posted on 26 June 2009 by tony
Alright. I’m pretty late writing about this, but in my defense, I’m a very busy man. Here goes.
About two weeks ago, I was on vacation in California. While I spent most of my trip in San Francisco, I did managed to get down to Santa Cruz for about a day and half. My partner in crime and I took this opportunity to visit the Bonny Doon production facility for a VIP tasting and a few brief lessons on biodynamic wine production. During the two or so hours of the visit, we were assisted by three highly knowledgeable tasters: Genevieve, with 2 years behind the bar, Leela, who packed 5 years of experience and Cameron, who also kept it real with 2 years. Armed with nearly ten years of tasting knowledge, we dove into the Bonny Doon portfolio. These are the wines we tasted:
2004 Le Cigare Volant
2007 Le Cigare Volant (which had been bottled only the day before)
2007 Le Cigare Blanc
2008 Vin Gris De Cigare
2008 Ca’Del Solo Albarino
Ca’Del Solo Sangiovese (unknown vintage)
2008 Ca’Del Solo Muscat
2006 Ca’Del Solo Dolcetto
2005 Ca’Del Solo Nebbiolo
Then they broke out the interesting bottlings they do only for their Wine Club members.
2005 Bien Nacido Syrah
2005 Syrah Le Posseur
2006 Syrah Cuvee Splendide
2007 Ca’Del Solo Orange Muscat (my favorite)
2007 Angel Paille
The Vinferno (unknown vintage)
I also got to taste a brandy Bonny Doon used to make but no longer produces. Delicious.
I’m not going to lie here guys, I didn’t take any tasting notes. I was just soaking up the vino and the stories that the tasters were telling. For me though, this wasn’t really all about the wine, but the experience as well. The tasting room at Bonny Doon is gorgeous, the staff is friendly and the wine is great. I would say if ever you’re in Santa Cruz, head down there and check it out. I know that I will be there again next time I’m in town.
-Out.
Tags: Bonny Doon, California, Red Wine, white wine
Category: The Wine Blog | Comments (0)
posted on 19 June 2009 by sarah
The dinosaur is a metaphor for many things. A few that come to my mind include your aunt Edna’s Nisson Bluebird, anything to do with Bryan Adams, steaks’s at “Outback”, mini-golf (check out the Orange Dinosaur) and Tim Wakefield. Basically anything that should evolve can be considered a dinosaur.
This week’s wine is a sparkling wine from Patagonia made by the winery Familia Schroeder. The name of the wine line is Saurus – named after the Titanosaur bones that were unearthed during the construction of the winery. The Titanosaur was one of the largest species ever known. The bones are featured in a special cellar on site at the winery.
The wine is 60% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir and produced using the Charmat method wine. It tastes leafy and peachy to me. It is fresh, has a good acidity, and a touch of sweetness. We had no problem drinking it.
My partner in crime for enjoying this bottle used the Napoleon method for opening the bottle - le sabrage. Traditionally this is done with a sword. We used a kitchen knife. This is a great party trick- you can learn to do this too
Tags: Sarah Osteen, Saurus, sparkling wine
Category: Girl on Grape | Comments (0)
posted on 13 June 2009 by jeff
The island of Limnos is a place that folks rarely think of when they make their way to their neighborhood wine shop. That’s not to say that it doesn’t have plenty of wine-making cred. The island, and it’s wines, are present in the Iliad: a welcome addition, it is said, to the cups of the Argives. With cooler temperatures than mainland Greece and plenty of strong prevailing winds, Limnos is an excellent place to raise expressive, aromatic, Moscatel, (aka Muscat of Alexandria).
Though Limnos has a reputation for making dry wines from it’s Moscatel, a result of the cooler temperatures, the island’s sweet wines are equally compelling. The entry-level dessert wine from Limnos Wines, located in the capital of Myrina, is an outstanding introduction to the island’s wines.
In the glass the wine is a lambent, honeyed-orange. Aromas of thyme, honey, and green Darjeeling abound. The palate leads with earthy tones of spiced-honey and herbed-tea, though it finishes with a surprisingly refreshing hint of honeydew melon.
I really love this wine. On top of being flat-out delicious, it is impressively complex given it’s $15.99 price tag. Whether you’re hankering for something sweet, or looking to try something Greek, this wine is a fantastic way to spend an evening. Pair it with some loukamathes and you’ll have everything you need to feel as though you been transported to the Greek isles, if only for an evening.
J.
Tags: dessert wine, greece, limnos, limnos wines, moscatel, muscat de limnos, muscat of alexandria, night train
Category: Wine Reviews | Comments (0)
posted on 12 June 2009 by jeff
Diet Merlot anyone?
A few weeks ago the Times (UK) published a story about the proliferation of aluminum cans in the wine world. Wine can sales are on the rise, and moreover, the can-makers are predicting huge growth. Let me be the first, (forgetting all of the can industry people who said this before me) to say that I am all about this development. Single servings of wine in a can? How could this not be awesome?!
A lot has changed in the wine packaging world recently. Stelvin closures, glass closures and man’s-most-useless closures, (synthetic corks for you uninitiated) are everywhere. Moreover, we’re all familiar by now with the “premium wine cask,” (that’s what complete idiots call a cardboard box). With the exception of shamefully-stupid synthetic corks, these are all pretty useful ideas. They don’t really hurt the wines they secure, and they offer consumers with options: consumers love options.
But none of these have anywhere near the potential of can-wine. Part of
Bikinis and beer cans we've seen, but how about bikinis and cans of burgundy?
what is so awesome about beer is that you can have just one. You’re always free to have more, or less, of your current beverage. You can’t do that with wine. Sure, you can go to a restaurant and order a glass of wine, but you’re paying a whole lot more for that wine because the restaurant now has a whole bottle that they may, or may not, be able to use. Boxed wines have partially solved this issue, but a single-serving packaging format has the potential to make wine into the kind of truly broad spectrum, mass-appeal beverage that beer is.
If canned wine is to succeed, it will have to first pass muster with retailers and restaurateurs. Assuredly there will be some backlash from some members of the wine community. Wine is something of a mysterious world, and those of us who live in it professionally can sometimes be a bit overzealous in safeguarding it’s secrets against those we fear might corrupt, or subvert it. In reality, however, canned wine will never be capable of assaulting the lofty heights of wine’s ivory tower.
Much like boxed wine, these cans will be filled with simple, drinking wines. They’ll not be age-worthy, nor will many of them be worthy of serious discussion. That doesn’t mean that none of them will be worth drinking. If you can find something as like-able as Alandra in a box, you’ll almost certainly be able to find equally tasty wines in cans before long. Let’s be clear, I’ll kick the first fellow who attempts to put St. Julien in a can squarely in his marbles, and I’ll insult his mother for good measure while he’s rolling about on the floor. But, if someone fills a can with a delightfully crisp and refreshing Sauvignon Blanc, I’ll buy the very first 6-pack. That is a promise.
J.
Tags: alandra, boxed wine, cans, marbles, premium wine cask, sauvignon blanc, synthetic cork
Category: The Wine Blog | Comments (0)
posted on 6 June 2009 by jeff
Inexpensive sparkling wine imports, namely Prosecco and Cava, have received a lot of press in the last 18 months. Hoping to relate to a hipper crowd, media outlets like the Wall Street Journal have been frantically trying to place themselves on the cutting-edge of wine consumption: five years too late. I love Prosecco, and I love Cava too. But I’d like to suggest a couple of sparkling options you might not have encountered yet that tend to be just as affordable and equally compelling.
Odd Aussies
Australian wine makers are courageous; they will try things that producers from older regions would never attempt, for fear of breaking tradition. De Bortoli’s new line of sparklers is a perfect example of this. Named Emeri for a family matriarch, the line includes a sparkling Sauvignon Blanc. Fresh, herbaceous, lime fruit and a well-balanced effervescence make this the coolest beach wine anywhere.
Emeri de Bortoli Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc: $12.99
Sekt
Few have ever been accused of associating the Germans with jollity. That being said, and evening spent with their native sparkler, Sekt, is almost always delightful. Most Sekt producers us the Italian Charmat method to craft their wines, which gives Sekt the same refreshingly volatile carbonation that Prosecco displays. Henkell’s trocken Sekt contains more residual sugar and adds a layer of richness to the sharp dryness of brut Sekt.
Henkell Trocken Brut Sekt: $15.99
Loire Valley
The Loire never fails to supply drinkers with delicious, and affordable, wines. Remy Pannier is a Loire stalwart, and a substantial portion of their yearly production is devoted to their Marquis de la Tour sparkler. Composed largely of Chenin Blanc, this bubbly definitely exemplifies Chenin’s deliciously crisp and dry, fruitiness.
Marquis de la Tour Brut: $11.99
J.
Tags: cava, Chenin Blanc, emeri de bortoli, henkell, Loire, marquis de la tour, prosecco, remy-pannier, sauvignon blanc, sekt, sparkling wine, wall street journal
Category: The Wine Blog | Comments (0)
