WISCONSIN PRIEST RAISES FUNDS WITH WINE

I'm sure you've heard the expression "God moves in mysterious ways."  There's a priest in Wisconsin who has devoted his life to proving that.

Father Domenic Roscioli makes wine.  Not the sacramental stuff they serve by the sip, but honest-to-god actual wine you can take home and serve with more than wafers.  Holy Spirits is the name of his company, and a portion of the profits go to charitable organizations in much the same way the Newman's Own brand, started by Paul Newman, benefits the Hole In the Wall Gang.  That group helps children with life-threatening illnesses.  Holy Spirits Wine benefits Next Step, for young adults who are in the same life-threatened boat.

Father Dom has long been a maker of homemade wine, like his father and grandfather before him.  He still makes wine in the same Wisconsin basement used for that purpose by his grandfather.

The padre has also given of his time for the Newman's Own charities in the past.  A little brainstorming with partner Jody Becker - the marketing maven behind the brand - tied his two passions together.  Now his wine hobby is raising money for good causes.

Holy Spirits produces, and markets, St. Valentine Pinot Noir, St. Patrick Pinot Grigio, St. Michael Zinfandel and Joan of Arc Chardonnay, among others.  Holy Spirits also has non-alcoholic gifts - including seasonings, spices and marinades - which are named for different religious figures just like the wine.  All eight of their wines sell for fifteen dollars per bottle, and a new "Guardian" line - with angels on the labels - will sell at the ten-dollar mark.

The wine is not made from Wisconsin grapes, but fruit from California.  Windsor Vineyards of Santa Rosa, California makes the private label wine for Holy Spirits.

For non-imbibers, Holy Spirits offers their St. Christopher non-alcoholic sparkler.  Since St. Christopher is the patron saint of travelers, Father Domenic refers to this alcohol-free drink as the "patron saint of designated drivers."

The Holy Spirits bottles are adorned with labels featuring beautiful artwork created by Zunda Design Group, who donates their services to the cause.

Father Dom truly believes the saints can come marching in - right into your home, as a matter of fact.  The fundraiser is on all the time.  The wine is sold in stores and restaurants around southeastern Wisconsin and online. 

Wine tasting events have replaced the old-fashioned bake sale as a means of raising money.  "The wine is working well as a fundraiser," Father Dom says.  "So well, in fact, that other parishes have come to us to get help raising money for charities. We've started a workshop to teach other parishes how to do what we do."

NORTON WINE - AMERICA'S GRAPE

In the land of grapes, Norton is not exactly a household name.  Not in the American wine mecca of California for sure, and not even in places like Missouri and Virginia, where the Norton vine has its roots.

Those roots go back to 18th century America.  Paul Roberts of Deep Creek Cellars in Friendsville, Maryland has much to say about Norton - or Cynthiana, as it is also known - and he is reprinted at length on the website for Virginia's Chrysalis Vineyards.  He also has a book on the subject: From This Hill, My Hand, Cynthiana's Wine.

The grape known scientifically as vitis aestivalis is believed to have been produced by a Dr D.N. Norton of Virginia, who - probably by accident - crossed two other still unknown grape varieties.  Many grape varieties native to North America have aromas and flavors too sweet and "grapey" from which to make good dry wine.  Norton does not generally exhibit those properties, and makes some very fine wines that are legendary to folks in the midwest and eastern U.S.

In 1873, a Missouri Norton wine was proclaimed "the best red wine of all nations" at a competition in Vienna.  Roberts says, "Zinfandel is often described as America's first and most original gift to the world of wine.  Actually, it's Norton."

Todd Kliman’s book, The Wild Vine: A Forgotten Grape and the Untold Story of American Wine, deals with the origin of the Norton Grape, its heyday and its status as an outsider in the wine industry.

The book was reviewed on Palate Press, and in the interview with Kliman following the article the author talks about the Norton grape.

“I still don’t think Norton will ever be a dominant wine," he says.  "That’s just not its place. America’s palate, since Norton’s heyday, has changed too much.  But it could be much more than it is.

"You either love Norton or hate Norton," Kliman continues.  "It is a wine of extremes. Someone new to the grape and the wine must understand that.  If you are used to the wines that currently represent what America is, according to the West Coast definition, Norton is going to be very different from that.  Norton is not the kind of wine that you drink while curled up with a book by the fire.

"Norton should be kept in context with the sort of expression of American culture that it could have represented.  I think of Walt Whitman and Mark Twain and even jazz music, and how they have come to define American culture.  Norton was born of the same soil, and yet it is almost unheard of.  It should be understood as a similar expression of that American experience."

Still today, wineries in states from Virginia to Georgia to Texas to Missouri produce Norton wines that are well worth seeking out and trying.  However, Norton wines are not so easy to find in much of the western part of the country.  I was fortunate enough to receive some samples of various Norton wines from Missouri, Virginia and Georgia.  In the coming few days - beginning Thursday - my impressions and tasting notes for those wines will be published here on the Now And Zin Wine Blog.   I hope you’ll look for them.  And for some Norton wine.

THE NOWANDZIN.COM WINE REPORT ON RADIO

Now And Zin is proud to announce our affiliation with Westwood One’s Metro Networks Division.  Metro Networks is one of the largest broadcast information networks in America.  The company provides news, sports, traffic and weather information to over 2,200 radio and television affiliates nationwide.

The NowAndZin.com Wine Report is a five-times-a-week one minute feature on the world of wine.  Targeted to everyday wine consumers, the daily report contains information about wine in the news, wine tasting and recommendations, wine and food pairing, wine in popular culture and wine consumerism.

The feature is hosted by yours truly, NowAndZin.com's Randy Fuller.  I've been a proud part of Metro Networks for over 20 years, based in the Los Angeles office as a news, sports and traffic anchor.  Now I can bring my passion for wine from the worldwide web to a national broadcast audience.

You can still catch the NowAndZin.com Wine Report on the Now And Zin Wine Blog, and on the companion website, Now And Zin.  I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoy producing it.

Cheers!

Ed.  Since this article ran, Metro Networks has changed hands and is now owned by Clear Channel

WINE PAIRING: TUNA SALAD

Browsing through my iPhone's wine apps - of which I probably have far too many - I checked with one called Wine Steward, which is also available online, to find out what they advise as a pairing with tuna salad.

Grenache gets a 100% vote of confidence from Wine Steward and is branded as an "excellent pairing."  Grenache makes versatile, fruity wines.  Great rosés are made from Grenache grapes, and that would be my choice for the tuna salad.

Sauvignon Blanc gets 80%.  If you feel the need to pair a white wine with fish, this is a great choice.

Sancerre, at 79%, comes from France's Loire Valley.  A Sancerre would probably be a Sauvignon Blanc as well, as that is the grape predominantly used in Sancerre.

Chardonnay gets 71%.  A big California Chardonnay may have the mark of oak in it, while a less buttery flavor will come from France, like a white Burgundy or Chablis.

A host of other wines are mentioned by Wine Steward, in declining order:

Nero d'Avola, a big red wine from Southern Italy
Rosé
Riesling
Cabernet Sauvignon
Dry Gewürztraminer
Sangiovese
Syrah
Merlot
Red Bordeaux
Sparkling Wine
Cabernet Franc
Viognier
Beaujolais Cru
Roussanne
Pinot Gris
Off-Dry Gewürztraminer
Albariño
Carignane
Pinot Noir
Zinfandel

Of this last bunch - mostly labeled as "adventurous" choices by the app - I'd go with a Roussanne, a full-bodied and food-friendly white wine with a nice high acidity.

WINE ALLERGY

If wine makes you suffer from headaches, stuffy nose, skin rash or other allergic symptoms, scientists may have found out why.

The American Chemical Society's Journal of Proteome Research reports that it appears glycoproteins may be at fault.  Glycoproteins are proteins covered with sugars that are produced naturally as grapes ferment.  Researchers found these glycoproteins had a structure similar to many known allergens, like the kind that cause reactions to ragweed and latex.

This discovery could lead to new methods in the winemaking process which would minimize the formation of glycoproteins and allow winemakers to offer hypo-allergenic red and white wines.

Wine allergies are said to affect about eight percent of the population - 500 million people worldwide - but only about one percent are blamed on sulfites, which are added to wine as a preservative.  The other seven percent have been a mystery - until now, according to the researchers.

It may be a while before this discovery helps people who are intolerant to wine, but at least you now know someone's working on it.

WINE CUPCAKES

A company in Santa Barbara, California is offering a tour that involves two tasty and popular treats mashed up into one.  SBAdventureCo.com is promoting a wine and cupcakes tour.

The stops at wineries in Santa Barbara wine country would be enough to get most people on the shuttle van, but when you throw in a cupcake tasting, there aren't too many who could resist.

The day-long tour includes lunch at a Santa Ynez Valley winery, wine tastings and cupcake tastings.  The cupcakes are actually billed as the star of this show, and are produced by a wine country company called Enjoy Cupcakes, which serves the sweet treats out of a restored vintage travel trailer.

The company's wine-infused cupcakes include favorites like Pomegranate Mango Chardonnay, Citrus Sauvignon Blanc and Chocolate Blackberry Syrah.

The wine and cupcake tour is $125 per person, with a discount for groups of six or more.

CHINESE WINE SCANDAL

A wine scandal has surfaced in China.  Tainted wine was pulled off the shelves of Chinese stores and a number of Chinese wineries were shut down when government officials found chemical additives in wine that was falsely labeled as a better brand.  The wine in question comes from Changli county, in a Province known as "China's Bordeaux," an area which produces about a third of China's domestic grape wine.

Yahoo News reports the irregularities came to light over the weekend.

There are reports that at least some of the wine consists of only about 20% actual wine, with the rest being sugar water mixed with other chemicals, including artificial colors and flavors.

One of the wineries shut down was reported to have used nothing but water and chemicals to make its wine, a wine which sells for less than a dollar and a half a bottle.

The Chinese government says some of the additives found in the tainted wine could cause headaches, heart irregularities and cancer.

Six people were detained in connection with this latest food scandal in China.

AVALON CALIFORNIA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2008

Avalon Winery makes two Cabs - and that has been it until recently.  They say they have now released a new Merlot.  There is already a Napa Valley Cab and this one, the California blend.

The notes from winemaker Alex Cose indicate that Avalon mixes 81% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Merlot grapes from different vineyards in Mendocino, Santa Barbara, Paso Robles, Alexander Valley, and Lodi.  The wine shows a restrained 13.8% abv.  Aging occurs during 18 months in French and American oak with malolactic fermentation occurring there.

The color of this Cab is medium dark, with light showing through even at the core.  On the nose - after a swirl - the dark cherry aromas immediately give way to a cherry cola aspect.  There is a slight smokiness and some spicy notes come through as well.  I guessed there was Merlot involved from the moment I smelled the wine.

The taste is juicy and fairly tannic.  It’s nice and dry without too much puckering of the mouth.  The wine is dark and earthy on the palate, with a touch of graphite accenting the dark cherry and plum fruit flavors.  After a little time in the glass, flavors of cassis become the dominating profile.  This is particularly true two and three nights after opening.  The finish is a little shorter than I would like.

LINE 39 PETITE SIRAH NORTH COAST 2009

The number on the Line 39 label refers to the degrees of latitude where their Lake County vineyards are located, just north and east of Napa Valley, where it’s said they make some decent wine, too.  The 39th parallel also includes the Mediterranean Sea, Spain, Portugal and Italy.  Maybe advertising a good neighborhood like that isn’t too bad an idea.  Line 39 is a sublabel of Cecchetti Wine Co.

I have tasted Line 39’s Lake County Cabernet Sauvignon, which is a surprisingly good wine.  The winery’s Petite Sirah - which I stumbled across in a supermarket wine section - is made from grapes sourced in Mendocino County’s North Coast area.  The wine was a real bargain - marked down from $13 to $8.  The alcohol level is 13.5% abv.

The color of this Petite Sirah is deep and dark, inky dark, can’t see through it dark.  A very darkly tinted appearance tends to bode well for those who like big, bold flavors, as I do.  The nose is rich with blueberry, and it smells dark, too.  All this has me salivating as I anticipate the palate. 

What I find when I finally taste the wine is a rich and jammy basket of blackberry and cherry with a lot of tannins, but they certainly don’t seem out of place. It’s a dry wine, dry as dust.  “So dry, the rest room would have dust in the urinals,” as the old martini joke goes.

The dust, in addition to being very dry, is very dark, too.  A deliciously brambly taste appears as the wine opens itself and tar notes show up on the nose.  This wine is a complete delight.

LIPARITA CARNEROS MERLOT 2000

Liparita Cellars is what they call a “ghost winery” in Napa Valley - a winery founded in the late 19th century and still operating, although in refurbished fashion.  The 1880 establishment date of Liparita more than qualifies it for ghost status.  I don’t know whether or not they operate with a skeleton crew.  Maybe that's reserved for Halloween.

The brand has been resuscitated by owners who took over with the 2006 vintage.  They now produce three Cabernet Sauvignons, from Oakville, Stag’s Leap and Yountville.

This Liparita Merlot is ten years old.  It’s fitting that the somewhat aged wine came from a bygone management at a ghost winery.  It’s a half-bottle I picked up at a wine store sale, marked down from $12 to $6.

The fruit is picked from Beckstoffer’s Las Amigas Vineyard in the Carneros sub-appellation of Napa Valley.  The 2000 Merlot checks in with a manageable 13.9% abv alcohol number.

A bit of the cork crumbled on removal, but I was able to fish out most of the floaties and proceed.  I have read that tartrate crystals cling to the cork in this unfiltered wine, but it was definitely cork in my glass.

The color is dark red, but not inky.  The nose of this Merlot has tons of earthiness, with an underlying layer of dark fruit and a floral aroma reminiscent of violets.  The darkness of the nose really is overwhelming.  Fascinating, in fact.

Upon first tasting the wine, blackberries dominate the palate and that earthy minerality follows closely behind.  The tannins are quite firm and it feels big in the mouth.  The acidity is wonderfully balanced and the wine leaves the palate wanting more with each sip.  This is a very good wine, one of the better wines I’ve had recently.  If you can find it, snap up a bottle - or half bottle in my case - and enjoy.

WINE IN LAS VEGAS

You can add another high-end wine haven to the list in Las Vegas. The Wynn Las Vegas now boasts La Cave Wine and Food Hideaway.  According to Las Vegas Weekly, it's a collaboration between Steve Wynn and restaurateur Michael Morton.  Wines from around the world are selected by Danielle Price, executive wine director of Wynn Resorts, and Rober Wright, the wine director for La Cave.  The article quotes Wright as saying La Cave's wine list will encourage guests to explore new and different grape varieties.

La Cave also features gourmet cuisine to pair with the wine, and is open from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. daily.  The kitchen may not be open at all hours, so a call ahead of time is advised.

I have yet to check out La Cave, but there are already several great places in Las Vegas where wine lovers can enjoy a glass or two.

Charlie Palmer's Aureole at Mandalay Bay has Master Sommelier William Sherer overseeing 55,000 bottles in the wine tower, which is a show in itself.

Emeril's Delmonico Steakhouse at the Venetian has over 1700 wine selections to pair with their great food.

The Wine Cellar at the Rio offers a great, dark place to get out of the neon glow for a while.

Nora's Wine Bar and Osteria is literally an oasis in a strip mall.

Grape Vegas at the Town Square Mall offers plenty of affordable choices in a casual atmosphere.

NINER WINE ESTATES WINE EDUCATION PROGRAM

Lots of wine enthusiasts would like to take their knowledge of wine to the next level.  Niner Wine Estates in Paso Robles, California has a plan for just that.

Niner's 2011 Wine Education Series will give you, the wine lover, the chance to broaden your palate and learn more about the world's wine regions.

Held at Niner's state-of-the-art Hospitality Center, this learning event promises to be a lot more fun than that Economics class you cut every damn Thursday of your sophomore year.  In fact, it sounds so good you may want to stay after school.

The Wine Education Series is a great way for wine lovers to explore the different kinds of wine made all over the world.  It can also serve as preparation for wine professionals seeking industry-related credentials

Rick Toyota, Niner Wine Estates' Sommelier and Director of Hospitality, says the series presents "a superb opportunity to learn about the heritage and styles of the world's great wine regions."  Toyota teases, "these classes allow students to taste their way around the world."

The series gets underway January 24, 2011 and continues weekly into the Central Coast summer.  The 20th and final class is scheduled for July 27th.  Opening sessions will focus on wine appreciation, viticulture and vinification.  A final class will discuss proper service standards for wine presentation.

Each class runs from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Niner Wine Estates Hospitality Center in Paso Robles.  You can sign up for single classes a la carte at $75 each, a five-session package costs $337.50 and the entire course runs $1,275 for all 20 classes.  Niner's wine club members will receive their club discounts, and industry discounts are available as well.  You can find out more, or register, by calling 805.239.2233.  E-mail at info@ninerwine.com.

You never know where this sort of thing will lead.  It was exactly this type of course which gave Niner's winemaker, Amanda Cramer, the inspiration to get into wine as a career.  It has sure worked out well for her!


2011 Wine Education Series Schedule:

January 24th - Introduction - Varietals and Wine Evaluation

January 31st - Viticulture and Vinification

February 7th - California - Part 1: History/North Coast

February 28th - California - Part 2: Central Coast/Sierra Foothills

March 7th - Oregon

March 14th - Washington

March 21st France - Bordeaux

March 28th France - Burgundy, Chablis and Beaujolais

April 4th France - Champagne

April 11th France - Alsace and the Loire

April 18th France - Rhone Valley/Southern France

April 25th Italy - Northern Regions

May 2nd Italy - Central and Southern Regions

May 9th - Germany

May 16th - Spain

May 23rd - Portugal

June 6th - Argentina and Chile

June 13th - Australia

June 20th - South Africa and New Zealand

June 27th - Wine Service

APP-PROPRIATE WINES FOR CHRISTMAS DINNER

Christmas dinner is one of the classic American family traditions.  Brothers and sisters and aunts and uncles come in from all over that place and crowd the fancy dining room to the breaking point.  The stress of having everybody around can make tempers go there, too.  There's no need to stress about what wine to serve at Christmas dinner, especially if you got an iPhone for Christmas.

Download The Wine Steward from the app store, and you'll have no worries about which wine to serve with whatever you are serving.

First, what's on the table?

Let's say you're serving ham.  Enter that into the Wine Steward and... Pinot Noir is the choice!  Merlot and Grenache get honorable mentions, and as for whites, Albariño and Roussanne battle it out.  Oddly, there is no mention of Gewürztraminer.

If you're carving a turkey for the Christmas feast, enter "turkey" into the Wine Steward and...Pinot Noir again!  It also likes Grenache and Merlot.  For white, Chardonnay gets a mention way, way down the list, just after rosé.

If your goose is cooking, Wine Steward suggests - not really a surprise - Pinot Noir.  Merlot and Zinfandel get secondary nods with goose.  For white wine, the app says try Roussanne or sparkling wine.

Let's say you have a prime rib dinner planned.  Enter that into Wine Steward and ... yeah, I know you see it coming.  Pinot Noir again.  Merlot and Zin get mentions too, as do sparkling wine and Albariño, although whites really don't match up too well with heavy beef.

For dessert, if it's chocolate, Wine Steward says go with Merlot, Zinfandel or Pinot Noir.  With pumpkin pie, Sauvignon Blanc or Sancerre.  With pecan pie - that means Christmas dinner to me - Wine Steward advises good ol' Pinot Noir.

So, to sum it up, the Wine Steward app on the iPhone seems to think you should lay in a case ofPinot Noir for Christmas dinner, or maybe mix a case with some Grenache and Merlot.

Happy holidays!  I hope whatever you're drinking over this festive season, you're drinking with family and friends.

MORE HEALTH BENEFITS OF WINE

A couple of news releases recently have touted more health benefits associated with drinking wine - or at least some of the ingredients of wine.

The Daily Mail reports on a study by the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences in Vienna, in which scientists say moderate consumption of red wine may help keep diabetes in check.  According to the study, polyphenols found in red wine can help the body control glucose levels.  The study claims a small glass of red wine contains enough polyphenols to make it competitive with anti-diabetic drugs.  These results indicate moderate wine drinking plus a calorie-controlled diet could help protect against type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes organizations don't seem to be jumping on that bandwagon, though.  Diabetes UK responded angrily to the study, saying the bold claims were based on limited research and the calories contained in wine could lead to weight gain.  This would effectively negate the benefits of the polyphenols.

Another study, this one from dental researchers at the University of Rochester and reported on Canada.com, shows that drinking wine and eating cranberries can help prevent bacteria which cause cavities.  The study claims the growth of Streptococcus mutans - the bacteria blamed for tooth decay - can be held in check by wine and cranberries.

An ongoing Italian study also names wine and cranberries as effective agents for preventing tooth decay and sore throats.  This study suggests the helpful ingredients seem to work best when removed from the wine and taken separately.  The scientists figure these ingredients might make good additions to toothpaste and mouthwash.

Canadian Dental Association President Dr. Darryl Smith says wine doesn't take the place of brushing and flossing in a good dental hygiene program.

WINE FOR CHRISTMAS

Each holiday season I like to throw out a few suggestions for holiday wines.  Personal preference plays a big part in choosing what to drink for the holidays.  My first rule of wine pairing is, “There are no rules.”  As you do the rest of the year, you should drink what you like and like what you drink.  If you'd like some outside help, read on.


ALL-PURPOSE VARIETALS FOR THE HOLIDAYS:

Pinot Noir is a good fit for appetizers from light cheese and crackers to veggie trays, especially those involving mushrooms.  Serve it with ham, turkey and duck entrees, too.  You can feel confident pairing Pinot Noir with food that's flavored with cinnamon or cloves.

Cabernet Sauvignon marries quite well with blue cheese or heavy appetizers and heavy red and smoked meats.  It even makes a nice mate for dark chocolate.

Syrah can bring out the best in sausages, ham and salmon filet.  Keep in mind that AustralianShiraz is usually more of a fruit bomb than California Syrah, which is generally fruitier than French styles.

Riesling is good with fruit trays, honeyed ham, roasted veggies and seafood.  A sweeter Riesling could add some festive notes during a naturally indulgent season.

Sauvignon Blanc goes well with turkey and stuffing as well as many soups and garlicky foods.


SEASONAL FAVES:

Beaujolais Nouveau should be served slightly chilled.  Watch your guests make this drinkable fare disappear.  Beaujolais Nouveau will be available November 20th.

Zinfandel's hallmark fruitiness and heartiness make it a solid pick for lifting spirits over the holidays.

Gewürtztraminer is aromatic and somewhat high in natural sugar, and it goes great with duck, goose and ham.


DESSERT WINES:

In general, try to match the qualities of the dessert wine with the qualities of the dessert.  Pear flavors go with baked pears, spices go with pumpkin pie, chocolate notes go with chocolate desserts.

Late-harvest wines have a higher than normal natural sugar content and are the perfect sweet accompaniment to your holiday dessert, from cheesecake to apple pie.  Late-harvest whites are often as sweet as nectar with tastes of peaches, candied citrus and baked apple.  A late-harvest Viognier is excellent with an apple tart.

Late-harvest reds usually give strong notes of chocolate and cherries.  The reds make a fantastic pairing with chocolate desserts or pecan pie.

Ice wines are also good as a dessert match.

Sparkling wines add flair to a dessert while also enhancing the celebratory mood of a holiday meal.  Look for extra-dry, sec, demi-sec or doux  to indicate the relative sweetness of a sparkler.  One with "Brut" in the name will tend to be somewhat drier.  Champagne is the real deal, but a nice Italian Prosecco, a Spanich Cava or a California sparkler can make a festive showing, too.  Ask for one with hints of spices to go with your pumpkin pie.

Port is a dessert wine usually made from Syrah or Zinfandel and fortified with brandy.  It goes very well with chocolate desserts, but has a higher alcohol content than most sweet wines.

Denise and I love Rosenblum Cellars' "Desiree", a dessert wine made from fortified wines of Zinfandel, Touriga Nacional and Syrah grapes, then blended with a chocolate syrup.  Needless to say, it's quite decadent.

Most dessert wines are best enjoyed in smaller servings, hence they usually come in half-size bottles (375 ml).  Accordingly, you should serve dessert wines in small glassware.

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.