New York Cork Report

Wine Blogging Wendesday #71 "Rhone Not From Rhone": Bonny Doon Vineyards 2005 Cigare Volant

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

I don't drink a lot of Rhone wines. It's not because I don't like them -- I do actually -- but it's just not a region that is well represented in my cellar or in any of my local shops.

Some of the best Rhone wines I've had have been because friends have opened them in my presence or given me a bottle to take home. Honestly, it's a region I'd like to explore more (especially Northern Rhone) but I just haven't yet.

Anyway, I was excited when this month's WBW host, my friend and long-time blogging colleague Tim Elliott of Winecast mentioned Rhone as his theme idea -- and then he twisted it up a bit. Rhone but not from the Rhone.

If I don't have a lot of actual Rhone wines in my cellar, I have even fewer wines down there that fit Tim's theme... except for this Bonny Doon Vineyards 2005 Cigare Volant, which -- in the tradition of CdP -- is made with 50% grenache, 24% mourvèdre, 22% syrah, 3% carignane, 1% cinsault.

And...is delicious.

I cracked this open (yes, it's closed under screwcap) on Tuesday night and have enjoyed a class the last three nights.

Right out of the bottle, it was tight -- not giving up much beyond some red cherry and subtle earthiness. But, with some time in the glass, it really started to unfurl, bringing some subtly barnyard-y notes along with intense spice and dried herb qualities.

Medium bodied and with still-fresh acidity, the palate -- especially with some air time -- was both balanced and complex, delivering a delicious melange of fruit, spice and funky earthiness. The finish is long and fresh, with somewhat surprising acidity. Some hate "food friendly" as a descriptor, but this begs for food.

I wish I had more in my cellar.

Thanks for hosting, Tim.

 

Wine Blogging Wednesday #71 Announced: "Rhones Not From Rhone"

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

One of the things I've enjoyed most about Wine Blogging Wednesday over the years is how it forces participants to drink outside their comfort zone.

I obviously taste and drink a lot of New York wines. It's great having a blog-related reason to drink something else.

Enter Wine Blogging Wednesday and this month's host, Tim Elliot of Winecast.

From his post announcing the theme:

The theme for WBW 71 is, “Rhones Not From The Rhône.” Pick any wine made from a variety best known in The Rhône but not made in that famous French region. It doesn’t matter if the wine is white, pink or red; still, sparkling or fortified. Whatever you choose just needs to be made from primarily a Rhone grape and come from a region not in France. This opens up a lot of possibilities. Want to stay Old World? Check out Spain where Mourvèdre goes by the local name Monastrell. New World more your bag? Pick up a Roussanne, Marsanne or a blend from California or Australia. I even hear they are making some pretty decent Viognier in Virginia these days so finding a wine should be pretty easy wherever you call home.

If you need some inspiration, just check out this link for all the varieties I’m talking about. Although your choice is totally up to you, I encourage you to look outside the familiar Syrah and Grenache and try something new.

I hope you're join us next week for WBW71. And yeah, I could drink a New York wine for this, but I'm not going to. We'll see where I end up.

WBW #70: Bodegas Dios Baco Oloroso Jerez 30 Years Old Baco Imperial

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

When it came time for me to pick a wine for Wine Blogging Wednesday #70: Spain! hosted by my friends over at Catavino, it was a difficult choice. I don't have a ton of Spanish wine in my cellar, but what I do have is pretty interesting.

First, I reached for some older Riojas from Lopez de Heredia, an old-school producer who makes some of the most interesting wines I've encountered. But, I tend to prefer trying new things when WBW comes along. But what? My local shops don't have extensive Spanish offerings beyond the cheap, mostly mass-produced stuff.

Then I remembered that I had some sherry in the crawlspace area in my cellar, including this Bodegas Dios Baco Oloroso Jerez 30 Years Old Baco Imperial.

I have a couple other bottles of sherry too, but after consulting with Ryan and Richard -- my sherry gurus -- I settled on tasting this one last night.

Just lightly chilled, the nose offered chocolaty oak, dried fig, grilled hazelnuts and blackstrap molasses aromas. I typically eschew wine with chocolate, but based on the nose, would this work?

Maybe. My sherry experience is limited and for whatever reason, I expected this one to be sweet, but was pleasantly surprised to find that it was dry and even refreshing in its complexity and intensity.

The palate -- even at 19.5% abv -- is balanced and lively. The flavors stay in the dried fig and caramel arena with salty roasted nuttiness peeking in at the end of a very long finish. The saline quality here is delicious.

Closer to room temperature the chocolate from the nose made an appearance -- sort of like a chocolate Necco wafer.

I didn't try it with chocolate last night, but might tonight. I'd be curious to hear from sherry aficionados what they'd suggest I drink this with.

Thanks to Ryan and Gab for hosting WBW's comeback event. I hope we can keep it going for another 70 editions.

Wine Blogging Wednesday #70 is Tomorrow

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

Just a quick reminder that Wine Blogging Wednesday, the monthly tasting I created back in 2004 (after being inspired by a similarly styled food blog event) makes its triumphant return to the blogosphere tomorrow with WBW #70: Spain! hosted by Ryan and Gabriella Opaz of Catavino.

For this 70th edition of WBW, the Iberian super-blogger duo is asking us to:

• Choose a Spanish wine or wines to taste on Wednesday the 16th of February. 
• Seek out Spanish wines that you’ve never had before! Get creative! Hunt for unique styles such as a Sherry, Cava, Fondillon or Mistella; an unheard of region like Arribes, Txakoli de Alava or Extremadura; or a unique native grape like Prieto Picudo or Treixadura.
• Write a post about the wine, flushing it out with life and subtle detail, then publish it on Wednesday, February 16th.
• Tweet about it with the tag: #WBW70 thus creating a live tasting by time zone as we go around the globe!
• Finally, send an email to them with a link to your article and include the subject line: “WBW #70 Submission

I'm heading down to the cellar here in a few minutes to pull some Spanish wine for my own post -- I hope you're planning to do the same.

WBW #70: Bringing Wine Blogging Wednesday Back from the Brink

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

Before bloggers and social media-interested winos took their virtual wine tastings to Twitter, there was Wine Blogging Wednesday, the monthly tasting I created back in 2004 (after being inspired by a similarly styled food blog event).

As an online wine community, we worked our way through 69 straight months of themes, hosts and wines. Then, somewhat abruptly, we went on an unannounced hiatus.

Personally, I think the proliferation of winery-, importer-, PR agency-driven (and thus free sample-driven) Twitter-based tasting events pushed WBW interest to the side. People will taste anything if they don't have to pay for it, right?

I say this mostly in jest of course. I've taken part in and even coordinated several Twitter-based tastings and will do so in 2011.

But with the flip of the calendar year, I'd like to encourage bloggers to get back to being just that -- bloggers. WBW is a blog-based event, something meant to be a bit deeper than 140 character and more permanent than an abbreviated tasting note that quickly gets pushed down a Twitter stream.

On February 16, I hope that you'll join me, and our hosts, Gabriella and Ryan Opaz of Catavino, for WBW #70: Spain!

Their proposal:

• Choose a Spanish wine or wines to taste on Wednesday the 16th of February.
• Seek out Spanish wines that you’ve never had before! Get creative! Hunt for unique styles such as a Sherry, Cava, Fondillon or Mistella; an unheard of region like Arribes, Txakoli de Alava or Extremadura; or a unique native grape like Prieto Picudo or Treixadura.
• Write a post about the wine, flushing it out with life and subtle detail, then publish it on Wednesday, February 16th.
• Tweet about it with the tag: #WBW70 thus creating a live tasting by time zone as we go around the globe!
• Finally, send an email to us with a link to your article and include the subject line: “WBW #70 Submission

So what do you say, bloggers? Ready to jump back into the WBW pool and hopefully learn a little along the way?

Wine Blogging Wednesday #68: Clos Roche Blanche 2007 Touraine Cuvee Gamay

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief

I often rely on New York wines for my WBW submissions, but this month's edition, Got Gamay?, (brought to us by Frank Morgan of Drink What You Like) is forcing me to go well beyond my "drink local" angle.

There's very little gamay grown in New York, and what is grown and made here has never really impressed me as anything more than gulping wines. I find myself wondering why no one is doing anything interesting with gamay in New York, but I don't know enough about it's viticultural needs to go beyond wonder.

I have to admit, however, that even if there were something interesting coming out of New York, I still may have gone with this Clos Roche Blanche 2007 Cuvee Gamay (Touraine). 

For about $15, you get all the earthy black cherry with a minerally vein throughout that you could ask for. Food friendly, almost crunchy acid and a long, slightly spicy finish complete the package.

I love good gamay, so I'd like to thank Frank for picking it as his theme. Any excuse to dip into my small Loire Valley red stash is appreciated.

Keep an eye out for the announcement about WBW #69.

Wine Blogging Wednesday #68: Got Gamay?

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief

I don't write about it as often here on NYCR as I used to (or maybe should) but the Wine Blogging Wednesday train continues on, with next week's edition marking the 68th virtual wine tasting.

The theme is Got Gamay? and it's being hosted by Frank Morgan of Drink What You Like, a blog with a decided drink local slant (Virginia wines).

There's very little gamay grown in New York, and what is grown and made here isn't all that interesting to me, so I'll likely be looking to two of my favorite non-NY regions: Beaujolais and the Loire Valley.

In fact, I think I know what my wine will be already, but you'll have to come back next week to hear about it.

Want to join in the fun? Frank lays out the rules nicely:

"Stop by your local wine shop – pick up a bottle or two of Gamay-based wine, drink it, think about it, stare at it, and share your thoughts about it in written form.  If you’re new to the wonderful world of Gamay, look for wines from your region first.  If you’re unable to find a local Gamay, search out imports from Lynch and Dressner.  If you’re a Gamay fan, please try a new one that you’ve never had before – especially one that’s rare and/or quirky.

Then, on or before Wednesday, April 21 write about your Gamay tasting experience and post it on your blog, or in the comments section here. Since we are an all-inclusive group, I encourage you to participate even if you don’t have a blog. You can email me your tasting notes, and I’ll include them in the WBW 68 roundup."

WBW can be a lot of fun and I'm curious to see what people come up with.

Wine Blogging Wednesday #66 and Sugar High Fridays #62: Your Tenderest Twosome

The contenders

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief

This month's edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday is actually the first dual event between WBW and Sugar High Friday, a similar event centered on desserts and sweets founded by this month's WBW host, Jennifer Hamilton of The Domestic Goddess.

This will mark SHF #62, so it's been around for a while and this dual event is long overdue.

Her theme, Your Tenderest Twosome is a no-brainer for this first dual event:

"Most meals end with dessert and coffee or a glass of liqueur. The focus on the meal is long since gone, as is the wine. Guests are getting sleepy, hosts are getting antsy about the clean-up ahead of them and no one is paying attention to what they're eating or drinking anymore. I think this is shameful. Every once in a while, dessert deserves the attention given to a main course...

The proper pairing of a sugary confection with a good wine is a difficult thing to maneuver. I have seen it done a few times in restaurants, once or twice at dinner parties and maybe done it once myself - and I almost certainly managed it by accident. Do you go sweeter with the wine than the dessert or match it? Do you go red or white or ice? Do you try to harmonize regions or go completely off the map (so to speak) with your choice...?

 You have the chance to decide all this and more for yourself this month with the first ever joint SHF-WBW Dessert-Wine Pairing Event! All bloggers (food, wine or otherwise) are welcome to participate. Post your entry on Wednesday, February 24"

I wasn't alone in this pairing challenge -- not by a long shot. This year, we celebrated Valentine's Day at our house with our friends Christine and Aaron (who just launched a cheese-themed blog Cave-Aged recently). We are a food-obsessed foursome and we each cooked a course for our V-day dinner.

Christine and Nena are both great bakers, but Christine drew the dessert course and unleashed a delicious chocolate-hazelnut cake with homemade vanilla bean gelato.

Wine with chocolate is something that wine writers and 'experts' like to talk about a lot, but I'm firmly in the I'd-rather-drink-milk camp when it comes to chocolate. I said so out on Twitter leading up to Valentine's Day and quite a discussion ensued, with Paul Grieco of Hearth and Terroir telling me, more or less, that I'm wrong and that I should try some Pedro Ximenez with chocolate this year.

I'm always willing to be proven wrong, so (as you can see in the picture above) I pulled out a couple bottles of PX to try with Christine's cake. I also grabbed a bottle of Bual because someone else mentioned that as a pairing, and thought it'd be fun to try one local wine -- Paperbirch Raspberry Fine Ruby, made by Hudson-Chatham Winery up in the northern Hudson Valley.

On their own, the PX sherries were my favorites, but I thought that they took away from the chocolate cakes and vice versa. This has always been my issue when trying to pair wine with chocolate -- it can 'work' but typically neither is enhanced. The Bual, for me anyway, was a mess with the cakes, by far the worst of the four.

Then we got to the raspberry port-style dessert wine, which is made with HudsonValley-grown hybrids and, of course, raspberries.

On it's own, it's a bit too sweet for me and fairly one-dimensional -- almost entirely pure raspberry in flavor. But with the cake, the sweetness wasn't as overpowering and the fruitiness worked well. I still preferred the cake on its own, but the cake did improve the wine. One out of two ain't bad, right?

Thanks to Jennifer for the great theme idea -- and to Paul for challenging my chocolate-wine pairing beliefs, even if they didn't change.

Wine Blogging Wednesday #66: Your Tenderest Twosome

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief

This month's edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday is actually the first dual event between WBW and Sugar High Friday, a similar event centered on desserts and sweets founded by this month's WBW host, Jennifer Hamilton of The Domestic Goddess. This will mark SHF #62, so it's been around for a while and this dual event is long overdue.

Her theme, Your Tenderest Twosome is a no-brainer for this first dual event:

"Most meals end with dessert and coffee or a glass of liqueur. The focus on the meal is long since gone, as is the wine. Guests are getting sleepy, hosts are getting antsy about the clean-up ahead of them and no one is paying attention to what they're eating or drinking anymore. I think this is shameful. Every once in a while, dessert deserves the attention given to a main course...

The proper pairing of a sugary confection with a good wine is a difficult thing to maneuver. I have seen it done a few times in restaurants, once or twice at dinner parties and maybe done it once myself - and I almost certainly managed it by accident. Do you go sweeter with the wine than the dessert or match it? Do you go red or white or ice? Do you try to harmonize regions or go completely off the map (so to speak) with your choice...?

You have the chance to decide all this and more for yourself this month with the first ever joint SHF-WBW Dessert-Wine Pairing Event! All bloggers (food, wine or otherwise) are welcome to participate. Post your entry on Wednesday, February 24"

I think that sums it up quite nicely. So join us on February 24. This should be a fun one.

Wine Blogging Wednesday #64: Alternative Holiday: Mestres 2004 Cava Visol Reserva Particular for Festivus

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief

Not that I'm surprised, but this month's edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday is one of the best themes we've had in some time. Why am I not surprised? Well, the host, Jeff Stai of Twisted Oak Winery and El Bloggo Torcido is a smart, creative and downright fun guy. I'd actually be surprised if he didn't have a great theme for WBW.

The theme: Pick any winter holiday or observance that isn't Hanukkah, Christmas Day, Kwanzaa, or New Years Day or Eve, and choose a wine to celebrate it.

As a long-time Seinfeld fan, my choice of holiday was an easy one -- Festivus (for the rest of us).

The choice of wine was a bit more difficult, but not overly so. I've been holding onto this bottle of Mestres 2004 Cava Visol Reserva Particular for several months now -- ever since Ryan and Gabriella spent the night at our house during their whirlwind visit of Long Island over the summer. We swapped some wine (and some Spanish goodies) and even if the bottle of local merlot I gave them was corked (sorry guys, the replacement and then some WILL get to you, I swear), this beautiful, complex Cava was not.

It was a revelation, in fact.

I tend to think of Cava (and Prosecco) as a cheap alternative sparkler that I can pour for friends who come over for brunch, some of whom would prefer orange juice blended in. This wine is a completely different animal. An animal with rich, complex flavors.

Citrus leads the way here, but nutty almond and brown butter looms in the background, with white pepper, caramel, kettle corn there too. With delicate fine bubbles that last forever and fresh, palate-cleansing acidity framing those nuanced flavors, this was a great way to celebrate Festivus, which this year meant opening presents (from us) with Jackson.

You might be asking yourself: How does this wine related to Festivus?

 Well I'm gonna get to that now. First, take a look at that capsule. Doesn't it remind you of the aluminum Festivus pole that one pulls out of the crawlspace?

Then there is the Festivus tradition of airing ones grievances. This wine brings two to mind, even if I have a lot of problems with you people:

1. We just don't drink sparkling wine enough. I mean that Nena and I don't and that you probably done either. Drink more in 2010. Seriously.
2. This wine also reminds me just how much I wish the Opazes lived in the U.S. rather than Spain. Maybe eventually they'll move back -- but something tells me I shouldn't hold my breath. Instead, I should get my butt over to Iberia.

Thanks for the great them, Jeff and thanks to Ryan and Gab for this great bubbly. It's long gone and I'm wishing I had a few more bottles in my cellar.

Wine Blogging Wednesday #64 Announced: Holiday Wine Pairing -- With a Twist

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief

This holiday season, Wine Blogging Wednesday will be celebrating its 64th edition with a holiday theme brought to use by Jeff Stai, owner of Twisted Oak Winery and blogger over at El Bloggo Torcido.

Doing a holiday theme is a no-brainer this time of year, but anyone who knows Jeff won't be surprised to hear that he wants to do things a little differently than you might expect:

"Pick any winter holiday or observance EXCEPT Hanukkah, Christmas Day, Kwanzaa, or New Years Day or Eve, and choose a wine to celebrate it! For purposes of this WBW, the holiday date chosen must be between December 7, 2009 and January 7, 2010. You may also pair a food with your chosen holiday and wine, but that is optional.

You can pick a special observance that already has meaning to you, or with a little AbleGraping (or Googling or Binging) you should be able to discover some other fun winter holidays to celebrate!

The date? Wine Blogging Wednesday #64 is on December 23rd, 2009 - so please send me a link to your blog post by then. Have fun! - El Jefe"

So go out there and find a somewhat (or completely) obscure holiday and pair a wine with it.

This should be a fun one. Get the full details on El Jefe's blog.

Heron Hill Winery 2007 Blaufrankisch Reserve

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief

I think that I'm like most wine geeks in that I like wines that make me think. I don't mean all the time. Not every wine. Sometimes we just want wines that we can drink, have with our meal, and enjoy throughout the course of an evening.

But on other occasions, I want a wine to stop me in my tracks and demand further consideration and pondering. Even rumination.

This Heron Hill Winery 2007 Blaufrankisch ($35) is a wine that had me thinking. And wondering.

We'll get to that in a minute though.

First, a little soapbox time. Let's talk about the name Blaufrankisch, the original name for this grape. Yes, original name. Dating back to possible the 10th century. If you've had Lemberger, you've had Blaufrankisch. It's just that, for whatever reason, many American producers (including numerous ones in the Finger Lakes) think that Lemberger is more attractive to consumers than Blaufrankisch.

I don't subscribe to that belief, so I'm glad Heron Hill doesn't use the Lemberger moniker.

Okay, off of the soapbox. Let's talk about the wine itself.

As Evan reported when this wine was released, then-winemaker Thomas Laszlo gave this wine the "cabernet treatment" aging it in new oak for 18 months.

With that much time in new oak, it's not surprising that the nose it toasty with oak and vanilla notes that somewhat mask the ripe plum, black cherry and spice aromas.

Medium bodied with extremely ripe dark fruit and spice flavors, the vanilla/oak still dominates the palate too much for my tastes. The tannins are round and well integrated. The spice peeks through the vanilla nicely.

It's a well-made wine, but doesn't fit what I'm looking for stylistically. And I'm not really sure that I'd be able to identify it at Blau if tasted blind. 

And that's why this wine had me thinking and made me wonder as I tasted it over the course of several evenings.

"What could this wine be without the heavy hand? Without the 'cabernet' treatment?" I guess we'll never know.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that this is my contribution to Wine Blogging Wedndesday #62: A Grape By Any Other Name, hosted by my friend Dale Cruse.

Producer: Heron Hill Winery
AVA: Finger Lakes
ABV: 13%
Price: $35*
Rating:  (3 out of 5 | Recommended)  
(Ratings Guide)

WBW #61: Lieb Family Cellars 2007 Bridge Lane Cabernet Franc

By Lenn Thompson, Long Island Editor and Editor-in-Chief

Lieb Family Cellars, a small North Fork winery with a tasting room tucked into the front of the Premium Wine Group complex, was one of the wineries that first inspired me to start writing about wine more than five years ago. It was the first winery I had visited on Long Island where I enjoyed every wine in the lineup. In fact, Nena and I joined the wine club after that first visit.

So, when I was trying to decide what winery to visit for Wine Blogging Wednesday #61: At the Source, I eventually shot an email to Gary Madden, Lieb's long-time general manager, to set up an appointment for last night for after work.

My target wine for WBW was the newly Lieb Family Cellars 2007 Bridge Lane Cabernet Franc ($18), but over the course of two-plus hours, Gary and I tasted through the current releases as we talked about chardonnay styles on Long Island, how the economy has impacted business (a large part of their model is restaurants in Manhattan), wine dinners, blogging and my evolution as a writer. 

Like I said, Gary was there at the beginning. 

But let's get back to the wines, which were showing very well for the most part. Some quick-hit notes for some of the wines we tasted:

2008 Bridge Lane Merlot Blanc ($15): Pretty nose of cherry, citrus and peach. Peach and cherries on the palate with good acidity up front, but an abrupt finish makes it seem less bright. Liked the 07 far better.

2007 Reserve Pinot Blanc ($20): Ripe pear, floral and some melon on the nose. Great balance, clean, dry and slightly creamy with a great minerally edge. Very Alsatian.

2005 Blanc de Blancs ($35): Fresh and crisp with bright pear and apple flavors with toasty yeast/dough notes and hints of honey. Maybe the best vintage of this wine to date. 

2007 Bridge Lane Chardonnay ($15): Peach, Granny Smith apple and pineapple/tropical. Medium-light body with palate-cleansing acidity, more apple, pear and stone fruit flavors with a subtle, minerally-saline edge that lingers longer than you’d expect at this price point.

2006 Reserve Chardonnay ($20): Well-balanced barrel fermented chardonnay. Apple fruit with nutty, toasty nuance and just a little vanilla on the finish. Well done, but not distinctive.

2007 Bridge Lane Cabernet Franc ($18): 50% done entirely in steel. Cherry and cranberry fruit with earthy, mushroomy flavors and subtle asparagus and herb notes. Maybe a little too much oak (some vanilla on the finish) but still my kind of wine.

2005 Reserve Cabernet Franc ($25): Ripe black cherry and pomegranate with a fist full of violets on the nose. Ripe, almost plump with mushroomy, earthy flavors backing bright fruit. Subtle spice too. Very well done.

2005 Bridge Lane Merlot ($15): Decent fruit, but surprisingly green from a warm vintage. The one hiccup of the tasting for me.

2004 Reserve Merlot ($20): Drinking really nice right now. I hate the Bordeaux comparisons, but this really is reminiscent of a Right Bank wine. Plum, blackberry, cedar, dusty cocoa and subtle minty-herb notes. Medium-body with well incorporated tannins.

So that's it for this edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday. Over the next several days I'll be compiling all of the submissions, so keep an eye out for that post as well.

 

Today is Wine Blogging Wednesday #61: At the Source

By Lenn Thompson, Long Island Editor and Editor-in-Chief

Today is Wine Blogging Wednesday's 61st edition (hard to believe, isn't it) and I'm hosting once again. This month's theme is "At the Source" where I've challenged participants to write about a wine based on a tasting done at a winery. 

Think of it as my way of encouraging a "local wine" story without doing the same ole theme again.

I think this is going to be a fun one, especially for those bloggers who live in lesser-known and non-traditional wine regions. I hope they had fun with it and I hope that there are some fruit wines or off-the-wall things included. 

Me? I'm heading to Lieb Family Cellars after work tonight. The target wine? A newly released 2007 Bridge Lane Cabernet Franc that I've heard some good things about.

Look for my post late tonight and for the roundup over the next several days.

Participants, please make sure that you email me with your submission URLs.

Announcing Wine Blogging Wednesday #61: At the Source

By Lenn Thompson, Founder and Editor-in-Chief

As the founder of Wine Blogging Wendesday, I like to hop in and host at least once a year. It's fun to force people to drink what you tell them to. It's a power rush. A boost to my ego.

Okay. What really happened is that the planned host for September went and got pregnant and gracefully bowed out until after the baby is born in the spring. So, I'm jumping in so we don't miss a month.

After brainstorming a bit, I dismissed simply making participants drink local again. That's been done. But, ever the proponent for supporting local wineries, I did find a new angle that I think will be fun -- At the Source.

Rather than walking into your local wine shop to pick up a wine for WBW, I want you to actually visit a winery and taste a wine there. Bonus points if you can taste it with the winemaker or the vineyard manager.

Because I'm a bit late announcing (was hoping to find a host before taking it on myself), we'll push out WBW an extra week and do it on Wednesday, September 16. That should give people plenty of time to visit a tasting room, taste several wines and pick one for WBW.

See how I still kept the local angle in play? Not bad, right?

I understand that this will mean some interesting wines for many of you -- especially those in lesser-known corners of the wine world. But, I've had some fun and interesting wines from quite a few off-beat places. Have fun with it.

And remember, you can visit a winery this weekend for WBW, just don't post until September 16.

Email me a link to your post for the roundup please.

Wine Blogging Wednesday #60: I've Zinned -- Neyer's Vineyards 2000 Pato Vineyard Zinfandel

By Lenn Thompson, Founder and Editor-in-Chief

I've taken an unintentional hiatus from Wine Blogging Wednesday the last couple of months, and for that I'm a little ashamed (but only a bit). Sometimes I get busy, okay? Anyway...

For those of you who don't know what WBW is, it's a monthly virtual wine tasting project that I founded several years go. Each month, a wine blogger chooses a theme and bloggers (and non-bloggers) buy/taste a wine that fits the theme and post about it, often on the second Wednesday of the month.

This month's edition, hosted by Megan of Wannabe Wino (who is a huge wino by the way, not a wannabe), is themed "I Have Zinned" and features, you guessed it, zinfandel.

I know that there are plenty of people out there who think I ONLY drink New York wines, but that's a clear misconception. Sure, I drink them a lot and I think it's important to drink local, but there are some grapes and wines that just don't work well in New York -- zin being one of them.

I love zinfandel, at least partly because it's just so different from most of the local wines I drink. They are big, powerful (both in flavor and alcohol) and are really just in-your-face wines. There's a lot of crappy $10 zin out there though, so be careful.

I almost missed out on this edition of WBW. I went down into my cellar to pull a bottle, thinking that I had some down there. No, I didn't (save some samples a winery sent me and I don't use those for WBW if I can avoid it). So, I drove up the road to the nearest wine shop, a shop that usually has some interesting wines and even some older vintages (though they are usually stored upright, so I tend to avoid them).

Anyway, I picked up this Neyer's Vineyards 2000 Pato Vineyard Zinfandel for $33.

I think that conventional wisdom is that zinfandel doesn't age all that well, but I thought it'd be interesting to see how this wine was at age 9.

In a word: tired.

There was still a bit of fruit here -- strawberry and raspberry, but it was barely holding on, slipping into a cavern that was clove-y and spicy (good) but also very earthy in a dusty, not-so-good way. There an interesting brown sugar component and some faint meatiness, but without fruit to balance it, the alcohol pokes through pretty signifcantly on the finish too. 

I'd like to get my hands on a more recent vintage of this wine, though. I don't have a lot of experience with older zin, but it seems to me like this wine was either stored improperly (see above) or is just past peak.

So thanks to Megan for hosting. Next time I'll make sure that I have my wine picked out further ahead of time, so I'm not left at the mercy of the nearest shop.

Wine Blogging Wednesday #59 Announced: WBW #59: An Homage to Kushi no Kami

The 59th edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday, hosted by The Passionate Foodie, is an homage to Kushi no Kami.

Not sure what that is? I have no idea what it is that's why it's just the kind of WBW theme that inspired the event in the first place -- a forced exploration of a region or type of wine that is new or unknown.

So who or what is Kushi no Kami? Turns out that it's an ancient name for the god of Saké.

I've had Saké exactly once in my life and it was cheap, warm stuff at a Japanese restaurant once. It tasted sort of like hot vodka to me without the alcohol burn. Not exactly a ringing endorsement.

But, I know that our host is a Saké-loving guy, with tons of knowledge on the subject, but he's making it easy for the newbies:

For this theme, all you have to do is to conduct your own kikishuSaké tasting”) by selecting any Saké and reviewing it. You will earn bonus points if you review multiple Sakés of different styles or types. For example, you could compare a Ginjo to a Daiginjo or a Honjozo to a Junmai. You will also earn bonus points for pairing Saké with food.

This is all going to go down on July 8, so get your Saké ready.

Read Richard's full post to get all the details and for links to more information on Saké.

Wine Blogging Wednesday #57 Announced: California Inspiration

Even though this is a New York wine blog, non-NY wines do make their way into my cellar, into my glass and ultimately into my mouth. Wine Blogging Wednesday is often the reason, and May's edition (the 57th) of WBW, hosted by my friend Jeff at Good Grape, will force me once again to leave local wines for at least a day.

Jeff's theme is a good one:

Thematically, this month is intended to be broad while acting as homage to Robert Mondavi, the 1-year anniversary of his passing on Saturday, May 16.

Because Mondavi was such an inspiration physically, spiritually and philosophically to so many – both in the industry and to consumers, while acting as the forefather of the modern California wine movement, I would like for WBW participants to revisit a California wine that they have enjoyed, or have a particular fond memory of, and tell a story.

Simply, Mondavi promoted an air of inclusiveness, not exclusiveness, conducting many of his business practices around a philosophy of aiding other wineries in knowledge and practices to create a profile for California wine that would rival the world’s finest wines.

The easy route for this theme would be to taste a Mondavi wine, but I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that Mondavi would have preferred an air of openness.  No good is accomplished by a singularity of purpose that acts as an exclusionary barrier for others.

Please go buy or pull from your stash, a bottle of whatever that California wine was that created a memorable chapter in your life, revisit the bottle, and share your story.

I don't have a Mondavi wine that inspired me or pushed me forward in my journey (obsession) with wine, but there are a few California wines that fit the bill. Stay tuned to see which ones and why.

Join us on May 13 as we celebrate the life of Robert Mondavi and the wines and wine industry he helped create.

Wine Blogging Wednesday #56 Fine Kosher Wines

By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher

Today is Wine Blogging Wednesday #56. I know I say it almost every month, but it is still fascinating to me that the virtual wine tasting I founded 56 months ago is still going strong.

This month, we're hosted by John, who is better known as The Corkdork. The theme is Fine Kosher Wines, something that I knew little about (and still probably don't, given the small sampling that I did.)

Before this edition of WBW, I actually had never knowingly tasted a Kosher wine. I guess it's possible that I had some Manischewitz in college or something, but I don't think so. In that sense, I was going into this without any of the negative bias that some seem to have for the category.

Nena and I tasted through six different Kosher wines (5 were "Kosher for Passover" which is a different sub-category). Rather than offer full reviews on everything, I'll give you a basic rundown.

The two chardonnays showed way more oak than I like. The 2006 Yarden was remarkable only in how utterly unremarkable it was. Any cheap chardonnay on the market could stand it -- except for that Kosher angle. The 2006 Recanati was also overoaked for my tastes, but had great acidity and seemed to have more elegance and better fruit. I'd be curious to taste a version with the oak turned down a few notches.

Most of the reds were mediocre to good. If you like California petite sirah, you'd enjoy the Recananti Reserve Petite Sirah-Zin. It has all that big, dark fruit and a little spice. With burgers, it'd be great I think.

But, my favorite of the lot was the Tzora Vineayrds 2006 Givat Hachalukim Cabernet Sauvignon ($23 at Israeli Wine Direct), perhaps because its a bit more cool climate in style than the others. The nose has nice dark berry fruit with is peppery and thyme-basil notes as well.

The flavors closely match the nose, with the pepper-herbs stepping forward maybe a bit more. With medium body and softly gripping tannins that are well integrated rather than angular or abusive to the palate, this is the sort of balanced cabernet that I prefer to the hefty left coast renditions. The finish isn't long, but it's long enough at the price point.

So thanks, Corkdork for forcing me to try some of these wines. I don't really have much reason to explore Kosher wines otherwise or further, but the Tzora has me curious about Israeli wines for sure.

Wine Blogging Wednesday #56 Announcement: Fine Kosher Wines

I honestly don't know that I've ever tasted a Kosher wine. I'm sure that I have, at some point along the way, but I've never had a reason to specifically seek them out. I've heard a lot about them, and very little of it has been good.

And that's why, when John over at The Corkdork got in touch with me about hosting WBW this month with a Kosher wine theme just in time for Passover, I thought "Hey, that sure would give me an excuse to try some Kosher wine. Let's do it!"

So there you have it. That's how Wine Blogging Wednesday #56 Fine Kosher Wines was born.

Join us on the last day of Passover, April 15 and post about at least one Kosher wine. Me? I've actually gathered a handful of appropriate wines so the LENNDEVOURS crew will have some fun with this theme.

Check out John's full post for all the details

Wine Blogging Wednesday #55, North vs. South: The Roundup

I'm a bad, bad founder of Wine Blogging Wednesday. Because the LENNDEVOURS household was plagued by a stomach virus last week, we weren't able to pitch in with our contribution for WBW #55.

But, I wanted to direct you over to host Remy Charest's roundup for those who did take part in one of the better themes we've had in a while: North vs. South. Remy asked participants to compare wines made from the same grape, but from different regions.

I had planned to taste riesling from the Finger Lakes, Long Island and Chile and also cabernet franc from the same regions. It would have been a fun comparision and I may still do it as a post-WBW endeavor.

Thanks for the great theme, Remy and sorry that I couldn't join the fray.

And keep an eye out for the announcement for WBW #56. It's going to be another interesting one that, I hope, will surprise some people.

WBW #54: Piedmont: Ascheri 2006 Dolcetto D'Alba

I'm enjoying Finger Lakes wine country at the moment, but I did bring along this bottle of dolcetto for WBW #54 hosted by one of my favorite bloggers, David McDuff of McDuff's Food & Wine Trail.

The theme this month, A Passion for Piedmont, was one I was very curious about as these aren't wines that I explore often. And sadly, I'm pretty sure that I haven't really explored them any further with this wine.

I don't think bottle wasn't corked, but I think (hope?) that there was something wrong with it. It had a strong musty, stale flavor and the nose was almost non-existent. That's really all I can say about it.

Maybe someone can recommend another Dolcetto D'Alba that will give me a good example and understanding for the wine?

Wine Blogging Wednesday #54 Announced: A Passion for Piedmont

I haven't done a great job writing about it lately, but Wine Blogging Wednesday is still rolling along. In fact, we're coming up on the 54th edition. It never ceases to amaze me that the little virtual wine tasting event I created over four years ago is still going and is still so popular.

February's edition will be hosted by one of my favorite bloggers, David McDuff of McDuff's Food & Wine Trail.

The theme is one that I'm looking forward to as well: A Passion for Piedmont.

I have to admit, I don't know a whole lot about the wines of that region in Italy, so this will be a fun edition of WBW for me. David offers a brief run-down saying:

While there are some fine white wines made in the region – from Gavi di Gavi to Roero Arneis to Moscato d’Asti – there’s no denying that Piedmont is red wine country. The Nebbiolo-based wines of Barolo and Barbaresco may steal the thunder. But it’s the wines made from Piedmont’s other two primary varieties – Barbera and Dolcetto – that appear most often on the Piedmontese table. Less common regional specialties like Freisa, Grignolino and Brachetto add local color and help to make Piedmont one of Italy’s most diverse wine zones.

Join us on February 18!

Wine Blogging Wednesday #53: McGregor Vineyard 2007 Dry Riesling

Okay, I'm late Wine Blogging Wednesday #53, hosted by El Jefe from El Bloggo Torcido. Sue me.

But, at least I'm still taking part, albeit a few days late. I had to because this theme, wines with breakfast, is one of the most unique we've had in the 4+ years of WBW. Of course, anyone who knows Jefe won't be surprised that he is the mastermind behind an off-the-wall theme.

Wine with breakfast, you say? He took us even one step further...outlawing sparkling, rose and sweet wines. We had to pick a dry red or dry white.

He did cut us a bit of a break though... we didn't need to actually drink the wine at breakfast time, just with breakfast foods.

So, I cooked up a gruyere-Canadian bacon frittata (with lots of caramelized onion) and pondered my options. I didn't ponder for long though. I knew where I was going... my GTG (that's go-to grape), riesling. Sorry for the Rachel Ray moment, there.

McGregor Vineayrd 2007 Dry Riesling ($23) went reasonably well, although Nena didn't think it worked as well as I did. The nose was much more floral that I expected, with Key lime blossom the primary aroma with wet slate, lime zest and faint peach aromas in the background.

The reason I go to riesling when I'm in doubt is the racy acidity that good ones feature -- and this one has it in spades. Lime and peach mingle on a medium-light bodied palate cut by electric acidity. The finish is long and minerally with a tart apricot note on the very finish. Nena likes a bit more peach and tropical fruit in her Finger Lakes riesling, but I enjoyed this one. I think its best days are ahead of it though. The acid will settle down and integrate a bit more.

How about the pairing? It was okay. I enjoy riesling enough that it will "work" for me most of the time (unless we're talking rare-cooked steak). The acidity was great with the rich eggs and the light fruit flavors actually played nicely with the smoky-salty pork. The floral component is what kept this from being a great match, though.

Thanks for hosting, Jefe and thanks for the great theme. I think I'll stick to green tea, or better yet, a good German-made Hefe Weizen for breakfast going forward though.

WBW #51: Baked Goods: The Rare Wine Co. Historic Series Madeira, Charleston Sercial Special Reserve

Wine Blogging Wednesday just cannot be stopped. Here we are, more than 4 years after its inception (this IS the 51st edition) and the theme is one of the few that shoved me way out of my comfort zone.

Not only was I forced to leave my beloved state of New York, but I also had to try a style of wine that I know very (very very) little about: wines that are intentionally oxidized at warm/hot temperatures. That's why the one and only (thankfully!) Joe Roberts, known in the blogosphere as 1WineDude, our esteemed host, termed the theme "Baked Goods." Prolonged exposure to heat and oxygen are typically not something winemakers want, but these wines are, in essence, baked to mimic the long sea voyage these wines took through the tropics.

There are many styles and 'reserve' levels of Madeira, but rather than repeat them all here, I'll simply point you over to Wikipedia.

This bottle, which I picked up from Greene Grape for around $45 if I remember correctly, falls into the "sercial" style, the driest, and is labeled as a special reserve, meaning that it was aged 10 years.

In the glass, it's a medium-to-dark gold-amber color. It's slightly viscous, but just barely so, perhaps because of the alcohol level (19% abv).

The aromas are interesting here, bringing roasted almonds, dried citrus peel, dried figs, something that reminds me of some of the peaty Scotch I've had. It's much drier than I expected, with great acidity. There is just a ton of delicious nuttiness. here with more dried citrus and figs. The finish lasts what seems like minutes on end. The only other Madeira I've tasted before was much sweeter and underwhelmed, but I really like this wine.

Best of all, from what I hear, I can hold onto it, even though it's open, for weeks, months or even longer before it starts to break down. It's already been bludgeoned by the elements and is already oxidized!

Joe, thanks for shoving me from my comfort zone and for hosting this, the 51st edition of WBW. Keep an eye out for the announcement for next edition, hopefully soon!