Last weekend and old friend from the east-coast and his wife stayed with us and we used the opportunity to try through some new and old wines from both of our cellars (mostly his). Here are my thoughts:

1997 Bell Cabernet Sauvignon Baritelle Vineyard - This wine was very bricky/brown when first poured. It had some of the minty dusty nose associated with Rutherford, but not as much as I would have expected from such a great vintage. Slightly reductive, as if it got air in it, and tangy/salty on the tongue. The cork appeared fine, so I would have to say that this wine was over the hill. Much dismay!

2005 Domaine St.-Prefert Chateauneuf-du-Pape Auguste Favier Reserve - This was high on Wine Spectator's Top 100 last year, and it was easy to see why. Huge nose with tons of graphite and raspberry, and a meaty quality. Silky smooth on the palate with great tannins. The finish lingered forever. Absolutely top notch CNdP from a great vintage.

2005 Sea Smoke Pinot Noir Southing Vineyard - I have been tasting a bottle a month of this wine since it was released last Spring and it is finally coming around to deserving it high points. Extremely dense, almost chewy. The fruit is so dominant it almost punches you in the nose. Definitely not a old-world Pinot. Long, long finish. Unfortunately, since this wine is list only, you almost cannot find it outside restaurants. Try anyway.

2004 Red Car Pinot Noir Amour Fou - Another list only, huge, new-world Pinot Noir. This beauty almost drank like good syrah it was so heavy. Great minerality, lots of black cherry and dark fruits. Showed a bit of its extremely high alcohol, but then again, I am a pick picky on that issue. This winery does great hand painted labels from an obviously talented artist and seals in wax. Neat packaging. A friend of ours recently became an investor in this culty winery.

1999 Gaja Barbaresco - What to say about this epic winery? This is consistantly one of the best Barbaresco's made, year-in, year-out. It took 1+ hours to open after decanting and filled the room with rose petals and black liquorish. Insanely smooth and the decanter went dry way to quick. 94 points from Wine Spectator and a release price of $185, and that was 6 years ago. Must have more! More I say!

2003 Calera Pinot Noir Jenson Vineyard - Completely different style from the other Pinots of the night. Very meaty smelling, much lighter in color and body. This wine was the most elegant of the 3. Nice high acidity made this go so well with food. Made in a very Burgundian style. After the Gaja, this was my favorite of the wines. Also, this should be the most available of any of the above, just in a more recent vintage.

I have been a long-time reader of The Wine Spectator magazine. I have watched it go through its ups and downs, its ongoing feud with Robert Parker, its spin-off Cigar Afficianado magazine, and its depressing shift toward advertizing-influenced ratings (my belief). Through all of this, I have always looked forward to the December issue and its Top 100. That began to change a few years ago when the magazine redefined its criteria for the Top 100. Price became a factor (actually, a major factor). At first I thought this would be an interesting spin on a Top 100, since low price generally means more made and hence more "available". That all came to a screaching halt this year, when to my dismay I saw that Yellowtail Reserve Shiraz came in at #72. Really, ...Yellowtail?!? Yeah, I get it, it is good and available, but one of the 100 best wines of the year. Really? 28 places ahead of Caymus Cabernet. Really? Valdicava Reserve Brunello, at 100 points (no better possible) was on the list, but Casanova di Neri Reserve, also 100 points and $15 cheaper did not make the list at all! By their logic...you know what, I cannot even begin to understand their logic.

They often get it right, though. I just drank a bottle of the new vintage of Beringer Alluvium Blanc, an interesting blend of 4 different white grapes. It has the weight of Chardonnay but the spice of good, French Viognier, all tangy and spicy, with the spice originating in the grape, not the oak. Spectator just gave it 92 points, deservingly, but depressingly, because it is almost sold out a mere 1 week after release. Get some while you can.

Yesterday, the list of the most overused phrases in the American Lexicon was released yesterday, and "perfect storm" was #1 followed by "post 9/11" and "surge". If they ever make such a list for the wine world, "legs" is going to wine by a landslide! If I had a nickel for.... damn, now I'm doing it. We are a society that loves their cliches, but really, a wine's "legs" has got to go. If I go to one more dinner party where someone swirls their wine and then holds it up to the light and comments on the legs (or tears), I cannot be held responsible for my actions.

Alcohol and water have dramatically different evaporation rates and surface tensions. High surface tension will repel low surface tension (physics, sorry). Capillary action (physics again) causes wine to try and climb the side of the glass, thinning out. The alcohol in this film evaporates, making it more watery, thus with higher surface tension. This film is then repelled farther from the rest of the wine, which has a higher percentage of alcohol and lower suface tension. This process continues until gravity overcomes all and the weight of the liquid cascades back down. An easy proof is swirl your wine until you see "legs" then put a book over the top of the glass and repeat. No "legs". The book leaves the alcohol no place to evaporate.

So, "legs" have no relationship with quality, or sugar content as some also think. Merely a indicator of alcohol content. I think in this post 9/11 world, we can come up with something a little more relevant to say about our wine. That way I won't have to unlease a perfect storm on someone. Until next time, glasses up.

About 3 weeks ago, while working on a slow Thursday afternoon, I received a call from a local resident who asked if I was willing to help him asses the quality and possible value of some bottles that he had recently found in the basement of the house he had just inherited from his father. I end up doing this a few times every year, it seems, and it generally results in showing the owner how he/she can type the name of the wine into Google and discover that the bottle of White Star/Beringer/Mondavi/etc. is worth exactly what it is worth everyday.

 Then he walked in.

Carrying a dusty cardboard box filled with very dusty, oddly shaped bottles. The bottles were labeled as Moet Champagne 1922, and had clearly been reused. Back then, many bottles were hand blown, and these certainly had been. Immediatly I was disappointed when I saw that the corks were loose, port corks. Bad sign. We poured 2 glasses and it instantly smelled and looked like old Sherry. Obviously fortified (high alcohol), but still a nice nuttiness. I braved it and while it was completely vinegarized, it wasn't bad. At some point, his father had made a very passable, basement Sherry, that had survived for as many as 40 years without tight corks or good conditions. It was one of the most interesting days I have had since I started in this business.

I love vintage port, but like many, I don't have the opportunity to drink it as often as I would like. Recently, we made plans to do a Saturday night barbeque with a few close neighbors. As Texans (the neighbors), barbeque consists of brisket, and only brisket, smoked for 10-11 hours. Not having a smoker, I decided to bring a few racks of mustard/bourbon glazed baby back ribs. We paired a nice Sonoma Zinfandel which worked out great.
I had been looking for an excuse to open a bottle of vintage port that had been languishing in the cellar for years, and this looked to be as good a time as any. Now for the real problem. How long to decant a 1985 Fonseca Port. The commonly accepted theory is no more than 2 hours, but as this was the only bottle I had of a particularly great year; I didn't want to risk it. I emailed Fonseca, and, surprisingly, they responded. Contrary to what most drinkers think, Fonseca recommends extended decanting. They turned me on to what is referred to as the Hersh Method. I have included it below, without the lengthy explanations.

7 years or less:  *10-12 hours of decanting time
8 -15 years old:   *8-10 hours of decanting time
16-25 years old:   *6-8 hours of decanting time
26-35 years old:   *4-6 hours of decanting time
36-45 years old:   *3-5 hours of decanting time
46-60 years old    *2-3 hours of decanting time
60 years old:        *1-3 hours of decanting time

I gave it 7 hours, and was overwhelmed by the intense blueberry, raspberry jam, and graphite notes pouring out of the decanter. A few hours later, we were all regretting the retarded amount of meat we had just consumed. Time for a great cigar and the port.  So sad! I had pulled the cork years too early. This wine has so many more years to go, that while we all fully enjoyed it, I could only think of how it would taste in 10 years.

As a bit of a foodie, and the primary meal maker around my house, I am always experimenting with recipes and sauces. When I want a quick steak, I generally pan-sear and broil NY strip. Too many of us have been brainwashed into thinking that all steak must be cooked over an open grill, and miss-out on the great simplicity that our everyday stove can offer.

Preheat the oven to375. Take a GOOD cut of beef, and sprinkle with a large pinch of salt and pepper.  Let sit for 15-30 minutes. The salt is incredibly important, as it draws liquid to the surface of the meat. Heat a small pat of butter+olive oil to high in an oven-proof pan. Sear one side of the beef (without moving it) for 2-3 minutes. Flip the beef and move the pan to the oven for 6-8 minutes depending on your preference. Remove the steak and cover loosely with foil for ~15min.

In the pan over med. heat add 1 diced shallot, 1 diced clove of garlic, and deglaze with a half a cup of a red wine that you would drink. I cannot stress this enough. Would drink! Allow to boil for 1 minute, and add a cup or so of Campbell's condensed beef broth. Reduce to about 1 cup. 10 minutes or so at a light boil. Taste for salt and pepper if needed. You can strain this if you like a smooth sauce, I prefer the small chunks. Pour over the steak and let the bliss begin.

Next, find your neighbor that grills everyday, and let him/her try. They will love it, but will lie and say that grilling is better. Nod knowingly and agree, but smirk inside.

Great fun to watch the interview.  It was really good.

Bibi

I see that Tango Wine has a winetasting of Chilean wines. Unfortunately I´m not able to come.

But tell me, does anyone know if this sparkling wine is any good:

Tarapaca Brut

It is a Chardonnay

from Casablanca Valley in Chile

Thank You

Love

Bibi

Summer is drawing to a close, even in sultry San Diego. Yesterday, for the first time in recent memory (many, many months) the wet stuff fell from the sky. As a native Northeasterner, I always feel a kind of kinship with Autumn, yet I couldn't help but feel a hint of depression set in. As much as I enjoy the changing of the seasons, for me this means a transition from my crisp, fun, light, easy whites to the heartier red wines that I inevitably find myself drawn to. It's as if I must relinquish something dear in order to get to that part of my wardrobe containing long sleeves.

This year I am determined to go out with a spalsh. With the mantra of "anything but Chardonnay" repeating in my head, I am also determined to push back my beloved New Zealand Sauvignons, and French Viogniers. With a mere few weeks left, I am broadening my horizens in a country familiar to many, but relatively untapped in my personal wine adventures. I refer to the more esoteric Italian whites. As I write, I sip a beautiful, mineral-tinged, tangy Pinot Bianco from Alto Adige.I fill the empty case-box with Trebbiano's, from both Abruzzo and the more unusual Lugana district of Veneto. In goes a bright, citrusy Prosecco, followed by a hard to nail-down Vermentino from Sardinia. Finally, gulp, a Pinot Grigio. The bane of my white wine experience. I have found the Grigio's from the mountainous north to be as exciting as any whites I have enjoyed all summer. Practically effervescent with minerality. I will lock myself in and resist the call of the Red as long as I can, which will almost certainly be when this final case-box is empty.

Memorial Day cannot arrive soon enough.

Here is a contentious issue which I have been dealing with on a weekly basis for years, friends who believe that they are allergic to sulfites. Sulfites are possibly the most misunderstood aspect of winemaking by the general public. Let’s spend a few minutes discussing the benefits of sulfites and dispelling some of the rumors and wives' tales.
First, the benefits...sulfites are added, intentionally, as a preservative in all wines. The only preservative. There are wines out there that are sulfite-free, and they spoil within 6 months. Think about how long that bottle has probably been on the store shelf and reconsider buying it!
Second, sulfites are a byproduct of fermentation. All wine containing alcohol has sulfites, naturally. Sulfite-free wines must mechanically remove the sulfites, removing all kinds of other good stuff in the process. Again, avoid!
Third, organic and sulfites are mutually exclusive. Please, please don't be tricked into thinking that organic wines are sulfite-free or vice-versa. Organic wineries are not allowed to use copper sulfate as a pest repellent, which is a good thing, but they still add sulfites as a preservative. Likewise, the vast majority of wineries which make wines costing more than $12-15 are no longer using copper sulfate either, they just aren't advertising it. France and Napa/Sonoma have taken huge strides in the use of natural pest controls and weeding, the new favorites are planting other agricultural products between the rows of grapes (i.e. mustard, in Napa) and allowing sheep and goats to free graze in vineyards.
Finally, the question of allergies. If, when you drink wine, you go into cardio-arrhythmia, and have to be rushed to the hospital, you almost certainly have a sulfite allergy. If those aren't your symptoms, it is something else. Sulfite allergies are similar to bee sting allergies or shellfish allergies...no middle ground. If, however, when you drink red wine, particularly heavy reds, and become flushed and develop a headache, you are probably having a reaction to the histamines found in the skin of red wine grapes. The same histamines that are probably making you sneeze or itchy seasonally. The true litmus test is whether red affects you the same as white. If you react worse to red, know that white wine has around 3 times as much sulfite as red (it is used to clarify as well as preserve).
If you must drink red wine, I recommend a NON-DROWSY anti-histamine, such as Claritin OTC, or Zyrtec (my small secret, I have to resort to them from time to time, embarrassing when you do this for a living). Whatever you do, do not combine Benadryl with alcohol! I cannot emphasize this enough; I don't want you waking up in the hospital.

Study after study  tells us of the health benefits of red wine and in particular the big red tanic wines. When I googled red wine and health hundreds of relevant results turned up and I (so far) have not found a study that says otherwise. I'll wait on some extreme organization for that one! :)   Most of the results state that *researchers have proven that moderate consumption of red wine has a number of health benefits, including the ability to prevent cancer* or how *heart friendly* wine is.

Let's say it here, these are studies we love the results of and none more than the one I refer to below. Perhaps this could be a good Tango Wine book club choice:

The book/article that came out today offers a look at the longevity factor as it relates to red wine. The Red Wine Diet by scientist Roger Corder  insists that drinking red wine regularly is good for just about everything that might ail you, including heart disease, diabetes and dementia.

I have something to celebrate at work, so I´d like to treat my colleagues with a glass  of champagne or two.

We are about 50 people. How many bottles do you suggest I buy?

Can anyone reccomend a champagne which is very good but not too expencive preferably French.

I really need some help here.

I'm not sure how many of you caught this little tidbit in the news today but Martha Stewart (now referred to as a Lifestyle Entrepreneur) is hooking up with Gallo wines to develop a signature line of wines.  The brand line will be called *Martha Stewart Vintage* and it is going to be marketed to a test area of 6 cities.

According to the articles that I read it will be an initial launch of 15,000 cases so more than boutique! The wines will all be Sonoma wines and will include: 2005 Chardonnay and Cabernet Suavignon plus a 2006 Merlot. I wonder if Martha was at our Sonoma tasting event last night taking notes?

Later in this blog I really want to explore Lifestyle Entrepreneur and what that means? Love to hear your comments and thoughts on that too.

--cp at Tango Wine

Does anyone know someone who builds cheap wine lockers? We are putting in wine lockers at Tango Wine in Little Italy, SD and need some wine lockers!

Blanc de Noir is the French term meaning "white wine from red grapes." This phrase is used for champagnes and other sparkling wines that are made entirely from pinot noir grapes. Occasionally the term blanc de noirs refers to non-sparkling wines made from cabernet sauvignon, Pinot Noir or zinfandel. The color of blanc de noirs wines varies in hue from pale pink to apricot to salmon. The taste is not as delicate as a blanc de blancs, which is a Champagne style made only of white grapes.