January 2007

Wine Blogs Updates

* LENNDEVOURS: "Appellation America in the New York Times"

* Avenue Vine: "United States Readied to Become Global Wine Leader by 2008"

* Avenue Vine: "New Cuca Fresca Cachaça Coming Soon"

* Dr. Vino's wine blog: "Betting wine for football - edition XLI"

* Uncorked: "Has anybody else dined out for Restaurant Week?"

* Dr. Vino's wine blog: "Betting wine for football - edition XLI"

* Dr. Vino's wine blog: "Meetup NYC: Wined Up, February 9"

* Avenue Vine: "Celebrity Wine Sighting"

* Good Grape: A Wine Manifesto: "Do Vintage Charts Matter?"

* Avenue Vine: "Beer and Super Bowl Party Pairings"

* Wine Spectator Online Headlines RSS: "Paso Robles Vintners Divided Over Subappellations"

* Avenue Vine: "ZAP’s 16th Annual Tasting Festivals Was Celebrated by Well Over 9,000 People!"

* Dr. Vino's wine blog: "Ask Peter Meltzer your wine collecting questions"

* The Pour: "A Sense of Place"

* Avenue Vine: "Sonoma County Vintners Partner With Visa Signature Card"

* cincinnati wine warehouse: "German Pinot Noir"

* Avenue Vine: "New Web Site, American Winery"

* cincinnati wine warehouse: "The Port Club Annual Meeting"

* cincinnati wine warehouse: "Azul Profundo"

* LENNDEVOURS: "WTN: Comtesse Therese 2005 Blanc de Noir (North Fork)"

* Dr. Vino's wine blog: "Meetup NYC: Wined Up, February 9"

* Catavino: "Wine without Frontiers"

* Decanter News: "Moueix buys into Chateau Belair"

* Catavino: "Top Five Spanish Wine Retailers - UK"

* Uncorked: "'Wine is finally entering the mainstream of American life'"

* jamie goode's wine blog: "Gewurztraminer"

* The Cork and Demon: "Wines by the Glass"

* Michael Stajer: "Why I am Dumping my Mac and Switching Back to Windows"

* the crush: "All Okanagan Tasting Notes"

* the crush: "Wine X Magazine: Time to Grow Up, Kids"

* The Cork and Demon: "Texas Summer Doldrums/Tarantula Part Two"

* The Cork and Demon: "Kay Simon, Chinook Wines"

* The Cork and Demon: "Cork and Demon's Western Wine Tour Roundup: Eighty Some-Odd Wines That Do Not Suck"

* the crush: "Value Wine of the Week 8"

* jamie goode's wine blog: "Cheap Carignan cheer"

* the crush: "Value Wine of the Week 1"

* the crush: "Alberta Retail Alcohol Privatization: An Assessment"

* The Cork and Demon: "Jean-Francois Pellet"

* WINECENTRIC: "BASILISCO AGLIANICO DEL VULTURE - 2000"

Cabernet Sauvignon

Just don’t hurt the sommelier
It is a beautiful cabernet Sauvignon of full ripeness and deep concentration. 2005 Von Strasser “Diamond Mountain” Cabernet Sauvignon.

2002 Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon
2002 Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon - Los Angeles Times

Flanking manoeuvre: Cabernet sauvignon goes great with steak
Italy's version of the fancy flank steak gives us plenty of room to manoeuvre this week, but my choice is the most popular varietal wine in the world, cabernet sauvignon.

Steltzner Merlot has the weight of a Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and a Claret blend dominate their fine reputation, though they also produce small commercial amounts of South Africa's Pinotage and Italy's Sangiovese. It is Cabernet Sauvignon's blood brother, as evidenced by its ubiquitous presence in Bordeaux blends.

Wine Enthusiast Magazine
The Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot blend comes from vineyards in both Oakville and Stag’s Leap.

Winewaves
Also tasted, same label (not photographed): Aquinas Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 is another stylish winner for the price, deep garnet in color with blackberry, mocha, coffee, and ripe olive aromas.

Andrew Lane’s 2004 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon a Limited Edition ...
Andrew Lane, a family-run Napa winery - www.andrewlanewines.com – released its new, limited edition 2004 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. “We’re exceptionally proud of this reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and think it rivals some of the best Napa Cabs on the market,” said Andrew Dickson, Winemaker and CEO. “With every glass, wine enthusiasts can enjoy a harmony of flavors without the overpowering nuance of traditional oak and minerals.

Trio of Argentine reds wins a hat trick
Pick of the week Finca Flichman Expresiones Reserve Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 ($15.95, No. 017111). You loved the pinot noir, for example, but hated the cabernet sauvignon.

Drink Up: Cranbernet Sauvignon
Cabernet sauvignon is a popular red wine that pairs well with beef and is often served at dinner parties.

2004 Santa Rita Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon ($11
A good example is the 2004 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

Hess 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon
Grapes89 percent cabernet sauvignon, 5 percent petit verdot, 3 percent merlot, 3 percent malbec. Vintage Note Though not quite the equal of the 2004, the 2003 Hess Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is also top-notch and costs only about $19.

Order wine like an expert
Fatty foods (steak, lamb) work best with heavier reds like Cabernet Sauvignon or Bordeaux. A: California Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are often too heavy, sweet, oaky and high in alcohol for most food.

Taste: Sprucing up for wines night
For OTBN 5, Mr. Whaley, who is now a CPA, opened "the first bottle that got me interested in wine: a 1971 Mirassou Cabernet Sauvignon. To my surprise, it was still drinkable after surviving a divorce move and two moves precipitated by two airline bankruptcies." In each of the past two years, he opened a bottle of 1976 Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignon that he'd purchased at the winery many years ago.

Mondavi, the next generation
Tim Mondavi said that on Wednesday he, his sister Marcia and Robert were tasting samples of the new wine, a Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend called Continuum. The 2005 Continuum, to be released in March 2008, includes 20 percent Cabernet Franc and 20 percent Petit Verdot, which Tim says differentiates it from Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and Opus One wines made from the same vineyards.

Diamond Mountain’s Dyer joins Delta winery as consultant
Today, after spending 20 vintages at Sterling Winery, he and his wife, Dawnine, grow mostly Cabernet Sauvignon grapes on their Diamond Mountain property and are consultants for different vineyards. Because of his experience, the Dyers planted all five Bordeaux varieties, but most of the land was planted to Cabernet Sauvignon.

Tokara releases first Zondernaam wines for 2007
TOKARA winery has unveiled its first wines for 2007 with the release of the Zondernaam Chenin blanc 2006 and the Zondernaam Cabernet sauvignon 2003. The Zondernaam Cabernet sauvignon also has a glittering history with the 2002 awarded a gold medal at Veritas 2006.

Sauvignon Blanc Named Best in Show at Wines of Chile Awards by ...
favorites when it came to style, but we found we could agree on a large number of delicious wines, particularly Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon. ...

Idiom celebrates first anniversary
The bold, flamboyant Rhone-style Idiom Shiraz, Mourvdre, Viognier was a 2005 Veritas Double Gold winner, while the more reserved Idiom Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc won a Michelangelo Grand DOr award this year. This medium to full-bodied blend, includes 40% Pinotage in addition to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and has been styled for global appeal.

New Wines Added This Week
this new Tuscan domaine, which blends the Morellino grape with Montepulciano d'Abruzzo and just a dash of

Keep reading
This is the original home of cabernet sauvignon grapes, and also merlot. Cabernet sauvignon contributes depth and structure, with flavors reminiscent of cassis (blackcurrant).

Yattarna, Ridge MB, Rockford, Leoville LC, Coutet, Kracher and others
 that I would love to see it in 5 years time when it could well be excellent. 90/100 1976 Rosemount Estate

Recently Updated Popular Wine Blogs

* Avenue Vine: "Climate Change and Wine From The Unifed Wine & Grape Symposium"

* Avenue Vine: "Enforcement of Plant Variety Protection Act is Happening"

* Avenue Vine: "Last Minute Details As We Ready for Saturday The 16th Annual ZAP-FEST!"

* Avenue Vine: "Wine, Cuisine & Art of Mexico at COPIA"

* Fermentation: The Daily Wine Blog: "The Terroir Paradigms"

* LENNDEVOURS: "Howard Stern to Buy a Long Island Winery?"

* LENNDEVOURS: "Wine Blogging Wednesday #30 Announced: New World Syrah/Shiraz"

* Decanter News: "French barrel maker loses over €100k in Napoli grounding"

* Decanter News: "Decanter/Amateur Photographer Picture competition"

* Uncorked: "Opportunity comes a-knockin' on wine lovers' doors"

* Good Grape: A Wine Manifesto: "Just the Wine Rating, Please:  Early April Fool’s Day"

* Wine Spectator Online Headlines RSS: "Mouton Art Exhibit to Coincide With Historic Auction"

* Basic Juice - the wine blog for my generation: "Watch Your Winegut"

* Pinotblogger: the Capozzi Winery blog: "Food and Wine Life Hacks"

* Basic Juice - the wine blog for my generation: "Sip it. Blog it. Hear it."

* Fermentation: The Daily Wine Blog: "Charity Aucitions in Corn Country Vs. Wine Country"

* Fermentation: The Daily Wine Blog: "The Octopus"

* Avenue Vine: "Kendall-Jackson Declared Winery of the Year at UW&GS"

* The Pour: "How to Top It Off"

* LENNDEVOURS: "What wine-related baby-arrival traditions are out there?"

* Grape Radio: "GrapeRadio Giveaway"

* [Spittoon] Full Postings: "New World Syrah - the next theme for Wine Blogging Wednesday"

* Decanter News: "Ramsay brings Michelin star total to 10"

* Uncorked: "Self-professed 'wine slob' launches new wine column"

* Avenue Vine: "ZAP! 16TH ANNUAL 2007 ZINFANDEL FESTIVAL CONTINUES TODAY!"

* Avenue Vine: "New Bottle Label WARNING, Contains Allergies"

* Avenue Vine: "Bordeaux Chateau Declassified Self"

* Avenue Vine: "International Wine Community Gathers in Sacramento for Unified Wine & Grape Symposium LAST DAY, TODAY!"

* Dr. Vino's wine blog: "Barrel sample, cognac style"

* Winebusiness.com - Daily News Links: "Bill would allow online wine sales in Georgia"

* Winebusiness.com - Daily News Links: "EU challenge to Canadian Tax Break Sparks Fury"

* Winebusiness.com - Daily News Links: "Analysts say UK wine market has slowed"

* Winebusiness.com - Daily News Links: "New Winery Boom Spans North America"

* Winebusiness.com - Daily News Links: "Editorial: Naples Winter Wine Festival"

* Wine Spectator Online Headlines RSS: "The Provocative Promise of Resveratrol"

* Good Grape: A Wine Manifesto: "Happy 1st Birthday to Good Grape!"

* Fermentation: The Daily Wine Blog: "The Turning Tide of CA's X-Treme Wines?"

* LENNDEVOURS: "WTN: Channing Daughters 2005 Brick Kiln Chardonnay (The Hamptons, Long Island)"

* Uncorked: "New wine marketing scheme tough to swallow"

Riesling

Alsatian Whites
And because of Alsace's unique history of being sometimes German, sometimes French, those grapes get special dispensation: French law permits growing Riesling and Gewurztraminer only in Alsace. TWO STARS 2005 Albert Seltz Reserve Riesling ($15) Albert Seltz took over his family's three-century-old estate in 1980, when he was 19.

Alsatian whites love a big entree
The Alsatian white wines in our tasting included Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Sylvaner and Riesling. Riesling is considered the lord of Alsatian whites and may be served throughout the meal.

Dallas Morning News
The Wine Spectator Insider newsletter just gave the 2005 Leitz Magda Riesling Sptlese 93 points, and it's expected to show up in the magazine later in the spring.

German earns NY a seat at fine-wine table
His first riesling and chardonnay vintages in 1979 won gold in New York competitions. We're the highest priced riesling grape in the country.

Theres an icewine to suit every taste
Recently, icewine produced from the Riesling grape has become popular. The higher acidity of the Riesling grape adds an elegant tone due to the perfect balance between sweetness and acidity.

In the mood to melt
Lacking that, try a dry Riesling, such as the graceful 2005 Trefethen Estate Dry Riesling from Napa Valley's Oak Knoll district.

Riesling renaissance
His first riesling and chardonnay vintages in 1979 won gold in New York competitions. "Mosel and the Rheingau would have to be considered the ultimate for riesling, the greatest rieslings in the world," said Linda Lawry, director of the International Wine Center in New York City.

Chicagoist
That look turns to an enthusiastic, knowing gleam if the guest chose an Alsatian riesling. At a dinner with chef Jean Joho she spoke with such unbridled enthusiasm for the wine that Joho hired her to be his sommelier at Everest, which boasts one of the largest collections of Alsatian riesling in the world.

Classic rieslings earn Finger Lakes region respect
Wiemer knew from childhood chores on his mother's estate that wherever black cherries and peaches flourish - and fruit orchards were abundant here - so too could varieties like riesling, a versatile grape that has long produced the finest white wines of Germany, Austria and France's Alsace region. His first riesling and chardonnay vintages in 1979 won gold in New York competitions.

Organically grown
The wine recommendation printed on the menu for this dish proves to be quite successful; the Firestone Riesling is a food-friendly wine with a nice balance of subtle sweetness and crisp acidity.

Choosing a wine: Part 2
Riesling: High in acids, wines can be very dry to richly sweet.

Dressing up for dinner
And all of this was washed down with a Riesling from the fab wine list.

Johannisberg riesling: Its half the name now
Q: Someone told me I would no longer be able to buy Johannisberg riesling. As for Johannisberg riesling, that name has been discontinued for any wines bottled after Jan. 1, 2006.

Region sees a Riesling renaissance
His first Riesling and chardonnay vintages in 1979 won gold in New York competitions. Mosel and the Rheingau would have to be considered the ultimate for Riesling, the greatest Rieslings in the world, said Linda Lawry, director of the International Wine Center in New York City.

Is there a White Shiraz
There's Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Grenache and Mourvedre and Riesling and even a splash of Muscat and a shot of Zinfandel. While Chardonnay does well from the Hunter Valley through South Australia to the Margaret River in the far West country, and Riesling from the Clare and Eden Valleys can be a delight (more about that in Friday's edition), neither of these white wines strikes me as expressing Australia as boldly as Shiraz does with the reds.

With help, citrus can be paired with wine
Citrus, in general, works fine with chardonnay, riesling (especially German beerenauslese with citrus desserts), sauvignon blanc (especially New Zealand), according to Dornenburg and Page. Lime: Riesling, sauvignon blanc (especially high-acid), Australian verdelho.

Make It for Dinner: Chicken in riesling with cremini mushrooms
Stir in riesling, scraping up browned bits on bottom of pan.

Reporting From The Unifed Wine Grape Symposium: Climate Change ...
Riesling and Gewurztraminer flourish in cooler temps as does Pinot Noir. The Mosel Valley may not be the most hospitable place for Riesling any more, Burgundy may no longer be grow Pinot Noir in the same way.

Meeting of fans of (real) riesling
The first informal gathering of the (Real) Riesling Association will take place next week. All interested riesling lovers (producers, marketers, trade, media etc.) are most welcome to attend, and are encouraged to bring along a special bottle of riesling to share.

Zinfandel

Wine of the year: Mia’s Playground Dry Creek Valley zinfandel.
Wine of the year: Mia’s Playground Dry Creek Valley zinfandel. Wine of the year: Mia’s Playground Dry Creek Valley zinfandel.

Trincheros sell Zinfandel Ranch
Trinchero Family Estates has sold its sprawling mid-valley Zinfandel Ranch for an undisclosed sum to a local wine industry investment group known as Rutherford Studios. The savings in terms of transportation and energy usage will be substantial, Trinchero indicated, with the added benefit of significantly reduced truck traffic on Highway 29 and Zinfandel Lane which is important to our neighbors, community and the environment.

Wine Calendar
2004 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel is released on Feb. 3. Tickets and details available at http://www.zinfandel.org.

Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel
Zinfandel isn't nearly so associated with specific locales as some grape varieties. TWO AND A HALF STARS 2004 Bella Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel ($25) A touch of Petite Sirah is added to the mix for this limited-production effort.

Jaunted
Tonight she'll be taking a drive up the Pacific Coast Highway, eating fish and chips on Catalina Island, and, if the episode guide is to be trusted, eating some Zinfandel glazed short ribs.

Trinchero to sell, lease back Zinfandel Ranch vineyard and wine ...
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but St. Helena-based Trinchero will continue to hold a 30-year lease on the Zinfandel Ranch's cabernet sauvignon and merlot vineyards and a four-year lease on its production facilities, the company said Jan. 11. The Zinfandel Ranch property, once one of Northern California's largest egg farms, includes the Chicken Ranch Vineyard, a warehouse, fermentation building, commercial kitchen, bottling and packaging lines, and other buildings and offices.

2007 Paso Robles Zinfandel Festival Set for March 17
The 2007 Paso Robles Zinfandel Festival, presented by the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance, is slated for the evening of Saturday, March 17, 2007. The festive, Mardi Gras themed event held at the Paso Robles Event Center will include live and silent auctions, as well as a grand tasting of Zinfandel wines from more than 40 wineries in the Paso Robles, California appellation.

For the big game, take a giant leap into the kitchen
Gassenheimer recommends a zinfandel to go with her chili, something that can handle spicy.

Zinfandel – Americas wine – takes center stage
ZINFANDEL, America's grape, regardless of its European heritage, has made more of a name for itself in California than anywhere else in the world. Its deep berryish fruit and its remarkable affinity with a variety of well-seasoned foods has brought much deserved fame to zinfandel, and has kept it at the very top even as merlot and syrah have tried to crowd in.

SJV wine growers called to bankroll promotion
The major wines sent abroad are Zinfandel, White Zinfandel, Ruby Cabernet, and French Colombard, and California wineries have promoted these abroad, both in established markets in Europe and expanding outlets in Asia.

Catalonian beef stew plucks out the best notes in Lodi Zinfandel
Lodi produces many wines, but Zinfandel has a long history there, and the recipe has been adjusted to pair well with the Zinfandels on hand. I was going to use red wine, preferably Zinfandel, to pair with wines for this column.

Uruguay is tannat country
California abducted zinfandel from Eastern Europe and Uruguay has adopted the unruly tannat from France as its own grape and is doing a very fine job as a foster parent - better, according to many, than its natural parents were doing.

Red, white, and rose wines to savor this winter
Anything from Icon Estates can be taken for granted; fine, great buy. w Castoro Cellars '01 late harvest

Sales of expensive wines booming
The second-highest average bottle price is Zinfandel at $8.64. White Zinfandel, at $3.41, has the lowest average bottle price of any of the top varietals.

Reds ready for cold weather
Zinfandel, The Red. Not the same as White Zinfandel, The Pink, which will taste much better if you wait until the pool opens up. Zinfandel is a red grape with ancestry in Italy (or Croatia, depending on whom you talk to).

LOCAL WINE PICKS: Paso Robles zinfandel specialist also has a nice ...
With vineyards on both the east and west sides of Paso Robles, Opolo Vineyards is able to produce a range of wines. ...

Ridge Pagani Ranch Zinfandel (Sonoma County) 1997
Since last noted in 11/2004, this wine has continued to evolve, proving an exception to the general rule that Zinfandel lasts but does not age.

Super Bowl Sunday Vino: Bottles that Pair with Party Snacks
For meat lovers, load up on power reds such as Zinfandel, Malbec, and Petite Sirah. Zinfandel is loaded with full-on fruit, followed by a piquant, peppery chaser as it goes down.

Abundance Vineyards Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel 2003
While some Lodi Zins are a bit over the top when it comes to alcohol levels and smokehouse seasoning, Abundance Old Vine Zinfandel 2003 comes across as relatively restrained, allowing the true nature of the fruit and vineyard to shine through.