UNEXPECTED GRAPES FROM UNEXPECTED PLACES

In celebration of California Wine Month 2010, the Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers presented a Grand Tasting at the Hotel Palomar in Westwood, California on September 22, 2010. 

The tasting event was augmented by seminars from Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein.   The seminars had Goldstein briefly running through some information about California's wine industry and the grapes grown for it.  The bulk of the hour-long presentation was a blind tasting, in which I participated.

In the coming days, I'll detail the seminar and share my tasting notes of the wines I tasted from a few of the regions represented.

The Grand Tasting was organized by region, with different tables representing the different wine-producing areas of California.  Thirteen distinct growing areas were spotlighted and about 130 wines were represented in all.  The wines that were poured emphasized many less familiar grapes, and some of the more familiar ones from areas other than the "Big Two" of Napa Valley and Sonoma County.

As you may expect from the event's name - Unexpected Grapes From Unexpected Places - the idea was to show the diversity of grape varieties grown in California and the depth of offerings available from some of the lesser-known regions.  The organizers of the event hit it out of the park on both counts.  A slew of wines made from unheralded grapes were poured, and the crowds around the tables for places like Lodi, Ventura and Livermore were as big as the ones around the Napa and Sonoma posts.

I sampled a number of wines from Lodi, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura County.  I'll detail those tastings in the next few days here on the Now And Zin Wine Blog.

If you'd like to do some online exploring yourself, visit Discover California Wines and California Vineyards.

CHATEAU MONTELENA NAPA VALLEY CHARDONNAY 2007

At the end of a tough week - and aren't they all? - Mr. and Mrs. Now And Zin planned to have an evening snack.  The plate of cheese, olives, strawberries, almonds and peanuts was prepared and placed in the fridge, and it would be ready when we returned home that evening.

We had been keeping a bottle of Chateau Montelena Chardonnay in reserve for a semi-special occasion, and this seemed like it. 

Purchased during last year's press trip to NoCal wine country, when we escaped the clutches of a public relations firm and struck out on our own, this memento of the storied winery in Calistoga is special, indeed.  It was the 1972 vintage that beat the French in the historic Judgement of Paris in 1976.  That high standard of quality has been maintained through the years by winemaker Bo Barrett.

The 2007 vintage for Chateau Montelena was almost perfect for the grapes from the John Muir Hanna vineyard. Great weather all through the growing season provided fruit that was at its peak.

The wine was produced with 64% whole cluster pressing, allowing some of the herbal notes to come through.  A portion is produced in stainless steel, while another part is given oak.  The wine is 13.7% abv, and cost $50 at the winery.

Just as I had found it in the Chateau Montelena tasting room, this Chardonnay is at once restrained and stunning.  The pale straw color is pretty in the glass and exotic tropical notes show on the nose.  I detect a green garden herbal aspect which Denise interprets as peas.  There's a faint smokiness present and an overlay of minerals gives the sense of wet rocks.  On the palate there are tropical flavors with some lemon zest and a nice acidity that coexists with a creamy mouthfeel.  The finish is long, and well after the drink is consumed, I'm left with the memory of lemons and a trace of banana.  The wine is a complete pleasure from beginning to end.

RANCHO ZABACO RESERVE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2008

Wine drinkers may be feeling the urge for something a little more autumnal by now, but here's a very nice Sauvignon Blanc I tried recently at Mulholland Grill in Los Angeles.     

Rancho Zabaco Reserve Sauvignon Blanc is actually a blend, although Sauvignon Blanc accounts for 97% of the mix.  The other 3% is Sémillon.  It's only 13% abv and costs just under ten dollars by the glass at this restaurant.  The Sonoma fruit hails from the Russian River Valley and is 70% steel fermented, with 30% seeing oak.

The wine is a pretty shade of light yellow in the glass, with some golden highlights.  There's a very grassy nose and a fair amount of herbal funk which plays well with a softening overlay of tropical notes.  The palate also shows some herbal influence, but lots of lemon and lime flavor comes through.  Some fairly juicy pineapple notes are also present.  The wine is very soft and full in the mouth and comes close to hinting at sweetness.  The acidity is there, however, and the wine matches well with a lettuce and bleu cheese salad, particularly alongside the sharp cheese.

AMERICAN WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL

The 28th annual American Wine and Food Festival kicks off Saturday night, September 25, 2010 at Universal Studios in Los Angeles.  It benefits the Meals On Wheels Programs of Los Angeles, and since 1982 the event has raised more than $15 million for that institution.  Through Meals On Wheels, thousands of meals are served each day to the homebound, senior and disabled citizens of Los Angeles.

The Saturday night event, at Universal Studios backlot, features 30 top chefs and 80 wineries and spirit labels.  You'll be able to sample the best the culinary world has to offer, with food and wine placed face to face, where they belong.    
Saturday at 5:00 p.m., the Wolfgang Puck VIP Cooking Demonstration gets the festivities underway for VIP ticketholders, while the festival opens an hour later and runs until 11:00 p.m.  You can cap off the night in “Sherry Yard’s Sweet Sanctuary Champagne and Port Lounge” – an after-hours retreat.  Dance the night away to a live band or simply mingle among the 3,000 or so food and wine lovers that are expected to attend.  Tickets  for the festival are $300 per person.  For details and cost for VIP tickets, please call Joan Wrede at 310.574.3663.

The Chefs Grand Tasting Dinner is slated for Sunday, 6:00 p.m., at Spago Beverly Hills.  This dinner features celebrity chefs who will each prepare one course, which are paired with select wines.  This year’s featured chefs will be Nobu Matsuhisa of Matsuhisa Beverly Hills, Charlie Palmer of Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale’s South Coast Plaza, Paul Bartolotta of Bartolotta and Ristorante di Mare, Michael White of AltaMarea Group, Santi Santamaria of Restaurant Can Fabes, and Dominique Ansel of Restaurant Daniel. There will also be a live auction.  Reservations for the Chefs Grand Tasting Dinner are $750 per person or $7,000 per table.  To make your reservations for this limited-seating dinner, contact Ellen Farentino at Spago: 310.385.0880. 
You can "like" the American Wine and Food Festival on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter.

COLLINE NOVARESI NEBBIOLO 2007 AT IL BUCO

Italian food calls for Italian wine, and that's a rule I try not break - ever.  Fortunately, one of my favorite Italian restaurants, Il Buco, has a wine list with a whole page of Italian wines that never disappoint.

Colline Novaresi D.O.C. is in Piedmont, in extreme northwestern Italy.  The Nebbiolo grapes used in this wine are farmed biodynamically in Fontechiara vineyards.  The wine is 100% Nebbiolo and has a 13.5% abv number.  It shows a deep and beautiful red color in the glass, quite dark in fact.  When you pick up the glass, that's when the fun begins.

One whiff and I was sold.  This Nebbiolo has such a rich aroma I just sat and smelled it for quite some time.  A floral smell leaps out first, and is quickly joined by notes of tar.  Finally, I start to sense the fruit and realized it was there all along.  It makes me think of black plums that have been trampled into the earth underneath the tree where they fell.

Then, on the first sip, I expect it to be a bit tannic.  It's not, though.  It's very smooth, and the fruit really shines through.  Blackberry and black cherry flavors are almost candied.  There's licorice, too.  The flavors keep reminding me of Port.  The wine is so juicy and complex I can only marvel at it.  By now, I expect the finish to be lengthy - and it is.  The flavors linger through a moment of reflection and the next bite of farfalle with sauage and peas.  It's one of my favorite dishes at Il Buco in Beverly Hills, but this time it takes a back seat to the wine.

By the way, Il Buco has this Colline Novaresi Nebbiolo for eight dollars by the glass.  With a nose and a palate like this, it's one of the better bargains I've encountered recently.

DEEP SEA SEA FLOWER DRY ROSE 2008

A nice, balmy evening - somewhat the rarity in the Los Angeles neighborhood called Laurel Canyon - lured the Now And Zin family out onto the deck for an after-work wine.  We knocked off the remainder of a white blend, then cracked open the Deep Sea "Sea Flower" Dry Rosé.
This Central Coast pink is produced by Conway Vineyards of Santa Maria, CA.  The Rancho Arroyo grapes - 67% Syrah, 33% Grenache - yield a deep pink color and a nose of strawbery gummy bears and roses.  On the palate are tons of strawberry and raspberry in a very jammy concentration.  There's a mouthful of acidity, too. That means you can expect good results when serving this wine with food.  There were only 372 cases produced.  If you can't find it there is a new vintage just released.  I tasted the 2009 Sea Flower recently and found it to be just as tasty and mouth-watering as the '08.

Ed.- I didn’t get a bottle shot while we were enjoying it, and the image shown is all I found the next day.

ELIZABETH ROSE ROSE 2009 AT IL FORNO CALDO

A beautiful sunny lunch in Beverly Hills always puts me in the mood for a rosé.  Such was the case at Il Forno Caldo, a favorite lunch spot for the wife and me.  I can't remember which salad I ordered, but I won't soon forget the wine.

Elizabeth Rose rosé is a beautiful Napa Valley pink made from organically grown grapes in Yountville and Oakville, CA.  93% Syrah, 5% Cinsault and 2% Grenache are blended to create a rosé that's complex and delightful.  Its alcohol level is 13% and it cost $9 per glass.

Deep strawberry pink in color, this wine is absolutely gorgeous to look at.  The nose is very big, with watermelon Jolly Rancher in the forefront with a raspberry note.  There's a green, vegetal aroma in there, too, maybe bell pepper.  The taste is exceptional.  Dry and fruity, there's a truckload of strawberry and cherry flavors that are as fresh as the garden.  The acidity is crisp and the finish is completely satisfying.

BODEGAS SALENTEIN FINCA EL PORTILLO MALBEC ROSE 2008 AT MALBEC

It's always a pleasure to discover a fantastic restaurant, particularly one with a great wine list.  Mrs. Now And Zin and I are putting Malbec Argentinean Bistro on our go-to list.

This Toluca Lake restaurant, just a stone's throw from Burbank, has one of the most authentic wine lists I've seen.  An Italian Sauvignon Blanc and Veuve Clicquot were the only non-Argentine entries I spotted on the list, which offers about fifty wines - a dozen or so by the glass, none of which costs more than $10 per glass.

Mrs. Now And Zin, also known as Denise Fondo, has a more complete description of the food at I Cook The World.  She does a much better job than I do when describing food.  For now, suffice it to say we fell in love with the place.

As for the wine, it felt like a rosé day, so I chose the Finca El Portillo Malbec Rose.  It's a 100% Malbec wine which is stainless steel fermented and brings 14% abv to the table.  The grapes are estate-farmed in Mendoza's Uco Valley.  It cost $7.50 per glass.

The color is great - a rich, ruby red that's very appealing in the glass.  Fresh aromas of cherries and strawberries growing in the garden dominate the nose, while the palate offers flavors - just as fresh - of watermelon and strawberry.  The mouthfeel is of medium weight and very clean.  There's a sense of citrus on the finish which left me with the memory of a spring day.  Oh, and it's bone-dry.  It was great with the grilled chicken and the skirt steak.

ORTMAN FAMILY LAUNCHES NEW WINE SERIES

Paso Robles' Ortman Family has a new tier of wines which appears to be designed to attract the adventurous and cost-conscious millennial demographic.

The O² Series reflects the family's pursuit of wine varieties different from their mainstay Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon offerings.  Chuck Ortman has been making wine for 40 vintages, and his son, Matt, is leading the way on this new effort.

The new lineup features an eye-catching label that runs along the bottle at an angle, and is designed to be an affordable complement to the winery’s founding tier of limited-production wines from single vineyards.

The inaugural O² Series wines are the 2009 Chardonnay Central Coast ($18; 959 cases), 2008 Sangiovese Paso Robles ($20; 517 cases) and 2007 Cuvée Eddy San Luis Obispo County ($20; 1,500 cases; red Rhône-style blend).

I had a chance to sample the Cuvee Eddy at the 2010 Rhone Rangers event in Santa Monica.  It's a blend of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre and Petite Sirah.  I noted at the time that it has a brilliant cherry nose and is juicy and easy to drink.

WHAT KIND OF WINE BUYER ARE YOU?

In a 2008 study of wine consumers, Constellation Wines broke out the wine-buying public into six separate groups.  Do you fit into one of these segments?

It’s worth noting - and rather sad - that the largest of these groups of wine consumers feel overwhelmed in the wine aisle.  The second largest group views wine as a status symbol.  Do you see a market segment from this study in which you fit?  Are you surprised by any of the findings?  Please feel free to leave a comment on the blog if you’d like to share your opinions on how people buy wine.

ENTHUSIASTS (12 percent of consumers)
• Entertain at home with friends and consider themselves knowledgeable about wine
• Live in cosmopolitan centers, affluent suburban spreads or comfortable country settings
• Like to browse the wine section, publications and are Influenced by wine ratings & reviews
• 47% of Enthusiasts buy wine in 1.5L size – “everyday wine” to supplement their “weekend wine”
• 98% of Enthusiasts buy wine over $6 and it accounts for 56% of what they buy on a volume basis

IMAGE SEEKERS (20 percent of consumers)
• View wine as a status symbol
• Have a basic knowledge of wine and discovering wines is new to them
• Likes to be the first to try a new wine, and are open to innovative packaging
• The number one most purchased varietal Merlot
• Use the Internet as key information source including checking restaurant wine lists before they dine out

SAVVY SHOPPERS (15 percent of consumers)
• Enjoy shopping for wine and discovering new varietals on their own
• Have a few favorite wines to supplement new discoveries
• Shop in a variety of stores each week to find best deals and like specials and discounts
• Heavy coupon users and know what’s on sale before they walk into a store
• When dining out they typically buy a glass of the house because of the value

TRADITIONALIST (16 percent of consumers)
• Enjoy wines from established wineries
• Think wine makes an occasion more formal and prefer entertaining friends and family at home to going out
• Like to be offered a wide variety of well-known national brands
• Won’t often try new wine brands
• Shop at retail locations that make it easy to find favorite brands

SATISFIED SIPPERS (14 percent of consumers)
• Don’t know much about wine, just know what they like to drink
• Usually buy the same brand, usually domestic and consider wine an everyday beverage
• Don’t enjoy the wine-buying experience so buy 1.5L bottles to have more wine on hand
• Second-biggest category of warehouse shoppers, buying 16 percent of wine in club stores
• Don’t dine out often but likely to order the house wine when they do

OVERWHELMED (23 percent of consumers)
• Overwhelmed by sheer volume of choices on store shelves
• Like to drink wine but don’t know what kind to buy and may select by label
• Looking for wine information in retail settings that’s easy to understand
• Very open to advice but frustrated when there is no one in the wine section to help
• If information is confusing they won’t buy anything at all

This information comes from Constellation Wines’ Project Genome - Home and Habits.

GREEN FLASH BREWING COMPANY IMPERIAL INDIA PALE ALE

When I lived in San Diego in the mid-'90s, one of my favorite late afternoon hangouts was a restaurant in Pacific Beach called Armando's The Green Flash.  What I liked best about the place was sitting at the bar near sunset with ceviche and an I.P.A.  Looking right out over the Pacific Ocean I tried over and over to see the elusive green flash - the flash of green light that occurs at the exact spot and the exact time the sun sets into the water.  I think I saw it, but maybe I just let myself believe I did.  Either way, the ceviche was outstanding and so was the I.P.A.

Green Flash Brewing Company is not affiliated with the restaurant.  I don't know if they take their name from the atmospheric phenomenon or from a superhero, and it doesn't matter to me.  They brew some truly great beer in Vista, CA, just a little bit up the coast from San Diego.

The Green Flash Imperial India Pale Ale is a rocking good beer.  Deep amber in color, it looks great in the glass.  The nose is extremely hoppy, bursting with floral notes and showing a twist of citrus.  The taste is also full of flowers with a broad lemon streak and a slight hint of almond.  This I.P.A. has a wonderfully creamy texture in the mouth - very full and opulent.  It's definitely a "desert island" beer, and there are few brews I enjoy as much on a warm afternoon while awaiting the green flash.

WILLIAM SHERER, MASTER SOMMELIER

The Taste of Beverly Hills was just getting underway for the first Saturday session, when I found myself drawn into one of the giant tasting halls.  There were hundreds of foods and wines I wanted to taste and quite a few things I wanted to see at this event.  There were only a few people I knew I wanted to meet, and William Sherer was one of them.  And it was Sherer who greeted me at the very first stop I made that morning.

Sherer was there promoting his line of wine, Iberian Remix.  "Want to taste some Albariño?" he asked as I approached the table.  Still a little sleepy, smiling with rumpled shirttail out, he seems to be the living, walking definition of "affable," not what many might expect a genuine wine expert to look or act like.

Accomplished

Sherer has spent the last five years as Wine Director at Aureole, Charlie Palmer's restaurant in the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.  He has also spent time walking restaurant floors in Monterey, San Francisco and New York City, and he earned the James Beard award for Wine Service in 2006.

What really dazzles, though, is the fact that Sherer has accomplished something only 170 people in the world can lay claim to - he's a Master Sommelier, a certified, card-carrying wine geek.  It's not an easy status to acheive.  The Court of Master Sommeliers puts it this way:

"Achieving the distinction of Master Sommelier takes years of preparation and an unwavering commitment.  The Court’s intensive educational program guides aspiring Masters through four increasingly rigorous levels of coursework and examination, culminating in the Master Sommelier Diploma Examination."

That final step is by invitation only, after one has completed the other four levels.  I asked Sherer about the difficulty of the road to becoming a MS.

"Yeah, it's hard, and I passed it twelve years ago.  It's actually harder to do today, due to the expansion of the wine world in general.  There's a lot more to know today."  He's certainly in the right place for a person with such status.  The Court of Master Sommeliers cites Vegas as a popular location for those who belong to this exclusive club.  In fact, Las Vegas has more Master Sommeliers than any other city.  "Out of the fifteen that are here, probably only four work on the restaurant floor," he said.  "There rest do other things - administrative directors, wholesale, import.  What I do is a rarity, even in a small field like this.  A lot of people don't want to work nights, or just have other interests."

Remixed

Sherer himself has other interests, a white one and a red one.  He calls his Iberian Remix wines "California wines from Spanish varieties."  This notion was his answer to an importer who once told him Albariño grown in America wouldn't work.  "He said we didn't have anything like the cold, Atlantic climate of Galicia," Sherer continues, "and that anyone who tried to make an Iberian-style wine with American grapes was destined to fail.  I want to prove that person wrong."

Sherer uses Albariño grapes from Edna Valley's Paragon Vineyard and Tempranillo, Grenache and Carignan from the Central Coast for his red blend.  "The whole thing would not have happened had I not found the grapes that were available," he said.  "Growers appeared who found that they had planted too much of the grapes I needed.  I was happy to help relieve them of some."

"Iberian Remix is not a recreation of the Spanish originals, but that doesn't mean they're not high-quality wines.  And they're true California wines.  Even the label design evokes 'Endless Summer.'"

What's next on the horizon for Sherer?  "Austrian wines," he says, not missing a beat.  "I'll call them Danube Remix.  A Grüner Veltliner for sure.  Those grapes will be harvested this year and the wine will be released in early 2011.  The Grüner is fresh and aromatic, like the Albariño, but with a little more complexity and palate weight.  I might do a Blaufränkisch, too.  The labels for the Danube Remix will evoke the work of Austrian artist Gustave Klimt."

Aureole

Sherer's position as Wine Director at Aureole/Mandalay Bay puts him in charge of one of the most incredible wine storage systems in existence.  "It's a four-story wine tower holding 10,000 bottles - and that's just the young reds," he said.  I chuckle, but he's not joking.  "We keep the whites and the vintage wines in a different area.  Our wine angels get up and down the tower on cables to retrieve specific bottles."

"My predecessor installed the tablet PC wine list eight years ago, but it's not something that will allow a customer to surf the web for information about the wines, and that's by design.  We like to be able to interact one-on-one with a diner and offer our assistance personally.  You can always go online at home and look at the wine list.

Certainly, Sherer envisions a time when walking the restaurant floor will no longer be what he wants to do.  What happens then?  "Willi's Wine Bar!" he says with a big laugh.  "Actually there are already two places by that name - in Paris and Santa Rosa - so I guess I'll have to come up with something else."  I suggest "Willi's Remix," and he roars again, telling me he'll take it under advisement.

LUIS FELIPE EDWARDS ROSA BLANCA AT SOUTH POINT

The food is great at South Point Argentine Grill on Sunset Boulevard, and Mrs. Now And Zin loves it, so we dine there quite often.  The half chicken with rice is fabulous, the Patagonia salad is great and their sausage is to die for.  I have issues, however, with the way they serve red wine.  In the glass, it's often almost warm to the touch, and that's too warm.  To quote my friend, Art, "When you serve wine at room temperature, the room should be a cave, not the kitchen."  I'm sure you agree.

So c’mon South Point, get the wine right!  And while you're at it, straighten out the music.  South American folk one time, classic rock the next, blaring ranchera on this visit - I'd like to know what to expect when I come to your restaurant.

On our most recent visit, once again I was served a wine that seemed on its way to mulled status.  It was Luis Felipe Edwards Rosa Blanca Organic.  Fortunately, this Chilean wine from the Colchagua Valley did not suffer as much as some others I have had there.  It's essentially a Cabernet Sauvignon, with a bit Carmenere added.  Both grapes come from the same vineyard, one that sits next to a bed of white roses.  That's the origin of the name.

In the glass, a dark purple core only lightens a bit at the edge.  The nose gave away a lot of alcohol early, but that settled down after ten minutes or so.  The fruit rides in the front seat and waves at you when it passes by.  Aromas of dark berries and plums are foremost in the bouquet, while the plums come through strongly on the palate, along with a leathery flavor.  There isn't a lot of graphite or smoke discernable to me, which I found mildly surprising.  The somewhat short finish is the only drawback.

HOW TO TASTE WINE

Wine tasting at a winery, tasting room, wine bar or tasting event is the best way to explore grape varieties and wine types with which you are not familiar.  In this way, you can expand your palate and create a broad knowledge base about different kinds of wine. 

It's not uncommon in wine country to see a limo pull up to a tasting room and deposit a group of happy drunks at the front door.  They go inside and proceed to blaze through the tasting flight as if it were last call.  This is not "wine tasting."  This is "wine drinking" - not that there's anything wrong with that, in its place.  Lots of people drink wine in order to get blasted.  For the purpose of this article, I am assuming you want to learn more about wine and are tasting for that reason.

If you are new to the tasting game, here are some simple steps which will make you look like a pro on your visit to wine country.  If you are in a crowded tasting room - maybe one with several limos docked outside - you may feel some pressure to hurry your flight along and get out of the way.  Don't.  Take all the time you need to evaluate and enjoy the wines put before you.  That space at the tasting bar is yours until you relinquish it.

See
Hold the glass up to a white napkin or paper.  Observe the color and clarity.  Does the color change from the center to the edge of glass?  Red wines will tend to turn lighter in color and brown a bit around the edges with age.  White wines will probably grow darker with age.

SwirlDo this to allow more of the wine's surface to be exposed to the air.  Exposing the wine to the air in this way helps bring the aromas forward.

SniffDon't be bashful.  Put your nose right into the glass.  Get a big whiff of the smells that will affect how the wine tastes to you.

Sip
Swish it around in your mouth.  Allow it to cover all of your tongue, and note the flavors you detect.  Get a feel for what kind of body the wine has.  Is it light and airy, or heavy and full?

Spit or Swallow
Depending on your situation, you may want to make use of the spit bucket provided at most tasting rooms and events.  Especially if you plan to taste a lot of wines.  Just a one-ounce pour over 30 or so tastes is a half-gallon of wine.

SavorAllow some time to enjoy the wine's finish.  How long does the taste remain?  Do the tastes change after the wine is gone from your mouth?

Scribble
Make notes on your thoughts about the wines you taste.  Many people take notebooks with them on tasting trips.  Record your impressions on taste, tannins, alcohol and acidity. 

The taste is the flavors you experience, like cherry, plum, spice, etc.  The level of tannins determine the astringent quality in red wine.  The more tannins there are, the dryer the wine.  The alcohol level determines how much "heat" you feel when tasting it.  Acids make the wine feel refreshing, or mouth-watering.

NOILLY PRAT FRENCH DRY VERMOUTH

A while back this space contained a few words on sweet vermouth.  To recap, in the vermouth world, red is sweet, it's rosso, it's Italian.  White vermouth is usually dry, and usually called French vermouth.

Noilly Prat is produced in Marseillan, in southern France.  The basic wine is produced using white grapes Picpoul de Pinet and Clairette.  The wine stays in a huge oaken cask for eight months, then is placed in smaller barrels and put outside for a year.  The barrels are then brought inside and the wine rests for a few months, but they're not through yet!  Herbs and spices are then added to the wine every day for three weeks.

First produced in 1813 by French herbalist Joseph Noilly, this is the type of vermouth that's used in martinis and other mixed drinks.  According to an old joke, it can also left out of the martini to insure the drinks are so dry there's dust in the urinals.

Dry vermouth can also be enjoyed straight up chilled.  Try it with a twist of lemon.

The wine is straw-colored with a nose that's somewhat medicinal with honey, almond, nutmeg and pepper showing.  It tastes heavily of the spices - pepper, clove and nutmeg all come through strongly on the palate.  The 18% alcohol level is quite noticeable.

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.

RIDGE THREE VALLEYS ZINFANDEL SONOMA COUNTY 2008

I had a very nice end to a horrible drive in Los Angeles a while back at, of all places, Marie Callendar's .  I was an hour and a half late picking up Denise after work, but so was everybody else.  What will probably go down in L.A. history as Obama Jam - the afternoon the Secret Service closed Olympic Boulevard for about ten miles due to the President's visit - caused every single commuter to run so late it wasn't even funny.

Denise and some of her cohorts at KNX radio went across Wilshire to Marie Callendar's to wait out the closure.  When I arrived, there was good company, lots of laughs and a Ridge Zinfandel to greet me.  All combined, everything quickly seemed to be alright in my world.

There was a lot of shop talk and one other wine lover in the group.  We both enjoyed the Ridge Three Valleys Zin.

This wine is made from the grapes of seven vineyards, and has a varietal makeup that suggests that it's a field blend, although I don't know if that's the case.  It's 74% Zinfandel, 11% Petite Sirah, 5% Carignane, 4% Mataro, 3% Syrah and 3% Grenache.  The alcohol level is 14.2% abv, somewhat tame by California Zinfandel standards.

As the winery says, "Zinfandel fruit determines the wine's varietal character; old-vine Carignane contributes its own bright fruit and acidity; Petite Sirah and Syrah add peppery spice, depth of color, and firm tannins; Grenache brings briar fruit and lively tannins."

Three Valleys Zinfandel is fermented in stainless steel and aged in 100% American oak.  33% of the barrels are new and one-year old, 20% are two years old, and 47% five to six years old.  It spends nine months in barrels.

The color is dark, but not inky.  Cherry comes through on the nose, with some pepper and a nice earthy tone.  Minerals and a brambly dark fruit flavor make the palate expressive.  The tannins are firm, but not overpowering, while the finish is long and savory.

LIOCO WINE WITH KEVIN O'CONNOR

Since trying the 2006 Lioco Indica Sonoma County a while back, I've been a fan of this small California producer.  I was fortunate enough to hook up with founder Kevin O'Connor at the recent Taste of Beverly Hills Food and Wine Festival, presented by Food and Wine magazine.

O'Connor was formerly the wine director at Spago-Beverly Hills.  He and wine importer Matt Licklider got to talking about whether or not California could produce a true "wine of origin."  A number of California producers already feel they are doing just that, but O'Connor and Licklider set out to do it their way.

While pouring his creations for me, O'Connor told me of his winemaking philosophy, which is also summed up nicely on the Lioco website.  

"Everything begins in the vineyard--without a compelling vineyard site, there is little chance of creating a distinctive wine.  Inspired by traditional European winegrowing practices, we seek out vineyard sites with tougher soil, older vines, and some stress-producing aspect (altitude, extreme temperature, poor soil, etc).  Then we simply shepherd the grapes from bud to bottle in the least intrusive way possible."

So, using wines from Burgundy and Southern France as a roadmap, O'Connor strives to produce wines with a true California identity.  This means Chardonnay with no oak and Pinot Noir and red blends with limited oak effect.  The mission is to let the grapes do the talking, and the grapes have plenty to say in Lioco wines.

My introduction to Lioco was a bottle of the '06 Indica Sonoma County.  A blend of 87% Carignan and 13% Petite Sirah, this wine showed me a very stong blueberry aroma and flavor, with a spicy finish that mellows with breathing time.  Dark undercurrents and an earthiness you'd expect from the grapes used were prominent.  I thought it would pair well with merguez sausage or lamb.

At the Beverly Hills event, O'Connor proudly poured four of his wines.  The '08 Sonoma Chardonnay uses no oak and has a nose full of minerality with a very clean taste and a nice, high acidity level.  The Lioco '09 Carneros Chardonnay is also produced sans oak and shows even more minerals than the Sonoma.  This also has a beautiful acidity and some interesting herbal notes.

Lioco's '08 Pinot Noir smells of rose petals and has a meaty, almost gamey flavor that is quite complex.  The '07 version of Indica again features mostly old-vine Carignan (the amount changes from vintage to vintage), with some Grenache and Mourvedre in the mix.  O'Connor calls this his "fun wine," and I have to agree.  Big blueberry and cherry flavors are abetted by a wonderfully dark minerality.

SOL CASAL TEMPRANILLO

This Now And Zin entry wraps up the wine story of my trip to Pennsylvania's Wyoming Valley.  Actually, this fond farewell concerns the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport and the Continental Airlines flight back to Los Angeles.

I had a couple of opportunities to enjoy Yuengling beer during my visit to NEPA and was delighted to find it available at the airport as we awaited our flight.  It's hoppy and bright - just the way I like 'em - with a strong hint of lemon that is quite refreshing.  It goes great with pizza, too.

After the puddle-jumper to Newark, Continental flight 302 boarded and we were on our way home.  I was once again delighted, this time to find an interesting wine offered on the plane.  Maybe a bit homesick, I asked for a Zinfandel.  There was none of that, but the Sol Casal Tempranillo proved to be a nice substitute.  It's a Spanish wine from La Mancha, but it's bottled by Paul Sapin in France, and I believe it's part of his 187 line of small, one serving bottles like those served by airlines.

The wine is dark at the core and ruby red at the edges with a big nose - and I mean a huge nose - of red fruit and leather.  It tastes of smoke and dried cherries, plums and blackberries.  The tannins are quite mellow and the alcohol level is 13% abv.  It has a big, rich taste which was much appreciated on the cross-country flight.  It even tasted great in the plastic cup.

RIUNITE LAMBRUSCO

You can't always drink from the top shelf, but there's no reason you can't enjoy what the moment brings.  I found that out recently in downtown Wilkes-Barre at a bar called Bart & Urby's.

I guess I really should have ordered an ale or stout - the establishment serves a rather impressive array of domestic, imported and microbrewed varieties.  The wine list has only a few options: Beringer, Fetzer, Yellowtail and - what's this? - Riunite!  Holy cow, I've never actually had a Riunite.  It must be time.

I ordered the Lambrusco with visions of saying "yes" to Martini and Rossi on the rocks and Bartles and Jaymes thanking me for my support.  I don't recall the actual TV commercial jingle for Riunite, but I know it's in the memory bank somewhere and it's filed right alongside the taglines I do remember.  I probably never had Riunite because in the early '70s I was too busy sneaking my mom's Spanada from the refrigerator.

The Riunite website explains the different varieties of Lambrusco grapes they use: "Lambrusco Marani imparts brightness, taste, perfume and color; Lambrusco Salamino, for perfume and harmony; Lambrusco Maestri, for fruitiness and body; Lambrusco Montericco for added body and perfume and finally Lancellotta (also known as Ancelotta) sometimes referred to as the "missing grape," which is responsible for the very fresh and abundantly fruity character of Riunite's Lambrusco."

They also explain that Lambrusco is a "unique Italian grape variety grown principally in the three central provinces of Emilia - Modena, Parma and Reggio Emilia."

The Lambrusco arrived on the Bart & Urby's patio and my first whiff of the dark juice reminded me somewhat of Welches grape juice, but more of Spanada.  It was served chilled, and was a sweet and refreshing cross of grape and cranberry juice flavors.  It won't be a regular choice for me, but it hit the spot so well at this moment that I ordered another.  Leave the top shelf for another evening.