Tasting the wines of Piedmont

At the end of January, I organized a tasting of wines from Piedmont for our wine club. Piedmontese wines are made from indigenous grapes that are unique to the area and so for me, they taste like nowhere else in the world.

Piedmont, which means foot of the mountain, is almost completely encircled by the Alps. Winters are cold and snowy, summers are warm and dry, and in the fall during the harvest season, the weather is often cool and foggy. Besides its wines, the region is famous for its cuisine rich in flavors, featuring game, porcini and white truffles.

When we think about Piedmontese wines, we think of the intensely flavorful Barolos and Barbarescos, and maybe the fruity Barberas, but few of us have tried the region's excellent whites that made from ancient, indigenous, sometimes almost extinct grapes.

We tasted two whites from Piedmont. The first one was the 2005 Palladino Gavi di Gavi. Run by the Palladino family, the Azienda Vinicola Palladino is the oldest of the area. The Gavi di Gavi is one of the producer's most popular wines. Gavi is a wine made exclusively from the Cortese grape, an indigenous variety from the hills of southeastern Piedmont. The wine had a golden color with grapefruit and citrus aromas on the nose. On the palate, it had a crisp acidity and a fat mouthfeel. It was excellent served as an aperitif and should also work well with a fish dish in a light cream sauce.

Our second white was the 2004 Monchiero Carbone Roero Arneis Recit. Because of its thin skin, Arneis, which means little rascal in the local dialect, is hard to cultivate and hard to vinify. By the 1960s, Arneis was nearly extinct and was often vinified and blended with Nebbiolo. But thanks to a few Barolo producers, the varietal was saved from extinction. The Roero Arneis Recit is unwooded and packaged in a dark bottle to prevent premature aging. It had a pleasant fragrant nose. The palate was full-bodied with a rich mouthfeel and a distinctive stony finish. It was absolutely delicious with the Vitello Tonnato dish that one of our friends had brought, a Piedmontese specialty with veal, tuna, capers, and anchovies.

Then we tasted the following reds:




• 2005 Braida di Giacomo Bologna Brachetto d'Acqui: Braida means stretch ball and is a local Piedmontese sport. It was also the favorite pastime and the nickname of Giacomo Bologna's father. While Barbera d'Asti is the winery's main production, it also produces some amount of Brachetto d'Aqui, a low alcohol, sweet, red sparkling wine, named for the Brachetto grape as well as the Acqui district near the town of Asti. Showing a light red/pink color, the Braida Brachetto d'Acqui had a fruity nose of raspberry and blackberry. Slightly fizzy and semi-sweet on the palate, it was fresh and light with an alcohol content of only 5.5%. This Brachetto left nobody indifferent: some guests really loved it, others had hard time finishing their glasses: too sweet, too fizzy, too light.

• 2004 Ruggeri Corsini Dolcetto d'Alba: founded in 1843 by the Besserat family, Podere Ruggeri Corsini is a husband and wife operation located in Monforte d'Alba, one of the main communes in the Barolo Appellation. The wine is made from Dolcetto, which means the little sweet one, an easy to drink, medium-bodied, and fruity varietal. It had a bright reddish-purple color and a floral nose of violets. On the palate, it was round with mineral flavors and a fresh peppery finish.

• 2004 Michele Chiarlo Barbera d'Asti Superiore Le Orme: Michele Chiarlo is a leading figure in the Italian wine industry. He is one of the first Italian producers to have introduced malolactic fermentation in Italy, in order to make more stable wines with not as much acidity and easier to drink young. The Barbera d'Asti, made from the Barbera grape, is one of his most popular wines. It had a deep red color, fruity aromas, a structured backbone and a well balanced palate with some good acidity. It was excellent to accompany a plate of prosciutto, salami, and cheese.

• 2002 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco: Founded in the 1950s, the Produttori del Barbaresco is a cooperative that is known to produce high quality wines, and that has become a model for the other wine cooperatives in Italy. Barbaresco is a powerful wine made purely from Nebbiolo, a noble grape considered to be one of the world's greatest wine varieties. The wine had a red brick color and a powerful nose with complex aromas. The palate was rich, full-bodied, with firm tannins.

• 2001 Mauro Molino Barolo: Molino is very highly regarded producer from the village of La Morra in the Barolo Appellation. Its 8 hectare vineyard is mainly planted with Nebbiolo (60%) and also includes Barbera (20%), Dolcetto (10%), and Chardonnay (10%). Barolo, also made from Nebbiolo, is considered the most famous Piedmontese wines. This one had a ruby color and a light floral nose. The palate had intense and complex flavors and a long finish. This great wine should be paired with rich food such as beef braised in wine, wild mushroom risotto, and truffles.

Our next tasting event will feature the wines of two other amazing wine regions: New Zealand and Australia, so don't miss it!

Previous wine club tastings:
•  From Old World To New World
•  Champagne Tasting

Technorati tags: wine food & drink

Wine by the glass: unfortunately, not a sure bet yet

A trendy tapas restaurant in Old Pasadena, a tasty offering of small plates, a well designed wine list with a good selection of Spanish wines by the glass: this looked like the best recipe for a great evening. Unfortunately, two out of the four wines that we ordered by the glass were plainly undrinkable.

We started with a Viña Nora Albarino and a Faustino V Rioja Blanco. We liked the Albarino a lot. It was floral, fresh, zesty. But we were pretty disappointed by the Rioja, which tasted flat, tired, and had very little flavors. We told our waitress about the wine but decided to move on and try some red wines instead: a Campo Viejo Rioja Reserva and a Borsao Campo de Borja, which is a Garnacha/Tempranillo blend from the region of Aragón. The Rioja had bright fruity and spicy flavors, perfect with our Spanish meatballs in a mushroom sauce. The Borsao, on the other hand, had an unpleasant port-like pruny taste.

This was a real surprise to me to find so many oxidized wines that evening. How could such a fairly upscale restaurant not properly avoid wine spoilage in its uncorked bottles?

Complaining a second time, we finally got a free Priorat Garnacha. And this one was fine.

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My best airline wine so far: a Riesling from Lufthansa

It is during a recent trip to Frankfurt that I discovered Lufthansa's excellent wine offering. First of all, alcoholic drinks are free in economy class. They are served by the glass from large 1 Liter bottles, one white, one red. On my flight, the white wine was a German Riesling and the red looked like a Cabernet Sauvignon. I decided to taste the Riesling.

I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised by the wine. It had a fine floral nose. The palate was light, refreshing, slightly fizzy, rather dry, with I guess, a low alcohol content, great qualities to fight the dryness of the cabin air and enhance the blandness of the airline food — which was honestly not so bad.

While I was sipping my Riesling, I watched the movie A good Year. I was curious to see whether the movie's reputation was true. True indeed: no real soul, not even funny. The Riesling was much more satisfying.

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Out of town for a couple of weeks

In the meantime, I hope you'll taste great wines!

Have fun!
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WBW #30: my own new world Syrah

Tim at WineCast is our host for this 30th edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday and the theme that he has chosen this month is New World Syrah. The rule is simple: the wine needs to be made from at least 51% Syrah or Shiraz and come from the New World.

The wine that I have selected today is a Syrah from California. However, you will not be able to find it anywhere — except in the cellar or wine cabinet of a few people — because it is a wine that we made ourselves, with the effective assistance of the Crushpad winemaking team. We designed it, punched it, pressed it, barreled it, and finally bottled it just a year ago. Only 25 cases were made.

So after one year in bottle, is the wine any good? You bet!

Our goal was to make a Syrah in the Northern Rhône Valley style, spicy and complex, but not too big. Therefore, we got our fruit from the cool climate Clary Ranch Vineyard, located in the Sonoma Coast AVA, just eleven miles from Tomales Bay. The fruit was destemmed but not crushed, leaving mostly whole berries for fermentation, then aged for 15 months in a one year old Burgundy barrel.

The 2004 La Feuille d'Or Syrah Clary Ranch Vineyard is a blend of Syrah with a dash of Viognier to add floral notes to the blend. After one year in bottle, it has a deep garnet color and an attractively aromatic nose of red berry and vanilla. The palate is medium-bodied, juicy, and fruity, leaving a long peppery finish. This is a very food friendly wine that should be enjoyed now or within a few years.

Thanks Tim, this was a great theme!

Related stories:
• Making our own wine!
• Making our own wine: update 2
• Making our own wine: update 3
• Making our own wine: update 4 (bottling)

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And another excellent biodynamic wine: the 2005 Pic Saint Loup Clos Marie l'Olivette

I almost chose the 2005 Pic Saint Loup Clos Marie l'Olivette for our last Wine Blogging Wednesday but I couldn't taste it in time for the event. So we finally tried it this weekend.

The Clos Marie L'Olivette belongs to a relatively new appellation, the Coteaux du Languedoc Pic Saint loup, a region located some 30 kilometers north of Montpellier. It is dominated by the Pic Saint Loup itself, a pointed mountain rising 638 meters above the sea level. The soil is poor and stony, mostly clay and limestone. The region has a more northerly climate than the rest of the Coteaux du Languedoc with cooler average temperatures and slightly higher rainfall. It has also stricter appellation rules. Noble grape varieties such as Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre must account for at least 90% of a blend.

Clos Marie is a 20 hectare domain located near the village of Lauret, one of the thirteen villages included in the Pic Saint Loup appellation. It is run by Christophe Peyrus who took over the family's vineyards in 1991. Before that, the wine was sold to the local co-operative. He made drastic changes in order to improve the quality of the wine, unrooting and replanting 75% of the vineyard with a high planting density, and adopting manual harvesting. He also started farming the vineyard using biodynamic principles in 2000.

The cuvée L'Olivette is the domain's basic offering. It is a blend of 40% Grenache, 40% Syrah, and 20% Mourvèdre, aged in 1/3 new oak, 2/3 neutral barrels. The wine has a dense purple color and a sweet nose of blackberry. The mouthfeel is full and unctuous, leaving a fine dusty aftertaste. Simply delicious, addictive, and highly recommended!

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Another choucroute and beer tasting

My friend Virginie doesn't like wine but enjoys beer a lot and she really loved the choucroute and beer tasting that we did last year. So the other weekend, we did it again. We were at the ski cabin and it was unusually cold outside: 18°F! We had spent half the day skiing cross country to keep us warm and now we were hungry! Our Choucroute (sauerkraut) was slowly cooking in the oven; it was time to get the beers out of the fridge.




This year, we selected some Abbey beers from Belgium including a Trappist. Trappist beers are made by abbey monks from the Trappist order. Monastery brewhouses used to exist all over Europe because the monks were brewing beer to earn their living. But today, only seven Trappist breweries continue to produce beer, six in Belgium and one in the Netherlands. Unlike Trappist beers, Abbey beers are not made by monks anymore. Instead, they are produced by commercial breweries under license from the Abbeys.

We started with the Affligem Blonde. Affligem Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in Flemish Belgium. Until 1970, brewing was the responsibility of the abbey's monks. Today, the making of the beer has been taken over by the nearby Affligem brewery, under license from the monks. The Affligem Blonde is a classic Abbey Ale, with a clear and deep yellow color and a toasty, nutty, and slightly bitter taste.

The Grimbergen Blonde Ale was created by monks of the Norbertine order from the Grimbergen abbey. Like all the abbey beers, the Grimbergen is a high fermentation beer, which means that the fermentation takes place at a temperature varying between 15°C and 25° whereas low fermentation temperatures are around 8°C. The beer had a pleasant nose of citrus and honey. The palate had a definite sweetness and not much bitterness.

The Chimay Blanche or Triple is a Trappist beer brewed by the monks of the Notre-Dame de Scourmont abbey in the town of Chimay. Like with all the Trappist breweries, the monks are making beer to financially support the abbey. The beer is non-pasteurized. After being bottled, it is allowed to ferment a second time for three weeks before being shipped. The Chimay beers can age well, at least five years and up to fifteen years for the Chimay Bleue, a dark and strong ale. The Chimay Blanche had a darker color and a compact foam. The color was slightly hazy. On the palate, it was dry and hoppy with a long bitter finish.

The Leffe Blonde comes originally from the abbey Notre Dame de Leffe, but today, all Leffe brands are brewed at the Stella Artois brewery in Leuven. The beer had a glowing golden color and a flavorful and refreshing palate, followed by a long finish.

My friend Virginie fell in love with the honeyed sweetness of the Grimbergen. Personally, I thought that the Affligem was particularly well balanced and a great accompaniment to the sour cabbage and the spicy sausages of the choucroute.




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Champagne Tasting 2006

You may think that all Champagnes taste the same — bubbly, yeasty, toasty — and are hard to differentiate from each other.

In our last wine club event that occurred last month just before the holidays, we tasted and compared 8 different Champagnes. Some were blends of several vineyards, varietals, and vintages, and some were made from a single cru, a single varietal, or a single vintage. Many of them were from small grower producers that farm their own vineyard and vinify their own Champagne, and direct-imported from K&L Wine Merchants.

As we were tasting them, it became obvious that they all had different characters and unique personalities. Some tasters enjoyed the elegance and finesse of Blanc de Blancs Champagnes, made with Chardonnay only, while others preferred the distinctive character of Premier or Grand Cru Champagnes.

We tasted the following wines:

• Champagne Piper-Heidsieck Brut: when Florens-Louis Heidsieck, the son of a Lutheran minister from Westphalia, discovered winemaking in Reims in 1780, he decided to found his own Champagne House. After his death, his nephew Christian Heidsieck and his cousin Henri Guillaume Piper took over the business, which quickly became known as the Piper-Heidsieck Champagne house. Ideal for cocktails, parties, and informal dinners, the cuvée Brut is a blend of 50 different growths of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. The wine had a lively effervescence. The nose was a bit shy. On the palate, the wine had a sweet, fruity, yeasty taste.

• Champagne Launois Père & Fils Blanc de Blancs Brut Cuvée Réservée: founded in 1872 by the Launois family, the Launois Père & Fils house is located at the heart of the prestigious Côte des Blancs, an east-facing hill south of Epernay, producing Champagne's finest Chardonnays. The Cuvée Réservée is 100% Chardonnay sourced from Grand Cru vineyards. The wine was much drier than the Piper-Heidsieck, with finer bubbles, apple and pear aromas, and a crisp acidity on the palate, maybe too acidic for some tasters.

• 1999 Champagne Roederer Blanc de Blancs Brut: Champagne Roederer is one of the largest remaining independent champagne houses owned by the same family since its foundation, in 1776 by Louis Roederer. His son, also named Louis, was made official supplier to the Imperial Court of Russia by Tsar Nicholas II. The finest crus from the estate vineyard in the Côte des Blancs are selected for the Blanc de Blancs Vintage cuvée, which is only produced in small quantities. The wine had a nice creamy texture and less acidity than the Launois. It had a lot of elegance and balance, and quickly became a favorite for many tasters.

• Champagne De Meric Grande Réserve Sous Bois Brut: founded in 1843 by the Besserat family, Champagne De Meric continues to follow traditional vinification processes. It uses the traditional 4000-kilo vertical press and vinifies and ages 50% of its cuvées in oak barrels, Then, the wine is aged in deep chalk cellars, where each bottle is manually rotated every day (remuage). The Grande Réserve Sous Bois is a blend of 80% Pinot Noir, 15% Chardonnay, and 5% Pinot Meunier from Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards. It was less acidic than the two Blanc de Blancs, with a vinous character, rich Pinot flavors and a firm backbone. Definitely one of my favorite Champagne.

• Champagne Marguet Père & Fils Grand Cru Brut Réserve: Champagne Marguet Père & Fils is located in the grand cru village of Ambonnay, on the Montagne de Reims, one of the best areas in Champagne to grow Pinot Noir. The Grand Cru Brut Réserve is a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay from the Grand Crus Ambonnay, Bouzy and Mailly. We found that the wine had many similarities with the De Meric. It was dry, fruity, rich in flavors, with a round finish.

• Champagne Perrier Jouët Grand Brut: the Perrier Jouët house was established in 1811 by Pierre-Nicolas-Marie Perrier who decided to add his wife's maiden name, Jouët, to the name of the house. His son Charles introduced the concept of Vintage Champagne and build up the reputation of the family business. It is now one of the major Champagne brands. The cuvée Grand Brut is 40% Pinot Noir, 40% Pinor Meunier, and 20% Chardonnay. it had subtle creamy and nutty flavors but seemed less distinctive than the De Meric and Marguet.

• Champagne Tarlant Brut Prestige Cuvée Louis: the Champagne Tarlant house was founded in 1687 by the Tarlant Family. The Cuvée Louis is named after Louis Tarlant, born in 1878 and instrumental in specifying the Champagne appellation in 1927. It is a 50% Chardonnay, 50% Pinot Noir blend, vinified and aged in oak barrels with no malolactic fermentation. The fruit comes from the vineyard Les Crayons named for its chalky soil. The wine was distinctive and elegant, dry and crisp with a fresh nose of green apple and toasted aromas, and a slightly bitter finish.

• 1987 Champagne Leclerc Briant Rubis de Noirs Brut: Champagne Leclerc Briant is a 30 hectares estate that now follows biodynamic farming practices. The Rubis de Noir cuvée is not a blend of red and white wine like most Champagne Rosé (Champagne is the only French appellation allowed to make rosé by blending a red and a white wine), but it is a 100% Pinot Noir vinified as a rosé de saignée where the red grapes are fermented with their skins for a short amount of time. The wine had a wonderful copper color with a nose of cherry liqueur. On the palate, it was yeasty and smoky with an intriguing port-like finish. Truly amazing for such an old Champagne!

Next time, we will be tasting a selection of wines from Piedmont so stay tuned!

Other wine club tastings:
•  From Old World To New World
•  Champagne tasting 2005

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WBW #29: Biodynamics in Châteauneuf-du-Pape

In 1990, the Domaine de Marcoux became the first in Châteauneuf-du-Pape to implement biodynamic farming practices. At the time, the domaine was run by Phillipe Armenier, a vigneron strongly inspired by the biodynamic principles developed by Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner.

According to biodynamics, a farm as a whole is an organism that should be self-sustainable as well as healthy balanced in order to control pests and diseases. Earth and plant life have their own rhythms in respect to their position to the moon, sun and stars. Therefore, in order to enhance these rhythms, the work in the fields and the cellars takes into account the different phases of the solar and lunar cycles. Furthermore, specific field preparations are made to stimulate hummus formation, such as manure stuffed into the horn of a cow to be buried in autumn, or crushed powdered quartz stuffed into the horn of a cow to be buried in spring.


Weathercock showing astronomic symbols at Domaine de Marcoux

Philippe Armenier is now a biodynamic consultant in California but Philippe's sisters, Sophie and Catherine Armenier, are now efficiently running the 17.5 ha estate planted mostly with Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Cinsault. It's a family affair: the domaine has been run by the Armenier family since the 1300's.

The wine we drank tonight was the 2001 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine de Marcoux. It had a deep red core, a light brick color on the trim, and a spicy and peppery nose. The palate was lush, full-bodied, and juicy with sweet berries aromas, leaving a finish of bitter cocoa powder. We drank this biodynamic wine in honor of the 29th edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday, hosted this month by Jack & Joanne from Fork & Bottle.

I am not sure of the differences between organic and biodynamic wines but I am certain of one thing: I haven't found any bad biodynamic wine yet.

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Winemaking step #6: after the malolactic fermentation

After the holidays, I got an update from Crushpad regarding our 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Ink Grade Vineyard that we had pressed last October. The wine had finished its malolactic fermentation and had been racked and moved to a brand new Sylvain barrel. So it was time to pay another visit to Crushpad and meet Kian, our winemaker to taste the wine.

I found our barrel in a heated room where all the wines were finishing their malolactic fermentation.


Cabernets finishing their malolactic fermentation in the barrel room

We tasted the wine. It had lost the thick purple texture that it had just after pressing. The nose had dairy notes with hints of vanilla from the new oak. The palate was amazingly well balanced for such a young wine. The tannins were present but well rounded. The finish was long and earthy. I was really pleased: the wine had evolved beautifully.


Our 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Ink Grade Vineyard in a new Sylvain barrel

Just to compare, we tasted another Ink Grade Cabernet made with different vinification parameters. The nose was pure fruit and the palate seemed very jammy and sweet. The tannins were tougher on the finish. Kian explained that the sweetness of the wine could be explained by its high alcohol content (more than 15%). We added water in ours to lower its alcohol level.

Kian proposed that we meet again in three months, when the wine is going to be racked again. It should have more pronounced flavors coming from the new oak. Actually, Kian recommended that we monitor the influence of the new oak and consider to move the wine into a neutral barrel if the new oak flavors become too predominant.

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Wines of Germany and Eastern Europe class: Croatia, Slovenia and Romania

The last session of Derrick' s Wines of Germany and Eastern Europe class, gave us the rare opportunity to taste wines from Croatia, Slovenia, and Romania, three countries with ancient wine growing traditions, yet very little known in the United States.


Vineyards in Slovenia

Croatia

Like the rest of Central Europe, Croatia has a long tradition of grape cultivation and winemaking that started well before the Romans. The country has two major wine growing areas: the Continental region and the Coastal region. The Continental region has a continental climate and produces mostly white wines. Grasevina, also known as Welschriesling in Austria, is the most widely planted variety in the area. The Coastal region runs along the Adriatic coast and enjoys a temperate Mediterranean climate. The region produces both white and red wines from many indigenous varieties as well as imported Bordeaux varieties.

The wines we tasted:

• 2003 Daruvar Grasevina: The Daruvar Winery is one of the most modern wineries in Croatia. It has its own vineyards and a modern wine cellar and bottling plant. The wine comes from a traditional wine growing district in Croatia's continental region. It is made of Grasevina, the most planted white grape variety in Croatia. Grasevina is also called Welschriesling in Austria and Germany, Riesling Italico in Italy, Olasz rizling in Hungary, Laski rizling in Slovenia, and Vlassky rizling in Czech republic. When yields are moderate, it produces a style of wine that is floral and zesty with a pleasant bitter aftertaste. My notes: straw color, nose of cherry stone, nutty and citrusy on the palate with a tangy acidity. Tastes better than it smells.

• 2005 Kozlovic Malvazija Istria: The Kozlovic family founded the Kozlovic Estate four generations ago. The winery is located in the Istria peninsula, the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. Sometimes described as the New Tuscany, Istria's wine country is made of lush valleys surrounded by olive groves and steep hillsides terraced for vineyards. On the coast, picturesque seaside towns have preserved their Venetian colonial character. Malvazija or Malvasia Istriana, a white grape clone from the Malvasia family, is the most widely planted white grape in Istria. My notes: fragrant and floral nose, nice acidity on the palate with dried herbs and spicy flavors. Quite a distinctive wine.

• 2004 Dingac Plavac Peljesac Peninsula: wines made in the Dingac area of the Peljesac Peninsula on the Dalmatian Coast are well renowned in Croatia. The grape is Plavac Mali, an indigenous variety that has strong morphologic similarities with Zinfandel. Plavac Mali was first thought to be Zinfandel's ancestor but DNA results showed that a native grape called Crljenak Kastelanski, — actually a parent of Plavac Mali — was the true Croatian counter part of Zinfandel. My notes: this wine comes from the Dingac farming cooperative and winery. Dark brick color, medicinal nose, aromas of wet mushroom. On the palate, dried tannins, rather short finish.

• 2004 Ivo Skaramuca Dingac Plavac Mali Peljesac Peninsula: this is another Plavac Mali wine from the Dingac district. It is produced by the Ivo Skaramuca Estate, named after the owner and winemaker Ivo Skaramuca. My notes: dark red color, sweet fruit and burnt sugar aromas. On the palate, nicely balanced acidity and tannins, ripe banana flavor on the finish. For me, this was a much better wine than the previous Dingac.

Slovenia

According to archaeological findings, winemaking began in Slovenia some 2400 years ago. We suspect that Celtic tribes that lived in northeastern Slovenia knew how to make wine long before the Romans. They also knew how to make barrels from the local oaks. Located between the southern slopes of the Alps and the Mediterranean sea, Slovenia produces a wide range of wine styles, from aromatic German or Italian-inspired whites to full-bodied Bordeaux-style reds.

The wines we tasted:

• 2004 Movia Tocaj Gredic Goriska Brda:
The wine comes from the Goriska Brda region, along the Italian-Slovenian border. In Slovene, brda means hills and the region corresponds to the Italian appellation Collio in southeastern Friuli. In Brda, the Movia estate has been producing wine for more than three centuries. The current owner is the charismatic Ales Kristancic, who believes in a completely natural approach to grape-growing and winemaking and uses biodynamic principles to farm his vineyard. My notes: bright color, nose of pear and honey, crisp on the palate with caramelized apple flavors, refreshing finish. Very nice!

• 2001 Zlati Gric Laski Rizling Ledeno Vino: produced by the Zlati Gric Winery (means golden hill in Slovene), this is a Welschriesling (Laski Rizling) ice wine (Ledeno Vino) from the Maribor area, a region with a strong German influence and with the best white wines similar to those grown in the Rhine and Mosel valleys. For this wine, the grapes were harvested in November at -10ºC then pressed at the same temperature in order to keep the ice crystals formed inside the grape berries and only extract the sweet, concentrated juice. My notes: greenish color, smoky nose, sweet and meaty on the palate, slightly soapy finish. On its website, the winery recommends pancakes with chocolate stuffing, nut roll, or dried fruit with the wine.

Romania

Romania ranks tenth among the world's top wine producers by volume. Thanks to the country's mild Mediterranean climate and fertile Danube Delta, Romania produces many different types of wines, from dry, sparkling whites to full-bodied reds. After the phylloxera epidemic, many indigenous vines were replaced by varietals imported from Europe, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir.

The wines we tasted:

• 2003 Aurelio Cabernet Sauvignon Special Reserve Dealu Mare: the wine is produced by the Rovit Valea Calugareasca winery in the Dealu Mare appellation. Dealu Mare, which means big hill in Romanian, produces mostly red wines from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Noir, as well as the indigenous Black Feteasca. My notes: brick color, smoky nose of sweet caramel, green and tannic palate, seems oxidized.

• 2004 Vampire Cabernet Sauvignon Recas: the wine is produced by Vampire Wines, a winery that successfully exports its wines to the United States, Canada, and Europe. Not surprisingly, its best selling month is in October, just before Halloween! My notes: dark red color, nose of black fruit, spices and tar, balanced acidity and tannins on the palate, some greeness on the finish but overall, rather pleasant.

I really enjoyed taking this class. The company was great. Derrick was very knowledgeable and such a big fan of German Riesling! The wines were often delicious, sometimes surprising, always interesting. Highly recommended class for the curious minded who likes to experience uncommon flavors and wine styles.

Related stories:
•  Wines of Germany and Eastern Europe class: Rheingau, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, and Mittelrhein
•  Wines of Germany and Eastern Europe class: Nahe, Rheinhessen, and Pfalz
•  Wines of Germany and Eastern Europe class: Kremstal, Kamptal, and Wachau (Austria)
•  Wines of Germany and Eastern Europe class: Hungary

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Happy new year!

Unfortunately, I had a nasty cold this week and so I was not in the best condition to enjoy wine. However, I happily ate lots of oysters — only my favorites: Miyagis and Belons — on the half-shell, no sauce, accompanied with a bone dry Trimbach Riesling from Alsace.

The Maison Trimbach has been one of the major Alsace producers since 1626. This Riesling is one of the entry wines produced by the estate. It is easy to find in the US, reasonably priced, and with its dry and mineral backbone and its natural acidity, it complements particularly well the tangy and briny flavors of fresh oysters. I found the wine at Trader Joe's and they may still have some. If you like bone dry minerality, don't hesitate, grab a couple of bottles, it's good stuff.

Happy new year!

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Menu for Hope III: 3 days left!

Hunger and malnutrition are still the number one risks to health worldwide. 852 million is the total number of undernourished people worldwide: 815 in developing countries, 28 million in countries in transition and nine million in industrialised countries. Today, one in nearly seven people do not get enough food to be healthy and lead an active life, making hunger and malnutrition the number one risk to health worldwide — greater than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined.

The Menu for Hope campaign will be running for three more days so if you're thinking about participating and help UN World Food Programme , there is still a little bit of time but do it soon!

So far, we have more than doubled last year's record of $17,000, and have raised over $35,000! Thanks to all of you!


Technorati tags: wine food & drink

WBW #28: A sparkling wine but not a Champagne

Brenda from Culinary Fool is hosting December's Wine Blogging Wednesday and asked us to be in a festive mood. Therefore, this month's theme is a sparkling wine, although not from the Champagne region.

She also asked us to categorize our wine into one of three categories:

• Party Sparkler: a bargain sparkler that you would not be embarrassed to serve at a party.
• Special Sparkler: a more expensive bottle that you think is worth the price.
• Dud: you tried it but sorry, you wouldn't buy it again.

Today, my choice is the 2002 J Vintage Brut from J Vineyards & Winery a winery located in the Russian River Valley and owned by Judy Jordan, daughter of Tom Jordan of the Jordan Winery. The stylish bottle is one of the reasons why I like the J Vintage Brut. The second reason is that it is pretty good.

J Vintage Brut was the first product that the winery produced when it was founded in 1986. Today, J Vintage Brut is still the winery's main product and accounts for half of J's total production but the winery also produces several still wines from Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay grapes.

This wine is a classic Champagne blend of 49% Chardonnay, 49% Pinot Noir and 2% Pinot Meunier. It is vinified using the Methode Champenoise that induces a second fermentation in the bottle. The wine had a light straw color and a delicate citrus nose. The palate had fine bubbles, a fresh acidity and a creamy mouthfeel that led to a vivid grapefruit finish, definitively, a Special Sparkler.

We enjoyed this fine bubbly with various holiday appetizers including a two-fish terrine, shrimp in endive boats, an avocado, pink grapefruit, and shrimp salad, and a sweet potato gratin. What a treat!



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Menu for Hope III: give and win fabulous prizes!

Every year, Food and Wine Bloggers from all over the world get together for a fundraising campaign called Menu for Hope. Last year, a record $17,000 was raised to help UNICEF. This year, Menu For Hope is going to benefit the UN World Food Programme, an organization that provides hunger relief for needy people worldwide.

We need you to participate and it's really easy: donate $10 and receive a raffle ticket toward a prize of your choice. The more you give, the better your chance to win. Check the detailed donation instructions below.

There is an amazing list of food and wine related prizes: a meal at a renowned restaurant, a chance to have coffee with Thomas Keller, chef at The French Laundry, a dinner with Eric Azimov, the New York Times wine critic, and many more.

Now, if you are interested by everything that is related to wine, geography, history, winemaking, the whys and the hows, I have a special treat for you: my gift (use code WB16) is a copy of my two wine bibles: The Oxford Companion to Wine, 3rd Edition and the The World Atlas of Wine. Both are edited or co-edited by one of my favorite wine writers Jancis Robinson. I use these two books constantly. The atlas is indispensable if you want to understand why and how vine grow in the great wine regions of the world. And I love the 180 or so detailed maps that are included in the book. The Oxford Companion has more than 3,000 entries on anything that is related to wine. The information is so broad and detailed at the same time that I have never been disappointed; I have always found what that I was looking for.

Check the Menu for Hope III page on Chez Pim to see all the food and wine prizes. Here are the main categories:

Have a meal of your life
Delicious experiences
Feasts for the eyes: books and more
Tasty treats
Cooks' tools
and last but not least, the wine related prizes all listed by our friend Alder at Vinography: Drink yourself silly

How to donate:

1. Go to the donation page at (http://www.firstgiving.com/menuforhopeIII)

2. Make a donation, each $10 will give you one raffle ticket toward a prize of your choice. Please specify which prize or prizes you'd like in the 'Personal Message' section in the donation form when confirming your donation. This is very important. Do tell us how many tickets you want to allocate per prize, and please use the prize code -for example, a donation of $50 can be 2 tickets for UW01 and 3 for UW02.

3. If your company matches your charity donation, please remember to check the box and fill in the information so we can claim the corporate match.

4. Please also check the box to allow us to see your email address so that we could contact you in case you win. Your email address will not be shared with anyone.

5. Check back on Chez Pim on January 15 when we announce the result of the raffle. (The drawing will be done electronically. Our friend the code wizard Derrick at Obsession with Food is responsible for the wicked application that will do the job.)

Technorati tags: wine food & drink

Wines of Germany and Eastern Europe class: Hungary

After studying the wines of Germany and Austria, Derrick took us to Hungary for our fifth session of the Wines of Germany and Eastern Europe class.

Hungary may not be a well-known wine producing country, but with various soil types and climate conditions, it produces a wide variety of wines from an equally wide number of grapes. Although the country has no coastline, it is home to Lake Balaton, Central Europe's biggest freshwater lake, and is divided in half by Europe's second-longest river, the Danube. Hungary's climate is continental with long warm summers and extremely cold winters. Twenty two official Hungarian wine regions has been defined, with the most prestigious one being Tokaj-Hegyalja.

Vineyards have flourished in Hungary since at least Roman Times. Many Italian and French grape varieties had been brought in and cultivated until the Turkish occupation between the 16th and 17th centuries. The Kadarka grape, now Hungary's most widely cultivated variety, has been brought by the Serbs at the time when they were persecuted by the Turks. It is around the 16th century that the Tokaj region became internationally famous for its late harvested Tokaji Aszú, also known as the king of wines and the wine of kings. Sadly, wine production had been greatly neglected during the Communist years. However, the last ten years have seen a rapid awakening and modernization of the wine industry and fortunately for us wine lovers, Hungary is now trying to rediscover its own style of wine.


Vineyards near the Lake Balaton (from wineterroirs.com)

The wines we tasted:

• 2004 Craftsman Sauvignon Blanc Neszmély: the wine is made by Hilltop Neszmély, one of the largest producers and exporters of Hungarian wines. The wine comes from the Aszár-Neszmély wine region, located northwest of Budapest, between the Danube and the Transdanubian mountain range. My notes: golden color, herbal nose with strong gooseberry aromas. On the palate, vivid acidity, dry, grassy with a dusty finish. An unusual Sauvignon Blanc.

• 2005 Woodsman's White Cserszegi Füszeres Neszmély: this is another wine from Hilltop Neszmély. The grape variety Cserszegi Füszeres means spicy grape from the town of Cserszeg and is a crossing of Gewürztraminer and the local white grape Irsai Olivér. My notes: light straw color, aromatic nose with floral aromas. On the palate, grapey with white blossom notes, fragrant.

• 2005 Craftsman Cserszegi Füszeres Neszmély:also from the Hilltop Neszmély winery and from the Cserszegi Füszeres grape. My notes: golden color, fresh muscat-like nose, crisp with a good backbone and mineral notes on the palate, slightly more complex than the Woodsman's.

• 2005 Szõke Mátyás Valogatas Selection Chardonnay: the Mátraalja wine district is located at the foot of the Mátra Mountains in Northern Hungary. It is one of the country's largest historic wine regions. Records as old as 1042 show that local peasants already cultivated vines in the area. The Szõke Mátyás estate is the most important family owned winery of the Mátraalja region and exports half its production to Europe. My notes: light straw color, floral nose with citrus and green apple aromas, fresh acidity on the palate. Interesting Chablis-style Chardonnay.

• 2003 Oremus Tokaji Dry Furmint Mandolás: The Tokaj Oremus winery was created in 1993 by the Alvarez family, the owners of Vega Sicilia in Spain. The wine is 100% Furmint sourced from the estate Mandolás vineyard and vinified dry. My notes: dark golden color, spicy nose with pear aromas, peppery and mineral on the palate with a smoky finish. It is an opportunity to discover what Furmint tastes like just by itself.

• 2002 Vitavin Egri Bikavér: Egri Bikavér means Bull's blood from the Eger region in Magyar and it is one of Hungary's best known wines. It has an interesting story that dates back to the 16th century. At the time, the Eger fortress was under attack by the Turkish troops. To give themselves courage and strength, the defenders drank the local wine in large amount, spilling it all over their body. When the attackers saw the defenders covered with red wine, they thought that the men had been drinking the blood of bulls and they fled in terror.

Eger is a medieval city in Northern Hungary famous for its historic buildings, its Minaret (northernmost minaret of Europe), and its wine cellars located in the nearby Valley of Beautiful Women. Egri Bikavér is usually a blend of several varietals including Kadarka, Kekfrankos (Blaufränkisch), Médoc Noir (Merlot), and Cabernet Sauvignon. My notes: red/brown color, musky nose, rustic flavors on the palate, slightly oxidized. Not recommended.

• 2003 Craftsman Falconer's Cuvee Neszmély: from the Hilltop Neszmély winery, it is an unusual blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Kekfrankos. My notes: brownish red color, Cabernet nose with notes of sweet blackberry. On the palate, tannic, oaky, with some good acidity, leaving some green flavors on the finish. Rustic but much better than the Egri Bikavér.

• 2004 St. Donatus Estate Balatonboglari Merlot Semi-Sweet: this wine comes from the Southern shore of Lake Balaton, which is noticeably colder than the Northern shore where the deep waters have a temperate effect on the climate. My notes: medium red color, strawberry/raspberry on the nose, slightly sweet on the palate with a peppery finish. Not a bad wine but not easy to pair food with.

• 2000 Royal Tokaji Red Label Aszú 5 Puttonyos: Tokaj-Hegyalja, Hungary's most famous wine region, is located 125 miles east of Budapest. The finest estates are on south/southeast-facing slopes overlooking the town of Tokaj. They enjoy a special microclimate characterized by hot summers and long, sunny autumns with morning fogs facilitating the development of Noble Rot or Aszú.

To produce Tokaji Aszú, Hungarians use unique vinification methods. The Aszú grapes (or botrytized grapes) are harvested by hand, one grape at a time, then crushed and combined with a dry wine. The proportion of Aszú grapes added to the base wine is measured in puttonyos. One puttony represents a 28-liter container that is poured into the traditional 136-liter cask of base wine. The number of puttonyos can vary from 3 to 6. My notes: the wine is a blend of Furmint, Hárslevelu (meaning linden leaf), and Muscat. Dark golden color, apricot nectar on the nose with additional notes of tropical fruits. On the palate, luscious mouthfeel, vivid acidity with caramelized pineapple flavors on the finish. What a treat!

Coming next: the wines of Croatia, Slovenia, and Romania.

Related stories:
•  Wines of Germany and Eastern Europe class: Rheingau, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, and Mittelrhein
•  Wines of Germany and Eastern Europe class: Nahe, Rheinhessen, and Pfalz
•  Wines of Germany and Eastern Europe class: Kremstal, Kamptal, and Wachau (Austria)

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My (current) favorite Pinot Noir winemakers by James Strohecker

I recently read the Wine Spectator's review of California Pinot Noir makers. And, though the article and featured winemakers were both interesting, I don't believe they've identified some of the smaller, niche or consistent Pinot Noir purveyors in our area. Frankly, the Spectator knows Cabernet Sauvignon -- but they don't know jack about Pinot Noir!

So I thought I'd share with you my own little private, opinion-laden email Blog about my current favorite Pinot Noir makers and their wines. Check these wines and wineries out -- I promise you'll be happier for the effort.

1. Ancien Vineyard
--> Ken Bernards is a hot, up-and-coming winemaker. He's made consistent, excellent Pinot Noir for the past seven years for Ancien, and prior to that, he was the winemaker at Truchard. Ken flies all over the world -- called in as a consultant for wineries who're desperate to find the magic that he brings to controlled, focused winemaking. And there's no doubt that they're turning to one of the (current and) future winemaking stars for help. If you can find the Mink Vineyards Ancien, you'll thank me for it.
ancienwines.com

2. Joseph Swan Winery
--> Rod Berglund is as steady as they come. He focuses on creating and producing terroir-defined wines, including their fine Pinot Noir and Zinfandel. This is a hard winery to find -- and the wines are even harder to locate (generally they are in stock at Draeger's and Beltramo's). Well worth the effort. Excellent.
swanwinery.com

3. Alloro Vineyard
--> Actually, I went to High School in Oregon with the winemaker, David Newmarnik, of all things, who's a great guy with a passion to create excellent Pinot Noir. After he graduated from the University of Portland, he bought land in Sherwood, Oregon and started growing grapes. For years, he's been growing and selling grapes to the Ponzi Winery, a notable leader in the Oregon Pinot Noir industry. And for the last four years, he's made his own Estate and Vineyard select wines. Similar to Ken Bernards of Ancien (who, by the way, grew up in McMinnville, Oregon), Dave focuses on hand-crafting his wine.
allorovineyard.com

4. Adrian Fog Winery
Jane Farrell & Stewart Dorman believe in creating small, hand-crafted, cool-climate (they check on fog patterns in the vineyards), small vineyard fruit-based Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley and Russian River Valley. The result is tremendous -- small lot, vineyard-reflective Pinot Noir that ages and drinks incredibly well. This, unfortunately, makes for higher end Pinot Noir, not everyday drinking wine . . . well, unless you've won the Lottery. But it's excellent for a good meal or if you want to win a Pinot Noir tasting event.
adrianfog.com

5. Babcock Winery and Melville Winery
OK, these two wineries are actually right next to each other. You drive down the same driveway and have to decide, "Hmmm . . . what do I want to try first -- the deep, dark, complex Babcock Pinot Noir made by Bryan Babcock, or the layered, granite and elements-wild Pinot Noir made by Melville's Greg Brewer?" The current Melville Estate Pinot Noir is one of the best-kept secrets around -- and it's just sitting on Draeger's shelves, for the taking, at under $30.
babcockwinery.com
melvillevineyards.com

6. David Bruce
The man, the myth, the legend. What got me really angry about the recent Spectator's article on Pinot Noir, was that they ignored David Bruce. He practically invented high-end, precise Pinot Noir wine creation and development in California, after he finished Med School in Oregon, and realized he had two choices -- start his practice, and his winery, in Oregon or in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California. Since then, he's never looked back -- and if you've tracked his Pinot Noir productions over the years, you've noticed the intricacies of every vineyard-select wine, every Estate wine and every blend he creates from Bien Nacido, Carneros, Russian River and the Santa Cruz hillsides. Quite frankly, the latter are far more complex and lasting than most of the Pinot Noirs from other California regions. I've tended towards David's Bien Nacido and Windsor Gardens Pinot Noir over the past years -- and have always been pleased. If you haven't tried his wine lately, it's worth circling back to check it out again, for the first time, as they say. He truly is, the man, the myth and the legend.
davidbrucewinery.com

Enjoy!

James Strohecker

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