VinoWeek - Episode 67 Unwelcomed Politics in Wine Country

A late frost in Europe is wreaking havoc on prized vineyards in France and Italy. Several consecutive nights of frost are causing lots of worry for farmers. In the coming weeks farmers will be accessing the damage, but early estimates pin losses in some areas at 50 to 90 percent of normal.

Bill and I talk about wine aerators and decanters in reference to Alder Yarrow’s recent rant on Wine Aerators: $336.9 Million Worth of Bullsh*t.

Societé Jacques Bollinger (SJB) has just purchase Ponzi Vineyard in Willamette Valley, Oregon. There are no plans to increase production beyond the current 30,000 cases annually. Additionally the focus will remain with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with no plans to add a sparkling wine.

Dominic Foppoli Mayor of the town of Windsor, in the heart of the Russian River Valley and co-owner of Christopher Creek Winery in Healdsburg is facing calls for his resignation following recent allegations of sexual misconduct. The story broke by Alexandria Bordas of the San Francisco Chronicle has caused quite a brouhaha here in Wine Country. The California Attorney General’s Office has launched an investigation into the allegations. Foppoli has steadfastly denied any wrongdoing all the while claiming he too was a victim of sexual harassment. The latest twist has Foppoli and fellow council member Esther Lemus accusing each other of sexual misdeeds.

Bill and I discuss these items and more in this week's addition of VinoWeek. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers!

Our wine recommendation this week is the 2019 Weingut Pfeffingen Dry Scheurebe. This wine hails from Bad Dürkheim a small village in southwest Germany in the Pfalz region. The Pfalz is bordered on the south and west by France.

Pfeffingen in operated by Jan Eymael, his wife Karin, and his mother Doris. The family coat of arms the mythical unicorn is prominently displayed on the front label. The Eymael’s grow 37 acres of Riesling, Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), and their house specialty Scheurebe (show-ray-beh). Scheurebe is named after grape breeder Georg Scheu. It’s a cross between Riesling and Bukettrebe. If you would like to learn more about Scheurebe and it’s resurgence in popularity read this article DRINK MORE SCHEU! by Christoph Raffelt of Trink Mag.

Light to medium gold in color the nose is fruit forward, very floral and the wine’s aromas jump out of the glass as you pour it. On the palate it’s mineral, zippy, lemon lime lip smacking deliciousness. The floral stone fruit, apricot, pear and peaches beckons you to inhale before each sip. Rich, round and vibrant it is indeed dry at 13% alcohol. This wine would be great with Asian food, curries and spicy Thai cuisine

VinoWeek - Episode 66

Imported wine prices could be headed lower? Ursula Von der Leyen President of the European Commission and President Biden have agreed to suspend all tariffs with regard to the Airbus-Boeing dispute for four months. President Von der Leyen, the first woman elected to head the European Commission is responsible for setting the Commission’s policy agenda and is just 15 months into a five year term that started in December of 2019. She’s quickly gaining allies in the food and agriculture sectors of Europe by working with President Biden who himself has been in office less than ten weeks to pause the tariffs as officials work to negotiate a longer lasting agreement that can benefit all parties. European wine imports have dropped substantially since the wine tariffs were put into affect in October of 2019. This brief respite will give importers and retailers welcomed relief from the punishing penalties of the increased taxes amidst a pandemic. We’ll have to wait and see if consumers benefit from the unexpected windfall too.

John Fox notorious for running a wine Ponzi Scheme out of his Berkeley, California retail store has been released from federal custody two years earlier than scheduled. One of the conditions of his release is that he make $45 million in restitution to those he swindled. I’d hate to be an unwilling creditor on that list.

One of the unlikely consequences of the pandemic and the wine glut is that the price of wine is going down and the quality of the wine at lower price points is going up. We sight several examples in this podcast. Bill and I discuss these items and more in this week's addition of VinoWeek. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers!

Our wine recommendation this week is the 2018 Cantina Kurtatsch Vernatsch Alte Reben. Cantina Kurtatsch is a co-operative that is located in north-eastern Italy, in the region of Alto Adige that borders Austria to the north. The area is more known for its white wines, where 62% of the wine produced is white vs 38% red. The ubiquitous Schiava, Vernatsch in German is the most cultivated red grape in the area followed closely by Pinot Noir and Lagrein. The Kurtatsch co-operative like most co-ops in northern Italy is not well known in the U.S. We are starting to see more whites wines from Alto Adige but I suspect most of the good Schiava from the area never leaves Europe. One can hardly blame importers from looking askance at Schiava based red wines with their low alcohol and light bodied profiles; not unlike a lean unoaked Pinot Noir, Schiava is not what the American consumer is buying in todays markets.

So why am I recommending the Sonntaler (sunny valley) Schiava? Often when I’m looking at a bottle of wine I’m unfamiliar with I spin it around and look for the name of the importer on the back label. In this case the importer was North Berkeley Imports, a favorite of mine, so I felt comfortable in making the purchase. Being familiar with Vernatsch/ Schiava wines I wasn’t disappointed. With spring weather coming on I was looking for a less heavy red wine and the Sonntaler (12.5 % abv) fitted the bill. The 100% old vine Schiava grapes are hand harvested and fermented in stainless steel tanks. The wine then spends six months in 2,376 gallon neutral Slavonian oak casks. The Sonntaler has a light ruby color that is translucent on the edges. On appearance alone it could easily be mistaken for a Cerasuolo, a deeply hued rosé wine from central Italy. The Sonntaler is fragrant and approachable. Cranberry and strawberry on the nose are in concert with its lean lightly spiced red fruit profile. Light bodied yet flavorful I enjoyed the tongue tingling minerality on the finish. If you’re in the mood for an change and you want to expand your wine palate I highly recommend you pick up a bottle of Sonntaler. For now this may be the best way for us to take a trip to the Alpine meadows of Northern Italy.

The World's Biggest Wine Company Expands

Constellation Brands executives must be elated to finally complete their sale of over 32 wine brands and five wineries to E. J. Gallo Winery. The $810 million deal was less than half of the $1.7 billion initially proposed in April of 2019, as the Federal Trade Commission insisted Constellations exclude their sparkling wine, brandy, dessert wine and concentrate business lines as a condition of approval. Constellation sheds all their $11 and under products in a bid to go upscale and Gallo picks up a bevy of bottom shelf labels and more production capacity.

Who comes out on top in this deal? For now primarily the grape growers who no longer have to deal with the uncertainty of who will be buying their grapes. As the details of the mega-deal were being worked out many farmers have been in limbo. What will this deal mean for wine lovers? It’s certainly promising on this front as E. J. Gallo has a history of improving the wine operations they acquire. Look no further than the wonderful work they’ve done at Louis M. Martini, Pahlmeyer Winery, J Vineyards and Winery and MacMurray Estate Vineyards. Once Gallo integrates the newly acquired brands into their operations the consumer will likely benefit as Gallo is so much better at running a wine business than Constellation. Better quality wine at the $11 and under price point is a win for the consumer. Having not had any of the following brands for years as they have become so banal I’m looking forward to the prospect of Gallo reviving and improving the quality of the future offerings at Ravenswood, Blackstone and Clos du Bois.

E. J. Gallo is a private company that now represents almost 30% of all bottles of wine produced in the U.S. Not bad for a couple of brothers that switched from growing grapes to squishing them to make wine in 1933. One could easily make the argument that Gallo is too big and controls too much of the U.S. market. After all it took almost two years for them to get approval from federal regulators. That a lot of sifting through the fine print to ensure consumers don’t get hosed on the deal. Based on current market conditions I’d speculate that we can expect more consolidation in the coming years in the wine industry. A post pandemic euphoria will undoubtedly lift revenues for travel, hospitality, retailers and restaurants, but the relief may not come quickly enough for some winemakers. Gallo will almost certainly be a player in future acquisitions.

Kwame Onwuachi and Alice Waters pen a nice piece for The Washington Post theorizing that once president elect Joe Biden is sworn in he can take immediate steps to save mom and pop American restauranteurs by taking executive action. Oh if it were that easy.

Bill and I discuss these items and more in this week's addition of VinoWeek. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers!

Our wine recommendations this week are Bellavista Alma Gran Cuvée Franciacorta. The region of Franciacorta is roughly 50 miles east of Milano in northern Italy.A blend of 77% Chardonnay, 22% Pinot Nero and 1% Pinot Bianco. Bright and zesty apple and lemon flavors on a full bodied frame. A real crowd pleaser. You can wow your friends with this one as they remark “Hey this is great Champagne”. Then you can gently remind them, it’s not Champagne it’s Franciacorta. $23 Buy it here.

Domaine Allimant-Laugner Crémant D’Alsace Brut Rosé - 100% Pinot Noir this sparkling wine has a beautiful light salmon color. Clean and crisp red fruits on the nose. Strawberries and cranberries with good depth of flavor on the palate. $16 Buy it here.

Marcel Cabelier Cremant Du Jura - This wine hails from Jura France a region sandwiched between the Burgundy wine region and the Swiss border. It’s 90% Chardonnay, the remainder Pinot Noir and Poulsard. A light straw yellow color in the glass, the green apple and biscuit aromas and flavors could easily fool you into thinking it’s Champagne. This is our new house bubbly. Why spend all your money on a luxury Champagne brand when you can get this level of quality and complexity for a third of the cost? $20 Buy it here.

2018 La Bastide Saint Dominique Cotes du Rhone Villages - 50% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 15% Mourvèdre 15% Carignan. Fermented and aged in stainless steel the nose is quite shy on first impression. Decant it and leave it alone for an hour and you will be welcomed to a wonderful black and blue fruit nose. It’s full bodied with a good punch and spiciness on the palate. A nice mid length savory finish. La Bastide wines age extremely well so you can lose a few of these in storage and not have to worry. $17 Buy it here.

2018 Crous St. Martin Les Espaliers Gigondas - 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre. This relatively new label is a collaboration between wine agent Harry Bosmans and wine grower Eric Bonnet of Domaine Bastide Saint Dominique. A deep ruby color in the glass the nose shows deep red fruit and spice. On the palate it’s refreshing, savory and beautifully balanced. A wonderful new discovery. $25 Buy it here.

2017 Juan Gil Monastrell Silver Label - Crafted from 100% Monastrell from the region of Jumilla in southeastern Spain. The 40 year old Monastrell vines are dry farmed on limestone soils. The wine is aged for 12 months in French oak barrels. Deep black and purple in the glass, aromas of blackberries, blueberries, black cherries, licorice and sweet oak accompany a mineral rich and concentrated palate. It’s full bodied with just enough acidity to ward off a slightly sweet sensation on the finish. Ages ago I consumed a lot of this wine and it’s exactly as I remembered it. I’m glad I ‘ve rediscovered it again. $15 Buy it here.

2015 Blue Gray Priorat - 50% Garnacha, 30% Mazuelo (Carignane), 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. Another Label from the Gil Family Estates this wine is packed with juicy black fruit and savory spice. It’s rich and concentrated but not jammy. Very approachable, its balance and well integrated tannins have made it our house red. $18 Buy it here.

The Beaujolais Nouveau Has Arrived

The third Thursday of November has been known as Beaujolais Nouveau Day since 1951. While the novelty of Beaujolais Nouveau Day has faded of recent I thought I’d check in on Duboeuf’s latest 2020 vintage release; partly out of curiosity, but mainly in deference to Georges Duboeuf the legendary Beaujolais winemaker and négociant who passed away last January at the age of 86. Duboeuf was a master marketer and he is credited with turning what was a local event in France into one that is now celebrated worldwide. The company is now run by Duboeuf’s son and grandson, Franck and Adrien.

Franck Duboeuf started harvesting the Gamay grapes for his Beaujolais on August 18. That’s roughly 90 days from grapes to your dining room table. The Gamay grape is a cross between Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc. The process the grapes undergo when they enter the winery is carbonic maceration and it’s this process that allows the wine to make it to market so quickly. Beaujolais Nouveau wines are for early consumption typically within 9 months of release. It’s important to note that not all Beaujolais wines are the same. There are specific areas within the Beaujolais region that produce fuller bodied and more serious bottlings.

Long known for their colorful wine labels Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau is a wine that’s all about celebrating the new wine vintage. Let’s face it there hasn’t been much to celebrate about this year so I was hoping the Duboeuf Beaujolais -Villages Nouveau would lift our spirits. It turns out Beaujolais Nouveau is much better than I remember. I’m a fan anew.

Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau has a medium ruby color that runs clear to the edge. The aromas are of ripe red cherries, raspberries, banana and bubble gum. I drank it with a slight chill as one should and the juicy red fruit, light tannins and vibrant acidity were refreshing. We drank half of a bottle and had the other half the next day with dinner. My wife really enjoyed the wine and gave props to it days later as I had a bottle in front of me while I was writing. Note to self, buy some more. This could be our house wine for the holidays.

I’m still baffled by the pricing. With the pandemic and 25 % tariffs on French wines under 14% alcohol (it’s 13.5 abv), how this wine makes it to U. S retailer shelves at $13 is simply amazing. If you’re looking for a good, fun and easy glass of red wine for your holiday table I highly recommend Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau. Cheers!

VinoWeek - Episode 64

Delivery startup Go Puff has just announced its acquisition of alcohol beverage retailer BevMo. While Bevmo already has an online presence and delivery service Go Puff’s network, which delivers convenience store items will make it even more opportune for people to channel their inner couch potato.

Convicted wine counterfeiter Rudy Kurniawan has finished serving his federal prison sentence and is now in the custody of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Where he will end up is anybody’s guess. I appears Rudy may be just as difficult to keep track of as the bogus collectible wines he forged in the past.

Jeff Siegel who writes the wine blog the Wine Curmudgeon pens a nice piece on how we have grown to accept expensive wine. How much is too much to pay for a bottle of wine that you plan to consume?

Alpana Singh, a master sommelier in the U.S. has resigned her title. Esther Mobley interviews Alpana who reveals her decades long experience as a woman of color within the Court of Master Sommeliers.

Bill and I discuss these items and more in this week's addition of VinoWeek. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers!

Wine Country Faces a New Reality

The year 2020 represents our fifth straight year of devastating wildfires in Northern California Wine Country. Weeks removed from full containment of the LNU Complex Fire which burned 363,220 acres the Glass Fire started on September 27, 2020. The ignition point of the Glass Fire was in the hills northeast of St. Helena, east of Silverado Trail Road a bucolic two lane road that runs parallel to Highway 29. The Glass Fire (named after Glass Mountain Road) footprint was roughly one fifth the size of the LNU Complex Fire. Before the Glass Fire could be contained it jumped to the west side of Napa Valley and overnight raced up Spring Mountain and down the other side of the Mayacamus Mountains into the Santa Rosa hills and valleys. Many homes and businesses have been lost as a result.

As of this writing we are under a new Public Safety Power Shutoff alert. Our utility provider Pacific Gas & Electric has announced plans to cut power to over 1 million residents this weekend to prevent the chance of sparking fires as the return of dry gusty winds have been forecasted. Sadly wildfires have become a part of wine country’s new reality. Unpredictably explosive wildfires and climate change are prompting residents, businesses and winery owners to consider the best and most practical ways to meet the new challenges of living in Wine Country.

On this podcast Bill and I share our personal experiences with the wildfires in and around our beloved Wine Country. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers!

On a previous podcast Bill mentioned that he had picked up some bottles of 19 Crimes Cali Red. Well we finally got around to trying them and we share tasting notes on the podcast about Snoop Dogg’s new celebrity wine label. 19 Crimes Cali Red is the brain child of the marketing department of big hulking wine conglomerate Treasury Estates Wine Group. Treasury is the fourth largest wine company in the world. You probably recognize some of the labels they represent: Sterling Vineyards, Chateau St. Jean, Penfolds, Beaulieu, Wolf Blass, Matua and so many others.

Cali Red is Treasury’s first time using California fruit in a 19 Crimes labelled wine. Up to this point it’s been a package that has featured only Australian wine. The hook? Each label features a convict turned Australian colonist, i.e. rough and tough rule breakers that made Australia the great place it is today. Hey Treasury even though they aren’t criminals should we be looking for a Ice Cube or Ludacris 19 Crimes label soon? If so I want partial credit for the idea.

The 19 Crimes wines are all about the infamous people that adorn the labels so when you visit the website there’s little information about how the wine is made. What I can tell you is that it’s a blend composed of 65 percent Petite Sirah, 30 percent Zinfandel, and 5 percent Merlot. Petite Sirah is a cross between Syrah and Pelousin Noir. It was discovered by a French botanist called Francois Durif. He named the new grape after himself but you hardly ever see it called Durif. That’s a hard sell. Snoop’s Cali Red fits right into the affordable red blend category at $12 a bottle. It’s a super cool label and sure to be a collectors item. A lot of people will probably purchase it just for the novelty.

How doe’s it taste? It has a deep purple color but it’s not opaque. The nose is blackberry, black raspberries and tons of vanilla. Nothing complicated or complex here, the mid palate is sweet with more of the same black fruit and vanilla. It clocks in at 14.1 % alcohol so it packs a good punch. How fitting. 19 Crimes Cali Red checks all the right boxes for a red blend in this category and it would definitely be a hit at your next social bubble get together.

Our other wine recommendation this week is the 2018 Saint Cosme Cotes-du-Rhone. If you’ve followed this blog for a while I’ve recommended this wine before. I’ve been drinking this wine for many years. I’m not sure how winemaker Louis Barruol does it but the consistency of this wine year in year out is phenomenal. I seems to get better with each passing year regardless of the vintage growing conditions. Barruol makes 30,000 cases of this CDR so there’s lots to go around but be warned; it’s distributed by Wine Bow Imports and it always sells out quickly.

Saint Cosme CDR is 100% Syrah and is from the vineyards of Vinsobres north of Barruol’s base in Gigondas. The Syrah is partially destemmed and fermented in concrete vats using native yeast. It’s also aged in concrete vats spending no time at all in wooden vessels. In the glass aromas of dark fruit, lavender and herbs. On the palate beautiful freshness, with a silky texture and a delicious savoriness. It medium to full bodied offering good length on the finish. This wine has soul. And at $14 a bottle it’s a no brainer case buy. Barruol’s CDR’s age exceptionally well too, although I must admit I have a hard time hanging on to them. Buy it here.

Smoke Taint Concerns Grape Growers

Lately there hasn’t been much to celebrate about and as a result Champagne growers are facing challenges due to the pandemic and collapsing sales. So far the French government has not offered any actionable help. Can growers and winemakers work together to hold prices steady?

Franzia is selling a backpack that holds an entire box of wine. As it turns out their apparel site has a bunch of other swag you can purchase as well.

If wildfires and air quality indexes in the very unhealthy to hazardous zone for over three weeks weren’t enough, triple digit heat was recorded for several days in many grape growing regions of California. The specter of smoke taint is something that has most in the industry adopting a wait and see attitude. Mike Pomranz pens a piece for Food & Wine looking into the complexities of dealing with smoke taint as a grape grower or a winemaker.

Bill and I discuss these items and more in this week's addition of VinoWeek. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers!

Our wine recommendation this week is the 2016 Newton Napa Valley Unfiltered Chardonnay. Most of the grapes for this Chardonnay were sourced from the Carneros region of Napa, due southeast of the city of Napa bordering the San Pablo Bay. A small percentage of the grapes are sourced from up valley in the Rutherford area. Using indigenous yeast the Chardonnay is 100% barrel fermented. After fermentation the wine was transferred to French oak barrels 24% which were new. The wine was aged for one year and received bâtonnage as needed. After barrel ageing the wine was allowed to settle in tanks and then it was bottled unfiltered. This wine strikes a nice balance between the California oak bombs of yesteryear and no oak Chardonnays that are more in fashion today. This is Alberto Bianchi, who hails from Milan, first vintage at Newton and he has crafted a remarkably sophisticated, powerful and complex Chardonnay. The color is light straw. Green apples, pear and oak aromas are reconfirmed on the firm and juicy palate. The wine has good depth and roundness at this stage. This is a wine to drink now or you could cellar it for several years to allow it gain some bottle complexity. 14 % abv $35 - $40 Buy it here.

Wildfires Amidst the Harvest

The latest entrant into the celebrity wine business is Snoop Dogg. Bill has pledged to pick up a bottle and give it a review. Stay tuned.

Jeff Siegel the Wine Curmudgeon thinks Bordeaux costs too much for the average person to buy. What do you think? Is the Bordeaux wine business in trouble?

In Washington state some winemakers are thinking of skipping the 2020 harvest; there are too many grapes and not enough demand. Anna King gives an update on grape grower and vintner concerns in the northwest.

Bill gives us a review of Regions Wine Bar in Sebastopol and the we get into a discussion about the U.S. restaurant business. Elazar Sontag writing for Eater questions whether independent restaurants can survive the pandemic without help from the government.

Lastly we give you an update on the wildfires burning throughout wine country. Unlike wildfires in the past several years that have started towards the end of harvest or after the harvest has been completed. These latest fires that were triggered by a freak series of lightening and thunderstorms have began in concert with the beginning of the grape harvest, prompting concern that some grapes may be affected by smoke taint.

Bill and I discuss these items and more in this week's addition of VinoWeek. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers!

What Is Clean Wine?

We have a new wine bar in Sebastopol. Region wine bar will specialize in pouring small production wines using self-serve wine machines.

Cameron Diaz and Katherine Power have entered the celebrity wine business. Their wine brand Avaline, is entering a crowded market place. Years of consolidation by alcohol producers and wholesalers, uncertainty due to an ongoing trade war and now a pandemic makes one consider their market timing. However the ladies may be filling a void by marketing their product as a “clean wine”.

Danny Meyer has hit the play button and is rehiring staff and slowly reopening his restaurants. The challenges of the pandemic have caused him to re-examine his policies on tipping though. With over 20,000 restaurants currently out of business in the U.S. Danny has plans to survive the fallout and still bring about equity within the ranks of the restaurant business.

Dan Berger pens a nice article on the drawbacks of vintage charts. When I first started learning about wine I always carried a vintage chart in my wallet. How about you? Do vintage charts help you make buying decisions on wine?

Bill and I discuss these items and more in this week's addition of VinoWeek. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers!

Our wine recommendation this week is the 2015 Domaine de Compostelle. Domaine de Compostelle is the second wine for Chateau La Cabanne. The estate in the past has had a reputation of under-performing considering its neighbors are Chateau Clinet and Chateau Trontanoy. In 2010 a big fire destroyed most of the vat room and all of the 2008 vintage. This allowed the owners the Estager family to outfit the Chateau with state of the art equipment, vats and cooperage. Things appear to be on the upswing as the 2015 Compostelle is a wonderful wine. The blend is 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc. After fermentation the wine is aged for fourteen months in 50% new french oak barrels while the balance is aged in second and third use barrels.

Drinking extremely well right now Compostelle is medium to full bodied. The nose shows violets, red berries, currants and plums with a touch of earthiness. On the palate its fresh and crisp displaying an all too pleasing touch of cocoa covered cherries. It’s young but the tannins are already well integrated. Good Pomerol is never cheap, there’s just not enough of it to go around. Here you have a Pomerol from a good vintage, that’s still available at a fair price. $40 alc 14.5 Buy it here.

Drinking Extremely Well Right Now

VinoWeek - Episode 59 - Tasting Rooms Reopen

After three plus months of shelter in place mandates with a significant portion of the hospitality and restaurant business in California throttled to an idle, wineries, brew pubs and distillers have been given the green light to host patrons again. The old tasting room model has been discarded in favor of new sanitation and social distancing protocols. Are you ready to go visit tasting rooms? If so you’ll probably need to make a reservation.

California winemaker Bill Foley has just purchased Ferrari-Carano Winery in Sonoma County. The deal includes two winemaking facilities and 3000 acres of land. It’s nice to see the operation go to a Sonoma County wine family instead of a big hulking beverage corporation.

Bill and I discuss these items and more in this week's addition of VinoWeek. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers!