Let the Wine Lead Your Way - Boston Wine Riot

In my pre-Riot post I laid out a game plan for working through the abundant offerings at the Boston Wine Riot this weekend. I suggested having a plan, and further recommend that beverage festival goers have a plan for three things, what to drink, what to eat, and additional hydration. I definitely made good on my plan, enjoying an afternoon with my friend Marie from The Life of Vines Blog.

I thought the use of the space for the Second Glass 2012 Boston Wine Riot at the Park Plaza castle was good, and I liked that venue better than the Cyclorama; but it’s really a tossup based on how each supports the event. After a short wait the doors opened and we checked in, got glasses and set about figuring out where to go next. As I had, Marie had also been reviewing the festival schedule and wines using the Second Glass mobile app. Attracted to the Bubbly Tour Marie mentioned a few of the wines listed on the guided tour. Off we went.

The hit of the Bubbly Tour was the Dr. Loosen Sparkling Riesling. The product has only been out about a year and I had yet to even hear that it existed. The Dr. L QbA Riesling is one of my all time best performing wines. Consecutive vintages of this wine have been more consistent performers for me when you also consider that the wine itself is interesting with a bit of complexity. Inexpensive wines often lack that last part. 

The still Riesling usually leads off with citrus and some minerally or slate-like aromas. I typically pick up peaches and island fruits in the mouth with a moderate and tart finish containing both the fruits and a noticeable citrus-laden exit. The sparkling version presented much of the same, although apple was more predominant with the activity in the mouth of the bubbles and the wine. The finish was clean and lively. I was as surprised to find this product as I was the sparkling Viognier from Virginia and Horton Vineyards in 2011. Both grapes have very different aromas than the classics used in sparkling wine, and I think those aromas coming through early as they do are an asset in the moments of enjoyment the wines are intended to make. The captivating nose draws you in.

( Overhead of tasters learning about different wines, regions and styles. )

At the end of the Bubbly Tour we went on a local wine mission. Wines (actually wines, meads AND ciders because that’s how we roll in New England) from Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire and Maine were being poured at tables adjacent to each other.

Our first stop was the Finger Lakes table where we found our mutual friend Lorie from the Wining Ways blog. She looked so happy to be engaging rioters about wines from the Finger Lakes including those from Glenora, Dr. Frank, Ravines and Red Newt. The Rieslings and Gewurztraminer were my faves. The full-bodied mouth of the Red Newt Circle Riesling reminds me of my early days of wine drinking, fruity, sweet Rieslings that had a touch of character in both nose and palate. The dry Rieslings from Dr. Frank and Ravines are examples of the finesse that the Finger Lakes wines bring to the table. I remarked to Marie that I’d bet big on the Finger Lakes right now. I am betting that the steady growth curve of recognition, publicity and enjoyable wines is meaningful and should be a focus of pride and inspiration for all East Coast agriculture and related businesses. The Glenora Gewurztraminer tasted very lively, and I feel that the Cabernet Franc from the same producer could continue to benefit from aging.

We moved on to the Farnum Hill Ciders table and I was so happy to hear the server re-enforcing that the product is grown and produced in New Hampshire. Yeah it is, and it is one of the finest examples of cider in the nation, and yes, New Hampshire is just that cool.

Next stop was the Travessia Urban Winery table. Owner and winemaker Marco Montez was at the table talking to tasters and promoting his locally made wines. I have to sadly report once again that I have yet to get to Travessia. Marco and I have met two or three times now at tastings and I enjoy his wines, so getting a chance to chat again was happily taken. 

Marie and I had just been talking about wines made locally, and suggestions for what she might take to Taste Camp. Travessia makes one of my all time favorite wines and a contender for the top New England wine in my experience. Vidal Blanc. Grown in Massachusetts and produced at the winery in New Bedford. I taste this wine whenever I see it. There are lots of hybrid grapes that don’t make classically styled dry or medium-dry wines, but Vidal is one of the rare exceptions. The fact that it can also be made in sweet and late harvest or ice-wine styles too makes it a slam dunk of a grape to make a tasty local wine from. The 2011 isn’t bottled for commercial sale yet and the early taste once again brought me joy. It is drier this year compared to 2010, something Marco noted in regards to the weather in 2011, but no less enjoyable. The missing sweetness lets the acidity come through more, almost making the wine taste a bit herbal.  You can’t mistake it for a different wine if you know it, but the vintage versatility of this wine in different pairings and courses of the same meal is the first thing that comes to mind here. I’m going to have to try just that as soon as the 2011 is released.Marie, that was and is my recommendation for Taste Camp. 

Before I left for the Wine Riot I was tweeting with friends about it and Brian from A Thought For Food mentioned enjoying wines from both Huge Bear Wines and Mouton Noir. Marie and hit the Huge Bear Wines table together. Unfortunately we were both left with a concern about the amount of oak in the wines. The Sauvignon Blanc was aged in neutral barrels, which is funny because oak treatment was the first thing I picked up. I visited the Mouton Noir table after Marie had left and as my ultimate last stop . I liked the Other People’s Pinot the best, and not just for the 90’s music reference. It was light, smooth and full of flavor.

As we roamed we took note of the breakout spaces being prepped for crash courses and educational tastings. I didn't attend any this year, but can vouch for the variety of subjects you might further indulge your tastes for in this way. In 2010 thew Quady vermouth seminar was enlightening. I make 50/50's with their vermouths at home because of it. A simple refreshing cocktail made from aromatized wine and citrus that has a stomach settling effect like many classic aperitifs do. Very cool. 

The Asian-food and red wine pairing tips session from that same year was hands on, one of the best ways to learn. I've enjoyed pairing Asian take-out with my homemade reds several times since. Again this year there were sessions for everyone, including tips for shucking off "rules" about how to pair, use and enjoy wines and closeups on regions like the Laungedoc. Signs like "How to Taste" to the right were displayed throughout the room. Helping less experienced consumers learn how to hone their senses and determine what they like is just damn good business!

Marie and I tasted the blends at Cypher next. Marie had tagged them to get more experience about Paso Robles. I’m not as familiar as I could be with Paso so it made great sense to me! My fave was the Anarchy, a Zin, Mourvedre, Syrah blend. Big, fruity, and spicy, it overflows its Rhone mold, but does retain a bit of grace in the finish to give it some cred. Hmm, is ZMS a Paso original? The Peasant is their classic GMS Rhone blend, and Heretic is a Petite Sirah that clocks in as dark as you might expect it to be.

We made quick visits to the Yellow + Blue table, tables with both Greek and Italian wines including wines made with the Assyritiko, Agiorgitiko and Soave grapes. Nothing really jumped out at me, and I didn’t find the distinctive nose on the Yellow + Blue Torrentes that I have enjoyed in the past. It was time for lunch.

Roxy’s Grilled Cheese had the Panini presses cranked up and plenty of traffic to keep them busy. Marie went with a grilled mushroom and cheese while I opted for the Green Muenster, a cheese, bacon and avocado melt. While I waited I hit the table for Sweet Wines, wines that are exactly as they are advertised, sweet. Moscato and Cabernet. The first is best for me when sweet, and the second should only be sweet if it was intended as a late harvest oddity. Both wines were tasty, but the sweet Cab just didn’t convince me. If people genuinely like these wines and are loyal buying them, I won’t argue. It’s just not my preference.

From there Marie and I hopped Air France and hit the Loire. The Sauvion Vouvray was straightforward and quietly enjoyable. The Rose d’Anjou from Monmoussea was pleasant and peaked my interest for the Rose of the region. Neither the Louvetrie Muscadet or Landron Chinon did anything for me. Admittedly I don't have any more than surface Loire expertise and will definitely need to seek out recommendations of good performers to try to help me better understand the region.

( More tips, tricks and information to contextualize and approach the wines later. )

Marie took her leave and I planned a few more taste-bys before I headed out myself. The Alsatian wines were next. I’m a big fan of the wines from Trimbach, including their Riesling, Pinot Blanc and Gewurztraminer. The Riesling made me happy once again. I also enjoyed the Willm Pinot Gris. Lots of white flowers, tropical fruits and plenty of acidity from beginning to end.

My second to last stop was to the  Maine Mead Works table for a flight of their HoneyMaker meads, all produced in Maine.

The dry mead is a good starter, especially for those new to mead. The profile of fermented honey is accessible in this style. I always have trouble describing what un-flavored fermented honey tastes like. It’s a combination of a few distinct aroma groups. First is something akin to freshly dried flowers, musty is a word some people would recognize. A soapy, perfumy essence is another common one, something like how lavender in high concentration might smell. Different herbal and fruit aromas and flavors can be evident in meads made from varietal honeys or different blends, and some very distinct and unique ones at that. A truly dry mead isn’t going to taste sweet at all, and a certain measure of acidity from the bee’s processing of the honey should be expected. Once you begin to taste finished meads with residual sugar you most certainly will recognize the composition of these aromas and flavors as honey.

( If you don't know about mead, just ask, or just wait. Visibility is growing, especially in New England. )

Next up was the Blueberry. This is a standard strength melomel with plenty of blueberry flavor, but not a super sweet finish as some tasters might expect or want. From there I moved on to my favorite, and an inspiration for a summer project, a hopped mead. Hops that deliver lots of citrus and floral aromas can be used to make a light, white-wine-like mead that does not taste outright like a massively hopped pale ale. Lively like a citrusy, herbal Sauvignon Blanc is the most ready wine analogy. If you don’t really like hops you might not like this mead, but it isn’t some hop head fantasy and very much worth trying. I finished up with the Semi-Dry Mead and Margot’s favorite (making her jealous at my afternoon), the Lavender Mead. The latter is inspiration for yet another upcoming project. The floral and spice aromas that come from that mead are gentle and inviting. The aroma of lavender is distinctive and it comes through decisively. The mead finishes sweet, but not cloying. Based on what I said about the underlying flavors of fermenting honey above, it is no surprise that it and lavender work together.

Thank you very much to Rachael Cohen and the whole team at Second Glass for putting on another great riot and offering me press tickets to cover the event. When this event comes around again I strongly suggest folks that want to discover, learn AND have a good time all in the same place attend. Thank you to the vendors, Roxy’s Grilled Cheese, Cabot, The Upper Crust, others (if I missed you, sorry!) and all the wineries and distributors who participated. The wines, food, music and people made for a fun afternoon exploring and socializing.

 Eat, drink, socialize!

Jason

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” 

Pairing with Whites Wines from the Finger Lakes

I’ll be joining several other wine writers on Twitter tonight for a virtual tasting of selected white wines from Finger Lakes region. The tasting is being hosted by the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance. I thought I might whet some appetites and get the juices flowing with a pre-tasting post.

As many of my readers already know I have only recently (last 9 months or so) spent time getting to know the Finger Lakes region and its wines. I’ve talked with several winemakers and winery owners from the region, and between the tasting room and the wines we brought home; both my wife and I are actively enjoying the fruits of their labors. I’ve been in the region twice in the last six months and will be back there in about five weeks or so for the WineMakerMagazine Annual Conference as both an attendee and a speaker. I am very much looking forward to meeting more of the people behind the wines and networking with the other conference attendees who I hope will be primed to explore the area. The two post-conference days of touring and tasting are going to give me lots of opportunity to visit wineries that are new to me and expand my understanding of the wine story of the region.

When the opportunity to participate in the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance tasting came along I jumped at it to further educate myself on the region. I will be posting a complete report on the wines, the conversation during the event and how the pairings I highlight below actually turned out, in the WineMaker Magazine blog early next month. Here’s what I am prepared to make based on the wines provided for the tasting and my experiences in the region to date.

Shrimp (cooked, cold) with a ginger sesame dipping sauce. There are four Gewurztraminers in the lineup, including wines from Sheldrake Point, Rooster Hill, Wagner and SenecaShore. I have had the first three and generally know that this style of wine in the Finger Lakes trends to the dry side with any sweetness well balanced by a healthy dose of acidity. I think the potential range will work well here with both the ginger in the dipping sauce, and the shrimp. The Pinot Grigio from Goose Watch and Reserve Chardonnay from King Ferry, both new to me, should also pair well with the shrimp, but maybe with just a bit of traditional cocktail sauce or melted garlic butter. Ginger might be a bit overpowering for the wines with a different aromatic profile from Gewurztraminer.

California rolls and spicy tuna rolls. With the consideration of white wines came an unusually immediate consideration of sushi or the like. It isn’t a common food on my table so I am not sure why it came to mind so readily. I went with it though. I am thinking the Gruner Veltliner from Dr. Frank and the Gewurztraminers mentioned above will also work here.

( Can't wait to check out the view from the deck at Dr. Frank again real soon! September 2011. )

Cheeses, Brie and blue in particular. I am betting all the wines will pair well with the cheeses, including the Pinot Blanc from Glenora, which I found to be unusual in the region when I first had it in 2011. I’m going to warm some of the Brie up to allow it’s naturally pungent aromatics to be part of the pairing equation.

White bean & garlic dip. This is a Provencal style dish and my immediate thought was the Glenora Pinot Blanc, and also the Goose Watch Pinot Grigio. The Gewurztraminers might present an unbalanced nose to the herbs and garlic in the dip.

I’m destined to try quite a few combinations tonight because I’m willing to be as wrong as I am right, so long as I enjoy the experience!

To check out the conversation and get tips on wines and wineries to experience in the Finger Lakes use the Twitter hashtag #flxwinevt tonight (April 18^th, 2012) at 8PM.

Cheers!

Jason

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” 

Jump in on a Riot in Boston

The Second Glass Boston Wine Riot, that is!

In 2010 I shared my experiences from the Boston Wine Riot in two posts (post 1, post 2) here at the Ancient Fire Wine Blog. The event was a generous blend of local wines, wines of the world, some of Boston’s edgy and new food purveyors, educational sessions, wine-loving people, music and online networking; making for a fun afternoon of mixing, mingling and tasting.

The Wine Riot has been in Boston again since 2010 and I’ll be making it to this year’s installment. I’ve found that having a festival game plan is the best way to get the most out of a general admission event with so many tastes available. What is my game plan for this event?

• New local wineries and newer vintages of those local producers with which I am already familiar. This is smart business. Eating & drinking near where you work and live is a constant source of adventures you can take on short notice.
• Unfamiliar wine regions. This is a frequent festival approach for me. Exposure to new wine regions means exposure to history, culture, people and food that I am also not likely already familiar with. You can learn a lot about a place through its food and drink. Eventually I am going to run out of these, but I'm not there yet!
• New producers from regions known to me. Broadening my knowledge of wine-making regions to which I am already somewhat familiar helps continuously fill in the blanks dynamics of the place and what the region does best. Keeping an eye on new producers also means seeing new styles and spins on the local scene of the producer.

For folks not familiar with Second Glass and the Wine Riot events held in several cities nationwide, here are the pertinents:

• Second Glass brings wineries and wine drinkers together through social media and in-person events across the nation by helping people uncover their new favorite wines, remember what they drink and share all of that fabulous info with their friends.
• Guests can look forward to tasting over 250 wines from across the globe while tagging, rating and remembering them for later purchase using the free mobile app at http://www.secondglass.com/wineriot/mobile/
• This year’s Boston Wine Riot is April 20^th & 21^st at the Boston Park Plaza Castle on Arlington Street. There are three riots Friday 7p to 11p and two on Saturday from 1p to 5p and 7p to 11p. Ticket information and additional details can be accessed at http://secondglass.com/wineriot/boston-2012/tickets/

If you haven’t gotten your tickets yet, what are you waiting for? Crash the Boston Wine Riot with friends and find something new and tasty to drink for the great Spring weather coming!

Cheers!

Jason

Follow Your Nose, Field Work for Wine Lovers

Follow your nose. Learn using your nose. Let your nose participate in sensory fusion with the rest of your senses. Aside from the obvious neurology, physiology and chemistry underlying the themes of the work described in Neurogastronomy: How The Brain Creates Flavor and Why It Matters, author Gordon Shephard makes the conclusions tangible in everyday terms. Synthesia, a type of literal sensory fusion, is defined in Chapter 13 using the analogy of someone declaring that a sweet taste, tastes blue. Got it.

I’ve written several times (1, 2, 3, 4) about techniques people could use to create sensory pictures of wine aromas and flavors for themselves. Simply put, experience is key. Any technique that focuses primarily on direct sensory exposure will, when applied in equal measure, consistently trump all other methods. Why do I think that?

One of the things I found most interesting about the olfactory system is what was covered on page 103 in Chapter 11 of Neurogastronomy. The idea that the olfactory cortex (the part of the brain the initially processes smell) is memory based, yes you read that correctly, is summarized in six points, which I will further summarize as:

1. The processing of the same smell continuously is not given the same amount of effort continuously. Most effort is given to changes in smells.
2. The system learns and adapts to better handle repeated exposure to different smells.
3. The learning creates maps of smells and allows for finer distinctions between smells that are similar.
4. The adaptations also promote the improvement in the identification of individual smells amongst a palate of smells.
5.  Much like the way we know vision to be the fusion of different wavelengths of light and intensities, odor objects are created from a composite of different smells.
6. Odor objects can combine with other sensory input, like the basic taste and tactile sensations in the mouth, to produce the sensation of flavors.

My initial thoughts were the following:

I see the emphasis of effort on changes in smell as transition, and the system consistently trying to reconcile changes with the known and the different combinations that triggers in one’s memory. Accepting that there are some key physiological and neurological differences in how the olfactory system information is processed versus other sensory information, the adaptations make me think humans underrate their sense of smell and can evolve the sense considerably. With practice these natural adaptations in our own bodies can lead to remarkable experiences. The third point is striking in the acuteness with which memory can be tuned using the nose. When you add that not only can you expect to pick out olfactory compositions better, but the individual parts or solos better as well, it is hard not to consider what more experience can do. Brought together, and it does come together but I’ll save some for another post, the overall sensory experience of smell, taste and flavor has immense emotional implications.

The conclusion is that if you want to have a more refined palate and improve your senses for wine the best way is to get out and taste lots of everything!

One of the basic foundations in the book is the concept of retronasal smell, and simply stated it means you actually have to eat and drink stuff for the complete experience. The interaction of the food or beverage at the back of the mouth and aromas back up into the nasal cavity is the function involved here. Specifically for wine industry professionals this is a challenge. You can fashion a tasting method that incorporates retronasal smell by making sure you exhale over wine in the mouth without swallowing it, but to me it is more straightforward to take small sips and swallow at least one to fill in the sensory blanks that spitting creates. All day tasting might not be possible that way, but the solution is out there.

I followed my nose tonight. I saw a review last week for white Bordeaux. I can’t even tell you what the label was, and I don’t remember what magazine the review was in. But, it came back to me tonight and I grabbed a bottle that I had recently purchased off the rack to try. I’ve had white Bordeaux all of ten times in my life so I couldn’t really say off the top of my head what it should smell and taste like. But I knew if I opened a bottle and gave my initial impressions some attention I could improve the chances that I would be able to identify it in the future. I also know that young, simple white Bordeaux isn’t the same as exceptional and aged versions. Therefore, I am improving the chances that I will be able to identify young, straightforward white Bordeaux in the future.

The prior sentence was an attempt at humor. Sorry, I’ll get back to the program. And because I was following my nose I used my phone camera for the pictures. They suck, but that isn’t why you are here, seriously, I know this.

I opened a bottle of Marquis de Chasse 2010 Bordeaux. My first smell impressions of the wine were lime, grapefruit, citrus and herbs. In the mouth the wine has considerable acidity, a wet smooth stone minerality with lots of citrus, field greens and unripe pear. The vegetal qualities of this wine are there, but spread out very well. You’ve got the herbs in the nose, some bitter greens in the mouth and a touch of wet grass in the finish. It isn’t the most distinct combination in this young form, but I bet with aging the distinction would become more clear based on the percentage of Semillon, a grape not common to most wine regions.

I hit the web to remind myself about the history of white Bordeaux. It was clear that the number of times I had had it was a treat considering it is usually outnumbered 20 or more to 1 to white Burgundy across a large and varied group of restaurant wine lists. Typically a healthy blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, this wine should be dry, tart, projecting  fruit when young and a more nutty or dried fruit character later in life. Oak aging is common, but variations do exist. Graves is the one sub-region producing notable white Bordeaux wines.

What does this wine remind me of? Remember that smell processing is memory driven when this question is asked. Well, the lime narrows it for me to foods with a tropical spin and warm weather. The greens inspire more of a spring-time vibe for me and drew comparisons to Torrentes, South African white blends and of other wines from the Bordeaux region.

I’ll need more practice with the whites from Bordeaux, but at least I know that my practice will pay-off both short and long term. It is most sweet to know that you can enjoy a pursuit that will enable you to enjoy it more each day.

Cheers!

Jason

#WBC11 White Wine Speed Tasting

Here are my notes on the white wine speed tasting round as I tasted and without any review. Love it or leave it!

Barren Ridge – Vidal Blanc 2010

Lime & other citrus in the nose. Nice tart sweet balance in the mouth. More citrus and some herbs come through in the mouth. Slight effervescence. There were 450 cases made of this wine.

Small vineyard, 6 acres total. Varieties planted are: Merlot, Petit Verdot, Chamborcin, Viognier, & Vidal Blanc. Pauline & Amandine, the winemakers were pouring.

Rappahannock Cellars – Viognier 2010

Flowers and oak in the nose. Wants to make me think it is sweet, but RS is 0. Baking spices & creamy, buttery texture comes through in the mouth. Clean finish.

Fermented 100% in oak, some new & new neutral. Alcohol at 14.5%. Jason & Alan were pouring and providing details.

Artesa – Carneros Chardonnay 2010

Oak & fruit in the nose. Citrus finish. Roundness in the center with toast and baking spices pushing the fruit out of the way.

Shindig Vidal Blanc/Riesling 2010

Peachy & citrusy. Tartness in the center. Acid on the way out. Flavors are very much intertwined.

Billed as a wine perfect for sushi. Intriguing pairing to try. The grapes come from Finger Lakes, NY. Andrew Stover is the Sommelier for Vin50.

Veritas Sauvignon Blanc Reserve 2010

Melon & tropical aromas. Citrus, grass, herbs come in middle of the way through.

Neutral barrels are used for sur lie which the winemaker is especially excited about.

Not many VA wineries make SB due to humidity typical to many locales in the state. Vineyard is at 1300 feet with considerable airflow to keep the humidity at bay. Two clones, one from UC Davis and one from Bordeaux. This blend (of the two clones) was made because of an affinity for each other that had not yet been experienced.

Chateau Le Gay Dry Rose

Nose is affected by what was in my glass previously. Second pour. Strawberry flavors with hints of oak. Dry with hints of sweetness early on . Short, but clean finish.

Bordeaux blend rose. Not sure if I have specifically had this before.

Rodney Strong Reserve Chardonnay 2008

Mellow woody nose. Melon with spices in the mouth. A nuttiness comes through midway through and fall down the finish.

This is a very pleasant wine that is well balanced, but isn’t going to resonate with lots of folks because of the oak.

Decibel New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc 2009

Some herbs and citrus in the nose. Slightly tropical with citrus in the mouth. Very smooth and clean finish.

Not what I am used. Daniel went to NZ to make wine because he could go there and do something new without lots of restrictions. Grown and made in Hawkes Bay, NZ.

Afton  Mountain Tete du Cuvee 2008

Spicy nose. Green apple, unripe peach in the mouth. Medium finish with hit of tartness before it heads out.

50/50 Pinot & Chard. 100% Estate grown fruit. Traditional method sparkling wine production.

@aftonmountain

Viviana Superiore Cuvee 2009

Love that nose! Flowers, concentrated citrus. Hotness comes through. Medium-dry. Something chemical that comes in hard.

Texas made. A blend of Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Viognier & Muscat Cannelli.

Chateau Morrissette Dry Rose

Beautiful pink color. Strawberry aromas and flavors. A bit of spice and structure in the mouth. Made from 100% Chambourcin.

Boxwood Rose 2010

Funky nose. Rich, full bodied red grape flavors. Unusual richness.

Cab /Merlot blend from an all red grape vineyard & winery.

Cheers!

Jason

Why Do You Buy Wine?

A conversation about group buying got me thinking about the reasons people buy wine and how knowing more about that would shed light on the types of opportunities present within any group of wine buyers.

I'm sure many of you just thought, "to drink it, of course", and that is the obvious reason to buy a beverage like wine. The question I am really asking is what prompts you to determine that you need to head to the wine shop and pick up some wine? I can only answer for myself, and am genuinely hoping for some feedback from others so I can gain perspective on how other people do it.

I buy wine for a purpose. Two things might be useful for context. I make my own wine at home and that does have a relationship to how much commercial wine I buy. I don't collect wine. I have a small cellar that turns over fast. Here are several of the current motivators for me to buy wine:

• I am cooking a regional dish and need a wine that would typically be paired with the dish. I am doing this to maximize my appreciation for the food and drink of the region I am inspired by.
• I need a wine from a specific region and of a certain style as an assignment for a Boston Sommelier Society wine tasting.
• I am looking to explore a type/style of wine, and typically from multiple regions, as inspiration to make a batch of it at home.
• I am participating in an online event where specific wine(s) will be tasted and reviewed.

I am exposed to a great many more wines through local tastings, travel and an occasional dinner out. Only recently have I begun buying wine and having it shipped home from my travel destinations. This is generally because the wine is not available to be in my local market, and is often a mixed case destined for short-term consumption.

What conclusions do I draw from my own wine buying habits? I am focused and spur of the moment. I don't plan that far ahead and don't buy wine I've never had to have it in my cellar for the future. Price is important, as it is any time I open my wallet, but it is not a significant driver for how I buy wine.  I may not be a good candidate for promotions that would have me considering wines I don't yet have a purpose for.

Why do you buy wine? What motivations for buying new (new or new-to-you) wines do you have? How does price factor in to how and when you buy wine?

Please leave a comment with some feedback about your wine buying habits. I am truly intrigued about this subject and hope that it can help others better identify opportunities that exist to source and market wines from around the world.

Cheers!

Jason

Tasting in Los Olivos

In my last post I shared our guerilla mission to enjoy food & drink in downtown Santa Barbara in the one day we(Margot and I ) had set aside for it. We had a second day and planned another round of wine tastings in a similar fashion. It is sort of what we do.

We rented a car (from Hertz in the lobby of the hotel, super convenient!) first thing in the morning and after breakfast headed up to Los Olivos, about 45 minutes to the north. Los Olivos is home to a wide array of tasting rooms for area wineries, making it a great place for us to drive to, park and explore. We certainly could have planned some winery visits, but with the extra travel we would inevitably have needed to spend more time or cut our plans short.

Out first stop was Alexander & Wayne the product of two wine loving gentlemen, hence the name. The sign outside the tasting room suggested Bordeaux and Burgundy styles, which if you think about it long enough doesn’t make a lot of sense since you are in California. I guess advertising to a common denominator and trying to evoke a sensibility from another place is a smart play, I just don’t get it. We saw a lot of that and suspect that the average taste isn’t very educated and needs to be led in this way.

Setting the rant above aside I did enjoy the wines. The blends were my favorite, offering considerable complexity with combinations of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. I liked the Cuvee HM the best although the Cuvee Five was very good, just a little more muscular and rougher. In both cases the tannins were pretty big, but softening; something I would imagine some time would help with. Their varietal Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc didn’t disappoint either. The Cab Franc in particular did exude some stinky cheese rind, which I was very happy to experience. The final wine I tasted here was the RSF, a port style blend of Zinfandel and Petite Syrah. It presented itself with a ruby/tawny color and aromas of dried fruits and raisins. Spices showed up in the middle and through the finish. We took a bottle of this home so we could have some sweet memories on another day.

Our second stop, and the reason why we really chose Los Olivos, was Andrew Murray Vineyards. Sometime in 2010 I noticed a Twitter follow notification for Andrew Murray (@gotrhones) and was curious enough to look up who the person was. If a the proprietor of a small winery in hills north of Santa Barbara thought I was interesting enough to follow I knew we should visit and try the wines. As luck would have it Andrew was out of town during our visit, but was sure to alert the tasting room staff that we would coming around so they could share the story and the wines with us. Stephanie cheerfully greeted us when we arrived, and for the next hour we had her and the tasting room all to ourselves. To be fair Los Olivos wasn’t busy so our exclusive attention was probably a bit of luck as well. I’ll say it right up front, I am so glad we chose to stop by. The Syrahs, all single vineyard designates, were fantastic and worth a leisurely taste.

The story of the wines and the person behind them is actually quite simple. Andrew lived in France with his family for a time when he was a teenager. His family was in the restaurant business and exposed him to wine in the Southern Rhone. He fell in love with the placed and the wines, something I surely know is easy to do. At some point they decided to bring what they loved to California and started a winery using his name.

My favorite was the 2007 McGinley Syrah. I found it to be really well balanced with bold but respectable tannins. The Tous Les Jours Syrah was much spicier with a considerable fruit forward character. The Watch Hill Syrah had some underlying funkiness to it that I couldn’t pin down. It added some allure and made raspberry fruit taste more savory than I would have ever expected. The last Syrah was from the Thompson vineyard and was a pleasurable combination of cherries, berries, spice and wood. We tasted several other styles including some from the “Days Off” label that offer wines designed for casual drinking and no fuss. The most recent Viognier was not yet available so my anticipation for it still stands. I will keep my eye on their online store in hopes I catch it before it sells out! Before we left we put together a mixed case to have shipped home. Sharing the Syrahs with friends is going to be a real treat.

This post would not be complete without a mention of the serendipitous lunch option we took advantage of. It turns out that we had arrived on “Tri-Tip” day, which is a local fascination. The R Country Market sells wood smoked tri-tip sandwiches a few days per week and when it is gone, it is gone and you have to wait until the next week. Margot and I love smoke meat and BBQ so this really was a lucky break for us. The sandwich was one of the best I have ever had and I will say nothing more. Look it up online, and believe me I have given you enough information to find it. New York Times, anyone? You’ll be jealous, and this picture isn’t going to help!

The last tasting room we visited was Byron Estate. I picked this one while had lunch after remembering how much I enjoyed a Chardonnay of theirs that we had had at the Blue Ginger (Ming Tsai’s restaurant) in Wellesley, MA about 10 years ago.

I tasted four Chardonnays and three Pinots. The Chards spanned 2005 to 2009 while the Pinots were all from 2009. The 2008 Santa Maria Chardonnay felt the most familiar and had me connecting the richness I enjoyed with my lobster dish at the Blue Ginger. The 2007 stainless Chard presented an interesting spiciness which grew through the finish. The 2005 selection was one of their library wines (no longer available) from the Nielson vineyard. It was impressive to see how well this wine has held up in the nearly 6 years since it was made. Keeping with the spicy theme I was caught off guard by the spicy (pepper) character of the 2009 Santa Barbara Pinot Noir. With cherry and smoke added in this wine was one of the more interesting ones I tried on this trip. The 2009 Nielson Pinot was the most complex of the three I tried. The baking spices and considerable structure of the wine was a great pleasure to taste.

By this point the afternoon was fully upon us and we headed back to Santa Barbara. It is always going to be true that you will need more time to really get to know a place, but the time we did had helped make it much less of a stranger to us.

Cheers!

Jason

Mother’s Day Dinner - Baked Stuffed Salmon

Making dinner for mom can be a challenge. She taught me how to cook when I was very young and since we have enjoyed many years of swapping tips, recipes and cooking together. With years of additional experience and having enjoyed meals in many destinations I have yet to get to, Mom has a broader palate than I do. Figuring out what to make that might offer something new as well as the enjoyment of a well prepared meal can be nerve wracking. But I take that challenge head on as often as I can. Cooking for others who appreciate the nuance of creating in the kitchen is one of life’s true joys for me.

Baked Stuffed Salmon is what I landed for the honor of making dinner for Mother’s Day. I waited until a few days ahead to announce my choice and was so happy to hear it was something she had never had. My challenge was clear. As I often do I searched around on the web for inspiration from what others had done before. If I could even stand on the shoulders of those “giants” for just a few minutes I knew I would feel good about the outcome. I took ingredients and preparation from several different recipes. The recipes that use a whole fish are intriguing and something that is on my list to try another time.

I complimented my main dish with a light version of Scalloped Potatoes and a sautéed asparagus with Garam Masala that has been making me happy of late.

Baked Stuffed Salmon

2 – 1 lb salmon filets, skins on (approx. the same size)
6-8 slices wheat bread, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tbsp capers, drained
2 Tbsp Basil, chopped
2 Tbsp Dill, chopped
2 Tbsp Parsley, chopped
¼ cup melted butter
¼ cup olive oil
Salt & pepper
1 lemon, for zest
Butchers twine
Water

Place the chopped bread in a large bowl, adding water 1 Tbsp at a time till it begins to moisten. Add the onion, capers, herbs and melted butter. Use additional water if necessary. The stuffing should be most, but not liquefied. Lay out one long strand of butcher’s wine that will run along the long side of the fish. Lay out 5 strands of butcher’s twine with about 1 inch between them over top. Exactly how long each is going to depend a lot on how thick your fish is and how much stuffing you make. More is better here. Place 1 salmon filet on an oiled surface, salt and pepper lightly. Place over top the twine. Zest lemon rind over the fish. Mound the stuffing up on the fish. Zest lemon rind over the stuffing. I squeezed some lemon juice over it for more zip and it did work well. Oil the outside of the second filet and place it on top. First tie off the 5 strands of twine, then finishing with the longest and last one. Place the stuffed salmon a foil line baking pan. Add any remaining stuffing over the fish and garnish with a few lemon slices. Bake until the fish flakes and the internal temperature is at least 125 and likely a bit higher to taste. We cooked it about 40 minutes or so and then began taking the temp and it was done not longer after.

I did pair several wines with dinner, including a pre-dinner aperitif of some of my homemade 2010 wild Concord rose. Mom liked that one the best and I left her the bottle to finish over the remainder of her leisurely weekend in VT. I wrote about my wine pairings for The Unreserved earlier in the week with the title “Pinot, but not Noir”. I used a Pinot Blanc and a Pinot Gris from two different parts of the wine world and had good experiences with both. The King Estate Pinot Gris is especially good with salmon, something we found last year when we were visiting the area. We are so excited to be going back, and this time we will be visiting King Estate with local friends.

For dessert I recreated a great closer that Francoise served at our recent trip to Montreal, sorbet with fresh fruit. I used a lemon sorbet from Hagen Daas with fresh cut strawberries that were tossed with a little lime juice and sugar.

With dessert I served a mixed drink from the March/April 2011 issue of Imbibe magazine, the Cheerwine Cocktail #1. Cheerwine is a cherry flavored soda that hails from NC which my parents found for me on their trip back up the East Coast in March. With some gin, lime and over ice the soda really shined. I can see why there is a faithful consumer base for it.

I pretty much figure this challenge worked out splendidly and as good as it could have. We all did enjoy the meal and I heard the leftovers were securely eaten.

Cheers!

Jason

Tasting De Loach Pinot Noirs

On Thursday night I participated in the #earthdaywine Live Tasting Event with De Loach Vineyards, Bottle Notes and the KloutPerks team.

I hadn’t gotten my wine sampler kit (shown in the picture above) yet, but I watched live as Jean-Charles Boisset described the approach De Loach has taken, their success with organic and sustainable practices and his vision of where Pinot from vineyards in Sonoma county can become.

Alyssa Rapp from Bottle Notes hosted the tasting and had questions for Jean-Charles. They both otherwise helped folks taste through the 6 bottle sampler kit available for the event. During the live tasting folks were tweeting away about their wines and impressions of the tasting. I noted several things that if you watch the taped #earthdaywine video from the session you might also pickup. Here are some of my tweets and related story:

I saw confidence and passion on the part of Jean-Charles.

"he (Jean-Charles) is clearly passionate in his pursuits. never a bad thing. #earthdaywine (live at http://ustre.am/x7jc)"

Jean-Charles was talking about bring wine to market in small barrel like dispensing systems for the home and restaurants. I immediately thought of our recent trip to France.

"we saw 10L boxes in France. idea++! RT @mwangbickler: Love the idea of selling wines in barrel. #earthdaywine (live at http://ustre.am/x7jc)"

During the chat Jean-Charles mentioned “Little Burgundy”. He was referring to the sampler and how it allowed a taster to survey what Pinot from Sonoma can be. The term “Little Burgundy” is one he uses to describe it. I think this notion is a powerful one to consider. The wine can take you to a place, and not the one it is from, but one it evokes. Pretty heavy stuff!

Bottles Notes used their Daily Sip e-mail newsletter yesterday to recap the event. Check that out at http://www.bottlenotes.com/the-daily-sip/wine-tips/earth-day-live-tasting

With my wines coming in after the event, they arrived the next day, I was able to live taste several of them for myself. I have been playing with video blogs a bit. What I came up with is linked below. I am still working out the video production bit. I had a couple of stutters in there with pronunciation or at one point the tannins of one of the wines had my tongue twisting. I need better lighting, but I need a lot of other things too! Otherwise it was a fun way to recap the event and try some of the wines.



Here are my detailed tasting notes from all six of the wines. It really is a great example of breadth from one wine portfolio!

Le Roi

This wine definitely had the most tweets about it amongst all the wines. I found it dry and sleek with wonderful grilled fruit flavors. I picked up cherries easily and a hint of gameyness, something like the aromas of goat cheese perhaps. I could easily recommend this wine to folks of all stripes, including those who don’t drink a lot of red wine. The balance and middling tannins make it a great occasion wine and a food pairing wine with braises and meats cooked in wine!

Masut Valley

There is diversity in this flight and this wine is the proof. Much more spice and earth is found in this one from some of the others. I picked up some root essence within those spices, much like the skin of fresh peeled ginger. The mouth on this wine is full of dark cherries with a dried fruit twist. The tannins are also a little wilder in this wine. I also felt this was the darkest of the six wines.

Van Der Kamp

This is the one I found the wildest aromas and flavors in. It is balanced, a tad high in alcohol, but has fruit, earth, herbs, and some natural funk that is the foundation of many great wines. The tannins in this wine are a little bolder, but don’t overwhelm. Margot tasted this one and remarked at how smooth it was. It reminded both of us of some of the Pinots in Washington/Oregon last year.

Maraboshi
The wood aromas come through on this one. I got more tannins, and both wood and grape types during my first sip. It is dry and much more austere than the Van Der Kamp, but not as focused as the Le Roi. I picked up cherries again and something floral, although this time it smells more like wild flowers or greens. There is some pepper and just a hint of pine on the finish.

Sonoma Stage

This wine is one of the lighter ones with light red berries, some cherry and some earthiness expressed in leather. The tannins are again restrained, but present. The fruits also seem slightly cooked, rather than ripe and fresh. Excellent dinner wine and another one for those notorious non-red drinkers!

Green Valley

This is another selection I saw a lot folks talking about. I smelled raspberries and what came across like flowers, maybe rose. This wine has restrained tannins and would be a pairing partner with a wide range of dishes from lightly season steaks, to salmon and some game meats. The acidity in this wine does a good job of cleaning up. With the alcohol at the high end (14-15.5) all of these Pinots leave a little heat on the finish. I actually enjoyed it, much like a fine cognac or bourbon leaves the smolder behind as it exits.

The price point on these wines range from $40-60 per bottle. The performance (taste/price ratio) on these wines is only OK when you factor in the price. Getting the tasting kit gave me many ideas that I would specifically pick up a single bottle to pair with a meal made for it. It isn’t an everyday for me, with the winery in my basement!

I really enjoyed this opportunity and would recommend others check out the sample packs from TastingRoom.com and the events sponsored by BottleNotes.com. Travel the world, one bottle at a time!

Cheers!

Jason

{ I was given a free product or sample because I'm a Klout influencer. I was under no obligation to receive the sample or talk about this company. I get no additional benefits for talking about the product or company. http://klout.com/perks/disclosure. }

Flavor Immersion - A Wine Tasting Secret

Everyone wants to be a better wine taster.

Swirl some wine around a bit. Look at it. What is the color and clarity of the wine? Smell it. Really smell it. Get your nose into that glass! What aromas do you detect? Taste it. What are the flavors? Does it coat your tongue? How much acidity is there and how sweet (or not) is it. Does it feel furry (tannins) on your tongue? How long do the flavors last, e.g. how long is the finish? And then share your thoughts with your friends across the table. That is all there is to wine tasting. Anybody can do this for fun or professionally. Practice and experience is the key to getting better at it.

Once you get past the basic process above you inevitably run into the issue of trying to name the aromas and flavors. This is truly where it gets hard for two reasons. First, the aromas and flavors are jumbled together and secondly, some are very similar. The more specific you get with picking them apart and identifying them, the more adept you can be at determining the type of wine and origin when tasting it blind. While most people don’t do this, professional wine tasters, sommeliers, reviewers and hard core wine aficionados do. It is fun to do without a specific reason and when you consider the increase in power of your senses it brings, you are getting something for it beyond the tasty wine. I am studying to become a sommelier (wine service professional) and wine educator so I have to learn how to get good at this. How’s it going you ask? Well, good but frustrating. It is fun but some attempts are more fun and rewarding than others!

How do you get better with recalling and identifying aromas and flavors? You immerse yourself in them. Look at the source, smell it, rub it between your fingers, taste it, let it linger on your tongue so you can pick up the subtleties. I will close with two examples that you can use as a guide.

Cut Grass

The aroma of cut grass is described as found several styles of white wine, Sauvignon Blanc being the common one. Most likely we all remember what this smells like because we have either cut our own lawns or walked by a freshly cut one and got a strong whiff of it. Fresh cut grass has a strong and interesting aroma, similar to that of field greens you might find in a salad or fresh herbs.

Different grasses will have varying aromas all of which hover around the central pungent moist sweetness for the lack of a better description. When summer comes and you are out cutting the grass, grab a pile of it and sit down in front of it. Try not to get the stuff you just fertilized yesterday though. Take deep breaths through your nose. Roll some of between your fingers. Take a strong smell of it. Do you get more specific aromas? You are now ready to recall those aromas in wines that have them as part of their bouquet.

Lemon

Lemon serves three purposes in sensory evaluation for me. It has strong aromas, specific flavors and acidity, all of which can be found in different combinations in some white wines. That grassy Sauvignon Blanc might have some of this as well, or a nice Chenin Blanc will have the lemon and none or only a little of the grass. With lemon you should do a couple different things to experience it. I am going to do this right now and write my feedback down live. I am using Meyer lemons which are slightly different than your regular lemons, which is more typical in wine. Take the whole clean lemon and smell it. Because lemon is used in many household cleaners you might immediately think of clean aromas. Sensible, but remember the lemon is the source.

For more intense aromas, zest some of the rind. Ahhh, that is the lemon we all know and love. Roll some between your fingers and draw in a good sniff. More intense, it fills the space around your nose. The aroma of lemon is like a primary color, there is no mistaking it and it can be used so many ways. Now for the taste. Take a small slice of lemon and compress it between your tongue and front teeth. Suck on it a little. What do you get? You get sour, acid and just a hint of sweet. That acidity is going to do something else, clean your palate. I just took a swig of coffee after the lemon, and wow my coffee taste more intense! That is because the lemon tweaked your taste buds to be on alert. I hit the lemon again and voila, the coffee flavors are gone. Do you think after doing this you will recognize the aroma and flavor of lemon in wine? I bet you will.

You can apply this concept to fruit, vegetables, chocolate, dried fruits, meats, cheese, tobacco, leather and earth; all of which show up as aromas and/or flavors in different styles of wine. All you are doing getting better and recalling them with limited hints of their essence in your glass of wine. Who knows how good you could get at doing this. Deciding what wine, or beer, you like afterward might get even more interesting!

Cheers!

Jason

Kicking it with the #RWTastingCrew

I finally made it to my first Red White Tasting Crew wine tasting last night. With the good weather starting to filter in I hope to get to them on a regular basis.

Last night’s event was at Whole Foods on River Street in Cambridge. We don’t have Whole Foods in NH (yet) and I can’t recall if I have ever been in one before. I bet I have, but just don’t remember it. This particular location has a community room that is open to book events in. David from Whole Food explained that the room was open for booking by the public and for legitimate events there was no booking fee. Pretty cool!

( Dan & Cathy talking wine. )

Cathy from Red White Boston was particularly excited about this month’s event for a couple of reasons. First, Panther Distributing is a new wine distributor to the state of MA was on hand to showcase wines from Oregon and Australia that are just becoming available in the state. Secondly, she was hoping to continue to the conversation and research into using a badging system for identifying wines of note shared by Red White Boston through their smartphone app and other communications. I was definitely interested in seeing what came of this as well. I had been pretty vocal about not really seeing where badges fit during a vibrant Twitter conversation on the topic.

The first person I met was Melanie who tweets with the handle @kissmyglasswine. We have interacted a bit on Twitter before and of course recognized each other by our handles. We tasted the first couple of wines seated next to each other and I definitely enjoyed swapping tasting notes as we went. Her freewheeling, fun filled approach to wine tasting is a refreshing. I am definitely going to be looking for another chance to talk with Melanie.

We started off with the Brookman Wines Chenin Blanc 2008. This wine comes from the McLaren Vale Region in South Australia. The Mediterranean climate, thin soils and limited water during the growing season typically translates in considerable ripeness in the wines. Chenin Blanc is a minor grape, in acreage planted, for Australia and is typically used in blending. The nose isn’t huge on this wine, but it did present some pear and floral notes. I picked up flavors of melon, citrus and experienced the classic oily texture found in Chenin Blanc based wines.

Next up was the Vista Hills Oregon Pinot Gris 2009. I first had Pinot Gris from Oregon last May and my benchmark is the bottle of King Estate Signature Pinot Gris 2008 we enjoyed in a simple wine & cheese tasting in our hotel room in Seattle. I haven’t found anything yet that lives up to it. I found the Vista Hills to have subtle aromas and very light flavors. It was enjoyable, but not a stunner. It would work well with food, but only because it wouldn’t offer much to conflict for the food. This isn’t the type of pairings I am typically after.

From there we moved on to the Conte Estate Primrose Lane Chardonnay from Australia. This was the least exciting of the wines for me. When Cathy asked the crew for thoughts, I responded that I thought “it was hiding in the corner.” There was almost no aroma and while there were flavors of toast, smoke and a little peach the wine exited so fast you could easily miss them. I was surprised at this because Chardonnay from Australia has generally been much more lively in my experience.

I ran into Maureen the Boston Marketing Manager for Second Glass who sponsor the Wine Riots. I thanked her group for reprinting our two posts on their web site from the Boston Wine Riot last Fall. I understand things are going gangbusters for Second Glass as they expand the Wine Riots into more cities. This year’s in Boston is in April and I was sad to realize I would likely be missing it. Oh, always next time!

The next wine was the Linda Domas Shotbull Shiraz Rosé 2008 also from Australia. I have only had a few Shiraz Rosés in my life and each time has been a pleasure just because Rosé made from this grape is distinct. Bold with spicy notes true to the grape were right there for you to experience. I ended up finding that when paired with blue cheese the sweetness in the wine bumped up just a little, and I felt I enjoyed it more. Dan from Panther offered up some lore about this wine with the rumor that Linda (the winemaker) has been known to skinny dip in vats of the wine during its early life. Interesting, weird and a great way to sell wine!

While I filtered around and networked with other tasters I met Meesh from the Just Add Cheese blog. Another first meeting via Twitter handle recognition! We caught up a bit later as Cathy and I were talking about the Rosé. I mentioned my interest in thinking about where the berry flavors in the wine came from and what it might have tasted like prior to and during fermentation. As a winemaker I think of these things. Meesh was obviously curious about such a specific consideration and mentioned she was working to get better at recognizing flavors in wine. No small challenge and noble pursuit for sure. I recommended using foods that express those flavors to help create an imprint. My specific example was to get fresh berries, cut them up and simply sit with them for while. Take in the aromas, let them sit on your tongue for a time. Mush some up in your fingers and really get into it!

Our first red was the La Bete Selection du Cave Pinot Noir from Oregon. This wine is definitely in the Burgundian style which is not typical for American Pinots outside the Willamette Valley. I have enjoyed a few from this area before but have big plans on taking quite a few more down on our upcoming trip out there in September. This had a lighter aroma that I expected, but the earthiness and restraint in the flavors and body were there. I picked up red berries, mushrooms and a little bitter chocolate. I would drink this again, but I suspect in its very best years it would be better still.

The second red was the Brookman Wines “Cool Sands” Cab/Merlot 2009 from Australia. The aromas coming from this glass of wine stopped me dead. So potent and complex. Berries, plums, leafy greens, tobacco. All harmoniously jumping in and out of the glass. When you’ve got it, you’ve got it! The wine was balanced superbly with acid, alcohol and tannins all finely tuned to enjoy. I went back to this one later to enjoy it for just a little longer. This was my absolute favorite of the night and will be something I will be sourcing to have at home.

( The business of wine tasting looks hard! )

I didn’t catch the results from the badge voting, but Cathy promised to have it up in a blog post soon. I did share my additional considerations on badges with her and I can see where some of her target audience should embrace it in their wine pursuits. For me, and I suspect others as well, I may already be too specific in what I looking after for a badge to matter. Not really a problem, clearly an opportunity.

In the middle of tasting the reds I was introduced to Ray & Rachel from French Oak TV. We have been Twitter buddies for a while, but hadn’t had a chance to meet yet. Rachel is new to the team (she was impressed that I had read the blog from 2 days prior announcing her a new team member) and excitedly talked about the whiskey tasting she went to on Sunday at Julio’s Liquors in Westborough, MA. I am pretty jealous of that. I would have loved to take a shot at 200 whiskeys. There might have been consequences though! Her story prompted me to share my experience with the Vieux Marc from Barville the week before when in Provence. I capped that off, as I did in the post, with a reflection on sitting outside in Provence smoking a Cuban cigar drinking a tall glass of it. Man that was good!

The last wine of the evening was the Conte Estate The Gondola Grenache/Shiraz 2006. This wine was definitely richer than the “Cool Sands” but with just a little less aroma. I picked up blackberry in the nose and again in the flavors. Additional flavors of black pepper and licorice were finished with smooth, soft tannins. I definitely enjoyed this, and so did the group based on the voting, but I still gave me nod to the “Cool Sands”. Something about first impressions.

I made a quick exit from the event primarily because I had a train trip and a ride to get home and I was getting tired. Hopefully next time I can stick around for some more networking or an after party! I can’t wait to hang with this crew again!


Cheers!

Jason