BRAMBLES: Spring to a Southern Rhone Alternative

Rhoneglacier, Oberwald, Switzerland

From far away and near they have come. Tall bottles of familiar shapes containing notes of exotic fruits and floral bouquets, blessed with a pleasantly fresh volume of spring rich in their bright mouthfeel.  They have announced themselves with names like Domaine de Fontbonau or Guigal Cotes-du-Rhone, identities that preserve their humble origins in the ancient vineyards of the glacial Rhone Valley of France.  Then they traveled the world to far away places such as Australia and California, with monikers such as Yalumba and d'Arenberg Hermit Crab, or the Golden State's Bonny Doon Le Cigare Blanc. They are the 'alternative whites' as a wine category, and as these selections have gone global in recent centuries, we commonly know them today as the those valued 'white Rhones'.

Sunny vineyards of Tablas Creek, Paso Robles

Sure, you can drop a bundle for a classic Viognier from its ancestral home in Condrieu AOC, but for the most part, these international selections tend to be alternatives, under the radar for most springtime white wine lovers. Even from its glacial origins, Lyon to Marseille, along more than 170 north to south miles of the Rhone River, there is today only a small amount of acreage planted here to the white Rhone varieties, as this historically is a summer baked red wine country along a continental corridor.  As many as a dozen indigenous white grape varietals have evolved throughout this region, each with their own personality, their own power and weakness.  From the Old World they went globe trotting, now typically planted in more advantageous landscapes to trumpet their own unique individual qualities.

Wine it is said can be like music, where it takes the magic of an inspired musician invested in a dramatic musical score that is played with a distinguished instrument.  Alone, the white Rhone's can display different individual traits, but together they seem to have come from the likes of woodwinds.  Combine the oboe and clarinet, add the saxophone or bassoon to make beautiful, inspired music; just imagine Ravels's "Balero" without, or the desert siren of Duke Ellington's, "Caravan" minus its harmonic blending of reeds.  Typically, the splendor, the grace and multi-faceted personality of these uncommon white grape varietals shows best when blended with another;  a sort of yin and yang.

Vineyards of Languedoc-Roussillon, southern France

Among these notable selections, late ripening, aromatic Roussanne can harmonize with a honeyed richness, yet tends to be a wine of structure and moderate acid levels.  Often found together, a flabby, low-acid Marsanne is a hardy grower, but has the complexity of nuance, offering notes of toasted nut and apple-pear. Whereas long-established Piquepoul(picpoul) Blanc, contributes good strength of acid and has citrus notes, but is typically pale in color.  Adaptable, and as a result widely planted,  Grenache Blanc, a relative of the rouge, tends to be low to moderate in acid, but with a partners talent to acclimate.  And then, there's the a single varietal with name recognition, but with yields that are un-predictable: full bodied, golden Viognier offers its prominent floral aromas and ripe notes that remind us of tropical fruits.  Simply put, it is the relative power and distinction of these lesser known varietals that allow them to complement one another, while offering the consumer a versatile, food-friendly alternative to summer Chardonnay.

Refreshing acid strength comes in many colors

Eight(8) affordable white Rhone's of global origins were presented at a recent comparative tasting, priced from $13 to $19.  Amazingly, although they were unique of birthplace and blend, each offered a similar refreshing verse orchestrated with a different grape ensemble.  Each showed power in different parts of their score; their aromatics, mouthfeel, flavor personality and fresh, sometimes lingering exit.  Moreover, when the panels' scores were tallied it was found that there were only a few points between most to least favored.  Even as the fine selections of the New World showed well, most tasters had Cotes-du-Rhone Blanc alternatives ranked near the top.

Truly, the price of a simple bottle is a modest investment that can open any tasters' world.  Local events, too, like the annual Rhone Rangers celebrations, or the upcoming inaugural Garagiste Wine Festival, Northern Exposure, in Sonoma(May 12) can be a delicious educational buffet that will tastefully aid outdoor gatherings in the warmer months ahead. Or, orchestrate your own garden party around locally available white Rhone's. It is a great opportunity whenever presented to then get out and spring to a bright southern Rhone alternative.

Grapevine spring berry-set

Salute!

WineLinks:
http://californiagaragistes.com/2018-sonoma-wineries/
https://rhonerangers.org/
http://www.rhone-wines.com/en/cepage

BRAMBLES: Changes to Spring

Morning breaks over vineyards, Margaret River, Western Australia

Budbreak, the annual growth cycle re-birth of the European grapevine, vitis vinifera, is awakening our North Coast vineyards and gardens.  Just as the chard wildfire area's landscape recovers, springtime flowers that abound can renew our hope for the future of not only our local communities, but our area wine industry, as well.  Wine and its commonwealth throughout its long human history has continued to be truly uplifting, an annual reflection of the best of our human spirit and our artistic creativity, in the vineyard, in the cellar and around the global table.  This then demonstrates the annual fertility of our spirit, the awaking of Mother Earth, and the changes ready to spring.

Spring vineyards of Sonoma 

Old is New Again. Back in 2008,  Ehren Jordan, having gone from Turley Wine Cellars, to his  vineyard-select Fallia wines, and then to his Day zinfandel's, was SF Chronicles 'winemaker of the year'.  Now, he is also making wines at Zenith Vineyards of the cool Willamette Valley, exploring its silty-clay soils for award-winning pinot noirs and other intriguing non-mainstream varietals.  Another former 'winemaker of the year' at Stagling Family, Celia Masyczek, has also broadened her ambitions, and today is another widely respected consultant for many boutique, emerging North Coast labels. A generation of contemporary artisans such as these, scores of them, continue to re-new us, while locally, creatively exploring new wine industry frontiers. These then are the complex building blocks of regional vineyard growth and marketplace evolution for today's renewing industry.

Back in 1998, Wine Spectator selections for top-rated wines of the year had 7 of the top 9 that were French(red & white). By 2008, their top rated wine of the year(#1) was produced in Chile, Casa Lapostolle's Clos Apalta. Similarly, Wine Enthusiast opted for another top southern hemisphere selection that very same year.  Over the last generation of vintages, more & more top rated wines are today coming from emerging, diverse and non-traditional global locations.  As an international market continues to emerge, this global recognition reflects the wider propagation of the quality standards for wine for consumers, especially for those in the value marketplace.

Sonoma now has 18 AVAs, adding Petaluma Gap

Notable growth continues to renew interest. Up north, the Oregon Wine Board reported recently that economic impact of its wines in the Beaver State has increased by as much as 67% from three years ago, totaling today more than $5.6 billion.  As you may expect, similar growth is reviving an expanding industry for their related employment, investment and wine tourism.  Conversely, recently the winemag, Decanter reported that US exports fell sharply in 2017(20%), supported mostly by a fall in the value of the dollar against the Euro.  So somewhere the market grows, while simultaneously other, sometimes traditional consumer habits wane.

Closer to home, a flowering of  diverse wine events also introduces our annual springtime revival. Nearby Sonoma Valley Vintners organize our invitation to hold their annual Visa - Signature weekend, April 6-8. Bringing its creative happiness to the masses, more than thirty members of the Mendocino Winegrowers Alliance sets up April 07 in San Francisco's Fort Mason Center, for the annual Taste of Mendocino. Locally. it is the intimate, A Taste of Olivet, April 14, that shares the fertile heart of the historic Russian River Valley. Beyond, wine enthusiasts can get further out and head northeast for a beautifully bucolic El Dorado Passport, the annual Sierra Foothills adventure, which begins April 21 thru April 29.  Spring showers bring more than just flowers for wine lovers.

Industry growers, producers, and its changing marketplace are just like wine consumers: the environment continually evolves.  From increased national wine sales to our Sonoma's growers cultivating towards an ever evolving commitment to 100% sustainability(a national first),  we all benefit from a fertile, living  industry that enjoys an annual renewal.  Constant in change, it is the sure sign of a growing spring in our wine country.

Salute!



Wine Links:
  http://eldoradowines.org/passport/
  http://www.olivetroad.com/events
  http://sonomavalleywine.com/signature-sonoma-valley/
  http://www.tasteofmendo.com/
  https://www.winebusiness.com/
  https://sonomawinegrape.org/about/sonoma-county/

SYRAH: a Shiraz by Value

Terraced vineyards of Cote Rotie, Rhone Valley

A river runs thru it; the mighty liquid highway churns south, just as it was for the conquering and wine loving  Romans.  Today, the Rhone River Valley of southeastern France remains that ancient birthplace and a benchmark of the ancient dark skinned Syrah grape. Here it produced the wine of French Kings' and their diplomacy from the 17th century, crafting notable wines even then that invited cellar aging and convenient favors. Outside of the Northern Rhone, Syrah found the sun that promoted its stiff, fleshy backbone, allowing the brooding variety to be a decorated foundation to the blends prominent in throughout the Mediterranean south. However, this noble grape of historical origins has gone global over the last two plus centuries, now to be found widely introduced from South Africa to Washington State and Australia.

Savory. Blessed with acid and tannin strengths that encourage bottle aging, having opaque skins that could tolerate warmer climates, Syrah today is one of those grapes that can reflect where it was nurtured, thereby altering its Old World character. Tasting of savory dark fruits, bramble and olive, often described as gamy or of smoked meats, Syrah in warmer climates can introduce a riper, jammy fruit and occasional notes dark of spices and roasted earth.  It has proven to be quite adaptable, finding success with regional and international consumers far beyond its noble origins in the continental Rhone.

Groomed vineyards of McLaren Vale, South Australia

Here in the States, venerable Cline, Bonny Doon Vineyard, a host of Central Coast AVA wineries and boutique local producers from the 1980's still toil to grow the lagging Syrah domestic market. As of 2016, California still produces about 85% of all our domestic U.S. wines, farmed on more than 600,000 sustainable acres, but Syrah acreage remains stagnant at around 18000. In emerging Washington State(2nd largest U.S. producer), Syrah production in this past decade has grown measurably,  even as fruit pricing remained somewhat flat; and still sits far behind Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in acreage worked east of the Cascades.

Australia today dominates the value to quality Syrah marketplace with fruit-driven brands like Layer Cake, d'Arenberg Stump Jump, and behemoths Rosemount and Penfolds. From the heat of the Barossa Valley to the cooler coastal vineyards of the Great Southern, smaller Aussie brands like the widely available Paringa Shiraz, are consistent best buys, offering cost-conscious consumers bright Syrah character for pennies. Across its 65 winegrowing regions, nurturing almost 100 thousand acres of what is known down under as Shiraz, this long-tenured Aussie variety is today accounting for about a third of a thirsty nation's total wine production.

Distinctive grapeleaf of Syrah/Shiraz

Global acreage of the Rhone grape has continued to increase(lots of domestic Syrah planted in years that straddle the millennium), yet sales domestically remain modest, annually losing share to other popular millennial growth varieties (rose,malbec??). Syrah's challenge is today a varietal identity at these more modest retail pricepoints.  Mass produced, it consistently offers wines that are typically ordinary, non-distinctive, a lowest common denominator kind of full-bodied wine where savory is lost along with memorable personality.

Noble Syrah needs the right environment in which to shine, such as demanded by the continental Rhone Valley. She is not ordinary.  With attention in the vineyard, situated in draining soils, and nurtured with patient crafting in the cellars, Syrah shows all her many charms.  Her allure can be displayed at festive regional events, like the annual Hospice du Rhone, Paso Robles; her noble honor supported by the championing of the Rhone Rangers.  She can maintain her varietal mystery, her potency that can hold blended wines seamlessly, and remains faithful to feed our need to find really good value memorable Syrah.  Always a perfect lady, for many in the global consumer marketplace, Syrah's value is simply known as Shiraz.

New World vineyards of South Africa

Salute'

WineLinks:
 https://rhonerangers.org/
  http://www.rhone-wines.com/
   https://www.hospicedurhone.org/
    https://www.washingtonwine.org/
     https://www.wineaustralia.com/

ANDERSON VALLEY; Logging Gewurztraminer

Islands in the Clouds, Mendocino County

In the waning bright of summer you can leave the spine of Hwy.101 and meander the edge of the coastal range above Cloverdale to reach the Yorkville Highlands AVA on Hwy.128.  Isolated and bucolic farms dot the rolling emerald hills as you continue north-westbound, and then from the crown of a hill's rise it appears like a misty land that time forgot. It is the Anderson Valley AVA of Mendocino County that grows shades of green across these fog-veiled, open spaces.  Surrounded by the heights of the Coastal Range, it is for many a wine route that is so off the radar, where a few of the 'pioneers' are still with us, and of late a region fertile to more than a few wine dreams.  It is also the epicenter of California Gewurztraminer, a noble variety too often forgotten.

New vineyard investment in Philo, Anderson Valley AVA

Late 19th century logging entrepreneurs with names like Gschwend, and Sterns, and Hiatt harvested the once abundant California coastal redwood above the valley farms. Timber men were typically hard, independent sorts, living in isolated camps, coming to town occasionally to raise a little hell. There were choppers and peelers, swampers and teamsters somewhere in those forested hills.  With the rebirth of San Francisco in the early century years there was an industrial logging boom, growing into the 1940's, when more than 50 area mills were operating; today there is just one that remains outside of lazy Philo. Unfortunately, the once abundant old growth redwood too has been lost, with today only about 5% of its native acreage remaining as protected or privately owned lands.

Early 20th century ag development along the 20-mile Anderson Valley saw new Swiss and Italian immigrant plantings of familiar grapes varieties, as well as apples and hops across the isolated valley. Here, the early wine pioneers had branded names like Edmeades, Husch or Navarro; even by the late 70's there were still just a handful of area wineries. Still, cool tolerant Alsatian varietals had established a diverse vineyard foothold. In the early 1980's, sparkling wine producers saw the valley's unique qualities, bringing the prestigious French Champagne-house Roederer and John Scharffenberger investing chardonnay and pinot noir into this forgotten landscape.  Today, valley plantings of pinot noir in clay loam soils now blanket across her rolling hills, joining adapted varietals with a generally cool growing season, and abundant dormant seasonal rainfall.  And, just about everyone bottles a fragrant Gewurztraminer.

Pretty, blushing Gewurztraminer/wine.com

Early ripening Gewurztraminer adapted well, importantly retaining really good acid in the fruit from this cooler environment; where the generous humidity can even invite a late harvest specialty across the more than 100 acres now planted. Typical notes in the glass of rose hips, exotic fruits and lychee are present in these wines, where the abundant aromatics invite the taste.  Its mouth filling body too can be a pleasure in the mouth, offering a luscious and cooling foil to spicy Asian fare. Vine tourists exploring the former hills of the Central Pomo's can find fine examples of delicious at benchmark Navarro, or Husch, or Lazy Creek Vineyards to name just a few of many.

Recently featured at our informal tasting, Gewurztraminer from the Anderson Valley showed promise and consistency in all the dry selections tasted from the 2014 and 2015 harvests.  In another league was the star of the evening, a Late Harvest Gewurztraminer from the Navarro Vineyards 2006 harvest.  Golden in the glass, it shared aromas of dried stone fruits, honey, lychee and dried flowers by way of introduction.  Its viscous nectar filling the mouth round with so many pleasurable notes it was difficult to linger on just one for very long. Moments later, perhaps minutes, it was still casting a delicious shadow across the palate as it lingered to luscious memory.

"We manage to sell it, but it certainly is not a widely popular wine. I don't think demand has grown", offers Navarro winemaker Ted Bennett. There remains a bittersweet parallel. Both Anderson Valley logging and gewurztraminer perhaps may share a historical fate.  Unless it finds a consumer marketplace and continues to be managed sustain-ably it may one day be threatened with severe scarcity or worse yet, loss.  That would be indeed logging tragedy, if only because this under appreciated, good value ambrosia varietal always loves my kung pao takeout.

Salute! And, Happy Harvest!

Wine Links:
Coastal Redwood logging:  https://youtu.be/3MDgxNLDR64
 https://avwines.com/

CHARDONNAY: What are we drinking?

A 'winemakers grape', where all the tools of the cellar and masters' expertise can be applied, Chardonnay remains the most popular white wine grape varietal worldwide, in-spite of  or perhaps because of its many disguises. It proves to be a vigorous, adaptable vine which is grown by most vine-cultivating countries.  Ampelographers, those botanists who search out the origins of winegrapes, offer that from its historic beginnings around the Roman crossroad of Macon in southern Burgundy, it probably evolved as the cross of the widely planted, ancient peasant grape, Gouais Blanc and volatile Pinot Noir.  And from there it grew, and grew to become what we are drinking.

Of course, being reliably adaptable and vigorous is not enough to make a variety noble. It must offer mind-blowing nuance, a spectrum of personality, and possibly the chance for winemakers to use all of their cellar tools to bring out what may have been hidden. With its popular adaption to the alkaline-clay soils that are prominent in the Cote-d-'Or, Cistercian monks systematically began to tame chardonnay, making written reference to it in the early 1300's.  Prior to the introduction of contemporary stainless steel vessels, oak barrel fermentation was common, and additional wood treatment with aging or storage in cask allowed for even more texture and personality to dress-up chardonnay.

New Zealand chardonnay vineyard, North Island

As described by the Society of Wine Educators, chardonnay quickly loses it acid strength as it ripens, so naturally, warm locations would produce 'flabby' chardonnay. Its natural juice is fairly neutral; a secondary fermentation(malo-lactic) that provides de-acidification and a buttery compound(diacetyl), and aging on decomposing yeasts(sur lie) can add texture and more assertive flavors. Add extended exposure to oak barrels(or cheaper forms) to introduce heightened notes of vanilla, toast and spice to a developing chardonnay, all combine with other cellar treatments to add weight and texture where it may not have been before.  Contemporary chardonnay from large industrial producers introduces even more juice manipulation, from adding sugar for body to a reverse osmosis to re-configure the experiment.  So, really, what are we drinking?

A secondary M-L ferment with oak chips

Recently, one of our tasting groups got together to compare eight(8) global chardonnay's under $20. retail.  Most were out of balance and not distinguished or interesting, masking yellow and green fruit flavors with heavy manipulation. Domestically, the top two chardonnay's skirted the $20 ceiling, being found discounted to just below the qualifying threshold, providing complexity and better balance. But in the race for the top there was also a pure-bread.  It was stainless steel fermented with a light oak treatment that did not shroud the uniqueness of its soils or the chardonnay grape or its viticultural environment that is uniquely Chablis AOC.  The widely distributed wines of William Fe'vre, in this case the pure 2015 Chablis Champs Royaux, displayed lean, generous fruit dressed with chalky mineral notes, supported by mouth-puckering, refreshing acid.

Chablis' famous Grand Cru vineyards

Closer to Sancere of the Loire Valley's central department than to Burgundy from which it is physically separated, chardonnay vineyards blanket the hills surrounding the Serein River town of Chablis. This is chardonnay country, having a semi-continental climate and nurturing the vine on poor soils of limestone, clay and fossilized sea shells.  Its traditional evolution(e'velage) in the cellar is an effort to reflect the uniqueness of this special place and the single grape variety to which it has been nurturing for centuries.  It is chardonnay in its purest form, and that is the refreshingly great value that I am drinking.

Salute!

Wine Links:
https://www.williamfevre.fr/en/home/
http://www.chablis-wines.com/

METHOD: All that Sparkles...

Not the first wine to sparkle, but an important cellar method

Special events deserve a sparkle.  Be it the summer solstice, a birthday or anniversary, or even making it to Wednesday is a reason to celebrate something.  It is reasonable to suggest that BIG celebrations deserve a special bottle, but what about those everyday occurrences; those more frequent times that would be made even more special by lifting a glass that sparkles to announce those eyes you gaze into?

It's the bubbles that stream to heaven in a glass and can even tickle your nose that makes sparkling wines so entertaining.  Champagne is the universal standard for sparkling wines.  Not Spain's cava's or Piemonte's spumanti or Venetos prosecco, or even the traditional method sparkling wines outside of France's historical standard region, called cremant or mousseux.  German sekt is not the benchmark, even as some of their northern tier wine regions flirt with similar Champagne conditions. Not the sparklers of South Africa(Methode Cap Classique), or those of America(California Champagne?) or Chile rank in the marketing prowess, the quality hierarchy and regulated high standards that come from the Champenoise.  Even as you may find $25 -30 Champagne values in the marketplace(Piper-Heidsieck, etc.), what would be the best everyday quality for, say, less then $20?

Vineyards of Epernay, Valley of the Marne

Production of by product carbon dioxide is basic to winemaking, just as is ethanol(alcohol).  Just as it has always been when man liked the lighter feeling resulting from drinking fermented juice.  Imagine the thrill of being able to create an effervescence, a sparkle of mystery from once still juice left in a covered earthenware jar.  Or the ability to capture that sparkle with the production of stronger glass bottles produced from the 17th century English invented coke-fueled ovens.  Only then could consumers find it possible to hold the bubbles until that special moment when fanfare would follow their predictable release.

A traditional or Champagne method produces its CO2 from a second fermentation inside each individual inverted bottle where the yeast are collected until disgorged.  Generally, this process is more laborious, producing wines of more finesse, more complexity, and more balance from regional grape sources. In the Charmat method, used mostly in Italy, the second ferment occurs in large pressurized stainless steel tanks that allow an economic transfer to bottles at a fraction of the cost. Cheaper still is the soda or bulk method, where the CO2 is pumped into a tank, resulting in bubbles that are typically short-lived(think cola soda).  Variations of these methods have evolved over wine history, but higher quality here is associated with a longer, more regulated process.

Cava cellars of Codorniu at Sant Sadurni d'Anoia

Our tasting group recently investigated eight sparklers from Spain, Italy, and New Zealand, each under $20.  By consensus, the best sparklers tasted stood head and shoulders above the rest, as all that sparkles are not created equally.  For my money, to sip, to savor, and to celebrate any day you cannot sparkle better than the cavas of Catalonia.

Segura Viudas Reserva Heredad;  full bodied, dried fruits and biscuits, reinforces aromatic notes. A blend of Macabeo and Parellada grapes produces an outstanding example of cava.  Outstanding quality for the price, which is saying something from a producer that offers a perennial entry value with its Brut Reserva(under $10).
Cordorniu Anna de Cordorniu;  notes of dried citrus and baked apple, a hint of tropical fruit on the palate with flavors that reflect the lighter nose, yet it is complex and elegant, and displays a generous finish of length.  A delight at around $12!

Glera vines in the Prosecco DOC zone

Salute' & Cheers!

Wine Links:
http://www.prosecco.wine/
http://www.spanish-wines.org/cava-production.html

BRAMBLES: What to Drink Next?

As the tasting glass was returned to the bar, he sheepishly looked up and offered that he really likes wine, but was unable to talk about it. "I am not a poet", he declared.  We should not be required to be lyrical in order to enjoy a glass of wine, yet, the marketing focus increasingly seems to be that wine consumers should to be able to confidently offer some quippy 'wine-speak' to demonstrate their prowess as knowledgeable wine lovers. Has wine loving reached the point in its luxury consumerism that we only pronounce enjoyment in our glass of syrah that 'offers 'mulled juniper berries and damp forest floor'?

Throughout its long history wine has been a social beverage, a libation to be shared and enjoyed responsibly.  As a luxury commodity however, premium wine has earned(paid for) its long and increasingly marketed history, evolved from booze for the privileged to a fine gentleman's refreshment, to a liquid symbol that segregates the proletariat.  On one hand it is evelage(rising or development) for such a pleasure as wine, something that was felt as strongly as poetry in a bottle  to be described in a lexicon of poignantly beautiful terms.  But at its core, wine is about the delicious, individual discovery to be found in a every glass.

Austria's Heuriger wine tavern

Brilliant color, perhaps found no where else in nature, combined with the symphony of aromas that lift from the glass only begin to introduce wines' charms.  That tactile dance in your mouth, the complexity of its delicious liquid personality, and lingering aftertaste warmed on the palate to enhance its unique memory combine to make our individual relationship with wine something quite special.  Genetic variations in individual taste perceptions mixed with our unique food histories result in no two of us having the very same taste perceptions, meaning that the wine party in your mouth and brain are yours alone!  All the more reason to share the pleasure of the experience, and raise a glass(or two).
  

Glossy industry magazines flush with premium brand advertising, those lifestyle features promoting a particular glamour label, combined with the omnipresent shelf talkers of retail displays commingle to find us swimming in a remontage(pump-over) of marketplace enhancement that seduces wine consumers without yield. Reach for a bottle off a retail shelf, and collect a wine-speak catch phrase in the bargain.  Even as the overwhelming volume of wine we consumers regularly drink is below the premium categories, our expedition into higher priced bottles finds us within a torrent of testimonials and inherited greater responsibilities to speak of wine knowledgeably. And, for novice premium wine consumers a little sense for wine will reward beyond the pocketbook and into the unique qualities to be found in every glass.


"The joy is in the journey"' certainly applies to wine with its individual and emotional connection to our sense of pleasure. So then it may be most important for wine lovin' consumers just to venture forth, to continue to explore different labels, regions beyond the norm.  In doing so they will begin to absorb wine knowledge in the most pleasurable way, one glass at a time, no matter how they can describe it. Now, what to drink next?

Salute'

Tasting Values:
Piero Mancini 2014 Vermentino Di Gallura 2014; yellow-green hue, citrus and mineral aromas, with moderate acidity leads notes of yellow apple, stone fruit and a kiss of bitter almond; and dances with white fish or light dishes! (could not help myself)

BRAMBLES: Rights of Spring?

Bud break of  a vine Spring

Anticipation in the wine industry can be a wonderful thing.  Spring is around the corner and bud break is erupting from dormant vines with the promise of another fine harvest. Hopefully, soon the sojourn of winter will be a fading memory, and the optimism of the cycle of rebirth in spring will nurture us.  It is also the time of promise with the annual consumer ritual of tasting the future, a young wine drawn from a barrel.  For producers and wine marketing groups, like the Northern Sonoma's Wine Road recent Barrel Tasting Weekends, this industry practice has for many become a 'right of spring'.

Event tasting from a barrel can be found from the Santa Maria Valley AVA to the Lake Chelan AVA of Washington State, and almost everywhere in between.  Locally, we have just drunk thru events that taste immature wines, like 'Savor Sonoma Valley' and the Livermore Valley 8th Annual Barrel Tasting Weekend(March 19-20).  These events obviously are important to expose a small brand to new consumers, bringing wine loving communities together, and may even offer pricing promotions to encourage bottle sales.  Based in traditional wine marketing, these festive contemporary events probably have their origins in a traditional French business practice.

En primeur is the long established practice of offering wines tasted and purchased prior to bottling,  released at prices that are intended to be 'in bond', where their future prices were expected to be higher. Very popular or celebrated wines were certainly going to be scarce. Also known as 'wine futures', since 2008 however, the returns from Bordeaux futures has mostly been negative; for in these cases eventual release prices were less than what consumers paid en primeur!

17th century English and Dutch business relationships with Bordeaux dictated that wines made by its many grape growers were sold to merchants(négociant) who would then bottle and sell the young wines, some were even sold while still in barrel. This relationship was negotiated and managed by a broker who acted as a middleman. Even as it is required today that wines are blended, aged and bottled at the château(farm), the aged practice has remained in place, a current opportunity for more than 400 brokers and 11,000 Bordeaux growers.

Dutch Wine Merchant Guild 17thC

For the wine seller, these transactions aid their allocations by early commitments and importantly improve cash flow. They get the cash now, but don't have to deliver for a year or two.  Once a gift almost exclusively for the gentry, selling "futures" today is still ripe with historical pitfalls. That's because barrel samples are typically drawn from lots that are the most evolved and expressive.  There is no guarantee that the same lot will be in your delivered bottle. As offered in Isabelle Saporta's Vino Business, "...for tasting you offer only the very best, but you'll sell a blend of everything".



Still, these are popular local events that lure us with a novel show of thiefing a young barrel, tempting discounted prices, and a promise of improving quality. For consumers, barrel tastings can feed our anticipation for something new, and give us an occasional rare wine catch. For the wine business, the practice is good marketing; an invitation to critics and consumers to get excited about what is being nurtured for the bottle. Ah, the anticipation. With spring just arriving, it may well be our consumer rite to dream of the future rewarded.

Vitis vinifera in spring flower

Note: A special thanks to any or all who have followed along the lighted path of this page over the last 100+ postings.

Salute' to the Rites of Spring!


WineLink(s):
*Apr. 22 - 24 Wine Yakima Valley(Washington) Spring Barrel Tasting
https://wineyakimavalley.org/events-item/spring-barrel-tasting/
 *May 21 - 22 Lake Chelan(Washington) Wineries Spring Barrel Tasting
http://www.lakechelanwinevalley.com/events/spring-barrel-tasting/
*July 23 - 24 Anderson Valley-Yorkville Highlands Barrel Tasting Weekend
http://www.avwines.com/anderson-valley-barrel-tasting-weekend/

BRAMBLES: Tasting the Difference

Tasting diversity-Viewing wine Sideways

In nature competition breeds diversity, the strongest survive.  It is certainly like that for the long history of the domesticated old world wine grape, vitis vinifera. So too for local winery tasting rooms, where the best offer something distinctive/memorable.  With more than 500 local wine brands, there are hundreds of brick and mortar production facilities and many dozens of boutiques that connect daily with hopefully loyal consumers by the virtues displayed thru stylized wines and their winery tasting rooms.


Quirky to inspiring, there are all types of tasting rooms. Some have deep wine caves to alter perceptions, others offer beautiful architectural achievements or formal salon settings.  Still others impart historical family legacies, like Gundlach-Bundschu(1858), or Foppiano(1896).  And, then there are wineries that identify with salmon fishermen, with duck hunters, and a few that take local ecology and sustainability so seriously they are painstakingly bio-dynamic certified. Of course there is only one in all of Sonoma county that has the distinction of being first, Buena Vista, California's oldest commercial winery,

Being first in anything certainly helps a brands marketing efforts, so too does consistently awarded quality.  Commonly, all of these wine brands would like to create a wine ambassador from every tasting room visitor, someone to sing their praises in discrete locations far away and in mixed company.  With few exceptions, isn't the job of the tasting room to emotionally connect you with their product, without distraction?  As an affordable luxury item, wine is a product that makes us feel good when we remember the label, or the recommendation of a friend, or the confident opportunity to share it with company.  Tasting rooms that do a good job connecting us to these good feelings are often the public face of successful brands.

I once asked a tasting room host what made their brand distinctive. They spoke of their vineyard sources and their foreign born wine maker, but really their wines were fairly generic. Increasingly, we are blessed locally with the evolution of viticulture; the right vine planted in the right place with a yield that annually would be 'in balance'. With more academically trained and internationally versed wine makers than ever before, wine quality produced by these wizards has never been so consistently high. If this is today's landscape, then there must be something else, something notable that makes a brand 'distinctive'.  Memorable wines, wines of place, I believe, speak to you in a way that other 'generic' wines do not and those are the wines, and the tasting room the visits I remember.

Mustard flowers carpet warming winter vineyards

• At the recent annual United Wine & Grape Symposium, the largest industry event of its kind in the western hemisphere, continuing domestic consumer trends were identified. Above all of the segmented measures, industry leaders noted that U.S. wine shipments continue to rise, continuing a 20-year trend of domestic growth. At the entry market level, wines under-$9 continue to lose market share.  That trend is also reflected in young adults leaving 'big beer' for more premium craft beers in greater numbers.  For volume grape growers at the lower end of the scale, 2015 saw an additional 20,000 acres of vines reportedly pulled from vineyards of the Central Valley AVA, and that is following a loss of 21,000 in 2014. There then are strong indications that these trading-up trends will continue across the demographics. On the premium side, imports(makeing up about 1/3 of sales) continue to grow, as do sales of higher average priced California wines.

•  New AVA for  super-San Franciso Bay Area, Central Coast: La-Mor-Inda AVA, composed of the sandy-clay soils and warmer environs of Lafayette, Moraga, and Orinda was recently approved by our federal regulators, the TTB.

For those of us who enjoy the sight, the aromatic swirl, and sip of complex/balanced premium wines that delight, wines found in a setting that inspires, we are now being rewarded with an increasing number of high quality choices.  Our consumer challenge remains in finding something memorable in this crowded vineyard,  and to taste the difference.

Wine Links:
http://www.sonomawine.com/
http://www.sonomacounty.com/articles/7-tips-sonoma-wine-tasting

Salute'

CABERNET SAUVIGNON: King of Values?

Washington States's Wahluke Slope AVA vineyards

Winter. Grey seems to be the predominant color above, and nearby in our moderate climate a green carpet can surface as far as the eye can see(between the raindrops). It is the season of comfort foods and of hearty, full-bodied wines, like Cabernet Sauvignon. But where can a wine lover find value in the king of grapes within a domestic variety that is typically the most expensive wine grape by the ton?

Wine grape prices tend to reflect their land values plus the cost of farming the crop, so within California Napa fruit is more expensive than, say, Monterey county. Down south, Wild Horse of Templeton's Central Coast AVA Cabernet Sauvignon consistently will offer thirsty wine lovers bang for the buck. Regional blending, too, can offer a mixed value, such as Bogle Vineyard's 'California' Cabernet Sauvignon(around $10.). But, what if you wanted to taste identity, to find a value Cabernet that expressed a specific site?  For those values you may need to search foreign soils for this international varietal, such as Chile or South Africa.

Gravel vineyards of Graves, France await spring

Stateside, way further north in Washington state, everyday values there can move to another tier. With more than 50,000 acres planted, supporting more than 850 wineries(10 times more than a generation ago), Washington state is widely represented in the Cabernet value race. With 13 AVA's such as the expansive Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley, Red Mountain, and Horse Haven Hills, Cabernet Sauvignon has become the leading red grape varietal in the state. East of the Cascades, the vineyards sprall, taking advantage of Ice Age soils, ample hours of growing season sunlight and the irrigation richness of the broad Columbia Basin.

Grand Coulee Columbia Basin Project transformed this land, making water management and industrial scale farming a way of life. From its origins in the early 20th century, it remains the largest water reclamation project in the U.S., producing not only power, but hundreds of millions of dollars of agricultural crops each year. Here, pioneer Chateau Ste. Michelle farms more than 3500 acres of premium wine grapes in the Columbia Valley, consistently producing high quality to value table wines. Perhaps equally impressive is venerable Columbia Winery, sourcing oceans of fruit from multiple AVA's, including the Columbia Valley. Yes, children, size does matter.

At a recent quality to value tasting event Washington state was well represented in the under $20 value category. After tasting a broad selection of quaff-able cabernet, a few selections rose like cream to the top. Among them was Columbia Crest H3 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon from Horse Haven Hills. A gamey, dark stone fruit was its aromatic introduction, with dark currant, vanilla and rich earth notes giving way to berry and cocoa.  Within the Washington state value selections there was an almost industrial refinement here, allowing those that were strikingly different to stand apart.

Even Bordeaux shows a value worth seeking out, where bottles of Cru Bourgeois, are grown on a single estate."What distinguishes them from the best classed growths is that they rarely improve much beyond 15 years..." , notes author Jancis Robinson, but who can wait that long? Fronsac AOC and Haut-Médoc AOC remain the most consistent value appellations, but surprises await in some of Bordeaux's outlying regions. After a long history of recognizing merchants and craftsmen(bourg), it was in 1932 the French authority classified 444 of their distinguished properties, but the politics of the era did not allow ratification. Using a basis of consistent quality production and testing, 246 properties were finally awarded the unique classification in 2003, only to be annulled in 2008.  Finally, following a qualitative, non-partial selection procedure, Cru Bourgeois was updated, officially recognized and published in late 2010.

Values can be found in red Bordeaux

Look for quality to value estate selections like Château Grivière Médoc.  One of our tastings favorite selections was Blaigan Cru Bougeois Médoc, a Merlot/Cabernet blend, exhibiting a dark plum hue, with a smoky dried red fruit nose that held some winter spice, and rendered depth and complexity across the pallet to a finish that continued to flavor evolve as it warmed and disappeared in the mouth. Ah, a sense of place, and perhaps the king of values, too!

Wine Links:  http://www.washingtonwine.org/
                       http://www.blaignan.fr/en/

Cheers! 

BRAMBLES: Harvest Wine Events

Field of Harvest Dreams: Pomace

Harvest signs are everywhere on these warm, late summer days.  Trucks of assorted sizes, configurations, and loads dot the local highways and byways in a seasonal procession.  Casual drives across this Sonoma landscape offer the distinct aromas of the season, one green pocket at a time.  New to the local mix of agricultural perfumes are the notes of the recently pressed juice and solids of freshly harvested grapes(must) and the separated, solid remains of the following grape fermentation, pomace(marc).  In these local AVA's(American Viticultural Area) there is once again the last of the early morning fruit harvesting and the beginnings of another season of harvest dreams. It is nearing the end of a repeated annual cycle that started early in the calendar year with local vines awaking from their required winter dormancy. It is harvest, and a time to celebrate.

Every week here there are numerous and varied wine events around this beautiful county to explore and celebrate our local agri-industry.  The recently lauded Sonoma Wine Country Weekend remains the longstanding grand scale standard-bearer, of course. Small events dot this landscape too, including the newly inaugurated Grenachistas celebration by Sonoma's delicious Suite D's. From the annual August Bodega Seafood, Art & Wine Festival, to the upcoming Kendall Jackson Heirloom Tomato Festival(Sat. 09/26), there are countless ways to dig in and enjoy the diversity of the contemporary local wine culture.

For many, a lingering question may be 'why go to a local event? For the neophytes, it can be the desire may be to find something new, to learn more about wines, or to support local businesses and to gain some of that delicious insider knowledge. Those of us that crave socialization will have the scheduled opportunity to interact with others of the same or similar desire, or to join what may be perceived as a 'free' meal and a joyous party. Many who are passionate about the lifestyle may thrill to the idea of enjoying(celebrating) a lively and broad wine experience, or even evaluating scores of diverse wine stylings. But any celebration, wine events included, are amplified by the size and nature of the gathered crowd.  We all love to be part of a happy group, and wine lovers are no exception. It has been that way almost since there was wine, and that is a long time!

What better opportunity than the season of harvest to celebrate with friends, new and old.  An annual chance to renew the worn spirit and reward those local efforts that brought us the delicious bounty we will enjoy currently and into our future. It is the nature of wine, after all.  And another delicious reason to celebrate another California Wine Month.

Prost!
 
http://www.localwineevents.com/
Taste of Atlas Peak (Sat. 09/26) http://www.atlaspeakappellation.com/specialevents.html
Sonoma Valley Crush (Fri. 09/25-Sun. 09/27)  http://www.heartofsonomavalley.com/
Valley of the Moon Vintage Festival (Friday 09/25-Sun. 09/27)    http://www.valleyofthemoonvintagefestival.com/
Sonoma County Harvest Fair (Fri. 10/02-Sun. 10/04) 
http://www.sonomacounty.com/sonoma-events/sonoma-county-harvest-fair
Food & Wine Affair (Sat. 11/07-Sun. 11/08) https://www.wineroad.com/events/wine-food-affair/