded the packaging paper and crushed the cardboard boxes. Oh yeah, and we listened while the first rack had to be taken apart once and put back together….guess the men made a small error. Imagine that, it couldn’t be because men don’t completely read directions, could it? They said it was because they were so excited and jumped right into building. Not sure I buy that though as I rarely see men read the directions first, that usually comes once they run into a problem they can’t fix. So, after crushing 10 or so cardboard boxes, the women got a bored and decided to go wine shopping at the local Whole Foods. It is certainly a sign of the times when you get a free earth friendly wine bag for six bottles along with a 10% discount. Well our discount ended up being 20% as we purchased 12 bottles. Hey, in these tough ecomomic times you have to watch the dollars, and 20% off sure helps when you like good wine. With our earth friendly bags filled with 12 bottles of wine we headed off back to the house where the boys had run into a problem. Missing parts, don’t you just hate that? After searching every box and package we all agreed one box was missing so finishing the racks was not an option. Down to the cellar we went to sit and look at the racks that were completed and imagine what could have been had we finished. We did still toast the new cellar with a bottle of Frank Family Rouge Champagne and then a Robert Sinskey blend and then a Foreman Cabernet, all outstanding wines, maybe we were merely drowning our sorrows. Nah, we were still celebrating as the vision was there, just a few corner racks and it is now a complete wine cellar. Stay tuned for more specific details in forthcoming editions of Beer Guy on wine.