Tempranillo By Any Other Name

Bela is located in the village of Villalba de Duero, in the Castilla y Leon region of Spain's rugged Ribera del Duero appellation.  Bela is produced by CVNE, Compania Vinicola del Norte de Espana.  Their vineyard is some 2600  feet above sea level, and features mostly clay and sandy soil. 

The 2017 Bela Ribera del Duero was made from grapes harvested in the estate vineyard.  The Tempranillo grapes were fermented in stainless steel tanks, then aged for six months in barrels of American and French oak.  Some of the casks were new, some were one year old.  Alcohol hits 14% abv and the retail price is an enjoyable $18.

This Tempranillo is dark and savory on the nose.  Black fruit meets tar over a cup of coffee.  The palate is fruit-forward, with a healthy dose of earth, licorice and spice.  The tannins are firm, but it's still an enjoyable sipper.  The mouthfeel is full, even lush, and the acidity makes for a wine which will pair well with meat dishes, especially heartier autumn meals. My wife used it in a delicious tomato sauce she made, and it brought a deep, earthy facet to it.

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Champagne For Celebrating - Or Not

I had a bottle of Delamotte Rosé Champagne all ready to celebrate the Houston Astros 2019 World Series victory.  That did not materialize, but since it had been on ice since game seven's 4th inning, I enjoyed it anyway.  That's what I get for planning a celebration too early.

Delamotte is a small Champagne producer which works under the eaves of the House of Laurent-Perrier group.  The House of Delamotte was founded in 1760, and is the fifth oldest in Champagne.  They are located in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, which their importer describes as one of the most prized Grand Cru Villages of the Côté des Blancs. 

For this pink sparkler, Pinot Noir grapes were sourced from Grand Cru vineyards on the South-East slopes of the Montagne de Reims - namely Bouzy, Ambonnay, and Tours-sur-Marne.  The Chardonnay grapes were picked in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger.  The wine was made in the saignée method to achieve just the right tint and the two wines were co-fermented.  Alcohol hits the usual 12% abv and it sells for around $75.

This Champagne looks rosy-pink in the glass and offers aromas of ripe cherries, strawberries and toast with a hint of earthiness.  The palate is a creamy delight.  A slight tartness balances the sweetness of the fruit, while a yeasty note hangs in between.  The acidity is great, and the bubbles are festive while they last.

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Lodi Merlot Fits Into Holiday Meals

The little hamlet of Murphys, California is home to one of the nation's biggest wineries.  Ironstone Vineyards is located east of Lodi in Calaveras County, in the Sierra Foothills along Highway 4 north of Douglas Flat, Vallecito and Angels Camp.  It may be an out-of-the-way stop, but there's a better than average chance you've had some of their brands, or at least seen them on the supermarket shelf.

The Kautz Family are fourth-generation growers, not unusual in that part of the state, and the family-run winery's corporate officers are known simply as John, Gail, Kurt and Jack.

The Ironstone 2016 Merlot is made from three different Bordeaux grapes, grown in Lodi.  The wine is 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc.  The Merlot grapes were sustainably grown in several sub-appellations of Lodi, with differing soils and climate.  The wine sat in French oak for only two months, it has an alcohol level of 14.5% and it sells for $12.

This wine is great for fall food pairing, with its fruit forward appeal and limited oak effect.  It will pair nicely with turkey and ham, which just may find their way onto your holiday table this season.

This is a very dark wine, showing a nose of black fruit, smoke, forest floor, tobacco and vanilla.  They say it aged in oak for only three months, but that’s hard for me to believe.  The palate is juicy and ripe, with oak spice aplenty.  The tannins are firm, but not toothy.  It's an affordable choice to pair with Turkey and ham over the holidays.

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Time For A Toast? Try Madeira

Madeira was the wine of choice for many of America's founding fathers.  John Hancock and the other representatives of the 13 colonies, it is said, toasted the signing of the Declaration of Independence with Madeira.  George Washington reportedly celebrated his inauguration as president of the young country with the fortified wine.  They say Thomas Jefferson toasted the Louisiana Purchase with it.

Miles Madeira is part of the Blandy family's Madeira Wine Company, produced on the Portuguese island of Madeira since 1814.  Madeira is made from the Tinta Negra grape, originally from Andalucia in the south of Spain and introduced to the island of Madeira during the 18th Century.  The Miles Madeiras are made in several different styles.

Miles Madeira Rainwater Medium Dry is lighter and drier than most Madeiras and has some of the longest aging potential in the wide world of wine.  It is fermented off the skins in stainless steel tanks, and fortified with the introduction of a grape spirit after five to six days.  This stops the fermentation at the desired sweetness level.  Aging takes place in the tanks, which are enveloped by hot water sleeves to replicate the effect of aging on board a ship during a long voyage.  The Rainwater's alcohol content hits 18% and the three-year-old wine retails for $17.

The characteristic aromas of raisins, brown sugar and dried fruits leap from the nose, while orange peel and notes of wood are found on the palate.  There's a wonderful acidity, so don't think you can only sip it - try pairing it with dinner - like our forefathers did.

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Italian Wines On Display In L.A.

If you don't know Italian wine, shake hands with your new best friend.  Italian wine is what goes with Italian food, from pasta to pesto, scampi to scungilli.

The Simply Italian Great Wines U.S. Tour 2019 is underway, spreading the gospel of Italian wines to big cities across the nation.  The Los Angeles stop was held in October on the terrace garden of the fabulous SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills.  I was invited to attend the walk-around tasting session, and here are my notes.  All the wineries mentioned here are seeking U.S. importers.

Italy's terroir is varied, and I have always found that nothing tastes like an Italian wine - even a wine of the same grape, grown somewhere else.  Wine regions like Piedmont, Veneto, Lazio, Lombardy, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Emilia Romagna, Sicily, Tuscany and others were on display.

Cantina Sociale di Trento poured their 2018 Teroldego Dolomite Vineyard.  The grapes were grown at 600 meters and above and were vinified in stainless steel.  The wine shows good color and savory cherry and plum flavors.  The freshness is amazing.

Zell's 100% Chardonnay bubbly spent 30 months in the bottle.  It has a wonderful nose and palate, great acidity and bubbles from the traditional method.

Casa Vinicola Carminucci offered two wines.  The 2018 Belato Pecorino is made from grapes grown in Offida, the only DOCG in La Marcha.  The nose is light citrus and it's a wine made for food.  The 2018 Grotte sul Mare Rosato is 90% Sangiovese and 10% Montepulciano.  Cherry, strawberry, nice acidity, quite refreshing.

La Fortezza has the 2011 Aglianico Riserva, which aged for three years in oak and one in the bottle.  Lovely fruit, savory earth.  The 2015 Aglianico got 8-10 months of oak and six months in the bottle.  The 2018 Falanghina has beautiful florals, citrus and savory plum.

Azienda Agricola Zaglia Giorgio's 2018 Pinot Grigio is from Friuli.  Savory on the nose and palate, its presentation is earthy - not on pretty side.  The 2018 Prosecco is extra dry, not as sweet as one usual finds the style.  Their 2018 Rosato is made of Merlot from Venezia Giulia.  It has a beautiful salmon color and fruity cherry.

Manvi's 2017 Myra Rosso di Montepulciano is all Sangiovese with no oak treatment to get in the way of the grape.  The 2014 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is also a varietal Sangiovese, but it spent two years in oak and another in the bottle.  I get plums. Prunes and a savory finish.  The 2015 Ojas Riserva Montepulciano will pair well with game or lamb.  The name is Sanskrit for vitality.

Matteo Soria showed off their 2018 Soria, a delightful Moscato which is bubbly, fresh and fruity. It aged for nine months on the lees in the tank.

Azienda Agricola Sordo Giovanni brought their 2015 Sordo Barolo - light in color, lovely nose, easy sipper, nice tannins but not too firm.  Their 2009 Sordo Barolo Riserva Perno has better structure and a deeper color, showing some bricking on the edges.

Vignetti Repetto of Piedmont poured the 2017 Equilatero, a steel-made Barbera.  The 2017 Rosso is a red blend which also saw no oak.  The 2018 Derthona Quadro Timorasso Colli Tortonesi has a lovely salinity after steel vinification and aging on the lees.  The Timorasso grape is difficult to grow and almost went extinct in the 1980s.  Plantings in the area have gone from two acres to 350 in 30 years.  Derthona is the Roman name of the village. 


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A Beast Of A Cabernet

Terlato Wines tells us that Australia exports more wine to the U.S. than France, but that's a claim for which I could not find any corroboration.  In fact, the wines from Down Under appear to be the fourth most imported by the U.S. in dollars, behind Italy, France and New Zealand.  In any case, Americans are drinking more Australian wine than vice versa.

Australia's wine industry dates back to the 18th century, when vine cuttings were first brought to the continent from Europe and South Africa.  The country has no indigenous grapes of its own.  However, they do refer to Syrah as Shiraz, which has proven so popular that some other winemakers around the world have adopted the name.  Shiraz is the most widely planted grape in Australia.

Two Hands Sexy Beast Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

The 2018 Two Hands Sexy Beast Cabernet Sauvignon is 100% McLaren Vale Cab, so it's not elegant as in Napa Valley, it's a brute, as in Australia.  The winemaker calls it "rich, brooding and powerful," and that just about nails it.  Alcohol hits 14.2% abv and the retail price is $33.

This wine is inky dark.  The nose is full of plums, blackberries and cherries, with a touch of bacon grease and earth.  More than a touch, actually.  The palate hits a sweet note amid the dark fruit and oak spice, although the latter stays in the background.  The tannic structure is young and firm, but not overpowering.  Tasted blind, I probably would have guessed Syrah instead of Cab. 

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Israeli White Wine Deserves Spot At The Table

Yatir is billed as one of Israel's premier boutique wineries, releasing some 12,000 cases of wine each year.  The winery works with select vineyards which showcase the terroirs of Israel's Yatir Forest in the southern tip of the Judean Hills.  The Yatir wines have won high praise from critics internationally.  Yatir's general manager, Yaakov Ben Dor, says wine presses existed in the region more than 3,000 years ago, so the heritage is there.  The winery itself has been around for fewer than 20 years, and Israel's present wine industry is very young.

The grapes for the 2017 Yatir Mt. Amasa White - 52% Viognier, 33% Chenin Blanc and 15% Roussanne - were grown in the Judean Hills wine region.  The wine was fermented and aged for five months in a mix of concrete, steel and huge oak barrels.  Alcohol hits only 13.5% abv, and it is imported by Royal Wine Company.

The nose on the Israeli white wine is quite nice.  The usual suspects from Viognier, Chenin Blanc and Roussanne show up - citrus, floral, nuts - and there’s a savory salinity to it as well.  The palate is a delight, with the savory aspect again rivaling the fruit.  The acidity is wonderful, so it's food friendly and would be welcome on the table for any holiday feasts on the calendar.

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BDX Grapes Right At Home In Livermore Valley

Murrieta's Well Estate Vineyard, in California's Livermore Valley, has a history almost as long and rich as the state of California itself.  The vines of the Murrieta's Well estate 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, winemaker Robbie 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."  That something, says Snooth, is food-friendly wine, the stuff of which Meyer prides himself on making.  Through the growing, the harvesting and the fermentation, Meyer says blending is where he sees the real art of winemaking.

All of the Bordeaux varieties used in the 2017 Murrieta's Well The Spur were largely grown in the Sachau vineyard, where the soils consist of mostly gravelly, coarse sandy loam.  A portion of the Cab came from the Louis Mel Vineyard, while the Petite Sirah grew in the Hayes Vineyard.  The percentages look like this:  64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 14% Petite Sirah and 9% Petit Verdot.

Meyer calls The Spur a "survey of the property."  He says the PS adds deliciousness and fleshes out the juiciness of the blend.  He put it under cork rather than a screwcap "due mainly to aesthetics."
The Spur was fermented in steel and aged for 24 months in French oak, 40% new, 40% second use, and 20% third use.  Alcohol tips in at 14.5% abv and the wine retails for $35.

The Spur has a nose that won't quit.  Plum, blackberry and black cherry aromas are as dark as the wine's color.  Whiffs of leather, anise and mocha layer onto the fruit.  The palate follows suit, with earth notes and a wonderful tannic structure and acidity to boot. 

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Albariño - Oaked And Aged

Albariño wine is usually put on the market immediately after production.  Like many white wines, it is presented young and given a short window of drinkability.  This one came to me by way of a publicity person, and it has a few years on it.  I like to have white wines with some aging, so this was a pleasant surprise. 

Viña Nora winemaker Eider Rodriguez used Albariño grapes which were grown in the estate's rocky, granitic soil, full of river stones.  The winery is located in the land of Albariño, the Rias Baixas DO, in the Condado do Tea subregion.

The 2015 Nora da Neve was fermented and aged in French oak barrels.  The juice was stirred for five months to keep the lees suspended, in much the same way that Chardonnay is handled in Burgundy.  The practice is called bâtonnage, and it imparts weight and character to a white wine.  Alcohol tips 13% abv, and you should prepare to pay in excess of $30 for a bottle.

This wine is so golden yellow, it’s incandescent.  The nose really jumps, too, with the floral and citrus aromas expected in Albariño plus whiffs of fennel, white pepper and herbs.  The palate shows lemon, tangerine and oak spice, something which is not normally found in this grape.  This was fermented and aged briefly in French oak barrels, not steel tanks.  Acidity is a tad flat, but it doesn’t ruin the fun of sipping it.


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Petit Verdot For $15? Gimme.

California wine négociant Cameron Hughes owns no vineyards and has no official winery.  He sniffs out good wine which has already been produced by established makers, then buys it on the down low with an agreement not to reveal the source.  He then sells the wine online through his wine club - he calls it a wineocracy - bringing top-shelf wines to lower-shelf wallets.  Hughes says he keeps prices low by removing the middleman, the distributor and retailer through which store-bought wines must pass.

Cameron Hughes Lot 638 Petit Verdot Yakima Valley 2016

You generally see Petit Verdot used in red blends, rather than a stand-alone grape.  It's a small, bold berry which is so tough to handle that many growers stay away from it.  Hughes says that he found one who didn’t stay away, one who was planning to sell the wine for $40 a bottle.  Hughes sells it for $15.  Alcohol hits 14.4% abv.

It's a grape for big-flavor people.  If you pepper your eggs heavily before tasting them, Petit Verdot might be for you.  If you say the espresso would have been great if only it were a little stronger, Petit Verdot might be for you. 

This inky Washington wine smells like plums and vanilla with a lacing of leather and lavender.  The palate is deep and complex, full of dark fruit - plums, blackberries - and spices, herbs and anise.  The tannins are firm enough, but not overpowering.  It’s a great wine for a roast or just for sipping.

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Tuscan Vermentino

Lunch in Los Angeles is a beautiful thing, when the weather cooperates.  That's not a lot to ask in a city where the main export - behind entertainment - seems to be sunshine.  Those days right at the beginning of autumn, when the temperatures barely crack 70 degrees, are the best lunch days.  A calamari and scungilli salad at our favorite place at the top of the Hollywood Hills is made for those times.  Oh, and a glass of Vermentino.

Antinori says they began producing Vermentino from the Guado al Tasso vineyard in 1996, just a year after the Bolgheri DOC was approved.  The wine resulted in an effort to reintroduce an indigenous grape variety from that part of the Tyrrhenian coast.

The 2018 Antinori Tenuta Guado al Tasso Bolgheri Vermentino shows great salinity, for a Tuscan Vermentino.  The savory nose and palate are a delight, as are the wonderful citrus notes.  The acidity is a bit light, but there’s enough there to allow for pairing with salads or pasta in oil.


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Rioja Red Blend Ages Well

Bodegas LAN takes its name from the first letters of the three provinces in the Rioja wine region: Logroño (now La Rioja), Álava and Navarra.  Founded in 1972, the winery sits in a bend of the Ebro River, where winemaker and technical director María Barúa and her team work with grapes grown on vines which are 40 to 60 years old.

The 2012 Lanciano Rioja Reserva was made using 90% Tempranillo grapes, 8% Graciano and 2% Mazuelo, all taken from a single estate vineyard.  The wine was fermented in stainless steel tanks and reportedly aged for eight months in Russian oak barrels, another 14 months in French oak and yet another year and a half in the bottle.  Alcohol clicks in at 13.5% abv and the wine sells for less than $25.

This seven-year-old Rioja is showing black plums and leather on the nose, with equally dark and savory flavors on the palate. The tannins are no longer youthfully toothy, but still have enough bite to handle a ribeye steak.  The wine will also pair well with fall and winter stews.

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Stella Rosa Wine In Cans

The oldest working winery in Los Angeles is getting canned.  The Riboli Family, of L.A.'s San Antonio Winery, now have four styles of their imported Stella Rosa wine available in single-serving aluminum cans.  The winery boasts that Stella Rosa is America's number one imported Italian wine, and their Aluminums line now include a tasty peach flavor.

The Riboli's recommend the Stella Rosa cans for football tailgating.  However, the cans were introduced several years ago at Dodger stadium, so it seems they are a multi-sport phenomenon.
Stella Rosa Aluminums come as 8.5 ounce single serve aluminum bottles in four flavors, Black, Platinum, Pink and now Peach.  They also come in larger format bottles, and all four clock in at a low alcohol level of only 5% abv.  The winery says the cans are not only light weight, easy to pack and smooth to drink but stylish as well.  All bottles are recyclable and stay colder.

They're simple, uncomplicated wines which also make great bases for cocktails.  Stella Rosa has a bushel basket of recipes on their website.

Stella Rosa Il Conte Black is a semi-sweet and semi-sparkling red blend, which the winery says is sexy and seductive.  It has a sweet-n-sour nose which displays a persistent earthiness.  The palate is red currant, slightly sweet and extremely drinkable.  There is almost no tannic structure, so it's very easy to find yourself gulping it.

Stella Rosa Il Conte Platinum is a semi-sweet sparkler which is the only wine I've ever known to promise a more magical life for dreamers and surrealists.  The nose is sweetly floral, as one might expect with a Moscato, but carries an earthy note on the palate which adds a bit of complexity.

Stella Rosa Il Conte Pink is a semi-sweet sparkler which aims to flirt.  The nose is all cherry Jolly Rancher, and the candy motif follows through on the palate. 

Stella Rosa Il Conte Peach is a semi-sweet sparkler which claims to make summer last forever.  The nose is sweet with green apples, peach and pear juice, which dominate the palate.


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Bargain Italian White Wine

Citra Vini is an association of unified wineries in the Italian wine region of Abruzzo.  The group was established in 1973 and their vineyards cover a lot of ground in Chieti - about 15,000 acres.  The winegrowing association is located between the Majella, a limestone massif in the Apennine mountain range, and the Adriatic Sea.  Some 3,000 growers contribute grapes to the Citra effort. 

Their website explains a bit of the storied history of the Montepulciano grape.  Hannibal gave the wine to his soldiers for its supposed restorative powers, and Ovid praised it in a poem.
The Citra umbrella shades a lot of labels.

Citra says the Trebbiano grape has been grown in central Italy since the Roman era.  It was originally used to make wines for the grower's family.  The 2017 Citra Trebbiano d'Abruzzo carries a relatively light alcohol number of 12% abv and it sells for about $10.

This bargain Italian white wine sports a nice nose of citrus and apricot with a savory salinity.  The savory streak takes the lead on the palate for a tasty sip.  There's not a whole lot of acidity here, which hurts food pairing a tad.  Consider this a sipper.


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Fogo de Chão Fall Menu

The Texas-based Brazilian steakhouse Fogo de Chão is now serving new menu items for the fall season.  Fogo has introduced a New York strip steak for autumn, as well as one of their wine partner's bottlings which is now available in all Fogo locations.  I was invited to sample the offerings with the manager of the Beverly Hills Fogo de Chão, Sevenir Girardi.

The meats are all carved tableside at Fogo de Chão.  The New York strip is cooked perfectly and drips with flavor, while the top sirloin is tender and delish.  The beef ribs are tender and moist and my favorite, the spicy Linguiça Sausage, is perfect for a sausage lover.  The specialty of the house is Brazilian center cut beef picanha

Fogo's CEO Barry McGowan says "Brazilian cuisine focuses on harvesting and serving fruits and vegetables when they are in season and have reached peak flavor."  That approach shows on the salad bar, or Market Table.  Fogo's butternut squash soup is perfect for fall, full of flavor and creamy rich.  The sweet potato with miso is charred to delight, and the roasted cauliflower is as autumnal as it gets.  Don’t miss the Bosc pear slices with bacon, onion and feta cheese.  Lift the lid on the big pot for the feijoada, a black bean stew with generous hunks of meat in it.

To drink, the 2013 Seven Falls Cellars Merlot, from Washington’s Wahluke Slope is $13 by the glass.  It has a beautiful fruit and floral nose with a lush palate of black cherry, plum and earth.  Fogo's wine partner, VIK, has their La Piu Belle available everywhere now.  It's a blend of Carmenere, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc from Chile's Cachapoal Valley.  At $17 by the glass, you get black fruit, leather and lavender aromas, with savory flavors highlighted by earthy plums and great tannins.

The Fogo de Chão 2017 Gran Reserva is a product of Mendoza, Argentina.  It shows spicy fruit on the nose and a deep, dark palate which is on the savory side.

For a fall cocktail, try the Brazilian gentleman.  This sweet and delicious drink sports passion fruit puree, Knob Creek rye bourbon, Ramos Pinto ten-year tawny Port, lemon and honey.  You can open your meal with it, but I enjoyed mine as dessert.


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Australian Shiraz To Hold With Both Hands

Terlato Wines tells us that Australia exports more wine to the U.S. than France, but that's a claim for which I could not find any corroboration.  In fact, the wines from Down Under appear to be the fourth most imported by the U.S. in dollars, behind Italy, France and New Zealand.  Perhaps they were thinking of exports to the U.K.  In any case, Americans are drinking more Australian wine than vice versa, from a percentage standpoint.

Australia's wine industry dates back to the 18th century, when vine cuttings were first brought to the continent from Europe and South Africa.  The country has no indigenous grapes of its own.  However, they do refer to Syrah as Shiraz, which has proven so popular that some other winemakers around the world have adopted the name.  Shiraz is the most widely planted grape in Australia.

Two Hands Gnarly Dudes Shiraz 2018

Terlato made available to me several Shiraz wines produced under their Two Hands label.  The 2018 Gnarly Dudes is 100% Shiraz, made from Barossa Valley grapes.  That wine region is in the state of South Australia, near the city of Adelaide. 

Gnarly Dudes was aged in French oak barrels for a year, and only 13% of them were new.  The remaining wood was contained in puncheons and hogsheads that were anywhere from one to six years old.  The wine's alcohol content is somewhat restrained, at 13.8% abv, and it retails for $33.

This is one big, bold Shiraz.  The wine colors up as inky black as night and smells of black fruit, leather and meat.  On the palate, it's a large time as well, with plums and chocolate flavors laced with licorice.  Oak is pronounced, but it seems about right considering how brawny this wine drinks.  Tannins are somewhat mellow, however, so it goes down easily.

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Delicious WA Riesling To Pair With Spicy, Salty Foods

California wine négociant Cameron Hughes owns no vineyards and has no official winery.  He buys already produced wine from established makers on the down low, with an agreement not to reveal the source.  He then sells the wine online through his wine club, which he calls a wineocracy, bringing top-shelf wines to lower-shelf wallets.  Hughes says he keeps prices low by removing the middleman-distributor-retailer chain through which store-bought wines must pass.

Cameron Hughes Lot 622 Columbia Valley Riesling 2016

Hughes says this Riesling was sourced "from the top program of a high-end Columbia Valley winery and crafted by a winemaking staff with a wildly impressive international resumé."  No names are given, as is customary with Cameron Hughes wines.

2016 was reportedly a great vintage with early budbreak and cool summer temperatures.  Alcohol hits only 11.8% abv and the wine sells for $12.

This golden Riesling has a nose that is laced with stone fruit, citrus and a whiff of petrol.  The palate is semi-sweet, with a nice bit of acidity and luscious fruit galore.  I’d pair it with a spicy dish, maybe Thai food or a bánh mí sandwich.

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Lincoln A Federalist In Wine Only

There's a bit of a ragged backstory for this wine, The Federalist Honest Red Blend 2016.  The folks at Illinois-based Terlato Wines say Honest Red pays homage to Abraham Lincoln.  Lincoln's reputation as Honest Abe may be true or it may be apocryphal.  After all, he was a politician.  There's no dispute, however, that Lincoln was no Federalist.  Terlato initiated the Federalist line with a nod to Alexander Hamilton, and the link began to fray as they expanded to other historical Americans who were not associated with the Federalist party.  For millennials, presumably, Terlato notes that Lincoln's accomplishments include emancipating the slaves and being assassinated.

Honest Red is composed of 45% Zinfandel, 24% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Malbec and 4% Cabernet Franc - all North Coast grapes, from Mendocino, Sonoma and Napa counties.  The wine aged for 15 months in oak barrels, 35% of them new.  Alcohol tips 15% abv and it sells for $22.

This North Coast red blend offers up a dark nose of smoke, tar, plums, cigar box, vanilla, cedar and an old baseball glove.  The palate shows huge black and red fruit, also with plenty of oak spice.  BTW, the wine is said to pay homage to Abraham Lincoln.  He may have been Honest Abe, but he was not a Federalist.  But whatever.  You’re not really drinking it for the backstory, are you?  The winery advises having it slightly chilled, with food right off your grill.


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This Muscat Is No Sweetie

Murrieta's Well Estate Vineyard, in California's Livermore Valley, has a history almost as long and rich as the state of California itself.  The vines of the Murrieta's Well estate 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, winemaker Robbie 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."  That something, says Snooth, is food-friendly wine, the stuff of which Meyer prides himself.  Through the growing, the harvesting and the fermentation, Meyer says blending is where he sees the real art of winemaking.

The 2018 Murrieta's Well Dry Orange Muscat is not a dessert wine.  Made from Hayes Vineyard grapes, Meyer says the wine exhibits the wide variety of soils and elevations found in that parcel. The 2018 vintage was warm with no heat spikes, which allowed for a lengthy hang time.  The grapes had plenty of sunshine to bring out their floral aspects.  Meyer says the decision to make a dry wine from Orange Muscat grapes was partially influenced by the fact that the grape variety is typically low-yielding, both in quantity and berry size.  By the way, he says the "orange" in the grape's name comes from its coloring at harvest.  The wine was steel-fermented and aged for three months.  Alcohol is quite ripe at 14.6% abv and the retail price tag reads $38.

This wine has beautiful floral notes, and considering the grape, one might think a dessert wine is in the glass, or maybe an Albariño or Gewurztraminer.  That's not happening, though.  This Orange Muscat is completely dry.  The palate shows lime notes in an orange-laced and wonderfully acidic setting.  Bring on the shellfish.


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Dry Rose For Fall

Murrieta's Well Estate Vineyard, in California's Livermore Valley, has a history almost as long and rich as the state of California itself.  The vines of the Murrieta's Well estate 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, winemaker Robbie 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."  That something, says Snooth, is food-friendly wine, the stuff of which Meyer prides himself with making.  Through the growing, the harvesting and the fermentation, Meyer says blending is where he sees the real art of winemaking.

The grapes for the 2018 Murrieta's Well Dry Rosé was made from Livermore Valley fruit - 42% Counoise, 33% Grenache, 25% Mourvèdre - pulled from their estate vineyards, Hayes and Raboli.  Those grapes were grown, picked and fermented specifically for rosé.  The fruit was whole-cluster pressed, vinified in stainless steel tanks and aged in them for two months. 

Meyer said during a recent Snooth virtual tasting event that he loves Grenache for rosé.  He feels that Counoise mates with Grenache perfectly.  He accentuates the fruit-forward aspect of the grapes in this pink wine.  He calls it a "substantial" rosé, one to be paired with food which is heftier than a salad.  He's thinking of butternut squash and other autumn vegetables.  The wine has alcohol at 13.5% abv and it retails for $32.

Fresh strawberries and cherries burst forth from the nose, with more of the same on the palate. The acidity is fresh and vibrant.  This pale salmon rosé comes at the end of "rosé season," but hang onto a bottle or two for Thanksgiving.  It is substantial enough for fall veggies, or turkey.


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