WINE TRENDS EXPLORED AT LONDON INTERNATIONAL WINE FAIR

Wine aficionados always want to be on the leading edge of wine trends.  At the London International Wine Fair, held in May, wine experts identified and explored trends in the wine world they felt were worthy of inspection.

An article in The Independent cites a trend toward wines with citrus - specifically lime - aromatics as one of the next big things these wine experts were expecting.  Surprising blends and a deep and abiding love of Pinot Grigio were also singled out as major directions in the wine world.

A spokesperson for the event said the Austrian Rotgipfler is one grape those in the know are keeping in their sights, as well as the South African wine called Zevenwacht.  That's a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier and Chardonnay.

The lime and citrus notes of Riesling and Gewurztraminer are said to be winning over wine drinkers everywhere, as is the Italian bubbly Prosecco.  According to the spokesperson, many people find Prosecco's lighter approach preferable to the drier, heavier feel of Champagne.

The event spokesperson claimed that people seem to be "moving away from pure fruit... towards more restrained, elegant characteristics."



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COVEY RUN GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2008

For spicy Asian food, I generally like to call for the Gewürztraminer.  I also like it with duck, smoked salmon and cheeses, but its true calling seems to be as a mate for spicy foods.  A recent visit to P.F. Chang's China Bistro in the Beverly Center in Los Angeles found me with a glass of a Washington State Gewürz in front of me, from Covey Run.

The Covey Run website states that they use "grapes grown in the Columbia and Yakima valleys, Washington State’s finest growing regions."  For this Gewürztraminer, they continue, "Our Gewürztraminer vineyards are located in the cooler parts of Washington’s Yakima Valley, planted at higher elevations and even on northerly facing slopes.  Gewürztraminer grown in these areas attains high sugar levels, spicy flavors and a lovely red skin color at harvest, much as it does in its native Alsace."

The 2008 vintage is 100% Columbia Valley AVA Gewurztraminer - earlier vintages featured slight traces of Muscat Canelli or Muscat Ottonel.  The floral, fruity nose is immediately inviting, and flavors of peach and pear are joined by a good minerality and light acidity.

The wine paired reasonably well with the fried string beans but really showed its worth with the very spicy pork ribs.

STANZA GEWURZTRAMINER 2008

Browsing the wine racks recently, I had the notion that I'd like to find some wines which might be nice for the holidays.  I spied a Monterey Gewürztraminer from Stanza and thought I'd give it a spin.

Stanza is apparently part of Delicato Vineyards of Manteca, CA.  It retails for $14, but I bought it at a two-for-one sale.

This wine shows a pale golden color in the glass, and has a nose that's floral and sweet, with the aromas of peaches and nutmeg making a statement.

The palate is also floral, with pear notes, a gentle spiciness and a lovely acidity, although it's not really bracing.  What I remember most is the finish.  It is so full of zesty lime and minerals - what a treat!  That finish lingers quite a while, too.

While the nutmeg profile in the nose had me thinking of adding it to my holiday list, I decided it was really too faint an accent for that, so I'll keep looking for those holiday whites.

TRES PINOS THREE PINES CUVEE 2009

I can spend more than five dollars on a bottle of wine if I like, and I feel fortunate that I can.  I do love a bargain, though.  That's why I find myself drawn to those discount wines at Trader Joe's so often.  I tell myself to keep moving, spend a little more.  But the lure of finding a good wine on the cheap is too great.  The sirens were singing my song again when I saw the Tres Pinos white. “Here's your five dollars.”  “Here's your wine.”

Tres Pinos Three Pines Cuvee is made by San Antonio Winery in Los Angeles.  They source their grapes from all over California, and the grapes for this wine came from San Luis Obispo County.  I like a lot of wines from SLO, so I had high hopes for this effort.

The grapes in question are Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay and Viognier.  That's a likely bunch of suspects for a good blend.  13.5% abv.

This white is the color of straw, and there's just a hint of effervescence upon pouring without refrigeration.  The second night the tiny little bubbles didn't appear when the wine was chilled.

I am often disappointed by the nose on cheap – er – inexpensive wines.  That is not the case here, as a beautiful bouquet of honeysuckle, apricot and cantaloupe rind appears.

The palate is not as fruity as I expected.  It's actually rather dry.  There is a subtle flavor of pear juice and a decent minerality – something I always love to find in those Edna Valley wines from San Luis Obispo County.  I'm intrigued by an almost savory edge, maybe guava.  The acidity is more than adequate for pairing light fare.  It's great with a handful of peanuts!

The various grapes used in Tres Pinos blend together nicely.  None of the four stand out too much.  I found it to be much better when chilled than not.  It's a serviceable wine that actually tastes pretty good.  And the price is certainly right.

Cambiata Monterey Albariño

Cambiata Winery is located in "cool, coastal Monterey" and has a penchant for growing and producing wine from grapes which are largely unheralded in the U.S.  

Cambiata offers an Albariño and a Tannat, a couple of offbeat choices which I happen to like quite a bit.  Under another flag, Ludwig Winery, winemaker Eric Laumann produces Gewurztraminer and Dornfelder.

He explains on the Ludwig site how 26 years of making bulk Cardonnay drove him to make wines of which only he had to approve.  You go, Eric.  Let your freak flag fly!

A warm afternoon visit to the Helms Bakery location of My Father's Office - may I just say, if you are going to serve french fries, serve ketchup too - prompted a little chiller.

The nose of the Cambiata Albariño was richly delicious - all pineapple, pears and honeysuckle.  It seemed to lack acidity while drinking it, but long afterward my mouth told me I had been wrong.  The taste really stayed with me a while.  The palate was floral with lime zest and good minerals. It's a very nice sipper when chilled a bit.

Winemaker:  Eric Laumann
Variety:  100% Albariño
Appellation:  California > Monterey

Vintage:  2008

Alcohol Level:  13.5% abv
Price:  $9/glass
Acquisition disclaimer:  Purchased by the author

"They Got This Recession On" Wines, Part 3

Tres Pinos Tierra Blanca is a San Luis Obispo County wine, but that's just where the grapes come from. The winery which makes it, San Antonio Winery, is actually in downtown Los Angeles. It's something of a historical landmark. This wine was bottled specifically to be marketed at Trader Joe's as a bottom-shelf $5 wine. That's the history lesson, now let's see how good this recession-busting tastes today.

The Bottle: Tres Pinos is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Viognier and Chardonnay. The alcohol level is relatively low at 13.5% abv. The label promises "bright and crisp with aromas of citrus and wildflowers."

The Nose: If they say it's citrus and wildflowers I'm smelling, so be it. I detect a floral presence along with a tropical note - perhaps guava. But there is something else in there that I cannot quite pin down. Not an unpleasant nose, but nothing to go out of your way for.

The Taste: At $5, you may ask, "what did you expect?" Well, not much, to be truthful. Frankly I think I got my money's worth. That, considering the price, is both good and bad. I detect the Sauvignon Blanc and the Viognier, but the Gewurz and the Chard are pretty much lost on me. It's actually not terrible, and I might sit on the porch and down a couple of glasses without realizing it. There's not much acidity, so we'll skip the food pairing portion of the program. There's also a medium-length finish that you may wish wasn't so lengthy. If I haven't mentioned it already, serve this wine chilled. No, refrigerated. You really don't want it warming up as you drink it.

I don't write too many unfavorable tasting notes, and it doesn't sit well with me when I do. I like wine, and I enjoy liking it. This one simply does not hit me in the right place. If all you have is $5, and you need to spend it on white wine, I suppose it would be considered a value play for you, if it weren't for the fact that Clay Station's Viognier is about the same price at TJ's and it's actually good. I wish I had opened that wine today. Maybe I will in the coming weeks.

Disclaimer: I paid for the wine I wrote about.

Tasting Notes: Livernano L'Anima Bianco

I just wanted to put a quick note in this space about a really nice wine I had last night. Livernano L'Anima Bianco is a wonderful Tuscan white wine. I had it in the bar at Morton's, Beverly Hills. It was a featured wine on their bar menu in the by-the-glass section. This wine is a blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Gewurztraminer. I'm a sucker for an interesting blend, and this really grabbed me.

The nose was very floral, as was agreed upon by everyone in our party. I picked up what I interpreted as a petrol aroma, for which I was roundly criticized. Perhaps it was a grassiness that came through from the S. Blanc which I interpreted incorrectly. Crisp and clean on the palate, there was a zestiness I really loved. The acidity was perfect for food - crabmeat salad, maybe - and it finished well, too.

I conducted a cursory web search and didn't find it for sale, but I'll keep looking. In the meantime, it's worth a trip to Arnie Morton's bar to have a glass.