Pinot Noir
With cool, wet winters, warm dry summers and the marine influence from the west, the coastal Willamette Valley of Oregon is perfect for growing pinot noir grapes.
Dr. Loosen’s Oregon Wine Adventure
The Loosen Family wine estate in Germany is famous for it’s rieslings. Closer to home, Ernst Loosen – one of the rock stars of wine making, currently partners with Chateau St. Michelle in Washington state, to produce the famous Eroica riesling we all love. One of the best food-friendly wines that we always keep on hand.
Now Ernst Loosen wants to make great pinot noir, so he is partnering with Oregon based winemaker, Jay Somers, of J. Christopher Wines, in a new venture, Loosen Christopher Wines LLC.
Currently Somers and Loosen have crafted two pinot noirs:
2006 Appassionata
A finely selected, limited-production Pinot Noir from Oregon’s Willamette Valley. To assemble the wine, Ernst and Jay taste through all of the barrels in the J. Christopher cellars and select a distinctive combination of clones, terroirs and cooperages to produce an elegant pinot noir with powerful Oregon fruit and fine Old World structure.
Under the new Loosen Christopher Wines venture, Appassionata will continue to be a top of the line special bottling, eventually coming primarily from estate-grown grapes after the vines on the new vineyard are established. Very New World with a dark purple color. Rich, deep black cherry scents leading to substantial dark fruit intensity, extended tannins and a long, dry finish. Only 99 cases produced, so this is definitely a collector’s item. The vintage will be released for the first time this March and will retail for $75.
2006 Two Worlds
A value-priced Pinot Noir. Originally a blend of German and Oregon grapes, this label will be 100 percent Oregon going forward. Currently, the Two Worlds Pinot Noir is 90% fruit from the sunny Pfalz – contributing purity of fruit and structure – and 10% is a selection from the Oregon cellars of J. Christopher – lending deeper fruit, stronger tannins and a firmer backbone. Two Worlds has a deliciously pure, bright cherry fruit melding with the darker, sturdier structure that often characterizes Oregon Pinot Noir. Two Worlds retails for $16. (Because of all the hype about the wine, the cheapest I could find it was at K & L for $18.)
Check out the J. Christopher website.
Tags: dr. loosen, oregon, pinot noir, riesling, willamette valley
Paso Robles
“There is no question that a decade from now, the top viticulture areas of Santa Barbara, Santa Rita Hills and the limestone hillsides west of Paso Robles will be as well-known as the glamorous vineyards of Napa Valley.”
—-- Robert M. Parker, Jr. June 30, 2005 issue of Wine Advocate
El Paso de Robles – “Pass of the Oaks” in Spanish, is located halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. This central coast wine region is the largest viticulture area in the state. With climate and terrain that mimics the southern Rhone region of France, it is the new frontier for California winemaking. During the past 20 years, the number of wineries has grown from 30 to 250 – and counting. But the land isn’t what first brought people to the area. It was the water.
In 1882, a pamphlet advertised “El Paso de Robles Hot and Cold Sulphur Springs and the Only Natural Mud Baths in the World.”
That same year, commercial winemaking was introduced to the Paso Robles region when Andrew York, a settler from Indiana, planted vineyards and established the Ascension Winery at what is now York Mountain Winery. The family planted some of the area’s earliest Zinfandel vines, making Paso Robles famous for the variety.
In the 1970’s the first large-scale modern facility in the area was built by Dr. Stanley Hoffman. He brought financing and expertise from UC Davis, planting some of the region’s first Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on his 1,200-acre ranch. Cabernet Sauvignon still remains the leading variety for the Paso Robles appellation, and accounts for 38 percent of the region’s planted wine grape acreage.
The 1990’s brought the French. In 1989, the Perrin family (of the Rhône Valley’s Chateau de Beaucastel, revered producer of Chateauneuf-du-Pape), along with American importer Robert Haas, established their international joint venture, Tablas Creek Vineyard.
Since 1989, Paso Robles has seen an explosion of plantings of Rhône varieties. It now has some of the largest acreage of Syrah, Viognier and Roussanne planting in the state.
Worldwide recognition of Paso Robles Wine Country as a premier wine region came in 2000 when Justin Vineyards & Winery’s Bordeaux-style Isosceles was named one of the top 10 wines in the world by the Wine Spectator.
In 1994 Isosceles, Justin’s iconic blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, was named “Best Blended Wine in the World” at the London International Wine & Spirit Competition.
You can find a 2007 Isoscelels for around $56 a bottle. Not a bad price for a good wine. But we are always looking for the diamond in the rough, and we think Justin produces such a wine.
2007 Justin The Orphan
Made from leftover juices from the hand-harvested single vintages, the grapes, Cabs, Syrahs, and Merlots, are blended, depending on availability, into that years orphan.
Justin has done an Orphan since 2003 when there was a fire at the winery. The fire caused some damage and disarray of the proprietary barrels in the cellar. Because they couldn’t identify some of the wines, they were blended into a red wine called, “The Orphan.”
Tasting Notes
Bright purple in color with a ruby red hue, the 2007 is our best Orphan offering to date. Aromas of black fruit, raspberry and leather fill the glass. The entry is soft, balanced and layered with fruits, fig and a touch of spice. The mid palate is fleshy and fruit forward, segueing into a finish lightly touched by ripe tannins and nuances of new French and American oak. $15
Tags: California, paso robles, red wine
3 Wine Price Points – One Great Winemaker
While searching out the next “diamond in the rough” of good, affordable wine, it’s best to take in two considerations: the land the grapes are grown on and the style of the winemaker. One of the top winemakers in the world is 71 year old Aubert de Villaine.
Monsieur de Villaine’s wine-making philosophy emphasizes, above all else, that great wine is made in the vineyards and that the winemaker’s role is to do the minimum necessary to produce the finest fruit consistent with total respect for the individual terroir of each appellation.
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti estate in Burgundy, France is considered to be among the world’s greatest wine producers. The wines are also among the world’s most expensive.
In 2001, a lot of seven bottles of Montrachet 1978 from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti was sold at Sotheby’s in New York for $167,500, or $23,929 per bottle – an extraordinary price for a white wine, even in the rarified world of wine collecting. At the time it was the most expensive wine ever sold in America. What happened was that two avid collectors were bidding against each other and got carried away, each refusing to yield as the price rose through the stratosphere.
Today, the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti is Co-Owned and Co-Directed by Aubert de Villaine. Aubert’s father and grandfather were both Directors of the Domaine. Because he was raised at the Domaine and had intimate familiarity with the day-to-day operations of the winery, he was a natural to become the Co-director in 1974. Learn more: Read
A & P de Villaine
When he isn’t making wine for the great Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, Aubert de Villaine and his wife own and run a domain in nearby Bouzeron called A & P de Villaine. This domaine is extensively planted with Aligoté – a white grape used to make dry white wines – similar in style and fruit characteristics to Pinot gris. Aligoté is considered the second most important grape in Burgundy – after Chardonnay.
See: Website
Domaine A et P De Villaine Bouzeron 2007
From the golden Aligoté doré grape, which gives lowers yield and more aromatic wines than its cousin, the Aligoté vert. A lively, fruity wine, but it also has a finesse and roundness. These qualities lend it great versatility. To best appreciate the freshness and fruit, it would be drunk young, within two or three years. To allow the wine to fully develop fullness and “fatness”, age it for up to ten years. It should be served chilled, at about 54°F, as an apéritif, with seafood, or with a number of cheeses (goat cheese, Cantal, Beaufort, Parmesan, Roquefort). $20
Hyde de Villaine “HdV”
If you thought running two wineries would be enough to keep the de Villaines busy, Aubert and Pamela are also involved in Hyde de Villaine (HdV), a highly regarded winery in California’s Carneros District.
See: Website
2006 Hyde de Villaine “HdV” Carneros Chardonnay
“Showing all of the richness and layered complexity that we have come to expect from HDV, this head-turning offering is at once fairly powerful but comes with an uncommon sense of finesse. It smells of well-ripened apples, sweet toast and wisps of roasted grains, and its deep, full-scaled flavors unfold with elements of minerals and spice lifting it above simple fruitiness. Full-bodied and slightly fleshy in feel with optimal acids affording it very fine balance, it is a serious Chardonnay that will take to aging, but it is wholly fascinating now.” – 93 points Connoisseurs Guide to California Wine. $56
Tags: burgundy, carnaros, chardonnay, french wine, value
Tomatoes
If you’ve been to any of the home improvement stores or Walmart, you may have noticed that they’ve gotten their first supply of vegetable plants and seeds. One tomato plant costs $3.00. You can get a package of seeds for under $2.00.
If you plan to grow more than a couple of plants then seeds are the way to go. Just remember that if you will be growing your plants in pots, it’s best to buy ‘determinate’ varieties. Those are the tomatoes that grow to a compact height and stop growing when the fruit sets. They’ll ripen over a 2 or 3 week period, and then die.
If you have room for “vining” tomatoes, then indeterminate varieties will grow and produce fruit throughout the growing season – usually until the first frost.
Planting seeds
Any type of container will do as long as you will be able to easily get the fragile seedling out without damage. Styrofoam cups, peat pots, whatever. Just make sure you use good, fresh potting soil. Follow directions on the package.
Keep warm and moist
Tomato seeds usually germinate within 5 to 10 days when kept in the optimum temperature range of 70 to 80F. If temperatures drop below 50F or above 95F seeds won’t germinate. Don’t let soil dry out.
Lot’s of light
A south facing window is a good place to start seeds. If that is not possible, use a fluorescent light, or specialized high-intensity grow lamp, or a combination of natural and artificial lighting.
Transplant
You may have to transplant root-bound plants a couple of times before they are ready to go outside. As soon as fear of frost is over, begin acclimating plants to the outdoors. Avoid full sun and wind when you first move them outside.
Given the proper care, full-sized tomato transplants can be grown in 6 to 8 weeks.
2005 Celler de Capcanes “Mas Donis” Barrica Montsant
Wine from old vines grapes grown on volcanic slopes in north eastern Spain. The life span of a grape vine is about 120 years, and the Granache and Syrah used in this wine come from vines that are over 80 years old and over 30 years old, respectively. The region is known for producing high quality red wines at affordable prices.
Dark ruby color. Aromas of black cherries and dark berries with a hint of smoked meat, licorice and clove. This is a medium bodied wine with rich flavors of dark cherries and berries and hints of mineral, spice and oak. Good balance of acidity and tannins. A long, fruit forward finish. Robert Parker gave it 91 points. Drink now or hold a year or two. A great value at $10
Pairs well with grilled, marinated, thin cut pork chops.
Merlot
Merlot is back! For the past decade the step sister to Cabernet Sauvignon has been pushed to the back burner by the big, beefy California Cabs – but no more. Merlot has been brought to the forefront with the help of some great Washington wine makers and the perfect fruit grown in the Columbia Valley. In fact, the two finest places on the planet for Merlot are the Columbia Valley of Washington and Bordeaux’s “Right Bank” region.
From Sunset Magazine:
“Merlot is one of the most seductive wines in the world. It relies less on power and more on finesse, drifting toward red fruits (dark or sour cherry, raspberry) rather than the black fruits of Cabernet. Most important, its delicate balance and structure make it an incredible food wine.”
2006 Chateau Ste. Michelle Ethos Merlot
Deep red color. Aromas of dark cherries, plum and vanilla. complex wine with a hint of of oak. Long, creamy finish with firm but velvety tannins. $31
Hogue Cellars 2006 Merlot
The entry level – under $10, of the 3 product tiers for Hogue wines. Dark red color. Aromas of plum and cherry with a hint of smoke. Bright cherry flavors with a hint of vanilla and spice. Medium bodies with laid back tannins and a long, fruit-forward finish. $10
The perfect pairing: Washington State Merlot and Cedar-planked salmon. Recipe: Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: merlot, salmon, washington state
Wine & Chocolate
Wine and chocolate pairing has become popular – especially for Valentine’s Day. Many wineries will serve truffles from local chocolatiers that seem to match up perfectly with their port or late-harvest zinfandel or merlot. Restaurants and wine bars across the country have begun special wine and chocolate tastings. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to have an upscale wine and chocolate experience.
Here in San Diego, the Hotel Del has an Eno wine bar – an upscale wine tasting room that offers affordable wine flights, as well as wines by the glass. They also have a ‘cheese and chocolate sensations’ menu. A great way to sample artisan cheeses and gourmet truffles from local chocolatiers to go with the wine.
For those of us want to have the ‘wine and chocolate experience’ at home, make a night of it with different truffles and a couple of different wines to taste.
If you don’t have a chocolatier nearby, you can order truffles online. Belgian chocolate is at the top of my list of favorites. Years ago I was in Belgium and bought my mom a pound of chocolates. Alas, she didn’t have the opportunity to taste them. I ate them all on the flight home.
With the internet, you don’t have to go to Belgium to enjoy their chocolates. You can order them online. Leonidas Belgian Chocolates are great, not only for special occasions but for wine pairings as well.
A few guidelines for your own pairings:
Wine should generally be as sweet or sweeter than the dessert.
Match elements in the wine and the chocolate, such as nuttiness or fruitiness.
Match lighter flavored chocolates with lighter-bodied wines and stronger flavored chocolates with more full-bodied the wines. For example, a bittersweet chocolate pairs well with an intense California zinfandel.
As in any tasting, if you’re trying several varieties of chocolate, work from light to dark. Start with white chocolate and end with dark or bittersweet chocolate.
Pairing Suggestions:
White Chocolate
White chocolate is buttery in flavor, and has no tannins from chocolate. This makes a good pairing with Sherry, a Moscato d’Asti, or an Orange Muscat. The Sherry and Moscato d’Asti will pick up the creaminess of the chocolates and the Orange Muscat will pick up any fruit tones present.
Milk Chocolate
A wine with low tannins, such as a Pinot Noir or a light-bodied Merlot will complement milk chocolate, a creamy chocolate mousse or chocolate accented cheesecake. Muscats or dessert wines usually work well with milk chocolates.
Dark Chocolate
Because of the high tannins in dark or bittersweet chocolates, ports, zinfandels, and some cabernet sauvignons are a good match for the darker chocolates. I find the higher the cocoa content, the more difficult it is to match the chocolate with wine – even a good port. Anything over 65% cocoa will be too bitter.
Valentines Day is a great excuse to buy some decadent chocolates, a few bottles of wine, and an evening to find your own favorite pairings.
Tags: cabernet sauvignon, chocolate, dessert, pairing, port, valentine's, zinfandel
2007 Domaine Lafond Roc Epine Lirac
As Twisting Vines has previously noted, 2007 was a great year for Rhone wines. The three grapes that go into the region’s famous Châteauneuf du Pape are Grenache, Mourvédre, Syrah.
The Domaine Lafond produced a terrific Châteauneuf du Pape that received 91 points from Robert Parker. Although the wine has come down in price – $36 from $46, it’s still out of the price range of most wine drinkers.
One of the things I learned when studying for my wine certification at San Diego State, is to check out other wines from the same producer or nearby wineries to find similar wines that are very good, at half the price.
Using the same grape blend as the Châteauneuf, Domaine Lafond produces another red blend – Roc Epine Lirac, that is a great value option.
Dark ruby color. Aromas of black cherry, licorice, earth and minerals. Flavors of dark berries, mineral and a hint of pear. Medium bodied. Balanced. with a smooth, dry finish. A food friendly wine that goes well with soft white cheeses, including blue cheese, goat cheese and brie; as well as barbecued chicken and ribs. Drink now up to 2-3 years. Costco – $14
Tags: Châteauneuf-du-Pape, france
2007 Wine
One of the best vintage years for wine – worldwide, was 2007. These wines are now coming to market and with wine prices dropping, there are bargains to be had!
California reds have been slow to come down, but winemakers will have to start discounting in order to reduce inventory. Buyers that once spent $20 – $30 are now buying the $9 – $12 bottles. The $10 – $14 buyer is now in the $3 – $6 dollar category. This is quite a shift to a much lower price point.
In restaurants, we’ve started to see some of the higher end wines being sold by the glass. This is a great opportunity to sample better wines without having to buy the whole bottle.
Some of the best buys recently have been Zinfandel and Syrah from California, Malbecs from Argentina and French Rhône wines.
Tags: argentina, California, french, malbec, syrah, wine, zinfandel
Four Vines Wines
Paso Robles winemaker Christian Tietje is a hedonist. He is passionate about wine: making it, drinking it and bringing people together to enjoy it.
A former chef, Chris fell head over heels for old vine Zinfandel, and founded Four Vines in 1990 with a plan to make four “killer zins” from the four top California appellations for old vine Zinfandel grapes: Napa, Sonoma, Amador and Paso Robles. The bold, fruit-forward, food-friendly style of wine making would become Christian’s trademark. His first two wines, “Anarchy” & “Heretic” took the wine world by storm.
“Anarchy” is an unconventional Rhone blend: unexpectedly pairing spicy, brambly old vine Paso Zin with Syrah and Mourvedre. “Heretic” brings a pure, passionate, no holds barred approach to Paso Petite Sirah. The market was ready, and so were the critics. Christian earned his first high marks from the Wine Spectator. Giant red wines with outrageous attitude, intriguing blends and unique marketing are geared toward Gen X, Gen Y and those Boomers who think they can keep up.
zin
2007 “Zinbitch” Magnum, Zinfandel, Paso Robles
Only in amazing vintage years I plan to select my best barrels, from my best vineyards and put together my crème de la crème Zin. 2007 was an epic Zinfandel year.
Thus, the first ZinBitch was created by blending Dante Dusi and Martinelli Vineyards; two of the oldest, head-pruned, dry-farmed Zin vineyards in Paso that together are the history of Zinfandel in Paso Robles.
A very limited production of 300 bottles have been produced and bottled only in Magnum (1.5ltr) bottles for optimum aging. I then bottle aged the wine for 10 months before release.
Four Vines will be releasing the 1st ZinBitch on February 14, Valentine’s Day and the birthday of the ZinBitch himself. Get one of only 300 Zinbitch Zinfandel magnums – each signed by winemaker and ZinBitch Christian Tietje.
Ships February 15, 2010. 300 bottles produced / Only 240 bottles remaining
Serve with Spicy Grilled Lamb Chops
lamb
Spicy Grilled Lamb Chops Recipe
Ingredients:
2 lbs. lamb loin chops
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon crushed dried thyme
½ teaspoon crushed dried basil
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon sea salt
Directions:
In a large baking dish, combine all the ingredients, except for the lamb chops and salt. Mix until combined, add the lamb chops and rub the marinade into both sides. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, turn over, and refrigerate for 2 hours more. Lamb chops may be marinated over night.
Preheat grill, grill pan, or broiler. Remove chops from marinade and salt both sides generously. Cook about 5-6 minutes per side for medium-rare. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing on the side.
Tags: hedonist, paso robles, zinfandel
