Tasting a Blend from Lazio Italy in the LaVista Wine Cellar

Exploring Southern Tuscany's Morellino based Wines

It's been far to long between posts, is the thought that crossed my mind as I sat here sweltering in 95 degree heat with no air conditioning. So here goes. I've been meaning to share a successful experience with BottleKing and one of it's sales. The wine is Morellino di Scansano, Moris Farms, DOC 2006. Moris Farms vineyard is located in the village of Grosseto in Maremma, Tuscany. Maremma is located in the south western corner of Tuscany and borders the sea.

Beautiful rolling hills and valleys with temperatures moderated by the Medeterrain make is the perfect location for successful viticulture.


The main grape grown here is Morellino, a strain of the Sangiovese grape that dominates most of the Tuscan region. This particular wine that MorisFarms produced was comprised of 90% Morellino and 10% Syrah and Merlot. So on to the tasting. The wine had a light body, almost as light as a pinot. The nose was relatively tight but I did detect a hint of strawberries. The tasting was quite interesting. Started off sweet with the presences of black cherry and Strawberry but quickly faded to a distinct and powerful oak flavor (perfect for a dryhead like me). The wine was lightly tannic and the introduction of cheese quickly evaporated any tannins to create a sliky smooth experience. The overall tasting experience was quite long for a light bodied wine. At 14% alcohol, it can pack a bit of a punch but the wine was not "hot" at all. The price tag on this jewel was $13.99. I must say that I was very pleased and would rate this bottle a "4" on our scale. To me, this was the perfect summer alternative to the usually weak reds we associate with warm weather. I will definitely be returning to buy more, perhaps a case. Try it today. You won't be disappointed. Stay Cool!

If you are interested in more information on the Maremma region check out http://www.maremmaguide.com/. The above photos provided curteous of that site.

Next Wine Tasting

Just a reminder. The next Wine Tasting will be on May 22 at 4pm at my house. We will be doing whites this time. I'd recommend keeping the price between $15-$20. Since we did a Chardonnay tasing not very long ago, please to to choose different whites. The primary idea of this tasting is to get a good cross section of the white wine available and their differences. Several different choices include Pinot Grigio, Sauvingion Blanc, Viogner, Reisling, Gwvertstriminer (sp) to name a few.

An Evening of Pio Cesare

Al DeMeo and I spent a cool and rainy April evening by the fire tasting two wines from a classic old world producer from Piedmonte, Italy, Pio Cesare. The first was a 1998 Barbera d'Alba. This wine was decanted for a 2 hours before pouring. The nose was interesting to say the least, a bit of red cherry that turned into a bitter odor of coffee. The tasting experience however, was disappointing. The body was uncanningly light, even for a barbera, the tannins were very low and the only real taste was that of black cherry that quickly evaporated to leave a water bitter taste. Undoubtedly, a Babera is past it's prime at 12 years.

The second wine was a 2005 Barolo. This wine had an overpowering nose of deep black cherry and alcohol.I have always thought the nebbiolo grape wines have a distinct odor, much like that slivery mettalic whiff that fills the air before a late spring or early summer rainstorm. This wine was no exception. In terms of its state, the tannins were intense and overpowering, although the taste of black cherry did a great job of maintaining it's own against that natural tannic nature of the Nebbiolo. There is no question that this wine needs about 5 to 7 more years of aging and it will be stellar. As the tannins soften and the alcohol burns off, this wine will open up new flavors to the pallet. It was evident even as we drank it over a few hours that aging will increase the smoothness and deliver a long lasting tasting experience to the drinker. Buy this one and put it away. It will be one of the great ones.

Pinot Noir Tasting

A great time was had by all. Too bad Joe L. and Drew had to leave before the pic was taken. The theme was American Pinot Noir, with wines from various appellations in California and Oregon, with a couple of curve balls, one from Italy and one home made wine. Here are the results from worst to best:

8. Kanzler Pinot Noir, (Cal, Sonoma), 2006- average score 2.07- $59.99
7. Capiaux, Gary's Pinot Noir,(Cal, Sonoma) 2007- Average score 2.21- $44.99
6. Vince's Nasty homemade Cab 2007- (curve ball) 2.71 -$11.00
5. Loring Keefer Pinot, 2007(Cal Central Coast) - 2.8- $49.99
4. Roco Pinot Noir, 2006 (Oregon-Williamette Valley) -2.93-$31.99
3. Madonna Alta Pino Noir,, 2007 (Italy) 3.07- $19.99
2. Etude Pinot Noir Carneros, 2006 (Cal, Napa) 3.21- $35.99
1. Boedecker Shea Pinot Noir, 2006 (Oregon- Williamette Valley) 3.43- $45.00

Once again, shows you that high price does not translate into high quality.

Wintery Evening for some Reds

Hey everyone. Last Saturday night, some miserable weather provided the backdrop for a chance to try out some wines over Dawson's house. Three red wines (a Merlot, Shiraz, and Other) were showcased. In order from worst to first, the results are as follows:

1. 2006 Devil's Marbles South Eastern Australia Shiraz-this nicely light bodied effort had a very sweet nose. The sweetness continued on the mid palate, accompanied by pepper, and was very dry. This was an average one for me, and a bit sub-par for Dawson. At $8.99, serviceable but not remarkable. Average Score: 2.75

2. 2007 Sicilia Rosso Dry Red Wine (other red varietal)--also bearing a fruity and sweet nose, this very smooth effort was very balanced, nice length, and nice tanins. This $9.99 bottle is certainly worth it. Average Score: 3.5

3. 2005 Rutherford Hill Napa Valley Merlot--WOW. I had this one before and was extremely impressed (2004 vintage), and wanted to showcase it this evening. This very dark gem had a light body to it, with smoky and red berry aromas to it. This ultra-smooth effort had some incredible length and complexity, offering the fruity, slightly hot, and silky properties that made it by far the best in class. At $19.99, definitely one to see out. Average Score: 4.5

More wine tastings hopefully on the way before the end of the winter season!

Bring on the Holidays and the Wine

Hello All. Well it goes without saying that it's been too long since this blog has been updated. So with Thanksgiving 2009 behind us and the Holiday Season upon us, I thought it an opportune time to re-ignite our little online wine diary.

This weekend, I stopped by my local bottle king and picked up a bottle for a personal wine experience. I decided to continue my quest for surprisingly good wine at recession prices. That quest led me back to the Italian section and the Piedmonte region. It's no secret I'm a big fan of the Barolo's and just about any wine made from the Nebbiolo grape.

But this time, I thought I’d mix things up a bit and chose a Barbera based wine from Alba. Renato Ratti, Torriglione, Barbera D'Alba, 2008. Moderately priced at $12.00. This wine had a ruby red color and legs that just wouldn't quit; long and slow were these stems. The nose was no surprise and typical regarding my experience with Barbera wines, an odor of deep black cherry. However, when I let it sit for a while and took another sniff, I detected a slight bouquet of flower. Very interesting!

The taste was very dry at first but after a few seconds the sweetness of that black cherry showed up. Unfortunately any evidence of tannins ever being present was non existent. The body was very light and smooth, without the slightest hint of the burn from an alcohol content of 13.5%. The disappointing aspect of this wine was that the tasting experience did not last long, leaving me flat and wanting more in terms of complexity.

All in all, it was a decent wine for the price. I enjoyed drinking it without a food compliment and the experience did not change much after a day's aging. I give it a rating of 2.75, however, due to price point; it ranks high on my everyday wine list.

So that's my little Holiday season launching story and here's hoping we'll get some new posts real soon. Stay tuned and bring on the Wine drinking season!!!!

Results of June 13 Wine Tasting

Hey folks. Sorry for the delay in getting these results out there for review.

Prior to the Dinner and Tasting, Anthony, Dawson, and Jon-Paul did take another trip to the Alba Vineyard for more tasting of wines as well as picking up some. Despite a torrential downpour on the way back to Anthony's house, the visit was a nice one.



Given the 'Chardonnay' theme for this wine tasting, lighter foods such as chicken and shrimp scampi were selected for dinner, along with typical staples such as bread and cheese, and some terrific bruschetta prepared by Anthony. Participating in this tasting were Anthony, Drew, Dawson, Joe, and Jon-Paul.



In order from worst to first (average scores of all scores using our standard 1-5 scale):

1. Byron 2006 Santa Maria Valley (California, $17.99)--This tight nosed effort showed some sweetness but with little length, was not a fave of the group--average score: 2.3

2. Guenoc Lake County 2007 Chardonnay (California, $9.99)--This effort had a medium body with sour apple on the nose. The flavor was typical of an oak storage (vanilla and cream), but was noticeably hot--may need more time to relax--average score: 2.6

3. Kim Crawford Chardonnay Unoaked 2008 (New Zealand, $17.99)--the nose was incredibly vegetal and lemony, and bore some great length, but for the majority of the group was not an appealing selection--average score: 2.6

4. La Crema 2007 Chardonnay (California, $15.99)--Having practically no aroma, the textbook flavor profile of this left no remarkable impression--average score: 2.6

5. Chateau St. Michelle Indian Wells 2006 Chardonnay (Washington, $13.99)--with a vegetal nose, this effort bore kiwi and creamy components to the flavor profile, which were very intriguing, but ended way too quick--average score: 2.9

6. Montrachet Pierre Chassagne 2006 (France, $65.00)--this refreshing light wine had the smell of yard and flora, with a light, acidic taste--average score: 3.0

7. Grgish Hills Chardonnay 2006 (California, $37.00)--Another tight-nosed effort, this did have some intriguing tart, sour apple, and pear flavorsaverage score--average score: 3.3

8. Mer SoLeil 2006 Chardonnay (California, $30.00)--by far, the class of the bunch, this lemony smelling, medium bodied wine had terrific balance and complexity, and incredible length. average score: 3.8

Wine Making Part III

It was a warm Friday evening in May when New Jersey's premier wine makers converged on "A Little Taste of Purple" at 68 Clinton Road in Fairfield to bottle the American Bordeaux and Old Vine Zin that have been aging in Oak for seven months. Mike, Anthony, Hany, Pete, Al and Steve were all in attendance for the festivities. The process was simple but labor intensive. First we washed the bottles. Then the wine was placed in steel drums which was linked to the bottling machine. One man filled the bottles (6 at a time) , then passed it on to the next who was at the manual corker. Next the bottle was passed to have the foil melted over the cork. Finally our own custom labels were placed on each bottle. There was only one hitch, a small one with the Old Vine Zin which will lead to Wine Making Part IV in two weeks. More to come so stay tuned.
Bottle Washing

Filling Machine

Corking


Melting the Foil

The Gang at Work

Results of April 25th Wine Tasting

Hello everyone. On Saturday, April 25, a wine-tasting and dinner to salute 5 of the many distinct wine-producing regions of Italy was hosted by Dawson Bloom. Five randomly selected wines (one from each region) were compared by Dawson Bloom, Vin Trupia, Joseph Fernicola, Anthony LaVista, and Jon-Paul Lenczuk.

Regions represented in the tasting were Calabria/Basilicata, Veneto, Piedmonte, Umbria and Abruzzo, and Sicily. Accompanying these reds for dinner were a spread of sliced meats, sausage and pasta, various hard and semi-soft cheeses, grapes, and Torellini Alfredo (I'm drawing a blank on if we had dessert or not).

In order of least favorite to most (on the traditional 1-5 rating scale), the results are as follows:

1. Lamuri Nero D'Avola (2005 Sicilia)--a peppermint and chocolate flavor came across with this, creating some initial interest. However, with mild tanins and a rapid fire finish, it was leaving us generally not overly impressed, particularly at a $23 price point--average score 2.85

(Tie for 2nd to last)--

2. Barbera D'Asti (2005 Piedmonte)--Slight black cherry aromas came from this tight-nosed red, with a high degree of heat on the palate. Though smooth, it was only an average find, but servicable for $12.00--Average score 3.1

3. Carpineto Chianti (2002) Vanilla was immediately detected on the nose, along with some minerality. A smooth, caramel, non-fruity flavor profile vanished rather quickly. It, however, was also serviceable at approximately $22.00--Average score 3.1

4. Re Manfredi (2002 Basilicata) Black licorice burst forth on the nose, with hints of smoke to complement the distinct aroma. Cranberries could be identified on the mid-palate, along with some smokiness. This was a smooth effort with moderate tanins. A quality find around $23.00 !--Average score--3.3

5. Ripassa Superiore Valpolicella (2006 Veneto) Getting the nod as the 'best of class' this evening was this gem from Northern Italy. Bearing a delightful scent of dark fruits, this tasteful vino was full bodied with intense fruity tones to it. The length was exceptional and smooth. Very good! Average score--3.5

For a 2nd tasting in a row, there was a rather narrow range of scoring. With warmer weather quickly approaching, white wines and PotLuck tastings will likely steer wine tastings into the summer of 2009. Stay tuned!

Wine Tasting "Italian Reds" Coming up April 15

The next wine tasting is quickly approaching. Most of the old crew is back together, As Vin Trupia has returned after almost a year's hiatus, although Mike DiChiaria remains missing. We have added a new member, Drew Thomas, who first joined us for our last tasting of Spain's reds.

This tasting will be very interesting, as we will be tasting wines from many of Italys regions, not just the most popular ones of Piedmonte and Tuscany. Other regions include Umbria, Abruzzo, Calabria, etc. It has been quite some time since we focused on Italy and Im excited to be taking a look back, especially with most of the focus these days on South America.

Dinner with Friends and oh, a Birthday!

Hey folks. While unfortunately this post is a bit late, I thought it was high time to recap dinner in Hackettstown, NJ. in celebration of Anthony's birthday.

A nice time was had on Saturday, March 7 in West Jersey, as the normal cast of characters met up at 'The Prickly Pear' for dinner, catching up on everyone's lives, and enjoying each other's company.

A number of wines were brought to this dinner, and I wanted to take a moment to highlight a few of the ones that really stood out:

1. 2001 Silvio Nardi Brunello Montepulciano--this was a very old world style wine, to the nose and taste. Great length, great balance. (ABV 14.0%)
2. 2006 Ravenswood Vintners Blend Petite Syrah--this had an enjoyable profile to it, fruity, but not overbearing at all. (ABV 13.5%)
3. 2008 Kimberly Crawford Sauvignon Blanc--an amazing white, very grapefruit and apricot components to this well made effort (ABV 13.0%)
4. 2007 Ridge California Sonoma County Three Valleys--this was a solid find, the hottest to the pallate, and had a nice length to it. (ABV 14.3%)

Given each of the pricepoints of the wines above (highest was around $27), the PQR (per GV) certainly warrants repeat purchases of each up the road!!

Winemaking Part II

Although this took place back at the end of October. I'd thought I'd bring you up to speed on the second part of the wine making process. The first part consisted of crushing, putting in the enzymes and super food and punching it down. Then we came back two weeks later for the pressing. Below are some pictures. Wow what a messy process. When that hydrolic press goes to work, grape juice goes everywhere, including the ceililng. The next step will be tasting the wine after is has been in oak for 5 months. Really looking forward to that tasting.

Results of the February 28 Wine Tasting

Hey folks. After a lengthy holiday layover, we finally managed to put together another successful wine-tasting and dinner, had at Anthony LaVista's home. This tasting's theme was wines from Spain.

In an effort to keep things interesting for our tastings moving forward, Anthony did some recruiting to incorporate new tasters into the mix. From two prospects emerged one new attendee, Drew. In attendance otherwise were Joe Fernicola, Dawson Bloom, and me.

Available to start off the dinner were various Spanish Cheeses with a quince spread (the only type of cheese I precisely recall was Manchego, but there were about 4-5 varieties in total). They went over VERY well, with everyone devouring all but the rinds. Also available for dinner was a delicious London Broil and a huge tray of Paella Valenciana. Not faring as well on the popularity scale was blood sausage and chorizo, which had been inadvertently burned during cooking. For dessert was apple pie.

While I ordinarily post the results with ranking, score, and pricetag, I just realized that I don't have the scores, just the ranks--we can append this post with these scores (which I know we have). Also, since the pricetags of each of the wines all hovered between 11 and 20 dollars (with the exception of the Tabernero, which was $7.99), no dollar amounts are mentioned below--

In order of rank, from worst to first, here are the results:

7. Tabernero Borgona 2006 Demi-Sec (Peru)--Each tasting of ours is always known for having a curve ball in the mix. This one, brought by me, was no curve ball--it was more of a wild pitch. Aside from the extreme sweetness which would make it a better fit for a dessert wine tasting, it did not go over well with the tasters, expect for Dawson who professed some level of tolerance for it, as did I.

6. Menguante Seleccion 2004 Garnache--Having an oak and toffee aroma, this was somewhat awkward and hot. It wasn't bad, but beating out only the demi-sec isn't saying much.

5. Mas Donis Barrica Celler de Capcanes Montsant 2005--this was a rather sweet-smelling, floral effort. The dark fruit taste came though and had a decent length--more preferred by Dawson and me than the others.

4. Marquis de Olivara Tinto Crianzo 2004--the nose was a pronounced medley of red berries. Tasting presented some firm tanins, a lot of heat, but balanced in a solid manner.

3. Montecillo Rioja 2005 Grianza--This had a very sweet nose, and it's taste had components of once frozen, now thawed black/dark fruit--very smooth and had a medium length.

2. Ramirez de la Piscina Reserva 2001--this nose was an intesting mix of earth and hints of fruit. It was incredibly smooth to the taste and had a nice length to it.

1. Marquez de Riscal Reserva 2004--by a wide margin, this effort bore an oaky and very grape jolly rancher nose. The firm tanins in this heavier, jammy effort were complimented by a nice length with only a hint of heat--nice job!

I am hopeful that since my notes are a bit more abbreviated than normal, any attendees to this dinner could perhaps fill in any gaps or augment this post as appropriate.

As always, we look forward to the next tasting event!

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.