Santa Cristina versus Rutherford Hill

Hi folks. I used a family gathering as a backdrop for a comparison of two reds, the first of it's kind for me this year.

In one corner was a Santa Cristina 2005 Toscana (Sangiovese, Italy), ABV 12.1%. In the opposite corner was a Rutherford Hill 2004 Merlot (Merlot, California), ABV 14.2%.

The Santa Cristina had a rather tight nose to me, with only earthy, woody, almost asphalt-like tones. After some swirling I began to catch a floral aroma. The taste was moderate tanins with some presence of dark fruit. To my disappointment, the finish was abrupt and left my mid-pallate feeling unsatisfied. The sudden finish had me wondering if the product was slightly watered down, not sure. For $12.00, I've had better--Score: 2.0

The Rutherford Hill's aroma was very, very fruity. There were sweet, creamy hints to it (suggesting oak played a part in it's development), with an obvious dark berry component to it. The high alcohol upon taste was very quickly masked by the balance of the fruits, vanilla/caramel hints, and very firm tanins. This lit up my entire mouth, and stayed around for a long time--I was floored by the terrific taste of this--I am sure this will be a tough one to surpass this year for me, particularly for the reasonable $17.99 price. Score: 4.5

Terrorism in the Wine Industry: The CRAV are No Sons of Liberty.

As an American who believes in personal liberty, I can’t help but look back with pride at many of the events of the American Revolution. One such event strikes a cord: the Boston Tea party, where the Sons of Liberty, dressed as American Indians, boarded a British ship and dumped tons of English tea in Boston harbor in protest of British taxes. But just for a moment imagine that tea being wine, that harbor being in a Mediterranean port, and those Indians being black ski masked shadows. However, replace the noble cause of liberty, with the goal of bringing about more socialist government regulation of free trade. This, in a nutshell, is the story of CRAV, France’s Wine Terrorist organization. But as you will see, the CRAV is anything but a modern day Sons of Liberty.

I was fascinated to recently learn that there was an outlaw organization in existence that used acts of terror in an effort to allegedly “protect” the wine industry of France. I for one would think that after hundreds of years of leading the wine world, that French wine would not require any type of extreme violent action to protect its future. Well, certain wine producers in the Languedoc-Roussillion region seem to disagree.

Little is know about the Comité régional d'action viticole(CRAV) or, the Regional Committee for Viticultural Action, other than what it claims to stand for. The CRAV first emerged sometime in 2001 and 2002. They claim to be a group of nameless but small wine producers in the south of France who have been driven to violence by a combination of declining prices, droping demand in France, less expensive imports from Spain and Italy and global competition from new world wine areas like Australia and South America. The Comité Régional d'Action Viticole is a shadowy organization which has publicly claimed to have an estimated 1,000 members and an unknown number of sympathizers who believe the French government is not doing enough to protect small wine producers from globalization.

It has claimed responsibility for bombing a grocery stores, a winery, agriculture ministry offices, hyjacking a tanker and destroying large quantities of non-French wine. On March 6 , 2006, more than 120 ski masked men armed with crowbars attacked the Mediterranean port city of Sète in France's Languedoc region. They broke into two wine merchants' warehouses and dumped thousands of gallons of wine onto the ground. Then in May of 2007, the group even went so far as to release a video which threatened that “Blood would flow” unless action was taken to raise the price of wine. But the CRAV is no joke, they are said to be influenced by Corsican and Basque separatists. Both of these known terrorist organizations, have taken many lives and at times caused wide spread econmomic distruption.

In my humble opinion, the CRAV have done nothing but hurt the wine industry of southern France. In this day and age, where terrorism has caused so much harm to so many people throughout the would, I would expect that their actions have turned wine consumers interest away from the Languedoc region. This is quite a shame since I have nothing but good experiences with wines from that region.

Instead of resorting to violence in an effort to bring about more government control, perhaps these producers should switch gears and work for less regulation and freedom. With less regulation and government control, these producers could adopt a more cost effective business model that will produce quality wine which could compete with external competitors. In the end, how ironic is that this organization was created to fight the free market when a freer market is what will ultimately solve their problems.

Expansion of the Russian River Valley Appellation: Big Business Ploy or Natural Evolution

Wow, it's been over a month since the last article! Since keeping this blog updated with new and interesting topics is one of my new years resolutions, I thought why not start early. Today's entry deals with a topic this is hot, I would expect, for those involved in the California Wine industry. Appellations and the expansion there of. Recently Wine Spectator published a piece in its Upfront section that dealt with the proposed expansion of the Russian River appellation in the Sonoma County, California. The expansion, if approved, would add 14,000 acres located in the Sonoma Coast appellation to the Russian River app.

This move is somewhat controversial for a couple of reasons. One is that if the expansion does take place, many will attribute it to the political might and power of the Ernest & Julio Gallo empire, which is the main proponent of the change. The second reason is that many opposed to the expansion argue that the soils and climate conditions are quite different from those that have made the Russian River famous. Both sides have dug in their heels and are waiting for the Board of Russian River Valley Wine Growers to vote on the proposal. A previous attempt failed two years ago when the Board unanimously opposed the change. If the growers association supports the expansion, most believe the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) will approve the petition and make the expansion law.

So where do I stand? Well, quite frankly, I believe that this decision could have serious impact on the legitimacy and reputation of the entire California wine industry. As I grow and advance as a wine lover, I have become more convinced that Terrior is more than just a French philosophical concept but is the true origin of great wine. There is something distinct and unique about wine that comes from a certain viticulture. I dare anyone to tell me that a wine that come from Barolo tastes the same as a wine made from nebbiolo grapes anywhere else in the world. It is just not the case. The great wine making regions of Europe have used their appellations to defined their terrior, we in America must do the same, if we ever want to claim a place of equality beside France and Italy.

The Russian River Valley wines have begun to establish a reputation of high quality and the wine public has been responding accordingly. With such being said, it’s no surprise that the Gallos would want to capitalize on this appellation's name and market appeal. It would be a great shame, though, if we ruined this region's growing reputation by allowing politics or money to “water” the appellation down. If the Board of Winegrowers and the TTB are wise, they will make their decision only after a detailed analysis of soil and climate is complete. If that results indeed show that the terrior is all but the same, then by all means make the expansion. However, if the results show what most expect, that the area in question is more influenced by the Pacific ocean than the Russian River, then they most not allow the expansion to take place. If they do, they will prove that the all mighty dollar is more powerful than the creation of a world class wine industry. And that would indeed be a loss to us all.

Wines had during Vernon Party

Saturday evening in Sussex County was a backdrop for a birthday celebration of two cousins. It was also a platform to partake in some vino--with wine supply exceeding demand in recent months in my house, it was high time to tap into a few bottles that have awaited their chances to be showcased. Keeping with the theme of 'trying new wines' that we've all adopted this year, I kept true to this, and pulled out and dusted off two reds and one white.

This was shocking--you have to expect that for trying several wines in a sitting you're apt to find one or more that disappoint, and hope to find a diamond in the rough. But, what if you encounter three diamonds?

Ranked from worst to first, below are my results:

3. 2005 Cortese Piedmonte Il Cascinone (Italian Cortese, $12.99)--this fruity smelling treat bore the nose of green apples and ripe fruits. The taste was dry and well balanced, having flavors of sour candy. The incredible length of this light treat made the experience an enjoyable one. Score: 3.5

2. 2006 Tasmorcan Barbera D'Asti (Italian Barbera, $16.99)--having a very vanilla and caramel candy aroma to it, this slightly brown colored gem had a very pronouned oak and cream taste to it. It had a very smooth flavor and lasted especially long. In the end I could pick up hints of black cherry soda. All in all, wow. Score: 4.0

3. 2002 Merlot Umbria Falesco (Italian Merlot, $14.00)--also having a very oaky and candy aroma to it, this wine had a more pronounced fruity bouquet on the nose than it's competitors in this comparison. The taste quickly reminded me of cream soda mixed with maraschino cherries, but slightly lower on the sweetness scale. It was a light to medium bodied wine with a nice all around profile and very enticing but not prolonged length. Another terrific find, and the best of class. Score: 4.0

Let's just hope we have that kind of luck next time!

Results of the October 18 Wine Tasting

A cool and clear night with a steady flame in the firepit on Dawson's patio was the backdrop of the first winetasting in nearly two months for us. This first of it's kind 'pot luck' theme was simple to follow--bring two bottles of something you haven't had before, red or white, already masked in either a paper bag or foil for a double-blind approach to this event. With the autumn air rolling in, it certainly made sense that we'd likely be tasting more reds than whites. The final count was two whites and 6 reds.

The results of this tasting (from worst to first using the traditional 1-5 scale, 5 being the highest) are listed below:

1. 2004 Chateau Gardey Minervois (French blend, $7.99)--a lot of pepper was detected on the nose and pallate with this one. It also offered up a vanilla and oak scent, with some vegetal tones as well. Despite the length this wine presented to the group, it's awkward delivery and finish did not convince us of it's overall drinkability--Total Score 7.0, Average Score 1.75

2. 2003 Chateau Greysac Bordeaux (French blend, $18.00)--this wine offered the anticipated oaky and vanilla components on the nose, but upon tasting seems to have somehow been 'watered down', quickly killing any lasting efforts on the pallate--Total Score 9.5, Average Score 2.375

3. 2006 Frog's Leap Napa Cabernet Sauvignon (California Cab, $40.00)--the group was in agreement that a very tight nose gripped this wine. A sweet yet very dry impression was had upon tasting, with the group also catching strong tanins. Dark fruits were abundant, but not enough to slot this effort any higher than 6th place out of 8 wines, especially at this price point--Total Score 11.5, Average Score 2.875

4. 2003 Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano D'Abruzzo (Italian Montepulciano, $12.00)--a candylike scent was sensed early on, with the expected oak, vanilla, and pepper components to the smell and taste. It had a nice length and reasonable smoothness. For the price a nice job! Total Score 12.0, Average Score 3.0

5. 2001 Hunt Cellars Syrah (Paso Robles, California Syrah, $27.50)--no recent tasting has been complete without some contribution from Paul Santinelli's arsenal of California faves. This reasonably sweet effort had a nicely balanced oak and vanilla nose and taste, with subtle pepper and seasonings in the mix. It was deemed serviceable and one to seek out again up the road. Total Score 12.5, Average Score 3.125

6. 2007 Cederberg Chenin Blanc (South Africa Chenin Blanc, $14.99)--the first of three to have distanced themselves from the rest of the pack was this white, which came across on the nose with a citris rind. It also had minerality and grassy hints to the smell. The taste was acidic and dry, having a minimal but detectable amount of lemon and/or lime in it's profile. Total Score 14.0, Average Score 3.5

7. 2007 Chateau St. Michelle Reisling (Columbia Valley, Washington Riesling, $9.00)--just edging the Cederberg out for 2nd place honors was this pear and melon scented effort from the Pacific Northwest. The citris and mineral tones to it's flavor composition were nicely organized, and when complimented with it's acidity and dryness, the group had no choice but to give this terrific selection a resounding 'thumbs up', except for Anthony, who preferred the Cederberg as the white of choice this evening. Total Score 14.5, Average Score 3.625

(Before unveiling the winner, it should be made clear that this was a major upset)

8. 2006 Alba Vineyard Old Mill Red (New Jersey Chambourcin, $17.00)--wow, the Garden State edging out Italy, France, South Africa, and the West Coast? This time, YES. The nose on this gem was very enticing, bearing lots of candylike tones, such as cinnamon and caramel. Vanilla and oak were detected both on the nose and pallate, and the medium tanins made this a VERY drinkable and enjoyable play. Upon tallying the scores, it was obvious this 8 wine contest had a clearcut winner--Total Score 16.5, Average Score 4.125

Once again another wine event has come and gone, so be sure to check on Wine Legends for updates on the next event!

Winemaking 101: Part I

Okay folks, Friday was the first part of our winemaking experiment. Myself, Mike, Hany, and Mike's friend Pete, (DUMB AL, not showing up!) met at a “Littletasteofpurple” on Dorsa Ave in Livingston, N.J. and began the crushing. We crushed enough grapes to make 1 barrel and 1/2. When finished, we will have created two types of wine, Bordeaux blend and an Old vine Zinfandel. We all pitched in and getting the grapes into the crusher and watched how the machine amazingly removed most of the stems and fed the juice, skins and seeds into a huge vat. We sampled the mixture after straining it and I have to say it was the best grape juice I've ever tasted. Tasted much like a grape milkshake, minus the milk of course.

Once in the vat, sulfites and super food were added and we began to punch it down and mix it. Once thoroughly mixed we covered the vat with plastic and set it aside for a week. In this time, the super food will help the mixture produce the yeast needed for fermentation. We are going back in a week’s time to press the mixture and siphon it into the barrels. Below are some pics of the process. I can't speak for the others, but I had a great time and would highly recommend it.

Return to Wine Library

Hey folks. In a last minute decision, I dragged my son down to Wine Library in Springfield, N.J. to take advantage of some heavily advertised sales today that I've seen on Wine Library TV over the past several weeks. In particular, 2005 Bordeaux was an offering discussed (see http://tv.winelibrary.com/2008/09/29/secret-pack-tasting-after-a-jets-offensive-explosion-episode-548/) that was available in vast quantities. So, I thought I'd take a look and see if I could find something at a decent price that I could pick up or even sample. Before starting my shopping, of course Max wanted to poke around and see the place. He found the huge aquarium on the 2nd Level not too far from the Wine Tasting tables. Well, call it good timing or call it whatever else you like, but right when we were there looking at the fish (and dodging the folks browsing all the sampling stations) an employee from the Wine Library came out stating that Gary Vaynerchuk would be doing a taping of Wine Library right where we were at the tasting table in a few minutes. As that was said, Mr. Mott appeared carrying his camera and tripod ("Mott", as Gary refers to him on Wine Library TV). Soon enough he and his guest(I think he said his name was 'Joe') came out and began talking to a few folks nearby as well as ready their set. I took an opportunity to introduce myself to "Mott", and he seemed appreciative for my acknowledging me being a regular viewer of the show. Afterward, Gary took a look over and saw Max staring at him (since he's seen him enough times on the computer while I watched shows) and said 'hello', to which Max quickly responded back with a hearty 'hi'. I waved to Gary figuring he had recognized me previously at Costco, but he went right into the start of his show--oh well.

After a few minutes Max had his fill of watching the taping of the show as well as watching the fish, so we had to take a walk and began our search for something to buy. We headed back downstairs and looked at the numerous opened cases of French wines available. I came across a small tasting station and began reading about a wine on sale for $14.98 (http://winelibrary.com/reviewwine.asp?item=42146). The fellow at the station had me try a small shotglass sized cup of this wine (it had been decanting for a few hours). The nose was very fruity, mostly a dark berries type of aroma--a very nice start! The body was medium- heavy and fruit filled, high in tanins, and very complex. It also had earthy, almost vegetal, overtones to it. What I really enjoyed was the tremendous length across my entire pallete. Nice wine. So, with that experience, I thought a bit, and after thinking back to my experiences with previous medium to medium-heavy reds like this, they really mixed nicely with hard cheeses and cream-based pasta dishes (such as my Tri-Color Tortellini Alfredo). This compelled me to pick up not one, but two of them--I also visited the gourmet foods part of the store, and decided upon a wedge of California Monterrey Jack cheese (I did originally have my heart set on picking up a package of Cowgirl cheese-any variety, but for $28, I had to pass on that). I didn't get a chance to chat with Gary this time around, but I think Max got a kick out of being acknowledged by him!