Another Way to Score Wines

Fans of the WineWeekly rating system, it looks like Vino Joe has been ripped off — by the snobs, no less !

Check out this post on the excellent wine trade blog, Fermentation. It explains that a new publication put together by sommeliers is adding up points for Aroma, Flavor, Structure, Length, and Balance (sound familiar?).

Unlike the WineWeekly system, they use a 15-point scale for all characteristics except Balance, where they use 40 points. Interesting math. Also unlike WineWeekly, the people creating the ratings are professional sommeliers, while Vino Joe is a professional … er … wine blogger?

Free Wine Charms

Kumala — a winery in South Africa — is offering free wine charms to those who successfully complete the Kumala Safari Challenge, which is an 8-question quiz pertaining to facts about South Africa. Offer is valid only in the USA, and the questions are pretty easy.

I’ve never had anything from Kumala so can’t comment on the quality of the wine. But the charms might be nice, especially for your next wine party — this way you’ll know which glass is yours once it leaves your hand.

Free Wine Spectator Access

Wine Spectator magazine is offering free access to their “subscriber

You can try getting free access without giving your email here, but if that doesn’t work, you’ll have to go to the Wine Spectator website and sign up the legitimate way.

The access is only good till the end of October, so you’ll want to take advantage sometime this weekend. What you’ll get is access to all of the wine reviews (instead of a small part of their database), their “insider blogs”, “Advance” and “Insider” newsletters, and any other section of the site that you normally wouldn’t be allowed to see without paying a subscription fee.

Vines Grapes and Wines

Vines, Grapes and Wines - the wine drinker’s guide to grape varieties

This book was first written in 1986, and hasn’t been updated since 1992, so it’s a little outdated — and that’s a shame.

However, it is still an excellent reference for those interested in learning more about different types of grapes, and at less than twenty bucks is a bargain compared to the newer and shinier books available.

Do not buy this book if you want to see beautiful photography — there isn’t any. All the images are hand-drawn illustrations, mostly of wine maps and grape bunches (including leaves). DO buy this book if you are an intellectual, and looking for a “textbook” on grapes. Author Jancis Robinson — a Master of Wine and one of the most respected wine educators in the world — does a great job of presenting hard facts intertwined with bits of opinion in this remarkably researched book. No grape goes unturned, as Robinson describes nearly every vine variety on the planet, and its relationship to the soils and regions.

Though it would be nice to see a new edition of this wine book, it has several timeless qualities. The first, 38-page chapter (”Where Grapes Grow and Why”) is fundamental to understanding wine and essential reading for anyone looking to further their wine education. Along the same vein (or vine?), Robinson fully profiles the “classic” grape varieties, going into great detail regarding history, development, and characteristics of each.

Bottom line — this is will be somewhat dry for those looking for light reading and pretty pictures, but is an excellent reference for people who are serious about furthering their wine education and getting a more intellectual understanding of wine.

White Wine Review: Tasca d’Almerita Regaleali Bianco

Tasca d’Almerita makes two very reliable everyday “table” wines from its Regaleali property, one white, one red. This is the white — Bianco — and the 2004 vintage is still fresh and enjoyable.

In an attempt to clear up some confusion: Tasca d’Almerita is the name of the winemaking family that owns the Regaleali estate. Generally speaking, wines made by “the Count” — Count Tasca d’Almerita that is — are referred to as “Regaleali”. Whether you call it Regaleali or Tasca d’Almerita, the wine is the same — and it’s usually very good. The Regaleali Bianco is made from three grapes indigenous to Sicily — Inzolia, Catarrato, and Grecanico — but you won’t see these grapes anywhere else so it’s not necessarily important to commit them to memory.

Regaleali Bianco teases the nose with subtle aromas of pear, straw, and lemon, but the wine really comes alive in the mouth. Fresh, clean, ripe white fruits are tasted immediately, specifically pear, white peach, and a citrusy component that resembles lemon. The fruit remains strong and seems to increase in concentration as it lays on the palate, and stays ripe and apparent through a surprisingly long and balanced finish. This wine’s ample, chalky acidity and hint of mineral make it a wonderful wine to match with a wide variety of foods, especially dishes based on chicken, fish, and pork — I’d also recommend it with Asian cuisine and vegetarian dishes. At around around a dozen dollars, this wine gives you a lot of bang for the buck. A good value.

a-7 t-7 b-10 fc-10 v-9 ~ 93 points

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Book Review: Wine For Dummies

When I first started getting into wine, I didn’t even know there were different grapes. Well that’s not entirely true — I knew there was a difference between the seedless grapes I bought at the supermarket, and the “wine grapes” my grandfather grew in the backyard. But that was about it.

Needless (or seedless) to say, I was indelibly blessed when someone handed me the Wine for Dummies book — it was without a doubt the singlemost important educational wine resource for me at the time (back then, there was maybe two references to wine on the internet). More than ten years later, I still think it is a fantastic first book for wine neophytes, and that “reference for the rest of us” still rings true, as I frequently flip through my cover-worn copy to look up things.

If you are a wine beginner and hungry for information, this is one of the first books to consider. The text is friendly, fun, and easy to read, as authors Mary Ewing-Mulligan and Ed McCarthy do a wonderful job of teaching without preaching and devoid of pretense. What I find particularly helpful is the way the information is organized and the order it is presented — it’s step by step, yet you can skip around without missing anything. Further, after reading just few chapters you’re already empowered enough to confidently step into a wine shop or peruse a restaurant wine list.

Recommended reading for all wine newbies.

Red Wine Review: Lyeth Meritage 2003

After getting hammered by several wine critics, I just had to get my hands on a bottle and find out what was so awful. After opening the bottle, I understood the problem encountered by the pundits — Lyeth Meritage is a raw, rough-around-the-edges wine that does not immediately show well. Subsequently, the wine was given low ratings and ambivalent reviews. But this doesn’t mean the wine isn’t worth buying — rather, what it means is that Lyeth Meritage does not impress critics in a typical wine reviewer’s environment.

You have to take this into serious consideration whenever you read a wine review in a major wine magazine. Generally, a wine reviewer will taste anywhere from 25 to 50 wines — before breakfast! There are literally dozens of bottles waiting to be reviewed, and only so much time to taste them. Consequently, many wines — usually ones that are not wide open and do not show globs of upfront fruit — will be given lower ratings than they really deserve. That’s not a knock on the major wine publications — for the most part they do a decent job — but rather a criticism of their system. (You’re allowed to critique a critic, right?)

Lyeth Meritage is an example of a wine hurt by “the system”. Tasted within minutes after opening, its nose is closed, it has a harsh bite on the palate, and at best it seems clumsy. However, if you open the wine, decant it, and let it breathe for 10-20 minutes, you will be rewarded by ripe red and black berry aromas and flavors, some black pepper, a hint of licorice, cardamom and clove spice, firm tannins, and ample acidity — with the initial harshness replaced by a smooth texture and fairly long, ripe finish that might end up just a touch too hot. Let’s get something straight: this is no mind-blowing wine — but it isn’t supposed to be. For about fifteen bucks, you should expect a wine that matches well with a similarly priced steak, and gives you a bit of complexity to ponder over an after-dinner cheese course. Said another way, it should be about twice as good as a seven-dollar wine, and about half as good as a 30-dollar wine — and it is, in both cases. In fact, this wine might be a little better, though time will tell. The amount of ripe fruit and complexity (earth, spices, menthol, tobacco, herb) that it is showing now, wrapped up by generous tannins, leads me to believe that this Meritage will benefit from 3-4 years in the cellar. Here’s the good news: since the “important” wine mags gave this wine less-than-stellar reviews, you should be able to find this easily, and perhaps at a discount. Enjoy it now with a fatty ribeye, porterhouse, or cheese plate, or put it in the wine cave and forget about it until 2008-2009.

a-6 t-7 b-8 fc-6 v-8 ~ 85 point rating

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Miguel Gascon Malbec 2004

Buying a bottle of Malbec can be a somewhat mysterious experience, as the grape — much like Chardonnay — can be so many different things. Think of Malbec as the Peter Sellers of grapes: so many disguises and personalities, and you’re never quite sure which one you will get.

Of one thing there is little doubt: Malbec from Argentina is nearly always a good value. (Though we’ll see how long that lasts, as more and more people are discovering the grape, and demand is increasing.) However, it can be soft and easy, lively and vivacious, or bold and dominating. There are simple Malbecs that you may chill for a while and enjoy with chicken salad, and there are complex, full-flavored, tannic Malbecs that you store in the cellar for 10 years or more.

Never having the Gascon Malbec before, I had no idea what to expect. Since it cost only about nine bucks, I figured there was a good chance it would be on the fun and fruity side, soft, and easy drinking. Boy was I wrong, and knew it the minute I stuck my nose in the glass. Green, herbal, earthy aromas dominate the nose, saddled by black fruits, black pepper, and a touch of tar. On the palate, it’s all black, ripe fruit, with black pepper, tar, and hints of tobacco, wrapped with ripe tannins and a good level of acidity. The finish is mostly tar, tobacco, and black pepper, and is longer than expected, carried by the medium-high level of tannins and acidity. Final verdict? This is an excellent value, a bold red wine begging for steak, chops, or cheese. And if you like a wine in this style, it is fairly enjoyable all by itself.

Note: I recorked the half-full bottle and stuck it in the fridge, and two days later it was nearly as enjoyable as when it was freshly opened. To me that makes it all the more valuable.

a-8 t-7 b-8 fc-8 v-10 = 91 Points

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Francis Coppola Reserve Viognier Russian River Valley 2005

Viognier (vee-ohn-YAY) has historically been a fairly rare grape, grown primarily in the Rhone Valley region of France and most famous for a wine called Condrieu (kohn-dree-yuh ). Even as recently as 20 years ago, no more than 100 acres of Viognier vineyards were planted worldwide — the bulk of it still in the Rhone with some coming out of the Languedoc-Roussillon region (also in France) — mostly due to its tiny yields, inconsistent ripening, and small demand.

However, in the early 1990s, Joseph Phelps began growing Viognier, Syrah, and other Rhone varietals in his California vineyards, sparking a movement dubbed the “Rhone Rangers“, where several other winegrowers followed in the experiment of planting known-as-Rhone vines in left coast soil. The results have been mixed, though it’s still quite early to be critical — considering that the Rhone Valley has had a few hundred years’ head start. Every once in a while an outstanding example comes out this laboratory, such as this Viognier from Francis Ford Coppola.

The nose exudes a perfumey, ripe, spicy fruit aroma that immediately screams Viognier.
True Viogner from the Rhone has a very distinct aroma and flavor that many either love or hate — and this bottle from the Russian River Valley of California captures that distinctiveness, resembling some of the best examples from the Rhone.

The Coppola winemaker allowed the Viognier to express itself in all its uniqueness, fermenting it in neutral stainless steel. The result is a very clean, pure expression of the varietal, sans the oily texture that sometimes carries the wine. Rather, the texture is smooth, closer to creamy.

In the mouth, this wine shows typical Viognier character: spicy green melon, Anjou pear, a spicy element that might be described as ginger snap (remember those ginger snap, windmill-shaped cookies your grandma fed you?) or cardamom, with hints of peach, lime and allspice. The acidity is remarkably high for a Viognier, which places it at medium to medium-high on the scale (Viognier often tends to be fatter) and thus positions it to be an excellent match for food. The finish is also remarkable for its length and fulfilling fruit. This is a very classy, polished wine that captures true, distinct Viognier character and then some, offering ripe, rich fruit complexity while also offering mouthwatering acidity and remaining low in alcohol (another Viognier tendency; most Viogner, especially from the Rhone, can be a little on the hot side).

Match it with roast chicken, roast ham (pink or fresh), pork chops, Thai food (lemongrass!), mild vegetarian hors d’oeuvres, and Indian vegetarian dishes. It’s also enjoyable on its own. However you drink it, just be sure you DO NOT OVERCHILL it. This wine really shows its complexity and best flavors at a few degrees warmer than other white wines; if it’s only a few degrees to cold, you might miss out on many of the details and nuances that make this wine so special.

By the way, don’t look for this bottle in your local wine shop — it’s probably not there. This wine is most easily found online — through the Coppola website — or from the winery in Sonoma (if you happen to live or travel nearby). However, it is worth the effort.

a-9 t-9 b-9 fc-7 v-7 ~ 91 Points