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.

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.

Peggy Fleming
San Jose native, Peggy Fleming and her husband, Dr. Greg Jenkins are serious about wine. In 1999 they planted an acre of Chardonnay in their Los Gatos backyard in the Santa Cruz mountains.

Four years later, the newly formed Fleming Jenkins Vineyards & Winery produced its first vintage – Chardonnay from their backyard and two Syrahs with grapes sourced from a family vineyard near the Pacific Ocean and former Oakland Raiders’ coach John Madden’s Livermore ranch.

Now they produce 2,000 cases a year, including Choreography, a red blend they make with five Bordeaux grapes from Napa Valley, and Victories Rosé, created so the couple can donate $2 from every bottle sold to breast cancer research. Fleming is a breast cancer survivor.

Fleming Jenkins 2006 “Choreography” Napa Valley Red Wine
A blend of four classic Bordeaux varietals — 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot.

Dark ruby color. Bouquet of dark cherry, blackberry and crème de cassis with hints of vanilla, molasses and chocolate. Flavors of red and black fruit  with hints of clove, vanilla, cinnamon and cocoa. Balanced finish. Should drink well for 5 to 7 years. 643 cases produced. $50 from the winery.

Fess Parker Wines
The Fess Parker Winery and Vineyard is located in Santa Barbara County in California. The winery produces diverse, Estate Grown, Burgundian and Rhône wines from 400 acres of vineyards.

Established in 1989 by former actor Fess Parker, the winery is family-run by son, Eli Parker as President, Director of Winemaking and Vineyard Operations, daughter Ashley Parker Snider as Marketing and Public Relations liaison, and son-in-law Tim Snider who is Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

Fess Parker Frontier Red
Red Wine from California

“…as good a California Cotes du Rhone as one is likely to find…”
-Robert Parker

The perfect accompaniment for a grilled steak or Texas-style barbecue, Frontier Red is a well balanced Syrah-based blend with aromas of ripe cherry, red currant, cinnamon, vanilla and herbs. Flavors of dark cherry, smoke, white pepper, vanilla, blackberry and cassis with a hint of spice on the finish. $10

Portuguese Wine
Bucking the world wide trend of reducing production, Portugal has increased wine production by 9% this year. Sales of Portuguese table wines in the United States has increased by 40% since 2007.

Often overlooked for anything other than Port, Portugal produces some lovely red wines. Several years ago, former singing idol and philanthropist, Sir Cliff Richards became a part owner of Adega do Cantor Vineyards in Vinho Regional Algarvio. The Onda Nova Syrah is an example of a red wine made with great care and attention to detail in the production. This wine was handpicked from selected blocks of Syrah and batch fermented at cool temperatures in open lagars. It then matured in a combination of 2 year old French Oak barrels and stainless steel for 18 months prior to release.

The result is an easy drinking red showing an impressive deep, dark red color, almost opaque in the middle and a spicy, gamey bouquet, with ripe red berry fruits, and nuances of mocha, tobacco and mint. A soft, sweet supple palate with savoury fruit notes are evident while the good concentration and body are seamlessly integrated with the oak as this nicely structured wine culminates in a long firm finish. $17

‘We’re very small, but that’s kind of why I’ve always rather liked Burgundy as opposed to Bordeaux,’ says the 61-year-old. ‘Bordeaux has grapes grown by extremely wealthy people with vast estates and chateaux. Burgundy is grown by peasants like me, with little plots and charming pigs.’

2007 “First Paddock” Pinot Noir
Low yield vines and hand-crafted, resulting in an elegant wine that is a true reflection of the vintage. Dark red berry color with aromas of plum and cherry. Floral, cherry and spicy oak flavors. Nice texture with good acidity and  a long finish. $40