Drinking Local: Albarino

I've been getting to know Spanish wines this year, and have had some excellent whites and some flavorful reds, too. I was struck at this week's Family Winemakers tasting by how many domestic producers are starting to plant Iberian varietals from Spain and Portugal, and how good the wines can be. Tempranillo seems to be the favorite Iberian varietal among US producers at the moment, but you see others as well, including verdelho and albarino.

I recently had an extremely good Albarino grown in the wilds of Mendocino County. This area is known for sparkling wine, pinot noir, and chardonnay so I was delighted to find a Spanish grape tucked into the mix. This counted as drinking local for me, since the grapes were produced at Eaglepoint Ranch Winery just up Highway 1 and a right turn on Highway 128 away from the coast. The 2006 Eaglepoint Ranch Albarino ($18, direct from the winery) was a real surprise, with its exciting aromas of almonds, apples, and citrus. I've never been able to smell any almonds in an albarino from Spain, even though it's a hallmark of the varietal, so when I got that decided whiff of nuts I was hopeful that the flavors would be a fitting follow-up. Made with organic grapes, there was a little bit of spritz when the wine was first opened, but this quickly dissipated leaving a lively still wine. It had great acidity, but the mouthfeel was rounder than many of the Spanish versions of this varietal that I've tasted. To me, this tasted less tangy, with the citrus taking a decided back seat to the almonds and apples. We had it with roasted chicken and a big summer salad, and that roundness came in handy with the lemon and rosemary that flavored the first, and the herbs and vegetables that filled the second.

Only a few cases were made of this wine, and it costs a bit more than the entry-level Spanish albarinos you can easily find at the big chain stores. But if you love albarino I'd heartily recommend you contact the winery and see if they can send you a bottle or two or three of this very good QPR wine.

Another Great Family Winemakers Event

Yesterday I attended another great Family Winemakers Event--this time in San Francisco. It was a warm day, with a good breeze off the bay, and folks came in large numbers to taste the wine and to talk to the California family winemakers who have such a passion for what they do.

This was one of the first trade tastings I've been to where I actually had friends I wanted to see, like the people at Fort Ross, Anglim, Tablas Creek, Four Vines, Twisted Oak, and Ballentine. That slows down your progress a bit! But it was great to see the big crowds gathered at their tables, even when it meant that I never got to talk to them because they were too busy pouring and talking about their wines. I also got to meet Tim Elliott of Winecast (pouring some wonderful Goosecross Wines) and Marshall Sontag of WineQ.

There will be lots to write and talk about in the upcoming weeks, but here are a few random highlights in no particular order.

Go-To Wine Finds: I focused in this tasting on finding good value wines that were exciting and represented nice value across the board. I found some, too. Labels like McManis, Roshambo, and Hook and Ladder all delivered consistently high quality at very good prices. If you see one of their wines, don't hesitate to buy it.

New Winery Find: I tasted my first wines from Barreto Cellars, a Central Coast winery specializing in Spanish and Portuguese varietals sourced from vineyards throughout the state. I thought their wines were terrific, with surprisingly lush flavors and (with the exception of their big bottles of port) not a bottle over $23.99!

Biggest Kick: Seeing Fort Ross Vineyard's just-picked grape clusters arranged on a platter. I had the privilege of seeing this grapes on the vine just a month ago when Linda Schwartz generously took me through the vineyards. A month later, the tightly compacted and tiny cluster of pinot noir and chardonnay had come a long way in color and size. I can't wait to taste the wines that will be made from them.

Favorite New Reds: the 2004 Barreto Cellars Touriga, made with two Portuguese varietals sourced from the Silvaspoons Vineyard in Lodi, was a definite winner. And I loved the funky, spicy blend of Zinfandel and Primitivo that went into the big 2005 Goosecross Zinfandel/Primitivo bottling. I couldn't find any information about this wine on the site, but if Tim sees this maybe he'll give us the information. As I recall it was between $30 and $40.

Favorite New Whites: the 2005 Core 613 White Blend (around $20), made from Rhone varietals grenache blanc, roussanne, and marsanne, was delightfully crisp with aromas and flavors of peach and melon. And the 2006 Tablas Creek Vermentino (available at the winery for under $30) was a surprisingly round example of the varietal, with honeydew and pear flavors and lots of aromatics up front and a juicy finish.

Biggest Bargains: For just $13.99 you can get a Bordeaux-style cabernet sauvignon from the Sonoma Coast in the 2005 Soper Winery Gualala River Cabernet Sauvignon. Full of cassis and herbal notes, this reminded me of a French wine in style and substance. If you're looking for a big wine for a small price, look no further than the 2006 McManis Petite Sirah, with its rich espresso and cocoa powder flavors dusted over red fruits for between $9 and $12. Hook & Ladder's 2005 Chardonnay was also a steal for $16, given its crisp golden delicious flavors and aromas and its clean, round finish.

There will be more details in the coming weeks on these wines and more. If you've never attended a Family Winemakers event, check out their website and put yourself on the mailing list. They're a lot of fun, and you will get to taste a wide range of great California wines in one place.

Australia's Clare Valley: Not Just for Riesling Anymore

Australia's Clare Valley is best known in the US for producing flavorful, elegant rieslings. North of Adelaide and west of the Barossa Valley, the Clare Valley has warm days, yet produces wines that are reminiscent of those grown in cooler climate areas of Europe. Though riesling is the most heavily planted grape in the area, the Clare Valley does take advantage of the climate to grow other grape varietals as well, such as shiraz and cabernet. Because the region is only beginning to be known for its reds, Clare Valley red wines can represent excellent values, especially when you compare them to their cousins over in the Barossa Valley.

2003 Kilikanoon Cabernet Sauvignon Block's Road is an example of just how good a red wine from the Clare Valley can be. (Chronicle Wine Cellar, $19.95; available from other merchants for under $30). Last year I bought a bottle of this wine, and pulled it out when I peeked into my wine cellar/windowseat this summer. This wine is still relatively young, and could last another 2-3 years in the bottle under good conditions, but it is already drinking well. It is a smooth wine, with well-integrated tannins and fully developed flavors of cassis, herb, and black pepper. There are some richly smoky notes on the finish, which adds some nice complexity to this opulent, lush wine. Despite its decided cassis flavors, this is not simply a fruit bomb--there is a good acidic structure at the core of this wine, which is why it is aging so nicely. This is a lot of cabernet for under $20, and represents very good QPR.

To go with this wine think of something flavorful and meaty. We had orzo tossed with mint pesto, fresh tomatoes, feta cheese, grilled artichokes, and topped with grilled patties made out of a combination of lamb and sweet Italian sausage that had been removed from its casing. This minty lamb and sausage orzo was just delicious with the cabernet, since the minty pesto and vegetables combined nicely with the herbal notes in the wine and the smoky edge picked up the char on the artichokes and the meat patties.

This wine was a great reminder for me that sometimes it's not the varietal that sets the price. Cabernet can be expensive, especially when it comes from a region like Napa Valley or Bordeaux known for the grape. But if you look for cabernet grown in a region known for something else, you could be in for a bargain and a treat.

WBW #36: Naked Chardonnay Roundup

Lenn Thompson of LENNDEVOURS has just posted the roundup of naked, unoaked chardonnays from the August Wine Blogging Wednesday. Despite celebrating the 3rd anniversary of his own blogging event with a back injury, he still managed to pull together an impressive list of posts from around the blogosphere.

Thirty-two bloggers participated in the event (drats, I'd hoped for a symbolic 36) and many tasted more than one wine, so there's lots of good information hot-linked for you if you are a chardonnay lover. Folks tasted wines from New Zealand, Australia, the US, Spain, and France. I was particularly interested in the wide range of French wines reviewed. And there were some great wines from New York and Virginia, just going to show that US chardonnay isn't just from California!

See you back here on September 12 when we go native with Dr. Vino for Wine Blogging Wednesday #37. Meanwhile, thanks to Lenn for his inspired leadership and for going the extra mile to get this roundup posted.

Wine Blogging Wednesday #37: Go Native

Wine Blogging Wednesday enters its fourth year by going native.

Dr. Vino set the theme for the September online tasting, and he wants us to pick a region and drink a wine made from a grape indigenous to that region. And don't think this means you can't drink a US wine--the US is the native land of quite a few varietals. He's posted some resources to help you discover what grapes are native to your area--or an area of wine that you know well, or want to get to know better--so click over there to check them out if you don't have something in mind already.

Sometime between now and September 12, pick your region, find your native varietal, and drink a native wine from that region. Then blog all about it on Wednesday, September 12 and . If you don't have a blog, no worries. Just head over to the Wine Blogging Wednesday site and enter your tasting note there in the forum.

Lenn Thompson, the host of WBW #36, injured his back and hasn't been able to sit down at the computer long enough to gather together the round-up of posts for the August tasting. When he does, I'll be sure to let you know.