The Perfect Pairing for Smoked Turkey
It’s time to prepare the feast for my favorite holiday. This year we are having a hickory smoked turkey so I’ve decided to serve a Gewurztraminer. A bit of sweetness is needed to stand up to the smokey flavor of the meat.

Fetzer Gewurztraminer 2010
Tasting notes:
Lovely golden color, with aromas of spicy stone fruit and hints of honeysuckle. Flavors of green apple as well as peach and apricot. Hints of honey and spice. A medium-bodied wine with a nice balance of crisp and sweet.

Pair with smoked or grilled meats and foul and cheeses as well as spicy dishes with curry, ginger, cinnamon and clove. We found it at Von’s for $8

Oprah’s Favorite Wine

Being one of the world’s wealthiest people, Oprah can pretty much afford any wine she likes. Surprisingly, some of her favorite wines are produced by a boutique winery in Napa Valley. Blackbird Vineyards is a relative newcomer to Napa Valley – producing it’s first vintage in 2003. And, typical of the area, they make Bordeaux style wines.

On her website, OmagOnline, you can sign up to win a sampler of 6 bottle of red and rose wines from the now-famous vineyard.

Blackbird 2007 “Illustration”
A blend 86% Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. Wine Enthusiast Magazine gave it 97 points:
“A spectacular wine that gets better and better with every sip. It’s dramatic from the get-go, with rich, fine tannins framing extraordinarily good flavors of blackberries, black currents, anise, dark chocolate and cedar.”

Winemaker notes:
Dark ruby red in color, this blend of predominately Merlot offers aromas of ripe plum, mocha, and violets that carry over beautifully onto the palate. Concentrated black fruit flavors give way to dense, yet integrated tannins. The wine’s finish reveals a noticeable acidity and depth to allow for longevity. $88 at K&L.

Paso Robles Zinfandel
Opolo Vineyards was started by two wine lovers who lived next door to each other in Camarillo, CA.

In 1999 Dave Nichols and Rick Quinn produced their first commercial crush under the Opolo label. Their first wines were Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, and Muscat Canelli. Opolo now has 270 acres of estate vineyards in the east and west side of Paso Robles.

If you are thinking about a road trip to Paso Robles any time soon, plan to visit the winery. You might also want to consider spending the night at the Quinn’s family run Inn at Opolo, their small B & B overlooking the vineyard. The total wine experience.

2007 Opolo Summit Creek Zinfandel
Ruby color. Aromas of ripe berries and  plum with hints of leather, licorice and cocoa. Surprised by the intense fruit flavors but wouldn’t call it a fruit bomb. First taste is of dark cherry and prune with hints of pepper, tobacco and licorice. Well balanced and full bodied, but be aware of the high alcohol content – 16.4. A nice fruity finish. Open a half hour before drinking. Everyone really enjoyed this one. Goes great with grilled sausage. We found it at Costco for $15.

It’s Not Just The Weather
The 2010 growing season is now being called the worst-ever harvest. Sonoma seems to have gotten the worst of it. Because the fruit was on the vine longer than normal, and the rainy season has begun, a lot of the fruit has suffered from mold. Some vineyards have suffered 100 per cent loss – mostly those on the valley floor. Vineyards on higher ground fared better.

But the weather is only half the story. Because of the meltdown in the economy, a record number of wineries have gone into foreclosure. A bad situation for family owned businesses – but good for the new owners who have been able to buy quality properties at reduced prices.

The newest winery mogul in the making is Bill Foley.

After retiring three years ago as CEO of Fidelity National Financial, the nation’s largest title insurance company, the billionaire has been on a buying spree. Quickly becoming a major player in the wine industry, his Foley Family portfolio is already quite impressive.

The Foley Family’s most recent purchase, just last week, was the EOS Winery in Paso Robles. Earlier this year Foley bought Chalk Hill Winery – along with the home and 500 acres of personal property of Chalk HIll’s founder, Fred Furth.

Some recent acquisitions:
2009 
- Sabastiani Vineyard and Winery in Sonoma
- Kuleto Estate in Napa
- Vavasour winery in Marlborough New Zealand

2008
- Three Rivers Winery in Walla Walla, Washington

2007
- Firestone Vineyard Santa Barbara

In addition to the wineries, in October, Foley purchased the Les Mars Hotel in Healdsburg, California. Word has it that Foley is still looking for another flagship winery along Highway 29.

Sebastiani 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley
85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 3% Petite Verdot. Ruby color. Aromas of dark cherry and blackberry with hints of toasted oak and earth. Flavors of plum, dark cherry, current and vanilla with hints of mocha and cedar. Full bodied with mild tannins. Silky finish. Open at least a half hour before serving. Double Gold winner at Sonoma County Harvest Fair. Available at Wine Exchange $25

2010 Could Turn Out to be One of the Best California Vintages in Years
It was touch and go in August and September when vineyards were reporting that grapes were not ripening due to the unusually cool summer. Growers were worried that leaving the fruit on the vine until October could be disastrous if the rainy season started early.

Then, suddenly, right before normal harvest time, there was a heat wave in California.

The fruit began ripening and the brix readings increased a little each day. In a few places, where some growers had thinned the leaves to help the fruit get needed sunshine, some of the grapes got scorched. Thank goodness it was only a small portion of the harvest.

The grape harvest might be a bit smaller this year, but the fruit, it’s reported from the vineyards, is superb.

Reports are coming in that the grapes have intense flavors, high acid and low sugar which means lower alcohol. Perfect.  White grapes are still being harvested – 2 to 3 weeks later than average and they’ve just started bringing in the cabernet sauvignon. We are looking forward some great wines for 2010.

Raymond Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
Deep garnet color. Aromas of blueberries, raspberries and cherry. Hints of leather, clove and cocoa. Flavors of dark fruit, berries and chocolate, with hints of tobacco, spice and vanilla. Full bodied and balanced with a warm, smooth finish. Open 45 minutes before serving. Will age well 10+ years. We love this wine with grilled steaks – rib eyes, what else? Good with pasta dishes and red sauce. Reduced price at Costco – $24 $22.

Boz Scaggs in Napa Valley
One of my favorite singers is also a winemaker – who knew. A career that began with moderate success, Boz Scaggs hit the big time when he teamed up with Toto in 1976 to record the smash album Silk Degrees.

Today, Scaggs is touring the US with Michael McDonald and Donald Fagen. The trio will be at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles on September 29th. When he’s not performing, the singer is busy overseeing operations at the Scaggs Vineyard.

From the Napa Valley Register:
Scaggs and his wife, Dominique, launched Scaggs Vineyard wines — a rosé and a blend of aromatic Rhone varietals — at a recent celebratory wine dinner hosted by Bardessono executive chef Sean O’Toole. The wines are made by a respected member of the local wine industry, Ken Bernards, the force in the cellar behind Ancien.

The two wines are made from Rhone varietals planted on 2.5 acres at the northernmost reach of Mount Veeder along the Mayacamas Ridge, at an altitude stretching from 1,100 to 1,400 feet.

Planted over a period of three years starting in 1998, the hillside vineyards contain syrah, mourvedre and grenache. In 2007, the couple added a small amount of cunoise. Since 2005, the vineyards, fruit and olive orchards at Scaggs Vineyard have been certified organic.

At the recent Bardessono dinner where the two wines were launched, Boz said his intent was for both wines to be “New World expressions” of classic Rhone wines.

The elegant Scaggs rosé has lovely floral notes, alternating aromas of roses and strawberries, and offers both strawberries and spice on the mid palate, finishing with a hint of Bosc pear. Production was 120 acres, with a retail price of $25.

The heady Scaggs Rhone blend features a mouthful of ripe blackberries, with hints of both blueberries and raspberries on the delightfully long finish. It retails for $75. Production was 250 cases.

Additional information about the wines and purchases is at scaggsvineyard.com.

The Summer That Wasn’t
Here on the west coast of  California we’ve had a cool summer. It happens every so often. I remember the summer of ’73 was cooler, yet. Anyway, we’ve been wondering how this will effect this year’s harvest.

Growers will try to keep their fruit on the vine as long as possible to allow for maximum ripening which results in optimal sugar. Areas like Napa, that are known for fruity, high alcohol wines are already planning to pick grapes at lower brix.

The cabernets from Napa this year will probably be more old world style – more earthy and lower alcohol content. Not a bad thing at all. California will prove it can produce more sophisticated wines with higher acid and more varietal flavors from the smaller fruit.

Usually when we have a cool summer we have a wet winter. Only time will tell. In the meantime, we are looking forward to the 2009 releases, which are said to be exceptional.

“It was a one in 10-year kind of harvest,” said Joe Norman, assistant winemaker at Heitz Wine Cellars in Napa Valley.

“If winegrowers were judicious in their farming practices, it was an ultra premium year for Lodi.” Gary Eberle of Eberle Winery in Paso Robles.

In the meantime, we’re still working on finding good, affordable 2007 cabernets to add to our little collection.

2007 Chappellet “Signature” Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Pushing the limit on what we call “affordable,” this wine is a great value. The kind of wine that gets better as it sits in the glass.

A blend of Cabernet, Malbec, Petiti Verdo, Merlot and Cab Franc. Aromas of chocolate, dark cherry and vanilla, with hints of smoke and spice. Flavors of dark cherry, plum and dark berries, with hints of chocolate and coffee. Decanting or using an aerator is recommended to smooth out the tannins. Long, smooth finish. Will cellar for 10+ years. $39 at K&L

2008 Kendall-Jackson Monterey County Riesling Vintner’s Reserve
California State Fair Double Gold winner – Best of California Riesling! 98 Points. One of the few winners that is still available to buy.

Tasting Notes:
Aromas of honeydew and peach with hints of citrus and apple. Flavors of apricot, pear and orange blossoms with hints of pineapple. Full bodied and balanced with an off-dry, crisp finish.

Great to sip or serve with chicken in a white wine sauce with noodles and mushrooms. Found it at BevMo for $10.

White Wines That Are Better with Age
Usually when we think of wines that age well we most often think of cabernet sauvignon, Barolo, Brunello di Montelcino and fortified wines like Port and Madeira. But, there are white wines that are better with age.

Red or white, there are certain conditions that allow some wines to age well. Location, vintage – ideal weather conditions, fermentation process and even certain yeast used in fermentation.

Red wines get their tannins from contact with the skin and stems. High tannins allow for greater aging capacity. White wine, which normally don’t have tannins because they rarely have contact with the skin, need to be higher in sugar and acid to age well.

So which whites age the best?

German Rieslings, because they are high in sugar and acid, will age as well as a cabernet.

Burgundy-style Chardonnays because they have good acidity and minerality, Most California Chardonnays are low in acid. The lack of acid makes the wine rich and buttery but it won’t age well.

Sauternes and late harvest wines can take years to come to full maturity because of the high sugar levels and botrytised fruit.

Chablis age well because of the acidity.

A couple of examples of well-aged whites that we’ve tried:

Michaud Vineyard Chelone Appellation Chardonnay 2002
Michael Michaud’s vineyard in Monterey is considered a California Grand Cru vineyard. Former winemaker at Chalone, Michaud started his own winery in 1998.

Gold straw color.Aromas of peach and apple with a hint of vanilla and butterscotch. Flavors of pear and lemoncella with nice minerallity. Balanced and well structured with a long smooth finish. As it sits in the glass, aromas and flavors continue to surprise and delight. Drink now. At Wine Exchange $20

ZD 2006 Reserve Chardonnay Napa Valley
This is the one with the black label. Gold color. Aromas of pineapple, pear and orange blossom with a hint of white flowers. Flavors of lemon, pear with a hint of vanilla and oak. Full bodied, balanced with a long, rich finish. I love this wine. Will cellar well for 8 to 10 years. The extended barrel aging -15 months contributes to the longevity of this wine. Multiple gold and double gold medal winner. 90 points from Wine Spectator. $45 dollars at K&L.

State Fair Medal Winners
The California State Fair Commercial Wine Competition is the oldest and most prestigious wine competition in North America. Each year, thousands of California wines are entered into the competition for the chance to win one of many coveted awards from the State Fair’s panel of expert wine judges.

After the competition, you can go online and they will have posted all the gold, double gold, silver and bronze medal winners in each category. We like to check out the winners and try as many as possible. If you wait too long to try certain wines, you’ll find they are sold out. These awards are a big deal and are watched by wine lovers around the world – so you have to move quickly.

At the State Fair Wine Garden you have an opportunity to taste the award winning wines from the competition as well as the wine of the day. Cheeses, fruit and bread are available to complete your wine tasting.

Each year, in addition to the wine competition, the California State Fair Commercial Wine Program recognizes a California vineyard which has consistently – over several growing seasons – produced grapes that have contributed directly to wine of superior quality and marketability within commercial sales systems and among fine wine judging. This year’s “California Vineyard of the Year” award winner is Bien Nacido Vineyards® of Santa Maria. Bien Nacido grows some of the finest grapes in the state.

Although Bien Nacido doesn’t produce its own wine, it is the source of fruit for many top California wineries.

2008 Fess Parker Bien Nacido Chardonnay
Light straw color. Aromas of pear, baked pineapple, cinnamon and apple, with a touch of graham cracker and vanilla. Flavors are clean and bright with hints of citrus, lemon creme and apple combined with spice and subtle oak. Well balanced with good acidity and a nice creamy, mineral finish. Wine Enthusiast gave it 96 Points! $34