winter warmers go west!

California wines were largely where my wine journeys started. But living on the east coast, and in New England more specifically, the influence of Old World cultures means there is also a large supply of Old World wines. California became less and less a part of my at-home wine drinking as my tastes took me in different directions and the rich history of winemaking abroad sucked me in. But that doesn't mean California doesn't have quite a bit to offer. It's not exactly a small state and it certainly has myriad climates, micro-climates, soil types, winemaking styles/influences and even its own unique history. So today my quest for winter warmer wines takes me - er, us - west! One winery that continues to impress me is Spencer Roloson in Napa Valley. It's not often I find one single winery where I have more than one "favorite" wine in their repertoire. With these guys I do. Perhaps it is because founder/winemaker Sam Spencer has a crush on the Rhone Valley & Spain, too. (In his vineyards you will  find Rhone & Spanish varietals planted like Syrah, Carignane, Valdigue, Viognier, and even Grenache Blanc.) But what's particularly cool is that Spencer believes, as I do, that wines need to be "true to their varietal character with enough finesse, elegance and focus to reveal the origin".

What does this really mean? It means the true flavors of each grape varietal are evident, demonstrating the characteristics they are known for; they simply taste like they are supposed to, not 'manufactured' through winery tomfoolery, if you will. And the best part is (drum roll please) they have a sense of place. In tasting Spencer Roloson wines, you know they come from Napa Valley, California. Ok, so maybe you don't taste volcanic deposits necessarily... Suffice to say, the Spencer & Roloson wines have a distinctly New World, California flavor: uber-round edges, deep layers of rich flavors, often sweeter notes of vanilla or chocolate... I know you know what I'm talking about. These wines coat your tongue and go down smooooth. But this smoothness does not hide the lovely fruit or earthy, floral/herbaceous flavors each wine delivers.

"Forced" to choose just one winter warmer wine for today's post, I'm going with the 2004 Spencer Roloson Palaterra, their red blend. This wine is modeled on the wines of the Rhone with this vintage a blend of Syrah, Carignane, Valdigue grapes. If this wine was a musical instrument, I'd say it is a cello. With every movement of the bow across its strings, deeper blackberry and chocolate covered strawberry flavors are accented with higher notes of fresh cut rosemary and thyme. The finish is just as graceful and intoxicating as its flavors on the midpalate. A solid food wine, I imagine the heartier wine-lover would enjoy this alone, too.

Which California wine is your winter warmer of choice?

the main event: holiday wines!

Earlier this week I saw an email thread asking recipients to pick their top wine of the year. I can't think of a more impossible task! If you've been reading the Pour Favor blog for awhile, I'm sure you know exactly why I feel this way: wine is an experience! Without context - friends, family, laughter, tears, food, bistro, bar, fireplace, porch, picnic blanket, a night "in"....- wine is just juice in a fancy bottle, with a special closure. Well, maybe not quite but you get my drift.... Since this will be my last post before the New Year, I've decided to offer a nod to the year past. I'm going to throw out a few wines I've found this year, which are particularly worthy of a good excuse to open, which I've not yet shared.  We'll start with white, then red, then bubbly, and then - just for good measure - a dessert wine. Fasten your seat belt! These are a few of my 2008 YUM wines:

WHITE:     2007 Les Heritiers du Comte Lafon Macon Milly Lamartine

I've rediscovered my passion for White Burgundy this year, first during the spring and then again and again this fall as it has gotten colder and I still crave a wonderful white. Dominique Lafon has long been revered for producing wonderful, concentrated wines in Meursault. His innovative edge and desire for a challenge brought him to the Maconnais - a region he recognized as under-appreciated, simply needing a bit of TLC. This wine is clear evidence exceptional insight, wine making and viticultural practices yield amazing results. The Les Heritiers has an intensely aromatic bouquet of pear, honeysuckle, citrus and jasmine. Its intoxicating minerality is complemented by rich pear and orange peel flavors. Such vibrancy and complexity is delivered in a memorably mouth-filling package. Delicious!

RED:     2005 O'Shaughnessy Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

It is rare for me not to write my own wine notes, but in the case of this wine I'm always left speechless (an amazing feat, I know!). Fortunately, the winemaker's notes capture the absolute explosion of well-integrated layers that ravish my taste buds and wrap me in a lovely cocoon of happiness! Ripe cherry, blackberry, smoke, tobacco leaf, coco bean and dark chocolate aromas are framed by sweet vanilla oak. Elegant but concentrated flavors of espresso bean, graphite, raspberry and strawberry preserves are followed by a long complex finish with silky tannins and good acidity. An extracted wine that is rewarding. A worthwhile splurge for Christmas dinner, for sure!

SPARKLING:    2001 Westport Rivers Imperial

This winery proves Massachusetts is capable of producing tremendous wines - and bubbly at that! Just imagine yourself on the Cape, beach book in hand, foaming waves rolling onto the shore and fresh, juicy peaches, pears and apples in the cooler nearby. Add a spritz of sea air and you have the Imperial in your glass. It has a full, frothy mouse of tiny, tiny bubbles that deliver a tremendous, floral nose. Just a touch of citrus is evident on the palate - a welcome crispness to offset its wonderfully lush character. Just a touch of sweet, ripe fruit lingers on the finish. Salud!

DESSERT:    2007 Bouchaine Bouch D'Or Late Harvest

For me, this wine was love at first sip! It is an opulent, seductive dessert wine made of 94% Chardonnay and 5% Riesling - not a late harvest often found. It has an enticingly floral nose, followed by apple fruits layered with honey flavors. A gentle touch of minerality is well-integrated. Not for the lighthearted, this wine is deliciously decadent!

I hope you and yours have a safe, happy and healthy New Year! Be sure to pick up a bottle of something fun this holiday season. And please, share what you've selected!

the masked monster grape, aka wines for fall: petite sirah

What better way to continue our discussion about wines perfect for fall than to start the month of October with some banter about a monster wine? Petite Sirah (note the "i" in Sirah) is also a stealthy little operator, or the masked creature standing on your front steps in just 30 days time. Boo-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!! "What the heck is she getting at today," you ask with incredible anticipation and a smile dancing at the corners of your mouth?

Most people have never heard of this lesser known, somewhat cloak-and-dagger varietal. Petite Sirah is a test tube grape that actually got its start in the Rhone Valley of France. It is a cross between Syrah and Peloursin, and was originally named Durif, after it's human father. Dr. Durif developed the varietal in the 1800s to resist Powdery Mildew, to which Syrah is prone. Unfortunately being a tightly bunched varietal meant it wasn't equally resistant to gray rot. In the humid Southern Rhone this wasn't exactly a recipe for success.

Not to worry! California's drier climate provided just the breath of fresh air this varietal needed. Petite Sirah is a high-tannin, high-acid, darkly-purple grape varietal used to add structure (aka aging power), oomph (body) and/or color to other wines. So how/why the dramatic name change from Durif to Petite Sirah? It wasn't until the 1960s and 1970s that folks in California started to get particularly concerned with labeling wines per the varietals involved. And because the grape's characteristics so resembled those of Sirah, it was called Petite Syrah. (The longer story of it's confused genetic background and resolution by Dr. Meredith can be found here, via the notes of Dennis Fife of Fife Vineyards.)

So why is it so poorly known? For whatever reason - and I'm truly uncertain as to why - Petite Sirah is just not grown in major quantities. Something like 3200 acres of vines in California are considered Petite Sirah today. And so it is a cult wine. Many wine shops don't even carry it as a single varietal offering. And I don't think I've ever seen it as such on a restaurant wine list, either. But somewhere along the way I was introduced to this great monster of a wine. I enjoy it even more in the fall because it packs such a great punch - particularly when the grill is going (yea meat paired with highly structured, deeply flavored wines) and the night's are cooler (and a little something extra to warm you up never hurts)!

I'll spare you my own wine notes this post because I want you to really seek out one of these big, blackberry-fruited, peppery, single-varietal Petite Sirahs this fall. If your shop doesn't carry a single varietal offering, see if they can bring in Vinum Cellar's Pets Petite Sirah (~$12), the Peltier Station Petite Sirah (~$17) or the Mettler Petite Sirah (~$23). Once you taste these on their own you'll unmask this monster of a wine and better understand what this grape contributes when blended into wines like Trentadue's Old Patch Red or Owen Roe's Abbot's Table.

Do you enjoy this bold, inky, spicy red varietal? Which Petite Sirah is your fall pick?

the wine-r-cooler is buzzing...

I've been running from industry tasting to industry tasting the last few weeks, not only tasting the new releases and other new wines available this fall, but also picking up tidbits here and there about what's what and otherwise on the minds of winemakers, importers, distributors and, of course, consumers. I find it absolutely fascinating to compare these 'hallway musings' with what I read on various blog sites and in on-line trade mags. This gives me a sense of whether these conversations are local to the MA/New England market, or if they are more global. Today I can't help but give you a snapshot of these ruminations, hopefully giving you the chance to be "a fly on the (wine trade) wall"! The question of the strengthening dollar. I can't tell you how many folks have asked why wine prices are still high when the dollar is getting stronger (granted, a relative concept). No surprise, it's on everyone's mind. I can't wait myself! Well, in uncertain economic times, no one is more anxious to start sharing the 'winnings' than the importers of fine wines from Europe. After all, wine does go sour eventually! If they can't unload it then they're the ones who will really be hurting. The thing is, the wine already on shelves is wine that was purchased when the dollar was particularly weak. I think we'll see things start to turn around soon enough, though. Dr. Vino seems to have the same take. Importers are eagerly biding their time, waiting for the wares they are now buying overseas (at a better price) to come to market here in the U.S.. Check out his interview with Victor Owen Schwartz of Vos Selections to get an inside peak into this topic.

The question of the California wildfires. Here's another one I find fascinating to discuss. Several weeks ago I reported the California harvest season had started and early reports were favorable for the 2008 vintage despite the wildfires that ravaged the area. I won't get to taste these wines for another year or two or three (depending on the varietal). But there are some folks who are so lucky to get a preview! Alice Feiring reported this week an essence of smoke is present in the various wines she's sampled. She banters a bit about whether this should be considered "taint" or not; her discussion is highly entertaining - and worth checking out first hand. Her reflections (aka witty banter) is available here. If what she writes is true, I may become more of a California wine drinker in years to come... I love a little smoke in my wine!

The latest in Wine, Politics, and (silly) Journalism. It irks me when the press gets hold of some silly little thing and goes bonkers talking abou it. Don't we have anything better to do here, people?! Well, this week there's one regarding wine that in my mad wine tasting week I nearly missed. So just in case I'm not the only one, here's one for the watercooler.... Palin wine, a Chilean winery that's only in its infancy, has both taken off and taken a hit since McCain nominated Sarah Palin as his running mate. Let's just say its success depends on whether you live in a blue or red state/area in the country where this wine is available. I can't help but roll my eyes as I attach this link to Decanter's article. (If you want to read something a bit more serious on politics and wine, don't forget that Wine Book Club is discussing Tyler Coleman's latest release at the end of next month!)

What wine-related topics have been at the forefront of your newsfeed this week? What's your take on the ones I touched on here?

earthy genious in a bottle of cab franc

I love Cabernet Franc. There, I've said it. I know many people who are disinclined to this often vegetal-tasting/smelling grape varietal, but I quite enjoy it. Perhaps you've had it and you haven't even realized it. It is a grape that often plays second or third fiddle in Bordeaux blends. If you're palate has taken you to the Loire Valley of France and you enjoyed a red wine from Chinon or Saumur-Champigny, you've enjoyed this varietal on its own. Likewise, you may also have tried a bottle from a California producer, where the grape is increasingly getting a chance to play the lead role. But if you're really lucky, you'll have tasted some from the Finger Lakes region of New York State. The Finger Lakes is an up-and-coming wine region here in the US. Cold as You-Know-What up in those parts, the Lakes do play a critical role in moderating the otherwise frosty climate. With proper vine grafting, Riesling has done tremendously well (as has Chardonnay). In fact Dr. Frank's Rieslings are thought to rival those of Germany's Saar region. Reds are starting to get some more attention, too. Cabernet Franc from this region has even caught the attention of world-reknowned wine writer, Jancis Robinson. And with good reason.

My mentor gifted me a bottle of Red Newt Cellars' 2004 Cabernet Franc several months ago. She knows my palate enjoys a good frolick with cab franc and she is in the less-inclined category I mentioned earlier. She is also from upstate New York and knew this would be a good opportunity for me to taste this up and coming New York state wine - wines that are nearly impossible to get hold of here in Massachusetts. I knew it was going to be a fun wine to drink so I bided my time waiting for an opportunity when the weather (temperate) and my dinner menu (something "earthy" involved, e.g. mushrooms, eggplant, rosemary, etc.) were in sync.

Only the comfort of Chicken Marsala, garlic/rosemary mashed potatoes and snow peas would ease our pain from having watched Tom Brady injure himself in the first quarter of last Sunday's game. The evening was gorgeous, too.  And so the stars had aligned to pop the cork of the Newt Cab Franc in my cellar.

What we found was a treat. Red Newt Cellars produced a lighter-styled Cab Franc, with gentle tannins and moderate acidity. The fruit was the most distinguishing characteristic, offering bright, ripe red fruits - cranberry and raspberries seemed most evident to me - followed by soft spice and earth. In a blind taste test I may have said it was a Pinot Noir - being both more accustomed to the bigger, bolder Cab Franc offerings I'm used to drinking from CA and lacking (in a refreshing way) the strong bell pepper notes so often evident in wines from the Loire.

True to form (having experience the wine for myself first), the next day I took my notes and went online to see what the winemaker or other "experts" had to say about the wine's characteristics. The winemaker certainly hoped I'd have the experience I did! For the 2005 vintage he writes, "cranberry and raspberry with overtones of smoke and spice make an elegant red that shows well young and ages beautifully. Cabernet Franc is one of the most promising red varieties ever introduced in the Finger Lakes. Structure is typically complex, complete but delicate. Color is moderate to dark and tannins soft." Complete but delicate were probably my happiest memories of the wine - I couldn't have said it better myself!

What's your experience with Cab Franc? Are you as inclined as I to pick up a bottle? Or, is this a new one on you - and one you might take for a test drive in future?

another one bites the dust. oenological research heads down under (again)

And... she's back! And I haven't let the jetlag from my trip to Istanbul and Cyprus slow me down a bit. Afterall, I have your needs first! I launched right into tasting season here in Beantown on Wednesday afternoon, spitting so you don't have to.  Being out in the "field" does challenge a girl to stay on top of other wine related news. But in the fray, I found something this week I thought might be interesting for us to banter about: oenolgoical research. A few weeks ago I posted about dogs in the vineyard and their role in sniffing out vine mealy bugs. Additional research for that post really got my curiosity up about other projects underway to help winemakers and viticulturists do what they do best. Then a couple of days ago I saw an article on Wines & Vines (my source for nerdier information about what's do'n in the trade) about Dr. Kennedy abandoning ship in Oregon for better funded research opportunities in Australia.

Booming wine biz Down Under certainly has made that part of the world a sweet haven of luscious research. Those guys aren't afraid to take a risk - applying modern techniques to their wine making approach and out in the fields. But calculated risk-taking is all the better. And so the Australian Government have done their part to fund research on a variety of topics including Pierce's Disease, one that first emerged in the US winemaking regions of California and Florida. Even a quick Google search loads numerous links to organizations like the Australian Wine Research Institute and the Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation, an organization/partnership between the Aussie Government and the wine industry. If you do the same search with US inserted, you get links to information about wine and health-related research, not winemaking et. al.

In the US industry money feeds the research engine. The last I know of research funding coming from within the US federal government was an attempt to integrate a request for funding via the Farm Bill in 1995; (I don't think it was on the roster last year when this bill was up again, but please correct me if I'm wrong). I don't think that attempt was successful, either. State funding is likely another can of worms. I'd be shocked if California, for example, doesn't have some funds allocated accordingly.

I'm not terribly surprised that wine research funding isn't a national priority. And I'm not even advocating that it should be. But it is an interesting bit of news. How many more US researchers are going to abandon ship? Dr. Kennedy is making the move on the heels of Dr. Thomas Henick-Kling, formerly of Cornell.

What do you think? Should the wine industry bare the brunt of funding research? Do you know how much funding comes from which sources here in the US?

Wine Blogging Wednesday: 2004 Tobin James Dusi Vineyard Zin

Big, red, New World wines (California and Australia) were my first real introduction to the wine world. My Phoenix upbringing/roots made those wines easily accessible in the local market; meanwhile, my older brother and sister-in-law had gotten a jump start on traveling to the CA wine country in search of the best wines on offer. I can't remember exactly which year it was they came across Tobin James Cellars. But I know it was early in their wine making history (mid/late 90s). Tobin James became not only a staple those first years I returned from college for Christmas vacation but also during the summers, when my brother would bring a case to our little vacation spot in Rhode Island. These wines were always a particular treat. On a more daily basis I admittedly spent my pennies on Yellow Tail and Buckley's (a topic for another day, perhaps...). So for this Wine Blogging Wednesday where Lenndevours encouraged us to celebrate WBW's 4th Birthday by returning to our roots, of course Tobin is a natural choice for me. Even though Tobin is a rare find in these parts - especially when it comes to the really good stuff - I happen to have a secret stash in my cellar. The challenge this WBW was not which producer to return to, but rather which wine (read: varietal) to select. I decided to go with the '04 Dusi Vineyard Zinfandel, since Paso Robles is largely Zin Country and I've found Tobin's Dusi Vineyard selection to be consistent vintage after vintage.

I could look at a line up of Tobin red wines and be in heaven. This one was an inky, deep, violet color as it flowed out of the bottle and into my glass. Made from 80-year-old vines such concentration comes as no surprise, nor the fact that it offered bright, juicy fruit, just shy of the fruit bomb jammy explosion I often associate with this part of the world. The wine had just a touch of smoke too, with some earthiness and typical black pepper notes, which sang a soft tune on the finish. I'm not sure how much oak this wine sees, but it doesn't feel heavy-handed; rather the oak imparts a smooth, lush, sexy mouthfeel that sucks you in for another taste. It is well-balanced, with the acidity and tannins commingling happily with the fruit's fleshy, fullness. If you've got a bottle, I encourage you to decant it. I didn't this time because I wasn't sure I would finish the bottle - and actually wanted to taste it again after a day or so. But I definitely got a little extra "protein" on Day 2 as I polished it off.... A final note of applause: this wine doesn't bring the exceptional heat you might expect for a wine coming in at 15.6% alcohol; the layers of flavor are what you remember.

As much as perhaps 90% of my wine expenditures support Old World producers these days, each time I pop open a bottle of Tobin James I'm uniquely satisfied. Granted I'm likely a bit biased because this wine is from my roots. But I'm ok with that. Satisfaction is as satisfaction does.

What wine helps define your wine-drinking "roots"? Have you ever enjoyed a Tobin James selection?