Joe Dressner.

“When I mentioned that I was a fan of the Dressner book, he lit up. He explained how much he owed Joe for bringing his wines into the U.S., and as he talked about Joe, his voice changed. It was a mix of admiration and reverence…” John Trinidad remembers wine importer Joe Dressner, who died a year ago this week. A much longer memorial was published earlier this week on the site for Louis/Dressner Selections.

“Robert Mondavi was to California wine what Julia Child was to French food in the United States. He turned on generations of thirsty North Americans to the possibilities wine has to offer.” In the Chicago Tribune, Bill Daley pays tribute to Robert Mondavi.

In the San Jose Mercury News, Laurie Daniel profiles Rhys Vineyards.

“When the grapes are ready for picking, their husbands disappear into the vineyards, leaving this group of California winemakers’ wives to figure out their own harvest traditions.” Food & Wine takes us to a “Tamale-Making Harvest Party.”

In Beverage Media, W. Blake Gray talks about the efforts of the Portuguese wine industry to gain traction in the American market.

Meanwhile, in Wine Review Online, Gray tours the cellar of Andrea Contucci, who “runs the last winery in the city of Montepulciano, and it’s right in the town square.”

On Forbes.com, John Kapon of Acker Merrall writes about “3 Blue Chip Bordeaux Bargains.” Interestingly, he doesn’t suggest purchasing wines from Rudy Kurniawan’s cellar.

In Wine Business Monthly, Cyril Penn chats with David Freed, chairman of Silverado Wine Growers and Silverado Premium Properties, a real estate investment fund with more than 10,000 acres of vineyard holdings in California.

In the Press Democrat, Dan Berger profiles Jerry Lohr, owner of J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines.

Ever wonder about the science behind Champagne’s Bubbles? Many answers in Wine-Searcher’s magazine.

We’ve all heard that it takes a lot of beer to make wine. So Tim Fish decided to ask a few winemakers about the beers they’re drinking this harvest.

If you have $3,500, the “Legends of Napa Valley” tasting sounds amazing.

As the chill asserts itself in the air, it might be time to start talking about something other than Riesling.

Note that it’s not time to stop talking about Riesling, it’s simply time to add an autumnal layer to wine discussions. After all, we’re going to need something to drink with our squashes, roasts, and other comfort foods as we hibernate like bears til next mating season… er, summer.

Today marks the tenth anniversary of PS I Love You, an advocacy group for Petite Sirah created by Christine Wells-Groff (Foppiano Vineyards), Dan Berger (Dan Berger’s Vintage Experiences), and Jo Diaz (Diaz Communications).

A few things to know about Petite Sirah, also known as Durif: It was discovered — perhaps by accident — by François Durif when his Syrah and Peloursin pollinated and created a new, small-berried vinifera grape that is only small in physical size. This humble stature may be how ‘Petite’ got appended to the name of a grape that was showing similar characrteristics to its famous parent. In the glass, its modus operandi is big fruit and tannin, generally complemented by a dose of oak.

With the leaves just beginning their annual turn, I headed up to the mountains of southern Pennsylvania with super-sommelier David Metz (he’s new to Twitter, so follow him!) where the low temps snuck below 50, and we tore through 32 bottles of Petite Sirah.

The best wines paired excellently well with our end-of-summer feast of roasted lamb leg, charred grilled chickens, mid-atlantic sweet corn (the only corn to eat), and a plethora of other vegetables. The lineup was enticing with names like Ridge, Biale, and Foppiano.

Some of the bottles, though, were disappointing. Too many accounts of stewed fruits, plums, dark chocolate, and alcohol painted our notes. As huge a wine as Petite Sirah is, many of the bottles after a few hours open in the bottle were almost undrinkable; likely the most surprising discovery of the weekend.

There were, however, several highlights. Check them out below the fold. Read the rest of this entry »

As regular readers know, Tom Natan of first vine wine imports + sales is a “chemical engineer and science geek” who regularly writes super interesting blog posts. After reading the media’s coverage of the recent study which questioned whether organic foods are healthier than conventional alternatives, he did some research — and disagrees with the authors’ conclusions. Don’t worry, he writes about organic grapes, too.

Mike Veseth, the Wine Economist, asks if the wine market is saturated.

“It’s extreme, it’s really rugged, but that’s what makes us what we are and helps the grapes to create some real character.” In the Press Democrat, Virginie Boone writes a great piece on the new Fort Ross-Seaview AVA.

In the Wall Street Journal, Lettie Teague follows a wine collection’s journey from a warehouse in Queens to a Sotheby’s auction.

W. Blake Gray hates wine collectors.

“Wouldn’t [life] be so much easier if you could see the tasting book on your smart phone, sort by style or wine region, and take notes in a profile?” Dr. Vino explains how a startup called SevenFifty is making that happen.

In a separate post, Dr. Vino questions Antonio Galloni’s decision to speak at an upcoming, $1,200/head dinner at Eleven Madison Park showcasing the wines of Solaia.

On Wines.com, Master Sommeliers Devon Broglie and Craig Collins chat with Bill Elsey about Robert Parker and the 100-point scale.

On Monday, Evan Dawson of the New York Cork Report was honored at the Louis Roederer Wine Writing Awards for “Summer in a Glass,” which was named the best wine book of the year.

In the Santa Cruz Mountains, “harvest is in full swing.”

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

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 — in which I share a recent news item from France to explain why the United States is home to so many revolutionary winemakers — went out this morning.

Wine Revolutionaries Call America Home

One of the hottest winemakers in France is Jerome Bressy, the proprietor of Domaine Gourt de Mautens the Southern Rhone village of Rasteau.

Over the past decade, he’s developed quite a reputation. American wine critic Robert Parker has called his winery “sensational,” and France’s two leading wine commentators, Michel Bettane and Thierry Desseauve, have said Bressy deserves recognition as one of the Rhone’s great winemakers. This past year, Bettane and Desseauve honored Bressy for producing both the “Best White” and the “Best Rosé” in the Southern Rhone.

But next year, thanks to a recent decision by French regulators, Bressy may find it difficult to market his wines.

The reason? In France, strict laws dictate winegrowing and winemaking — and Bressy violated the rules. Even though the basis for many of these rules make sense, Bressy’s tale helps explain why adventurous winemakers feel more welcome in America.

French wine laws trace back to 1935. At the time, globalization threatened the dominance of French wines, so lawmakers created a system to guarantee both quality and geographic typicity. Some laws codified tradition — like what grapes could be grown where — and others detailed total minutiae, like vine density.

Because of these laws, consumers know what to expect from French wine. Red Burgundy is Pinot Noir; white Burgundy is Chardonnay; Sancerre is Sauvignon Blanc; and so on.

Jerome Bressy’s “offense” is hardly offensive.

A student of history, Bressy has spent the last few years reintroducing traditional grapes to his vineyard. So today, about 23 percent of Bressy’s estate is planted with obscure grapes like Vaccarese, Counoise, Muscardin, which are interspersed with the more common Grenache, Mourvedre, and Syrah. By French law, these minor varieties can only comprise only 15 percent of a red wine labeled from Rasteau.

So to label his wines as the market expects, Bressy has no choice but to rip up some of his vines or alter his blend. This despite the fact that his bottlings are historically accurate — and that France’s wine laws were designed, in part, to codify tradition.

At worst, Bressy seems guilty of “creative eccentricity.” That’s how VinConnect, a U.S. company that enables consumers to order wines directly from Gourt de Mautens, has described the winemaker. But he’s hardly a revolutionary — Bressy’s transgression is rooted in respect for his vineyard and its history.

It’s no wonder why wine writer Alder Yarrow once criticized French regulators for being “ignorant, stubborn, and backwards.” Read the rest of this entry »

Early Mountain Vineyards

“After [Gov. Bob McDonnell] leaves Richmond, the unofficial mantle of ambassador for Virginia wine may fall to Jean Case.” In the Washington Post, Dave McIntyre writes about the lofty aspirations of Steve and Jean Case, who recently opened Early Mountain Vineyards near Charlottesville.

Jancis Robinson recently traveled to “a remote province of China to participate in the inaugural Ningxia Wine Festival,” and overall, she was impressed. She profiles one of the wines on her blog.

W. Blake Gray thinks we’ve been “scaring newcomers to wine” with the word “acidity,” and should instead talk about “freshness.”

Lily-Elaine Hawk Wakawaka helps one of California’s most interesting winemakers, Matthew Rorick of Forlorn Hope, harvest his crop of St Laurent!

“Champagne has always been pitched and priced as an elitist drink, which is why sales slipped during the recession and sparklers like prosecco and Spanish cava are booming.Yet this summer, Liv-Ex reported global demand for Champagne is thriving.” In Bloomberg, Elin McCoy takes this news as an excuse to sample some pricey wines!

Elsewhere in Bloomberg, John Mariani looks at the increasing popularity of wine in high-end Indian restaurants. He’s assisted by Simon Stilwell, sommelier at one of my favorite spots in DC, Rasika West End.

In the Contra Costa Times, Jessica Yadegaran profiles Roland Micu, America’s youngest master sommelier.

While Andrew Jefford doesn’t think that the recent reclassification of St. Emilion will cause “as many sweet legal briefs” as the last reclassification, “rumblings of discontent are surfacing.”

In the Mercury News, Laurie Daniel contends that “Oregon’s best-kept wine secret may be Riesling.”

Drink Local Wine is looking for an executive director. Help spread the word!

From Ray Walker of Maison Ilan, a brief (and beautiful) walkthrough of Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru “Les Feusselottes.” Definitely worth watching!

“California winemakers share a calling with the Cistercian monks of the Middle Ages: a relentless quest to find the best places to grow Pinot Noir.” In the New York Times, Eric Asimov writes about the recent uptick in Anderson Valley Pinot Noir producers. Meanwhile, in the San Francisco Chronicle, Jon Bonné tastes some 2010 Anderson Valley Pinots.

In Barron’s, “publishing executive Thomas O. Ryder explains how he built a multimillion dollar wine cellar, but in hindsight says it was a mediocre investment.”

The Paso Wine Man is back!

Lily-Elaine Hawk Wakawaka helps Steve Matthiasson harvest Ribolla Gialla at the George Vare Vineyard in Napa.

“Sweet wine has fallen so far out of fashion that people have stopped specifying to waiters that they would like a ‘dry white, please.'” In the International Herald Tribune, Eric Pfanner learns to savor the sweet wines of Banyuls.

This week, many French supermarkets will be hosting their annual wine fairs. On his blog, Eric Pfanner has some advice on how to make sure you score a good deal.

“The list of light-red-wine virtues is impressively long. Besides food-friendliness, there’s generally a lot of bright, crunchy fruit, and the wine is usually low in alcohol.” In the Wall Street Journal, Lettie Teague praises “light reds.”

Meanwhile, in the Washington Post, Dave McIntyre praises Austria’s light reds.

The Drinks Business highlights a surprising champion of synthetic closures: Laurent Ponsot.

Jose Diaz chats with winemaker David Coffaro, “The First Wine Blogger.”

Each week, as regular readers know, we pose a series of questions to a winemaker. This week, we’re featuring Robert Blue, the founding winemaker at Bonterra Vineyards in Mendocino County, California.

Although Bob grew up in Northern California, his family abstained from alcohol — so it wasn’t until he was stationed in Germany with the U.S. Army that he first tasted wine. He quickly became passionate about it, and spent much of his time in Europe exploring the relationship between food and wine.

When Bob returned home, he came across a television program about the winemaking program at the UC Davis, so promptly decided to enroll. After graduation, he joined McDowell Valley Vineyards, first working in the lab and then moving to the cellar. He then landed a winemaking job at San Martin Winery, a custom crush winery.

In 1988, Bob joined Fetzer, where he worked alongside — and learned from — Paul Dolan and Dennis Martin. Over the next few years, Bob also developed his winemaking skills by traveling to Bordeaux, Burgundy, Australia, and the Rhone, and started work as the general manager at Hopland Winery.

In 1990, he made his first wines at Bonterra — a red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Grenache, and  Carignane bottled under a Fetzer label.  Bonterra released its first wine in 1994.

Check out our interview with Bob below the fold. Read the rest of this entry »

11 vintages of Chateau Figeac.

“If the authorities wanted to do something bold, they could have promoted the excellent Chateau Figeac.” So contends Dr. Vino in a commentary on the reclassification of St. Emilion. (As regular readers may remember, I wrote about an 11-vintage vertical of Château Figeac back in February.)

Paul Gregutt asks the question that not enough political pundits have posed: Are your wines better off today than they were four years ago?

“What do Americans want? Cheap wine, of course.”

Serious Eats details five Hudson Valley wines to check out this fall.

“Coursen grew up on a dairy farm and tended various crops before tiring of milk and leaving the roost. In 1968, he was drafted into the Army and spent two years in Vietnam.” In the Napa Valley Register, a nice piece on Ray Coursen, the co-owner and founder of Elyse Winery, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

Is Colorado wine (or any other “local wine”) really too expensive? Kyle Schlachter explores the question.

“You can’t simply go by the grape. You are better off going by the place and who makes it. It’s a question of style more than grape variety.” In the Montreal Gazette, a great essay on tasting wine to figure out what you like.

Richard Jennings visits the San Francisco tasting put on by the Family Winemakers of California.

Isaac James Baker tastes “The Crazy White Blends of Compagni Portis.”

Over at Drink What You Like, Frank Morgan writes a great piece on his recent visit to Oregon.

Dave McIntyre returns to blogging, with a strong endorsement of the Markowitsch Carnumtum Cuvee 2011, an Austrian blend of Zweigelt (80%), Pinot Noir, and Blaufrankisch (10% each) imported by Peter Weygandt.

Some big news from Disney World: For the first time ever, the Magic Kingdom will serve beer and wine.

Some terrible news out of the Central Valley. In Sanger, Robert Munoz, a worker at a winery operated by Gibson Wine Co., died after exposure to ammonia.

Wine Spectator “has learned that [Rudy] Kurniawan’s lawyers will contest the legality of FBI agents’ search of his home after his arrest in a Los Angeles suburb last March.”

Elsewhere in Wine Spectator, Ben O’Donnell analyzes the drinking patterns of millenials.

“Franzia would surely take me to task for my elitist view of Hacienda. But even within his lineup, it’s not a shining light.” From Jon Bonné, a “cautionary tale” about Delta’s wine offerings.

In Palate Press, Shannon Jones writes about the grand plans of Jean and Steve Case at Early Mountain Vineyards, just outside Charlottesville, Virginia.
Elsewhere in Palate Press, David Honig offers some “Observations and Opportunities” out of the recent wine bloggers’ conference.

In the Sacramento Bee, Mike Dunne writes highlights the Grenache he recently tasted at Holly’s Hill Vineyards in Pleasant Valley, California.

W. Blake Gray wants winemakers to stop talking about brix levels and instead highlight pH levels. It’s not a bad idea!

Josh Wade reflects on turning 40 in wine country.

Dr. Vino chimes in on Eric Asimov’s recent piece about California Trousseau.

In which Joe Roberts declares that wine blogging isn’t dead!