Something to Celebrate

Five years ago, on 7 October 2006, I wrote my first blog post after going wine shopping. Here we are, more than 714, 000 visitors later. As with most things in life there have been ups and downs, some bumps in the road, and some unexpected miracles which led to unexpected hiatuses in posting. Thanks for sticking by me through thick (when I wrote a post a day) and thin (when I wrote no posts for months) and everything in between (like now, when I'm doing my level best to post every Monday and Thursday--or in this case, Sunday and Thursday).

Since a 5th Year Anniversary is something to celebrate, today I've got a round-up of under $20 sparklers for you. They come from Italy, France, and Austria. And because they're affordable you don't need any particular excuse to buy one and open it just because it's Monday!

2009 Weingut Markus Huber Zweigelt Hugo ($18, domaineLA; available in market for $16-$17) A nice choice in sparkling roses under $20, this is made with Zweigelt, and has distinctive strawberry aromas and flavors. Very yeasty (almost beery) in terms of the carbonation, this is a more rustic sparkling wine perfect for charcuterie or a plate of grilled sausages. Very good QPR.

N.V. Clos de La Briderie Crémant de Loire Brut Pureté de Silex ($15, domaineLA; available in market for $16-$19) Very good for the price, this wine is made with Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon under biodynamic growing protocols. The color is rose-gold, and the bubbles are medium-sized and long-lasting. Crisp citrus flavors are paired with richer notes of bread dough and toast. Even Champagne lovers will be impressed with the quality and depth of flavor for $15. Excellent QPR.

N.V. Sorelle Bronca Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Extra Dry (under $20 at domaineLA; available in market for $14-$18) Clean lemon and lemon-blossom aromas and flavors, and the bead is quite small, which makes for a fun, frothy Prosecco that is good enough to be had on its own as opposed to mixing into Bellinis. Very good QPR.

N.V. Voveti Prosecco di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene (suggested retail, $17; available in market for $12-$15) Greenish in color with small bubbles. this wine is part of a new venture in wine making from a Spanish/Italian team. The partnership really shines in this wine which has the apply/bready notes of Spanish sparklers and the citrusy notes of prosecco without any bitterness or excessive yeastiness. Crisp, but can stand up to food especially vegetables and fish. Very good QPR.

Full Disclosure: I received a sample of the Voveti for possible review.

Yes, I Bought It Because of the Name...

There are many reasons to buy wine. You like the producer. You like the grape. You like the label. You like the designation--like the time last year I splurged wildly and bought a wine simply because it was the "Plague Doctor's Cuvee."

And yes, sometimes you buy it because of the name of the vineyard. Because with a name like "Jurassic Park" it has to be good, right?

Thankfully, the answer is yes.

I thoroughly enjoyed the 2008 Field Recordings Wine Chenin Blanc Jurassic Park Vineyard (domaineLA, $15; available elsewhere for the same price) This lovely, unfiltered Chenin Blanc was a touch cloudy in the glass. It had pronounced aromas and flavors of lemon curd, touched with mineral notes and a bit of freshly mown hay. The overall impression was a well-balanced mix of citrus, stone, and grass that was refreshing and impressive for the price. Excellent QPR.

(And the label isn't half bad, either...)

A wine with this much balance can handle almost any food. We are drowning in Thai basil at the moment, and so made some Thai-influenced grilled chicken breasts. The strong herbal flavors were a nice counterpoint to the lemony aspects of this wine, and picked up the grassy notes, too.

A Case of Bubbles for Spring: J. Laurens Crémant de Limoux Brut

Upcoming spring brunches--check.
Celebration of first flowers blooming--check.
Toasting friends who just got engaged/married--check.
Toasting friends who just had new baby--check.
Mother's Day--check.
Graduation--check.

See how many celebrations you have coming up in the next few months?

That's why you need to know about this wine. It costs under $15 a bottle and is absolutely yummy. Buy it by the case, and you will have bubbles to see you through into June (provided you don't toast too many Tuesdays along the way...).

The NV J. Laurens Crémant de Limoux Brut is one of the best sparklers--if not the best sparkler--I've ever had for under $15 and represents excellent QPR. Available in lots of markets for between $9 and $13, this wine from the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France has a lovely, creamy taste. Abundant fresh citrus pith and brioche dough make a point-counterpoint of zest and richness in the flavors, with fruit notes of pear, apple, and lemon. A great feature of the wine are the tiny, frothy bubbles which make for a delicate impression. The wine is dry (brut), but it's a soft, gentle brut like spring itself. You can enjoy this wine with a wide range of foods and for this price, why wouldn't you??

Full Disclosure: I received this wine as a sample.

Have You Tried Chenin Blanc Lately?

Chenin Blanc is one of those grapes.

You know the grapes I mean. They're the ones that you think you know because once upon a time someone poured you someting out of a giant jug that said it was Chenin Blanc. It was awful, and you've never touched the stuff since.

It's time to try it again.

There are some great value Chenin Blancs in the market right now.

Why should you try Chenin Blanc? Here are three reasons. First, they are versatile food wines because they have good acidity and a slightly off-dry personality that makes them go as well with roast chicken as they do with Kung Pao chicken. Second, they are great values because everybody's bad experiences with Chenin Blanc has made them head straight for the Chardonnay. The result? Chenin Blancs deliver excellent QPR. And third, Chenin Blanc is grown throughout the world. What this means is that you can find Chenin Blanc from almost any region, and at almost any pricepoint.

Today, I'm focusing on two new releases of Chenin Blanc--one from the US and one from South Africa. Both are excellent QPR choices, that deliver abundant varietal characteristics at a very attractive price. And both are widely available.

The first is the 2007 Dry Creek Vineyard Dry Chenin Blanc from Clarksburg. I received this as a sample, but you should be able to find it near you for between $9 and $14. The wine had honeyed melon aromas that were rich and enticing without being heavy or cloying. These aromas gave the wine a sweet impression, but flavor-wise it as dry and crisp with Meyer lemons, melon, and herb notes. What most impressed me about this wine was that it continued to open up and develop in the glass over the course of our evening. Sometimes it seemed more melony, then the herbs would kick in and surprise you. We enjoyed this with spicy food, and I would particularly recommend it to those of you who are looking for something to go with Indian or Southeast Asian food.

The second wine I enjoyed was the 2008 Sebeka Chenin Blanc from South Africa. This was also a sample, but near you expect to pay between $5 and $9. This snappy Chenin Blanc had lots of pineapple and tropical fruit flavors and aromas. The intensity of the fruit was kept in balance by lots of acidity, and the wine left a slightly sweet impression in your mouth. This bottle we popped open to enjoy with fish tacos and mango salsa and it was excellent. But it would also be a terrific choice if you were just looking for a refreshing white wine to serve to friends before dinner.

These days most of us are looking for ways to stretch our money a little bit further without sacrificing great taste. Here are two wines that will enable you to do just that. Give Chenin Blanc a try, even if you swore off the stuff in 1982. It really is time to give it a second chance.

Wine Blogging Wednesday #50: Wine and the Great Outdoors

Welcome to Wine Blogging Wednesday #50, hosted this month by Russ the Winehiker. He picked a great theme for us to think about this month: what wine would you take into the outdoors and share with your loved one on a walk, hike, or picnic? Russ promised to give us extra credit if we shared where we would walk, and even more extra credit if we actually walked the walk.

Unfortunately, we're too busy giving extra credit to our students to go outside right now and earn some from the Winehiker, but if we could take a walk I know just what we'd pack up in the picnic basket: a bottle of the 2007 Clif Bar Family Winery The Climber White Wine that I recently had a chance to sample. ($12.50 suggested retail; available online for between $10 and $15) The Clif Bar Family Winery was started by the same folks who brought us, among other treasures, the Mojo Bar which we find so necessary to survival that we buy them by the case at Whole Foods. The owners of the company, Gary Erickson and Kit Crawford, believe in good food, good wine, family, and enjoying the outdoors. What wine could be better-suited to this WBW theme? It's even packaged using a Stelvin screw-cap closure, so you don't even have to worry about packing a corkscrew.

Of course, no matter what the wine-making philosophy or the portability of the wine, the bottom line is that it has to taste good. I'm here to tell you that this was a terrific, affordable white blend made with a core of juice from Sauvignon Blanc grapes. Pinot Blanc (12%), Chenin Blanc (4%) and Muscat (3%) were added, with the result that the wine has good acidity but an impression of softness--if not quite sweetness--that makes it very versatile and appealing. When I opened the wine, I immediately detected aromas of pink grapefruit and nectarine. These were followed up by flavors of Meyer lemon, nectarine, and white peach. The aftertaste was fresh and juicy, and you just wanted to keep on sipping it because of the bright fruit flavors.

This excellent QPR wine will go with anything you like to have with a chilled white wine, from Chinese takeout to roast chicken to a crsip salad. If you're looking for a recipe to take on your hike or picnic, I highly recommend making some of the Spaghetti with Thai Peanut Sauce that we had. I subbed whole wheat spaghetti for the regular that the recipe called for, and substituted shredded cabbage and sliced cucumbes for the chicken. This not only made the recipe more healthy and suitable for vegetarians, it also made it portable. It's good chilled, too. I'm taking the leftovers into work for lunch tomorrow. And I'm packing a Mojo Bar for dessert.

Thanks to Russ for a terrific theme. I'm looking forward to hearing what others would take with them when they head out into the great outdoors.

Summerwines for Summertime

As you may have been able to tell from yesterday's post, I'm in the mood for summertime. When the temperatures climb there's nothing like a chilled white wine to put a smile on your face and a bit of pep in your step. In the summer, I tend to like wines that are either bracing (think: New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc) or brightly floral (think: Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Rhone whites, Spanish Verdelho). Recently I had two whites that are widely available that fit the bill for summertime white wines perfectly.

The first wine, from the bracing side of the coin, was the 2002 Domaine des Baumard Savennieres. ($17.29, Costco; available for $16-$22 through online merchants) Loire fans like fellow wine blogger Brooklynguy think highly of wines from this region, and I've picked up a few of them over the years and not been disappointed with any of them. This bottling was a very good QPR example of a French Chenin Blanc with some age. Chenin Blanc can be held for quite a while if you've got a good cellar or wine fridge, so it's not one of those white wines that you have to drink before the summer is over for fear it will get tired. I purchased this bottle a year ago at the Costco in beautiful downtown Burbank, and was worried it was corked when I first opened it, but any possible taint blew off quickly. Once poured, the wine was pale straw in color. It had abundant and easily detected aromas of lime, chalk, and almonds. The flavors were also nutty, citrusy (somewhere between a lime and a lemon), and had some nice mineral notes thrown in there. The flavors were piercing and very intense, but not acidic or sharp. There was a chalky aftertaste left in your mouth after you sipped it. We had it with a citrus-rubbed salmon grilled on the BBQ and an Asian-style spinach salad with orange and avocado and the wine's citrus notes paired beautifully with all the citrus in the two dishes.

From the floral camp I tried a 2006 Pyramid Valley Kerner Estate Pinot Blanc from New Zealand. ($22.80, Garagiste; available through online merchants for $24-$32). Even though this wine is a little pricey, it is still an excellent QPR choice for the flavor and quality it delivers and is well worth the splurge if you are having a special dinner in June for a graduation, Father's Day, or pre-wedding event. Like the Baumard, the Pyramid Valley wine was noteworthy for its intensity of flavor and aroma. But in this case the aromas were of apple, honeysuckle, and beeswax and the flavors were of honeyed apple and stone. The wine had a juicy aftertaste and would be a nice change of pace for lovers of dry Riesling. It was so good we fought over who would get the last bit from the bottle! We had it with an equally aromatic dish of pork medallions with a light Chinese sauce of ginger and lemon. The honeyed notes in the wine paired beautifully with the ginger.

Whether you like your summer white wines bracing or floral, or somewhere in between, there are a lot of wallet-friendly choices out there for you to try. And stay tuned for next week's Wine Blogging Wednesday because white Rhone varieties make for terrific summer drinking, too.

Elegance in a Bottle: the 2005 Francois Chidaine Clos du Breuil

Francois Chidaine is a name that crops up frequently on blog sites where folks know their Loire wines. David McDuff, of McDuff's Food & Wine Trail, visited Chidaine in 2004, and wrote up details of his trip this December. I felt like I knew some important things about their wine before I pulled the cork as a result of David's post: most of his grapes are grown biodynamically (though he doesn't make a fuss about it); Chidaine believes in terroir, and tries to produce wines that reflect that belief; and that the Chidaine business is run to highlight the grapes, rather than the talents of the winemaker. Despite this last philosophy, Chidaine is a rising star in the region.

Deservedly so, in my limited opinion. We opened a bottle of the 2005 François Chidaine Montlouis-sur-Loire Clos du Breuil on Christmas Eve, and it was a special wine completely suited to a special dinner. (domaine 547, $20.99) This was all the more impressive given it's low price-point and its understated and elegant aromas and flavors. Glimmering straw in color, the wine had the aromas of early spring: citrus, apple, wet stone, and chamomile. These are aromas I associate with chenin blanc grapes, which is what goes into this Chidaine wine. The palate was elegant and steely, with soft apple, fresh-mown hay, and more stone in the flavors. Truly excellent QPR, and well worth going just .99 above $20. You could spend twice as much on a wine and not feel so satisfied.

We had the wine with the Barefoot Contessa's rich seafood gratin. People with cardiovascular systems that are not in perfect condition may want to do as we did and substitute half and half for the cream--and milk would work, too. Flecked with saffron, filled with chunks of seafood and fish, and topped with a crisp crumb topping accented with tarragon, this was a meal that needed a wine that would cut through the richness with some acidity but not overwhelm the delicate shellfish. It was a very good pairing.

The 2005 Francois Chidaine Clos du Breuil was a beautifully made, beautifully balanced, and very pleasing wine. When I thought back on it the next morning, the image of an ice skater came to mind--elegant, balanced, but with a steely core that helps them slice across the ice in perfect figure eights. This is a case where I think my Chateau Petrogasm review for this wine expresses the wine more perfectly than words. That's how I'll always remember this wine, and the winter celebration that it paired with so well. And I'll most certainly be on the lookout for the other wine that Chidaine makes.

The Loire's Answer to Summer

Summertime. Even if living isn't easy, it sometimes seems easier with the long summer twilights, cooking outside, and lots of entertaining. Even finding summer wines can be easy, as long as you remember that they, too, should reflect the season. But sometimes a "simple summer sipper" is not what you're looking for. You want a wine that fits summer's easy-going mood, but has a little more brains than a quaffer. That's when I reach for a white wine from the Vouvray appellation of France's Loire Valley.

Vouvray wines are produced from 100% chenin blanc grapes, the marvelously versatile white varietal that can make dazzling dry, off-dry, and sweet wines in both sparkling and still varieties. The varietal seems especially able to soak up the influence of the soils and earth in which it was grown. In the Loire, most of these soils are full of limestone and minerals, which imparts a nice, stony edge to the grapes that are grown there. This stony, mineral-inflected profile of a good Vouvray is what makes for a refreshing summer white with brains.

I recently had a dry vouvray that had excellent QPR and was a terrific summer white: the 2005 Champalou Vouvray ($14.99, Mission Wines; available from many merchants for between $10 and $17). I've had this wine twice, and it impressed me each time with its aromas of lemon blossom and minerals and its summery straw color. It is intensely aromatic, but even more flavorful, with pure lemon essence, herbal, and stone notes. I found this wine was perfectly situated on the cusp between dry and off-dry, so it would be perfect for Indian food or other highly flavorful or spicy food. Try it with some tandoori shrimp skewers done up on the grill with a mint and cilantro pesto dipping sauce for a perfectly easy, and perfectly delicious, summer meal.

Catherine and Didier Champalou's wine-making efforts are profiled over at the Wine Doctor if you would like to find out more about them. They make some excellent value Vouvrays, and are a producer to keep your eye out for if you are looking for a reliably good producer.

Winery Watch: Vinum Cellars

Here's the latest in my Friday posts highlighting California family wineries. You might not be familiar with all of 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! To read previous posts in the series, click here.

Do you remember your first Vinum wine? I do. I was heartily sick of over-oaked Chardonnay and a wine merchant in Davis, CA suggested I try Chenin Blanc. It was 1999 or 2000. There was a lot of Chardonnay around. A lot. Chenin Blanc? Who had heard of such a silly idea? I think I rolled my eyes.

He handed me a bottle with a label bearing the picture of two guys hitch-hiking near Clarksburg with a sign that said "Will Work for Chenin." That was enough to get me to take the wine, and as I was checking out the guy at the store said, "They're Aggies, you know." At home, when I opened the wine on a hot, hot Davis day capable of searing the flesh inside your nose (UC Davis alums will instantly know just what I mean), I thought I was in nirvana. Leave it to two Aggies to come up with the perfect summer wine. It was cool, crisp, and refreshing. I was sold on Chenin, sold on Vinum, and became a life-long fan. I was not alone. Friends started boasting that they were members of the "ABC" club (Anything But Chardonnay) after tasting their first Vinum Chenin Blanc, too.

I give UC Davis alums Richard Bruno and Chris Condos a lot of credit in the transformation of the American palate. (photo of Chris, Jack the dog, and Richard courtesy of Vinum Cellars). Since the first 1998 bottling of Vinum CNW (Chard-No-Way) Chenin Blanc, they were leaders in showing US drinkers that they didn't need to drink oaky wines all the time. The two decided to start Vinum Cellars based on friendship and their mutual love of not only chenin blanc, but other once obscure varietals. Their first bottle of Mourvedre, for instance, also dates back to 1998, along with their first bottle of Cabernet Franc. We take these varietals a bit for granted now, but in the late 1990s--they were revolutionary.

Today Richard and Chris work with family growers from Clarksburg to Santa Barbara, and from El Dorado County to Napa to make their fun and affordable line of wines, following in the footsteps of the negociants of Europe. They buy fruit from specific growers, overseeing the production themselves, and then marketing the resulting wines under the Vinum Cellars label. Ken Wilson (pictured at right with his beloved and famous dog, Tanker from the PETS Petite Sirah label, courtesy of Vinum Cellars), is one of those growers, and his family have been raising grapes in Clarksburg since the 1920s and have been growing wine grapes since 1971 when they planted their first 15 acres of Zinfandel grapes. Just 15 minutes from downtown Sacramento, today Wilson Vineyards grows over eight varietals for Vinum and other winemakers in California.

Vinum Cellars make what I call "go-to wines"--those essential wines that no matter the vintage or the varietal turn out to be great purchases. Spanning the spectrum of price points from barely over $10 to $30, there is a bottle for every purse, and every occasion. Here are a few highlights from their current releases that I particularly recommend for their great taste and great value:

2006 Vinum Cellars Chenin Blanc CNW (Chard-No-Way). ($11) From the Wilson vineyards in Clarksburg comes this very good chenin blanc, with a nice balance between bright citrus and soft melon flavors and aromas. A slightly silky texture makes this wine distinctive and elegant. Excellent QPR.

2004 Vinum Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon "Slow Lane" ($27). This is an excellent value in a Napa Valley cabernet. Warm aromas and flavors of cocoa and cassis are dusted with cinnamon, and these flavors develop throughout the long, juicy finish. Pull out the steaks, fire up the bbq. Excellent QPR.

2005 Vinum Cellars Petite Sirah PETS Wilson Vineyards ($14). The wine with Tanker on the label, this is another great Clarksburg wine from Ken Wilson's fruit that's slightly rustic in style, with brushy and herbal aromas and flavors, accompanied by red currant fruit. I'd be tempted to see how this wine would be in the fall, when it has a chance to settle down a bit since it's still pretty young. But if you can't wait, you're still in for a brawny red treat. A portion of the proceeds benefits the San Francisco SPCA. Very good QPR.

2005 Vinum Cellars Viognier VIO ($25). Made from fruit from San Benito County on the Central Coast, this excellent viognier has pronounced floral aromas or honeysuckle and jasmine and the taste of honeydew melons. It is perfumed and juicy, the perfect summer sipper. Very good QPR.

2006 Vinum Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon It's Okay! ($11). A rich rose, made of 100% cab grapes from Napa. Yes, a rose made with expensive cabernet grapes. It is dry, made in the Tavel style of France, with beautiful raspberry aromas and flavors, touched with a strawberry note. This is not your parents blush wine. Try it with bbq chicken, or some seared tuna. Very good QPR.

2004 Vinum Cellars Red Dirt Red ($30). This Rhone-style blend was made from grapes sourced in the Sierra Foothills of El Dorado County. In Chris and Richard's hands the classic combination of syrah, grenache and mourvedre yields a wine where rich red fruits combine with floral aromas of roses and violets to produce something really interesting and complex. Good QPR.

2004 Vinum Cellars Cabernet Franc "The Scrapper." ($30) A scrappy wine made with El Dorado fruit and an unapologetic attitude. Red currant aromas and flavors are held in check with a solid grip of tannins and a green freshness that would make this perfect for London broil marinated with balsamic vinegar and lots of rosemary. I think this will also settle down a bit and lose some of its tannins over the summer, so if you have a few bottles you might want to set some aside for beef stew in the fall. Good QPR.

So if you find yourself in a wine store with no familiar bottles in sight and you spot one of the Vinum labels, pick it up without hesitation and know that you're in for a treat. But why wait until you're desperate? Try a Vinum bottling soon by clicking on one of the highlighted wines above. You'll be taken in some cases to Vinum's online store, and in some cases to a list of merchants in the US who stock their wines. Even if you aren't a member of the ABC club, there's a Vinum wine for you.

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

Summer in a Glass: the 2005 L'Ecole No. 41 Chenin Blanc "Walla Voila"

March is a tough month in most parts of the country. I remember when I lived on the east coast I always felt like spring was NEVER coming. Ever. Summer seemed a complete impossibility in March. All that warmth and color. No way that was ever coming back.

If you are longing for summer, why not get a taste of it in the glass? Pick up a baguette, some Cypress Grove "Purple Haze" goat cheese if you can find it (has fennel and lavender pollen in it, and it's fabulous), and the very good QPR 2005 L'Ecole No. 41 Chenin Blanc "Woila Voila." ($12 directly from L'Ecole No. 41, or under $15 through a variety of merchants). Tear off a chunk of bread, smear it with some tart, summery goat cheese, and take a sip of this luscious wine and you will instantly be transported to June. (photo taken with permission of pabulum.ext212 from a photo essay of a vineyard trip on Long Island wineries on her blog)

This wine was pale gold in color, conjuring up images of honeysuckle and yellow roses. Aromas of flowers like honeysuckle and apple blossom followed. When you took a sip the most striking first impression was of a satiny mouthfeel--richer than silky, but not at all syrupy or unctuous. Flavors of honey-dipped apples were accompanied by a brisk, citrusy finish. This wine was slightly off-dry, and would be a good companion to spicy barbequed chicken or buffalo wings, or a miso and soy marinated salmon fillet done up on the grill (if you can find your grill under the snow). Goat cheese and chenin blanc is not exactly a classic pairing, but I found this worked in much the way that port complements blue cheese--the tang of the cheese and the slight sweetness of the wine were very good together.

L'Ecole no. 41 has been named the best regional winery every year from 2002 to 2006 by Wine and Spirits magazine. What a track record! They've been in business since 1983, and have been making old vine, vouvray-style chenin blanc since 1987. The word that crops up again and again on their website is "expressiveness," which is the goal of their viticultural and wine-making philosophy. This wine, which was so expressive of the chenin blanc grape and the summer in which the grapes were grown, really lived up to any expectations I had of their wines from the website. Try one, if you get a chance!

Not Your Parents' Chenin Blanc: the 2004 La Craie Vouvray

New York Times wine critic Eric Asimov over at his excellent blog The Pour recently posted a story on the underappreciated and un-fashionable varietal chenin blanc. Just so Eric doesn't feel too lonely in chenin blanc heaven, I wanted to post this recommendation for a chenin blanc from Vouvray in France: the excellent QPR 2004 La Craie Vouvray (Chronicle Wine Cellar, $7.95).

This is not your parents' chenin blanc. I have some pretty vivid memories of large jugs of wine labelled "chenin blanc" entering my childhood home--you know the ones with the little loopy handle at the top and the metal screw cap. (My parents would want you to know that they don't drink this anymore!) Every 40 something wine blogger out there, and most every 40 something wine enthusiast can probably recall a similar vignette from their own past. Some of us even got our start drinking the stuff.

But chenin blanc is a versatile grape that seems particularly good at drawing up the influences from the soil up into its root system, spreading them out into the fruit. Because chenin blanc is typically not manipulated very much in the processing of the grapes, all those appellation nuances come through in the finished project. Take this 2004 La Craie.

Named after the chalky soils on which the grapes are grown (craie is chalk in French), this pale lemon wine had enticing crisp citrus aromas. Sipping the wine brought out more citrus and green apple flavors, with a hint of a sweet impression as the last drops slid down. Despite the sweet aftertaste, this was a crisp, dry wine. But now swirl it in the glass and smell. That's right: crushed chalk, just like in your first grade classroom. Take another sip: now there is an aftertaste of crushed chalk in your mouth, too. As with all white wines, these more subtle flavors will disappear if you serve the wine too cold.

The versatile chenin blanc grape produced, in this case, an equally versatile wine that would go with turkey, seafood, Chinese or Thai take-out, and salads. Expand your horizons and keep some of these grapes from falling into Eric's clutches. Better yet, buy some of this inexpensive, high quality wine and use the rest of your $20 bill to buy a chance to have dinner with Eric through the raffle for Menu for Hope III, a great event to support the UN World Food Programme. If you win, you'll have one more thing to talk about!

Thanksgiving and Wine, Part 2: Some Specific Recommendations

If you haven't already bought your wines for Thanksgiving, you're probably starting to think about it right about now. This is a great week to make some decisions and purchases, because the crowds haven't yet started to build and the shelves are still relatively well-stocked. What follows are some specific, fruit-forward, budget-friendly recommendations of wines that I think would go well with the Big Meal. (vintage image from Caaren Charles)

I've had all of these wines sometime during the past year, and kept tasting notes for them (long before I started blogging here) so I've checked to make sure that those listed are still available.

I broke the recommendations into three categories (whites, reds, and sparkling wines) and indicated a general price range so you can figure out which are best for your budget. The range is based on prices I found on Wine-Searcher. Of course, prices in your area may be different from those indicated here.

Whites:

2004 Hugel et Fils Gentil ($5-$10): A very good gewurztraminer with crisp apple notes and a sweet impression. Pale straw in color, with appealing apple and floral aromas. Will be excellent with a traditional meal, or with a meal where there are spicy side-dishes.

2005 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc ($10-15): Pale, almost translucent in color, with grass, melon, and grapefuit on the palate. Not as fragrant as some sauvignon blancs, it is still more complex and interesting than most at this price point. Zingy enough to cut through the heavy foods, but not at all acidic.

2004 Voss Sauvignon Blanc ($10-$15): A nice sauvignon blanc, if a bit one dimensional, with predominantly pink grapefruit aromas and palate. This wine has a little bit of herbal freshness, so will go well with meals that use traditional spices (thyme, parsley, sage). Clean and crisp.

2004 Sollner Danubio Gruner Veltliner ($10-$15): For a full tasting note, see my earlier post.

2004 Dry Creek Vineyard Dry Chenin Blanc ($10-$15): Pale straw color, lemony upfront then a sweet undertone that keeps it brisk and fresh. Would be particularly good with spicier sides and smoked turkey.

2003 Rutherford Hill Chardonnay ($15-$20): Pale straw color, with a very faint aroma of lemons and pears. On the palate, citrus and mineral notes with a tiny bit of butter around the edges. Crisp, clean chardonnay with no bitter or oaky flavors to cause problems with all those flavors on the table.

2004 Sineann Pinot Gris ($15-$20): Delicious. Like biting into a golden delicious apple, tart and sweet at the same time. Appley rather than lemony, it's not entirely characteristic of the varietal but it works. No bitter edges, so its easy to pair with a wide range of foods.

Reds:

2002 Georges Duboeuf Fleurie ($10-$15): Extremely good beaujolais wine. Light and fruity red, with raspberries and some depth as a result of the bottle age. Most gamay wines are for drinking straight away, but this one has staying power due to the excellent vintage. Perfect for roasted turkey, dark meat turkey, mushroom dishes, and robust holiday foods.

2004 Castle Rock Pinot Noir Monterey ($10-$15): Richer and more nuanced than most pinots at this price point, this ruby wine had earthy and berry flavors and a good finish that was spicy and drew you back for more.

2005 Mark West Pinot Noir Central Coast ($10-$15): This was a juicy, fruity pinot noir. When you first open it, the aroma can be hot and alcoholic, so open it before the meal and let those aromas blow off. After 20 minutes or so, it will smell like red raspberry with a tiny bit of underlying red currant. Crushed raspberry in color, the wine's palate was silky and raspberry as well. A bit of meatiness in the finish made it linger. Not as spicy and rich as the Castle Rock described above.

2005 Pierre-Marie Chermette Beaujolais ($10-$15): For a full tasting note, see my earlier post.

NV Lazy Creek Vineyards Red Table Wine ($20): 100% pinot noir grapes, blended from a number of vintages to yield a rich and flavorful pinot noir. Loads of red fruit and a little bit of earthy funkiness in the aromas. It's a little less silky than the very best pinots, but an excellent drinking wine to go with a wide variety of foods.

Sparkling Wines:

NV Cavit Lunetta Prosecco ($10-$15): For a full tasting note, see my earlier post. This wine would be good with any course, from hors d'oeuvres through to dessert.

NV Santa Margherita Prosecco Brut ($15-$20): A bright, crisp prosecco. Not at all harsh or bitter, this is appley and lemony. Would be best with hors d'oeuvres or the main course. Surprisingly rich and complex for a prosecco.

NV Domaine Chandon Extra-Dry Riche ($15-$20): For a full tasting note, see my earlier post. Would be best with hors d'oeuvres, dinners that use lots of spice, and dessert as it has a definitely sweet impression on the aromas, even though it drinks dry.

NV Piper-Hiedsieck Brut ($20-$25): Light, lemony, and crisp with medium bead and a bright finish. Best with the main course, since it's a robust champagne.

Happy shopping!