Shiraz from McLaren Vale in Australia: Mitolo’s 2011 Jester
I travel frequently, and yet I still want to enjoy good wine on the road. The challenge with that is expense and aging. We all know what happens in restaurants with the prices. I appreciate that everyone needs to make a living, yet sometimes the price for a nice bottle is not in the budget. Aging is a challenge, as well. Many bottles available in retail outlets are young wines and, sad to say, it is a shame to drink a wine before its time.
One of the go-to varietals for me when I am traveling is Australian Shiraz. Remember, this is the same grape as Syrah, but the Aussies and the South Africans call it Shiraz. (Let me know if you want to know the back-story as to why.) What I have found is that these young wines are approachable now and will provide great fruit and soft tannins. For me, they are quite enjoyable in the dinner setting at a restaurant. The best part of the story, though, is that many good ones are quite economical.
2012 Tres Picos: One of Wine Advocate’s Best Value Wines for 2013!
I love Grenache. It is a wine from many different continents and provides great pleasure for an everyday wine. It can also be so well done as to provide great depth of flavor and structure. This is a varietal I find myself turning to frequently as it can be bright and fruity (typical flavors of strawberry and raspberries, when young) and will not overpower a lighter meal like chicken. (Apparently, Californians eat a lot of chicken – Giada De Laurentiis said this the other day as I was watching the “food network.”)
Grenache is grown in Spain, the Southern Rhone of France (it’s included in the blend in Chateauneuf-du-Pape), Australia, Coastal Central California, and Northern California. I have bottles in my cellar from all of these regions, and they all have their own special nuance.
Kelly Fleming Wines: A Calistoga Gem
Just a short drive off the Silverado Trail near Calistoga, California, you will find Kelly Fleming Winery. It is a gorgeous setting, and the property itself includes almost 300 acres. Only 12 acres are planted to vines, and they are all cabernet sauvignon. The flagship wine from this winery is a deep, rich, and graceful cabernet that in 2010 alone garnered a 95-point rating from The Wine Advocate. Antonio Galloni’s review of this wine is included for you below.
On this day in winter, we drove up Pickett Road – no more than 5 minutes from the Silverado Trail – and found a beautiful setting in one of the canyons of Calistoga. The architecture of the winery is gracefully done in stone. It is beautiful elegance. The building sits back among the vines and provides a peaceful setting. Lili Shariati, our hostess for the visit, provided us with the history of the property and a perspective of the winery philosophy. She was well informed and engaging making for a very pleasurable experience.
Ann Kraemer: An Artist in the Vineyard in Amador County
Talk to any winemaker, and he or she will tell you that wine is made in the vineyard. Some will say that 80% or more of what you taste in the bottle is actually crafted in the vineyard. There is much work involved in having the grapes ready to be picked, and many factors influence the quality of the crop itself. Imagine the attention that must be given to such things as cover crops, the orientation of the vines to sunlight, the time on the vine, water, the weight of the canopy, the distance between the rows, the number and quality of the grape clusters, and on and on. Much goes into the individual management of the vines and vineyard. It’s in the vineyard where the science and artistry of great wine begins. And it’s in her Shake Ridge vineyard in Amador County where you’ll find Ann Kraemer.
Need Some Stocking Stuffers? Good Scoring Wines at Reasonable Prices
I stopped into the local CVS drugstore to pick up a few things and couldn’t help but notice that the two customers in front of me were buying a magnum of red wine. I couldn’t see the label through the bag, but I was curious to know the price and paid attention to the checker as he told them the amount. $9.95 was the bill, and I wondered what that wine would taste like. I can only imagine what one would taste from a magnum of wine for less than $10. What that reaffirmed for me is the need for modestly priced bottles with great structure and taste that translates to great value.
So, with the holidays approaching, I thought it would be good to offer some recommendations that are well-priced, value wines with large productions that, hopefully, you can find.
Holiday Heart Syndrome: Too Much of a Good Thing
It's the Holiday Season -- a joyous, expressive time of the year. It is the time of the year to enjoy family, friends, food, and good wine. We all know that moderation is important in all things - it is important in this season as well. I was reading an article from Medscape, a source that I trust and regard, and it affirmed for me the need to moderate in terms of eating and drinking. I wanted to share an excerpt from the article with you, which discusses a well-established syndrome called Holiday Heart Syndrome. Believe it or not, this condition was designated as a syndrome in 1978.
I realize this is an interesting article that most of us don’t need to read in order to be healthy through the season, yet perhaps it is important information to help us take care of those around us.
Red Is a Holiday Color — Just Not on the Carpet!
Monday evening was a momentous occasion. We were getting ready to sit down to watch Monday Night Football, all set to see my favorite team (the 49ers) play an exciting, hard-hitting game. Just as I was about to sit down on the couch, I went to put my glass of red wine on the side table. The glass slipped on the coaster, and the entire glass of wine spilled onto the lovely light beige carpet in the family room. This freaked me out. What I will tell you is that I am a bit (understatement?) compulsive and love to have the house tidy and clean. There were many wet, ugly red splotches of wine on the rug! It was a big mess and quite upsetting, to say the least.
I ran for the Wine Away and hoped it would help. I had used it successfully on clothes before and really hoped it would work on the carpet. Unfortunately – it didn’t, it was really to no avail. It turned the red spots to a lighter purple. I needed a back up. I remembered the stain remover named Folex. A good friend (Thanks, Frank!) had recommended it a few years ago, and it was a lifesaver. We worked diligently on the rug, using Folex and old white athletic socks, which were quite absorbent. The stains faded, to the point that I’m pretty sure no one would even notice. It really was quite a relief.
Wine Spectator’s Top 100 of 2013: Just In Time for the Holidays!
It is that time of the year again — when Wine Spectator announces its top 100 wines of the year. Movies have their Oscar’s, sports have the Espy’s, music has its Grammy’s, and so on. Such is the “case” for wine (pun intended). Remember that this is not an industry announcement, but an evaluation by a magazine with very seasoned and experienced tasters making the judgments – so there is credence to their assessments. This is what Wine Spectator states about their list:
“Each year, Wine Spectator editors survey the wines reviewed over the previous 12 months and select our Top 100. This annual list honors successful wineries, regions and vintages around the world. As always, we select the Top 100 based on quality (represented by score), value (reflected by release price), availability (based on the number of cases either made or imported into the United States) and an “X-factor” we call excitement. However, this year, we have given more emphasis than ever before to the X-factor—the intensity of interest the wines excited by way of their singularity or authenticity.”
Ovid Wine: A Class Act
We spent this past week relaxing and enjoying the Napa Valley. It was time to explore and discover new wines and tasting experiences, and one of the stops was at Ovid Napa Valley. This is an absolutely beautiful property and a wonderful wine, which are well worth the time and money to experience. The setting is magnificent on top of Pritchard Hill, and you’ll pass by several other well known wineries on your way to Ovid. The expanse of the valley is in full view from the patio and is simply gorgeous. We were told that on a clear day, you can see all the way to downtown San Francisco. I frankly prefer to see vineyards over buildings, but this gives you a sense of the expanse of the view. (Check this out in the pictures below.) The structure itself is state of the art – set up to move the wine from crush to barrel via gravity flow. This is an innovative property that has been set up to honor the setting and the land.
If you get the sense I am going on about the setting – well, I am. It was exquisite, and the tasting itself was classy with great attention to detail. As we walked into the tasting room, our names were on the chalkboard welcoming us to our visit. We were given a tour of the property including the crush pad, the lab, and the barrel room. Our host was very gracious and knowledgeable.
What’s Wrong with this Picture?
I know it’s not a great picture, but this (Pahlmeyer) is a beautiful wine. It is the 2009 vintage, which garnered very high scores from both the Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator. So what is wrong here? Well, it is 2013 (almost 2014), and this lovely bottle appears to have been on their top shelf for almost four years standing upright. The first problem is that heat rises, and wines really like to be kept cool. Secondly, and more importantly, the cork will dry out in this upright position. And here’s the problem with a dried cork — more air will get into the bottle, which increases the chances that the wine will be oxidized (meaning it was exposed to too much oxygen). That’s not good for any wine. The flavors will be muted and bitter; the nose will be faint, if there’s any at all. This really does depend on the degree of oxidation, yet why take a chance on an expensive wine (this bottle retails for $150, minimum) and not have the full pleasure of what should be a great experience.