Wine School Challenge with the NYTimes

I am a big fan of the NYTimes Dining and Wine section and Eric Asimov. Maybe, it is because they provide in depth reviews and discussions on wine across many different countries. Maybe, it is because I was regularly reading the Times when I became a serious wine nerd. Either way, the NYTimes has an awesome new monthly column that you should consider following, the theme = Wine School!

You may be thinking, why would I follow a NYTimes column when there are hundreds, if not thousands, of wine classes available in my city? Well, am excited about this column for two main reasons: (1) it indicates the start of a potential wine culture movement, and (2) it focuses on the wine beyond a mere tasting.

In the old days, wine was an elitist drink. Sommeliers would use lofty terms to describe a wine and restaurant wine lists were dominated by old world wines, primarily from Burgundy and Bordeaux. However, with this new column (and other blogs, like mine!) I am hopeful that there is a growing wine movement of examining wine from the "normal person's" perspective. This "normal" perspective focuses on making wine more approachable, rather than building barriers with complex wine terms and snotty commentary. By approaching wine as fun drink and explaining the complexities in a straight forward way, I hope that wine will becoming less intimidating for new wine drinkers everywhere. So I recommend checking out Eric's original column describing his "Wine School" here (Subscription may be required), and follow along with my commentary monthly here on the blog!

To start the Wine School off, the NYTimes chose Bordeaux - and I was truly skeptical!

I was skeptical of Bordeaux because the wines are usually very expensive if you want to find a quality wine. I thought, "c'mon Eric, I thought this Wine School was supposed to make wine more approachable, not scare people away!" But, I went into the experiment with an open mind and figured, let's get one of the most difficult regions out of the way first.

The Wine School set up is simply this: Eric chooses a wine region and recommends a few labels that are classic styles from that region, you taste at home and we all discuss online. The suggested wines were all from the Haut-Médoc region of Bordeaux, specifically the 2009 vintage. Skepticism reared its ugly head again because I had difficulty finding any of the labels that were suggested. But I figured if I picked up something from the same vintage and region, I would get the general idea. So check out my notes on the wine I found below:

Cheateau Greysac 2009

Where it's From?  Médoc Appellation, Bordeaux, France.

Grapes?  50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot.

My Thoughts.  So I'll admit, I cheated with this tasting. The purpose of the NYTimes Wine School is to finish your tasting before Eric posts his thoughts on the column. I bought the bottle with plenty of time, but procrastinated because I wanted to pair it with the perfect meal. Needless to say, I don't eat red meat that often (what I would consider a great pairing with Bordeaux) so I actually tasted this wine without food - after I read some of Eric's comments as well. 

No worries - the wine was still delicious, but did not overwhelmingly wow me considering I spent $20 on it. It was definitely old world style, very subtle. I picked up flavors of cherry, light pepper and mild tannin. I let the wine decant for 30 minutes before I drank it, which definitely help round out the flavors. But, I really wished I had some food with this wine, I think it would have gave the subtle flavors that complexity boost I was looking for.

Overall, I could not agree with Eric's conclusions more, Bordeaux is great - but just not a regular player on my drinking list. The main reason, you have to spend decent money to get quality. So the next time you are out and willing to spend some extra money on wine, the Bordeaux 2009 vintage is a worthwhile venture.

This month, the Wine School is tasting Beaujolais! Look forward to my review soon!

Cheers!

Wine 101: Benchmark Wines

Now that the gifts have been opened, the in-laws are heading out of town and we have rung in 2014 - its time to get back to business. This post is geared towards those wine drinkers who are aiming to move on from beginner status. So if you want to get serious about wine - the key is to inform yourself on the classics. These classic style wines have long served as benchmarks for the traditional regions or styles of wine.

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So what do I mean by benchmark wine? Check out these suggestions organized by old world vs. new world styles:

Old World Classics:

Generally, when looking for a wine standard most sommeliers suggest you turn to France. It make sense, France is the global wine powerhouse. They have been making wine for centuries and have implemented strict rules regarding winemaking. If you are looking for a benchmark regarding Pinot Noir, start with Burgundy. If you want to try a classic Merlot, look to Pomerol (technically within the Bordeaux region). If you would pass on red wines from Bordeaux and prefer the style of white wine, look to Loire Valley, for  the best examples of classic Chenin Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc. Other regions to note include Rhone, Savoie, or Jura. And finally, Champagne is the classic benchmark for sparkling wine.

For the benchmark on Rieslings, you must go to Germany. There are many styles of Rieslings, but the classics come from Mosel, Rheingau, Pfalz, Rheinhessen. The Rieslings produced in Austria are also considered within the classic style, look there for classic Grüner Veltliner. 

So you love reds but prefer to look to Italy, the classic regions include Piedmont, Tuscany, and Veneto. For more details on the specifics of these regions, check out our earlier post on Italian wine here. Similarly, the best Spanish include Rioja, Sherry and Albariño (Spanish white grape). Additionally, some sommeliers are on the fence about Bierzo or Priorat as representative of classic Spanish grapes.

New World Classics:

"New World" wines include wines made from countries outside the classic European winemaking countries. This includes the United States, South America, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and others. Look to New Zealand for classic Sauvignon Blancs with green pepper, grassy or spicy notes. As for reds, look to Australia for classic Shiraz, California's Napa Valley for classic Cabernet Sauvignon and Oregon for Pinot Noir.

Look forward to more features on these regions specifically in upcoming posts - Happy 2014!

Cheers!

French Wine 101

Dear Wine-Nerds & Friends! Get excited because two big things are happening in this post. First, I am happy to announce that the tradition of (co)hosting a holiday wine tasting party after Christmas lives on! So stand by for reviews of wine from that tasting. And second, we are finally providing an overview of the wines of France! (Please excuse my lack of proper punctuation on many of the French words, I was eager to get this post live!)

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This year's holiday wine tasting is French themed, so I have provided a general (and I mean general) overview of French wine below:

History of Wine-Making in France.  I think it goes without saying that the French are passionate about wine. But, as with most things in Europe, grapes were mostly likely introduced to the French by the Romans. However, the vast expansion of wine across the country can be attributed to Christian monasteries because they made wine for the sacrament (and for profit). Vineyards were even donated by rich patrons "seeking divine favor." But those monks definitely contributed to the history of French wine-making. For example, many wine-making break-throughs can be traced back to monasteries, such as the second fermentation process required for sparkling wine...  created by monk Dom Perignon. Since then, French winemakers have continued to develop their technique and produced much of the world's best wines - despite wars, down economies and politics generally.

Popular French Varietals.  To understand French wine, it is important to under the players. (aka grape varietals). 

• The major white grapes include: Ugni Blanc (aka Trebbiano, and used primarily in brandy production), Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Melon de Bourgogne (aka Muscadet), Semillon, Muscat and Chenin Blanc. 
• The major red grapes include: Merlot, Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Gamay, Pinot Noir, Cinsault, Pinot Meunier (frequently blended in Champagne) and Mourvedre.

Tips for Reading a French Wine Label.  France was the first country to devise a system for protecting the use of place names for wine regions and having a basic understanding of this system will definitely help you when facing the wall of wine in your local wine store. The system is administered by the INAO and mandates or prohibits certain wine-making procedures for any winery that plans to use the protected "appellation" or place name on it's label. There are four French wine appellations:

1. Vin de Table, the entry level appellation for general table wine. (Only about an 1/8 of French wine uses this designation).
2. Vin de Pays, typically reserved for wine with a geographical indication. (1/3 of French wine uses this designation).
3. VDQS or "delimited wine of superior quality," generally seen as temporary status for wines with potential to move up.
4. Appellation d'origine controlee (AOC) or "name of controlled origin," this appellation carries the high quality wines and most restrictive wine-making rules. 
   • Regional > District > Communal or Vineyard.

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Take note that the established AOC regions (like Bordeaux or Burgundy) will have regional or even communal AOC regions within them. So when reading a French wine label you will frequently see two or even three terms that describe where the wine was made. Check out the graphic above.

French Wine Regions in Detail.  

(1) Bordeaux.  The classic red wine from Bordeaux is a blend of at least 2 grapes from the following list: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec. The classic white is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. Go hear for expensive, yet quality wines. 

SUMMARY: Look here for high quality red blends, but expect to pay for it.

(2) Loire Valley.  There are four key regional AOCs located in the Loire Valley: (1) Pays Nantais, (2) Anjou, (3) Touraine, and (4) the Central Vineyards (Pouilly-sur-Loire and Sancerre).  If you like Sauvignon Blanc, look for wines from Sancerre or Pouilly-Fume. Generally, Touraine isn't known for high quality wines, with the exception of Vouvray - a region that features whites made with Chenin Blanc. If you are interested in trying wine made with Muscadet, look for something from Pays Nantais.

SUMMARY: Look here for fun whites, try anything with Pouilly-Fume, Sancerre or Vouvray on the label.

(3)  Champagne.  This region supplies 15% of the world's sparkling wine (or 25 million cases a year). Champagne is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes. Here are some fast facts about Champagne:

• Blanc de Blanc, means the wine was produced only from Chardonnay.
• Blanc de noirs, means the wine was produced only with red grapes, most likely Pinot Noir.
• You will only see a Vintage for spectacular harvests from a single year (non-vintage is more common).

SUMMARY: Look here for expensive yet quality sparkling wine. However, look for "Cremant" on the label of sparklers from any other French region, this means the wine was made in the same style as Champagne, but made in another region. (Think store brand knock-offs, same formula without the brand name).

(4) Alsace.  This is a French region with strong German roots, known for growing mostly Riesling, Gewurtztraminer, and Pinot Gris. The region has a bad reputation for making only sweet wines - but ask your local wine store rep to point you in the direction of dryer styles, because they do exist! Most wines from this region pair well with spicy food.

(5) Burgundy (in French "Bourgogne").  The secret to Burgundy is easy, red Burgundy is made from Pinot Noir and white Burgundy is made from Chardonnay. But in Burgundy, much like the Loire Valley, it is important to learn the popular regional AOCs. The two most famous are: (1) Cote de Nuits and (2) Cote de Beaune. However, Chardonnay produced in Chablis is known for exhibiting greater minerality than the rest of Burgundy. The wines of Maconnais are known for their lighter style (you may see some Gamay based wines here as well).

SUMMARY: Look here for Pinot Noir or Chardonnay with French style. Note that to get quality you will have to spend a bit more than usual, but there are great bottles out there!

(6) Beaujolais.  Frequently considered part of Burgundy, Beaujolais is quickly becoming a region of notable wines. Be sure to remember Beaujolais and Beaujolais-Nouveau are different, the latter is a quickly bottled style of the Gamay grape meant to be consumed young. 

SUMMARY: Look here for the best versions of the fruity Gamay grape.

(7) The Rhone Valley.  Generally, this region is known for its red wine. Yet, it is best to discuss the Rhone in two regions: (1) The Northern Rhone and (2) The Southern Rhone. In the Northern Rhone, red wines are primarily made from Syrah and white wines are primarily made from Viognier, Marsanne and Roussane. While, in the Southern Rhone, red blends are the most popular, featuring Grenache (a personal favorite), Syrah, Carignan, Mouvedre and Cinsault. 

SUMMARY: Look here for interesting red blends featuring Grenache. The best regions are Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas. (Pricey but totally worth it).

PHEW!  So, that brings us to the end of my overview of French wine. As you can see, I barely scratched the surface and this post is already double the length of most others. Feel free to post questions in the comments below and I will happily answer them! 

Happy Holidays and Cheers!

What is Meritage?

"In victory, you deserve champagne, in defeat, you need it." ~Napoleon

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Who doesn't love a reference that ties history, war and wine together?! The only thing that would make this post better is a way to call out the French... oh wait! We still can! This post will cover some history of the Bordeaux blend, French wine law, and the emergence of Meritage (pronounced like "heritage").

Surprisingly, and not so surprisingly, this post is one of the first to discuss French wine. I am surprised because France is the largest wine producer, in the world. (Producing approximately 8 billion bottles a year). But, I am also not surprised we have yet to cover France because there is a scary amount of information to cover.

I mean scary.

 So let's start with one of the most popular regions in France, Bordeaux.

The History of Wine Making in Bordeaux.

  Of course, the history of

vinifera

 vines in this region can be traced back to the Romans, who introduced wine production in the first century. Bordeaux wines have been popular internationally since the 12th century. (Not too shabby, right?) In fact, some even suggest that the marriage of King Henry II of England to Eleanor of Acquitane was primarily so the English could secure access to Bordeaux wine, also known as "claret." Bordeaux has remained successful ever since, thanks in part, to its iconic terroir. Generally, the Bordeaux sub-regions include: Right-bank and Left-bank (include Graves and 

Méd

oc).

So what is the Bordeaux Blend?

  The short answer, a blend of 5 grapes (most notably red) including, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Some also argue 

Carménère was part of the original blend, but today it, along with Malbec, is less frequently used. There is also a traditional Bordeaux blend with white grapes, including 

Sémillon

, 

Sauvignon blanc

 and 

Muscadelle. But let's be honest, when we think Bordeaux, we think red.

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So what is Meritage exactly?

  Well, according to the Meritage Alliance

website

, Meritage is a name created by New World winemakers to identify wine made from the "noble" Bordeaux varietals. From my legally trained perspective, I see Meritage as a (very clever) way for New World winemakers to avoid legal ramifications under the French

Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée system.

To get technical for a moment, the French AOC system is governed by the Institut National des Appellations d'Origine or

 INAO. This board ensures that all French winemakers are meeting quality standards

and

 protects the French wine making brand. Basically, words like Loire Valley, Champagne and Bordeaux are protected marks of the INAO as indicators of origin and quality. So, it is illegal for California winemakers to label their "Bordeaux style" wine with the name Bordeaux because it infringes on French property.

Enter clever New World Winemakers!

 So, in order to get around French law

and

 come up with a name for wine made in California that was a blend of several varietals (specifically the Bordeaux blend) ...  

Meritage

was born! Today, in order to use Meritage on your label, you must obtain a license from the Meritage Alliance and comply with their high quality requirements. Generally, Meritage has had limited success because American wineries are allowed to use other fanciful names to label their red blends, such as, "Red Velvet, Ameritage or Diamond Scarlet."

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Now, since we have master Meritage, let's talk Pinotage.

I will let you in on the difference between Meritage and Pinotage.

First,

they are pronounced differently. Meritage, like "heritage" and Pinotage, like "

Pin

no

tajge

." The mis-prounounciation of wine terms is by far my biggest pet peeve (and I am no expert) so if you struggle sometimes like me, check out this awesome

link

, for pronunciation tips.

Second,

Pinotage is actually the name of a grape, not a blend. Pinotage is the signature varietal in South Africa and is a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault. The grape produces wine with mixed popularity in South Africa, so if you find a producer you enjoy, be sure to leave a comment below!

Cheers!