Jon Bonné introduces “Clos Chronicle.”

Jon Bonné introduces “Clos Chronicle.” The plan? To plant a vineyard on the roof of the Chronicle’s Food & Wine building, and then make wine.

Alder Yarrow writes about “The Beauty of Blaufrankisch.”

Joe Roberts profiles Cathy Corison and her wines. (As regular readers know, we interviewed Cathy last April.)

Alice Feiring encounters her first pot wine.

In the Wall Street Journal, Lettie Teague writes a great piece on the River Café in Brooklyn. Meanwhile, in Eater, Talia Baiocchi looks at the wine list at Isa, a different Brooklyn restaurant.

“One day, perhaps, the wine business will figure out that everyone is entitled to enjoy wine, regardless of palate.” Kudos to Jeff Siegel for fighting the good fight.

Yet another relic of prohibition: “At least 17 states have ambiguous laws on whether home brewers can transport beer or wine outside the home.” Fortunately, there are efforts across the country to liberalize liquor laws.

A reminder: Terroirist is giving away two free tickets to Oregon’s North Willamette Wine Trail Weekend!

In the New York Times, Eric Asimov writes about a recent “opportunity to taste 18 bottles from the celebrated 1982 Bordeaux vintage.” WineBerserkers founder Todd French and CellarTracker founder Eric LeVine also attended the event, and shared their notes online.

Meanwhile, over on his blog, Eric Asimov wonders if 1982 was “the most significant wine vintage ever.”

Nathan Chroman, who wrote a weekly column for the Los Angeles Times from 1971 to 1987, died March 16. The Los Angeles Times and Wine Spectator have more.

“My favorite corner of France is Burgundy, a region overflowing with edible, drinkable, scenic, and floatable delights. Its rolling hills and a handful of sleepy villages have given birth to the superior wines and fine cuisine that say ‘French.’” Rick Steves, wine writer!

Tom Wark isn’t so sure that the CARE Act is dead.

In the Washington Post, Jason Wilson concludes that the “true wine-drinking nature of a generation as vast as the millennials probably falls somewhere between that of the educated, high-end wine buyer and those who play slap the bag.” I think he’s right.

In NorCal Wine, Fred Swan offers “scenes from an industrial winery.”

John Lasseter, “the undisputed master of animation” behind Toy Story, Cars, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, and Up!, is “also producing some outstanding wines” from his ranch in Sonoma Valley.

Dave McIntyre explains “why white wines should not always be drunk young.”

Alfredo Apolloni, Winemaker and Proprietor of Apolloni Vineyards doing a blending demonstration.

It’s no secret that everyone at Terroirist is a big fan of Oregon wines.

The photo that serves as the header to the site (and our Facebook page) was taken at the Wine Country Farm in Dayton. In a recent wine column, I wrote about the “charm” of Oregon’s wines. And we’ve featured a number of Oregon winemakers in our interview series — including Derek Einberger of Patton Valley Vineyard, Jon Jennison of Thistle Wines, and Dave Paige of Adelsheim.

So I’m not very happy about missing the North Willamette Vintners‘ 4^th annual wine-touring weekend, which takes place next Saturday and Sunday (3/31 and 4/1) from 11:00AM-4:00PM.

Over the weekend, attendees will be able to stop at 24 different wineries, where they’ll be able to taste new releases, barrel samples and even some library wines and reserve bottlings. Each winery will also offer a “unique hands-on wine activity that educates guests about the art of winemaking.”

Tickets are $45 per person for the full weekend, or $35 for Sunday only. They’re also offering designated driver tickets for just $10. For tickets, a full list of participating wineries, and more information, please visit www.nwvintners.org.

The best news? We’re giving away a free pair of tickets for the entire weekend!

To have a chance to win a FREE pair of tickets ($90 value) to the 2012 North Willamette Wine Trail Weekend, just leave a comment naming your FAVORITE Oregon wine. For an extra entry, “like” our Facebook page and also post a comment under this post on Facebook.

The contest ends on Tuesday, March 27, at midnight ET. Good luck!

Shanken News Daily reports that the CARE Act is now “officially off the table.” Let the celebrations begin!

“If you believe wine populists… there’s no such thing as a wine truth. It’s all so personal, they say. Everything is subjective and no two wine drinkers are alike. This, in a word, is nonsense.” In Matt Kramer’s latest column, he offers “three truths about wine.” What do you think?

I’m not sure what “The Balancing Act with Rajat Parr” is going to be, but nonetheless, I’m stoked.

The wine world has been chatting quite a bit about Bordeaux since Robert Parker released his 2009 scores — and many have been wondering if the rising prices will cause a large-scale consumer backlash. Joe Roberts was looking for some intelligent commentary on this topic, so reached out (intelligently) to Eric Asimov.

“You can give me a basket of the best organic vegetables available from Sonoma County, and Cyrus chef Doug Keane a basket of plastic-wrapped veggies from Costco. Whose meal do you think ends up being tastier?” W. Blake Gray explains why terroir is only as important as the producer.

“Fifty years ago, if you tasted a wine from Missouri, Michigan, Minnesota, or New York, chances are you’d be lucky if it was even drinkable. A lot has changed since then.” So proclaims Dan Berger in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.

In his latest column for Jancis Robinson’s The Purple Pages, Alder Yarrow writes about the American Pinot Noir producers pursuing balance. (Subscription required.)

Over at Connections to Wine, Panos Kakaviatos posts an interesting write-up on a recent tasting of 12 Cru Bourgeois wines from 2009, all of which cost less than $20 per bottle.

Some advice for sommeliers: “‘An excellent choice, sir,’ is a great thing to say — even when it isn’t true.” Or so contends W. Blake Gray.

In C-Ville, Megan Headley writes a great piece on the lessons she learned at this year’s Wine Writers’ Symposium.

Boysenberries!

As regular readers know, I write a free, twice monthly wine column that’s distributed to newspapers across the country.

All the columns are housed at Wines.com, the fastest growing wine portal on the Internet. If you don’t see my column in your local newspaper, please send an email to your paper’s editor and CC me (David- at -Terroirist.com).

My latest column — which helps consumers make sense of wine tasting notes — went out this morning.

Wine Appreciation – It Just Takes Practice!

“Aromas of cassis and boysenberry are accented by soft black tea and anise notes, while the palate is defined by caramel, vanilla, Baker’s chocolate and intriguing layers of toasted bread and pie spices.”

That’s an actual tasting note on a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

If such descriptions make your eyes roll, you’re not alone. Tasting notes can be quite bewildering – and the vocabulary of formal wine analysis can make the process intimidating.

After all, what the heck is a boysenberry? Read the rest of this entry »

Tonight on Twitter, @SonomaWilliam will be hosting a live tasting of domestic Rhones in anticipation of this weekend’s Rhone Rangers tasting in San Francisco. The tasting is from 530-7:00 pm, Pacific Time. Use the hashtag #RRSF.

In the Wall Street Journal, Lettie Teague highlights five Napa wineries that have consistently made some of the best Cabernets over the past few decades.

Meanwhile, on her blog, Teague writes about some new Sauvignon Blancs she’s discovered – with some help from David and Monica Stevens of 750 Wines in St. Helena. Huge praise for the 2010 Maze Sauvignon Blanc – “a zippy, zesty wine produced from Knights Valley fruit” – which is also one of my new favorites.

Over at VintageTexas, Russ Kane pens an excellent post on the local wine movement – and the progress that’s slowly but surely taking place.

Wine Industry Network profiles Paul Mabray, the chief strategy officer of VinTank, who is “Leading the Wine Industry into the Future.”

With Mike Steinberger traveling, Tyler Colman decided to takeover the Wine Ethicist – by exploring the proper way to serve counterfeit wine.

“People will use the word ‘Burgundian’ about earthy, leesy Chardonnays from anywhere in the world, but I’ve never heard anyone call another wine ‘Chablisian.’” W. Blake Gray writes an entertaining post about a recent Chablis tasting.

Does bottle shock exist? In the Boston Globe, Stephen Meuse makes a convincing case that it does.

Jeff Siegel writes an update on the proposal to include nutrition labels on wine. (The summary? “There is no update at all.”)

This week, David and Robby check in on Bordeaux and California while I pull a sauvignon blanc from the cellar in anticipation of this week’s spring shipment from one of my favorite domestic producers!

David White
On Monday, I visited Central, a Michel Richard restaurant in DC, with fellow Terroirist Robby Schrum and an out-of-town friend. Robby brought a 2006 Jean Edwards Napa Valley; I brought a 2010 Kutch Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast; and we ordered a 2009 Hamilton Russell Chardonnay off the menu.

The Jean Edwards Cab was fantastic. I wasn’t familiar with the producer, and I’ll definitely be seeking it out in the future. Opening the Kutch was infanticide, but the wine drank beautifully — a true Sonoma Coast nose (complete with black tea, tart cherries, and blackberries); a concentrated but not thick palate; and great structure and acidity.

The Chardonnay was stunning. While I’d heard good things about Hamilton Russell wines, I’d never actually tasted one — and it delivered. Even though it was big, it showed freshness, great citrus notes, minerality, and nice acidity. This could easily pass for a very expensive white Burgundy.

On Tuesday, I attended a WineAmerica event at the U.S. Capitol. Even though I didn’t take any formal notes, it was fun to taste so many wines from so many different states. Todd Godbout has a nice summary of the event on his blog.

On Sunday, I opened up four fun wines with some friends as we enjoyed the spring weather.

First up was the Domaine la Croix des Marchands’ Fraîcheur Perlée, purchased from First Vine for just $12. A blend of equal parts Muscadlle, Mauzac, and Loin de L’oeil, this wine is a perfect summer quaffer — floral, fruity, simple, and crisp.

We then opened the 2011 Arnot-Roberts Touriga Nacional Luchsinger Vineyard and the 2010 Matthiasson White Wine — these are probably my two favorite wines right now.

Finally, we opened a 2010 Bedrock Wine Co. Heirloom Compagni Portis. A old-vine field blend of mixed whites — but primarily Gewurztraminer, Trousseau Gris, and Riesling — the wine reminded me most of a dry Riesling. While it lacked the acidity I expected, I loved the sweet citrus and stone fruit flavors of the wine — and would love to pair it with some Asian cuisine. Read the rest of this entry »

Live-ex sits down with Robert Parker for an in-depth interview (part 1; part 2), chatting about the 2009 Bordeaux vintage; his “underrated” vintages; the regions and producers he’s most excited about, and the Pancho Campo affair.

“At the very moment when more California winemakers talked earnestly about a shift toward a subtler style of wine, nature provided.” In the San Francisco Chronicle, Jon Bonné writes about 2009, 2010, and 2011 in California.

Elsewhere, Bonné recommends some Friulian whites.

“When French police raided the vast, five-floor, 101-room apartment of Teodoro Obiang Nguema… among the ill-gotten gains they confiscated were… an enviable stock of Pétrus and DRC. That’s our world; that’s the kind of homes where you find these wines — and I’m sure Christian Moueix and Aubert de Villaine are as discomfited by this as anyone.” Andrew Jefford, on money and wine.

W. Blake Gray explains why the “Gundlach Bundschu video personifying Merlot is worth seeing.” I agree – it’s hilarious!

Visits to California wine country have long been popular. Increasingly, tourists are visiting states like Kentucky to tour distilleries and breweries.

“Now that the skies have cleared and the 2011 wines have been barreled or bottled, I asked how our skilled and clever winemakers worked their magic against the crappy hand dealt by Mother Nature.” In C-Ville, Megan Headley chat with several Virginia winemakers about last year’s vintage. (H/T: Dave McIntyre.)

Steve Heimoff visits Harlan and Screaming Eagle.

In Australia, some shocking allegations have been leveled against Jacob’s Creek winery for its treatment of kangaroos.

“I couldn’t ask Flajnik if his on-again off-again romance with Courtney Robertson was on again. But if Flajnik is anything like the other ‘wine guy’ star on The Bachelor in 2003 – Andrew Firestone – he’ll never make it to altar with his pick.” In the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat, Peg Melnik chats briefly with the Bachelor, Ben Flajnik.

Todd Godbout writes a nice summary of last week’s WineAmerica reception on Capitol Hill.

Several weeks ago, I got together with some fellow Terroirist bloggers to formally taste several wines that had arrived as press samples over the previous few months. The wines were tasted in a single-blind format.

The biggest surprise? The Chardonnay from Joubert-Tradauw in South Africa. I received this wine as a sample while in South Africa for the 2011 Nederburg Auction and nearly forgot about it until the foil came off.

Details, wines, and tasting notes below the fold. Read the rest of this entry »

Each week, as regular readers know, we pose a series of questions to a winemaker. This week, we’re featuring Thibaut Delmotte, the winemaker at Bodegas Colomé in Argentina.

Although Bodegas Colomé was founded back in 1831 — and has “been farmed since long before anyone kept written records” – it gained international recognition only recently.

In 2001, while the property was simply a “ramshackle bodega, a 27-acre vineyard, and a dry river bed” Donald Hess spotted the potential of the property after finding a water source and sampling the soil, so purchased it.

In 2005, Hess brought Thibaut Delmotte, a Burgundy native, onboard to make the wines. Today, Delmotte is widely recognized as one of the best Malbec producers – his 2006 and 2008 Colomé Reserva bottlings made Wine Spectator’s top 100 wine-list.

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