Archive for April, 2007

Red Wine Review: Zeta Garnacha

April 30th, 2007 by vinojoe 0

Zeta Garnacha 2005 Navarra, Spain A few things made me buy this bottle. First, the striking, shiny red and silver label caught my eye and insisted attention. I know, I know, you can’t judge a wine by its package any more than a book by its cover, but it seemed to be screaming for me [...]

Wine to Match with: Roast Chicken

April 27th, 2007 by vinojoe 0

The simple yet succulent Sunday dinner: roast chicken. It’s one of my favorite dishes to prepare, because it’s so easy (see this simple roast chicken recipe). It’s similarly easy to pair roast chicken with wine — though it depends on how you personalize the preparation. If you stay simple, using little other than salt, pepper, [...]

Wine Term: Closed

April 26th, 2007 by vinojoe 0

Often you may read a wine review that states the wine’s nose or palate is “closed”. Generally speaking, you’ll see this term applied to wines that are on the more expensive side (well, to me they’re expensive — we’re talking $20 and up). Reading through the review, you may also find the taster describe the [...]

Red Wine Review: Ars Poetica Vulcano

April 25th, 2007 by vinojoe 0

This is a 100% Aglianico, the second wine of Ars Poetica’s trademark Aglianico del Vulture. A remarkable value, it has the flavor, body, complexity, structure, and finish of a Super Tuscan in the $30-45 range. Named for the extinct volcano (Mt. Vulture) that overlooks the vineyards, Vulcano is a medium-bodied red wine displaying ripe fruit [...]

Sokol Blosser Winery Awarded for Sustainability

April 24th, 2007 by vinojoe 0

In the spirit of Earth Day this week, Sokol Blosser Winery has been recognized by the City of Portland, Oregon, for its commitment to “green” practices. As part of the city’s 15th annual “Businesses for an Environmentally Sustainable Tomorrow”, Portland’s Office of Sustainable Development granted Sokol Blosser with the “BEST Practices for Sustainability—Small Company” award. [...]

Wet Suit for a Wine Bag

April 23rd, 2007 by vinojoe 0

Wine bags have come a long way. Twenty years ago, you’d likely carry your bottle in a brown paper bag on your way to your favorite BYOB restaurant. Or someone might have given you an canvas thing that was embroidered with absurdly awful renderings of grapevines. Today, your vessel of choice can be made from [...]

Red Wine Review: Mark West Pinot Noir

April 20th, 2007 by vinojoe 1

It’s hard to find a good Pinot Noir under $20. Most of the ones that have entered the market in the under-$20 range since “Sideways” are Pinot Noir in name only, and display little — if any — of the grape’s pure character. Like Merlot before it, inexpensive Pinot Noirs are simple grape juice from [...]

Wine Term: Austere

April 19th, 2007 by vinojoe 0

Austere is a major geek term that is often used to describe a young, expensive wine that critics assume will evolve into a blockbuster. The term austere is actually difficult to pinpoint; it is a vague definition of a wine that has a high level of acid and/or tannin, which currently overpowers the fruit, but [...]

Wine Grape: Aglianico

April 17th, 2007 by vinojoe 5

Italy may be best known for Sangiovese, the base grape of some of the country’s greatest wines, such as Chianti and Brunello. Rivaling Sangiovese is Nebbiolo, the fruit producing Barolo and Barbaresco. A third, lesser-known (at least, outside of Italy) yet just as supreme grape is Aglianico (ahl-YAHN-eh-koe). Grown primarily in the southern part of [...]

Red Wine Review: Rock Rabbit Syrah

April 16th, 2007 by vinojoe 2

Rock Rabbit is a winery in California that makes two wines: Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc. That’s it. In other words, they’re specialists, and winemaker Alex Cose has a finite focus. With the Syrah, his goal is to make a rich, jammy, New World style wine that tastes more like Australian Shiraz than old school Hermitage. [...]