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The Dessert Dilemma The Trap The 2064 Upon 's Frontier Tasters Guild Journal

CONTENTS:

3 The Varietal Trap By Don Berger 4 Upon Burgundy's 'Frontier' By Todd Ross 6 I Grew up Drinking Sweet By Brian Cain

8 The Dissert Dilemma By Michael Schafer 9 The 2064 Vintage By Dr. Richard Vine, PhD 10 Consumers' Judging Results 11 Double Gold Tasting Notes

12 Retailer's Shelf By Dick Scheer 14 Ask Tasters Guild By Joe Borrello

is published two times a year by TASTERS GUILD INTERNATIONAL 1515 Michigan NE Grand Rapids, MI 49503 (616) 454-7815 Fax (616) 459-9969 e-mail: [email protected] Website: www.tastersguild.com Editor Joe Borrello Creative Director Wayne J Brown Copy Editor Beth Ann Theiste Associate Publisher Robert Machera Cover Photo by S. Niedzwiecki www.StacyN.com Artwork created by Ron Pleune of ArtEngage! – Rockford, Michigan For advertising information, please contact: Machera Associates Phone/Fax: 802-442-8523 E-mail: [email protected]

2 HOLIDAY 2014 TASTERS GUILD JOURNAL By Dan Berger The Varietal Trap

The varietal trap is the situation California acidity), and so forth. display better aspects of fine and often find themselves in when Such a could be similar to the didn’t resort to any hot-climate fruit, which crafting a wine, usually a red. Rhône blends that we have seen in such often signals a wine that is soft and simple. They have to use key varietal for as Côtes du Rhône, as well as California And (b) the percentages indicate that the at least 75% of such wines because generics wines that emulate these. blend wasn’t a simple 50-50 afterthought. It don’t sell for as much money, no matter how If the majority of such a wine is from cooler was a consciously considered blend. good they are. Moreover, for better or worse, climates, the result can often be a charming The multiple appellation may not be the best Americans are so variety conscious that they alternative to some mundane with solution to the problem associated with the feel more comfortable buying a wine that its weedy, over-ripe aroma and its fat, soft, California appellation, but it has been adopted says “Merlot” or “” on its formless finish. But can the consumer by others who are making blends from fruit label than anything that says “red .” really know what region is represented if its grown in cooler regions than Kern County. The latter is often associated with cheap appellation is California? For one, the successful wine entrepreneur plonk; are “chic” because they Indeed, it is the coastal nature of the fruit Cameron Hughes has used dual appellations indicate that the wine was made from a that helps make such wines better than their on some of his products and the consumer single variety, which always sounds more central valley counterparts because the is truly benefited from knowing where the prestigious. fruit can remain on the vine longer to gain grapes were grown. But when the appellation on the label is complexity, rather than be picked early when California, two things are likely. One: Some heat drives the sugar up before mature flavors “Dan Berger’s Vintage Experiences,” a of the fruit (perhaps a lot of it) has come from develop. four-page weekly newsletter on wine is high-density vines growing in California’s hot It was this very argument that drove a sent via First Class U.S. Mail or email to central valley. Two: About 25% of the wine number of coastal in their quest subscribers. It is available to wine lovers for may not be of the named varietal. to gain official U.S. appellation status for a $52 per year, 48 issues, and contains stories, California Coast appellation in the late 1990s. commentary, tasting notes and humor. To see The Varietal Misnomer The wineries, headed by Kendall-Jackson, a sample or order a subscription go to www. So a Merlot with a California appellation argued (correctly, in my view) that coastal vintageexperiences.com or call 888-662- could well be made up of 75% Merlot from grapes were significantly better than central WINE for further details. south of Fresno and 25% of the wine is a blend valley grapes, and an appellation would of high-tonnage grapes from varieties that are recognize that fact. anything but fine. The result would be a blah The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and wine that, chances are, has no resemblance to Firearms (now called the Tax and Trade Merlot. Bureau) rejected the admittedly controversial Yet Merlot is what marketing managers for proposal, leaving wineries who want to blend major wineries want, a lot more than they a bit of Napa fruit with that of Monterey, for want generic wines that have all coastal fruit example, to use a California appellation. and might well be a lot better . However, there is another solution and Besides, in the under-$10 price category, Kendall-Jackson took it starting more than a most varietal red wines have no particular decade ago. varietal character. The most we can expect is When appropriate, the firm began to use for the wine to be sound and drinkable. Sorry dual appellations on its Grand Reserve to deliver such curmudgeonly news. But wines, starting with the 2000 reds. The that’s the reality of cheaper varietal red wines. Grand Reserve wines have always had a I have long championed sound, well-made California appellation. Starting in 2000, K-J blended red wines when the fruit was from used multiple appellations, so a wine could cooler, coastal regions; when such fruit is be listed as 71% Napa Valley, $39% Sonoma handled with care, and when the result is County. balanced with good acidity, blended reds can These were varietal wines. But wineries be excellent. And since about 2008 or so, we could also adopt this idea to use on generics. have seen an explosion of such wines from At the moment, the “California” appellation every area of the state. remains (as it always has) a signifier signifying very little. The grapes came from The Argument for Blended Wines the state. So what? Parts of the state do not Blended red wines can offer a lot to make great wine and likely never well. consumers who want flavor, not political So let’s say that a decided to make 800-836-3894 correctness. When you’re not looking for a wine called Skinny River Red and used www.pedroncelli.com the varietal character to play a huge role in an appellation that was dual, such as 59% 1220 Canyon Road, Geyserville, CA a red wine, it’s fun to taste one that has a bit Carneros, 41% Sonoma Coast. of (yielding a trace of cranberry), Such a wine would signal to potential buyers Follow us at: a little Carignane (for plum-y, old-world that (a) the chose two relatively facebook.com/pedroncelliwinery twitter.com/pedroncelli fruit), perhaps a bit of some (for cool regions that allowed for the wine to HOLIDAY 2014 TASTERS GUILD JOURNAL 3 By R. Todd Ross Upon Burgundy’s ‘Frontier’

The recent purchase of the Clos des soil and climate. Still, what may be the most Jadot, have been a part of the Burgundian Lambrays in Morey-St.-Denis, by the important factor in Burgundy’s abundance landscape for several hundred years. As luxury brand conglomerate, Louis Vuitton are the wine-growers themselves. Though interest in the relatively tiny supply Burgundy Moët-Hennessy, sparked concern among the trend may be changing, it has been the wine has increased worldwide, especially in members of a number of family domaines norm that every aspect of wine production , the cost of doing business in the region in Burgundy, including Stephane Magnien, is carried out with a singular vision in self- has naturally risen. Hand in hand with higher who, as reported in , lamented that imposed isolation. How to train and manage wine prices have come higher land values and soon “the old Burgundy,” the familiar one of the vines, how and when to plow, decisions higher inheritance taxes, the latter of which the winemaker/owner, “will no longer exist.” about yield, when to , in what vessels continuing to force many small domaines to While Magnien’s worries are not wholly to ferment, choices of cooperage and length make the agonizing decision to sell off parts unjustified, changes in of their holdings bit by bit in Burgundy happen slowly, order to satisfy the demands and the Burgundy he of the French government foreshadows may only and to remain solvent. In be on some far distant a region where the size of horizon. the average family domaine I experienced some of is barely more than seven what Magnien expressed hectares (yielding about about Burgundy in Napa, 2,500 cases of wine), giant during a February trip firms like Louis Jadot, who to Premier Napa Valley, are in a solid cash position, an event where there are more than happy to step pervaded a disturbing in and snap up choice real disconnect between three estate. Thus the big are ever-more disparate getting bigger and the small groups: winery owners, are getting smaller. winemakers, and the In 2012, Louis Ng Chi- cadres of workers, mostly sing, a major wine collector Hispanics, who carry out and chief operating officer the labor in the . at SJM Holdings in Macau, Echoed across the pages purchased the Chateau de of Jon Bonné’s 2013 Gevrey-Chambertin. This book, The New American 1945 vintage bottles rest in a Nuits-St.-Georges cellar. was viewed at the time Wine, are the lamentations as something of a minor of winemakers who can now only dream of of elevage, and countless other small steps, scandal in the region. Ng’s astronomical purchasing prime land in places like the combination of which, in concert with the purchase price voided the attempt of a buying the Russian River and Napa Valleys, but who characteristics of each individual plot, render group made up of local winemakers to keep cannot afford the hefty prices. As America’s something altogether unique, and sometimes the estate in French hands, and prompted wine culture continues to grow and evolve, magical. And whatever the outcome, the wine outrage over the “loss of French heritage” and as winery ownership becomes something produced in Burgundy is, like nowhere else, to foreign outsiders. Sparing no expense, more akin to “rock stardom,” the business has a unique expression of the vigneron himself. Ng installed Eric Rousseau of the esteemed attracted many who, armed with the bucks, My own first-hand view of Burgundy goes Domaine Armand Rousseau as winemaker have simply bought themselves a seat at the back only as far as 2003, when I made my first and to oversee the vine work. Quiet murmurs table. Maybe it’s Burgundy’s turn to become trip to the region visiting, among a number of “selling out” to the almighty euro were on the luxury brand item that Napa Cabernet, and of other small domaines, the impeccably the lips of some. But I don’t think so. I believe Classified Growth before it, have maintained Clos des Lambrays. At that this is the new reality of business in Burgundy. become. time, and until its recent sale, Lambrays was owned by Günter and Ruth Freund, wealthy Time and Change Prevail The True Burgundy Burgundy devotées from Coblence, Germany. Burgundy’s millennium of history has seen For now at least, Burgundy remains the Winemaking and management of the domaine it’s share of changes and upheavals, from great outpost of the wine-grower, the small were carried out separately by the highly its beginnings with Cistercian monks, to the domaine where the owner tends the vines competent Thierry Brouhin. Lambrays didn’t dramatic changes brought about by the French and makes the wines. What is so fascinating fit Magnien’s vision of “the old Burgundy” Revolution, to institution of the appellation about this place is that from just two even then, so perhaps Magnien loathes the d’origine contrôlée at the beginning of the last principal grapes, for red wines “corporatization” of the region more than century. The joy I find in a bottle of Morgon and for whites, there springs Germans. or de Brouilly has earned for me the a seemingly endless variety to experience. Large corporations, well-known negociant lighthearted derision of my wine-drinking Part of the equation is what the Burgundians firms such as Faiveley, Bouchard Pere et friends and colleagues who don’t even call , their particular combination of Fils, Louis Latour, Drouhin and Louis consider a part of Burgundy. But 4 HOLIDAY 2014 TASTERS GUILD JOURNAL Upon Burgundy’s ‘Frontier’

only a century ago, Beaujolais Cru sold for the same price as Vosne-Romanée and Gevrey- Chambertin. Wine, like other fashions, continually changes over time. To view the wine business in Burgundy with the nostalgia of Stephane Magnien may lead many to frustration. However, I think it is important to recognize that change is taking place. Comparing Burgundy to our own Western Frontier of the late Nineteenth Century, there is an interesting correlation between Burgundy’s free-spirited and independently-minded grower-winemakers, or vigneron, and the horse-nomads of the Great Plains, but only in as much as both groups, each in its own time, are beset by powerful forces beyond their control. I don’t think we are looking upon the end of Burgundy’s Golden Age, the closing of any frontier. What I do believe is that this is a special time for Burgundy, a time when modern techniques have intersected with the best of the region’s traditions, and that both are to be explored and enjoyed. David Clark of Domaine David Clark in Morey-St.-Denis offers barrel samples to three thirsty guests.

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HOLIDAY 2014 TASTERS GUILD JOURNAL 5 By A. Brian Cain I Grew up Drinking Sweet Vermouth

Sweet Vermouth was my aunt’s favorite 1. Enough alcohol to volatilize all of the had many secretly held infusions, completes drink and, as an inquisitive kid, I had to get flavors into aromas and leave a warming the process. A somewhat recent (I guess a sip of it. From that moment, something sensation on the digestive tract. something 30 years old is recent if Vermouth clicked in my brain. Much later, reading the has been made for several hundred years) Bon Appétit ads for Cynar and they 2. A sweetness or the association mentally addition to the vermouth class is Vermouth intrigued me. Having purchased a bottle of with things that are sweet to make the drink Bianco. It is white, but not dry. Many of the both, I pretty much figured I had experienced compelling. For example; orange peel may top French and Northern Italian companies all there was to know about digestifs. That not be sweet, but, it gives the brain a sweet offer a white (Bianco, or Blanco) Vermouth is, until traveling to Italy with Joe Borrello kick. with a richer infusion of exotic herbs and and Tasters Guild. Our first night in Rome, a touch more sugar than their Dry or Extra we ate at a very casual bistro where the food 3. A long lasting bitter sweet finish. The Dry Vermouth. To my surprise, I recently was very digestible and the service effortless. more bitter it is the better, but, it has to taste encountered a Spanish Vermut. It would fall After dinner, the waiter brought out a large really good and usually a bit of sweet will go into the category of Bianco, though, I suspect tray of . I sampled every one of them a long way to balance the bitter. a small addition of scorched sugar gives it and as our trip through Italy progressed, I some of the body warming sensation one came to realize that I had not even scratched 4. Not too earthy. Bitters such as Fernet normally associates with Sweet Vermouth. the surface. People of the Mediterranean Branca are maybe just a tad over the top. As I researched the product, I found out that (Italians in particular) must lay awake at the latest craze in Barcelona is Vermouth night imagining what sort of botanicals could The World of Vermouth Bars (spelled Vermut in Catalan). Wow! be combined to create the perfect Only in a big European city digestif. The list is limitless! can such a unique craving be commercialized. How limitless? Besides Vermouth, what else If it grows, it ferments. If it falls into the digestif categories has a flavor, that flavor is easily of Vermouth, Bitters, and infused into alcohol. Most Amaro? of the famous digestifs such Next time you are in a restaurant as Vermouth, Amaro, Punch with a decent selection of which collectively are , order a Campari on the referred to as “bitters” were rocks. In my opinion, there is originally developed by early nothing better after a big meal to physicians for their medicinal settle the stomach and just leave value. When we visited Martini a “feel good” sensation. One & Rossi, we were told that you can do at home and for some their sweet vermouth contained reason, most bartenders don’t do no less than 53 infusions of this well, take a tall glass of ice, botanicals, exotic woods, sprinkle with several dashes of caramelized sugar and alcohol Angostura bitters, and fill with produced on site in copper stills. a good sweet vermouth…..same My favorite home came effect. from an elderly woman from Amaro is a general category New Jersey, Joyce Vechiolli for bitters which are balanced in (Italian translation – the old a big way by caramelized sugar. ones) and she guards her secret They resemble sweet vermouth, recipe closer than her online but are higher in alcohol and have bank password. Having spent the past twenty Vermouth is almost always made from white a longer, more velvety finish. To get an idea years researching liqueurs by purchasing wine. Perhaps the only exception is Martini of what this is about, you can probably find and sampling every variety I found locally and Rossi Rosato which may not even be Averna from wherever you live. It is and in our travels, I believe Joyce’s Punch imported into the US, is a wonderful infusion the same sort of product I mentioned earlier Abbruzzesse is the ultimate digestif. of wine and slightly more emphatic that my old pal from New Jersey makes in her herbs than they use in their Extra Dry. We kitchen. When in a first class wine and What Makes a Great Liqueur? enjoyed it immensely in Italy. So when shop, ask what they have beyond Averna. I Everyone has an opinion. This is why someone refers to Sweet Vermouth as “red” did just that at Eataly in Chicago and walked there are probably hundreds of thousands Vermouth, they are referring to the color of out with a half dozen amazing drinks. of options out there if you travel and keep a the label, not the wine. Sweet Vermouth Here are my suggestions for items you can keen eye out for the “bitters”. is made from . The dark color probably find to categorize the hundreds of Here are my criteria: comes from the addition of scorched sugar thousands of options you might encounter as (have you ever made peanut brittle or toffee?) you travel: to white wine as well as alcohol which has

6 HOLIDAY 2014 TASTERS GUILD JOURNAL Barhyte Specialty Foods makes gift giving easy with our themed gift boxes, like our Mustard Lovers pack or Boozy Suzie Cinzano Extra Dry Vermouth - fresh light pack. Make the holidays delicious with our white wine with subtle herbal influence. wide variety of gourmet mustards, marinades, wing sauces and more! Martini & Rossi Bianco Vermouth – distinctly herbal, yet with fresh citrus flavors.

Campari (bitters) – smells like sweet berries, yet hits the palate with a long lasting bitterness which makes you salivate.

Noilly Prat Sweet Vermouth – this is what I normally drink, it is sweet, bitter, herbal, exotic; has it all.

Cynar Artichoke Liquor – fun to bring out for the unlikely herb (artichokes), great stomach soother.

Averna Sicilian Amaro – the sweetness makes it an ideal after dinner liquor, but, enough bitter to aid in digestion. 800-407-9241 Punt e Mes Vermouth – intense herbal barhyte.com Specialty Foods assault may catch you off guard, but, let yourself enjoy it.

Carpano Antica Formula – same as above with more of an earthy ancient medicinal base. INTRODUCING THE In addition to these lower alcohol (16-20% alcohol) digestifs, there is a whole genre of Wine higher alcohol (often 40% alcohol or higher) Aerator liquors which also originated as medicines. A sizable chunk of this category such as FROM PRECISION POURS. , , , Pernod, and Absenth possess a distinct Anise flavor. My Wine enthusiasts everywhere agree, favorite is Liquore Stregga because of it’s Belle Wine Aerator makes wine better. multisensory appeal. Poured on the rocks, the nearly fluorescent green gold liquid swirls like a lava lamp as the ice melts and Instantly enriches merges. The nose is both citrusy and licorice the flavor and like. On the palate, sweet anise along with aroma of your wine bitter, woody, herbal nuances keep the finish refreshing. By the way, you don’t have to live in a big city to find this sort of beverage. I was in Portland, Oregon last year, and there is a shop on Mississippi street called The Meadow which sells hundreds of bitters; all sorts and types and wonderful aged sausages to go with them. Worth seeking out, if you’re in the Patented Double vicinity. Aeration

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HOLIDAY 2014 TASTERS GUILD JOURNAL 7 By Michael Schafer The Dessert Dilemma

Selecting the best wines to pair with Vanilla poached pears or zabaglione served different types of wine. your favorite desserts can be a challenging with a Moscato are sure -fire hits! White chocolate is the softest, mildest proposition. Fear not, using common sense, Fruity desserts, including tarts, turnovers form of chocolate. It’s actually derived determining your personal preferences and pavlovas taste even better when from true chocolate. White chocolate lacks and choosing wisely, you will soon be partnered with dessert wines having flavors the cocoa solids found in milk chocolate accomplished at finding the perfect wine to similar to the dessert. Whether you’re serving accompany your favorite desserts! There are apple, pear or lemon tarts, classic choices some simple guidelines that, when followed, like or de Beaumes de will enhance your enjoyment of both pairing Venise (both French wines) enhance the partners, the dessert and the wine. Naturally, dessert. Ice wines are traditional matches for the cardinal rule is the same as when fruit-focused desserts. Versions from our selecting wines to enjoy with your favorite Canadian neighbors to the north are excellent savory dishes. Simply put, drink what you values! Late harvest Gewürztraminers are like with whatever dessert you’re eating! especially scrumptious with ginger accented desserts because the spiciness of the wine Pairing Variables reflects that of the dish. Aside from your personal preferences, the If you really want to the wine to wine should be sweeter than the dessert. your berry dessert, choose a . While there are exceptions to this standard, and dark chocolate. From a technical they are rather risky. Why? If the dessert is perspective it isn’t really chocolate. As sweeter than the wine, the wine will taste cocoa is the primary ingredient, bitter, flat and sour. No matter how exquisite white chocolate is creamy, mellow and the , even say Chateau buttery. Sweet Spanish pair well d’Yquem, one of, if not the planet’s most with lighter chocolate. Popular sparkling famous dessert wine, it will be annihilated wines like a Moscato d’Asti or Prosecco by a dessert that’s sweeter than the wine. from Italy, and that are demi- Another guideline is that it’s best to pair sec can compliment white chocolate. The the color of the wine with the color of the bubbles in the sparkling wines complement dessert, as the dessert gets darker, so should the buttery taste of white chocolate. Orange the wine. Muscats can be fun and a bit unusual to There are three variables to consider enjoy if your budget allows buying a few when matching wines with desserts. The bottles. Lastly, really sweet such first is sweetness, and, we now know, the wine needs to be sweeter than the dessert. Secondly, we need to ascertain the acidity of the pairing partners. Fruity desserts contain acid in the fruit itself, thereby pairing well Raspberry or blueberry based sweet endings with wines with a bit of acidity. Lastly, are enhanced by wines from those fruits. examine the intensity of the partner, whether Many producers are making fruit wines that it be the dessert or the wine. are high quality products, vastly different Desserts with a custard or vanilla focus than some of the “value-priced” plonk of past are usually lighter in appearance, flavor years! Just make sure the wine is sweet! and texture than other desserts. Panna Darker, richer desserts call for wines that cotta, flan, pudding and creme brulee “stand up” to bolder, more opulent final are complemented by lighter wines. Late courses. Caramel desserts, particularly those as Eisweins (Ice Wines) add to the chocolate harvest Rieslings, demi-sec (off-dry) dessert with a bit of salt, partner with Tawny port experience. These wines are lighter in style Champagnes, and Moscato di Asti are like rock does roll or Fred Astaire and Ginger than many sweet wines. As a result, they all excellent partners for lighter desserts. Rogers! The nutty caramel flavors of the pair well with light white chocolate. port reflect the dessert and vice versa. Late Milk chocolate is the most popular style of harvest are great wines to pair chocolate. To be technical, it must contain with berry desserts such as blueberry buckle 10% chocolate liquor, 3.7% milkfats, and and raspberry cheesecake. 12% milksolids. The best wine to drink with milk chocolate is Brachatto d’Aqui’ Chocolate a sweet, slightly from Ahhh, who doesn’t love chocolate? So, what Italy. This sparkling Italian is fruity and wines pair best with your favorite chocolate highlights the sweetness of the chocolate. dessert? Let’s look at white chocolate If you want to enjoy a red wine with milk followed by milk chocolate, finishing with chocolate, choose a lighter, fruiter red dark chocolate. Each type pairs best with instead of a big bold red wine. A lighter

8 HOLIDAY 2014 TASTERS GUILD JOURNAL By Dr. Richard Vine, PhD The 2064 Vintage

While our locale has enjoyed one of the Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and other phenols, sugars and flavor compounds essential coolest summers on record, one of the most southern reaches of England. Unfortunately, to vintage quality. Another warming stress is heated topics in is global warming a century later the Black Death plague the appearance of new diseases and pests. Some and its effect upon the quality, styles and wreaked havoc on both the wine German vineyards now suffer from Black Rot even the very identities of wines that we and wine drinkers. and other diseases never before seen following know and enjoy today. There are, of course, cold winters. Researchers at the Geisenheim some vastly different opinions of climate Back to the Future Institute indicate that such maladies are even changes ranging from drastic shifts to more a half century from now may be more imposing upon and other white moderate notions and some who think it’s a harvested from a range of climatic changes grapes – expecting Cabernets and Merlot to be cyclical phenomenon that will reverse - still that individual meteorological experts the 2050 varieties of choice in the Rheinland. others seem to deny it altogether. predict. Such weather dynamics could be It’s difficult for me to imagine a dark full- especially critical in some of Europe’s most bodied Rudesheimer Kabinett Cabernet Say It Isn’t Soo! classic winegrowing regions as more winter Sauvignon – even less a Bernkasteler Merlot Are Danish Chardonnays or Swedish Pinots rains evolve along with a corresponding Trockenbeerenauslese. Each of us might that far from reality? Equally unthinkable is decrease in summer precipitation. This can envision the vintage of 2064 with the same Bordeaux with its First Growths and all its cause vine stress that will almost certainly curiosity that our progeny may have for the other growths being extinct of any classified prompt lifting the ban that true character of young wines grown in our classes at all – perhaps just beautiful old now exists in France and other countries. generation. In 2064 the best 2014’s remaining chateaux castles amidst the swaying palms Germany started watering just a couple may please only those zealots who really like of a neo-tropical climate. British Bordeaux of years ago. All this begs the question of old tawny wines. But that topic is a can of demand actually created some of the 1855 where the water will come from to irrigate worms I probably best leave for another day chateaux classes. Now they can salivate the thousands and thousands of acres that – maybe never. upon the idea of Cabernets and one are now weather dependent? New World day thriving in England amidst their own vineyards have already met with a scarcity Dr. Vine has authored four wine books and posh Grand Cru pecking orders. Actually of irrigation water – and its supply promises is Purdue University’s Professor of Enology that wouldn’t be an entirely new concept to pose far greater problems in the Old Emeritus. He recently retired after 21 years as as British winegrowing once had some World. the Wine Consultant for American Airlines regal glitz in Caerwynt, or “Wine City,” With more annual inches of rainfall shifting now the city of Winchester. A 12th century to winter dormancy, we can expect shorter global warming of sorts had encouraged growing seasons that can negatively alter brisk commercial viniculture to develop in the maturation process critical to balancing

The Dessert Dilema Continued from Page 8

style fruity Merlot or a bigger style Pinot fortified wines have the structure to enhance Are you one of us? Noir is best. Tawny ports also pair with the flavors of your desserts. Tawny ports Michael Schafer Esq., The Wine Counselor®, milk chocolate, especially if there are nuts complement nutty desserts. is the charismatic wine educator, speaker, in the chocolate, because the nuttiness of the Banyuls, a from France is , C.S.W., writer and consultant who Tawny port complements the flavor of the The Wine Counselor’s Choice for pairing entertains while educating. His humorous nuts. A Hungarian Tokjai is an interesting with chocolate, particularly dark chocolate. and fun approach to wine is reflected in his choice if your budget allows for this rather trademark phrase, “I taste bad wine so you unusual wine. don’t have to”® Dark or bittersweet chocolate is very popular, especially in many desserts. Usually www.winecounselor.net ranging from 35% cocoa solids to 75% cocoa solids, this is the richest, most intense chocolate available. As these chocolates are less sweet than white chocolate or milk Have you changed your chocolate, a bolder wine is required. Many people choose a Cabernet Sauvignon to e-mail or mailing drink with dark chocolate; be careful, too much tannin can make the wine taste harsh. address? If so, please Try a Cabernet Sauvignon that’s softer than forward your changes the one you would serve with that rib-eye This wine morphs itself to fit the type of steak. can be a great match with chocolate you’re enjoying. Try it, you’ll be to the Tasters Guild National darker chocolates. amazed, and so will your guests! Port wines are a classic pairing with darker But don’t be deterred, it’s “as easy as pie.” office at [email protected] chocolate. From simple ruby ports, to LBVs For many wine lovers, a glass of dessert (late bottled vintage), to vintage ports, these wine all by itself is their favorite dessert! HOLIDAY 2014 TASTERS GUILD JOURNAL 9 September 19-20 2014 Results of Consumers' Wine Judging Competition

DOUBLE GOLD SILVER $27.01 - $35.00 09 Blanc de Blancs Chateau Frank NY Up To $10.00 Up To $10.00 10 Cabernet Sauvignon James River Cellars VA 13 Pinot Grigio Cedar Creek Winery WI 13 Long Stem White Lakewood Vyds NY 11 Merlot Vly Windsor Vyds CA 13 White Riesling Wollersheim Winery WI 13 Prairie Blush Wollersheim Winery WI 12 Cabernet Sauvignon Gray Ghost Vyds VA NV Big Jakes Spiced Hard Wort Hog NY 13 Riesling-Dry Wollersheim Winery WI 12 Chardonnay Russian river Antler Hill NC NV Chardonnay Barefoot Cellars CA NV Berry Fusion Barefoot Bubbly CA 12 Sangiovese Spangler Vyds OR NV Pink Moscato Barefoot Cellars CA NV Cabernet Sauvignon Barefoot Cellars 12 Hagafen CA NV Cabernet Sauvignon Redwood Creek CA 13 Gray Ghost Vyds VA $10.01 - $15.00 NV Devil's Cut Raspberry Cider Wort Hog NY 13 Chardonnay Resv. Gray Ghost Vyds VA 13 Apparition Americana Vyds. NY NV Extra Dry Barefoot Bubbly CA 13 Pinot Noir Napa Hagafen CA 13 Blue Hen Blue Harvest Ridge Winery DE NV Impression Barefoot Cellars CA NV Sparkling Key Lime Florida Orange Groves FL 13 Lakewood Vyds NY NV Redwood Creek CA NV Gold Digger Prairie Berry Winery SD NV Pink Moscato Barefoot Bubbly CA $35.01 - $40.00 NV Molly's Moscato Torrey Ridge Winery NY NV Pinot Grigio Barefoot Bubbly CA 12 Napa Valley Brut Cuvee Hagafen CA NV Pinot Grigio Barefoot Cellars CA $15.01 - $20.00 NV Red Heron St. Julian Wine Co. MI $40.01 - $50.00 11 Syrah Santa Barbara Winery CA NV Red Moscato Barefoot Cellars CA 08 Cabernet Sauv. Resv - Lyric of the Vine - R&B Cellars CA 13 Unoaked Harvest Ridge Winery DE NV Rich Red Blend Redwood Creek CA NV Riesling Barefoot Cellars CA $50.01+ $20.01 - $27.00 NV Shiraz Barefoot Cellars CA 11 Cabernet Sauvignon- Santa Barbara - Sagebrush Annies CA 07 Brut Chateau Frank NY NV Sweet White Barefoot Refresh CA 11 Complexity Amizetta Estate CA 12 Cabernet Sauvignon Canyon Wind Cellars CO NV Tropical Fusion Barefoot Bubbly CA NV Zinfandel Lodi Barefoot Cellars CA $27.01 - $35.00 BRONZE NV Blanc de Blancs Windsor Vyds CA $10.01 - $15.00 Up to $10.00 09 Chardonnay Kavic Winery PA 13 La Belle Vie Cedar Creek Winery WI $50.01+ 11 Deep Valley Blush Kavic Winery PA 13 Pinot Grigio Bella Sera Italy 10 Cabernet Sauvignon Haywood CA 11 Speakeasy Red Simon Creek Vyd WI 13 Waterfall Riesling Cedar Creek Winery WI 12 Cabernet Sauvignon Sagebrush Annies CA 12 Chardonnay Dr. Konstantin Frank NY NV Blue Heron St. Julian Wine Co. MI 12 Gruner Veltliner Dr. Konstantin Frank NY NV Brut Cuvee Barefoot Bubbly CA GOLD 12 Untouchable Red Simon Creek Vyd WI NV Chardonnay Redwood Creek CA 13 Chardonnay Lakewood Vyds NY NV Citrus Fusion Barefoot Bubbly CA Up To $10.00 13 Chardonnay Mendocino Windsor Vyds CA NV Crisp White Barefoot Refresh CA 13 Prairie Fume' Wollersheim Winery WI 13 Mountain Road Riesling Braganini Reserve MI NV Malbec Barefoot Cellars Argentina NV Merlot Barefoot Cellars CA 13 Pinot Grigio Resv. St. Julian Wine Co. MI NV Merlot Redwood Creek CA NV Moscato Barefoot Cellars CA 13 Pinot Noir Brotherhood NY NV Moscato Spumante Barefoot Bubbly CA NV Pinot Noir Redwood Creek CA 13 Ranch Rose Six Hands Winery CA NV Pinot Noir Barefoot Cellars CA 13 Riesling Resv. St. Julian Wine Co. MI NV Prosecco Barefoot Bubbly CA $10.01 - $15.00 13 Riesling Semi Dry Dr. Konstantin Frank NY NV Red Moscato Barefoot Bubbly CA 11 Moscato Windsor Vyds CA 13 Riesling-Dry Braganini Reserve MI NV Barefoot Cellars CA 13 Gewurztraminer Americana Vyds. NY 13 Riesling-Dry Lakewood Vyds NY NV Summer Red Barefoot Refresh CA 13 Gewurztraminer Dr. Konstantin Frank NY 13 Sauvignon Blanc Six Hands Winery CA NV Sweet Red Barefoot Cellars CA 13 Port Lakewood Vyds NY 13 Braganini Reserve MI NV White Heron St. Julian Wine Co. MI 13 Riesling Brotherhood NY 13 Harvest Ridge Winery DE 13 Riesling-Dry Dr. Konstantin Frank NY NV Apple Rapidan River VA 13 Traminette Resv. St. Julian Wine Co. MI NV Apricot Prairie Berry Winery SD $10.01 - $15.00 13 Vidal Blanc Gray Ghost Vyds VA NV B Sparkling Brotherhood NY 10 Riesling Kavic Winery PA NV Cranberry Prairie Berry Winery SD NV Blue Sapphier Torrey Ridge Winery NY 12 Chardonnay Unoaked Cedar Creek Winery WI NV Calamity Jane Prairie Berry Winery SD 12 Delta Red Six Hands Winery CA $15.01 - $20.00 NV Chardonnay Unoaked Bordeleau Winery MD 12 Riesling Torrey Ridge Winery NY 08 Cabernet Franc Vino e Buono CO NV Cranberry Georgetown Vyds. OH 13 James River Cellars VA 08 Zinfandel Vino e Buono CO NV Lucky B Torrey Ridge Winery NY 13 Chardonnay James River Cellars VA 09 Vino e Buono CO 13 Door County Cherry Simon Creek Vyd WI 09 Sangiovese Vino e Buono CO $15.01 - $20.00 13 Gewurztraminer Cedar Creek Winery WI 12 Cabernet Franc Dr. Konstantin Frank NY 09 Noir Vino e Buono CO 13 Lakewood Vyds NY 13 Cabernet Franc Canyon Wind Cellars CO 10 Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Vly J. Nico Wines OH 13 Revolutionary Red Americana Vyds. NY 13 Country Bloom Harvest Ridge Winery DE 11 Chardonnay Silkwood Wines CA 13 Riesling Lakewood Vyds NY 13 Gewurztraminer Lmtd. release Biltmore Estate NC 11 Malbec Vino e Buono CO NV Prince Michel Vyd VA 13 Pinot Noir Braganini Reserve MI 11 Saxy Syrah R&B Cellars CA NV Wicomico Blush Bordeleau Winery MD NV Lawrence Elk Prairie Berry Winery SD 12 Cabernet Sauvignon Dr. Konstantin Frank NY 12 Lemberger Lakewood Vyds NY $20.01 - $27.00 12 Merlot Dr. Konstantin Frank NY $15.01 - $20.00 10 Pinot Noir Six Hands Winery CA 12 Syrah Braganini Reserve MI 12 Chancellor Noir Braganini Reserve MI 11 Moscato Private Resv. Windsor Vyds CA 12 Simon Creek Vyd WI 12 Pinot Noir Dr. Konstantin Frank NY 11 Syrah Lafond Winery CA 12 Zinfandel Six Hands Winery CA 12 Pinot Noir- Naked Run Vyd Lakewood Vyds NY 11 Syrah Silkwood Wines CA 13 Apple Harvest Ridge Winery DE 12 Sauvignon Blanc Simon Creek Vyd WI 12 Barbera Lewis Vyd Urbano Cellars CA 13 Americana Vyds. NY 13 Chardonnay Gray Ghost Vyds VA 12 Chardonnay Lafond Winery CA 13 Chardonnay Americana Vyds. NY 13 Chardonnay Unoaked Harvest Ridge Winery DE 12 Crescendo Don Ernesto's CA 13 Chardonnay Santa Barbara Winery CA 13 Merwin Vyd Urbano Cellars CA 12 Malbec Spangler Vyds OR 13 Gewurztraminer James River Cellars VA 13 Prairie Berry Winery SD 12 Pinot Noir Lafond Winery CA 13 Pink Slip Prairie Berry Winery SD 13 Peach Harvest Ridge Winery DE 12 White Port Wollersheim Winery WI 13 Pinot Grigio Sonoma Windsor Vyds CA 13 Semillon Columbia Vly Basalt Cellars WA NV Celebration Six Hands Winery CA 13 Pinot Gris Dr. Konstantin Frank NY 13 Vidal Blanc James River Cellars VA 13 Pinot Gris Harvest Ridge Winery DE 13 Viognier Simon Creek Vyd WI $27.01 - $35.00 13 Riesling Semi-dry Americana Vyds. NY NV Malbec Lot 1 Bordeleau Winery MD NV Que Sirah Syrah Silkwood Wines CA 13 Traminette Harvest Ridge Winery DE NV Pas de Deux Biltmore Estate NC 08 Blanc de Noirs Chateau Frank NY NV Blue Suede Prairie Berry Winery SD 11 Allegrezza Zinfandel R&B Cellars CA NV Festiberry Florida Orange Groves FL $20.01 - $27.00 12 Tempranillo Spangler Vyds OR NV Florida Sunset Florida Orange Groves FL 11 Grenache Spangler Vyds OR NV Red Ass Rhubarb Prairie Berry Winery SD 12 Cabernet Sauvignon- Reserve Biltmore Estate NC $35.01 - $40.00 NV The Improviser R&B Cellars CA 13 Chardonnay Knoll Hagafen CA 10 Zinfandel Sonoma Haywood CA NV Brut Rosé- Platinum Series Windsor Vyds CA 11 1839 Cab. Sauvignon Brotherhood NY $20.01 - $27.00 NV Celebre Chateau Frank NY 11 Syrah Spangler Vyds OR NV Syrah Prince Michel Vyd VA $40.01 - $50.00 12 Cabernet Franc Dry Creek Vly Vanderbilt NC 13 Anemoi Zephyrus Canyon Wind Cellars CO 12 Grenache Bokides Vyd Urbano Cellars CA 12 Pinot Noir Santa Barbara Winery CA $27.01 - $35.00 $50.01+ 12 Port-style Wollersheim Winery WI 12 Ranger Reserve Gray Ghost Vyds VA 10 Cabernet Sauvignon -Santa Barbara- Sagebrush Annies CA 13 Petit Manseng James River Cellars VA 13 Anemoi Apeliotes Canyon Wind Cellars CO 11 Cabernet Sauvignon- Estate Amizetta Estate CA 13 Tempranillo Lodi Don Ernesto's CA 12 Cabernet Sauvignon-Clone 4 Canyon Wind Cellars CO 13 Vidal Blanc L.H. Harvest Ridge Winery DE NV Brut- Platinum Series Windsor Vyds CA $35.01 - $40.00 NV Sparkling Brut Biltmore Estate NC 12 The Hunt- Sonoma Blend Biltmore Estate NC

A complete searchable list of wine judging results can be found at the Tasters Guild website, www.tastersguild.com

10 HOLIDAY 2014 TASTERS GUILD JOURNAL 2014 Double Gold Notes From the 2014 Consumer's Wine Judging

Under $10.00 Lakewood Vineyards NV Valvin Muscat, $20.01 - $27.00 , NY Barefoot Cellars NV Chardonnay, Juicy aromas of white peach, pear and melon Chateau Frank 2007 Brut, California set the stage for a luscious, fruity palate with Finger Lakes, NY Barefoot Chardonnay is full of peach and a long, mouth-watering finish. Delightful by Big mousse, endless bubbles, light hint of Fuji apple flavors. It’s as smooth and golden itself, enjoy with light salads, hors d’oeuvres fresh bread , crisp citrus fruit on the as … gold. Medium-weight with a sweet or brie. palate with lingering flavors. This wine is vanilla aroma but light enough to go with light enough to serve with hors d’oeuvres but fresh fruits, white sauce pasta or light seafood Prairie Berry Winery NV “Gold Digger,” would also be a perfect match with several dishes. South Dakota fish or chicken entrees. Its “spritz” is a treat This semi-sweet little gem of a pear wine for the palate. Wollersheim 2013 White Riesling, tickles the palate with light, crisp, tart pear Wisconsin flavors and tantalizes with aromas of pear $27.01 - $35.00 A semi-sweet wine, with floral aromas of blossom. Perfect for light summer drinking, jasmine and a well-balanced palate of ripe marry with fruit salads or just enjoying on the Windsor Vineyards NV Blanc de Blanc, peaches and apricots. A perfect summer time deck with light . Sonoma, CA wine for sitting on the porch with fresh fruit Richly golden and effervescent, this refreshing and light cheeses or use as an elegant dessert Torrey Ridge Winery NV Molly’s sparkling wine offers intermingling flavors wine. Moscato, Finger Lakes, NY of crisp, green apple, apricot, nectarine and Delightfully sweet with lush, fruity aromas. notes of citrus. Soft minerality enhances the Torrey Ridge “Big Jake Wort Hog” Hints of citrus skip across flavors of juicy palate for a cleansing and polished finish. Spiced Apple Cider, Finger Lakes, NY peach and ripe apricots. A bright, crisp finish Complex enough to go with caviar or a quiet Sweet aromas of cloves, cinnamon and apple dances in at the end. Fruit and mild cheeses evening with pizza. A perfect selection for capture the senses, and the first sip explodes will be perfect matches for this Moscato any celebration. over the tongue full of spices and ripe apples. Visions of a glass of this spiced apple treat in Harvest Ridge NV Blue Hen Blue, Canyon Wind 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, front of a roaring fire on a cold winter’s night Delaware Colorado seem apropos. A red wine and fruit wine blend with loads of The nose delights with aromas of red wild berry and candied fruit notes and an off- currant, lavender, cherry, anise and subtle Barefoot Cellars Pink Moscato, California dry palate with a clean fresh grape finish. The hints of vanilla. The velvety palate is full of Aromas of Mandarin orange and sweet perfect summer wine for spicy foods off the concentrated black cherry, clove, and traces jasmine meld together for a deliciously smoker or to enjoy at the end of the evening of smokiness and vanilla with intensity and sweet rosè . Subtle flavors of cherry, with blue and walnuts. a full, lingering finish. Consider lying down raspberry, and are prominent for a few years. for a mouthful of delight. A perfect selection $15.01 - $20.00 for grilled and spicy foods, especially spicy $50.00 and Above oriental dishes. Santa Barbara 2011 Syrah, California An enticing nose of black berry fruits Sagebrush Annie’s 2012 Cabernet Cedar Creek Winery 2013 Pinot Grigio, followed by superb rush and rich mouth feel Sauvignon, Santa Barbara, CA Wisconsin that makes you hope the sensations won’t end. Deep garnet black color. Aromas and flavors This semi-dry Pinot Grigio fills the olfactory A marvelous, satisfying wine to please all the of roasted coffee and tart currant with a supple, senses with tropical fruit and floral aromas, senses. As one consumer judge describes it, dryish medium body and a round, blackberry while tantalizing the palate with flavors of “This is a knock your socks off wine!” A very and earth finish among firm, coating tannins. pear and mango. Serve slightly chilled with amiable wine that would match well with any Definitely recommend laying it down now, it white sauce pasta, fruits and light cheeses. meat, seasoned or marinated. will be better in a few years.

$10.01 - $15.00 Harvest Ridge 2013 Chambourcin, Haywood 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, Los Delaware Chamizal, Sonoma County, CA Americana Vineyards NV “Apparition” This French- has an excellent This is a complex wine of structure and full Finger Lakes, structure. Youthful, with vibrant black cherry flavors. Black cherry, cassis flavors layer The folks at Americana Vineyards have and plum aromas, then earth tones with over a touch of French oak all blend together produced an excellent example of the Vidal truffle and mineral hints on the finish. Prime with subtle tannins on the finish. Grilled or hybrid grape in the “Apparition.” Fresh citrus rib, Lamb, Roast beef, Veal Roast, fowl dark smoked red meats are the flavor of the day and aromas are prelude to a mouthful meat and of course, just about any kind of for this beauty. of pineapple, grapefruit and honey overtones. steak or spicy foods come to mind to go with A slight touch of sweetness makes this wine this wine. perfect for appetizers, by itself with a good book or as a perfect match for light cheeses or desserts.

HOLIDAY 2014 TASTERS GUILD JOURNAL 11 By Dick Scheer, Village Corner, Ann Arbor, MI The Retailer's Shelf

ESSAY 2013 SWARTLAND CHENIN wines these days, led by the wildly popular BLANC, $11 Pinot Grigios of northeast Italy. Cross to Your assignment is to drink and enjoy, the northwest, and you’ll find one of Italy’s not to read and write. Essay is a Vineyard finest and most enduring of white wines, Brands play on the term “S.A.” South Africa from vineyards around the abbreviated. The Cape boasts some of the village of Gavi. Cortese di Gavi has been world’s oldest Chenin Blanc vineyards. produced here since 1876. This young Gavi Planted by early Dutch settlers, who called wine is dry and steely, with light, beguiling the variety Steen, these gnarly, dry farmed, scents of lime, linden blossom, and sage. bush vines give small yields of concentrated Delicious with a seafood crepe, and fruit. Redolent of quince and melon, with a perfectly appropriate at the Thanksgiving splash of honeysuckle contributed by 10% table accompanied by traditional, sage-laced Viognier, and a creamy-smooth aroma and stuffing. texture thanks to lees aging, this wine is tailor-made for a lobster salad. SWALLOW 2012 OREGON GEWURZTRAMINER $11 LAFAGE 2013 COTES CATALANES Swallow wines are made at Foris Winery, a CHARDONNAY NOVELLUM, 40-year veteran in southern Oregon’s remote FRANCE $12 Illinois Valley. They are sold at prices easy Catalan Spain and France border the to “swallow.” Oregon fares exceptionally Mediterranean on opposite sides of well with traditional Alsace varieties, the Pyrenees. Muscat excepting, both including Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Pinot regions’ traditional white grape varieties Blanc, and, the most visible, Pinot Gris. This offer understated fruit profiles. Likewise scented Gewurz beauty boasts a wonderful the newcomer Chardonnay. Somehow, array of signature aromatics, including rose, nonetheless, genius winegrower Jean- laurel, orange blossom, and ginger. Off-dry, SOPHORA SPARKLING DRY WHITE, Marc Lafage manages to coax the most it features that unique Gewurz tete-a-tete of $15 astonishing range of aromatics from their glycerol and astringency. Spicy foods of the I’m always on the lookout for “bubblies” likes. Many a Chardonnay requires new oak Indian subcontinent and Asia’s Pacific Rim bearing a satisfactory resemblance to the barrels to bolsters its presentation. Not this invite this wine to the table. I always include hallmark of sparkling wines, , one; once aged 3 months on Viognier lees Gewurztraminer on my Holiday wine list and costing a fraction of the price! Latest in neutral Burgundy cooperage, unwooded too. It’s a crowd pleaser. to come my way is this gem from the Chardonnay’s basic apple and citrus profile North Island’s Gisbourne and Hawke’s Bay becomes apple cobbler, peaches and cream. LEONE DE CASTRIS 2013 SALENTO winegrowing districts. Of 52% Chardonnay Enjoy with Chicken Kiev. ROSÉ FIVE ROSES, ITALY $16 and 48% Pinot Noir, it boasts plenty of From a winery established in 1665, this is original fruit appeal as well as a noteworthy PAUL MAS 2013 PAYS D’OC BLANC the 50th anniversary vintage of the first rosé measure of doughy bottle bouquet earned COTE MAS, FRANCE $10 liter to be bottled in Italy. After American troops via 12 months lees aging. Very sophisticated The Oc, were an ancient people of freed Salento in 1944, a group of them visited indeed, right down to its fine and steady Mediterranean France who gave their Conti Leone de Castris’ premises, tasted bead. Begin your Holiday entertaining with language (langue) and name to today’s his rosé, and, whiskey in mind, exclaimed: a bottle or two. Languedoc region. From the extensive “This is even better than Four Roses!” Upon Pezenas-area vineyards of Domaines Paul which the Conti proclaimed: “All right, I’ll JOEL GOTT 2013 CALIFORNIA Mas comes this dry white wine bargain of name it Five Roses!” Scented of cherry and SAUVIGNON BLANC $12 native varieties and Rolle strawberry, this dry rosé welcomes caponata Fifth-generation - () and newcomers Chardonnay with shrimp. Or Thanksgiving dinner! businessman Joel Gott and his winemaking and Sauvignon Blanc, vinified separately, wife Sarah form a formidable pair at selecting then combined to form a complex and MARION PRAL 2013 BEAUJOLAIS and blending choice varietals of the state’s harmonious whole featuring Grenache CUVEE TERROIR, FRANCE $16 top vineyards to create masterful cuvees. Blanc’s acacia and straw notes, Rolle’s Beaujolais wines are staging a strong The team’s 2013 Sauvignon Blanc combines flowers and laurel, Chardonnay’s apple- comeback in our market led by the superior fruit from Napa Valley, Monterey, and Lake lemon, and Sauvignon Blanc’s pink cuvees of quality-oriented winegrowing County to make a whole greater than the grapefruit. Quaff away with crabcake estates such as Domaine Pral. From sum of its parts. Aging on the lees develops appetizers. jumbled granite and schist hillsides of extra aromatic and textural interests. Plump, southern Burgundy and the telling full bodied, and welcoming, laced with racy LA MARCHESA 2013 GAVI, ITALY $15 grape variety, Beaujolais is a wine of joy. fruit acidity, this wine invites lemon chicken Once known primarily for its red wines, Italy This one features sweet fruit flavors of recipes. is certainly making a name for its dry white chilled, crunchy-textured cranberries and

12 HOLIDAY 2014 TASTERS GUILD JOURNAL raspberries, plus white pepper and lavender ARTEZIN 2012 MENDOCINO years in French and American oak barrels highlights. Sound inviting? Be sure to COUNTY ZINFANDEL $15 and 2 years in bottle before release and still include a bottle with your dinner, or I love Mendocino Zinfandel. Mendocino costing under $15! From 100% Tempranillo one of the 2014 wines. paints opaque Zinfandel’s black raspberry vines averaging 30 years old, and from the and black pepper characteristics. storied Alavesa village of Elciego, this is SEAGLASS 2013 SANTA BARBARA Italian settlers introduced Zinfandel to one of the world’s finest wine values. Full COUNTY PINOT NOIR $12 Mendocino’s valleys and hillsides in the late of sweet black fruits and unabashed oak My weekly panel is dominated 1800s. Artezin winemaker Randle Johnson vanillin, coconut, and baking spices, it by Europhiles. When I served them this continues to buy from their descendants and invites honey-basted spare ribs grilled to a bottle, they immediately took a shine to keepers of ancient vines, the Garzini sisters full glossy char. it because of its uncanny resemblance to and Zinfandel legend Eddy Graziano. This a French Burgundy. From Los Alamos great 2012 vintage produced a masterpiece PATRAIKI PATRAS MAVRODAPHNE, Vineyard on a cool, fog-encased hillside “best yet in this series’ brimful of all $10 near the Pacific, Pinot Noir grapes ripen those Zinfandel essences one could wish Mavrodaphne (black laurel) is a red grape slowly and retain full fruit acidity like for, balanced by racy acidity that begs native to Greece’s Peloponnese region. their European cousins. This 2013 features mealtime service. Because it’s the All Around 1850, Bavarian Gustav Clauss pure, high toned, focused, juicy black American varietal, I include Zinfandel on developed a procedure for making the cherry aromas and flavors augmented by my Thanksgiving wine list every November. sweet, fortified, -aged wine from this a toasty aura of barrel aging. Honor Pinot variety that remains in place today. Sweet, Noir’s origin with a steaming pot of boeuf VINA EGUIA 2009 RESERVA, sunburned, and sticky on the nose, Patraiki’s bourguignon. SPAIN $14 has a rightfully raisined palate. Power Eguia means “truth.” The label’s “open foils that sweetness, and good acid chimes CONO SUR 2012 MAIPO VALLEY hand” symbol represents a sworn promise in too, forming a balanced, satisfying taste CABERNET SAUVIGNON RESERVA to “tell the truth, the whole truth...” What experience. Delicious with pumpkin, pecan, ESPECIAL, CHILE $14 a blessing to find a 5-year-old wine aged 2 and shoofly pies. Is it Cono Sur, the “Southern Cone” of South America, or Cono Sur, the wine of “Connoisseurs?” More word play (see Essay above) by the clever marketing team of importer Vineyard Brands. Cono Sur features several tiers of wines from everyday-priced to high-end connoisseurs’ selections. The fireworks really begin at the mid-priced Reserva Especial level, this Cabernet Sauvignon combining toasty oak tones with classic Maipo Cabernet essences of blackberry and black currant. Grilled pork kebabs would surely complement.

JEAN BOUSQUET 2012 TUPUNGATO VALLEY MALBEC RESERVE, ARGENTINA $15 On the opposite side of the Andes and South America’s Southern Cone--Argentina’s vineyards another Bordeaux native, Malbec. This wine’s maker, Jean Bousquet, is likewise of French origin. Combine his Francais flair for elegance with his organically-farmed vineyards’ 4000 foot elevation in Tupungato’s Alto Gualtallary section, and you get one of Argentina’s most refined Malbec wines, charming rather than forceful. This 2012 features Malbec black cherry, plum, and licorice aromatics, spicy oak befitting a reserve wine, and that elusive note of violets. It’s not a beefeater’s Malbec, so I suggest Chicken Mole.

HOLIDAY 2014 TASTERS GUILD JOURNAL 13 By Joe Borrello Ask Tasters Guild

Q. I witnessed a very strange sight and Size # ml l oz widely used in ancient times as an additive hopefully you can enlighten me. A hot air Bottle 1 750 0.75 26 to wine to inhibit the growth of bacteria. balloon landed in a field near my home Magnum 2 1500 1.5 52 Until early in the twentieth century, wine and a person got out of the , opened Jeroboam 4 3000 3.0 104 was universally used as a base for medicinal a bottle of Champagne, poured it on the Rehoboam 6 4500 4.5 156 preparations compounded with various ground and proceeded to make a “mud Methuselah 8 6000 6.0 208 herbs tailored to specific ailments. pie.” What was going on? Salmanazar 12 9000 9.0 312 The article in NATURE is the latest Balthazar 16 12000 12 416 development stemming from a 1991 A. According to my ballooning friends, you Nebuchadnezzar 20 15000 15 520 Northern California , “The watched the landing of a pilot’s first solo Origins and Ancient History of Wine.” It was flight. It is a tradition that started in France (where ballooning also started) and has spread throughout the ballooning world. The “mud pie” was for the purpose of recording the date of the feat. Along with the pilot’s initials, it makes a unique paperweight memento when it hardens. Obviously, since it is a French tradition, Champagne is the wine of choice for the commemoration.

Q. I have a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau wine from the 2013 harvest. I know it should be drunk young, but when will it Q. I’ve read that wine has been around then that McGovern, an archaeologist with be “over-the-hill”? “since the beginning of civilization.” the University of Pennsylvania Museum, What sort of evidence substantiates this first announced the discovery of the long- A. The French Beaujolais Nouveau is claim? necked jar with its substantial tartaric acid released the third week in November and residue. At that time, the researchers had is intended to be enjoyed through the A. A jar found in the northern Zagros dated the jar to 3500 B.C., about 3000 years Christmas holidays. Chances are the wine is Mountains of dates the earliest evidence earlier than previous chemical evidence for still drinkable, but has more than likely lost of wine to between 5400 and 5000 B.C. The wine. Subsequent laboratory analysis by the fresh, fruitful luster that makes this wine fermentation, use and preservation of wine, McGovern, working with chemists Donald so appealing. It is a fun wine to be enjoyed according to this archaeological discovery, Glusker and Lawrence Exner along with almost immediately. U.S. versions of this have been part of culture for at least archaeologist Mary Voigt, who originally popular style do live longer 7000 years. “The new evidence belongs to excavated the relic, has now dated the origin and become more complex table wines, but the period when the first permanent human of the jar to at least 5000 B.C. While wild are still not considered wines to put away in settlements, based on plant and animal grape pips have been identified as far back storage. domesticates and minor crafts such as as the 8th century B.C., this discovery marks pottery-making, were being established,” the earliest scientific record of fermented Q. How much wine is in those large size writes archaeologist and scientist Patrick wine as used by . bottles? McGovern and his colleagues, publishing The ancient practice of including their findings in the scientific journal antibacterial elements in wine serves as A. Historically, wine has been bottled and NATURE. a precursor to research going on today, distributed in the classic 750 milliliter Recovered from a square as a recent study has found wine to be a . This tapered-neck container building at the site of , powerful antibacterial agent. In a study led has become familiar to everyone who has Iran, the jar provides the earliest chemical by University of West Virginia researcher ordered a bottle of wine at a restaurant or evidence of wine to date, two millennia Dr. Martin Weisse, wine was found to be drawn a wine in the comfort of their earlier than previous analysis indicated. more effective than even bismuth salicylate home. Of late, some of the oversize wine Wine was identified by the presence of the (the active ingredient in Pepto Bismol) bottles have been surfacing in retail stores calcium salt of tartaric acid, which occurs in in fighting bacteria responsible for food and benefit auctions as novelty items for large amounts only in grapes, and from poisoning, dysentery and diarrhea. Ancient collectors. These larger bottles are usually the tree, which grows abundantly writings have long attested to the benefits of released in limited numbers, but have been throughout the . wine consumption, and this groundbreaking used by European wineries for centuries. According to the researchers, the new discovery provides more insight in the The following table may help to sort out evidence “has important implications for history and use of wine. As McGovern any confusion and, incidentally, help you to the origins of viticulture as well as for the and colleagues explain, “Wine was a highly determine whether that Jereboam is really development of our modern diet, medical desirable grape product because of its unique less expensive than four individual bottles. practice and society in general.” The link dietary and medical benefits.” between wine and health is apparent from the presence of terebinth resin, which was

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