Catavino Virtual Rose Tasting #1: the US Entry

Here are my first tasting notes for the Catavino Virtual Rose Tasting. First a big thanks to Gabriella, Adrienne, and Ryan for a great event, which I'll be continuing to contribute to over the next 11 days as I open two more bottles of Rose. In case you don't remember what this event is all about, just click on the link above to find out more. Next up: a French rose, followed by a Spanish rose (my first) and a summary of what I've discovered about these wines after popping the corks on three bottles.

Additional thanks to Ryan, who inspired me to think of a way to review a wine that isn't the standard color/aroma/palate. I decided to pioneer the "tag-cloud wine review," accompanied by an evocative picture that I think conveys the feeling of this wine. Let me know what you think--and if you can figure it out! I'm not sure this works, but it will be interesting to get your feedback. And if you hate it don't worry: it was pretty hard to do so the rest of my reviews will be as they have been!

LA TASTING ALERT: This just in. If you are in LA and want to try some interesting roses, Colorado Wine Company in Eagle Rock is having a rose tasting on Saturday, April 21st from 4-6 pm. The cost is $15/person, which includes 5 wines and gourmet cheeses from Auntie Em's Markeplace. Wines to be poured include roses from Spain, Argentina, Oregon, and California--so you will be perfectly situated to contribute to the virtual tasting forum! Colorado Wine asks you to kindly RSVP to info@cowineco.com or (323) 478-1985 if you plan on attending.

Without further ado, the review:

2005 Bonny Doon Vineyards Vin Gris de Cigare ($10.99, Beverages and More)

aromas bright chilled cinsault copper dry fruity grenache grenache blanc mourvedre quaffer red/white blend refreshing rhubarb rocks roussanne salmon-colored seared tuna with cilantro pesto pasta primavera strawberry summer syrah
very good QPR viognier watermelon

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.

Nothing "Petit" About It: the 2004 Escafeld Petit Verdot

I once had a t-shirt that said: "Coffee and chocolate--nature's only perfect marriage." Throw some rich berries in and you have the recipe for a perfect wine: the 2004 Escafeld Petit Verdot ($19.95, WineQ; or direct from Escafeld)

First, let me say there is nothing "petit" about this wine. It is lush, rich, and satisfying. Don't let the name fool you. Petit Verdot is a robust varietal traditionally used in Bordeaux blends, where its tendency to ripen late (if at all) led vintners to rely less and less on the grape. But in California--well, that's a different story, as Escafeld has proven.

The 2004 Escafeld Petit Verdot has excellent QPR, with complex yet food-friendly aromas, flavors, and textures. Aromas of coffee and chocolate leap out of the bottle from the moment you pull the cork, and once the wine is in the glass rich berry aromas are added. Flavors of blackberries and huckleberries dominate the flavors, embedded in a silky texture. That rich coffee/chocolate mix wends its way all through the finish, held up by a nice acidity that keeps this wine from becoming a fruit bomb. I suspect that this wine will continue to improve and develop for the next 2-3 years at the very least--but who can wait to drink it that long? I know I can't, and there's no reason to wait when it's so very tasty now. We had it with some yummy burgers and a salad, but it would be just at home with ribs, any kind of barbeque, stews, or roasts of any description.

Escafeld Vineyards is located in the new San Antonio Valley AVA. Steve and Elsbeth Wetherill make the wine, and Elsbeth writes a wonderful blog that will tell you all about life in the vineyards, and how your wine was made. They're a relatively new operation, but they're receiving all kinds of accolades, including a Double Gold-Best of Class for this very wine from the 2007 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

And if you are wondering who the lady is on the label, its Elsbeth's grandmother, Mary-Ann Jones. She was a publican's wife in Liverpool, at about the same time that my Mom was a child in the very same city. I like to imagine that my grandmother and grandfather stopped by Elsbeth's grand-dad's pub in the Whitechapel neighborhood, and that my uncle went there for his after-work pint when he'd finished walking his beat as one of Liverpool's finest.

Tonight I'm raising my glass of Escafeld Petit Verdot in memory of all our collective Liverpudlian connections. But you don't need a connection to the Mersey to indulge yourself--get some of this wine now. It's a winner.

Playing Blog Tag

Why do you blog? Russ at Winehiker started a game of blog-tag posing this question, and he tagged Farley, and Farley from Wine Outlook tagged me and now, I'm It.

It's a good question, and one whose answer we wine bloggers (and other bloggers, too!) take for granted. First and foremost, of course: I LOVE WINE. But here are 5 other reasons why I blog, with some subtle variations to the question:

1. Why start blogging? Part of my day job requires that I write--a lot. Often these writing projects take years--hell, sometimes they take decades. There is a lot of delayed gratification and long-term thinking involved in most of the writing I do. I started blogging because I thought that committing myself to write something every day, and instantly seeing the results, would have positive effects on the other writing that I do. And, I was right! Now that I write nearly every day on the blog, I find its easy to roll from the blog to my other writing. I also find that my other writing tends to be less forced and more fluid when I sit down to the other stuff.

2. Why do I blog about this? I went to school and then taught at UC Davis, i.e. Wine Education Mecca. I learned a lot about wine from the courses and contact with great professors there. (even though, I hasten to add, I was not a Vit-Eno major) This blog represented a way for me to focus my wine drinking and evaluation on two of the most valuable things I learned through those experiences: the importance of judging a wine by varietal characteristics, and the huge benefits associated with owning your own copy of Ann Noble's Aroma Wheel.

3. Why keep blogging? I never imagined anyone other than my parents and friends would read this blog, so it has come as a pleasant surprise to become part of a community of bloggers, wine geeks, and those just starting out on their wine journeys. I keep blogging not only because of #1 and #2, but because now that this blog is up and running it continues to engage both me--and a widening audience--of readers and contributors.

4. Why keep blogging about wine? Wine can never be truly mastered. It's all about the process. Even the most "expert" experts don't claim that they know all there is to know about wine. In fact, the greatest experts are often the most humble. (see also #1 on process)

5. Why do I think blogging about wine matters? Because everyone who writes, reads, or contributes to a wine blog is participating in an information revolution. I truly believe that blogs are changing the way people learn about and consume wine. In particular, I am committed to getting more women to actively engage with wine writing, because women purchase 77% of wine in the US and yet represent only a small (growing to be sure, but still small) fraction of wine writers both in the blogosphere and outside it. So I encourage everyone--women and men--to read, write, and leave comments as you travel through the blogosphere to keep the information rolling. New voices are crucial in wine writing, and those new voices include YOU.

So, now I get to tag people! This was truly hard because my possible options included all the people whose work I respect and admire, folks who inspire me, my blogging friends, and then folks like Jancis Robinson (I don't have the cajones to tag her, I confess, but if you're reading, Ms. Robinson, please feel free to respond). But to continue with my riff in #5, I decided to "remember the ladies" and tag some of my favorite women bloggers (minus Farley at Wine Outlook and Sonadora at Wannabe Wino, because they've already been tagged). Click on over to the sites below through the following links so they know they've been tagged--I know that they are probably too busy to read my site everyday and know that they're IT!

So here's what I want to know from the ladies below: why do YOU blog?

Catie at Through the Walla Walla Grape Vine
Gabriella Opaz and Adrienne Smith at Catavino (sorry Ryan!)
The Wine Chicks
Mary Baker at Dover Canyon
Sam Breach of Becks N Posh

What They're Drinking in Heaven

Sauternes. If there is a heaven, and I get there, this is what I'm drinking. Every day and every night.

It's magical stuff, an alchemical mix of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc and a special rot called botrytis. Who knew fungus could taste so good.

There are shockingly expensive Sauternes (Chateau d'Yquem, anyone?), but there are also suprisingly affordable wines with rich concentration and a dazzling array flavors. So even if you're in the under $20 end of the wine budget spectrum, you can pick up excellent half-bottles of sauternes, which for a dessert wine represents quite a bargain.

The 2003 Ch. Sigalas Rabaud ($16.99/375 ml, K&L Wines), for instance, represents excellent QPR. It's an outstanding young Sauternes that really won't even hit its stride until 2008. Even as a relative juvenile, it already has abundant aromas and flavors of apricot, honey, and a wonderful toasted coconut note. Added to this, the wine is exhibiting a lovely, silky texture. The sweetness and acidity are in nice balance in this dessert wine, so you don't have to worry that this is somehow too sweet. It will be interesting to see how this wine is drinking in a few years when I open the next bottle. Hard to imagine it could get better, but the experts say it probably will.

What to have it with? Nothing. Just sit down, pour yourself and someone you love a glass, and put your feet up. Voila. You're in heaven.

They've been making wine at Chateau Sigalas Rabaud since at least 1660, and the Wine Doctor has a super profile of the chateau and its production, if you'd like to learn more. If you've never had any Sauternes, seek some out and give them a try. And if you love it already, please let us know which are your favorites and what you pair them with, if anything.