Why It Matters that GaryV Hit (the Big) Time

If you are reading this blog, then it should matter to you that Gary Vaynerchuk, the lovably irascible wine guru from my go-to east coast retail store Wine Library and its accompanying multi-media extravaganza Wine Library TV, has hit the big time. Literally. In a story in Time magazine (which I heard about today from Tom Wark on Fermentation in a cryptic headline and on the wine business wires) correspondent Joel Stein records how he was won over in spite of himself to Gary and his wine message. (image from Bottleblog)

For any internet wine site to be profiled in a major national news mag is, I think, truly significant. It shows that the news is out about how the web is changing the face of wine in this country--internet wine retail, internet wine blogs, wine podcasts, and wine TV. These forms of wine information exchange are revolutionizing how we buy, drink, and think about wine.

The fact that you are reading this is evidence of this transformation. But for all of the tens of thousands of visitors that have stopped by here in the past 6 months, my traffic is miniscule in comparison to WLTV. The enormous number of people who flock to WLTV every single day go to see Gary drink wine, tell you what he tastes (and what he doesn't) and give highly opinionated commentary throughout the process. And that's the important bit, folks: Gary is not into objectivity. He loves the Jets, he loves wine, and he loves telling you why. None of this namby-pamby standing at a distance from the glass and contemplating it. Does he like it? If so, believe me you know it. And boy, you know it when he is less than impressed, too. Stein contends that only on the web could Gary get away with analyzing wine this way. In five years, I bet there are a lot more places you'll be able to get away with it, given the phenomenal success of Gary's WLTV programming.

Everybody who matches WLTV regularly has their favorite episodes, proving that Gary's wine-drinking viewing base is just as opinionated as he is. I don't know whether mine is the episode where Gary scours the supermarket to find things to taste to help you develop your wine palate and vocab, or the decanting episode. The Wine Is Fun...Period show is also classic.

Regardless of your favorite episode (and if you don't have one yet what ARE you waiting for? click on one of these links and let the addiction begin), the important thing here is that Gary makes it ok to be passionately opinionated about wine. And judging by the numbers of his loyal fans, this is a message that folks find appealing and inspiring. You know how I feel about wine and objectivity--it's all smoke and mirrors. Congratulations, Gary, for blowing away the smoke and showing us that everybody gets to have an opinion about wine. And here's to generations of wine drinkers to come who, thanks to Wine Library TV, will not be elitist, snobby oenophiles but relaxed, open-minded, wine enthusiasts. (After meeting Gary, Joel Stein is even going to try to get his mom to try something other than Yellow Tail).

Catavino June Virtual Tasting: Wines from Bierzo

This month, Catavino's Virtual Tasting focused on a region rather than a varietal and after some searching I managed to find a wine that fit their brief to try something from the Bierzo DO. For someone like me who likes wine adventures, this was a great assignment. First, I didn't know where Bierzo was. Second, once I found it the list of indigenous grapes planted there took my breath away, since I had only had one or two.

Bierzo is in the northwesterly part of Spain (Ryan and Gabriella have posted a great map, if you're still unsure of precise locale), and is home to 48 wineries. It used to be an area known for its mining industry, but with the mountains protecting the viticultural areas from some of the most severe weather coming off the Atlantic Ocean, Bierzo has become a growing and increasingly popular wine region.

I wanted to try a Bierzo white, but had a hard time finding one, so I ended up with a red made from the indigenous mencia grape: the 2004 Pucho Bierzo ($15.99, Whole Foods; between $9 and $14 from many merchants). I bought this on impulse, with no advice or advance research, and in retrospect I have not been happy with a single Whole Foods purchase I've bought in this fashion. This was no exception. It was a red wine with old school style, with a rich plummy color and the fruit taking a decidedly back seat to the acidity and minerality. As the wine warmed up, it was possible to taste plummy fruit, accented with smoke and spice. The finish was fairly short, and not even the smoke and spice lingered. Though I've never had a mencia wine before, I felt like it was in the same varietal ballpark as cabernet franc (with its acidity and minerality) and sangiovese (with its acidity and plummy fruit flavor). For the price I paid at Whole Foods, I would have to say this represented poor QPR, but had I spend $8.99 for it at K&L I probably would have said good QPR. Still, it was sad to have my first ever poor QPR Spanish wine--the country has had a perfect track record so far!

I'm going to do some more research among the postings in Catavino's forum and see if I can find more examples of Bierzo wine. I'd certainly like to give mencia another shot, and would love to try a white from the area if I can get my hands on it. Until then, I'm off to rummage in the wine storage to find a Spanish wine for WBW #35.

It's Official: Bonny Doon Is Biodynamic

Last month, Bonny Doon's Randall Grahm received Demeter Certification for his Ca' del Solo estate vineyard in Santa Cruz. Since 2003, the vineyard has been farmed biodynamically and with the Demeter Certification now in place for both the vineyard and the winery it will be fascinating to see how these changes alter the market perception--and the taste--of Bonny Doon wines. (image from the Biodynamic Agriculture Association UK)

Grahm's goal is to make Bonny Doon a 100% biodynamic estate winery, a goal that I heartily approve of since I felt like the brand was getting a bit out of hand and losing its focus, and that its marketing strengths were in danger of outrunning his winemaking abilities. I'm happy to report as a DEWN (Doon Esoteric Wine Network) Club member, that I have received some of the smaller production Ca' del Solo wines and have really enjoyed the post-2003 bottlings. Going biodynamic has meant that Grahm cut back on production. He's also drawing on the skills of a talented team including director of viticulture Philippe Coderey, vineyard manager Nicole Walsh, and associate winemaker Jillian Johnson.

Varietally speaking, the new focus seems to be on Mediterranean grapes. If it's a grape grown in Spain, southern France, or Italy, the folks at Bonny Doon are interested in it. I don't usually write up my reviews of Bonny Doon wines on the blog, since the ones I drink can be hard to find. But in light of their announcement, I thought I would share my reactions to two wines I've had recently that were made from grapes harvested near the beginning of the biodynamic transformation:

2004 Bonny Doon Vineyard Piemontese Blend Cá del Solo Vineyard ($20) had abundant initial aromas of cranberry and plum develop that developed herbal notes as the wine opened up. More cranberry was in the flavors, along with berry, plum, herb, and mineral notes. Mild tannins, and a dry, almost austere finish, this wine was made for pasta with red sauce or a simple grilled beefsteak.

2004 Bonny Doon Vineyard Dolcetto Cá del Solo Vineyard ($18) was very, very good. Dark purpley-red in color, its aromas were a tad alcoholic at first and there was a strong tannic grip to the first sips. Once it was left open for an hour, the tannins and plummy fruit integrated, and aromas of rose petal emerged to accompany a distinctive spicy flavor note. It's nice smooth finish made this a good partner for spaghetti carbonara.

These tasting notes bode well for the future of Bonny Doon. Though neither of these particular wines is available any longer, there are several wines from the Ca' del Solo vineyard that are available over at their website, including an albarino, a muscat, and a grenache. (sorry there are no direct links, but the site if flashified, so you're on your own!) Also, it is worth noting that even wines that are designated DEWN, and are therefore restricted to club members for a time, often become available to everybody a little later on. This was the case with their grenache, for instance.

But buyer beware. Not all Doon wines are biodynamic--only those from Ca' del Solo grapes harvested after 2003. And the first certified biodynamic grapes will be picked this fall. Additional caveats: last summer Grahm sold off the Big House and Cardinal Zin brands, so those aren't even made by Bonny Doon anymore. The Pacific Rim wines are in the process of relocating to parts north, although Grahm seems (for the moment at least) to still be involved in the project.

I'm enjoying being on Bonny Doon's journey from mega-brand to biodynamic estate winery. If you want to join me, head over to the website and pick up a few bottles. See what you think.

Flying My Freak Flag

If you think there is something inherently freaky about blending red and white grape varietals, you may want to think again. They've been doing just that for a long time in such chi-chi appellations as the Cote-Rotie in the Rhone. There, red wines can include up to 20% of a white varietal, viognier. The white grape lends its wonderful aromatics to the red, giving it a soft and somewhat mysterious aroma and a smoothness on the palate that can be extremely appealing. In the Cote-Rotie, the red and white varietals are grown together in what is known as a "field blend," then picked and co-fermented at the same time.

Cote-Rotie reds are so perfumed and so popular that the technique was bound to spread, and today winemakers from Australia to California are blending white and red grapes. Sometimes they co-ferment; sometimes they simply white and reds that have been fermented separately. Recently, I had a co-fermented blend of syrah and viognier from the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France: the 2003 Le Freak Shiraz-Viognier ($13.99, Whole Foods; available from other merchants for between $11 and $13). Here the blend contains 85% syrah and 15% viognier. This blend was not as aromatic as most I've tried previously, and what aromas there were represented an odd combination of artificial flower and tar aromas. These were never very strong, and underneath there were flavors of blackberry, leather, and spice. This made for a chewy, rich syrah that (had I tasted it blind) I would never have pegged as a syrah-viognier blend. As a result, I reluctantly had to conclude it represented poor QPR, even though it was perfectly drinkable as a syrah.

So does this mean I'm taking down my freak flag and giving up on red/white blends? Not on your life. One of my favorite wines of all time is the Black Chook, an Australian blend of shiraz and viognier that I simply adore. And I have a bottle of D'Arenberg's Laughing Magpie, another Aussie shiraz-viognier blend. Rumor has it that one of my favorite domestic wineries will be producing a small bottle run of just such a blend later this year, too. I'll tell you right now, I'll run you over if you get in my way to score some of that! Maybe this wine was past its prime, since Andrew at Spittoon in the UK was drinking the 2006 vintage just this spring. At any rate, my freak flag is still flying, and I'll still be on the lookout for good syrah-shiraz/viognier blends.

Shocking Wine

Have you ever received a shipment of wine that you've been dying to try only to discover that it tastes funny? Not corked funny, like wet cardboard. Not cooked funny, like there is very little flavor or aroma. Just funny: muted, out of whack, disjointed? How long did you wait to open it? Until you'd pulled the tape off the packing box with your teeth? 2 hours? 2 days? If you answered any of the above, you probably didn't wait long enough.

If your wine tasted "funny," your wine may have been shocked. As a chemically volatile substance, wine suffers from two distinct kinds of shock: bottle shock, and travel shock. There is scientific evidence for the former, lots of anecdotal evidence for the latter, but I personally think that they both exist and that both effect the drinkability of your wine. After all, how do you feel after you've rocketed down the highway at 65 in a warm car? Would you want anyone to base their assessment of you on the impression you gave as soon as you step out of the car and onto the pavement? (photo by Ian Britton from FreeFoto.com)

So what are bottle shock and travel shock? With respect to bottle shock, during bottling the wine is exposed to large amounts of oxygen and sometimes sulphur. These can alter the taste and smell of a wine, and not for the better. Sometime between a few weeks and a few months, this imbalance adjusts. Cameron Hughes described bottle shock in a recent email newsletter this way:

"The reality of bottle shock is that the wine, like a pendulum, will swing back and forth, in and out of consciousness, showing one week flabby and soft, and the next singing with bright acidity and no fruit. As well, they will appear muted, disjointed and likely to throw the flavors of one component wine over another. Also like a pendulum, however, these wines will stop swinging, settle down and become not only more consistent, but with fully formed bottle bouquet and considerable mid-palate definition and complexity."

Usually, if a producer or merchant warns me of bottle shock issues, I wait to drink the wine for 2-6 months.

As for travel shock, there are importers, wine shippers, and drinkers who all report that their wine tastes flat after shipping, but that a few weeks sets the bottle to rights again. Is it the shaking? The temperature fluctuations? The agitation? Who knows. But I do think that it is kinder to your wine to let it sit for a while after it has been tossed around in a UPS truck. Usually, I wait 2-6 weeks to open the bottles I've received in the mail.

So if you wonder why there is such a long lag time between me happily reporting that I just got a shipment of wine and actually tasting the darn stuff, or wonder why I'm not guzzling my Cameron Hughes stash, it's because my wine is in shock--or at least I think it is. How about you? Do you believe in bottle shock? Travel shock? Any anecdotal reports to share?