Monday, December 30, 2019

New Wine Grapes Resistant To Pierce's Disease

The world of wine now has five more grape varieties from which to choose.  Researchers at the University of California Davis have released three red and two white grape varieties.  Besides tasting great, reportedly, the vines are highly resistant to Pierce's disease.  That's a grapevine malady spread by the dreaded glassy-winged sharpshooter, which is said to cost California grape growers more than $100-million a year.  The new patent-pending grapes were traditionally bred over a span of about 20 years. 

UC Davis geneticists crossed a grapevine species from the southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico back to Vitis vinifera over four to five generations.  Vitis arizonica carries a single dominant gene for resistance to Pierce's disease. 

Ojai Winemaker Adam Tolmach planted four of the new varieties on an acre, the same plot of land where Pierce's disease wiped out his grapes in 1995.  He just had his first harvest and he says he's impressed.

The UC Davis researchers say interest in new varieties has been lukewarm so far, but they expect the new options to be examined more closely due to climate change.

The three new red varieties are Camminare Noir, Paseante Noir and Errante Noir.

UC Davis reports that Camminare Noir has characteristics of both Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah, the two vinifera grapes used in making the strain.

Paseante Noir is reportedly similar to Zinfandel.  That grape, along with Petite Sirah and Cabernet Sauvignon were used in the cross breeding.

Errante Noir is said to be most similar to Cabernet Sauvignon and has great blending potential. The variety was created from the Sylvaner grape, along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignane and Chardonnay.

The two new white grape varieties are Ambulo Blanc and Caminante Blanc.

Ambulo Blanc is similar to Sauvignon Blanc.  The variety is a cross of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignane and Chardonnay.

Caminante Blanc has characteristics of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.  It's a cross of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Carignane.


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Friday, December 27, 2019

Sierra Foothills Zinfandel Bargain

California wine négociant Cameron Hughes owns no vineyards and has no official winery.  He sniffs out good wine which has already been produced by established makers, then buys it on the down low with an agreement not to reveal the source.  He then sells the wine online through his wine club - he calls it a wineocracy - bringing top-shelf wines to lower-shelf wallets.  Hughes says he keeps prices low by removing the middleman, the distributor and retailer through which store-bought wines must pass.

Cameron Hughes Lot 683 Zinfandel Sierra Foothills 2017

Hughes calls this one a hidden gem from a boutique producer in the Sierra Foothills, one of his "personal favorite" wine regions for finding good deals.  The AVA's history in wine dates back to California's Gold Rush days 170 years ago.  The hundred or so winemakers in the area are too small to get much notice from national distributors, which is where Hughes steps in.

He says the Lot 683 Zinfandel came from "a boutique winery on a ranch just off Hwy 49 ... at the crossroads of reasonable land costs, great wind/sun exposure, and prime drainage.  We hit the jackpot with this one."  The wine hits a lofty alcohol level of 15% abv and sells for only $12.

This wine is an excellent example of great Sierra Foothills Zinfandel.  Zinfandel wine flirts with being my favorite, if only more of them were as good as this.  Big red fruit on the nose is met by a full rack of herbs and spices - white pepper, sage, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg and more.  It's a Christmas cookie in a wine bottle.  The palate is a similar delight, with wonderful acidity and a long finish.


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Monday, December 23, 2019

Vinho Verde: Portugal's Top White Wine Region

The Vinho Verde wine region in northern Portugal is home to some of the best white wines this side of Albariño.  Vinho Verde means, "green wine," which is not a color reference but a suggestion that the wine is quite youthful.  The white wines of Vinho Verde typically have a wonderful acidity and a slightly fizzy nature.  The lower alcohol content makes them great choices for summer sipping by the pool, but they work quite well as aperitifs at holiday parties and pair graciously with cheese plates or pasta.

Provam Varanda do Conde 2018

PROVAM is made up of ten winemakers from the Monção and Melgaço sub-region, in the northern part of the Vinho Verde region.  The mix of 70% Trajadura and 30% Alvarinho grapes is a traditional blend for the region, capturing Alvarinho's complexity and Trajadura's softness.  The wine's alcohol level hits 12.5% abv and it sells for well below the $10 mark in the U.S.

This refreshing white has a nose which explodes with the smell of lemons and white flowers.  The palate is just as much a party, with lemons aplenty and acidity to burn.  Bring on the fish, bring on the shrimp.  The wine will pair wonderfully.


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Friday, December 20, 2019

Israeli Cabernet Sauvignon From Galilee

Carmel is Israel's largest wine producer, makers of about half of the wine from the country.  It was founded in 1882 by Baron Edmond de Rothschild.  You may know him as the owner of Château Lafite in Bordeaux.  Chief Carmel winemaker Yiftach Perets is listed on the label along with his signature.  Carmel has released a trio of premium reds under the banner Private Collection, which recognize Israel's 137 years of modern winemaking. 

Carmel Private Collection Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Billed as a "dry red wine" from Galilee, The 2018 Carmel Private Collection Cabernet Sauvignon was aged for eight months in French and American oak barrels.  The wine is mevushal - flash-pasteurized - and is kosher for Passover.  Alcohol tips 14% abv and the wine retails for $15.

This Israeli Cab has a nose which shows the grapes, not so much the wood.  Only eight months in oak means this Cab displays plenty of ripe cherry and plum flavors.  The oaky notes are kept to a minimum.  The palate follows suit, with a bushel basket of fruit, easy on the staves.  I always enjoy a Cabernet Sauvignon that is made in this way, because that grape generally tends to get beaten by oak.  The freshness of the wine comes across in the juicy palate and refreshing acidity.


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Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Sonoma Chardonnay At Half The Price

California wine négociant Cameron Hughes owns no vineyards and has no official winery.  He sniffs out good wine which has already been produced by established makers, then buys it on the down low with an agreement not to reveal the source.  He then sells the wine online through his wine club - he calls it a wineocracy - bringing top-shelf wines to lower-shelf wallets.  Hughes says he keeps prices low by removing the middleman, the distributor and retailer through which store-bought wines must pass.

Cameron Hughes Lot 689 Chardonnay, Sonoma Valley 2017

Hughes tells us that this wine was made by "a household name... an acclaimed winemaking team at an estate that has been prominently featured in just about every wine publication and constantly finds itself listed in one 'best of' list after another year after year."  It also gets 90+ ratings from said publications.  The Chardonnay was made from grapes grown in two single vineyard lots and aged in 40% new French oak.  Alcohol clicks in at a California-strong 14.5% abv and the wine, which normally sold for north of 30 bucks, now sells for $15 without its original name brand.

This Sonoma Chardonnay is like velvet.  The muted nose offers lemon and stone fruit notes with a soft touch of vanilla.  The palate is ripe and juicy, with an easy dose of oak and a nice bit of acidity.  Try pairing with the usual suspects: shrimp, oily fish or scallops, with some pasta.


Monday, December 16, 2019

A Tasmanian Devil Of A Pinot Noir

If you like your Pinot Noir from a cool climate, and who doesn't, the 2015 Handpicked Pinot from Tasmania is for you.  The island of Tasmania is the coolest of Australia's wine regions. 

The wine is crafted from grapes grown in the Tamar Valley and Pipers River area.  It aged for eleven months in French oak barriques, a third of which were new.  Alcohol clicks only 13.7% abv and it sells for around $45.  The label sports an image of billy button flowers, which the winery says represent Tasmania's natural beauty.

This wine surprised me.  I was expecting a dark, forbidding bottle of muscles and got instead an elegant Pinot Noir full of flavor and freshness.  The nose shows an immediate blast of coffee and tea, with an underlay of cola.  The cranberry and raspberry notes are ripe and beautiful.  The palate has some darkness to it, but it's like black chiffon rather than a black work shirt.  By this wine, I'd say Tasmania has a lot to offer.


Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Pleasure From Portugal: Vinho Verde Wine

The Vinho Verde wine region in northern Portugal is home to some of the best white wines this side of Albariño.  Vinho Verde means, "green wine," which is not a color reference but a suggestion that the wine is quite youthful.  The white wines of Vinho Verde typically have a wonderful acidity and a slightly fizzy nature.  The lower alcohol content makes them great choices for summer sipping by the pool, but they work quite well as aperitifs at holiday parties and pair graciously with cheese plates or pasta.

The Portuguese wine company Casal De Ventozela has winemakers Fernando Moura and Pedro Campos work with grapes from their estate vineyards to create compelling white wines.

Produced in the Vinho Verde sub-region of Vale do Ave, the 2018 Casal De Ventozela Loureiro utilizes Portugal's Loureiro grape.  I love Portuguese grape names. I know a bit about wine and grapes, but when I read through a list of Portuguese grapes, it always holds some surprises for me.  Some grapes always arise with which I am not familiar.  Here are the grapes grown on the Casa de Ventozela estate: Loureiro, Trajadura, Fernão Pires and Arinto (Pedernã), Padeiro de Basto, Espadeiro and Vinhão.

The Ventozela wines are sustainably grown, with no chemicals used and hand harvested.  They are vegan and the wines are fined with bentonite.  The 2018 Loureiro has alcohol at 12% abv and an incredibly affordable price of around $10.

This Vinho Verde wine is all citrus on the nose - Meyer lemon with a smidge of grapefruit.  It's a fairly stunning bouquet.  The palate shows a crisp sensibility and more of that lemony presence.  A fantastic acidity closes out what is a fabulous white wine experience from Portugal.  The wine will remind the sipper of summer, but it has the weight and complexity to make it just as valuable over the holidays, with ham, turkey and stuffing.


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Monday, December 9, 2019

Israeli Shiraz Reminds Of Rhône Valley

Carmel is Israel's largest wine producer, makers of about half of the wine from the country.  It was founded in 1882 by Baron Edmond de Rothschild, whom you may know as the owner of Château Lafite in Bordeaux.  Chief Carmel winemaker Yiftah Perets is listed on label along with his signature.  The wine is mevushal - flash-pasteurized - and is kosher for Passover. 

The winery has released a trio of premium reds under the banner Private Collection, which recognize Israel's 137 years of modern winemaking. 

The grapes for Carmel’s 2018 Private Collection Shiraz were grown in Shomron, the Hebrew name for Samaria.  That is where God instructed vineyards to be planted on the hillsides, according to Jeremiah. The wine was aged for only eight months in French and American oak barrels, hits 13.5% abv and retails for $17.

This wine may come from Israel, but it smells like the southern Rhône Valley to me.  Tastes a bit like it, too.  There is a liberal amount of tar on the nose, along with black olives, beef jerky and a whiff of cigar shop.  The palate is juicy and ripe, with a mouthwatering acidity.  Flavors of blackberry and blueberry get a slight touch of oak spice.  The tannins are fairly gentle but the wine finishes quickly.


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Friday, December 6, 2019

Green Wine For The Holidays

The Vinho Verde wine region in northern Portugal is home to some of the best white wines this side of Albariño.  Vinho Verde means, "green wine," which is not a color reference but a suggestion that the wine is quite youthful.  The white wines of Vinho Verde typically have a wonderful acidity and a slightly fizzy nature.  The lower alcohol content makes them great choices for summer sipping by the pool, but they work quite well as aperitifs at holiday parties and pair graciously with cheese plates, pasta or holiday dishes.

The Portuguese wine company Quinta da Lixa is run by the Meireles family.  They employ winemaker Carlos Teixeira to create wines like the 2018 Aromas Das Castas Grande Escolha Vinho Verde.

This wine is a blend of Alvarinho and Loueiro grapes from the Vinho Verde sub-regions of Moncao and Melgaco.  Half of the grapes are Alvarinho and 50% half are Loureiro.  The Loueira grape gives the wine its wonderful floral note, while the Alvarinho brings the fruit. At 12.5% abv, the alcohol content is a little higher than usually found in Vinho Verde wines.

This yellow-gold wine smells like a fruit basket.  Lemon, lime, peach, nectarine - a cornucopia.  There is also a beautiful floral note which is almost washed away in the tidal wave of fruit.  The palate shows plenty of lemon and lime, with a brisk acidity and finish that stays in the mouth a long time.  The stone fruit aspect brings a slight sweetness to the wine to differentiate it from, say, a Sauvignon Blanc.  Great summer sipper?  Sure it is.  But a wine like this will serve well at holiday parties and alongside turkey and ham.


Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Oakless Red Wine: No Complexity, No Problem

The Caldora winery is in the community of Ortona, in Italy's Abruzzo region, just above the "ankle" on the back of the "boot."  It's close enough to the coast to enjoy the effect of the Adriatic Sea.  The winery has a special arrangement with the many small growers in the two coastal provinces of Teramo to the north and Chieti to the south.  They say they don't actually buy grapes from these growers, but rather rent the vineyards and use the fruit for their wines.

If you like your red wines simple and unadorned, the 2017 Caldora Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is for you.  It is a 100% varietal wine, with no oak aging used in the making of it.  Alcohol is easy to take at 13% abv and the wine retails for $12.

The Caldora carries a subdued nose, rather like a toned down Syrah.  It's certainly a clean nose, with no oak to color the fruit.  The Montepulciano grapes take center stage, showing blackberry and plum aromas and similar dark fruit flavors.  The acidity is fresh and lively.  The lack of complexity is not a problem, as the wine sips just fine.


Monday, December 2, 2019

Wine-Based Cocktails For The Holidays

The holidays provide us with a perfectly acceptable reason to add a little booze into our daily lives.  You can hear the corks popping off sparkling wine bottles at every lunch, brunch and after-work social in town.  Our friends at the Wine Institute remind us that wine - particularly California wine - is a great way to start a cocktail.

Me, I prefer to start my cocktails with gin.  I am, however, open-minded enough to give wine a chance to serve as the basis for a lighter beverage.

California Wines has released a new free ebook, California Wine Cocktails for the Holidays.  It features recipes for creative seasonal drinks like the California Gold Rush - a blend of Chardonnay, lemon juice and lemon-thyme honey - and the Cranberry Rosé, made with dry rosé wine, cranberry juice and orange bitters.

Christopher Longoria, beverage program director at Che Fico in San Francisco says, "Wine can create a lot of versatility in a cocktail.  It can bring characteristics such as fresh and dried fruits, tannins, roundness and structure." 

The ebook allows everyone to be a bartender, to create a savory drink with complex, spicy notes, or a light cocktail brightened with winter citrus.  The Wine Institute promises that the reference will come in handy not just now, when spirits are naturally high, but all year long.

Recipes include:

California Gold Rush: An herbaceous blend of Chardonnay, lemon juice and lemon-thyme honey

West Coast Warm Winter Wine: A fruit-forward spin on mulled wine, accented with pomegranate and fresh citrus

Cranberry Rosé: Dry pink wine meets cranberry juice and orange bitters

Red Apple Sangria: Red wine and apple cider get a spicy twist with cinnamon and fresh fruit slices

Vineyard Mule: A refreshing take on the Moscow Mule, featuring white wine

Raspberry Port Sparkler: Port-style wine and bubbles mingle with muddled raspberries

Red Wine Hot Chocolate: Chocolate and full-bodied red wine chase away winter chills

To download a free copy of California Wine Cocktails for the Holidays, visit http://discovercaliforniawines.com/holiday-cocktails