February's Wine Book Club: A Book About Bubbly

For the Wine Book Club's February read, we turned to Champagne--the world's favorite bubbly beverage--and Don and Petie Kladstrup's critically-acclaimed book, Champagne: How the World's Most Glamorous Wine Triumphed Over War and Hard Times.

The book opens and closes with a trip to a battlefield. Don and Petie Kladstrup use these bookends to emphasize the fact that what is arguably the world's most glamorous wine comes from the same place on earth where a great deal of blood has been shed.

These kinds of contrasts--between glamour and war, between the luxury-loving Louis XIV and the disheveled Dom Perignon, between the underground world of the Champagne region's wine caves (complete with banquets, cabaret, and opera) and the German bombardment taking place overhead--occur again and again in the Kladstrup's book. The result is a highly readable and engaging account not only of how Champagne got its elegant reputation, but how that reputation was zealously guarded.

Champagne is not a chronological trot through the history of the beverage or the region--although the authors do follow a rough chronological framework. Instead, it reads a bit like you're accompanying the Kladstrups on a saunter around town. Along the way you meet some interesting people, learn some history, and visit some beautiful places. The Kladstrups are excellent tour guides, and clearly know their subject inside and out.

While the book is wide-ranging, it focuses on both the wine of the region and the period of the Great War--or World War I as its called in America. Maybe I'm having a hard time taking off my history hat, but I sometimes found all the jumping around from place to place and time to time a bit exasperating. It wasn't that I couldn't follow the Kladstrups--they write well, and the stories they tell are interesting. But I sometimes felt as though I just wanted them to tell the story simply, from beginning to end, and be done with it.

Despite my occasional moments of frustration, the book includes enough riveting detail and compelling story-telling to more than make up for a few rambling moments. What I will most remember from this book, for instance, are the accounts of life in the region's caves or crayeres during the Great War. The pictures were amazing. Seeing entire schools, bedrooms, banquets, hospitals in the caves was something else, and drove home the Kladstrups' point that Champagne, for all its elegance, is made from soil on which hundreds of battles have been fought.

Reading the Kladstrups' book made me want to visit Champagne myself and explore the region, its wine, and its history. I'd recommend this book to armchair travelers, World War I buffs, and anyone who truly loves the wines of Champagne.

I'll be back on Thursday with the wrap-up, so if you have a review to share, please send me a link or put the link in the comments here or on the announcement post.

Today on Serious Eats: The Gift of a Wine Book

I got a present in the mail from my godmother last month: a wine book that she kept between 1970 and 1980 while living in Germany.

What a treat! I loved reading over the labels and her notes. My favorite: "Lancers is always good."

You can read about my experiences with my aunt's wine scrapbook in this week's Serious Grape column on Serious Eats.

Are you preserving your wine memories for future years? If so, how?

January Wine Book Club Wrap Up: Notes on a Cellar Book

We had four participants in this month's wine book club--the first of 2009--and one review that was written by a wine blogger a few years ago but I'm including it anyway because it's a great review!

Except for me, people weren't all that enthusiastic about the book. I was wildly enthusiastic--but then again, I picked the book.

Here are what wine bloggers thought of George Saintsbury's Notes on a Cellar Book.

Jim Eastman from Music & Wine found there were language barriers standing between him and Saintsbury, but more importantly "I just didn't find his anecdotes terribly entertaining." Eastman preferred the chapters devoted to spirits, especially whiskies.

Kori at the WinePeeps wrote a review that was very much in line with Jim Eastman's. Like Jim, Kori found the language inaccessible and had to "keep a dictionary at my side" to clarify some of his terms. She recommends this book to "an academic or a history buff" (guilty!) She enjoyed the book but she does "wonder if it fits the palate of most of our readers."

Frank from Drink What You Like was struck by the picture on the cover and its resemblance to Dumbledore. He, too, found it "tough to read" and he found it "difficult to stay engaged." Though he praises the historical information found within, he doesn't recommend the book as a "general learning tool" for those starting out on wine.

Edward the Wino Sapien found "the freshness and directness of the words and familiarity of the names potentially disconcerting," and found that despite its age "many of the words and ideas still hold true."

Update:
I missed one. Sorry!
RJH from RJ's Wine Blog didn't like the book AT ALL. She was taken back to English Lit classes--and not in a good way. "Don't buy or read this one. Too heavy, allusive and not all that interesting," RJ said in conclusion.

I think these reviews will be quite helpful for people who are thinking about this book and wondering whether they will like it or not. If you're a history buff (or as I suggested a Masterpiece Theater buff) you will probably like this book. If not, then you might want to think twice.

Next month's book also has a historical bent, but it covers a bubbly topic, so hopeful it will be a bit easier to get through. I'll have full details and explain why I picked the title next Thursday.

Thanks to all the participants for their honest, well-written reviews. And I hope that more wine bloggers and readers jump on the bandwagon next month.

Wine Book Club: Notes on a Cellar Book

"There is no money, among that which I have spent since I began to earn my living, of the expenditure of which I am less ashamed, or which gave me better value in return, than the price of the liquids chronicled in this book. When they were good they pleased my senses, cheered my spirits, improved my moral and intellectual powers, besides enabling me to confer the same benefits on other people." George Saintsbury, Notes on a Cellar Book

Between 1884 and 1915 an English literature professor named George Saintsbury kept a series of notes on his wine, spirits, beer, and culinary adventures. First published in 1920, just as the United States was entering its experiment with alcoholic abstinence, his "cellar book" (as the notebook was called) was such a success it went through three editions in its first year of publication. Young American readers confessed to being so moved upon reading it that they immediately broke the law, drank Port, and toasted the author's health. Since that time it has earned its place many times over as a classic example of wine writing. That's why it made it to the top of the list for the 2009 Wine Book Club, and was my selection for the month of January.

Thomas Pinney thought that it was time for a modern, annotated reprint of the book--and as far as I'm concerned he was absolutely right. Now we can all have a copy of this wonderful, evocative book on the shelf, complete with notes to explain the more historical bits.

One 0f the things that makes this book a wonderful read is that Saintsbury had a wide-ranging interest in and curiosity about wine. That means he liked Burgundy as well as Claret from Bordeaux, and appreciated beer as much as vintage Port. The other thing that makes it wonderful is that it reads a bit like an episode of Masterpiece Theater--it's terribly British in its strong opinions. And so icing wine is politely but firmly designated as "barbarous." The size of the wine glass matters to the taste of the wine--or so Saintsbury believed, well before Riedel glases. And if you are going to have a special dinner, start with Sherry, move through Champagne to Claret then to Burgundy (DRC 1858 if you can get it...) and finish up with a Hermitage from the Rhone.

It came as a surprise to me that there was a concern about "big" wine even in 1923. "Once upon a time there was an author who though not a vintner wrote about wine, "Saintsbury reported, "and some of the experts found...fault with him as with one who leant too much to "bigness," "stoutness," and the like...." The offending wine was French Bordeaux--long before Parkerization--and the author was Saintsbury himself. "If you want delicacy," Saintsbury advises, "you don't go to the Rhone or anywhere in France below Gascony." What's more, Saintsbury thinks that people who refuse ever to drink a light wine, or to touch a heavy wine, are "irregular." Instead, someone truly interested in wine should drink whatever they can.

I love this book, and I love Saintsbury's writerly voice. He's curmudgeonly and opinionated but he is in no way narrow in his approach to drink. As such, he's an example to every wine drinker and writer in the 21st century.

GWU$20 drinkers may wonder if reading about fantastic bottles of wine from the 19th and early 20th centuries has any relevance to those of us looking for good, affordable, everyday wine. Saintsbury would say yes--and I would agree. For Saintsbury, what matters is that you drink as widely and well as your bank account allows and to learn the differences between wine without becoming a snob about it. Here's what he says: "Here, as else- and every-where in criticism, not only the hardest thing to attain but also the hardest thing to get recognized when attained, is the appreciation of difference [in wine] without insisting on superiority."

If this taste of George Saintsbury's Notes on a Cellar Book has wet your whistle, you can get the book from the University of California Press ($29.95) or from your favorite book retailer.

I'll post a roundup of any reviews of the book written by wine bloggers on Thursday, so send in your links if you participated in this month's club. The February title will be announced next week.

Vintage 1906: Buying Wine In Los Angeles

I spend lots of time in libraries and archives. I thought it might be fun to share some of the information I pick up about wine history along the way.

Imagine yourself in Los Angeles in 1906. The streets would have looked like the one to your left, with an electric tram, horses and carriages still on the streets, colorful awnings,and low-slung brick buildings. (Los Angeles street scene from 1906, courtesy of the LA Public Library and LA Fire Department Engine Co. No. 3)

While walking along, readers of this blog would be scanning the stores for wine. Where could you have purchased it in 1906? One option would have been the Crescent Wine Company, established in 1890 and still serving up wine and spirits, as well as olive oil and bottled water, to Los Angeles residents after the turn of the century. Located downtown on West Seventh Street, the company's motto was "Quality like Truth commends itself." Their 1906 price list proudly stated: “We do not keep nor offer for sale any imitation goods, or goods bearing counterfeit labels, and every article in this list is of irreproachable quality and even the cheapest goods quoted are choice.” Truth in advertising--and labeling--was an issue back then, just as it is now.

What the Crescent Wine Company meant by that statement, however, would not pass muster today. They sold California wines in bulk under the categories of Claret (both "Table" Claret and "Old" Claret) and Zinfandel, but also advertised California Burgundy, California Hock, California Riesling, and California Sauternes. The price? Well that ranged from 50 cents to $1.50--a gallon. You could get your Claret in a quart bottle for an extra 10 cents, and when you brought the bottles back for a refill you got a 3 cent credit. Recycling, 1906 style.

Name-brand, bottled wines were also available, including Italian-Swiss Colony Tipo Chianti; Inglenook Sparkling Moselle, Burgundy, and (eek!) Sparkling Sauternes; Cresta Blanca sparkling wines; Paul Masson; and Champagne from Coste-Follcher, Mumm's, Veuve Clicquot, and Moet & Chandon. And, for those of you reading this from the east coast, the Crescent Wine Company also sold bottles of wine produced in your neck of the woods, including Virginia Dare wine (65 cents a bottle) and Concord Port. (image from bottlebooks.com)

Those of you who know about the 19th and early 20th century may also know that medicinal "tonics" (most of which were laced with opium, cocaine, and other potent substances) were hugely popular. Crescent Wine Company sold its own medicinal tonic, called "Tone-up Port." They described it as a "perfect, all the year around tonic and nutritive for restoring debilitated conditions. A perfect food and tonic combined. As an appetizer it has no equal; invigorates and tones up the whole system; makes rich, red blood, and is especially recommended for building up “run-down” constitutions." What was in the bottle was a carefully-guarded secret, but they offered free local shipping on 6 large bottles (which cost you $4).

Finally, the cocktail was coming into its own around 1906, and mixed drinks were all the rage. Not to be left out of the fun, the Crescent Wine Company included a number of "wine cocktail" recipes in their 1906 price list. My favorite--and a perfect follow-up to Wine Blogging Wednesday #45's Riesling theme--was this recipe for Rhine Wine Lemonade:

"Use large bar glass; 1 tablespoon sugar, juice of 1 orange, ½ glass of ice; fill up with Rhine wine. Stir well, add slice or orange with straws, and serve."

Coming in a close second was the California Wine Cobbler:

"A large bar glass half full of ice; ½ tablespoonful of sugar, juice of 1 orange, 1 wine glass California wine. Stir well, fill up with ice, dash with claret, dress with fruit, serve with a straw."

There was something strangely familiar about this price list, and it reminded me of surfing the web and browsing wine selections at local stores like domaine547 and Wally's, reading their advice about how to serve wine, and dreaming of making a big purchase. Despite the ways in which the experience was quite different from today, what I was most struck by were the ways in which buying wine from Crescent Wine Company seemed strangely modern with its recycled containers and free shipping offers. It made me think that someone from 1906 would be at home in our world of e-commerce and be delighted to shop for wine from the comfort of their own living room in 2008. It's fun to be able to imagine what it would have been like to buy wine in Los Angeles more than a century ago--although I'm not sure the Sparkling Sauternes would have made it into my cart.

The Art of the Cork

I'm a big fan of Stelvin closures on wine bottles, also known as screw-tops. They preserve a wine's freshness, you never have to have a reserve bottle in case it's corked, and they make it easier to pack a picnic. There's an increasing amount of good science to back up winemakers who feel their wines are best put under these closures.

But they're not very beautiful.

Lately, I've been thinking about the art of the cork. I dumped my latest bowl of corks out on the table the other day, and was struck by how much care went into designing some of them. Can you spot the Twisted Oak in the bowl? Enikidu's Sumerian glyphs? The wolf on Ca' Viola's cork? How about Sineann's Celtic-inspired symbol? The Art Nouveau swirls of Adelsheim? The alchemical symbol from Brooks? Borgo di Colloredo's tower?

I did some sleuthing, and as best as I can tell the reason that wineries first started printing information on their corks was to stop fraudulent brokers from selling sub-standard wine under famous names back in the day when wine was exported and shipped in barrels, then bottled where it was sold. "Bottled at the Chateau" was one way for a buyer to be sure they were really getting the wine that they paid for--not something else that they never expected. Falsifying labels was relatively easy and inexpensive. But printing off fake corks was far more difficult, so corks became the proof positive that the wine you were drinking was genuine. I suspect that's one reason why presenting the corks really got started in fine restaurants--not so you could sniff it, but so you could see that the wine was truly what you had ordered. If there are any sommeliers or WSET diploma students reading this, let me know if this is correct because I'm having a hard time finding proof about this hunch.

Today, corks are the part of a wine experience that consumers tend to hold onto the longest--except for the memory of how the wine tastes. The bottle gets put into the recycling, but most wine drinkers have at least one cork in the house. Sometimes it's a champagne cork from a special celebratory bottle. Often it's a cork from a bottle of wine that you loved and want to remember to buy again--so you stick the cork in the drawer and forget all about it.

But I realized that I keep the corks just because I find them too beautiful to throw away, and because when I tip the bowl onto the counter and watch them roll around they serve as snapshots of a dinner, a great wine, friends, and family. I can remember (once I see the cork) who I drank it with, what I drank it with, and sometimes what the weather was like. Memories accompany each cork, and to sniff them, hold them, and look at them brings those memories flooding back.

Even though I like screw-caps and think wine science is a good thing, I'll be sad to see the day when the art of the cork is no more. Until then, I'll probably continue to treasure my (growing) collection, and marvel at their power to remind me of good times and good wines.

Today: Celebrate the End of Prohibition

On December 5, 1933, Prohibition ended with the passage of the 21st Amendment to the US Constitution. (image from the National Constitution Center)

Celebrate responsibly, contribute to efforts to get rid of the last vestiges of Prohibition in the laws that limit the shipment of wine across state borders, and raise a glass to folks like Juanita Swedenburg who fought for your right to drink the wine you want.

Thanks, also, to Joe from Joe's Wine Blog who remembered what day it was!

Smoke and Mirrors: The Story of Fume Blanc

1968 has a lot to answer for: the assassination of Martin Luther King; the musical Hair; "Up, Up and Away" winning Song of the Year at the Grammy Awards; the Tet Offensive; the invasion of Czechoslovakia by the Russians; and Fume Blanc.

Once upon a time in 1968 a California winemaker named Robert Mondavi decided to buy a load of sauvignon grapes from a local grower. California sauvignon blanc didn't sell well in those days; it was too grassy for most palates. In a game of smoke and mirrors, Mondavi decided to barrel-age the juice (hence fume, or smoked, to refer to the oak influence), and give it a French name that might conjure up images of Pouilly-Fume in the minds of customers.

It worked. Sauvignon blanc sales shot up. And the legacy of confusing American wine drinkers with made-up names instead of proper varietal ones continued, so that today many in the US still don't know that Fume Blanc is made with sauvignon blanc grapes at all. Both CellarTracker and the ATF recognize Fume Blanc as a synonym for sauvignon blanc, which is incomprehensible to me.

Given my feelings about this dubious historical development, I opened the 2004 Hannah Nicole Vineyards Fume Blanc with some trepidation ($14.99, Wine Q) Just like Mondavi's 1968 version, this fume blanc is aged in oak barrels to give take off sauvignon blanc's more assertive edges. Unlike Mondavi's original Fume, however, this wine is is blended with 12% viognier. This accounts for the perfumed aromas of citrus with a floral overlay. The flavors in this wine were less zingy than zingy than most New Zealand sauvignon blancs, and not as rich as most California viogniers. There were flavors of pink grapefruit and Meyer lemon, with some floral notes on the finish. Despite its oak aging, I didn't detect much discernible oak in this wine, but felt instead that most of the roundness in the flavors was coming from the viognier.

All in all I felt this wine had good QPR, and it provided an opportunity to think about wine trends and fashions and the role that marketing plays in telling us what we are--and are not--drinking.

One Lump or Two? Bordeaux Green-lights Chaptalisation

The news from the 2007 Bordeaux harvest continues to be less than promising. Today, Decanter magazine reported that the area's wine officials are likely to allow chaptalisation of the wine because grapes have not achieved a desirable level of ripeness during this year's difficult growing season. (image from wijnidee.com)

What is chaptalisation (or chaptalization, if you spell things the American way)? It's the technical term that refers to the practice of adding of sugar to wine during fermentation. This process, which was developed in the 18th century, raises the alcohol level, and in Bordeaux they impose a standard limit on how much sugar a winemaker can add. Bordelaise winemakers can only raise the alcohol levels by 1% by adding sugar. So the sugar isn't going in to the wine to make it sweeter--it's going in the wine to give them more alcohol and more body. Though some wines in past Bordeaux vintages, and other wines in other areas, have been watered down in order to lower the alcohol levels, signs are that the 2007 Bordeaux harvest will be requiring just the opposite.

The European Union is looking into chaptalisation and may ban the process in future years. It is likely that winemakers would still be able to add concentrated must (unfermented grape juice) to wine to raise sugar levels, but not sugar. Already, however, Bordeaux officials have agreed that sugar can be added to 2007 sauvignon blanc grapes. At a time when many wine buyers are looking for the least manipulated wines they can find, and lower alcohol wines to boot, one has to wonder how this development will effect the sale of 2007 Bordeaux futures.

Early Harvests a Sign of Climate Change?

A flurry of news reports the past few weeks have suggested that grape vines throughout the world are beginning to feel the effects of global warming. (image from ItalianVisits.com)

In France's Beaujolais region the harvest of gamay grapes began 2 weeks earlier than usual, something that veteran winemaker Georges Duboeuf remembers happening only a handful of times in his life. In 1947, 1976, 2000, 2003, and now in 2007 the harvest came in early. What he doesn't say is that three of those harvests have been within the last decade, which I find a bit alarming. Despite the early harvest, there are no plans to change the release date for beaujolais nouveau, which is still planned for the third Thursday in November.

In Sicily, the Veneto, and Lazio there are similarly early harvests this year, with grapes being picked as many as four weeks earlier than usual. This had led to problems securing workers for harvest, and to changes in long-established traditions like harvest festivals that typically take place in October--not September.

Harvests are always idiosyncratic and quirky, and 2007 will be no different. Bordeaux has been worrying about rain, not heat, for instance. And Napa has had few of the high temperature spikes that can lead to uneven ripening of the grapes. But this rise in temperatures across Europe does have viticulturalists worrying about the long-term effects this may have on wine production. Entirely new varieties may need to be planted to cope with the climate change. And the higher heat is producing fruitier wines which will only contribute to the trend towards "international" fruit forward styles. I don't know about you, but this is not a trend I applaud. I like wines to taste different, and to reflect the conditions under which the grapes were grown and made.

I've always thought whether and how much to let fruit ripen on the vine was a decision of the winemaker. Now we see that Mother Nature has a role in the decision process, too, and if global warming continues, we may all be in for a far fruitier future than we thought.

Post-Script, 8/31/07: The San Francisco Chronicle's Lynne Charr Bennett reported on the earlier harvests taking place all over California this morning, adding coverage on Lake County, Monterey, and San Luis Obispo along with other viticultural areas.

Classic Wine Advice

In 1935, Huey Long was assassinated in Louisiana, Fred Perry won Wimbledon, It Happened One Night won the Academy Awards for Best Picture, and the Nazis enacted the Nuremberg Laws against the Jews. Also in 1935 Miss Bridget Herbert got married, and to celebrate her nuptials Hilaire Belloc (1870-1953), the famous essayist and poet, penned a small book that contained classic advice on wine and housekeeping. Dipping into it in 2007 is a treat, and reminded me how much has changed in the world of wine, and how some things remain the same.

Like most wine lovers, Belloc was a man of strong opinions. The book opens: "Never warm Red wine. This deleterious practice is called by the vulgar 'taking the Chill off.'" Over the course of 37 pages Belloc discusses corkscrews, how to baptize wine, how to remove bad corks, where and how to buy wine, how to bottle it, and a score of other topics. He is a fan of white wine from Orvieto, and red wine from Burgundy. He likes his champagne with a bit of sweetness, and his white wines not to be served too cold. Nothing but sea salt touched his food, and his coffee-making standards were so high I imagine he never had a cup that satisfied him.

Reading Belloc's book of advice gives us a glimpse into a lost world of wine, where consumers tasted wine from merchant barrels before being bottled and where it was even conceivable that you might have a bottling operation in your own cellar (provided you could find 6 friends to help you and some garden trellis to temporarily hold the bottles). Belloc mentions long-dead wine merchants by name who he trusted to sell him the same wine in bottles that he had tasted from the barrel. He instructs Miss Herbert to stay in room 90 at the Hotel des Voyageurs in Nantes when she goes to visit his favorite wholesaler to buy French wine. And he put a lot of stock in the purchasing power of Mr. Heath who ran the wine department for the Army and Navy stores.

72 years on, it is hard to follow some of his advice ("never buy anything you have not tasted"), while some seems timeless and relevant ("divide your buying of wine into two clear departments 1) buying ordinary wine 2) buying special wine"). This mixture of past preoccupations and classic concerns is what makes this book so fascinating. In 1960, Belloc's friend Evelyn Waugh got permission to reprint the slim volume under the simple title Advice, and though it is out of print today you can still find copies (as I did) on Alibris for around $20. The book is beautifully bound, and printed in two inks (red and black) with reproductions of Belloc's original pen and ink sketches. If you need a gift for a wine lover (or for yourself) and enjoy taking a peek into the past, I highly recommend this book.

Happy Independence Day

And now, some thoughts from our founders:

"Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance."--Ben Franklin

"No nation is drunken where wine is cheap, and none sober where the dearness of wine substitutes ardent spirits as the common beverage." --Thomas Jefferson

"My manner of living is plain, a glass of wine and a bit of mutton are always ready, and such as will be content to partake of that are always welcome." --
George Washington

"Clear. Sheribiah Town went from here Bound for Boston. I have been to Colⁿ Howards. he made me a pres^t of a Casse bottle of wine. " Diary of midwife Martha Ballard, June 11, 1788.

"Mrs. Madison was a remarkably fine woman. She was beloved by every body in Washington, white and colored. Whenever soldiers marched by, during the war, she always sent out and invited them in to take wine and refreshments, giving them liberally of the best in the house. Madeira wine was better in those days than now, and more freely drank." --Paul Jennings, former slave of James and Dolly Madison

Drinking Direct Ship Wine? Raise a Glass to Juanita Swedenburg

If you are now able to drink a wine that came directly to you from the winery--and you weren't able to do that before 2005--you have Juanita Swedenburg to thank for it, at least in part. On June 9, octogenarian Juanita Swedenburg, who took on inter-state wine shipping regulations and took her fight all the way to the Supreme Court, died at her home in Middleburg, VA. (photo by Don Wilson of the Institute for Justice)

This card-carrying member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and former Foreign Service Officer took on the big guns of interstate shipping and made the quiet, convincing argument that the wine that she and her husband, Wayne, made at their historic Virginia farm was no different from any other agricultural product. She could sell her hay in another state, why not her wine? Wasn't it un-Constitutional to restrict her access to free trade?

The Supreme Court agreed with her and her fellow petitioners, and handed down a decision on May 16, 2005 that a state could not set up different restrictions for wineries that were in-state, and those that were out-of-state. It was the first major blow against direct shipping restrictions, and one that continues to be fought by Free the Grapes and other organizations and winery coalitions. Sadly, her business- and life-partner Wayne had died one year earlier, and did not survive to see their victory.

The Swedenburg family has established an fund at the Virginia Wine Growers Association to promote education and the Virginia wine industry. If you'd like to make a contribution in Juanita's honor, send it to the Juanita Swedenburg Memorial Education Fund, c/o VWGA, P.O. Box 10045, Alexandria, VA 22310.

Washington's Wine

Not THAT Washington. The other one. Martha's husband, aka George.

Building on the country's growing understanding of the wine-drinking habits of founding fathers and Virginia residents Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, Virginia has announced that it is "first in wine." I don't think this is true: not in terms of the amount of grapes grown, the numbers of bottles sold, not even in historical terms. (I think New Mexico might be ahead in this department.) But who cares about historical details when there are grapes involved? If you are a driver in Virginia, you can show your support for the wine biz in your state by getting one of these snazzy new license plates. Commemorating the 400th anniversary of wine in the state, proceeds of this vanity plate go towards the Virginia wine industry.

And, what is wrong with California?? If there were grape vanity plates I'd sign on in a minute. Can we lobby for such a thing with rolling vine-covered hills in the background where the whale's tale is? Currently you can support Lake Tahoe Conservation, the Coastal Commission, the Arts Council, Child Health and Safety, UCLA, Yosemite, and Firefighters. All worthy causes. But lets get wine in there! Who has the Governor's phone number?

Unless you live in Virginia, you probably don't drink much Virginia wine thanks to insane post-Prohibition wine regulations , which make it pretty much impossible for anyone outside the state's borders to find or purchase them. Dan Berger has a good overview of the Virginia wine scene in a new post over on Appellation America, and bloggers like Dezel at the Virginia VineSpot blog are a great resource if you want to know more about the area's viticultural past and present.

So if you're headed to Jamestown for the big anniversary this summer, to the Outer Banks for kite-flying and eating fried seafood, or to Williamsburg to check out how things used to be when people wore perukes and mob-caps, try to squeeze in a visit to Virginia Wine Country while you're at it. Your taste buds will thank you, even if your children won't.

Winery Watch: Ballentine Vineyards

This is the first in a series of posts highlighting California family wineries. You might not be familiar with them--yet--but they produce wines that speak with the voices of this state's people, places, and history. They are worth seeking out. These posts will be longer than most posts on the blog, but I hope you will find them perfect for leisurely weekend reading and internet browsing. Have fun!

This old Chenin Blanc vine from the Napa Valley represents the essence of Ballentine Vineyards. (photo courtesy of Ballentine Vineyards) With roots that extend back into the history of California winemaking, and a philosophy that embraces the best modern methods within a family-run operation, the Ballentine Vineyards team is producing some simply excellent wines as I discovered recently at the Family Winemakers of California tasting in Pasadena. Van and Betty Ballentine, along with wine-maker Bruce Devlin, presented a lineup of wines where every sip was better than the last. They said Napa Valley to me, and exhibited textbook varietal characteristics along with fabulous terroir.

The Ballentine story begins in 1884, when Betty Ballentine's grandfather, Libero Pocai, arrived in the US from Lucca, Italy. In San Francisco, Libero met and married Maria Cristofani and the two left the city following the devastating 1906 earthquake. He purchased 60 acres in the upper Napa Valley near Calistoga--about as close to viticultural heaven as you can get. The Pocais planted Zinfandel, Gamay, Charbono, Merlot, and Petite Sirah vines and started the 115th bonded winery in the state of California. This historic ranch was Betty's home, and the Pocai vineyards continue to produce the bulk of Merlot grapes used by Ballentine.

Around the same time as Libero and Maria Pocai moved to the Napa Valley, John Ballentine came to the US from Ireland. It was 1910, and John Ballentine lived in San Francisco for a decade before heading for the Napa Valley. In 1922, John purchased the original Sutter Home Winery which had become derelict due to Prohibition and renamed it Deer Park. Then, he waited. He was ready in 1933, when Prohibition was lifted, to bottle his first vintage. Cabernets, Zinfandels, and Rieslings all came from the Deer Park vines until, in 1959, Deer Park stopped making its own wines and began selling grapes to other makers such as Ravenswood, Rombauer, and Caymus. These were tough times for the wine industry, and many small family operations closed their doors.

Thankfully for us, after years of selling their grapes to others, Betty and Van Ballentine decided to revive the Ballentine brand. They built their own winery behind their farmhouse in 1995, and recently opened a tasting room that is open for visitors. Once they got things up and running they hired UC Davis graduate Bruce Devlin, a San Jose native with wine-making experience gleaned in Germany, South Africa, and Australia, to be their winemaker. In 1999 he joined the Ballentine crew, and was given the freedom to follow the grapes and his own inspiration in making wines. Check out The Cork Board's "5 Questions" interview with Devlin that was posted just this week to learn more.

Even with all that history, the Ballentines are still trying new things and developing new wines. Ballentine just released their first Cabernet Sauvignon from the Maple Lane Vineyard ($60) and if you are looking for a very, very special bottle of red for a gift or a family meal, this would be an excellent choice. (photo of Van Ballentine amid the cab vines at Maple Lane, courtesy of Ballentine Vineyards). It has amazing complexity, with intricate aromas of black cherry and fresh ground pepper. These notes follow through on the palate, along with an entire herb garden and spice cabinet of additional flavors, including vanilla, licorice, and mint. Get it while you can, and stash it away for the holidays. I think it is going to become a coveted and highly collectible wine.

Here are some of my other top picks along with brief impressions of the wines I tasted recently. You can click on the wine's name and be whisked straight to the Ballentine site to read more, and order some for delivery.

2006 Ballentine Chenin Blanc Old Vines ($15). A brisk and refreshing chenin blanc made from grapes grown in the historic Pocai family vineyards, with good acidity combined with aromas and flavors of pear and minerals. Perfect for spring and summer sipping on the porch, or with some fried chicken or bbq. Excellent QPR.

2002 Ballentine Zinfandel Old Vines ($18). What a beautiful color on this wine! Aromas of black and blue berries, with flavors of cranberry and cracked black pepper. Pizza, pasta, or grilled meats would be great with it. Excellent QPR.

2002 Ballentine Merlot Estate Grown ($22). Another find from Ballentine, which has received very favorable press reviews, this is a fantastic merlot with yummy black and red fruit aromas and flavors accented by warm notes of currant, spice, and pepper. Excellent QPR.

2002 Ballentine Zinfandel Reserve Block 9 ($27). This outstanding zin had complex aromas of flowers, black fruits, and spice which are also present in the flavors. Serious bang for the buck, with lots of complexity. I would buy this in a heart-beat. It's that good (and I'm not alone in thinking so. If you are a reader of wine mags you may have seen the positive reviews of this wine). Very good QPR.

2004 Ballentine Petite Sirah Field Blend ($35). Just 100 cases were produced of this outstanding blend of Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Syrah, and Carignane--all grown in the same vineyard. Intense blackberry flavors and aromas in a silky package, this wine would be a great match with a wide variety of foods. I really liked this wine, with its intriguing mixture of blockbuster fruit and elegant mouthfeel. Good QPR.

2002 Ballentine Integrity ($32). A very good, soft merlot blend with abundant aromas and flavors of blackberries, black cherries, vanilla, and herbs. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc. I can't think of any food that would fail to pair well with this wine. Very food friendly. Good QPR.

These Ballentine bottlings represent the kind of wine we should be drinking.

They are such good value, and produced with such care. At a time when Napa wine prices are reaching stratospheric price levels, it is amazing to see how the Ballentines are able to make such seriously good wine at these prices. Their wines are readily available in LA, can be had directly from the vineyard, and I'm guessing you can find them at a wine store near you. If not, then march up to the counter and suggest that the buyer starts stocking these wonderfully affordable Napa wines.

Spread the word. Drink their wine. And if you are a fan of Ballentine wines, leave a comment and let us know which one is your favorite.

Next week: Four Vines Winery

Bacchanalia Begins Today

Today marks the start of an ancient festival of interest to wine bloggers and readers: Bacchanalia. (Bacchus, by Caravaggio) Unbelievably, given its meaning, Bacchanalia has not yet been used as a wine blog name...at least not as far as I can tell.

Celebrated in groves near Rome's Aventine Hill on March 16 and March 17 (presumably by those who got through the Ides of March), this pagan festival celebrated the ancient god Bacchus. God of wine and fertility, Bacchus became a popular symbol of debauchery and excess. If you don't believe me, type Bacchanalia into Google Images and see what pops up! Originally, the festivals were only open to women and happened three times a year; then men were admitted and they started happening as many as 5 times a month! The cult grew so popular that the Roman Senate banned Bacchanalia festivals in 186 BC.

With all the green beer that will flow tomorrow, it's nice to know that wine drinkers, if they prefer, can hoist a glass to Bacchus, rather than St. Patrick. Of course, you could make the celebration a two-for-one, and serve beer and wine, and have a round of toasts. Happy Bacchanalia!

History in a Glass

Gourmet magazine debuted in the 1940s at a time when, thanks to two world wars and prohibition, America was a virtually wine-free country. Grape vines that had been lovingly tended for centuries had been ripped up, and we lost our "everyday wine" culture.

Reading History in a Glass, a fabulous collection of stories drawn from Gourmet magazine's monthly wine columns by editor Ruth Reichl, is like watching the History Channel for wine. (Amazon.com, $18.21) Filled with writing from some of the best wine and food writers who have ever put pen to paper--Frank Schoonmaker, James Beard, and Hugh Johnson to name just a few--this book gives you an inspiring look at the resilience of the American wine industry, at its success at coming back after almost total extinction, and at the growth of US appreciation for wine.

It's hard to pick a favorite story from among those included, but I think mine is Everett Wood's 1957 "The Last Kellermeister." Heinrich Allinger was the cellar-master of Schloss Johannisberg, a famous winery on the Rhine. Only three years of his life were spent outside the village where he lived, all fighting in World War I. When his employer tried to give him a three-week vacation in 1950, Herr Allinger refused to go. He knew every barrel in the cellar, and talked to them like children, chiding one for not developing as he'd expected it to, praising another for surprising finesse. A lifetime of wine knowledge was in that man, and Wood's fluid writing makes it possible for us to get a sense of him, and the information that he had accumulated over the years.

There are lovely surprises on every page of Reichl's collection--Hillaire Belloc's advice on wine manages to be both timeless and dated, Schoonmaker's 1948 survey of northern California wineries is a revelation in terms of the diversity of grapes planted and the wine fashions of the time, and Gerald Asher's 1993 story on Oregon Pinot Noirs was one of the first to catch the rising quality of that region's wine. It's been a while since I reviewed a wine book, and while I mentioned this book in my holiday gift picks for wine lovers, I wanted to give a fuller idea of why I think this book is so great. It's a book to have on the bedside table, to read a story before dropping off to sleep with visions of grape vines dancing in your head.

On this Day in History...

...drinking wine and other alcoholic beverages was deemed unconstitutional. On January 16, 1919, Americans throughout the nation ratified the 18th Amendment to the US Constitution. A year later, on January 16, 1920, the amendment went into effect, putting an end to centuries of a flourishing wine culture here in the States. (Find this and other Prohibition images at The Authentic History Center)

Grapes that had been growing for decades--America's truly Old Vines--and had produced monumental wines in the 19th century were ripped out and replanted with juice grapes, or died through enforced neglect. Americans turned to hard liquor, and the young and beautiful of the Jazz Age thumbed their nose at the law with their bathtub gin and speakeasies.

To the dismay of dedicated Temperance advocates, Prohibition did not work. At last, sanity returned. The 21st Amendment, restoring the right of US citizens to drink their wine, beer, and hooch, was ratified on December 5, 1933.

So tonight pop a cork, flip a cap, or unscrew your favorite bottle and toast to the fact that sanity did return and we are able once more to have a glass of wine with dinner (at least in most places in the US). Even better, click over to Free the Grapes and try to get rid of the crazy distribution laws that are the legacy of Prohibition and still place restrictive barriers on inter-state wine sales in many parts of the nation.