Showing posts with label Zinfandel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Zinfandel. Show all posts

Monday, July 20, 2020

Grape Spotlight: Montenegro & Herzegovina Vranac

Last October, the Embassy of Montenegro poured an excellent Plantaze Vranac ProCorde Special Reserve Dry Red Wine wine during an International Club of DC dinner. For many of us, it was the first time sampling this ancient grape that is indigenous to this relatively dry, mountainous, and Mediterranean climate. Specifically, the grapes for this wine were grown in the Podgorica subregion, Montenegrin basin of Lake Skadar - the largest lake in Southern Europe and shared with Albania. This Vranac was a dense wine with dark fruit, firm tannins, earthiness, and abundant acidity - the latter being retained by the cooler climate.  DNA  evidence also suggests that Vranac is related to Kratosija - the local synonym for Tribidrag-Crljenak Kastelanski, Primitivo and Zinfandel.

From Montenegro, Vranac spread to southward into the Macedonian Republic which has the largest plantings of this blacked skinned grape and northward into Bosnia-Herzegovina which has the third-largest planting.  In Herzegovina, plantings are clustered around Mostar which is a much hotter Mediterranean climate than Montenegro - yet Vranac is still able to retain its acidity even in warm climates. This was evident by the 2012 Wines of Illyria Vranac ($17) which resembles Italian Primitivo rather than American Zinfandel as this Black Stallion has disciplined juicy dark red fruit and layers of acidity. It finishes with a hint of bitterness and saline.  This and other Illyria wines are available on the East Coast and hopefully soon in the DC area through Siema Wines.

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Grape Spotlight: Croatian Tribidrag (Crljenak Kaštelanski, Pribidrag, Kratošija) aka Zinfandel

"When I came to America in August 1958, I saw vineyards around Chateau Souverain and I was interested to know which grapes were grown there. They told me Cabernet Franc from France and Zinfandel, but no-one knows where those grapes came from.  .... These Zinfandel grapes reminded me of the Plavic Mali grapes from my homeland in Croatia. ... I contacted Dr. Carole Meredith to tell her that I believed Zinfandel, Italian Primitivo, and Croatian Plavic Mali were the same grape. "  Miljenko "Mike" Grgich addressing the First International Conference on the Tribidrag Variety
Grgich's instincts were close. The idea that California Zinfandel was equivalent to Italian Primitivo was also proposed by UC Davis professor Austin Goheen and Wade Wolfe in the 1960s. Goheen visually inspected Primitivo from Puglia (Southern Italy) and considered them identical whereas Wolfe used isozyme analysis to strengthen that hypothesis. But it wasn't until 1995, after three years of DNA analysis, when Dr. Carole Meredith, Professor at UC Davis, concluded that Zinfandel and Primitivo were, in fact, the same grape variety.

Courtesy of Rizman Winery
Based on Grgich's recommendation, Dr. Meredith then traveled to Croatia in 1998 and,  working with Dr. Edi Maletić and Dr. Ivan Pejić, collected 150 Plavic Mali samples. Returning to UC Davis for testing the results were negative, close, but not identical. Dr. Meredith concluded that either Zinfandel or Plavic Mali was the parent of the other but couldn't determine the parental direction. Dr. Maletić and Dr. Pejić continued the search in Dalmatia, often walking row after row in small family vineyards. Eventually, they sent Dr. Meredith samples of an obscure variety called Crljenak Kastelanski that they had collected near Kastel. Actually two sets of samples with the second being an exact match. And more research showed that Plavic Mali was the offspring. Fortunately for our pronunciation, the Crljenak Kastelanski grape was also called Tribidrag and the oldest name used in Croatian literature dated to the 15th century. Thus Croatia is the ancient homeland for California Zinfandel. (One and the same? – Zinfandel, Primitivo, Crljenak Kaštelanski and Kratošija)

Well, not so fast my friend. Croatia's southern neighbor Montenegro claims that distinction based on the Montenegrin autochthonous grape Kratosija which is genetically identical to Tribidrag. Montenegrin wine enthusiast Vlado Nikaljević presents an intriguing argument that the grapes provided to the Vienna World Fair that eventually became the foundation for California Zinfandel came from Montenegro and "Venetian archives show that the Statute of the Venetian Budva mentions Kratošija 60 years before the Tribidrag references". (Montenegro - the True Homeland of Zinfandel)

Thus, Zinfandel's homeland is - to be continued....

In the meantime, a second wave has taken Croatian Tribidrag to California. Ridge Vineyards, among other California wineries,  planted Croatian selections in their Lytton Springs vineyard. They will label wine from these grapes Croatian Zinfandel since the TTB doesn’t recognize Zinfandel and Tribidrag as synonyms. Expect an update on these wines soon.

This evening I just finished sipping a Dalmatian made Croatian Tribidrag - the 2016 Rizman Winery Tribidrag ($45) - available for purchase through Croatian Premium Wine Imports. The wine includes 15% Tempranillo and is sourced from the winery's organic vineyards in the Komarna winegrowing area between Split and Dubrovnik. The south-facing slopes are steep and comprised of limestone soils. The result is a chalky old world styled wine with linear fruit, approachable and chewy tannins, and lengthy acids.
The Ridge Lytton Springs Tribidrag apparently has a similar structure -- particularly the strong acidity.

During this CV pandemic, Croatian Premium Wine Imports is conducting weekly Wednesday night virtual chats and this Rizman is the focus on the chat for tomorrow April 15th. (Funny when I wrote that final date, I immediately panicked about my taxes.)  Hope to see you online at 8pm ET. Cheers.

Monday, October 28, 2019

The Federalist Zinfandel: A Triad of Styles and Regions

We have written about The Federalist Wines in the past and now their portfolio includes three Zinfandel wines from popular California appellations - AVA's mostly dominated by old-vine zinfandel.  And with Halloween approaching, we sampled these wines with three versions of the popular Snickers bars.

The Federalist 2016 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel ($17.99)
According to the Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley, "though Dry Creek Valley grows more than than 30 different grape varieties, at the heart of our appellation is zinfandel. Dry Creek Valley’s AVA, just 16 miles long and two miles wide, is home to one of the densest concentrations of old vine zinfandel in the world". The vineyard for these grapes resides in the southern edge of Dry Creek Valley just a mile from the Russian River. The river provides cooling morning fog which extends the growing season by slowly maturing the grapes.  The wine provides toasted chewy fruit, firm tannins, slight white pepper and a tad of heat from the 15.5% abv. The standard Snickers bar provided a nice companion taming the tannins.

The Federalist 2016 Lodi Zinfandel ($17.99)
The Lodi AVA provides some of the oldest Zinfandel plantings with some considered to be Ancient Vineyards. Within this appellation, there is also an interesting east-west dichotomy within the Mokelumne River sub-AVA. The east side contains lower water tables which along with the sandier soils equate to smaller berries and clusters. On the other hand, west of Hwy. 99 the vineyards are sandy loam with generous amounts of finely crushed granite washed down from the Sierra Nevadas. This translates to darker, firmer, zestier, flavorful east side red wines in contrast to the softer, rounder, less aggressively flavored west side wines. I'm not sure from what side the grapes for this wine were grown, but its character suggests the west side as it is creamy and round with firm but very approachable tannins. The peanut butter Snickers complements the wine by providing a little more texture.


The Federalist 2016 Bourbon Barrel Aged Zinfandel ($21.99)
The Mendocino County appellation is located due north of Sonoma and is part of the larger North Coast AVA that spreads northward from San Francisco Bay. According to Mendocino Winegrowers, "Mendocino's Zinfandels are known for their rich, dark color scheme, medium to high tannin levels and a higher alcohol content...". The grapes in this wine were aged six months in American Oak barrels then an additional six months in used bourbon barrels. This process provides just a subtle hint of bourbon and heat - slight vanilla and caramel that blends nicely with an almond Snickers. The finish is tannin structure is solid yet very approachable.




Disclosure: We received samples from Terlato Wines in order to share our opinion about their products, but this isn’t a sponsored post.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Keep Warm During Halloween with Exitus Bourbon Barrel Aged Red Wine

During previous Halloween's, I would accompany the little boy with a coffee mug filled with either bourbon or red wine. Now that a chaperone is no longer wanted or needed, I distribute candy outside in order to chat with neighbors. Thus a warming beverage is still desired and this year I'm combining bourbon and red wine with the 2017 Exitus Bourbon Barrel Aged Red Wine ($20). This Zinfandel based blend (Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, and Merlot) rests three months in charred American oak barrels previously filled with Kentucky Bourbon. This aging provides additional layers of toasted oak, baking spices, and tobacco which compliments the dense fruit and chocolate core. The finish is smooth with easy tannins - but the subtle heat at 15.9% abv will keep you warm. Cheers and Happy Halloween.



Disclosure: We received samples from Exitus Wines in order to share our opinion about their products, but this isn’t a sponsored post.

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

The Federalist American Craft Wine and Candy

During a recent #BevfluenceExperience in Denver our group experimented pairing various wines with candy: Whoppers, Oreos, Twizzlers, Skittles, and several chocolates and candy bars. This is a fun concept where some items paired seamlessly and others terribly. Here are two examples from The Federalist American Craft Wine brand. 

The Federalist Honest Red Blend ($19.99)  is branded for Honest Abe Lincoln and is a blend of Merlot, Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon from three northern California appellations.  This is a friendly fruit-forward wine, medium-bodied with dark fruit, spices, and approachable tannins. We found that crunchy candy such as Twix and Oreos worked best here as the cookie brought worth the fruit and tannins.

The Federalist Cabernet Sauvignon Lodi 2016 ($17.99) is branded for Ben Franklin, who today is popular in the meme culture where various quotes regarding wine and beer are attributed to colonial hero.  Lodi's most widely harvested grape is Cabernet Sauvignon so the brand owner's selected an appropriate wine region for this wine. It is a lighter-bodied wine with juicy fruit, some spice, and easy tannins.  But add a Hersheys dark chocolate nugget to the lineup and the wine builds texture and the spices become more pronounced.  Not true for milk chocolate, however, Nor an Oreo and Twix bar. Dark Chocolate is the pairing for The Federalist Lodi Cabernet Sauvignon.

Disclosure: We received samples from Federalist Wines in order to share our opinion about their products, but this isn’t a sponsored post.

Friday, May 10, 2019

Lodi Wine: Turley Wine Cellars Old Vine Cinsault & Zinfandel

The quality of Lodi wine grapes is not only evident in the excellent wines made by Lodi wineries, but also the wines produced by non-Lodi wineries. One example is Turley Wine Cellars, who largely make single-vineyard designate wines, with several focusing on Lodi old vine Zinfandel & Cinsault. The winery is based in Paso Robles with a second tasting room in Amador and sources fruit from several of Lodi's old vine vineyards such as the Bechthold Vineyard, Kirschenmann Vineyard, Dogtown Vineyard, and Steacy Ranch. During our Snooth-Lodi visit, Turley Director of Winemaking Tegan Passalacqua introduced us to these vineyards through a couple of verticals within a single-vineyard designate and a horizontal across multiple vineyards.

The Bechthold Vineyard
The Bechthold Vineyard
Much has been written about the famous Bechthold Vineyard -- not only the oldest continually planted vineyard in Lodi but also in the world. The vineyard was first planted by Joseph Spenker in 1885 as Black Malvoisie. The self-rooted vines are not as susceptible to phylloxera (a root louse that eats away at roots near the surface) because of the extremely sandy soils in the Mokelumne River AVA.  That was not the case in Europe where phylloxera ravaged vineyards in the late 19th century until their vines were grafted upon American rootstock. Because the Bechthold grapes were believed to be Black Malvoisie, they carried little interest to commercial winemakers and were instead sold to home winemakers or shipped out of state. Al Bechthold, who farmed the vineyard from the mid-seventies until 2008, claimed "I came very close to pulling the entire vineyard several times… the only thing that kept that from happening was my age!"(1). Fortunately, before he could replant the vineyard, Kay Bogart, from the Department of Viticulture & Enology at U.C. Davis suggested DNA testing and in 2003 UC Davis determined the grapes were Cinsault.
Turley Cinsault Bechthold Vineyard
Turley is one of a half-dozen or so wineries able to source this fruit from Bechthold where they harvest a plot in the mid-section of the vineyard. Passalacqua was attracted to the vineyard because, "..wet years, dry years, early years or late years – there’s nothing an old vineyard like this hasn’t seen and almost nothing that it can’t adjust to on its own. And Bechthold Vineyard defies what a lot of people think of Lodi wines. It makes a red wine that is not heavy, not high in alcohol, but rather, light and refreshing. It reminds me of crus Beaujolais in some ways – it has structure, but also high drinkability, and its aromatics are intoxicating, extremely perfumed. Some say, as a grape, Cinsault makes a simple wine, but we do whole cluster fermentation, which adds a lot of complexity.”

We compared two Turley Bechthold Cinsault, the 2013 Lodi Cinsault Bechthold Vineyard and the 2017 Lodi Cinsault Bechthold Vineyard ($20). The later is fresh and bright with a solid fruit structure of tart raspberries. The grapes were fermented whole clustered so expect subtle tannins but loads of acidity. The 2013 retains similar brightness with the acids pushing the fruit forward. There was also more tannic structure providing a denser wine. Two delicious wines.

Turley Dogtown Zinfandel
Dogtown Vineyard
The Dogtown Vineyard was planted own-rooted in 1944 and is located on the eastern side of Lodi within the Clements Hills AVA. The region is warmer and wetter with more clay and volcanic soils in contrast to the sandy Mokelumne River AVA. Turley took over management in 1997 which required the replanting of dead spots with vines grafted to St. George rootstock. And even these juvenile vines are head-trained like the original vineyard; this trellis system creates the gnarly look of each vine and limits yields. Dogtown is also dry-farmed because says Passalacqua "dry farmed vineyards produce superior wine" (2). All of Turley's wines are fermented using wild yeast as Passalacqua noted this "gives you more complex wines, with more terroir distinctions". During our visit with Tegan, he presented a vertical tasting of three Dogtown Zinfandels: the 1997, 2010, and 2013 Lodi Zinfandel Dogtown Vineyard. The 2013 showed noticeable leather and tea mixed with sour cherries and great acidity. Still a showoff. The 2010 had lower amounts of each characteristic but the wine's acidity still made it playful. Finally, the 1997, the first vintage after Turley took over the property's management, still shows the potential of the vineyard. The fruit is slightly waning but there are boosts of acid that keep the wine lively and not flabby.

2016 Turley Zinfandel
Kirschenmann Vineyard & Steacy Ranch
The Kirschenmann Vinyard hosts ancient vine Zinfandel as it was planted, own-rooted, back in 1915.  Passalacqua owns and farms this vineyard which contains the ultra sandy soils of the east side of the Mokelumne River AVA.  Tegan has also discovered that deeper sediment contains limestone - a most coveted soil type. Like Dogtown, the vineyard is dry farmed and head-trained, but unlike Dogtown, the vineyard receives a heavier dose of the delta breezes which help cool the grapes (3).

The Steacy Ranch is another ancient vineyard (1907) and located on the east side of the Mokelumne River AVA, but this is the oldest vineyard in Lodi planted on St. George rootstock. Like the rest it is dry-farmed and the soils contain slightly more gravel interspersed with the Mokelumne River sandy soil. The older vines are harvested together to form the Turley Lodi Zinfandel Steacy Ranch the whereas the younger vines are designated for the "Juvenile" program.

Tegan provided an opportunity for a horizontal tasting for 2016 across these two vineyards as well as the 2016 from Dogtown Vineyard. And each was distinct, representing the features of each vineyard. The 2016 Lodi Zinfandel Kirschenmann Vineyard ($39) was the lightest and brightest of the trio with bright, bright cherries. Passalacqua noted this was the most Pinot-ish of his Zinfandels. The 2016 Lodi Zinfandel Steacy Ranch ($30) was meatier in the classic east side Mokelumne River style. The wine was darker, firmer, zestier, with some black tea, but abundant acids. The 2016 Lodi Zinfandel Dogtown Vineyard ($44) was the biggest with solid tannins and funk but still finishing with bright acids. Of the three vineyards, the Dogtown has the smallest clusters and yields resulting in a dense wine. Cheers to Tegan Passalacqua and Turley Wine Cellars.


(1) Lodi’s oldest existing vines: the magical Bechthold Vineyard
(2) Why Turley is bonkers for Lodi
(3) Can Zinfandel be saved? Conversation with Turley's Tegan Passalacqua

Monday, April 15, 2019

Lodi Wine: Old Vine Zinfandel & Ancient Vineyards

Marian's Vineyard at
Mohr Fry Ranches
Lodi is the "self-proclaimed Zinfandel Capital of the World" producing over 40 percent of California’s premium Zinfandel, with the vast majority of it grown in the Mokelumne River AVA. But to paraphrase a favorite song, " well...how did it get there"? According to Zinfandel: A History of a Grape and Its Wines, brothers George and William West had added Zinfandel to their Stockton based El Pinal Winery by at least the 1860s. In 1889, German-born Joseph Spenker planted a vineyard, most likely from cuttings from El Pinal, that consisted of Zinfandel, Carignan, Mission, and Tokay -- the later a Vitis vinifera table grape that closely resembles the gnarled look of the Zinfandel vine. This plot is still farmed today by Spenker's ancestors (Wanda Woock Bechthold and her son Greg Burns) in the Royal Tee Vineyard of Jessie's Grove Winery and is Lodi's oldest Zinfandel-dominated planting.  By the way, the oldest continually planted vineyard in Lodi was also planted by Spenker a few years earlier, in 1885, and is the famed Cinsault dominated Bechthold Vineyard.

Lizzy James Vineyard
Other historic vineyards, planted in the early 20th century, are Marian's Vineyard at Mohr Fry Ranches, Lizzy James Vineyard owned by Harney Lane Winery, and Soucie Vineyard. The 225 acre Mohr Fry Ranches contains nine distinct blocks of own-rooted Old Vine Zinfandel. The ranch is currently farmed by the father-son team of Jerry and Bruce Fry, whose family has been farming in California for over 150 years. Jerry named the oldest Zinfandel block, 8.3 acres of own-rooted vineyard planted in 1901, Marian's Vineyard after his mother Marian Mohr Fry Zimmerman.  The Lizzy James Vineyard is a 20-acre plot of gnarly Zinfandel vines first planted in 1904. It is named after Lizzy and James, the children of proprietors Jorja (Mettler) and Kyle Lerner, after the Mettler family purchased the vineyard in 2005. And, in 1916 Edward Soucie, Sr. planted own-rooted Zinfandel on Lodi’s far west side which is today owned and managed by fifth-generation Lodi native Kevin Soucie.

Michael Klouda at
Bechthold Vineyard
A logical question regarding these ancient vines is "do their yields deteriorate drastically over time"? Michael Klouda, vineyard manager at Michael David Winery and winemaker at Michael Klouda Wines agrees that this does occur occasionally and individual vines must be replaced periodically. But in general, modern sustainable vineyard practices have increased the health and vigor of grape clusters. Kyle Lerner mentioned a similar opinion when discussing the restoration project at Lizzy James Vineyard and the necessity of resuscitating a number of unhealthy vines.

Geographically these ancient vineyards share a common planting within the Mokelumne River AVA and are often own-rooted -- even when the St. George rootstock was available. This was possible since the sandy soils along the river are a deterrent to the phylloxera louse -- although the soils do not eliminate the threat completely -- it's just more manageable. The Mokelumne River location has remained conducive to Zin, as currently 99% of Lodi’s Zinfandel plantings are concentrated in this AVA.

That being said, there is also an east-west dimension to the soils within the Mokelumne River AVA that leads to a dichotomy in the wine styles. On the east side of Lodi (or east of Highway 99) the soil is sandier and deeper and can be described as more of a loamy sand than sandy loam; whereas west of Hwy. 99 the vineyards are sandy loam with generous amounts of finely crushed granite washed down from the Sierra Nevadas. In addition, the east side contains lower water tables which along with the sandier soils equate to smaller berries and clusters.  According to Randy Caparoso:
"...this means higher skin to juice ratios as well as earlier ripening; and both factors can result in lower pH, higher total acidity as well as increased phenolic content (the color, tannin as well as aromatic compounds of wines are derived from grape phenols and polyphenols). In plainer English, this means brighter, crisply balanced white wines, and darker, firmer, zestier, flavorful red wines. The opposite – larger clusters and berries – means lighter colored, softer, rounder, less aggressively flavored wines". 

Mokelumne River Zinfandel
During our visit, we experienced this dichotomy in practice during a blind tasting of East vs West Zinfandel.  For instance, the west side M2 Wines Soucie Vineyard Lodi Native Zinfandel, the Maley Brothers Vineyards Lodi Native Wegat Vineyard Zinfandel, and the Harney Lane Scottsville Vineyard Zinfandel share characteristics of earthiness, mushrooms, and a softer structure. Wines made from Mohr Fry Ranches' grapes also possess these classic westside traits. In contrast, eastside Zins such as the McCay Cellars Lot 13 Lodi Native Zinfandel, Fields Family Stampede Vineyard Zinfandel, and Ironstone Vineyards Rous Vineyard Reserve Ancient Vine Zinfandel share characters of a brighter cherry flavor, black tea, zestiness, and structured tannins. The Harney Lane Lizzy James Vineyard Zinfandels also fit these descriptors. These and other excellent  Mokelumne River Zinfandel we sampled were clear indicators of how the grape variety excels in Lodi.

Cheers to old-vine and ancient Lodi Zinfandel and please note that this post was heavily influenced by Randy Caparoso and his Lodi Wine Blog and special thanks to the Lodi Winegrape Commission and Snooth.

Monday, April 8, 2019

Lodi Wine: The Basics

Last week I spent four days exploring Lodi California with Snooth and witnessed the unique wine culture that reflects this region. Over the next couple of months expect regular Monday posts describing this culture.  But today I want to highlight the region's significance so here are a few basic facts available from the Lodi Winegrape Commission.

Relevance
The Lodi Appellation (American Viticulture Area) is the most prolific in California and accounts for 20% of all wine grapes crushed in the Golden State. According to the Lodi Winegrape Commission, "there are more acres of wine grapes planted in Lodi than all of Napa Valley and Sonoma County combined; in fact, more than the entire states of Washington and Oregon together, plus another 30%". Thus, Lodi is arguably the most widely planted wine region in the entire U.S. and why the region is relevant to wine consumers.

Geography
The Lodi AVA is located between the San Francisco Bay and the Sierra Nevada Mountains on relatively flat terrain. It enjoys a classic Mediterranean climate with warm days and cool evenings -- particularly when the "delta breezes" move in from the San Joaquin/Sacramento River Delta. Lodi's soils were formed millenniums ago as erosion from the Sierra Nevada mountain range were carried to the valley via the Mokelumne and Cosumnes rivers. In addition,  the land adjacent to the Mokelumne River contain layers of sandy soils where Zinfandel vines were planted own-rooted a century ago. In the east, the closer vineyards are planted to the mountains, the soil becomes heavier in clay and stone.

History
Lodi was heavily influenced by the California Gold Rush of 1849 as miners looked for farmland as an alternative to failed mining operations. Wine grapes were first planted in 1850 and in 1858 George West founded El Pinal Winery to become the region’s first commercial operation. Soon after several German families immigrated to the region from the Dakotas and their descendants are still growing grapes today - sometimes as 5th and 6th generation farmers. Along the way, Prohibition did not destroy the industry like in so many other regions as Lodi growers shipped grapes eastward for home winemakers (which was still perfectly legal). Post-Prohibition, wineries rebounded with old-vine Zinfandel becoming Lodi's unofficial signature grape.

Appellation
The Lodi AVA was created in 1986 and is located in the counties of Sacramento and San Joaquin. (TTB). In August 2006, seven new AVAs were created within the broader Lodi AVA to allow wineries to differentiate among the geographic and climate variances: Alta Mesa * Borden Ranch * Clements Hills * Cosumnes River * Jahant * Mokelumne River * Sloughhouse. However, in general, Lodi winemakers continue to utilize the broader Lodi AVA designation on their labels in order to leverage and market the Lodi name.

Grape Varieties
Lodi is predominately a red winegrowing region, with approximately two-thirds of the acreage dedicated to red grape varieties. In fact, Lodi is the "self-proclaimed Zinfandel Capital of the World" producing over 40 percent of California’s premium Zinfandel. And these are old-vine zinfandel with the oldest plantings dating back to 1888. More recently, however, Cabernet Sauvignon has overtaken Zin as the most widely harvested grape -- with many going into the bulk wine industry. Yet, the real story is Lodi's grape diversity with over 100 varieties crushed into wine with half of these German-Austrian varieties planted by Mokelumne Glen Vineyards.  Other notable grapes we will cover are the Spanish grapes Albariño, Verdejo, Graciano, Tempranillo, and Garnacha; the Italian grapes Barbera, Aglianco, Sangiovese, Teroldego, Fiano, and Vermentino; and the southern Rhone grapes Cinsault, Viognier, Syrah, Picpoul Blanc, and Clairette Blanc.

You can follow the Lodi Wine story here.  Cheers.

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

#DrinkLocal at Whole Foods Market -- Well sort of

This weekend we visited our local Whole Foods Market Brew & Brau Pub intending to try the Big Poppa Biggie S'mores Imperial Stout produced by Charlottesville's Three Notch'd Brewing Company. Unfortunately, their tap system had failed, so it was time for wine. Examining the wine list, I noticed several possible local wines from New York, Oregon, and Mendocino in California. After returning home and further research yes, the grapes were indeed, mostly sourced from within local wine regions, but not necessarily estate driven.

Madame Liberté Brut ($16.99)
There isn't much information about the wine except that it is a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir using American grapes. Thus not a local wine except it is apparently made by Gruet Winery even though the winery doesn't list it on their website. In any case, it is a delicious sparkling wine: creamy apples and depth.

Empire Estate 2017 Dry Riesling, Finger Lakes  ($19)
Empire Estate sources fruit from across the Finger Lakes - a cool climate region well known for their Riesling production as it is very similar to Alsace and Western Germany. (See Viticulture in the Cold Climate Finger Lakes) This wine is excellent, dry with racy minerals, some petrol. and uplifting acids.

Elouan 2017 Pinot Noir ($24)
Elouan is a brand that sources their grapes from three terrains in Oregon’s Western vineyards that are well suited for growing cool climate varietals. The first is the NW region - most likely including the Willamette Valley AVA -- with a temperate climate and cooling marine influences. The second is the West-Central Hills consisting of diverse microclimates through the many mountains and valleys. And finally, SW Oregon, where the elevated landscape and volcanic soils are derived from the convergence of three mountain ranges. The grapes were fermented separately, blended, then aged ten months in a mix of new and seasoned French oak. The result is fantastic: the cherry fruit turns to chalky dirt with a long lingering tail.

The Federalist Bourbon Barrel-Aged Zinfandel ($21.99)
Part of the Terlato Wines family, Federalist Vineyards produces several wines from throughout The Golden State. This Alexander Hamilton labeled wine is a blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Merlot sourced from Mendocino County and aged six months in American oak and finished six months in bourbon barrels. The later barrels impart noticeable vanilla, baking spices, and caramel with the dark black fruit rounded out by approachable tannins.

Saturday, February 23, 2019

Lodi Wine and Chocolate with Macchia Zinfandel & BRIX

Earlier this month the Lodi Winegrape Commission hosted their annual Wine & Chocolate Weekend where attendees received one ounce of 60% cocoa Medium Dark chocolate bar from BRIX Chocolate to pair with various wine.  This chocolate was intentionally created to be paired with red wine and is "composed of a base of single origin Ghanaian chocolate which is known for its unique red fruit tones.  Thus BRIX works to evoke subtle flavors and nuances in the wines it is paired with, thus complementing them rather than competing against them." Belatedly we received a sample of the chocolate as well as a bottle of Macchia Wines Mischievous 2017 Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel ($22) to evaluate this pairing.

The Mischievous is a typical fruit-forward Lodi Zinfandel produced from grapes harvested from 50 to 100-year-old vines. It was blended with some Petite Sirah to add structure and complexity. On its own, it is quite delicious. Then add the BRIX. Interestingly the chocolate is not only named for the wine term that indicates the amount of sugar in wine grapes but also comes as a solid brick. In the end, we decided to shave a little sliver into the glass - and the chocolate character blended seamlessly with the wine's fruit structure. A complete match. Fantastic. We then experimented with pairing the Zinfandel with a Hershey's Kiss and 85% German chocolate. Not even close. The darker chocolate was too bitter and clashed with the wine's fruit character and the Hersheys overwhelmed it. Instead of competing with the wine, BRIX is a solid complement to the Mischievous. Cheers.

Disclosure: We received samples from the Lodi Winegrape Commission in order to share our opinion about their products, but this isn’t a sponsored post.

Friday, November 16, 2018

The Chalk Hill 2016 Sonoma Red Wine


The Chalk Hill Winery 2016 Sonoma County Red ($24.99) is a friendly wine as our group quickly and easily disposed its contents not long after uncorking. Expect a rich and smooth dark fruit sensation mingling with spices and vanilla, before finishing with a velvety and lingering tail. It is a Bordeaux-ish blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Malbec, 3% Zinfandel, and 2% Merlot. Whereas the Chalk Hill brand is normally characterized by estate fruit, this wine is derived from grapes sourced from a combination of Chalk Hill estate and Foley Family vineyards dispersed throughout Sonoma County. [Foley Family is the parent company to Chalk Hill Winery.]   According to the tasting notes, the Chalk Hill AVA fruit provides richness, concentration, and nuttiness, whereas the Sonoma County fruit provides fruit forward nuances. These grapes are barrel fermented in French and American oak (20% new) then aged in additional 12 months in barrel. The result is a delicious wine.

Monday, October 22, 2018

Farmhouse Wines and Green Spring Farm - "Beyond Sustainable" Farming

We grow by the motto “50% for humans, 50% for nature,” maintaining an important balance between the vines grown for humans and crops grown for soil improvement, Bob Cannard & Fred Cline --Green String Farm

This method of “beyond sustainable” farming, was developed by Bobby Cannard and Fred Cline of Cline Family Cellars and is now known as the Green String method of sustainable farming.  Their laboratory, Green String Farm, is located in Sonoma - specifically in Petaluma - and "serves to teach students how to improve the biology of the lands that they steward while growing naturally healthy food".  This method includes natural remedies for pest management, fertilization, and weeding among others. For instance they use over 1500 sheep and 500 goats to remove harmful weeds from their vineyards.  They also use native root stocks which can be dry farmed (no irrigation) and friendly insects are introduced to control harmful insects.

Farmhouse Wines is the brand name for the wine produced at Green String Farm and it takes its name from the school house located on the property. The portfolio is currently comprised of two unique blends each featuring up to six grape varieties and priced reasonably at $15. Winemaker Charlie Tsegeletos is a 30 year veteran of Sonoma wine making and encourages the grapes to tell their story without the over use of oak treatments.

Farmhouse White ($15)
This is an interesting blend of 41% Palomino, 25% Muscat Canelli, 22% Roussanne, 6% Marsanne, 5% Viognier, and 1% Riesling - with Palomino better known as the Spanish grape used in Sherry.  The juice was cold-fermented in stainless steel tanks without malolactic fermentation which presents a fruit forward, clean wine expressing melon, citrus, and tropical notes and a long coated fresh finish. This wine is dangerous, the bottle is empty before one realizes how much was consumed. 

Farmhouse Red ($15)
This wine is comprised of handpicked 39% Merlot (39%) , Syrah (21%),  Zinfandel (20%),  Grenache (9%), Petite Sirah (7%) , and Mourvèdre (3%) . The fermented wine comes from a combination of both free run and pressed juice that is aged in 40% new French oak for one year.  The result of this process is an easy drinking medium bodied wine with plenty of fruit accompanied by texture and black pepper and a very bright finish.

Saturday, October 6, 2018

Exitus 2016 Vintage Bourbon Barrel-Aged Red Blend

Bourbon barrel-aged beverages have slowly seeped into the wine industry and O’Neill Vintners & Distillers entered the field with the Exitus Wines 2016 Vintage Bourbon Barrel-Aged Red Blend ($17.99). This wine is a majority Zinfandel blend incorporating lesser amounts of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, and Merlot -- then aged in mature bourbon barrels for three months. The combination of wine and spirits come naturally for this family-owned wine and spirits company as they sourced the bourbon barrels from Kentucky and the grapes from estate vineyards or 15,000 contracted acres throughout California. These grapes are fermented in stainless steel before the barrel aging which helps the wine retain the dense fruit as the barrels add leather, vanilla, and chocolate notes. A side affect of the barrels and perhaps the Zinfandel is a little heat on the nose. And the tail falls slightly flat - but overall a worthy wine. Cheers.

Saturday, July 14, 2018

Far Eastern Shore Winery: Slghtly Sweet, Fruit Infused Wines

Each year Maryland wine makers hold a competition that results in the Comptrollers Cup. In previous years, only winemakers served as judges, but for 2018 sommeliers and other industry professionals were added to the judging. The overall winner was Cactoctin Breeze Winery and a celebration was held at their winery where Gold Medal winners poured generous servings of these wines. The medal in the Sweet wine category was given to Far Eastern Shore Winery for their Dream NV Port-styled Raspberry Chocolate wine. The wine is delicious, not cloying nor gritty, and integrating the fruit and chocolate for a fine tuned wine. Whereas I had sampled many of their wines previously this wine induced me to visit the winery in Easton, Maryland using theCompass Craft Beverage Finder.

In fact the tasting room for Far Eastern Shore Winery is quite convenient to visit, right on Route 50 to the right when traveling east. When arriving visitors will instantly notice the East Asian influences that account for part of their name - Maryland's eastern shore being the other. Al the wines are fairly priced ($17 or $29 for the premium dessert wines) and a tasting of five wines costs $7. Each of the regular wines consists of a wine grape base infused with fruit juice. For instance, the Summer is comprised of a Chardonnay base infused with peach and apricot juice; this is one to continue with heading to the beach. Like the other wines this weights in at a lowly 7% ABV and 1.8% residual sugar with plenty of acidity to mitigate most sweetness. On the red side of the house, try the Black (blackberries on a Cabernet Sauvignon base) or the Wild (wild berries on a Shiraz base). Or the staff specialize in blending portions of each wine so ask your pourer for their favorite blend. Besides the Dream port wine, I came home with a bottle of their Harvest a combination of local Talbot County Vidal grapes infused with cranberries. This is quite tasty, reminiscent of mostly Vidal characters with a tad of tartness from the fruit. This wine is only available at the tasting room which gives you another incentive to visit Far Eastern Shore Winery

Friday, November 24, 2017

A Tale of Two Zins for National Zinfandel Day

Wednesday November 15th was National Zinfandel Day and we received two Zinfandel wines for the occasion. They are from two different geographic locations in California, Mendocino in the coastal north and Lodi in the Central Valley. Both share a Mediterranean climate with warm days and cool nights associated with breezes that provide both regions with a "reliable, natural air conditioning throughout the growing season". They both also share a large preponderance of small family vineyards, in many cases multi-generational.

In Lodi, the 2013 D'Art Lodi Zinfandel ($26, 14% abv) is sourced from grapes grown in the Mokelumne River sub-AVA on an 86 year old vineyard that was planted in sandy loam soils. This soil type helps provide a boldness to the wine that accompanies the jammy berry and fig flavors. The nose seems a tad hot, but the peppery finish is very smooth with enough tannins to lift the palate off the fruit characters.

On the other hand, the 2016 Artezin Mendocino Zinfandel ($18, 14.5% abv) is a blend of 85% Zinfandel, 10% Petite Sirah, & 5% Carignan, This is a Hess Collection brand intended to "honor the art of making Zinfandel from old vine plantings and work with family owned farms throughout Mendocino and Sonoma Counties". Many of these family farms are featured in the website's Meet the Farmers section which includes Paul Dolan and his bio-dynamic The Dark Horse Ranch. And the blend composition is reminiscent of the early Italian immigrants who grew grapes for home wine-making and blended these varietal wines to achieve robustness. The Artezin is robust as well with a dried cherry aroma, a pleasant peppery and fig palate, and a subtle peppery but smooth finish. Plenty of acids too. Nicely done for both of these wines and cheers to National Zinfandel Day.

Monday, August 21, 2017

A Summer Red: Chateau Montelena Winery 2014 Calistoga Zinfandel?

I suspect, like me, most of you associate Napa's Chateau Montelena Winery with their Judgment of Paris Chardonnay or their Cabernet Sauvignon. And rightfully so since these are consistently excellent wines. But even with a visit to the winery many years ago, Chateau Montelena's other wine varietals never became ingrained in memory. That changed when I received a sample of their 2014 Calistoga Zinfandel ($29). The marketing sheet exclaimed that this was "the wine you should be drinking on the beach this summer" and my initial reaction was right, I bet. Lodi and Paso perhaps, but from Napa - nah.

According to winemaker Matt Crafton, the Chateau Montelena Zinfandel is "re-invented" each year and the noticeable aspect is that the fermented Zinfandel was aged in a combination of French, American, and Irish oak casks - the first time this later oak treatment has been used in California in over a century. Also noticeable is that the grapes used were a combination of old-vine Zinfandel from the Tofanelli Ranch and new plantings of estate Primitivo. And the wine is made in the rustic Italian style, lighter in color and fruit, but complex with notes of earthy dirt, tobacco, cinnamon, and cherries. The finish is very smooth with approachable tannins and light pepper and chocolate.  Thus, this wine is ready for a summer BBQ or an evening sip on the deck. The Chateau Montelena Zinfandel deserves respect alongside their more accomplished Chardonnay and Cabernet. Cheers.

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Lodi Rules, Sunflowers, Herbs, and the M2 Wines 2014 "Old Vine" Zinfandel, Soucie Vineyard

In 2005 the Lodi Winegrape Commission implemented California’s first 3rd party-certified sustainable winegrowing certification program with The Lodi Rules™ for Sustainable Winegrowing Program. The program is accredited by Protected Harvest and certifies sustainable management of the ecosystem, soils, water, business practices, human resources, and pest control. There are 101 measurable standards that emphasize sustainable measures such as reduced pesticide risk to farm workers, consumers, and wildlife.  Lodi is home to over 80 wineries and over 36,000 of the approximately 100,000 acres of premium wine grapes are certified green.

April is Down to Earth Month in California and to celebrate the month and Lodi Rules™ LoCA created a wine kit containing a wine made from Lodi Rules™ grapes packaged in a reusable wine box. The package I received contained the 2014 "Old Vine" Zinfandel, Soucie Vineyard - Lodi, Mokelumne River, Block 1916 ($30, 15.7 abv) from m2 wines. The wine is excellent: big, chewy, and assertive; cherry cola and spices; with a hot chocolate finish. The zinfandel vines were planted in 1916 by Edward Soucie and is now managed by his grandson and fifth-generation Lodi native Kevin Soucie. As a bonus the kit included not only herb seeds for the wine box that can be re-purposed into a kitchen garden, but a compost bottle tag embedded with sunflower seeds. Let the garden growing begin. Cheers to Lodi Wine and Lodi Rules.

Friday, July 1, 2016

#WineStudio Presents Sonoma’s Rosé Revolution

After a soggy May it was time to pivot to summer with June's #WineStudio Session 35: Sonoma's Rosé Revolution. And indeed the revolution has spread throughout the valley and across multiple grape varieties.Wineries are using the two traditional methods for producing rosé, either gently pressing the grapes as in Provence or using the saignée or bleed from red wine production. This session featured four Sonoma wines: Passaggio Wines 2015 Rosé Merlot SonomaEllipsis Wine Company 2015 Rosé of Pinot Meunier Sonoma CountyPedroncelli Winery 2015 Dry Rosé of Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley; and Angels & Cowboys 2015 Rosé Sonoma County (Grenache Rouge, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Grenache Blanc). I received a sample of the last two with notes below. Cheers.

2015 Pedroncelli Winery Dry Rosé of Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley ($12). The grapes are harvested from prime Dry Creek Valley fruit, the Pedroncelli estate as well as Buchnignani vineyard. This rosé is made by combining both popular methods, the free run juice from early picked grapes (60% of the blend) and 40% saignée (juice which was drawn from the fermenting tank of fully ripened Zinfandel). Because of the the fruitiness of the Zin, the wine feels slightly sweeter than dry (.4% R.S.) and  looks like cherry gummy bears in the glass. The flavor starts with candied red cherries and a side of mint, but as the wine warms strawberries evolve, with the fresh acids persisting throughout. A simple, yummy, and refreshing wine.


2015 Angels & Cowboys Rosé Sonoma County ($15). The brand is a collaboration between Cannonball Wine Company co-founders, Yoav Gilat and Dennis Hill, and Northern California graphic artist, Michael Schwab. The wine is a field blend of Grenache Rouge, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Grenache Blanc sourced from vineyards in Carneros, the Alexander Valley and the Dry Creek Valley. The grapes are harvested early, lightly crushed and macerated on their skins as in the Provencal style. After a long fermentation at cooler temperatures the wine rests on its lees to increase the mouthfeel and texture. Unfortunately my bottle was consumed without my presence when friends visited, but here's what other participants had to say. 

Dezel Quillen ‏@myvinespot: Though sleek & racy, @aandcwines rosé carries enough weight/texture to move onto the the dinner table w/ grilled fish, bird, etc

Gwendolyn Alley, MA ‏@ArtPredator: Palette: watermelon, honeydew, cucumber. Crisp with minerals, light fruit, sage in finish. Angels and Cowboys #rose

Debbie Gioquindo,CSW ‏@hvwinegoddess: Everything is nice on this wine! The minerality, freshness, the citrus finish the violets on the nose....

Saturday, September 19, 2015

Motto Wines - "Bold & Rich" California Wine?

With the supply of inexpensive wine growing, the challenge is to find brands that exceed the quality you would expect from this category. I received three such wines from Motto Wines, a new brand which sources California grapes and produces the wine at an SRP of $15. The brand markets themselves as producers of bold, rich, fruit forward wines by fermenting lots separately then blending right before bottling to create the most favorable profile. I found that claim true for their 2013 GUNG HO Red Blend (14.5%) - 60% Zinfandel, 23% Petit Verdot, & 17% Petite Sirah. The wine was aged for 10 months in a combination of older and once-used barrels as well as stainless steel tanks. This wine was quite pleasant with soft fruit flavors with a juicy creamy texture and easy tannins. Very approachable. My next favorite was the 2013 UNABASHED Zinfandel (14.5%). Made in the same fashion as the Red Blend, this wine is more fruit forward, with a spicy red cherry profile and the same soft tannins, albeit with a little more spice. The final wine,  2013 BACKBONE Cabernet Sauvignon (14.5%), just didn't make an impression. Same production method, but the aroma started hot and the fruit fruit flavors intertwine with the tannins in a race to the finish. These wines may not be as Bold and Rich as advertised, but the Red Blend is a good buy at this price range. Cheers.

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Get to Know Oak Ridge Winery's Lodi OZV for #WBC16

Now that the 2016 Wine Bloggers Conference has been scheduled for Lodi California it's time to start researching the region's history and wine culture. The Lodi AVA consists of 90,000 acres of vines within seven unique sub-appellations. It has a Mediterranean climate with hot days cooled at night by ocean breezes. The soil? Primarily sandy.

As for the wineries, a good place to start is Oak Ridge Winery. This is the oldest operating winery in the Lodi AVA and started in 1934 as a wine making cooperative of local grape growers.  In 2001, Rudy Maggio and his partners, Don and Rocky Reynolds purchased the winery and retained many aspects of the historical property - for instance the building for Lodi's first tasting room.  Today the winery produces several brands including its signature Old Zin Vines (“OZV”).  The wine is made from grapes harvested from 50-100 year old zinfandel vines spread throughout the winery's various estate vineyards.

And what defines old vine zinfandel?  The Historic Vineyard Society, documents older vineyards in the interest of preservation and defines old vines or historic vines as:
  • Currently productive vines
  • Vines planted no later than 1960
  • At least one third of vines traceable to the original planting date

Last week I received a couple samples of old vine Zinfandel from Oak Ridge. They are both reasonably priced wines at $14 and available in most states. Check out the winery's locator.

2012 OZV Old Vine Zinfandel ($14, 13.95%) - includes some Petite Sirah and Merlot, but primarily Zinfandel from 50-100 year old vines. The wine is both creamy and jammy with slight spices throughout. It finishes with very easy tannins.


2012 OZV Red Blend ($14, 13.5%) - a blend of Zinfandel, Cabernet, Petite Sirah and Merlot. This wine is also jammy (red cherry) with more of a velvety texture, some spice, and more easy tannins. This wine was also a big hit at a family birthday party.  Cheers to that.