Hunting & Gathering of Wine

{ June 29, 2009 @ 3:28 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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Wine is a primal obsession of mine. Sure, it’s nice to dabble in the knowledge of wine. I often dawdle online, pouring–no pun intended–over wine news, blogs and magazine articles.

With articles read and thoughts spinning, I’m left with my “must-have” list. I obsess and become singularly savage in my need to hunt down certain wine. I track. I capture. I return to the lair. There I bury my prey in a dark cupboard. Oh, sure, I consume my kill. But, not before its time.

Whew, all this talk of stalking is making me thirsty! This brings us to the day-to-day consumption of wine, or gathering. Perusing shelf-talkers and labels, along with price tags, to parse out a drinkable wine for an ordinary day can be almost as challenging as hunting wine. Finding something doable in terms of purse and palate requires patience and persistence. Yet, both hunting and gathering results in a humongous reward: the satisfaction of sharing a meal with a glass of wine and torturing your mate to come up with descriptors of said wine to add to blog posts online.

By now you must be wondering if I’m crazy. Sure, I’m a little “unique”or maybe “passionate” is another way to describe my obsession with wine. Why, oh why must I obsess over fermented grape juice, you ask. I’ll be sure to post an answer once I parse it out for myself!

2003 Sequilllo, Here I Come!

{ June 4, 2009 @ 3:29 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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Oh, my. Pinch me because I think I’m dreaming! I have unearthed the holiest of holy grails. Right here in Washington. Finally.

Do you know how long I’ve searched and searched (and searched) online for Eben Sadie’s Sequillo? FOR-EV-ER!

No kidding. I’ve been on an epic quest to find another bottle of Sequillo since tasting it oh-so-long-ago, around Thanksgiving of 2008.

Sure, there are bottles to be had in California, New York, Illinois and even Indiana. If money were no object, I would have had a case shipped months ago. I, however, was looking locally, which was proving an arduous task.

Today, I searched on Snooth.com and one of their partner sites unearthed two bottles at Compass Wines in Anacortes! (Did I mention I’m on their mailing list?) Jobless and scraping pennies, I felt a twinge of guilt as I read my credit card number over the phone to secure my treasure. Then, I remembered the heartbreak of not being able to enjoy more of this amazing wine and suddenly I smiled and realized that I am now the (proud) owner of two more bottles of Eben Sadie’s 2003 Sequillo red wine. Grenache, mourvedre and syrah at its finest!

Oh, it’s going to be an early Christmas for me.

And, sorry to others on the same Sequillo quest as me: the last two bottles are mine! All mine! (Insert evil laugh.) But, I’ll post a review sometime soon.

2003 Falset Old Vines Montsant; Easy to Drink, but Hard to Find

{ June 3, 2009 @ 12:58 pm } · { Wine Tasting Notes }
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2003 Falset Old Vines Montsant
Sitting in my sweltering studio, I’m daydreaming of Spain. Strolling the Rambla, driving the countryside, sipping unctuous Priorat red wines.

Back to reality. (Boo. Hiss.) I received a phone call from my mom a few weeks ago. She was contemplating purchasing some wines on special at a local wine store. She began to read off the list of wines when I stopped her mid-sentence. “Did you say Las Rocas?” My heart fluttered. In case you missed it, I reviewed this wine a while back. To summarize, I went ga-ga for this delightful garnacha, especially at the price.

A journey to the high desert of Oregon was already planned for Memorial Day weekend to visit my folks. Now, a girls’ wine shopping trip was added to the agenda.

Pulling into Baker City, I admired the charming downtown with its wide streets and its boutiques interspersed amongst the local drinking spots. Entering Bella, I ambled through kitchen gadgets and the well-stocked cooler of cheeses, finally arriving at (ta-duh) the ah-maze-ing wine section. Where was I? Baker? How could this be?

While Bella carries a wide selection of wines, it seemed to me the owner shared a passion of mine: Spanish wines! I drooled and dabbled over bottle after bottle and even thought about buying a box of Montsant perched upon a shelf. When, at last, I decided to buy a 2003 Falset Old Vines Montsant. I wanted to share with my mom a taste of the Spanish countryside where I wandered about last year about this time of year.

The majority of the ’03 Falset is garnacha (85%) with a splash of cabernet sauvignon (15%). A deep garnet color, this red wine emits hints of blackberries and dusty earthiness. The dark fruit comes through on the palate, along with casis and licorice. Twinges of blueberries and dark chocolate intertwine in this velvety-textured wine.

The ’03 Falset Old Vines is an easy-drinker and pairs well with grilled meat, which makes it perfect for sipping at summer BBQs. Now, for the bad news; this wine is hard to find. I guess that is only to be expected, since only 450 cases were made for export to the US. Good news: Bella ships wine! (Hopefully it’s still in stock.

If you’re interested in reading up about the Montsant region and this wine, Ole Imports has a web page detailing the climate, soil types, etc.

2008 Syncline Rose; A Complex and Refined Pink Wine

{ May 8, 2009 @ 8:47 pm } · { Wine Tasting Notes }
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2008 Syncline Rose
The basics:

  • 2008 Syncline Rose, Columbia Valley
  • 44% Cinsault, 17% Mourvedre, 30% Grenache & 9% Counoise
  • 13.8% alcohol & 610 cases produced

Each summer I seek out the perfect warm weather wine. With an unseasonably warm day in Seattle, I was inspired to begin my quest early this year. Perusing my grocer’s wine cooler, my eye was drawn to Syncline’s elegantly embossed label. Then I noticed the Columbia Valley designation and I was sold, especially for the under $15 price tag. I was also intrigued by the Rhone varieties used in this blend, since I, on occasion, grab up and gulp down GSMs (Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre)!

The nose, to summarize, was lovely. Initially I couldn’t pinpoint what I was smelling, but then it came to me: fresh sliced peaches. Once I swirled and waited (agony), floral accents blossomed.

Would these tantalizing promises in the bouquet deliver on the palate? Bawbang! They delivered and then some. This rose, with its meticulous structure, provided bursts of strawberry and hints of cantaloupe with a tinge of mango thrown in. A tight-rope walker this wine is indeed; it is well balanced with a wonderful finish.

This rose is the antithesis to the stereotype of the slog formerly known as blush. It is dry with a refined mouth-feel and (thankfully) lacks the sharpness I’ve encountered in some pink wines.

What to pair with this wine? I treated myself to a fancy loaf of seeded bakery bread and Jarlsberg cheese to start. Then I progressed onto my baked salmon and salad main course. All of these dishes were fabulous with the Syncline Rose. (Or was it the Syncline that made these dishes so fine?) With the cuvee of Rhone varietals, this rose can stand up to a variety of culinary delights or is perfect on its own.

I highly recommend this wine. In fact I challenge anyone who says they’re not a fan of rose to give this wine a swirl and sip. I’ve never tasted a rose so well-made and so full of interesting, yet integrated, flavors.

Visit the winery’s website, www.synclinewine.com, to read about James and Poppy Mantone, the owners/winemakers, their wines and vineyards in which they practice biodynamic viticulture.

2005 Bethel Heights Estate Grown Chardonnay: Yummy!

{ March 26, 2009 @ 11:06 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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Wine Brief:
Suffering from a bad case of bronchitis, my palate is not in the best of form. That aside, let me just say, wow! I’m impressed by the ’05 Bethel Heights Estate Grown Chardonnay. Apples and hints of pineapple and minerals, this wonderful wine eased my aching throat and teased my taste buds. I am planning to purchase a bottle, after only imbibing a glass tonight at the bar at the Hood River Inn in Oregon. My mom also enjoyed this finely crafted chardonnay. So, four thumbs up! Way to go, Casteels! I’m looking forward to enjoying more of this wine. If you want to read up on this wine before I track down a bottle to do a proper wine review, check out Bethel Heights’ website: www.bethelheights.com.

2009 Wine Harvest in the Southern Hemisphere

{ February 27, 2009 @ 5:21 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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A recent article in the Los Angeles Times entitled, “An Artist in the Vineyard,” featured Eben Sadie and expounded his quest for perfectionism in his vines and wines. Included was a pictures of Sadie stomping away at grapes. I gazed upon the image with eyes clouded by nostalgia. Once upon a time, I, too, stomped grapes, which turned out to be surprisingly foot-numbingly hard work. And once upon a time, I served Sadie a sample of pinot noir in the Oregon winery where I was working at, long before he gained world-wide recognition for producing South Africa’s top-rated wines.

I’ve been out of the wine biz for ten years, so perhaps I know not what I think I know. And, certainly, I’ll never know a fraction of all there is to know about wine. But, one thing is certain: wine making–harvest in particular–is a cooperative agriculture venture, bringing together people, both locally and from all over the globe. Sadie, like so many winemakers, traveled by the seasons to various wine-producing countries to garner first-hand experience and knowledge.

Personally, this congregation and migration of winemakers from far and wide broadened my interest in the world and sparked a dream of traveling to Burgundy. Ten years later, I wound up traveling further south than first imagined to the lush vineyards of Saint Emilion and Bordeaux. But, here I was. In France. In the wine country. On the train from Paris to Libourne, a woman pronounced and re-pronouned Libourne after my Anglophile-trained tongue stumbled on the vowels. I laughed as I remembered the visiting winemaker from France telling me I “talked funny” after I tried my few words of schoolbook French.

I should not have been surprised to read South Africa is in full swing of harvest, since I’m well away of the duel-hemisphere-multiple-harvests phenomenon, but I still had to do some calculating in my head. As I sat sipping hot cocoa, trying to stave off the Arctic air blasting Seattle, I reminisced about the fruity yeasty aromas rising from the open fermenting vats. I recalled the many interesting people I met along the way who shared their stories with me over glasses of previous vintages. Feeling confined indoors by the gray, rainy days, I keep a comforting thought in mind: harvest is only a hemisphere away.

2006 Erath Pinot Blanc; Floral Nose and Festive Mouthfeel

{ February 20, 2009 @ 5:49 pm } · { Wine Tasting Notes }
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Well-balanced Oregon white wine

Oregon white wine, so very fine

Paying homage to where I first learned about wine, I decided to buy an Erath Oregon Pinot Blanc to serve as a counterbalance to the tangy pasta dish–Fusilli Alla Crazy Bastard–I planned to prepare for dinner. Funny name, fast preparation, and free of meat, this goat cheese and oven-roasted tomato slathered pasta dish paired superbly with the dry Pinot Blanc, just as I imagined it would. Go ahead and give it a shot! The recipe can be found at this Food and Wine’s recipe link: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/fusilli-alla-crazy-bastard.

Now, where was I? Oh yeah, wine. Let me just say, first of all, that I am of the “Old School” Oregon wine biz (circa 1995-1997), pre-tasting-room-fee days, in fact. The name Dick Erath is synonymous with the Oregon industry,having made his first vintage in the early 1970s. (For more winery information, please visit Erath’s website: www.erath.com.) (There are many other pioneers of the Oregon wine industry, but I dare not try to list the names, for fear of leaving off someone important. Perhaps another post…)

Yet I digress and I shall digress even more by proffering up some trivia to go along with this 2006 (ten years after “my time”) Erath Pinot Blanc. Here we go: What was the original name of Erath and who currently owns Erath? (Answers appear below.)

Now onto the important things in life: wine. This Pinot Blanc’s light straw color offers up nothing about the many surprises to come. When chilled, aromas of green apples with floral accents were first to come forth. After warming a bit, a richer scent of freshly mowed grass tantalized my senses.

Like Van Gogh’s sunflowers with their plump canary heads, petals swaying to an invisible breeze, this Oregon Pinot Blanc captures the essence of summertime. What do I mean by this crazy artistic reference? I dare thee to read on!

Refreshing lemon is the first flavor I detect. Soon this gives way to a luscious layer of butterscotch. Let me stop here a moment and emphasize that this is indeed a dry wine. So, why am I tasting butterscotch? I really can’t explain myself. It definitely was NOT sugary sweet, but rather creamy and caramelized. That aside, this wonderful white wine finishes out with a dash of kiwi and a streak of minerality, which provides a sense of place–terroir de Willamette Valley. To my surprise and delight, this Pinot Blanc is exquisitely well-balanced.

Label (Non)Sense:
I actually like the nice anagram and tagline Erath has developed for their label because it slices away the snobbery to reveal the true spirit of wine: Earth, Heart, Erath.

For all you cork die-hards, a warning about this wine: Erath uses screw tops. Shocking, I know, but ecologically sound, right? And, if you forget your corkscrew on your picnic, no worries, mate!

Verdict: Buy now! Drink now! Yummy!

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Trivia answers: Knudson-Erath and Chateau Ste. Michelle. Dick Erath still runs the show, as far as management of the vineyard/winery.

2007 Luzon Bodegas Jumilla; Buy & Drink Now!

{ February 5, 2009 @ 5:30 pm } · { Wine Tasting Notes }
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Easy to Drink with Simple Meals

Easy to Drink with Simple Meals

Like a blind date, first impressions mattered when it came to picking out this wine. Wandering through the aisles of my local grocer, I fumbled around until I came across a bottle that met many of my unknown wine criteria: a region I know I like (Jumilla in Spain), an importer I trust, and a price of under $10.

Back home, I ripped the heal from my baguette and pulled the (real) cork from this Jumilla, I poured a bit into a glass to let it breath. Oh, who am I kidding; the wine barely hit the glass before I took a swig.

The color appeared to be rich purple, but don’t quote me on this because I’m missing the light from my salon. (Yes, I said salon; I live on my sailboat.) Anyway, back to the delicious nectar of Dionysus…

Sniff:

Earthy and sweet, I inhaled in the aromas of tobacco infused with spicy cinnamon and essences of dark berries.

Sip:

After the bread tasting piqued my interest in this Jumilla, I wondered how it would go with food. So, I waited until my pasta with marinara was cooked and plated before imbibing again. Upon the first bite and sip, I thought, ah, here is the beauty of this wine; it begs to be paired with food with its bright acids and soft tannins. Dark fruit punctuated by coffee and cassis glided across my tongue without distracting from the tomato, garlic and thyme of my simple Italian meal.

Verdict:

I recommend this wine for a nice accompaniment to Italian fare and Spanish dishes like paella. It even tasted great with my white chocolate dessert. Go figure!

It is a young, young wine, so I’d be interested in a re-taste after it is all grown up. At times it felt a bit jagged on my palate. The acids prickled the tip of my tongue and finished nicely, but fell short of wowing me on the mid-palate.

The Label:

2007 Jumilla
70% Monastrell
30% Syrah

The Winery:

Luzon Bodegas, located 350 km southeast of Madrid, is a family-owned winery consists of 90 hectares. Founded in 1916, these vineyards, located in the La Hoya de la Carrasca valley, receive little rain and have chalky and gravelly soils.

For more information on the Luzon Bodegas, you can visit their website: www.bodegasluzon.com. (Be sure to turn down your speakers first, unless you enjoy thumpin’-good techno music!)

2006 Mad dogs & Englishmen, Jumilla, Spain: Buy Now, Try Now and Then Try Again

{ January 8, 2009 @ 10:35 am } · { Wine Tasting Notes }
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THE LABEL: Spanish red from Jumilla, 60% Monastrell, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Shiraz.
SWISH: Deep purple-red. Medium bodied.
SNIFF: Ah, the joy of this bottle lies in the nose. So, take a little time and let this red’s molecules bounce around in your glass before you dive right in. With rich black fruit, currants with a hint of tar, the bouquet tantalizes and teases.
SIP: Surprisingly, this wine is not the big fruit bomb that I expected from the nose. It has a nice mouth feel backed up by some acid and soft tannins. With a hint of the blackberries and spice rolling around on my tongue, I look forward to trying it with food.
Dinner consisted of a nice tuna steak accompanied by sauteed carrots and tabouli salad. The Mad dogs & Englishmen’s subtle flavors enhance rather than overwhelm the fish.
VERDICT: Buy once and try now. Plus, buy again to see how this 2006 melds in the bottle. For $10.99, I’m impressed with this puppy!

Jellyfish and Coconut in Kauai

{ January 6, 2009 @ 10:12 am } · { Uncategorized }
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Spouting Horn, Kauai

Spouting Horn, Kauai

“Come on. You’ve come all the way to Hawaii and you’re not even going to get wet,” said Jellyfish.

“I got wet,” said Coconut.

“Up to your knees. Ha. I bet I will swim in the ocean before you,” said Jellyfish.

Suddenly Coconut stood up and strode off to the surf where he belly flopped into the ocean. Then came a large wave that pummeled little Coconut. As much as Coconut tried to swim, the waves kept tossing Coconut around and around, smashing him into the sand.

Jellyfish laughed and laughed. Coconut finally washed upon the beach with sand adhered to every surface of his body. Jellyfish swam past the crashing waves and bobbed about. See, she thought, I’m a much better swimmer than Coconut. The ocean heard Jellyfish and became angry with her arrogance and sent a wave to show her who was boss. The wall of water lifted Jellyfish up, pushed her towards shore and then tugged her back out again.

Swimming and swimming, Jellyfish couldn’t make it back to shore. Coconut stood right before her. “Help,” she said. He stood and smiled. “Help, please,” she said. He reached out his arm and pulled her back to the warm, dry sand.

Lesson of the story: Jellyfish, uh hum, I really do need fins to swim in the ocean. Otherwise, I just bob about at the ocean’s mercy, like a jellyfish. And, maybe let the big fish play in the wave-crushing ocean while I find myself a shallow, calm area to paddle about. I’ll let Coconut come to his own conclusions. He is, however, bragging about being the hero of the story. (Jellyfish learned her lesson about bragging.)

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