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Operation: Winecrime

Thursday, May 29th, 2008 | Celebrities & Wine, Red Wine, Washington | No Comments

It sounds like instead of playing huge stadium tours, these days QUEENSRŸCHE vocalist Geoff Tate is playing negociant instead. He has teamed up with 3 Rivers Winery in Walla Walla, Washington to produce a red wine called Geoff Tate Insania. The German-born rocker grew up in Tacoma.

Tate said, “Insania is a creative project similar to the process of making music. Wine has been an important part of my life and the creation of Insania is yet another avenue to express my creativity and give my fans something more they can enjoy.”

Personally I’m not sure what is getting more annoying, celebrity chefs or celebrity “winemakers.” I suppose it’s just not enough anymore to do one thing and do it well. (And even though I’m not a big QUEENSRŸCHE fan, I have to admit that Tate has an amazing vocal range.) The entertainment industry wants to create franchises out of celebrites (not just movies) and get their hands into many things as possible: clothing, jewelry, perfume, housewares, and… yes, wine. But I guess as long as people keep buying it, celebrities will keep making up silly names that go on silly labels and slapping them on bottles. I kind of wish celebs would just stick to singing or acting or whatever they do best. But I might be in the minority on that one.

At any rate, back to the wine. I couldn’t find any information about the grapes that will be used to make Insania, or an expected bottle price, so for now that remains a mystery. However, the wine is scheduled to be launched at a concert slated for September 20, 2008 at the winery where Tate will play music from his solo album as well as some QUEENSRŸCHE classics. Tickets are $100 per person and include a picnic dinner and logo wineglass. Gates open at 4:00 p.m., dinner is available from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Geoff Tate will take the stage at 5:00 p.m. There are only 250 tickets available and an early sell-out is expected. (Of the show tickets. I’m not so sure about the wine.) For more information, call the winery at 509-526-9463.

Wine Blogging Wednesday #46 Announced: Rhône Whites

Tuesday, May 20th, 2008 | Uncategorized | No Comments

Dr. Debs of Good Wine Under $20 will be hosting the next edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday (WBW). She has picked a great topic for June: white wines made from classic Rhône grape varieties. These grapes include Bourbolenc, Clairette Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains, Picardin, Picpoul, Roussanne, Ugni Blanc, and Viognier. Dr. Debs writes:

Wines made with these grapes tend to be aromatic, and can often rival your summer garden in terms of lush floral and fruity fragrances. At the same time, however, the wines can be crisp and refreshing, especially if there is some Picpoul in the mix. And Rhone white grapes are perfect partners for fish, chicken, salads, and all of the vegetables that are beginning to flood into your local Farmer’s Market.

On June 11th post your tasting notes on your blog or on the Wine Blogging Wednesday site. I’ve found that participating in WBW is a great incentive to try new wines, or revisit varieties that I might not have cared for in the past (sometimes with pleasant surprises). Hopefully you enjoy it as much as I do!

The Merlot Murders: Light-Bodied Wine Fiction

Monday, May 19th, 2008 | Books | 4 Comments

A few months ago, I was reading a friend’s blog and took a look at her sidebar, which listed a few books she’d recently read. One title grabbed my attention: The Chardonnay Charade. It sounded a little cheesy, but still somehow intriguing. I don’t know about you, but my brain enjoys a break from heavy reading and I rarely pass up a fun, light mystery.

 I looked up the book by former Washington Post reporter Ellen Crosby and learned that it is second in a series. The first book is called The Merlot Murders. I headed over to Paperback Swap to see if anyone had it up for grabs, and sure enough someone did!

Although it is not a wine book, per se, it does take place at a fictional Virginia winery. As I expected, there wasn’t anything deep here and it wasn’t a stellar work of fiction, but it was quite enjoyable to lose myself in it after a long day. The book does a surprisingly good job at explaining some very basic elements of winemaking, and it also gives decent background on winemaking history in Virginia. In fact, you can even view photos on Ms. Crosby’s Web site, showing where she got her inspiration for the locales in the novel.

The main character, Lucie Montgomery, is living in France after a devastating car accident. Upon hearing that her father was found dead in the family vineyard, she returns to Virginia and begins to realize that his death was not the hunting accident that people believe it was. The vineyard is saddled with an enormous debt, and harvest is just around the corner with no one to run the winery. As if that wasn’t stressful enough, Lucie’s godfather, Fitz, ends up dead as well. Someone seems to be after Lucie too (don’t things always happen in threes?), but our heroine is determined to not only survive, but to save the vineyard and find out who the murderer is.

There were enough plot twists to hold my attention through the whole book, and it kept me guessing until almost the last chapter. For the most part, the characters were well-developed. I wish Ms. Crosby did a little more with Lucie’s brother Eli, who supposedly had a drastic personality change while Lucie was abroad. That wasn’t explained well, though perhaps it was intentional and will be fleshed out in the next book. And even though I know that this is the first book in the Wine Country Mystery series, the ending was left a little too open for me. I wish the story had been tied up a little bit neater. Nevertheless, if you’re preparing your summer reading list, I think this is the perfect book to enjoy (of course) with a glass of wine, while relaxing and soaking in the sun. I’m looking forward to reading The Chardonnay Charade next. A third book, The Bordeaux Betrayal is due to be out in August.

Free Drinks on Select Virgin Flights

Saturday, May 17th, 2008 | Wine News | 1 Comment

Over the past few weeks, there have been several chances to score some free food. Let’s see… there were chicken breakfast sandwiches, chicken lunch/dinner sandwiches, ice cream, iced coffee, and more ice cream. But I know what you’re thinking: where is the free booze? Well, for obvious reasons it’s not so easy to get a free glass of wine or a free cocktail. However, Virgin America airlines have heard you and are ready to answer your request with SuperFly Wednesdays. Passengers aged 21 and over can enjoy two cocktails, on the house, if they are one one of these flights:

When:
Wednesdays, May 21st and 28th, June 4th, 11th, and 18th

Where:
Flt 313, JFK to LAX, departs 5:05 pm
Flt 1839, SFO to LAX, departs 6 pm
Flt 1777, SFO to LAS, departs 7:15 pm
Flt 1852, LAX to SFO, departs at 3:55pm

For more information and updates, visit Virgin America’s Promo Page.

[image credit: elvinstar]

A Toast to a True Wine Pioneer

Friday, May 16th, 2008 | California, Wine News | No Comments

Today Robert Mondavi passed away age 94. As a wine blogger and owner of a wine shop, not to mention a huge fan of California wines, I feel it is only right to raise a glass in his honor tonight.

Rancho Zabaco Sonoma Heritage Vines Zinfandel 2005

Monday, May 12th, 2008 | California, Sonoma, Wines Under $20, Zinfandel | No Comments

Yesterday was Mother’s Day, so the wine for dinner was my pick last night. A few weeks ago, Drew had purchased a bottle of Rancho Zabaco Sonoma Heritage Vines Zinfandel 2005 at Arlington Wine & Liquor in Poughkeepsie. I was in the mood for a Zin, but didn’t really want to open up one of our pricier bottles, so I thought it would be fun to try this wine.

The wine was a dark garnet color and had cherry and plum aromas with the scents of cedar and spice wrapping itself around the fruit. It smelled exactly like you’d expect a Zinfandel should. Upon my first taste I yelled out, “Chocolate covered cherries!” Drew thought I was grasping a little bit, but that really is the first thing that came to mind. The wine has a lot of sweet cherry flavor with a bit of chocolate on the finish. However, after another taste where I lingered a bit longer, there seemed to be a chemical taste. It’s wasn’t unpleasant, but it made me think of artificial sweetener (perhaps those were sugar-free chocolate covered cherries?) or some kind of household cleanser like Windex. The tannins were well-balanced, and considering the APV of 15%, the alcohol seemed well-integrated. It was kind of your standard, jammy Zin. For $14.99, it is a pretty decent value. However, I think I would rather pay the extra $2 or $3 more for the Dry Creek Zinfandel which has a little more pepper and seems a little more refined to me. Nevertheless, we did enjoy it.

Cork Recycling

Thursday, May 8th, 2008 | Wine News | 4 Comments

I love my corks. After we finish drinking a bottle of wine, I toss the cork (provided it’s not synthetic) into a basket. I can’t bear to throw them away for a couple reasons. First, a lot of the corks have fun memories attached to them (birthdays, holidays, a great dinner out, etc.). But also I fancy myself to be a crafty kind of girl and plan on using them to make a cork wreath later this summer, once I’ve acquired a handful or two more. But not everyone has a project in mind. Some people just put the corks in a bowl and before long they have amassed quite a collection and might not know what to do with them. What a shame to throw away all that cork!

Well did you know that you can recycle your corks? Yemm & Hart is running an experimental wine cork recycling program. Their goal is to convert them into a self-sustaining product and raise awareness of the cork oak tree. Last year, almost 3,000 pounds of corks had been collected! (I wonder how many bottles of wine were consumed?) According to their Web site, 1,146 people have contributed their corks — some people several times. Yemm & Hart will produce cork tiles that can be used for walls, floors, or other projects. If you are interested, you can mail off your wine and champagne corks to:

Wine Cork Recycling
Yemm & Hart Ltd
610 South Chamber Dr.
Fredericktown, MO 63645

I think this is a pretty amazing project and if I find that I don’t have the time to make my own cork crafts I might separate out the really special corks and happily send the rest to Missouri! Just something to consider.

Thirsty Thursday: Champagne Royal

Thursday, May 8th, 2008 | Cocktails, Cordials, Sparkling Wine, Spirits | No Comments

In case you didn’t realize, this Sunday is Mother’s Day. As a mom myself, there’s no chance I’ll be forgetting about it If you are lucky enough to be able to treat your mom to something extra-special, you might want to forgo the Mimosa at brunch and try something just a little bit different: Champagne Royal. The simple addition of raspberry liqueur adds a very subtle flavor and tints the champgane a lovely shade of pink. This is a light cocktail that is also very pretty on the table and making it could not be simpler!

Champagne Royal
1/2-1 oz. Chambord Rasberry Liqueur
4 oz. Champagne (domestic sparkling wine can be substituted)

Pour Chambord into the bottom of a champagne flute and top with champagne. Float a few raspberries in the drink for a pretty presentation.

[image source: DawnAllyn]

WBW #45: Old World Riesling

Wednesday, May 7th, 2008 | Germany, Riesling, White Wine, Wine Blogging Wednesday | 5 Comments

When Tim Elliot of Winecast announced the theme (Old World Riesling) for the current edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday, I was really looking forward to it. I don’t drink many Rieslings and consider the variety to be unfamiliar territory for the most part, and thus an adventure. German Rieslings are arugeably the most famous of all “Old World” Rieslings. The country’s Riesling vines can be traced back to 1435 and by the end of the 19th century Riesling was the region’s dominant grape variety. In Germany, you might hear Riesling called “The King of White Wine Grapes.”

I decided to come back to a German Riesling that I had quickly tasted at an industry event in the fall: 2006 Urban Riesling Nic Weis Selection. I remembered liking it and wanted to be able to take my time and get a better feel for it. Urban Riesling is produced from grapes in the vineyards neighboring St. Urbans-Hof Estate in Leiwen, Germany. St. Urbans-Hof has only 30 hectares of land on which to grow grapes, and with their reputation for high-quality wine that was growing in popularity, German winemaker Nik Weis reached the limit on what he could produce from his own vineyards. In 2006 he began to source grapes from his neighbors and began producing Urban Riesling. He put his name on the label to assure consumers it was a high-quality product. I found a bit of background on this wine at Wine Online:

“The Mehringer Zellerberg vineyard is a southern- facing site of slate soils which offers the perfect conditions for producing a typical Mosel Riesling on a high quality level,” said Weis. “Since the area is lesser-known than others on the Mosel, and because the vineyard is only slightly-steep, allowing some vineyard work by tractor, Urban Riesling also offers great value.”

As a member of Germany’s prestigious VDP (German Association of Praedikat and Quality Wine Estates), Weis is restricted from using the St. Urbans-Hof label on any wine that is not grown on his own property. He is diligent in honoring that regulation and thus, Urban Riesling carries the name I. Weis as producer on the label.

The wine has a very pretty light straw color. We were tasting it at about 9 PM, but I imagine that it would glisten beautifully if you were enjoying a glass of this Riesling out on the deck or porch. There were aromas of honey, pear, minerals, and a melony sweetness. The melon and pear carried through to the palate, and the sweetness rolled onto my tongue nicely. The wine resolved to a semi-dry, mineraly finish: quick and crisp. For around $11.99, I think that Urban Riesling is an excellent value. Like most German Rieslings it would pair well with foods that have a bit of spice to them. I think it would be great with grilled kielbasa (from a good butcher please, not the supermarket stuff if you can help it) and sauerkraut (with caraway seeds if possible). I could also see this pairing well with sushi. I think the sweetness of the wine would be a great contrast to the salty soy sauce and hot wasabi. Of course, Riesling is wonderful on its own and at only 10.5% alcohol, is a great choice for warmer weather when you don’t want to drink anything heavy.

Thanks again to Tim for hosting and picking a great topic for this round. Stay tuned for the announcement of the round-up, and the topic for Wine Blogging Wednesday #46, which will be hosted by Dr. Debs of Good Wine Under $20.

2004 Dry Creek Vineyard The Mariner

Monday, May 5th, 2008 | California, Dry Creek Valley, Meritage, Red Wine | No Comments

Well, it’s about time I got back to writing about wines, isn’t it? I have a few pages of tasting notes that I really should get around to posting, but for now I’ll start with a really wonderful California red blend that we had with dinner last night: 2004 Dry Creek Vineyard The Mariner(between $40-$50) from Sonoma County’s Dry Creek Valley. This wine is a meritage blend of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 6% Malbec, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot. It is 13.5% alcohol, so certainly within the “reasonable” range.

I don’t often comment on labels, but let’s face it: they’re an important part of the wine too. Many people (myself included) will try a bottle of wine based on little more than the label design. Perhaps it is related to my New England upbringing, but I find the label of The Mariner to really gorgeous. Although it’s difficult to read in the picture, the quote on the label says: “In spite of rock and tempest’s roar, in spite of false lights on the shore, sail on, nor fear to breast the sea!” This is pulled from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem, “The Building of the Ship,” a poem I happen to love. My opinion of the wine was off to a good start based on nothing of the wine itself, but it shows you how a label can easily influence opinion.

We decanted the wine and let it breathe while I prepared dinner (grilled strip steak with a tea peppercorn rub, steamed broccoli, and a garden salad — we went for ease on a Sunday night). The wine is a deep shade of purple. It was gorgeous in our decanter, but there was not a chance of it staying in there! On the nose, we smelled cedar, dried cranberries, and a bit of glycerin. It was ripe and plummy and as Drew stated, “subtle, but promising.” We tasted the wine and discovered ripe, plummy flavors. Drew noted that the wine had the sweetness of a honeydew melon. That is, it didn’t really tastelike honeydew, but it had a similar acidic sweetness. After tasting again and thinking about it a bit, we resolved this flavor to ripe blueberry. Plenty of vanilla oakiness was noticeable as well. I caught onto a “grilled” flavor that reminded me of some of the South African wines I’ve tasted. I thought that perhaps I picked up on it because I had been minding the grill and perhaps that scent was “stuck” in my nose, but Drew caught onto it as well. There was bit of dark chocolate as well. The tannins were quite heavy (which was not a surprise), but the long, graceful finish resolved them a bit.

The wine was perfect with the peppery, grilled steak. The flavors complemented each other nicely. It did not, however, pair well with the chocolate cake with caramel mousse that we had for dessert. Perhaps with a piece of dark chocolate or a richer dessert, but not the sticky sweetness of caramel. The Mariner is an elegant wine that is going to mature nicely. We have a couple more bottles in our wine cellar and I am really looking forward to returning to this wine in a few years to see how it develops.