WBW #33: Wines from the Languedoc

After sadly missing out on last month's Wine Blogging Wednesday due to logistical and timing difficulties, I will be happy to get back on track in May with WBW #33, hosted by Marcus of Doktor Weingolb.

The topic is spot-on for GWU$20 readers, namely to investigate the claim that wines from Languedoc-Roussillon that are priced between $15 and $30 represent exceptional value. Check out the full brief by clicking here, and if you are at all confused when reading French labels also stop by Marcus's helpful list of Languedoc-Roussillon appellations and producers.

Entries are due in on Wednesday, May 16. So you have a full month to find a wine and drink along with the rest of us in this virtual tasting event. You don't need a blog to participate, as Marcus will be taking tasting notes in the comments section of his blog on the day. As usual, I don't have a wine that exactly fits the criteria--at least not one I've not blogged about. My only contender in the cellar is the 2003 Coupe Roses Minervois and I already gave a rave review to that a few months ago. If that wine was any indication of what to expect, we're in for a great time. So I'm off to the wine store to look for some (more) good vino.

WBW #32: To Reserve or Not to Reserve?

The Wine Cask Blog has set another challenging theme for the 32nd edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday, the online virtual tasting event founded by LennThompson of Lenndevours.

Here are some of the details, but do check out their full instructions here, including submission details. By Sunday, April 8, drink a regular and a reserve version of the same wine, made by the same maker. Is the reserve the better wine? Does it warrant the higher price? An interesting question, and one that I hope to solve without breaking the bank if at all possible! Seriously, the folks at Wine Cask are into affordable wines, so they are urging participants to team up to fulfill the assignment or look for more inexpensive bottlings.

You've only got two weeks from tonight to find and taste your wines if you want to participate so get cracking. The Wine Cask folks anticipate posting their roundup on April 11--just in time to spend your anticipated refund on some of the recommended wines.

WBW #31 Round-Up, Just in Time for the Weekend

Just in time for the weekend, Roger from Box Wines Blog has posted the roundup for WBW #31.

I was impressed with the range of wines folks sampled--everything from champagne to French rose from Provence. I guess I had expected this to be all about Three Thieves, but it wasn't. I'll definitely be looking for some of the Sofia sparkling wine in cans that several reviewers tried.

Check out the full list, with links to all the posts, by clicking here. Thanks as always to Lenn Thompson at Lenndevours for coming up with the concept, which was mentioned in April's Food and Wine magazine. And a big thanks to Roger for shaking things up. As soon as the theme for WBW #32 is posted I'll be sure to let you know, and there may even be a surprise or two.

Wine Blogging Wednesday #31: A Juice Box for Grownups

I wasn't sure I could fulfill this month's WBW assignment. After years of mocking Franzia boxed wine drinkers--sometimes, I am ashamed to admit, to their face--I was completely perplexed by Box Wine's theme of "non-traditional packaging." Not only was there the whole boxed wine thing to wrap my brain around, there was also the fact that it would take my household approximately 10 days to drink a typical box of wine (they hold 3 bottles!) and if it sucked--well, you see my point. So little time, so much good wine. I nervously scanned shelves for an option, watched the days fly by, and kept reminding myself that WBW is supposed to be about getting you out of your wine ruts, and making your wine knowledge grow. No matter how much I told myself this, though, I still could not manage to stick any boxed, jugged, TetraPak-ed or TetraBrik-ed wine in my shopping cart.

Cruising around Whole Foods, I saw the answer to my dilemma in an acid green little four-pack of grown-up juice boxes containing the 2005 Three Thieves Pinot Grigio Bandit ($10.99 for a 4-pack of 250ml TetraPaks, Whole Foods). The Three Thieves call them "bandit bullets," but they include a port for a straw (not included, but I stuck one in to show you) and as far as I'm concerned they're juice boxes!

If you want to learn more about the Three Thieves brand check out the interview that The Cork Board, a great new blog featuring Napa wines, conducted with Three Thieves' Charles Bieler. They asked him five questions about wine, and it's a fun exchange that sheds light on why three friends and fellow-wine makers decided to start the brand and experiment with new wine packaging. While you're there, take time to browse around the site--it's a good one.

So, how was it? Well, nifty as the juice box experience was--and it was fun to sit under an umbrella sipping wine through a straw from a green box--the wine itself was better when poured out into the glass. Not being able to see--or more importantly smell--the wine hampered my initial efforts to figure out the wine. And sniffing wine through a straw is not good. Not. Good. At. All. If you drink this through the straw expect slightly bitter lemon and apple flavors. If you put it in a glass, expect to see a wine that's pale straw in color. Expect, too, to detect slight aromas of lemon rind and white pithiness that will support characteristic pinot grigio flavors of lemons and apples. There was a slightly tart, pithy edge to the finish. This was certainly not the worst pinot grigio I've ever had, and at $2.75 per juice box, or under $8 for the equivalent of a 750ml bottle, it represented good QPR.

Wine in a juice box demands something as quirky and unfussy as it is for a dinner accompaniment. We had satay-inspired chicken burgers with peanut sauce from Cooking Light--burgers with a twist, just like this is pinot grigio with a twist. With it we had a refreshing Thai cucumber salad (really a very light pickle that doesn't require canning) and some fries. And since it was 90 degrees out, we ate outside. Perfect for wine in a box!

Thanks to Box Wines for the most challenging Wine Blogging Wednesday ever--at least for me. Biodynamic wines were a doddle compared to box wines, but as with most WBW experiences I am glad to have had the opportunity to think outside the box--or inside the box, in this case.

WBW #31 Announced: Non-Traditional Packaging

The theme for next month's Wine Blogging Wednesday has been announced. Hosted by Box Wines Blog, the brief is to pick a wine in a non-traditional package (box, tetrapack, goatskin--although I think that's the most traditional, isn't it?), drink it, write up your tasting notes, and post them on March 14, sending a note to the hosts about your submission. For the full brief, click on the announcement link.

Thanks to Sonadora at Wannabe Wino for giving me the head's up that this had been posted!

A Heroic Wrap-Up of an Epic WBW #30

In case you don't know yet, Tim Elliot's pipes burst right over his wine cellar which required some hasty use of saws and soldering irons, resulting in not only a hole in his cellar ceiling, but a smoldering rafter fire.

Despite this (face it, it would have been enough to send most of us straight into the wine cellar for vino!), he managed to pull together a wrap-up for last week's Wine Blogging Wednesday on New World Syrah that boasted the largest turnout in WBW history.

Head on over to Winecast for links to all 50 (not a typo) reviews of 70 (not a typo) wines ranging from $10 to $80, including:

38 Syrah
30 Shiraz
1 Grenache/Syrah
1 Mourvedre

From the following regions:

3 Argentina
27 Australia
25 California
1 Canada
5 Chile
1 New Zealand
3 South Africa
5 Washington State

I think that all these great write-ups from fellow wine lovers and bloggers will keep us rolling in shiraz and syrah for the foreseeable future. Thanks to Tim at Winecast, our fearless leader who bravely continued despite utter mayhem at home, and to all those who participated by sending in their notes. As soon as the theme for WBW #31 is posted, I'll be sure to announce it here.

Wine Blogging Wednesday #30: the 2005 Hocus Pocus Syrah

Tim Elliott from Winecast is the host for the 30th edition of the monthly wine-blogging event Wine Blogging Wednesday, started by new dad Lenn Thompson from Lenndevours. This month Tim's brief was to find a new world Syrah/Shiraz, or a blend that contained at least 51% of its juice from that varietal.

I decided to try a new wine this month, and was pleased to find a wine from a pair of new winemakers in the Santa Ynez AVA: Black Sheep Finds. The 2005 Hocus Pocus Syrah is their very first wine. 600 cases were made, and it is available through many LA area retailers. Who are these Black Sheep? They are the duo of Peter Hunken (of Stolpman Vineyards, Piedrasassi and Holus Bolus) and Amy Christine (Sommelier of AOC restaurant and rep for Veritas Imports in Los Angeles), and their intention from the start was to make a wine that their friends would find delicious and affordable.

The 2005 Hocus Pocus Syrah ($17.99, Mission Wines) is a supple, almost silky syrah with very good QPR that will appeal to pinot noir lovers. It is dark, dark violet in color and has abundant herbal aromas: thyme, anise, lavender. When you drink this smooth wine, you get loads of blueberry and blackberry fruit touched with a little bit of sweet wood and some mineral and herbal notes. Not as peppery or as dusty as many syrahs, it is also not overly oaky since it spends only 10 months in the barrel--20% in new oak, 80% in used oak. The resulting wine is not small, at 14.9% alc/vol but it is nicely in balance and easy to drink. Grapes for this syrah were sourced from the Santa Rita Hills and Santa Ynez AVAs, so it is a Santa Barbara County wine all the way.

We had the syrah with a Moroccan Lamb Tagine that combined aromatic spices with tomato and lamb cubes. After the lamb went through an interesting braising and browning method, it was cooked for an hour in the sauce before it topped off some fluffy couscous. The Hocus Pocus Syrah's smooth, silky flavors were a nice counterpoint to the cinnamon and cumin in the stew. It would be equally good with burgers, pizza, grilled meats, or other beef, chicken, or lamb stews that might be favorites in your house.

I'm looking forward to watching to see what Black Sheep Finds comes up with next, and checking out their new releases. They will have a Cabernet Sauvignon coming out this spring, and after tasting this yummy Syrah, I'll be eagerly anticipating tasting it. Meanwhile, you can get the 2005 Hocus Pocus Syrah from K&L Wines, the Woodland Hills Wine Company, and Wally's in LA.

Wine Blogging Wednesday #30 Announced

Join host Tim Elliott from Winecast for the next edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday on February 7, 2007. On that day, bloggers throughout the world will be sampling New World Shiraz/Syrah and writing up their reviews.

I've developed something of a serious Syrah addiction over the past few months as I find that the prices are very reasonable, the quality is high, the taste is delicious, and they are easy to pair with a wide variety of foods. Just a few days ago I posted a review of a Chilean Syrah (and a great mac and cheese recipe from John at Brim to the Dregs, in case you missed it!), so I'll have to hit the cellar and stores again to find another likely contender.

Full details, with Tim's guidelines and instructions for how to get your information to him before the roundup, can be reached by clicking on the highlighted text. Don't have a blog? No problem, you can just email Tim your tasting note and he'll post them in the roundup. After a few months of intriguing and challenging WBWs, it's a nice to have a change of pace and return to a simple varietal assignment. See you all back here on February 7, if not before.

WBW #29: Biodynamic Roundup Begins!

Believe it or not, our intrepid hosts for WBW #29, Jack and Joanne at Fork and Bottle, have already begun posting the roundup of tastings at their website.

I am really looking forward to reading this month's roundup, since there are so many skeptics (good thing) and because my informal check on posts yesterday indicated that people were talking about intensity of flavors, mineral notes, and herbs in many of their posts.

A big thanks to Jack and Joanne for their efforts, and to all the bloggers who contributed to this month's event. No word yet on WBW #30, but when it's up I'll be sure to post a copy of it here.

Wine Blogging Wednesday #29: Bonny Doon Goes Biodynamic

This month's Wine Blogging Wednesday, the online tasting event dreamed up by Lenndevours, is hosted by Joanne and Jack of Fork & Bottle, a wonderful site dedicated to highlighting artisanal food and wine production. The theme they set for this month is biodynamics, and it is a method of farming that has fascinated me since this past summer when I attended a Slow Food dinner at Oz Farm just outside Point Arena, CA. There I heard direct from the organic farmers how they felt that biodynamics made a difference in the quality of food they produced. At dinner, we sipped our way through a lovely 2002 Porter-Bass Zinfandel (also made biodynamically) which seemed to confirm everything that they said about the value of this farming practice. Since that time I've also had a 2004 Quivira Mourvedre Rose that was simply outstanding, and a 2004 Sollner Gruner Veltliner Danubio which was equally good.

There are lots of resources online to help you understand what biodynamic farming is, and I'm not going to repeat all of that information here. Suffice it to say, if you were plunked down in Europe anytime before 1800 you would be witnessing biodynamic farming. For centuries, wine-makers were using just these methods--right down to the cycle of the moon and stirring compost in one direction. Who knows if science will be able to detect any difference among wines made biodynamically, and those made other methods?

So what do my very unscientific tastebuds tell me about biodynamic wines? I turned to the 2004 Bonny Doon Pigato Ca' del Solo ($20, straight from the Bonny Doon website) to find out. This wine was initially released to the DEWN wine club, but like many DEWN wines it was later released to the general public via internet.

In early 2004, Randall Grahm decided to turn his Ca' del Solo vineyard over to organic and biodynamic farming methods. Formerly the vineyard associated with the Big House Wines, Grahm sold that label in summer 2006 to give himself more time to devote to smaller production, biodynamically produced wines. As best as I can figure out, this wine was made from the first grapes grown biodynamically on the property, and they are just about to wind up the three- year process needed to earn Demeter certification.

The 2004 Bonny Doon Pigato Ca' del Solo was a very good QPR wine with intense mineral flavors. After unscrewing the closure and pouring myself a glass of wine that was such pale straw it was almost translucent, I was able to smell spring flowers and herbs. On the palate, light citrus flavors were accompanied by delicious herbal touches and a deep, profound minerality. As I drank, I was sometimes convinced that I tasted a light saline tang. This was my first pigato, the native grape of Liguria given a porcine name because of its spotted skin. As a result, I can't judge it against other pigatos, but here's what I know for sure: this wine tasted of place, of salt and minerals, and grass. It had the strong mark of somewhereness and terroir that Grahm wants to achieve from his biodynamic switch. It was refreshingly mineral-forward (as opposed to fruit-forward). I just loved it, and would definitely buy more.

With the wine we had the Barefoot Contessa's tomato-based fish stew and it was an amazing pairing. I subbed a pound of scallops for the mussels, and a pound of cod for the bass and halibut, and it was still delicious, with its rich stock made of tomatoes, fish stock (mine from a lobster stock base), and lots of white wine kissed with saffron. The Bonny Doon pigato is made to go with fish--grilled, baked, sauteed, in risotto, or prepared scampi style--with its mineral and herbal flavors.

Now that I've tasted the first fruits from Bonny Doon's switch to biodynamics, I am looking forward to comparing it with later vintages as they are released. But it seems that biodynamic viticulture is going to produce some great wines over at Ca' del Solo.

Biodynamic Homework for WBW #29

For those of you awaiting WBW #29 with keen interest and even keener skepticism, I have some homework for you to do over the next week. The theme, of course, is biodynamics, and our hosts are Joanne and Jack over at Fork & Bottle.

In addition to Randall Graham's article from Wine Online that Jack and Joanne link to on their site, check out the talk he gave at UC Davis in spring 2006. Graham is, for those who don't know, head honcho at Bonny Doon. Reproduced with his permission by the good folks over at Appellation America, Graham explained in his "The Phenomenology of Terroir: A Meditation" why he turned his famous Ca' del Solo vineyard over to organic and biodynamic viticulture in 2004. Expect all the trademark Graham quirkiness, with some very interesting insights into why we might be seeing more biodynamic wines from major producers like Bonny Doon in the future.

Important note: Fans of the old Ca' del Solo Big House Red should know that Big House is no longer owned by Graham, and the "Ca' del Solo" designation didn't appear on all Big House wines made between 2004 and 2006 by Bonny Doon. So if you've got a bottle of Ca' del Solo Big House kicking around, it isn't necessarily a biodynamic wine, nor is a bottle of "Big House" made after 2004.

Wine Blogging Wednesday #29: Biodynamic Wine

Jack and Joanne at Fork & Bottle are the hosts for the January edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday. The theme for this month's event is Biodynamic wines, and you can click on the theme for a full brief. On January 17, winebloggers will post their tasting notes for wines produced following this method.

I've written before on biodynamics, and in that post I reviewed a 2004 Sollner Danubio Gruner Veltliner and provided links to stories about biodynamic farming methods (including a link to an NPR story). Biodynamics uses traditional farming practices gathered together by the theosophist Rudolf Steiner, and an increasing number of winemakers are being drawn to the methods for reasons of sustainability and because some feel that the methods increase terroir in the wines. I was first introduced to biodynamic farming at Oz Farm in Point Arena, CA where I tasted a fabulous 2002 Porter-Bass Zinfandel that was made biodynamically. You can check out my tasting note on Cellar-Tracker by clicking here. It may sound like hooey, but I think there's something to it--or at least that's what my tastebuds tell me. And I approve of anything that is easier on the land and uses less chemical intervention.

If you want to find a biodynamic wine and participate in the event, or even just drink along in the comfort of your own home, it may take you longer than usual to find one of these wines. Many are produced in relatively small quantities. Jack and Joanne have provided an excellent list of vineyards who use biodynamic farming methods, so happy hunting and I'll see you back here in mid-January!

WBW#28: A Sparkling Roundup

The amazing Culinary Fool just posted her roundup of the more than 30 entries on sparkling wines (not champagne) that were sipped, tasted, and reviewed for this month's timely Wine Blogging Wednesday.

She had so many entries that she divided her roundup into two posts. You can find the first post by clicking here, and the second post by clicking here. You will find some great recommendations for sparkling wine that is great tasting but won't put you over your holiday budget. Still not finding what you're looking for? You can read the reviews of all the sparkling wines I've had since opening shop here in October by clicking here.

Cheers to Culinary Fool for her speedy work and for hosting such a great event.

Wine Blogging Wednesday #28: Sparklers!

Just in time for the holidays, Seattle's Culinary Fool is hosting this month's Wine Blogging Wednesday. The theme she set? Sparklers (but not champagne), which are perfect for holiday quaffing and gifting.

Wine Blogging Wednesday is the monthly wine blogging event started by Lenn Thompson over at Lenndevours, now in its third year and still going strong. Today wine bloggers all over the web will be popping their corks, pouring their sparklers, and picking up their pens to report their findings. In a few days the Culinary Fool will be posting a wrap-up of all the submitted posts, divided into budget sparklers good for parties, special splurges, and duds. I'll be sure to post a link to that roundup here on the site.

My contribution to this month's effort was to drink a sparkler from the Auxerrois region of Burgundy: the NV Blason de Bourgogne Cremant de Bourgogne Cuvee Brut (Trader Joe's, $7.99). This straw-colored sparkler had excellent QPR with its aromas of pears, apples, and the yeasty smell of lightly-browned toast. One of the things I look for in a sparkler is a relatively small bead--smooth bubbles, not too big, moving to the top of the glass in a syncopated stream--and this wine has the right stuff. When you sip this very dry, brut wine, you taste apples with a little bit of a nutty edge, and finally a tiny bit of pithy bitterness.

Maybe it was the sunny label that influenced me, but I swear this tastes like Veuve Clicquot yellow label champagne. This certainly qualifies as a budget-friendly sparkling wine that you can buy in quantity for your holiday party and serve without embarrassment. It is undoubtedly the best under $10 sparkler I've had, given my taste preferences.

The NV Blason de Bourgogne Cremant de Bourgogne Cuvee Brut is made by a co-op of four top-notch Burgundian growers: Cave de Buxy, Cave de Bailly, Cave La Chablisienne and Cave de Prissé. Readers from the UK will be more familiar with this wine than those in the US, since it features regularly in Tesco and Waitrose wine selections. Made with a combination of chardonnay and pinot noir grapes, you can find it in this brut blanc, and in a rose (review coming shortly). At this price, you can afford to buy both!

Thanks to Culinary Fool for a great holiday theme, and see you back here for the roundup.

Ice Wines Roundup from Wine Blogging Wednesday #27

Kitchen Chick rounded up all the wine tasting notes on ice wines from WBW#27. They can be found by clicking here, and then following all the links. There are lots of notes, all fun to read and informative, for these delicious dessert wines. The success of this WBW is a testament to Kitchen Chick's great theme. I know I learned a lot from the tasting, and from seeing what others tasted. Thanks again to Kitchen Chick, and don't forget: Wine Blogging Wednesday #28 returns on December 13 with Sparklers, hosted by Seattle's Culinary Fool.

Sparklers: Wine Blogging Wednesday #28 Announced

Seattle' s own Culinary Fool is hosting next month's Wine Blogging Wednesday. The theme she's picked is "Sparklers," perfect for the upcoming December and January festivities. On December 13, wine bloggers all over the web will pop their corks and post their reactions to all kinds of sparkling wines.

The only sparklers that are off limits are Champagne (Sam over at Becks 'n' Posh did those a few months ago, click here for the informative round-up). Culinary Fool has even asked us to tag our wines as "Party Sparklers" (budget-friendly sparkling wines that you could serve at parties without embarassment!), "Special Sparklers" (sparklers that cost more but are nice for splurges on special occasions), and even "Duds." So there should be lots of good suggestions for those of us looking for guidance on which sparkling wines to pick in the under $20 bracket.

For more details in case you want to participate, check out her full brief. Culinary Fool hopes to post the round-up around December 15 in plenty of time for all those toasts.

Wine Blogging Wednesday #27: 2004 Jackson-Triggs Vidal Icewine Proprietors' Reserve

Kitchen Chick set icewines as the theme for this month's wine blogging Wednesday, and it's a perfect time of year to get to know these special dessert wines. Long autumn and winter evenings are just right for sipping your way through one of these beauties.

I've only ever had one ice wine before, the Sineann Sweet Sydney Zinfandel icewine, which is not entirely characteristic of the type, most of which are made from white varietals. So Kitchen Chick's brief gave me a chance to go out and try to find a budget-friendly ice wine that is readily available. The one I settled on was the 2004 Jackson-Triggs Vidal Icewine Proprietors' Reserve ($21.99/187 ml, Beverages and More) from Ontario. Just a smidge over my usual $20 ceiling, but I am so glad I parted with that $1.99. A little internet research proves that it's widely available online, and at an even better price, so it's worth checking your local merchant.

Icewines are made under strictly controlled conditions. In Canada, where the Jackson-Triggs wine is produced, grapes must be picked by hand after temperatures reach a hard frost of at least 17 degrees F. The rock-hard grapes are crushed while still frozen, producing wines with both sweetness and a balancing acidity. Typically ice wines are made with riesling or vidal blanc grapes, although winemakers are now experimenting with cabernets and zinfandels. The lesser known vidal blanc grapes should be bracing and balanced, with citrus and floral notes. If you are interested in icewines, and are a reader of Bon Appetit, you can look forward to Natalie MacLean's article on the subject in the December 2006 issue.

I was really taken with this wine, from the moment I popped the cork until the last drops were gone. The 2004 Jackson-Triggs Vidal Proprietors' Reserve was a beautiful, deep golden color. It has a silky, syrupy texture. The aromas are a little bit of heaven: honeysuckle, peaches, nectarines, and pineapple. I detected a slightly metallic smell at first, but this quickly dissipated. This wine was just as interesting and lively on the palate as it was in its aromas, with lemon peel, apple, brown sugar, and tropical fruits. It was sweet, yet refreshing and crisp, too. I drank it on its own, and it really did qualify as a dessert in a glass--not so much a wine to have with food, perhaps, as a wine to have instead of food. I can imagine a gleaming tray of icewine being served at a festive dinner in lieu of dessert.

There is no doubt that an icewine is sweet--but a well made icewine like this one is held in balance with an equally impressive acidity. It was hard to stop after just one glass of this, whereas with most dessert wines one glass is all it takes for me. Some icewines cost more than $100 for a bottle, and at $21.99 the strong varietal characteristics of this Jackson-Triggs icewine lead me to say this is a wine with excellent QPR. Thanks to Kitchen Chick for suggesting such a great topic for WBW #27.

Saturday Wine Shopping--On the Oregon Trail at Mission Wines

Today I had a very specific wine goal in mind: buy the 2005 Owen Roe Abbot's Table to stick in the closet next to the 2004 Owen Roe Abbot's Table before it is sold out. Mission Wines in South Pasadena has a great selection of wonderful bottlings, including a wide range of Oregon wines so I headed over to South Pas to see what I could see.

The place was hopping with standing room only at the tasting bar and three very knowledgeable and helpful clerks on the floor. I'm writing up my tasting notes in a separate post, which will be out later today or tomorrow. This is a small, neighborhood wine store with the added amenity of a tasting bar (serving both wine and Craftsman beer on draft) and it has a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Chris Meeske, the owner and manager, has been sommelier at Charlie Trotter's, Patina, and the Highland's Inn, so he knows what he is talking about as do his assistants Chris and David. But they aren't hoverers--they let you browse the aisles and are there to answer questions if need be.

On to the wines. They have a wide range of bottles in the $10-$75 range, all carefully selected. You will find Flowers pinots, Owen Roe wines, Sineann wines, Core, Kilikanoon, and other favorites like Black Chook sparkling shiraz. You will also find excellent selections from France, Italy, and Spain. They have a clearly marked section of wines under $10 that included today selections from nearly every major wine region of the globe. So there's no excuse to be drinking the same old wine for budgetary reasons any more!

As I said I was on the hunt for Oregon wines, and did indeed pick up the 2005 Owen Roe Abbot's Table ($26.99), a spectacular red blend that I like to put away for future holidays. I also got a bottle of the 2005 Sineann Gewurztraminer Resonance Vineyard ($19.99). I've had their pinot gris and really enjoyed it, so wanted to try out this white. And, inspired by Tom Wark's breathtaking photos of Bucklin Ranch, I picked up another bottle of the best gewurztraminer I've ever had, the 2004 Bucklin Gewurztraminer Compagni Portis Vineyard ($17.99). It was hard to do, but I selected just one of Tom's photos to include here, but I urge you to click on his name to check out the rest as well as his other blog posts on Fermentation. I also bought a great wine from the tasting, which I'll write about there.

Mission Wines has a small selection of wine accessories, like Riedel stemware (bought a Vinum Extreme ice wine glass for WBW #27 because I was feeling ridiculously splurgey), Screwpull openers, Vacu-Vin kits, and the all-important WineAway. They have an online ordering system at their website, as well as a newsletter that you can subscribe to. We all go to the wine super-stores sometimes, but a trip to Mission Wines reminds you of what you're missing: a first-class shopping experience, with knowledgeable staff, and a selection of wines made by people who are passionate about the grape.