Corner Wines

• October 2009

  I would checkout Vinfolio.com. They recently launched a service for individuals to sell and buy wines called the Vinfolio Marketplace. You could also post it on the erobertparker.com bulletin board on the "Commerce Corner" corner thread.

  Forum post in the topic How do you sell a bottle of... by Greg Roberts

  
  

• August 2009

  I remember seeing South African wines in the UK frequently too -- again, probably the shared Commonwealth heritage. The wines you see the most of in Australia are Australian wines. I've been to some wine shops which sell only Australian wines. This is good, I guess, in that it's... Read moreI remember seeing South African wines in the UK frequently too -- again, probably the shared Commonwealth heritage. The wines you see the most of in Australia are Australian wines. I've been to some wine shops which sell only Australian wines. This is good, I guess, in that it's good to see people supporting their local wine industry. On the other hand, my palette is more suited to old world style wines, so I generally end up looking in the corner with a couple of cupboards of imported wines. I've been visiting some friends lately who are not so enamoured with old world style wines, so this gives me an impetus to try out some more fruit-driven new world wines. Not so much to my taste, but it's interesting to try wines that you wouldn't normally taste. Not certain what percentage of New Zealand wines end up in Australia and the UK. Probably a fair percentage. The amount of luck I've had in finding a bottle of Milton's Vineyards/Domaine Clos de Ste Anne wines (i.e., none) shows that even for NZ wines, smaller producers can still be hard to track down here.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Reds, Whites.... how about... by penguinoid

  
  

• August 2009

  An interesting read regarding the oft-underestimated Virginia vino and some good stuff from Cali- against the French. Of course: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/08/18/ST2009081802401.html Glass Acts In Our Wine Tasting, Virginia Shows It Can Compete With... Read moreAn interesting read regarding the oft-underestimated Virginia vino and some good stuff from Cali- against the French. Of course: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/08/18/ST2009081802401.html Glass Acts In Our Wine Tasting, Virginia Shows It Can Compete With France and Napa Valley By Dave McIntyre Special to The Washington Post Wednesday, August 19, 2009 The "Judgment of Paris" transformed the world of wine, marking California on the map in big, bold letters that could not be ignored. That May 1976 tasting galvanized an upstart American wine industry that had struggled in the decades since Prohibition and helped overcome a consumer perception here and abroad that American wines were inferior to their French counterparts. The Paris tasting was immortalized in the 2005 book "Judgment of Paris" by George M. Taber and the 2008 movie "Bottle Shock." It has provided a model for countless wine tastings and parties in the decades since, setting the standard that wines should be evaluated based solely on what's in the glass, not on the label. Where California was in the 1970s -- underappreciated for its quality -- Virginia is today. So when we decided to hold our own Judgment of Washington, it wasn't just to see whether the United States would best France today. It was to see whether local wines might surprise the judges now as much as Napa Valley bottles did more than three decades ago. We invited six area wine professionals -- three retailers, three sommeliers -- to blind-taste a dozen chardonnays and a dozen red Bordeaux-style wines, telling them only that we were pitting the United States vs. France in a sort of oenological grudge match. Then we slipped in five Virginia wines and one from Maryland without telling anyone. Could the locals hold their own against the more established competition from Napa Valley, Bordeaux and Burgundy? Could they overcome a market perception that they are expensive novelties that don't offer value to match their price? Or would they fall flat as overreaching pretenders? When the scores were totaled and the wines unveiled, a California wine narrowly edged out a French rival for the top spot in each category. But Virginia was nipping at their heels. "Wow, you're really swinging for the fences right away with this one," John Wabeck said as he sniffed the first red wine. Wabeck, a former chef who is now sommelier at Inox restaurant in Tysons Corner and a third-level master sommelier candidate, scribbled "classic Bordeaux structure . . . merlot-based? . . . cocoa powder" and scored it 90 points out of 100. Elli Benchimol, beverage director for the Stir Food Group, which includes Zola and Potenza restaurants and their affiliated wine stores, also noted cocoa powder and scored the wine 90, lauding its "beautiful structure." Brian Cook, sommelier at Sonoma and Blue Ridge in the District and Redwood in Bethesda, praised its "cured meat, savory cassis, mint, mocha" flavors and its "dusty tannins," awarding the wine 92 points. The wine was Barboursville Vineyards' 2006 Octagon, a merlot-based blend of Bordeaux grape varieties that retails for about $40. Four of the six judges mistook it for a Bordeaux. Ultimately, the Octagon trailed the Newton Vineyards 2005 Unfiltered Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, a $60 monster that wowed the judges with its unmistakably jammy fruit, velvety texture and spicy complexity. Second place went to Chateau Larrivet-Haut Brion 2005, from the Pessac-Leognan region of Bordeaux, every bit as French as the Newton was American. Like the Octagon, it retails for about $40. Napa Valley scored points for value, with cabernet sauvignon from Sterling Vineyards ($25) and Beaulieu Vineyard's Rutherford bottling ($20) impressing the judges. But Virginia came in big again, in a fifth-place tie between the Michael Shaps 2007 Cabernet Franc ($35) and the Gordon Brothers 2003 Tradition from Washington state ($45). California also scored for value with the white wines. Our top finisher -- by a hair -- was the Chappellet 2007 Napa Valley Chardonnay, a $32 charmer that fooled the judges into thinking it was French. Only Vanessa Moore, owner of Unwined retail store in Alexandria, identified it as a Napa wine. (Wine Spectator magazine loved it, too, rating it 91 points, about what our judges gave it.) The Chappellet was in a virtual dead heat with the $50 Louis Latour Chateau de Blagny 2006 Meursault-Blagny Premier Cru. Our judges were unanimous that this was French. Two of them, Dominque Landragin, co-owner of the Cork & Fork stores in Gainesville and Bethesda, and Christian Bonny, wine buyer at Circle Wine & Liquor in Northwest Washington, even guessed the correct appellation. Bonny was so excited about this wine that he got tangled in similes, saying that "it keeps coming around, like a snowball rolling downhill," and after the next sip, "like a ferris wheel of stone fruit and cream." Right behind the first two, though, came two Virginia chardonnays: Linden Vineyards 2006 Hardscrabble, which retails for about $26, and the Michael Shaps 2007 ($35). Fewer than 1.25 points separated the first four chardonnays, two of them from Virginia. The judges were unanimous in thinking the Shaps was from Burgundy. "Montrachet!" Landragin wrote, while Benchimol, Moore and Wabeck suspected Puligny-Montrachet. The Linden was mistaken for French by three of the judges, while the others suspected the West Coast. What conclusions can we draw from our exercise? That U.S. wines are the equal of the French is no longer the surprise it was in 1976. Yet it is worth noting that when our judges were asked where they thought a wine was from, they tended to believe the wines they liked most were French. France still holds pride of place in our minds as the benchmark for fine wine. But we cannot ignore that wines produced within a two-hour drive of Washington stood toe-to-toe with highly touted competitors from California and France. This result is a snapshot of what six judges thought about two dozen wines one July afternoon, yet it should send a signal to retailers, sommeliers and consumers that local wines can match the best in the world -- and they are beginning to do so. It's time to put our preconceptions aside and focus on the quality of these wines. Dave McIntyre can be reached through his Web site, http://www.dmwineline.com, or at food@washpost.com. !http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2009/08/17/PH2009081702211.jpg! Quick note: I'm fortunate enough to have tasted both the Chappellet '07 as well as the Shaps '06... still got a bottle of the Shaps in the cooler over there, with the former waiting for me at verk to buy & try again. Also of note & irony; I too thought immediately about white burgundy, but more along the lines of "Meursault" when I tried the Shaps back at the Wineworks a year ago. I'm sure I was just bieased from hearing where Shaps was trained. Be a great little blind tasting ;).    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic "Glass Acts" (Washington... by ChipDWood

  
  

• June 2009

  Gemischter Satz mit Shlag (Schlag) by Alice Feiring, June 24, 2009 About the wines of Vienna and the terroir hype of Wiener Gemischter Satz! Vienna has more than shlag, it has terroir. In fact the snow covered Alps stops at the Danube. It's almost like the mountain range gave a... Read moreGemischter Satz mit Shlag (Schlag) by Alice Feiring, June 24, 2009 About the wines of Vienna and the terroir hype of Wiener Gemischter Satz! Vienna has more than shlag, it has terroir. In fact the snow covered Alps stops at the Danube. It's almost like the mountain range gave a last burb and out of it emerged three defiant mounds of rock and loess. Kahlenberg Nussberg and Bisamberg are just outside of city limits. Cool, no? 1400 of acres of vines, a third of the acreage of Long Island, are in pitching distance of the thriving city of Vienna, home of the sacher torte, home to Freud's favorite cafe and home to some of the best of Josef Hoffman's designs. It serves to reason that the end of the Alps has got to have something special down under. And it deserves respect. But driving through the vines I saw farming that made Champagne look biodynamic. Yes, it was that bad. Except of course for the exceptions. Perhaps because he's in biodynamic conversion, Wien winemaker Fritz Weininger, has become a mentor to fledgling winemakers wanting to go chemical free. Part of this reawakening is a reinvigoration of a white field blend called Gemischter Satz. This GS, has always been the local glug of choice, especially in those Heurigens (those winery restaurants where schnitzel and GS go hand in hand). But the wine just didn't get a whole lot of respect, especially in a region where riesling and gruner are king. Now, this new breed of winemaker, the ones that believe organic or more is the way to go, are making the wines citified and cool. I was slated to lunch with one of them, Jutta Ambrositsch. Hopelessly lost, I arrived at the turn of the century, Schwarzes Kameel, soaked and forty-five minutes late. Ambrositsch, who looked no more than eighteen, sat quietly in a corner booth and was visably relieved when I showed up. So was I. She was a refugee from the graphic arts world. "I needed to work in nature," she told me, and started to play in the dirt in 2004. Wieninger actually donated 2.4 hectare to farm for the cause. She is going to start winemaking classes which I hope will not corrupt her instincts, but for now, Wieninger makes her wine. Yes, he yeasts, as most people there do. Yet, slow fermenters, her wines showed the quality of her passionate farming. The girl does good. She grows Gruners and Rieslings but it was her old-vine Gemischter Satz that spoke loudest to me. Hers comes from a group of vines near the Heurigen-rich town of Grinzing and planted with about twenty varietals. She's got two. My favorite was the Alte Reben, with two extra weeks of hang time. Gemischter Satz, Sommeregg, Reserve Alte Reben, 2006 This little puppy demanded attention. So I thought, I can do that. I'll give you some attention. The wine was intense, complex, bounced from this edge of mineral to honeysuckle with a touch of skunk. And that finish just didn't let go. Jutta's website: http://www.jutta-ambrositsch.at Her GS, as well as another I’m fond of, Rainer Christ’s are available through Darcy & Huber Selections. http://www.darcyandhuber.com In addition, below are other GS currently imported by darcy and huber selections: • Weingut Rainer Christ (Wien Preis 2008) • Weingut Cobenzl (Wien Preis 2008) • Weingut Edlmoser (Wien Preis 2008) • Weingut Hajszan (Austrian Salon Winner 2008) • Weingut Thomas P. Offner (Protege of Rainer Christ very limited inventory) • Weingut Mayer am Pfarrplatz & Rotes Haus (Wien Preis 2008) • Weingut Zahel (Wien Preis 2008) More about Wien Wein Group: http://www.wienwein.net/ More about Alice Feiring: http://www.alicefeiring.com About Alice Feiring From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Alice Feiring is an American journalist and author, for several years a wine and travel columnist for Time magazine,[1] and known as an advocate for "natural wine".[2] In addition to contributions to publications such as The New York Times, New York Magazine, San Francisco Chronicle, LA Times, Condé Nast Traveler and Forbes Traveler, her blog "Veritas in Vino" is considered among America's leading wine blogs,[3]and her voice described by Mike Steinberger as part of a new wave of "real flowering of high-quality wine journalism".[4] Her book published in May 2008,[5] The Battle for Wine and Love: Or How I Saved the World from Parkerization, described as "an opinionated look at the fight to preserve authenticity and diversity in wine",[4] due to its perceived "declaration of war" against critic Robert Parker found some controversy well before its date of release.[6][7] Reviewing the book, Eric Asimov later wrote, "Ms. Feiring is an uncompromising judge of wine and people who can no more stomach a lover’s preference for a wine she abhors than she can the presence of a microwave in her kitchen."[8] Feiring's critical statements against California wine as "overblown, over-alcoholed, over-oaked, overpriced and over-manipulated"[9] have also sparked controversy.[10][11][12] An article Feiring wrote for The Upgrader on Men.Style.com, online site of GQ and Details, titled "The Ten Most Overrated Wines in the World", which listed Bordeaux Garagistes, Australian Shiraz, Martinborough Sauvignon blanc, Super-Tuscans, Clos de Vougeot, Long Island wine,Albariño, Screaming Eagle, Sea Smoke Pinot noir and Chilean Cabernet,[13] chiefly drew response from defenders of Long Island wine.[14] ------------------------------------------ The Austrian Wines darcy and huber selections Carlo Huber m +1 401 440 3714 e carlo@darcyandhuber.com Paul Darcy m +1 917 364 1780 e paul@darcyandhuber.com w http://www.darcyandhuber.com Become a fan: http://www.facebook.com/AustrianWines Twitter: www.twitter/austrianwines Taste Live: http://www.tastelive.com Snooth: http://www.snooth.com ------------------------------------------    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Alice Feiring about the... by The Austrian Wines

  
  

• May 2009

  I worked by City Hall for years. Spent a lot of time in City Hall too at various hearings and meetings. Chambers is the place to go in that area - they've got fairly specific palate preferences, but they are passionate about their wines for sure. And more recently, right around... Read moreI worked by City Hall for years. Spent a lot of time in City Hall too at various hearings and meetings. Chambers is the place to go in that area - they've got fairly specific palate preferences, but they are passionate about their wines for sure. And more recently, right around the corner, Frankly Wines opened. She's just as passionate, has lots of experience in the business, and is just so damned nice that you feel good about shopping there. Both places try really hard to find things that aren't really mainstream, so they're excellent places to browse around. You can walk up to Astor Wine on Lafayette from City Hall. I've done it countless times. That's a bigger store than just about anyplace in Manhattan but they still try to have a selection that's about more than just a few wines you can find anywhere. It's only a few stops up from City Hall by train, or about 15 minutes by foot if you walk fast. If you take a long lunch, you can try September Wines on Ludlow. Can't really get there easily by train from City Hall so you gotta cut through Chinatown and walk fast. I've done it but it means you need an understanding boss.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic What is the best wine store... by GregT

  
  

• May 2009

  Austrian Winemakers & Artisanal Cheese Tasting Tuesday June 2nd from 7 to 9pm @ Watty & Meg 248 Court Street Brooklyn (corner of Kane) Please contact restaurant for reservations - 718-643-0007 Following Winemakers will be presenting their wines and paired professionally... Read moreAustrian Winemakers & Artisanal Cheese Tasting Tuesday June 2nd from 7 to 9pm @ Watty & Meg 248 Court Street Brooklyn (corner of Kane) Please contact restaurant for reservations - 718-643-0007 Following Winemakers will be presenting their wines and paired professionally by Artisanal Premium Cheeses Werner Hauser of Weingut Hauser (Weinviertel) - Poysecco ‘smile’ Wolfgang Krinninger of Weingut Zahel (Vienna) - Riesling ‘Auf der Mauer’ Stefan Hajszan of Weinbau Hajszan (Vienna) - Grüner Veltliner ‘Nussberg’ Michael Martin of Weingut Martinshof (Weinviertel) - Pinot Noir ‘Galgenberg’ Rainer Christ of Weingut Christ (Vienna) - Mephisto Gerhard Lobner of Weingut Rotes Haus (Vienna) - Traminer ‘Edellage’ some other wines from these producers will be available at the bar Cost: $50 per person including wines & cheeses    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Austrian Winemakers &... by The Austrian Wines

  
  

• May 2009

  Hi everyone! We at Esperance are pleased to join the Snooth community and share in a collective passion for food and wine. Esperance is a wine shop, market & cafe located in Charlevoix, Michigan on the shores of Round Lake and Lake Michigan. Our 900 square foot temperature... Read moreHi everyone! We at Esperance are pleased to join the Snooth community and share in a collective passion for food and wine. Esperance is a wine shop, market & cafe located in Charlevoix, Michigan on the shores of Round Lake and Lake Michigan. Our 900 square foot temperature -controlled cellar is an eonophile's paradise showcasing over one thousand quality, small production wines from every corner of the wine- producing world (from boutique Burgundies to Burgenland Blaufrankisch and Uruguayan Tannat). We look forward to sharing our new wine discoveries and yours! Cheers, Pram Acharya    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Introducing Esperance by Esperance wine

  
  

• May 2009

  I've been documenting much of my days here via posts on the Snooth Forum but to add some color I thought I'd do a little blogging so without further ado, a few photos from the top of the boot. You can follow along my travels in more detail here, but I'll briefly put a few of these... Read moreI've been documenting much of my days here via posts on the Snooth Forum but to add some color I thought I'd do a little blogging so without further ado, a few photos from the top of the boot. You can follow along my travels in more detail here, but I'll briefly put a few of these photos in context When I arrived in Italy I went basically from the airport to the Sella estate in Lesson, Northern Piedmont. We tasted a few wines with Cristiano the winemaker before visiting the summer home of the Sella family, now siting preserved but unused. A photo from thetop floor balcony shows the warmth here, check out the palm tree, as well as the encrouchment of housing that has virtually replaced the vineyards in this area. Sella makes wines from Lessona and Bramaterra, The soil in Bramaterra includes sand of volcanic origin and some decomposed porphyr but the sand, and rock it's derived from accounts for the significant differences between the two wines. both wines are made in a very traditional way and are aged in the Sella cellars in large, neutral wood, though some new oak has been used on some wines. I'll of course add tasting note for the sella wines soon but we had a great visit and i know a shipment of wines is on way to the US as we speak so I hope you al keep an eye out for them. Our Next day began with a visit with one of my favorite producer, Mauro Mascarello of Giuseppe Mascarello. We tasted the line-up chez Mascarello along with renowned Italian journalist Franco Ziliani. As usual this was a high point of my trip. The wines were great, as they tend to be. We toured the cellar after the tasting where, among other gems, lay future vintages of the famed single vineyard Monprivato aging comfortably in their large wood botte. Of course it could be argued that these large ovals aren't really large botte. I don't think that Franco and Mauro were actually arguing that while we took a look at these really large botte, out of commission for over a decade but still a fixture in the winery! The botte are not the only contains that are throwbacks to another era found in the Mascarello cantina. Both 13.5 liter quarter brentas and these awfully attractive damigiane, look at those tin labels, how cool is that, are still used regulalry to help manage quantities of wines. i want to manage one right into my cellar. Heck, I'ld even take one empty! Afer the cellar tour we went to da Felicin for a great lunch when we had the chance to blind taste a few great and very surprising bottles of wine. A very humbling experience for all involved as no one really got any right.My guesses from left to right:  1993 La Morra from Rivalta, a 1988 Barolo from Monforte, a 1978 Barolo from Barolo, and finaly a 1974 from who knows. the wines totally outperformed and that was probably due to the fact that they've spent all the life in one place after having been moved a few kilometers. What a lovely lunch and a humbling experience. After lunch we were treated to a tour of the cellar where we got a chance to see some of the wines we didn't drink. Suffice it to say we had a blast taking a look around at treasures like these. After lunch, it was a long lunch so after lunch it was 5, we headed back to Alba for the welcome reception for the Alba Wine Exhibition. Along the way we stopped by to take a look at Mauro's Monprivato vineyard. I have another shot of the vineyard from Cannubi that I'll post tomorrow but looking north from Monprivato  one can see the wonderful Bricco Boschis estate of the Cavallotto family.  The winery is centered on the top of the ridge and all you see is Bricco Boschis, well pretty much. Further to the west and a bit further north is Alberto Racca's tenute Montanello. certainly a new operation but one with roots going back over a hundred. the facilities were once the Cooperative winery for the village of Castiglione Falletto and occupies a wonderful vantage point overlooking some of the great crus of Castiglione. I'm cheating a bit now as we jump ahead a day to Monday night when we ended up in the village of Barbaresco for an afternoon tasting and dinner at Antica Torre. Since we had about 90 minutes to kill between the tasting and dinner we decided to take a walk out of the south of the village to visit some rather renowned vineyards. For example here we are looking back towards the village and you can see Moccagatta under the houses that line the top of the ridge and beneath that Paje. Here's a closer look at Paje. You might notice how lush and verdant the vineyard in the middle is. That's Roagna's organically grown vineyard producing exceptional wines while in totally harmony with the naturally occuring ground cover that help to prevent the landslides that have plagued this region recently. Good for the wine, good for the environment and good for the terrain. Why doesn't every vineyard look like this? We continued down the road until we came to the fork that divides Faset on the right from Asili on the left. We went up the right hand road and walked up to the top of Bricco Faset. We then went down through the vines and turned back to take this picture of Bricco Asili, just the crown of this hill. We made it over to the road that heads down through the vines and under Bricco Asili and went around the corner where we ended up under Martinenga with Asili to the left and Rabaja to the right. Perhaps the most important slope in all of Barbaresco and that's the photo that did not come out! I did however get a photos of these unusually high pruned old vines that lay at the bottom of this famed slope separating these vineyards from the Rio Sordo  which lies just beyond the stand of trees on the background. We climbed up through Rabaja and Asili and let me tell you I will never forget how steep these vineyards are. It has been a great start to this trip and I have alot more to come. I've got some great video of the vineyards as well so help put them all in context. I hope you enjoyed this little bit and I look foward to my next installment. Until then Ciao! Gregory Dal Piaz Community Manager Snooth    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Views from Italy by Gregory Dal Piaz

  
  

• May 2009

  Views from Italy I've been documenting much of my days here via posts on the Snooth Forum but to add some color I thought I'd do a little blogging so without further ado, a few photos from the top of the boot. You can follow along my travels in more detail here, but I'll briefly put... Read moreViews from Italy I've been documenting much of my days here via posts on the Snooth Forum but to add some color I thought I'd do a little blogging so without further ado, a few photos from the top of the boot. You can follow along my travels in more detail here, but I'll briefly put a few of these photos in context When I arrived in Italy I went basically from the airport to the Sella estate in Lesson, Northern Piedmont. We tasted a few wines with Cristiano the winemaker before visiting the summer home of the Sella family, now siting preserved but unused. A photo from thetop floor balcony shows the warmth here, check out the palm tree, as well as the encrouchment of housing that has virtually replaced the vineyards in this area. Sella makes wines from Lessona and Bramaterra, The soil in Bramaterra includes sand of volcanic origin and some decomposed porphyr but the sand, and rock it's derived from accounts for the significant differences between the two wines. both wines are made in a very traditional way and are aged in the Sella cellars in large, neutral wood, though some new oak has been used on some wines. I'll of course add tasting note for the sella wines soon but we had a great visit and i know a shipment of wines is on way to the US as we speak so I hope you al keep an eye out for them. Our Next day began with a visit with one of my favorite producer, Mauro Mascarello of Giuseppe Mascarello. We tasted the line-up chez Mascarello along with renowned Italian journalist Franco Ziliani. As usual this was a high point of my trip. The wines were great, as they tend to be. We toured the cellar after the tasting where, among other gems, lay future vintages of the famed single vineyard Monprivato aging comfortably in their large wood botte. Of course it could be argued that these large ovals aren't really large botte. I don't think that Franco and Mauro were actually arguing that while we took a look at these really large botte, out of commission for over a decade but still a fixture in the winery! The botte are not the only contains that are throwbacks to another era found in the Mascarello cantina. Both 13.5 liter quarter brentas and these awfully attractive damigiane, look at those tin labels, how cool is that, are still used regulalry to help manage quantities of wines. i want to manage one right into my cellar. Heck, I'ld even take one empty! Afer the cellar tour we went to da Felicin for a great lunch when we had the chance to blind taste a few great and very surprising bottles of wine. A very humbling experience for all involved as no one really got any right.My guesses from left to right:  1993 La Morra from Rivalta, a 1988 Barolo from Monforte, a 1978 Barolo from Barolo, and finaly a 1974 from who knows. the wines totally outperformed and that was probably due to the fact that they've spent all the life in one place after having been moved a few kilometers. What a lovely lunch and a humbling experience. After lunch we were treated to a tour of the cellar where we got a chance to see some of the wines we didn't drink. Suffice it to say we had a blast taking a look around at treasures like these. After lunch, it was a long lunch so after lunch it was 5, we headed back to Alba for the welcome reception for the Alba Wine Exhibition. Along the way we stopped by to take a look at Mauro's Monprivato vineyard. I have another shot of the vineyard from Cannubi that I'll post tomorrow but looking north from Monprivato  one can see the wonderful Bricco Boschis estate of the Cavallotto family.  The winery is centered on the top of the ridge and all you see is Bricco Boschis, well pretty much. Further to the west and a bit further north is Alberto Racca's tenute Montanello. certainly a new operation but one with roots going back over a hundred. the facilities were once the Cooperative winery for the village of Castiglione Falletto and occupies a wonderful vantage point overlooking some of the great crus of Castiglione. I'm cheating a bit now as we jump ahead a day to Monday night when we ended up in the village of Barbaresco for an afternoon tasting and dinner at Antica Torre. Since we had about 90 minutes to kill between the tasting and dinner we decided to take a walk out of the south of the village to visit some rather renowned vineyards. For example here we are looking back towards the village and you can see Moccagatta under the houses that line the top of the ridge and beneath that Paje. Here's a closer look at Paje. You might notice how lush and verdant the vineyard in the middle is. That's Roagna's organically grown vineyard producing exceptional wines while in totally harmony with the naturally occuring ground cover that help to prevent the landslides that have plagued this region recently. Good for the wine, good for the environment and good for the terrain. Why doesn't every vineyard look like this? We continued down the road until we came to the fork that divides Faset on the right from Asili on the left. We went up the right hand road and walked up to the top of Bricco Faset. We then went down through the vines and turned back to take this picture of Bricco Asili, just the crown of this hill. We made it over to the road that heads down through the vines and under Bricco Asili and went around the corner where we ended up under Martinenga with Asili to the left and Rabaja to the right. Perhaps the most important slope in all of Barbaresco and that's the photo that did not come out! I did however get a photos of these unusually high pruned old vines that lay at the bottom of this famed slope separating these vineyards from the Rio Sordo  which lies just beyond the stand of trees on the background. We climbed up through Rabaja and Asili and let me tell you I will never forget how steep these vineyards are. It has been a great start to this trip and I have alot more to come. I've got some great video of the vineyards as well so help put them all in context. I hope you enjoyed this little bit and I look foward to my next installment. Until then Ciao! Gregory Dal Piaz Community Manager Snooth    (hide)

  From the article Views from Italy

  
  

• April 2009

  The movie Sideways did as much to promote California Pinot Noir as it did to vilify Merlot.  Some people would argue that Pinot was already on a rise but a little advertising doesn’t hurt.  One region that has really benefited from the rise in popularity of Pinot Noir is the... Read moreThe movie Sideways did as much to promote California Pinot Noir as it did to vilify Merlot.  Some people would argue that Pinot was already on a rise but a little advertising doesn’t hurt.  One region that has really benefited from the rise in popularity of Pinot Noir is the Russian River Valley.  For many wine enthusiasts Russian River Valley is synonymous with Pinot Noir.  While the Russian River Valley has its own style it could be said that the Russian River Valley is the Burgundy of California. Geography 
As the name suggests, the Russian River Valley Appellation is an American Viticulture Area defined predominantly by the depression created by the flow of the Russian River.  The river is the flows southward from Mendicino County parallel to Dry Creek Valley, through the town of Healdsburg and finally turns westward where it flows out into the Pacific Ocean.   The AVA is characterized by rolling hills with some deep valleys.  The slopes face a number of different directions which means the amount of sunlight can vary dramatically.  This creates pockets of unique geography.  Now there is a condition where the cool breezes that flow in from the Pacific Ocean each night (thoroughly explained in Sideways) are easily felt.  The AVA is a mere 10 miles from the Pacific Coast at its closest point.  Combine the terrain and the cool breezes and it becomes clear why a person will experience significant changes in temperature within a few miles of each other.  As we like to say in California the region blessed with numerous microclimates. Russian River Valley AVA As many regions in the US, the wine growing history is divided into pre-prohibition and post-prohibition.  The pre-prohibition history has the area producing as much as 500,000 gallons of wine.  While it cannot be determined exactly when the first grapes were planted and harvested it is well documented by 1870s the region was known wine production with more than 7,000 acres planted with grapes.  The region was moving along nicely until prohibition was instituted.  Prohibition basically halted all wine production in the area.  It wasn’t until the 1960s that wine production in Russian River Valley really started up again.  It was then that Bob Sisson, the University of California Farm Advisor for Sonoma County, urged many of the local farmers to start planting grapes.  In fact, we could call Bob the father of Russian River Pinot Noir as he was the one encouraged the local farmer to plan Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, cold weather grapes he believed would flourish in the region. The Russian River Valley AVA was created in 1983 and has been adjusted in 1987, 2003 and 2005.  Unlike Sonoma Valley and Napa Valley, the Russian River Valley isn’t as well defined geographically.  The AVA is bordered on the north end by the Russian River and its valley.  To the north the AVA is Dry Creek Valley.   The east border is the Mayacaymus Mountains (Knights Valley AVA and Alexander Valley AVA).  The west border is coastal mountains (Sonoma Coast AVA) and the south border is the town of Sebastapol (Sonoma Coast AVA). Sub-appellations include Chalk Hill, which is warmer and dryer than most of Russian River Valley, to the far east of the appellation and Green Valley (or Sonoma Green Valley or Green Valley of Russian River Valley), located in the southwest corner is of Russian River Valley, is the coolest and wettest part of the region. Grapes and Wineries of Russian River Valley According to the Appellation America website there are at least 40 varieties of wine grapes grown in Russian River Valley.  However, the ones that are the most important and most well known for the region are: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah and Zinfandel.  Because of the numerous microclimates it is possible to grow a wide variety of grapes.  In fact, in Chalk Hill sub-appellation you are more likely to find Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cab Franc than Pinot Noir. Again, according to Appellation America website, there are 170 wineries based in Russian River Valley and 353 wineries producing wines with the Russian River Valley appellation.  There is a approximately 15,000 acres planted in the region and it keeps expanding. Why should you care about Russian River Valley? Russian River Valley is as important to California as Napa Valley.  While Napa established California as a competitor to French wines, Bordeaux in particular, Russian River Valley has show that California can produce Burgundy wines as good as the French.  Is the Russian River Valley the Californian equivalent of Burgundy?  Not exactly.  The major grapes are the same but the styles are different.  Red Burgundies display significant earthiness and acidity whereas Russian River Pinot Noirs display perfumed aromas with delicate red cherry flavors.  White Burgundies and Russian River Chardonnays are more similar than the reds but differ in the ability to age.  Although, this is a broad generalization Russian River Chardonnays are better in their youth and White Burgundies can age much more gracefully.  However, the thing that really separates Russian River Valley from Burgundy is the fact that Russian River Valley also produces elegant wines produce from Syrah, Zinfandel and also produces very high quality sparkling wines. If you are in California and want to experience something a little different than Napa you should consider a trip to Russian River Valley.  There are a large number of great wineries and restaurants.  If you want to make a trip, drop me a line and I’ll share some of my recommendations with you. Websites: Russian River Valley Wine Growers Northern Sonoma Wine Road Russian River Travel Appellation America John Andrews is a software product manager during the week and is a professional Tasting Room staffer at Loxton Cellars in Glen Ellen, CA on the weekends.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Russian River Valley by HondaJohn

  
  

prev 1 2 3 next