Wine Writing

Maryland's Rich Beer Scene

When traveling, one should always try the local beers.  That's my philosophy, and it has served me well during the craft beer years.  Places like Portland, San Francisco, San Diego, Boston, hell, just about anywhere, have local beers scenes making suds worth sampling.  Maryland is no exception.

Heavy Seas Beer is produced by Clipper City Brewing Company in the heart of Baltimore.  It was pointed to by several articles and locals as the best B'more brewer.  Hugh Sisson first started brewing it in 1995 and gave B'more its first brewpub.  Heavy Seas Loose Cannon IPA is their flagship brew.  Simcoe, Palisade, and Centennial hops make for a wonderful nose.  Deep amber, the light head dissipates quickly, but who cares.  It's the taste you want.  Those beautiful hops meet British-style bitterness, which lingers on the finish.

RaR Brewing is an Eastern shore brewer in Cambridge, MD.  The brewery’s home is on the east side of Chesapeake Bay, on the Delmarva Peninsula, which also contains Delaware and, for some reason, a spit of land belonging to Virginia.  I would love to have sat in on the planning session that resulting in that division of property.

RaR is "local boys brewing local beers," and they’re doing a fine job.  As if the beer isn't good enough on its own, their labeling includes a mysterious little dinosaur swimming in water.  It's Chessie, I'm told, a sea creature legend in Chesapeake Bay.

Rar Nanticoke Nectar IPA has alcohol up at 7.4% abv.  It was available in handy six-pack cans where I bought it, and I shared it with my pals at the hotel in Fells Point.  A beautiful, floral nose gives way to a slightly bitter taste and finish. Citrus plays a heavily and makes for a refreshing drink.

D.C. Brau  is brewed, of course, in the nation's capital.  Their IPA, The Corruption, is a copper-colored northwest-style IPA at 6.5% abv.  And, what better name for a D.C. beer that The Corruption?  Especially now.  It's good whether you’re watching the Nationals or the Orioles.  They make it with Honey Malt and Victory Malt, and a big ladle full of Columbus hops.  It's a very nice brew, with more barley to accompany the hops. The beefy flavor is nothing short of hearty.

I ordered a pint of Terrapin HI-5 IPA after seeing only the tap handle, figuring the name gave away some Maryland roots.  I was wrong.  It's made in Athens, Georgia.  It is good, however, with five hops giving a lovely aroma and flavor.  Juicy and refreshing, the California-style IPA has a light bitter edge on the finish.


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Wine And Climate Change

Octopus And Spanish Wine At José Andrés' Place

A Baltimore vacation needs a bit of variety sometimes, and there are only so many crab cakes one can eat.  There are only so many snowballs one can enjoy from Bmore Licks, only so many water taxi rides one can take.  So, there's a casino in Maryland, down by the nation's capital?  Why not?  I figured I might run into a Trump administration official I could be rude to in public.

While Denise was playing the slots at the MGM National Harbor, and after I had "finished up" at the blackjack tables, I ambled over to the shopping and dining area.  I had some beers at a sports bar called "Tap," but let's save that for later.  Let me tell you about one of the best snacks I ever had, one that only cost about half what I won at blackjack.

I was tempted to visit the bar at the Voltaggio Brothers' Steakhouse, but I'm really glad I opted for a Spanish wine with octopus at "Fish," by José Andrés.  If there are tentacles on a menu, I'm there.  The octopus appetizer was a double down opportunity if there ever was one.  It came in a marinara salsa, with peanut crunch mixed into it.  Really.  It was the best octopus dish I've ever had, and I've a few really good ones.

When in a Spanish restaurant, get the Spanish wine, I always say.  The wine I chose was made from the Hondarrabi Zuri grape variety of the Basque region.  It's called Txakoli, or Txakolin, or Txakolina if you're really nice to it.  Pronounce the "Tx" like a "Ch."  I dined in my favorite solo way, at the bar.

The 2014 Txomin Extaniz colors up pale gold in the glass and features a nose big with minerals, salinity first.  The palate is savory, salty and citrusy.  There are beautiful nutty notes - all the better to pair with that peanut crunch - with grapefruit and orange peel on the finish. 


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Maryland Wine: Boordy Vineyards

This "Wild Ponies" wine from Boordy Vineyards, just northeast of Baltimore, is named after the wild ponies that reportedly came ashore at Assateague Island from a Spanish shipwreck in the 17th century.  It's a Syrah, and a pretty good one, too. It's a bit different from French or California Syrahs I've had, in that it has a deceptively simple approach and relies less on wood aging.

The labels of the Chesapeake Icons line are fantastic, each highlighting a different facet of Maryland wildlife.

The Boordy Vineyards Chesapeake Icon No. 7 Syrah 2015 is aged for 14 months in a mix of stainless steel, American and Hungarian oak barrels.  Alcohol hits a reasonable 13.5% abv and it retails for $15.

This Maryland wine is a deep, rich purple in the glass.  The nose is earthy and brawny, full of black and blue berries.  It is somewhat reminiscent, when chilled, of a good Lambrusco.  The flavors are as dark as the aromas.  Oak is not overly pronounced and the finish leans more toward blackberry than blue.

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Wine With Crabcakes

Jean-Pascal Aubron makes delicious white wines in France's Loire Valley.  His family has been doing that since the 19th century.  The winery is located outside of Nantes, near the Atlantic coast in the Muscadet-Sevre et Maine appellation.  In that region, up to five grams of residual sugar is allowed in the wines, but Aubron produces a bone-dry wine with none at all.

The grapes used for the Domaine Jean Aubron Cuvee Elegance Muscadet are the Melon de Bourgogne variety, fermented in glass-lined concrete and steel tanks and aged there for eight months on the lees.  Alcohol is restrained at 12% abv.

I had this amazing white wine at a seafood place in Baltimore's Fells Point area, the Thames Street Oyster House.  The bartender gave it high marks, and he was right.  It's loaded with minerals and a briny salinity, and was an excellent pair with a  tuna salad, lobster claws and a crab cake.

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Maryland IPAs

Maryland has some pretty good brewers in the state these days.  As in many of the 50, craft beer has found its legs in the Free State.  Here are two from Frederick, Maryland.

Flying Dog Snake Dog IPA

Flying Dog is reportedly Maryland's largest brewer. It was founded in 1990 by George Stranahan and Richard McIntyre.  The original brewery was located near Denver, with Frederick serving as a second outpost, but the Colorado brewery was abandoned in favor of the Maryland locale.  

For Snake Dog, the hops are Mosaic, Citra, Simcoe, Columbus and Warrior.

The fresh hops aroma gives the IPA a more floral than fruity nose.  It's easy drinking at 7.1% abv, with a nice bitterness that melds with the sweeter aspects.  Snakedog paired very nicely with smoked fish.

Flying Dog Double Dog Double IPA

Flying Dog's Double Dog Double IPA was envisioned as a tenth anniversary creation for the brewery, and got so popular it stuck around. Using Columbus, Warrior and Cascade hops, this IPA offers both bark and bite.

A bit more robust at 11.5% abv, this one can take you by surprise if you gulp.  Its creators recommend taming the slight alcohol burn with strong cheese or earthy carrot cake. Hearty and bold, this double IPA has enough flowery nose and earthy palate notes for at least two.

Note the artwork on both is by Ralph Steadman, who was Dr. Hunter S. Thompson's illustrator. Thompson was reportedly good friends with co-founder Stranahan.








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Rosé For Lunch

Rosé for lunch. Does it get much better? From the vaults, 2011.

Dry Rosé - From Livermore Valley

Winemaker Robbie Meyer took to Snooth recently to discuss the latest vintages from Murrieta's Well, in California's Livermore Valley.

The vines of the Murrieta's Well estate vineyards were first planted in 1884 by Louis Mel with cuttings from Chateau d'Yquem and Chateau Margaux, says the winery.  Mel sold the property, lock, stock and wine barrel, to Ernest Wente in the 1930s, and it's still part of the Wente Family estate.  Today, Meyer personally selects grapes from all over the five hundred acres.

He says there is "nothing quite like growing fruit in the vineyard, caring for it in the winery and crafting it into something people can enjoy."  Through the growing, the harvesting and the fermentation, Meyer says blending is where he sees the real art of winemaking.

He sat in with a group of invited wine writers and helped us sip through the Murrieta's Well Sauvignon Blanc, dry rosé, white and red blends and a pre-release of the Cabernet Sauvignon.

Murrieta's Well Dry Rosé 2017

This pink wine was made from LIvermore Valley grapes, 42% Grenache, 39% Counoise and 19% Mourvèdre, all grown specifically for rosé.  The alcohol is easy, at 13.5% abv.  They made a couple thousand cases of it and sell it for $30 a bottle.  Stainless steel vinification and 2 months aging make for a clean and fresh wine.

This rosé is a vibrant salmon pink in the glass.  Its nose offers cherries, strawberries and a savory touch of lanolin.  Red fruit dominates on the palate along with a side of herbal notes, like the greens of the berries.  The acidity is just enough, almost silky, in fact.  The wine will pair quite nicely with fish or a salad of any sort.

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Pink Gin

The Spur - Livermore Valley Red Blend

Winemaker Robbie Meyer took to Snooth recently to discuss the latest vintages from Murrieta's Well, in California's Livermore Valley.

The vines of the Murrieta's Well estate vineyards were first planted in 1884 by Louis Mel with cuttings from Chateau d'Yquem and Chateau Margaux, says the winery.  Mel sold the property, lock, stock and wine barrel, to Ernest Wente in the 1930s, and it's still part of the Wente Family estate.  Today, Meyer personally selects grapes from all over the five hundred acres.

He says there is "nothing quite like growing fruit in the vineyard, caring for it in the winery and crafting it into something people can enjoy."  Through the growing, the harvesting and the fermentation, Meyer says blending is where he sees the real art of winemaking.

He sat in with a group of invited wine writers and helped us sip through the Murrieta's Well Sauvignon Blanc, dry rosé, white and red blends and a pre-release of the Cabernet Sauvignon.

Murrieta's Well The Spur 2015

All grapes for The Spur were taken from the Murrieta's Well estate vineyards in California's Livermore Valley.  They are planted all over the 500-acre spread according to the various microclimates.

Bordeaux varieties combine here - 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Petite Sirah, 18% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot and 6% Cabernet Franc.  309 barrels were produced and alcohol hits the expected 14.5% abv.  The wine sells for $35.

The Spur is an inky dark wine with an explosively earthy nose.  Big black fruit - plums, cassis - are met with dense forest floor and sage notes.  The palate is equally blessed, with an easy touch on the oak, a lively acidity and gentle tannins.  Herbal flavors include white and bell pepper and a hint of rosemary.

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The Whip - Livermore Valley White Wine Blend

Winemaker Robbie Meyer took to Snooth recently to discuss the latest vintages from Murrieta's Well, in California's Livermore Valley.

The vines of the Murrieta's Well estate vineyards were first planted in 1884 by Louis Mel with cuttings from Chateau d'Yquem and Chateau Margaux, says the winery.  Mel sold the property, lock, stock and wine barrel, to Ernest Wente in the 1930s, and it's still part of the Wente Family estate.  Today, Meyer personally selects grapes from all over the five hundred acres. 

He says there is "nothing quite like growing fruit in the vineyard, caring for it in the winery and crafting it into something people can enjoy."  Through the growing, the harvesting and the fermentation, Meyer says blending is where he sees the real art of winemaking.

He sat in with a group of invited wine writers and helped us sip through the Murrieta's Well Sauvignon Blanc, dry rosé, white and red blends and a pre-release of the Cabernet Sauvignon.

Murrieta's Well The Whip 2016

The Whip starts out as a Bordeaux Blanc, but bends toward the Rhône about halfway through.  The grapes are a fairly even split of five estate-grown varieties - 33% Sauvignon Blanc, 24% Semillon, 21% Chardonnay, 12% Orange Muscat and 10% Viognier.  The wine's alcohol level rests comfortably at 13.5% abv, 297 barrels produced and the retail price is $26.

A portion of the Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc were fermented in oak to give them extra roundness. Then, 14 months aging in barrels added even more softness.

The wine looks pale gold in the glass, with green shadings showing.  Its nose is a mixture of orange blossoms, apricots, light grass and earth notes.  The palate offers lovely stone fruit and citrus.  The flavors are pleasing and the acidity is easily racy enough for a salad or egg dish.  In fact, I think having it with Sunday brunch would be perfect.  The grapes here are Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Chardonnay, Orange Muscat and Viognier, so it's a real vineyard party in a glass.

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Pink Wine

Rioja Rosé

Rosé season is in full swing, if there really is such a thing.  I bellow so much about how pink wines are great any time of year that I'm starting to feel like the rosado hombre gruñón.  Rosé wines are as good in December as they are in July.  But since it's July, let’s have a glass on the patio.

The 2017 Bodegas Beronia rosé is a Rioja blend of 40% Garnacha, 30% Tempranillo and 30% Viura grapes.  It hits only 13% abv on the alcoholometer and it sells for under $15 in most places.  Bodega Gonzalez Byass exports this and many other fine Spanish wines all over the world.

The grapes were given just a few hours of skin contact for color, then fermented, and bottled in January.  The 2017 vintage had frost in the winter, hot temperatures in the summer and August rain saved the day.

This beautiful Rioja rosé strikes a pose of vibrant salmon in the glass.  It has a beautiful nose, too, rich with cherries, strawberries, greens and flowers.  On the palate, light fruit leads, with a backbeat of savory herbs coming through.  Acidity is zippy, but not overpowering, while the finish is medium and very pleasant.

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Wine Label Trends

From the vaults, July 2018.

Get Offa My Grapevines!

It's the 30th anniversary vintage of Bonny Doon Vineyard's flagship wine, Le Cigare Volant.  Bonny Doon, the Santa Cruz-based winery that's on a self-described "adventure to make naturally soulful, distinctive, and original wine," knocks me out every year with the "flying cigar" release.

The label, by Chuck House, depicts a strange airship sending down a beam of red onto a pastoral vineyard.  Legend has it, in 1954 a UFO scare terrified the winegrowers of Châteauneuf-du-Pape so much that a decree was issued, banning any "flying cigar" from landing and destroying the vines.  To my knowledge, it's still on the books today because, why not?  It's a great story and one of the better back stories for any wine ever.

Le Cigare Volant is a Châteauneuf-du-Pape-ian blend of 55% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 16% Mourvèdre and 4% Cinsault.  The grapes came from six noted California vineyards, Rancho Solo, Bien Nacido, Ventana, Del Barba, Bechtold, Alta Loma.  Alcohol stands at the usual 14.5% abv, 2,400 cases were produced and the wine sells for $45.

Owner and winemaker Randall Grahm remembers the 2013 vintage as "cool and elegant" and says the 2013 release is "slightly less muscular than '12."  Grahm expects the wine to age well for 10-15 years.

The Syrah in the mix came mostly from Bien Nacido Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley, possibly my favorite vineyard, and one which Grahm says has the "closest analogue we have found to a Northern Rhone Syrah."

I love smelling the wines of Randall Grahm.  He makes savory walk and talk and jump through hoops.  This wine, the 30th anniversary vintage of Cigare, brings it home like it always does.  It shows a medium dark color in the glass and on the nose.  There is cassis and licorice, but the savory notes carry the load.  Black olive is the first smell I get, followed by a bit of tar and a whiff of smoke.  Cigar box, leather and bacon fat finish out a complex aroma package.  The palate is delicious as always.  Grahm says the '13 is "less muscular," but I think there's more to it.  This Cigare drinks with the weight and elegance of a Pinot Noir.  Black fruit is forward, while more savory aspects of sage and mint come in to join it.  The tannins are gentle, the acidity fresh and the finish long. 


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Wente: A Single-Vineyard Chardonnay

If you love Chardonnay, you probably love Wente Vineyards, and you may not know it.  The grape clone which is used to make 80% of American Chardonnay is here thanks to Wente.  In 1912, German immigrant C.H. Wente planted a cutting from from the vine nursery at France's University of Montpellier.  That Chardonnay plant became the Wente clone of the grape.

To get a bit geeky, In viticulture a "clone" refers to vines descended from a single plant by taking a cutting or bud.  Each vine grown on a clone is said to be genetically identical to the original vine.

Wente is the country's oldest continuously operated family-owned winery, now run by the family's 4th and 5th-generations.  A virtual tasting event was hosted recently by the family historian, Phil Wente, and winegrower Niki Wente, who walked us through five different styles of their line that defined California Chardonnay. 

The Wente family is five generations deep into the wine business and are sometimes referred to as "California's First Family of Chardonnay."  They say they were the first in California to make a varietally labeled Chardonnay, in 1936.

Wente Single Vineyard Riva Ranch Chardonnay 2016

Six different clones of Chardonnay grapes were used in making this wine, all from Wente's Riva Ranch Vineyard in Arroyo Seco, Monterey County.  There's a 2% splash of Gewürztraminer in the mix.  The Wentes say Arroyo Seco is the best place in California to grow Chardonnay due to its "cool growing season with the deep gravelly soil" which both help ripen the grapes and balance the sugar and acidity.

About 90% of the wine was barrel fermented in French and American oak, 60% new.  The remaining 10% was fermented in stainless steel.  The wine underwent full malolactic fermentation and was barrel-aged on the lees for eight months.  Alcohol 14.5% abv and it sells for $22.

This Chardonnay is oaked to what I hope is the maximum point.  On the nose, a strong vanilla scent meets a Carmen Miranda hat of tropical fruit, like pineapple, mango and banana.  The acidity is zippy yet the mouthfeel is creamy, thanks to the malo.  Citrus lasts the longest on the finish, but it has to fight it out with the oak to do so.  If you're in the mood for a good ol' fashioned California Chardonnay, this is your bottle.


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Tasting Wine Flights

From the archives, 2011.

Paso Robles GSM Hits Homer

The Paso Robles wine region sprawls over a good part of California's Central Coast.  It sprawls so, that it was recently divided into eleven sub-AVAs.  That's a testament to the variety of terroirs in the region's 600,000-plus acres, 40,000 of which are under vine. 

Hall Ranch sports five sustainably farmed estate vineyards - 300 acres in all.  They grow 21 different grape varietals there in the neighborhood of the Estrella River.  Head winemaker Don Brady was Texas-trained, back before Texas had a wine industry of which to speak.  He's been with Hall for nearly two decades.

Robert Hall's 2016 Cavern Select GSM is a Rhône blend of Grenache, Syrah and Morvèdre in more or less equal parts.  About half of the grapes came from Paso's Adelaida sub-app, about a third from the El Pomar region and the rest were from the Creston and Santa Margarita Ranch appellations.  Oak was used in the fermentation and aging process, Fresn and European (Hungarian?) and much of it was new wood.  Alcohol sits at 14.5% abv and it’s available only through the wine club and tasting room at $45.

This inky wine smells the way you want a GSM to smell, full of blackberry, cigar box and tar.  It has aromas that won't quit until you notice them.  The flavors are just as insistent, and just as dark.  Oak is pronounced, but well integrated, while the tannins can handle a steak without getting in the way. 


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Italian Kerner Wine

From the archives, 2011.