BECKMEN CUVEE LE BEC 2008 SANTA YNEZ VALLEY

If you're looking for a big, heavy-hitting Central Coast Rhone varietal blend - and that's one thing I'm always on the lookout for - Beckmen Vineyards' Cuvée Le Bec easily fills those shoes.  This wine, like all of Beckmen’s wines, is estate grown, produced and bottled.  The Los Olivos-based winery offers this blend as one of its flagship wines.

I bought the Cuvée Le Bec in a wine store for $16.  It's a mixture of 51% Grenache, 27% Syrah, 16% Mourvédre and 6% Counoise.  The alcohol level is in the 14-plus range, and it's not shy about showing its teeth.

The nose carries quite a bit of heat even after an hour in the glass.  It took about two and a half hours to lose most of the alcohol overlay, but even then it was still a noticeable trait.  Luscious cherry liqueur candy aromas do come through the haze.

The taste is vibrantly fruity, with candied cherry and blueberry mixed together.  The fruit makes quite a strong play, but so does the alcohol.  The heat is still a dominant factor after nearly three hours in the glass.  There is an earthy streak of minerals which is particularly apparent on the finish.

Three hours after pouring - yes, I waited it out - the alcohol buzz is almost all gone and you’re left with a very brambly and dark fruit bomb.  Not an entirely unpleasant situation to be in, it’s just too bad it took three hours the get there.  Decant, wait and enjoy.

EDUCATIONAL WINE TASTING EXPERIENCE

One great way to expand your palate and your knowledge of wine is to go to a winery tasting room.  Sometimes, though, the winery can come to you.

Jerome Winery and Bitter Creek Winery in Jerome, Arizona each have a tasting room.  They also offer a home tasting event they call an Educational Wine Tasting Experience.  You buy a case of their wine, they bring it to your home, they bring glasses if you need them and stage the tasting event for you and your guests.

They can accommodate anywhere from ten to 200 people, whatever number you can accommodate in your home.  Winery representative Marge Black-Graziano says it works best for ten to 30 people, but the guest list is entirely up to you.

All the guests should bring a dish to share, then sit back and let the winery do the rest.

They introduce the wine and talk a little about what kind of grapes are used in it and what goes on in the growing and winemaking process.  They educate your party on how to taste wine, talking about the different aromas, the coloration and why we swirl the wine in the glass.  That is done, of course, to expose more of the wine's surface area to oxygen, thereby releasing the aromas and even changing some of the characteristics.

Between the two wineries, there are 52 grape varieties they can offer.  Jerome Winery handles single variety wines while Bitter Creek Winery specializes in blends.  Marge Black-Graziano is the matriarch of the winemaking family that runs both outfits and she says either winery can bring a lot to the table - and they can bring it to any table you like.

You can contact Jerome Winery at 928-639-9067 or e-mail them at info@jeromewinery.com.

COQUELICOT SLOW HAND DESSERT WINE SANTA YNEZ VALLEY

Coquelicot – pronounced "ko-klee-ko" - is the name of a brilliant red poppy found in the French countryside.  It is also the name Bernard Rosenson gave to his estate vineyard of organically-grown grapes, and the corresponding winery.  Rosenson became acquainted with the beautiful flower while growing up in France.  On the wine's label, he even asks, "Who's your poppy?"

Rosenson's partner-in-wine is Louis Van Tonder, who oversees the vineyard and the winemaking process for Coquelicot.  The winery's tasting room in Los Olivos is French countryside charming.  That's where I purchased the half-bottle of Slow Hand for around $25 about a year and a half ago.  It took a while to get around to opening it, and it was worth the wait.

Slow Hand is a half-and-half blend of late harvest Chardonnay and late harvest Riesling.  Its 12.5% abv leaves plenty of room for the sweetness expected in such a marriage.

On the nose, the smell of over ripe fruit is overwhelming.  If you ever spent any time as a child playing in the summertime around a fruit tree, you know what to expect.  The taste is that of baked apples, apple custard, and raisins.  It's a very viscous drink that really fills the mouth well.  If the acidity were a little higher, it would be perfect.  However, it's hard to complain about a wine as good as Slow Hand.

CASTELLO LUZZANO MALVASIA TASTO DI SETA COLLI PIACENTINI

Los Angeles fans of Italian wines have a great place to find the fruit of their passion and some pretty tasty eats, too.  Cube on La Brea Avenue is a cafe, a wine bar specializing in Italian vino, a cheese bar and a market all rolled into one location.

We stopped in there for lunch during a break in a hectic shopping day.  The place with the "What's Up D.O.C." sign above it was once again the right choice.

We opened with a couple of cheeses - Holzhofer (a strong cow's milk Swiss) and Smokey Blue (a delightfully pungent cow's milk blue cheese from Oregon.)  I followed with the braised bacon on polenta.  The "bacon" was more like slow-cooked pulled pork, only a hundred times more flavorful.

The wine - Luzzano's "Seta" Malvasia - is made from 100% Malvasia di Candia grapes grown in the Colli Piacentini D.O.C. of Italy's Emilia-Romagna region.  It is aged six months in stainless steel.  The price is an affordable $9 per glass and the bottle price (to take home) is $16.

The Seta's nose is quite green.  Mostly floral aromas with an herbal twist are laced with a bready, yeasty edge that's amazing and intriguing.  Minerals and zesty lemon lime abound on the palate.  There's definitely a steeliness there, but it flies in the face of the full, round mouthfeel.

It paired with both cheeses well - better with the Holzhofer - and was a near-perfect mate for the savory bacon dish.

CONFUSED WINE SHOPPERS

How wines are stored on the shelves of wine merchants - or even supermarkets - seems to be causing more confusion as more casual wine drinkers enter the marketplace.

An recent article by Tim Cornwell in The Scotsman contained some interesting observations which I have found to be true in the U.S. as well.

The major complaint casual wine drinkers have with store organization is that wines are often arranged by country or region of origin.  This is confusing to customers who don't have a working knowledge of what kind of wines come from different areas.

Shoppers seem to want wines to be categorized by price - which they are to some extent.  Usually the bottles on the top shelf are a lot more expensive than those near the floor.

Wine buyers also comment that it would be more convenient to have wines sorted out by what flavors the wine has, what it pairs with or even alcohol content.  All are mentioned as having more influence on a purchase than region of origin.

Of course, all you have to do is ask for a little assistance if you're lost in the wine aisle.  Lots of casual wine buyers, though, are hesitant to ask for help because they fear a snobby reaction from store employees.

RODNEY STRONG MERLOT SONOMA COUNTY 2006

If you live in Los Angeles, it's just a natural thing to go old-school Hollywood every now and then.  Musso and Frank Grill on Hollywood Boulevard - right in the thick of the touristy T-shirt shops, bars and leather-clad runaways - is about as old-school as Hollywood gets anymore.

A black and white Humphrey Bogart could sit in one of the red naugahyde booths and appear to be right at home.  The wait staff would huddle around the cash register drawing straws to determine who had to go and tell him he couldn't smoke in there anymore.

They are so old-school at Musso and Frank, the waiters dress like parking valets, sporting red vests and bow-ties.  They even have Raymond Burr wine available by the bottle.

I only wanted a glass, so I opted for a California classic from further north. Rodney Strong first planted Merlot in the Alexander Valley in 1970.  According to their website,

"Today we farm over 100 acres in the Alexander Valley and the northern portion of the Russian River Valley.  Together, these areas display the bright, red fruit character of the Russian River with the deep dark fruit flavors and mature tannins of the warmer Alexander Valley."

The Rodney Strong Merlot is a deep, dark ruby color with a purple rim.  The nose is fragrant with black cherry, blackberry and smokey cedar.  On the palate there's an earthy blueberry flavor draped in a wonderfully smokey element.  It's fairly brambly, too.  The effect of the small oak barrels in which the wine is aged is apparent, but in just the right measure.  The finish is lengthy and lip-smacking on this well-balanced wine.  The firm tannins are very manageable.  I paid $8.50 for a good-sized pour, and it will probably stand as the bargain of the week.

WINE.COM IPAD APP

Apple's popular iPad device is already being used in many wine bars and restaurants as a high-tech wine list.  Now you can have the wine experience on your iPad at home.

Wine.com has debuted a free app for the iPad which allows users to browse the site's inventory in much the same way you can browse album covers in the music world.  Swipe your fingers across the screen and the wine labels go flying by.  When you want a closer look, just click on the label and the app shows a page with all the information you could possibly want about the wine, the winery, the grape or the wine-growing region from which the wine comes.  You can even take a virtual tour or explore a wine region by way of Google Earth.

You can save your search in your personal Wine Cave, or buy the wine and have it shipped to you right from the app, depending on whether or not you live in a state where wine can be shipped to you.

All the items in your Wine Cave sync to your Wine.com account, so they'll be available wherever you happen to log in.

Wine.com also has an app for the iPhone, it's just not as showy.

SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE TOP 100 WINES 2010: CENTRAL COAST

The annual listing of the Top 100 Wines of the year, in the estimation of The San Francisco Chronicle, is out. Read the whole list here.  The following are the wines of California's Central Coast which made the Chronicle's list.  Included are Chronicle's comments on each wine.

2009 Alban Vineyards Central Coast Viognier ($24):
"John Alban's estate Viognier helped build his expert reputation, but this more affordable bottling is a worthy tribute to his full-bore winemaking.  A limpid nose of honeysuckle, ginger and cardamom hints at the opulence, with lots of tangerine and lemon."

2009 Zocker Paragon Vineyard Edna Valley Gruner Veltliner ($20):
"Gruner has mostly been one of those noble experiments in these parts, notable more for the effort than the results.  But Zocker, a sister label to Tangent, has succeeded with one that can rival its Austrian counterparts.  Proper notes of white pepper, peach and snap pea, with a slight soapstone edge.  Is Gruner the great hope of Edna Valley?"

2008 Alma Rosa La Encantada Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir ($43):
"Santa Barbara wine pioneer Richard Sanford (Sanford & Benedict) is soaring with his new label.  This gorgeous estate bottling is heady with tobacco and nutmeg, and a balance of delicate dark blue fruit and tangy wild strawberry."

2008 Alta Maria Vineyards Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir ($25):
"This joint effort from James Ontiveros and Paul Wilkins is brightly engaging and irresistible, a perfect counterpoint to their profound Native9 wines.  A heady nose of forest floor, pine needle and resin give that woodsy edge to dusky strawberry and moist earth.  Lighter in step, and terrifically juicy."

2008 Au Bon Climat Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir ($50):
"The perfect Santa Barbara matchup - winemaker Jim Clendenen and the historic Sanford & Benedict site.  A smoky cola-edged, nuanced take, with lots of robust dark cherry and dried moss.  Opulent and complex, from Santa Rita's most famed site."

2008 Dragonette Cellars Cargasacchi-Jalama Vineyard Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir ($38):
"This young label founded by Steve and John Dragonette and Brandon Sparks-Gillis is tapping into some of Santa Barbara's best vineyards.  This effort from a colder site southwest of the Santa Rita Hills, aged in neutral oak, landed at just 13.3 percent alcohol - and with that has come remarkable depth and refinement - roasted orange highlights and a warm mace spice and musk, plus radiant raspberry and cherry."

2007 Caliza Azimuth Paso Robles Red Wine ($45):
"A fantastic expression of the robust Paso style, with bright Grenache fruit and spicy Syrah in good balance, with a slight sweetness offset by lots of brine and allspice, and a bright, juicy finish that also reveals the darker Mourvedre undertones."

2007 Qupé Bien Nacido Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Syrah ($30):
"Bob Lindquist's benchmark Syrah from this Santa Barbara County site is in gorgeous shape.  Dark and earthy, with brawny peppercorn spice, dusky plum and fine, delicious tannins.  It's equally rewarding whether you drink it now or age it."

2008 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel Paso Robles Red Wine ($50):
"A leaner vintage has made Tablas' Mourvedre-dominant Esprit (with Grenache, Syrah and Counoise for the rest) a more aromatic, nuanced thing.  Dried sage and oregano, a bright mineral component, fresh blueberry and baked raspberry, with a leathery profile to the young, ripe tannins."

2007 Three Saints Santa Ynez Valley Syrah ($18):
"Winemaker Nick de Luca delivered a ton of nuance in this affordable bottle from Star Lane's second label.  Thirty percent of the wine was aged in steel, providing a welcome freshness, amid a gorgeous nose of milled pepper, anise and black currant."

2008 Ancient Peaks Paso Robles Zinfandel ($16):
"From the Margarita Vineyard at the southern edge of the Paso Robles appellation, winemaker Mike Sinor has crafted a dense, pure effort that's surprisingly nuanced, with violets, fresh black cherry, cardamom and juicy raspberry.  A slight bit of sweetness on the finish offers gratification, but despite its size (a solid 15 percent alcohol) it's a reminder that the big Paso style doesn't have to be makeup-laden."

- Excerpted from the San Francisco Chronicle.  Full article here.

HAPPY CANYON VINEYARDS CHUKKER 2009

Long a superlative winemaker in Santa Barbara County, Doug Margerum gets his Chin-on with a Happy Canyon Cabernet Franc blend called Chukker.

The label explains that "chukker" is a playing period in a polo game.  The popularity of polo in some of Santa Barbara’s wealthy ‘burbs would explain that facet of the definition, but the word descends from a circular concept in Eastern languages.  To find that the wine sits round and full in the mouth is no surprise.

Dark ruby in color, the nose is absolutely alive with jammy berry aromas and the full fruit flavors could scarcely be richer.  There is a faint suggestion of gaminess on the finish, and an acidity which would make you confident to serve it with anything.  The wine uses vibrancy as its calling card.  The alcohol level is 14.1% abv and it shows it upon opening the bottle.  Allow a little breathing time and the heat settles down.  I paid $13 for Chukker at a wine store.

The winemaker notes suggest that this wine is all about the spring portion of the calendar, so by that standard I’m a little out of season here in the Northern Hemisphere.  Margerum explains this wine was inspired by the Loire Valley wines drunk slightly cool in the Paris bistros.  He advises you drink Chukker the same way, although I drank mine above cellar temperature and was quite pleased.

The grapes are estate grown Cabernet Franc (40%), Merlot (40%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (20%).  Not listed on the label is a hint of Syrah which Margerum cops to on his website.  The grapes are all fermented in stainless steel, giving the sort of freshness one might look for in the spring.  The circular concept come into play again, and spring always gives way to summer, then autumn.

Pay attention to that "everything comes around" philosophy - don’t skip over this wine as a potential mate for your holiday meals.  Think of it as another dish of cranberry sauce on the table, but one that will go with your turkey and stuffing - or goose - much better.

I mentioned that in a brief email to Doug's brother, Hugh, and he replied, "Yes, it's a perfect match with holiday fare.  A little like a Beaujolais Nouveau, but with a bit more punch."

HOLIDAY PARTY WINE

The holiday party season is in full swing.  Many of us will be asked to bring a bottle of wine to a party or two.  That's the sort of opportunity I live for, but some people get a little high strung when they have to select a wine to show publicly.

If you can get an idea of what the host would like for you to bring, choosing is easy.  If the host says "Oh, anything will do," that's not much help.

You might just pick up any old cheap thing and bring it in under the radar, hoping to get it onto the table or counter where the other wines are, before it can be traced to you.

But why not bring a wine which shows that a little consideration went into the choice?

If you know your host's preferences, the heavy lifting is done.  Just find a bottle of what they like and let them do the oohing and aahing.

You can find really good deals on Spanish Garnacha or Malbec from Argentina.

Borsao is a really wonderful Spanish red which blends Garnacha and Tempranillo.  How does $7 sound?

Veramonte Sauvignon Blanc Reserva Casablanca Valley 2009 usually sells for under $10.

Alamos Malbec '09 goes for around $10.

Sparkling wine is always a hit at parties, and it doesn't have to be expensive.  You can get a nice California sparkler, Italian Prosecco or Spanish Cava for well under $20.

Francis Coppola Sofia Blanc de Blancs blends Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscat for about $15.  It comes in a pretty bottle, too.

Cavit Lunetta Prosecco goes for less than $10 in lots of places.

Segura Viudas Aria Estate Brut is a good Spanish Cava you can find for around $10.

ORGANIC WINE STUDY SHOWS CONFUSION

A recent article in Wine Business.com, by Sonoma State University wine business professors Liz Thach and Janeen Olsen, cites the dramatic growth of organic food and beverages while wondering aloud, "Is organic wine growing by leaps and bounds, too?"

That's hard to say.  The article goes on to explain that organic wine labels don't make it easy for consumers to buy "green," and further make it difficult to track consumer trends.

The Wine Business Institute at Sonoma State did some research on the matter.

The findings show that consumers of organic wines say they are willing to shell out a few extra dollars for wines they feel are eco-friendly.

Wine consumers in general seem confused by all the terminology used in labeling organic wines.  Terms like "100% organic," "biodynamic" and "sustainable" leave consumers unsure of which wines really are organic.

The study recommends the wine industry should try to create a system of terminology that is less confusing.

The authors close the article by asking, "In ten years, will all wine be sustainable anyway?"  We'll find out in a decade or so.

GEYSER PEAK CABERNET SAUVIGNON ALEXANDER VALLEY 2005

Geyserville, California is a small town in Sonoma County - so small that if you run the stop sign, you'll miss it.  A lot of big trucks barrelling down the highway from Napa Valley do just that, too, so beware if you find yourself at that intersection.  For a small town, Geyserville has a lot of good wine to offer, too.

Geyser Peak Winery, an arm of Ascentia Wine Estates, makes some of that wine.  A recent trip to the Grill On Hollywood - four levels up in the labyrinth known as Hollywood and Highland in the somewhat larger town of Los Angeles - had me eying their Cabernet Sauvignon on the wine list.

We were there with a couple of Denise's old - uh, longtime - friends from the glory days at Lycoming College, a pretty little campus in Pennsylvania where they apparently dined on steamship of beef back in the student days, served from a carving station no less.  I went to Lamar University in Texas and dined on chips and sandwiches from a vending machine.  We used to sit around the Setzer Center and wonder what the rich people were doing.  Now I know.  Steamship of beef.

The Geyser Peak Cabernet would have fit right in at either locale, no doubt served in Riedel stemware next to the beef and swigged from the bottle by the vending machine.

Sonoma County's Alexander Valley is a great wine region, and Geyser Peak shows why.  It's a pretty darned good wine that is still considered a bargain - only $8.95 by the glass at the fancy Hollywood eatery.

The Geyser Peak Cab shows a pretty, dark color with purple edges.  The nose has plenty of cassis and blackberry notes while the palate has a plummy character with some strong blackberry fruit carrying just the right touch of oak effect.  There is some cedar and vanilla - neither overpowering - and an earthy edge with healthy tannins that were nicely held in check.

Despite all that, the wine is an uncomplicated experience, which is more than I can say about the stories of those bygone days with the steamship of beef.

PORT WINE

The onset of cold weather makes many wine lovers turn their attention to Port wine.  You may know Port only as something to "take the chill off," so here's a little bit of information about Port wines.

Port is a sweet wine, with an alcohol content higher than most table wines, higher even than many dessert wines.  Port is commonly used as a dessert companion or dessert itself.  It pairs quite well with cheese, especially blue cheese.

The only place Port, or Porto, can be made is in the Douro Valley in northern Portugal, much like Champagne can only come from Champagne, France.  There are many areas around the world which produce Port-style wines, though.

Port is produced by fortifying wine with neutral grape spirits.  It's often said that Port is fortified with brandy.  That is often a mistaken notion.  The fortification creates a higher residual sugar and alcohol level.  Port wine generally has an alcohol level of 18% to 20%.

There are five grape varieties which are widely used in the making of red Port wine - Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesca, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Cão and Tinta Roriz, which is also known as Tempranillo.  That's the only non-indigenous grape used in making Port.

White Port is made from white grapes - Donzelinho Branco, Esgana-Cão, Folgasão, Gouveio, Malvasia Fina, Rabigato and Viosinho.  Grapes used in making Port are regulated by the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto.  Port wine made in other areas may be made from many different grape varieties.

Tawny Ports are Ports which have been aged in wood barrels for ten, 20, 30 or even 40 years.  Popular brands of Tawny Port include Dow's, Graham's and Taylor's, which are seen on many restaurant menus.

Roxo Port Cellars of Paso Robles, California makes nothing but Port-style wines.  They utilize Bordeaux and Italian grape varieties as well as traditional Portuguese varieties.

Ficklin Vineyards in Madera, California makes a Tinta Port, a Tawny Port, a white Port and vintage Ports.  Their Port-style wines have won numerous awards and generate tons of good press.

The Beaulieu Vineyard Maestro Collection Port 2006 employs traditional and non-traditional varieties: Touriga Nacional, Charbono, Tempranillo and Petite Sirah.

From California's Santa Ynez Valley, Bridlewood offers a Syrah Port 2006.  Listen to these descriptive words from the the winemaker: "heady aromatics of blackberry, cassis and licorice…notes of strong dark chocolate with hints of pecan, tangerine peel and earth…luscious licorice finish."

Paso Robles' EOSZinfandel Port 2006 sounds like it was made with the holidays in mind:"...aromas of molasses, roasted walnuts and maple syrup fill the nose....nutty characters glide across the palate with essence of plums andespresso...spiciness, cedar, and cinnamon linger on the ... extendedfinish."

VERDAD ROSE, SAWYER LINDQUIST VINEYARD, EDNA VALLEY 2009

During the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, all the blogosphere and Twitterverse was abuzz with what kind of wine to pair with the big feast.  My intentions were to get a little bit adventurous and open a Rhone blend or a Tempranillo.  As I was shopping, though, I was once again lured by Edna Valley.  This year's turkeyfest was abetted by a Grenache rosé.

Verdad Winery and Vineyard is the labor of love of Louisa Sawyer Lindquist.  She happens to be the wife of Qupe's Bob Lindquist, and happens to have some pretty substantial winemaking ability of her own.

Verdad means "truth" in Spanish, and the truth is: I could hardly have made a better choice for the Thanksgiving wine - if I do say so myself.  Lindquist's fascination with and love of Spanish grape varieties comes to fruition in California's Central Coast - Edna Valley, to be exact.

The Grenache grapes for Verdad rosé - Tablas Creek clone - are grown in two vineyards in Edna Valley, the Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard and the Ibarra-Young Vineyard.  The former is farmed biodynamically while the latter is organic.  The grapes are grown specifically for rosé, and early picking results in a lower alcohol content - only 12.1% abv.  Stainless steel fermentation gives the wine a pure fruit profile.

First of all, the wine is a beautiful salmon color.  The nose is fabulous, showing strawberry and an herbal component.  A faint cherry-candy aroma adds a festive note.  On the palate, it's lip-smacking good.  Strawberry, cherry and raspberry come together like a riot in the orchard.  It feels so full and round in the mouth, and delivers a nice zing of lime on the finish.  The cherry flavor seems to hang around the longest.  The acidity is not razor-sharp, but it's healthy enough to carry turkey and stuffing crisply.  I found that out the easy way - at the dinner table.

TENUTA ST. PETER RIESLING ALTO ADIGE 2008

If you're like me, when you hear the words "Italian Riesling," something just doesn't sound right.  Of course, the Alto Adige wine region of northern Italy is really more Germanic than Italian.  It borders Austria and is known for its grapes that are more often associated with Germany and Austria.  Gewurztraminer and Riesling are produced in this Alpine area in which the wine industry is comprised largely of small, family-owned wineries.

Some degree of difficulty usually greets me when I try to research small Italian wines.  Such is the case with Tenuta St. Peter Riesling.  All I know is what I remember seeing on the label at Il Buco in Beverly Hills, which sports one of my favorite wine lists in Southern California.  Their collection of Italian wines has never let me down.

This Riesling is 13.5% abv and shows a pale golden-green color in the glass.  There is a strong aroma of minerals or wet rocks on the nose, and a secondary smell of melon - like a canteloupe, but not just the fruit.  I smell the rind and all.

The palate gives a very restrained sense of pears and honeydew, with an overriding minerality.  The acidity stops just short of being bracing.  It's a very smooth quaff which paired quite well with the salad featuring tuna and lentils.

STEALTH WINE

Maybe you've been shopping for wine and have come across a brand you've never heard of before.  Maybe the merchant told you it was a good deal, because it was wine from a very famous winery which has been bottled under a different brand.

An article by Dave McIntyre, which appeared in the Washington Post recently, explains that this can happen when the wine is sold in bulk by the winery to another party who bottles it and sells it as his own.

According to the article, "stealth" labels, as they are called, are appearing a lot in our down economy.

Wine producers that may sell, for instance, a Cabernet Sauvignon for $75 a bottle, sell the wine in bulk to another party.  This party then bottles it with his own label and sells it for $20 a bottle.  Same wine, better price.

The thing is, it's hard to know what's a stealth label and what is not.  Purchasers usually make a secrecy agreement with the winery.  This protects the original brand.

It also gives you an opportunity to pick up some real bargains - if you can spot the stealth labels!  Ask your wine merchant to point you in the direction of these good values.

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.

GIFTS FOR WINE LOVERS

Certainly the best gift for someone who loves wine is - wait for it - wine!  But if you don't know what kind of wine to give, or what kind the person likes, you might consider a wine club membership.

Wine clubs send a package of wine to their members at monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly intervals.  It may be a grab bag of different styles, only red, only whites, etcetera.  The cost varies widely, as does the quality of the wine.

There's a seemingly endless supply of clubs to choose from.  You might select one from a good wine store or a winery the recipient likes.  Most wineries offer wine clubs featuring their wines.

Gift options vary from club to club, but you may be able to gift a month, a year or longer.  Keep in mind that when the gift subscription ends, it's up to the recipient to extend the membership.

Fancy corkscrews are a hit if your friend only has one around the house, but there are only so many corkscrews a person can use, unless they collect them.  The Rabbit Corkscrew (from Metrokane Wine Tools) retails from about $40 to $100 and claims to allow the user to open any bottle of wine in three seconds without any huffing or puffing.

Stemware is always a good gift for a wine lover, especially if it's special.  Austria's Riedel Crystal is generally regarded as the standard-bearer for quality wine glasses.  Look to spend $60 to $100 each for Riedel glasses.

A Wine Chiller is something every wine lover would love to have. For under $20 you can find these items which employ a reusable cooling element you keep in your freezer until you need it. It can chill a bottle of wine in five minutes.

People who can't wait for their wine to chill probably can't wait for their wine to breathe, either.  A Wine Aerator is what they need.  Vinturi makes one that goes for about $30.  The wine breathes while it's pouring into the glass.  Is that fast enough for you?

No matter what kind of wine the person on your gift list likes, anybody can use a nice bottle ofChampagne.  Dom Perignon has a special release this year honoring Andy Warhol, which goes for around $150 a bottle, special label included.  Buy the three labels separately, or as a set - forreally good friends.

By the way, the cute little items in the image can be found at San Antonio Winery in downtown Los Angeles.

QUEEN OF HEARTS PINOT NOIR 2008

The label and name on this Santa Barbara County red wine were unfamiliar to me when I picked it up at Whole Foods, but I couldn’t help but notice the Queen Of Hearts winery address was given as Buellton, CA.  Buellton is sort of a “gateway to wine country” town located just off the 101 freeway between Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo.
 
Turns out, it’s a Lucas and Lewellen Vinyards brand.  Winemaker Megan McGrath promises a nose of blackberry, black cherry and cola, with flavors of plum, strawberry and spice.

This Pinot Noir is a medium ruby color which I can see right through.  On the nose, raspberry and strawberry lead the way.  There’s an awful lot of heat noticeable in the aromas, even a half hour after pouring.  On the palate the fruit is as bright and perky as it can be, in fact it’s delicious.  An alcohol burn, unfortunately, spoils it.

It finally settles down after an hour.  Again, the taste is so bright and fruity, it’s hard to find fault.  But as juicy and fruity as it is, there is a decided lack of minerals.  An earthy layer would really add another dimension to the wine’s taste.

To compound things, the wine seems overoaked and fakey.  Fighting through the alcohol haze on the nose are a boatload of spicy aromas.  The spice and alcohol mix for a medicinal smell. 

In fairness, after two hours, this wine is much more approachable.  Two hours, however, is a long time to wait for a glass of wine to become drinkable.  Even on the second night it was open, the wait was over an hour before it was pleasurable to drink.  And it still seemed somewhat overoaked.

All this would be unremarkable in a wine that cost $5.  Queen Of Hearts sells for $15 - not a lot for Pinot Noir.  Still, I couldn't help but wish more had been delivered.

SPARKLING WINE RECOMMENDATIONS

Between Thanksgiving, Christmas and assorted other holiday parties - then New Year's Eve - it seems like there's a good excuse for Champagne around every corner.  There's certainly nothing wrong with a good Champagne from Moet & Chandon, Veuve Cliquot, Piper-Heidsieck, Mumm, Nicholas Feuillatte and a host of others.  With prices for real Champagne - from Champagne, France - getting in the over-100-dollar range very quickly, you may want to look into some good domestic options that are just as festive, but a little easier on the wallet.

From Calistoga, California, Schramsberg is America's first sparkling wine house.  They've been tickling noses since 1965.  Their 1998 J. Schram Rosé sells for over $100, but they offer a wide range of current releases all the way down the price list to the $20 range.

Napa Valley's Domaine Carneros offers a variety of sparkling wines for around $25 to $85 per bottle.

Sonoma County's Gloria Ferrer Va de Vi has a bit of Muscat thrown in and sells for about $20.

Laetitia, in California's Arroyo Grande Valley, has a several Central Coast sparklers ranging from $20 to $35.

Bonny Doon's Riesling To Live was produced for club members, and those members swear by it.  A sparkling Riesling wine produced in méthode champenoise, it sells for about $35.  They say it's a good "Riesling" to join the winery's club.

Massachussetts winery Westport Rivers offers several acclaimed bubblies costing between $25 and $30.

Kluge Estate, in Virginia, makes sparkling wine a specialty of the house.  Their Kluge SP Rose 2007 goes for just under $30.

Segura Viudas, a sparkling Pinot Noir from Spain, usually runs about $20.

Chateau Frank, of New York's Finger Lakes Region, has sparkling wines that go for $20, $25, $30 and $35.

A sparkling Riesling from New York's Finger Lakes region took the top prize at the 2010 New York Wine & Food Classic competition.  Swedish Hill Riesling Cuvée NV, which sells for about $18, was awarded the Governor's Cup for best in show, according to Decanter.com.  The wine's production was very limited, so it may be a little hard to find.