Daily Wine News: Praising Rhys

Posted by | Posted in Wine News | Posted on 02-22-2012

In the New York Times, Eric Asimov profiles Kevin Harvey and Rhys Vineyards. I’m very glad to be on the mailing list.

“Muscadet is typecast as a gulpable, fresh, crisp white wine ideally paired with oysters.” But in the hands of a few Loire Valley vignerons, this bargain white is becoming quite “serious.”

Ed Thralls, the blogger behind Wine Tonite, is becoming a winemaker. In a fantastic post, Ed details the beginning of his latest journey.

On the Wine Trail in Italy, Alfonso Cevola explains why the wines of Napa Valley’s Heitz Cellar mean so much to him. (H/T: Eric Asimov.)

Jon Bonné finds 20 great wines for $20 or less. He promises that they’re more than just great values – “they’re also great wines, bottles that offer a legitimate look at a grape and place.”

In the New York Times, Florence Fabricant reports on Beerjobber, which offers craft beer, direct from the brewer!

This year, according to a new survey, the fine wine market is expected to grow by 10 percent “as strong value buying opportunities for wine lovers and investors emerge.”

More proof of Moscato madness!

Ever wonder what goes on at a small winery during the winter months? In a great video from Cooking Up a Story, Lynn Penner-Ash explains.

 

Red Wine and Chocolate? An Evening with the Washington Wine Academy

Posted by | Posted in Wine Events, Wine Reviews | Posted on 02-21-2012

The Athenaeum in Alexandria, Va.

Last week, the Washington Wine Academy hosted a “Red Wine and Chocolate Wine” Event at the Athenaeum in Alexandria, Virginia — just before the holiday officially sponsored by the chocolate and greeting card industries, Valentine’s Day.

I was fortunate enough to attend, where I tasted nearly 20 different wines in a beautiful art gallery packed with wine aficionados from throughout the Washington area. (As an aside, if you ever have the chance to visit the Athenaeum — or better yet, attend a private event there — take advantage. The space is tremendous.)

Although red wine and chocolate are often linked — thanks in no small part to their shared status in or culture as aphrodisiacs — the two strike many as less than a perfect match. (The Terroirist-in-Chief certainly thinks so, at the very least.)

I tend to agree, and so I forewent the many chocolate candies and cakes on offer to focus on the wines.

I asked Alex Evans, the Director of Education at the Academy, why she chose to highlight the chocolate-red wine pairing. She acknowledged that in most cases, the two were not ideal mates. But very few people can pass up a smorgasbord of 20 wines and a buffet of chocolate treats.

Given the high turnout, she had a point.

Evans poured an eclectic mix of wines, including several varietals I’d never encountered. Read the rest of this entry »

Daily Wine News: Organic Failure

Posted by | Posted in Wine News | Posted on 02-21-2012

W. Blake Gray reports: “The US and EU concluded a major deal on organic food labeling last week, basically agreeing to recognize each other’s certification processes… The only product left out of the agreement was wine, and once again sulfites were the culprit.”

Henry Tang has long been expected to become Hong Kong’s next chief executive. His hopes may have ended, though, undone by allegations that he built an illegal wine cellar.

Jeff Siegel, aka the Wine Curmudgeon, writes a two part series on sweet red wine. In Part I, he provides an overview. In Part II, he explains what they taste like.

In a fascinating post at WineBerserkers, Roy Piper explains why he decided to send two 2004 Chateauneufs – “both of them well-known names scoring in the mid-90s by the Pooh-Bah” – to the lab for analysis. The results are quite interesting.

In Palate Press, Evan Dawson writes a comprehensive piece on what recent studies tell us about light drinking during pregnancy.

In McClatchy, Fred Tasker looks at the high-altitude wines of Argentina.

The Wine Writers’ Symposium: Congrats To This Year’s Fellowship Winners!

Posted by | Posted in Terroirist | Posted on 02-20-2012

Tomorrow, the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers commences at Meadowood Napa Valley.

Alder Yarrow has described the Symposium as “the best three days you could possibly spend if you are an aspiring, working, or even just dreaming writer about wine,” and I think he’s right.

I attended the 2011 Symposium as a fellowship recipient, and credit the event with helping give me the confidence I needed to become a real life wine writer.

This year’s fellowship winners were just announced, so to them, a huge congrats!

BOND: Patricia Thomson, Brooklyn, NY; contributing writer, Tastes of Italia and Wine Enthusiast.

Far Niente: Christina Kelly, Shoreline, WA; contributor, Sommelier Journal, Seattle Magazine.

Franciscan Estate: Andrew Adams, Napa, CA; staff writer, Wines & Vines.

Freemark Abbey: Ben Narasin, Atherton, CA; freelancer for San Francisco Chronicle, Tasting Panel.

Hourglass: Janice Kleinschmidt, Palm Springs, CA; writer, Palm Springs Life.

Peju: Wink Lorch, London, UK; writer and educator, Wine Travel Guides

Plumpjack and CADE: Matt Andrejczak, San Francisco, CA; reporter, WSJ’s MarketWatch.

Robert Mondavi Winery: Michelle Locke, Berkeley, CA; freelance writer, Associated Press, Vineyard & Winery Management.

Saintsbury: Francis Percival, London, UK; World of Fine Wine.

Shafer Vineyards: Erica Szymanski, Pullman, WA; wine science writer, Palate Press.

Silverado Vineyards: Tim Teichgraeber, San Francisco, CA; freelance writer, San Francisco Chronicle, Decanter.com.

Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars: Talia Baiocchi, Brooklyn, NY; columnist, Eater.com.

Stags’ Leap Winery: Samantha Dugan, Signal Hill, CA; blogger, Samantha Sans Dosage.

Terlato Family Vineyards: Megan Headley, Charlottesville, VA; writer, C-Ville Weekly.

Tres Sabores: Katherine Cole, Portland, OR; wine columnist, The Oregonian, MIX.


Sadly, I won’t be attending this year – but I will be in Napa later this week for some Premiere Napa Valley events. I hope to see some of the writers out on the town!

Weekly Wine Roundup: Opus One!

Posted by | Posted in Wine Reviews | Posted on 02-20-2012

Check out the latest tasting notes from the Terroirist team, including Rebecca’s pretty epic tasting of Opus One’s recent releases.

Rebecca Canan
I had a great week of wine. I started out on Monday with an Opus One tasting of four vintages – 2005, 2006, 2007, & 2008. I’ll be doing a more in-depth tasting next month with winemaker, Michael Silacci, but in the meantime here are brief tasting notes. Everything was, to put it technically, yummy.

The 2005 Opus One had a woodsy, cigar box nose that was dominated by secondary/tertiary scents and only with more restrained deep blackberry and blueberry notes. The palate had the same fruit profile balanced by tobacco, a little leather, and integrated tannins.

The 2006 Opus One was brighter and fresher – deep raspberry, brambly black fruit. On the palate you got the new French oak, which the wine had been aged in for ~18 months – toasty vanilla, a little spice, and then more black currant.

The 2007 Opus One had muddled blackberries, blueberries, and dark raspberry on the nose. It smelled like a young, well-made Napa cab that my mother would die for. The profile then evolved into more oak character than I’d expected from the nose (allspice/cinnamon). Still very fruit-forward, almost like a blueberry pie; delicious, but will improve gracefully with age.

On the 2008 Opus One, I got greener, vegetal notes (funky growing season? Or the Petit Verdot/Cab Franc?), cassis, a little anise. The mouth was surprisingly tannic and drying with leather, sandalwood, deep black currant, and considerable heat (alcohol content?).

I enjoyed a big messy burger for a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner Tuesday, then followed it up with a glass of 2009 Suhru Shiraz, which I’d picked up on a trip to the North Fork of Long Island. I was intrigued by this wine because it smells and tastes like peppered, teriyaki beef jerky. No joke. Beef. Jerky. Kind of weird and kind of awesome.

Saturday I went to the Tre Bicchieri Italian wine event here in New York. Be on the lookout for a separate post on this event!

Matt Latuchie
I was on the road this week and was happy to reconnect with some wine friends in both New York City and Chicago.

In New York, I met up with some friends and a wide selection of wines were opened. The NV extra brut cuvee from Marie-Noelle Ledru was closest to taking home the honors of wine of the night amongst the group. This was recommended to me from wine wunderkind Salil Benegal who spoke very highly of her wine making style.  It wasn’t a powerful Champagne – in the mold of, say, Krug – but much more feminine and exotic. Beautiful floral notes merged with sweet lemon and lime tones to create an elegant and racy champagne. For me, the other highlight of the night was the 2004 Bernard Levet Côte-Rôtie La Chavaroche. This was a rustic syrah with dense olive and meat tones that, to me, are the essence of the grape. While incredibly young, this already speaks of its terroir and should only increase in complexity with time. Read my complete notes on the evening here.

While in Chicago I met up with a small group for a Clos Vougeot dinner at Acquitaine in Lincoln Park. The atmosphere was festive, the food was well prepared and the wines showed very nicely. We had four Clos Vougeot; 1996 Faiveley, 1997 Fery-Meunier, 1997 Chateau De La Tour, and the 2001 Jacques Prieur. The Faivlely seemed shut down and wasn’t incredibly interesting to me, the Prieur was too young but the two 1997s drank beautifully. This isn’t a heralded vintage at all, but both of these wines had vivid red fruit, nice earthy tones, subtle dry leaf tones and a wonderful mix of spices. Read my complete notes on the evening here. Read the rest of this entry »

Daily Wine News: New Generation

Posted by | Posted in Wine News | Posted on 02-20-2012

In San Francisco, “a new generation of local sommeliers has all but dismissed the expected style of California wines” – and is instead presenting diners with “quirky, off-the-grid wines.” Bravo.

In the International Herald Tribune, Eric Pfanner writes about the wines of Quarts-de-Chaume – and a local dispute between Domaine des Baumard and other producers in the region.

Bloomberg Markets profiles Bill Foley and his “burgeoning viticultural business,” which stretches from California to New Zealand.

In the Wall Street Journal, Lettie Teague highlights the wines of Roussillon – and contends that they have much more in common with the wines of Spain than their native France. She quotes Terroirist friend Tim O’Rourke, manager of Weygandt Wines in Washington, and agrees.

Wine Spectator chats with White House food and beverage director Daniel Shanks about the wine selections of America’s most famous residence.

“If Ralph Lauren wanted to start a winery, he’d be wise to come to Virginia.” In Zester Daily, Patrick Comiskey looks at Virginia’s wine scene.

In the Telegraph, Victoria Moore asks why the wines of the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti are so special.

“Spottswoode has been one of Napa Valley’s stalwart producers of quality Cabernet Sauvignon since its earliest years, and for the last decade or so has been quietly turning out elegant, refined, and even understated wines that represent everything that is good about Napa Cabernet.” Alder Yarrow profiles Spottswoode.

Weekly Interview: Dan Petroski

Posted by | Posted in Interviews | Posted on 02-17-2012

Each week, as regular readers know, Terroirist poses questions to a winemaker. This week we a featuring Dan Petroski. At Larkmead, where he heads up winemaking, he makes rich, finesse-driven reds. Under his own label, Massican, Dan churns out small batches of Friulian-style whites from Tocai Friulano, Ribolla Gialla, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc.  Both are from the great valley of Napa.

Dan Petroski, photo courtesy Liza Gershman

Born and raised a New Yorker, Dan moved to Italy in 2005 after nine years working in magazine publishing at Time Inc. While there, he lived in Catania, Sicily for one year working with the family that owns Valle dell’Acate.

In 2006, Dan came back to the States to find a job in wine sales and marketing in New York. Nothing was available; so he continued his wine apprecenticeship with Andy Smith at DuMOL who asked Dan to come on board full-time at Larkmead in late 2006. Dan has been working in the cellar at Larkmead ever since, and launched Massican with the 2009 vintage with the desire to make spirited white wines that reminded him of his time in Italy.

The Massican wines certainly charmed the pants off this Terroirist, a lover of all wines Italian. In addition to the dry whites, sweet Passito and Amarone style wines along with his own vermouth are on the docket for Dan as well. 2011 will mark the third vintage at Massican.

Check out our interview with Dan below the fold… Read the rest of this entry »

Daily Wine News: Harvest Intern

Posted by | Posted in Wine News | Posted on 02-17-2012

Duncan Meyers & Nathan Roberts.

With the release of the 2011 Arnot-Roberts Touriga Nacional Rosé, John Trinidad recalls his time as a harvest intern with the winery.

“Type the words ‘empty wine bottles’ into eBay’s search engine and you will soon be presented with a number of options to purchase all manner of empties from the world’s greatest wine estates.” In the Wall Street Journal Europe, Will Lyons explores the issue of counterfeit wines.

Ridge details the assemblage of its 2011 Monte Bello.

The Napa Valley Register reports that “Legendary Napa Valley vintners Peter Mondavi, Sr., the late Joe Heitz and the late Myron Nightingale will be inducted into the Vintners Hall of Fame.

Champagne maker Moët-Hennessy has announced plans to develop a vineyard in China to produce red wine for the domestic Chinese market.

Meanwhile, U.S. wine exports to China grew by 42 percent last year.

Cheers to the big wineries!” Steve Heimoff explains why he’s so impressed with big companies like Kendall Jackson.

Drat. Alder Yarrow has concluded that “jammy is the dominant zone for Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir.”

Barolo or Barbaresco? Alan Richman explores.

The 14 Days of Younger

Posted by | Posted in Beer | Posted on 02-16-2012

Beer: it’s the drink winemakers drink when they aren’t drinking wine, which happens a lot more than some might imagine. There is a phrase in the industry, “it takes a lot of good beer to make a great wine,” but sometimes it takes a lot of wine to make a great beer. Such is the case at Russian River Brewing Company in my current hometown of Santa Rosa, California; at least  for their barrel aged sours such as Temptation — aged in used Chardonnay barrels.

Normally, I’d opt for one of these barrel-aged beers, but not in the first two weeks of February. That would be a total waste at this special time of year known as the “14 days of Younger.” While I typically couldn’t care less about scores, ratings, badges, and the like, I must admit that living within walking distance of the brewery producing the beer currently rated number one out of every beer in the world on Beer Advocate is pretty sweet.

Having heard the hype, I had to swing by on the first day of the 14 to try it out. This was a bad idea. The line was almost literally around the block, and I have a feeling that not many people were going to be giving up their spots at 6 p.m. on a Friday. The next day proved even more daunting. There must easily have been more people in line than living in the state of Delaware. Regardless, I finally made it in at 11 a.m. on Tuesday. And 11 a.m. on Wednesday. This stuff is good.

Now for the beer: Russian River Brewing Company Pliny the Younger (2012 release): The Younger is a triple IPA, none of that wussie double stuff of his Elder equivalent. The nose is pure oranges and hops that smell as if they’d just been picked fresh from the highest peaks of the Cascades. Normally I’m not a huge IPA drinker, nevermind triple IPAs, but the balance between fruitiness and hoppy bitterness on this is astounding. Coming in 10.7% alcohol and IBUs that probably can’t even be measured, balance isn’t the first word that comes to mind. But the Younger pulls it off, and it pulls it off in style.

Unfortunately, today, February 16, is the final of the 14 days of Younger. I can only hope the end of the world holds off until I get to taste the 2013 version, and for anyone who thinks February is a bad time to visit wine country, I beg to differ. Not only was it 65 and sunny yesterday, but early February in Sonoma County is also beer country; beer so good that I forgot about wine for a brief moment, and that doesn’t happen very often.

Daily Wine News: Beware of Bubbles!

Posted by | Posted in Wine News | Posted on 02-16-2012

Beware of bubbles! As regular readers know, Tom Natan, the owner of first vine wine imports + sales, is a “chemical engineer and science geek” who regularly writes super interesting blog posts. After reading the recent piece in Wine Review Online about blood alcohol levels by Michael Apstein – a practicing gastroenterologist at Beth Israel – Tom got to wondering how carbonation impacts the body’s reaction to alcohol. Tom’s conclusion? “If you’re looking to keep your blood alcohol level lower… try drinking still water with your wine or other alcohol, instead of seltzer.”

Dave Brookes writes about the wines of Stanko Radikon, a “maverick” winemaker in Friuli.

According to Jordan Mackay, the wines of the Loire Valley are exactly like the movie “Moneyball.”

Lettie Teague highlights Michel Chapoutier’s latest effort — a project called “Marius,” through which he’ll make some affordable wines.

Next week, San Francisco will get “a serious dose of Burgundy.” Jon Bonné has the details.

In a post that’s quite disapproving of the Wine Advocate, Steve Heimoff looks at professional wine criticism, concludes that it’s impossible for wine reviewer to “properly review a wine at the estate, with the winemaker, knowing what the wine is.”

In Palate Press, Meg Houston Maker offers a crash course in food-and-wine pairing.