2007 Eyrie (far right) was my Wine of the Night

Sounds almost dirty.

The customer appreciation tasting at Hinton’s Wine Store is always held the last day of their 20% off wine case sale week. The store is usually filled with enthusiastic customers, eager to stock up on their daily drinkers or filling their cellars with premium collectibles. For 2010, the theme was Pinot from Oregon, with 20 Pinot Noirs, three Pinot Gris’ and one Pinot Blanc being poured.

As per usual with events of this sort, I generally just write a line or two about those I like or really didn’t like. I tried all of the reds, but only one white and it was after four reds, so I think that sort of sunk some of the flavors. Given we were there for about an hour and fifteen minutes, it was a bit exhausting getting through all of them. Fortunately, I fell right into “trade-tasting-mode” and did the swirl, sniff, swirl, sip and spit routine.

So, on with the show…

Argyle Brut Sparkling $24.99: On the lighter side, with some spicy pear and apple. I thought it was just okay.

2008 Adelsheim Pinot Gris $16.99: Did not taste.

2008 Adelsheim Pinot Blanc Chehalem Mountain $18.99: Did not taste.

2008 Adelsheim Pinot Noir $19.98: Didn’t wow me, but for $20, it was a solid drink.

2008 King Estate Pinot Noir $25.99: Straight shooting Pinot, but I think their Pinot Gris is the best thing they do.

2008 Forefront Pinot Noir Willamette Valley $20.99: I wrote down good value and later on at our wine & supper club event (to be written up later), I heard a few folks mentioned they liked it and had purchased it before.

2008 Ken Wright Canary Vineyard Pinot Noir $59.99: Sort of dull in the nose, with some silky red fruit on the palate. This seemed a bit shut down right now and with no experience in drinking these wines (which I know have fans), I can’t really say what I thought of this other than $60 is some serious jack.

2007 Archery Summit Premier Cuvée Pinot Noir $39.98: This got a relatively low score from Wine Spectator (85), but it was one of my favorites. It had vibrant acidity, along with rich black fruit flavors that intermixed with spice and earthy tones. For those who don’t mind some oak. I wouldn’t buy it for this price (which is already discounted), but I’d drink it on your dime.

2008 Ken Wright Carter Vineyard Pinot Noir $59.99: Big and rich fruit flavors, with a firm foundation of tannin. Keep this one for at least 3 to 4 years before opening, unless you really like a tannic Pinot. I thought this had the best potential for all the wines at the tasting, but again, at $59.99, you better really like it.

2009 Sineann Pinot Gris $19.99: One of my favorite white wines, I felt this was a bit fruitier and lighter than I remember past vintages being. It seemed to lack the minerality I’ve always found in it, but as I mentioned earlier, I consumed this after having already started in on the reds. It was right after the Ken Wright Carter, so I think that wine sort of disrupted my appreciation of this. Take that for what you will.

2008 Sineann Pinot Noir $29.99: Spicy and needs more time in bottle.

2008 Lange Willamette Valley Pinot Noir $24.99: No notes taken.

2007 Alexana Winery Revana Vineyard Pinot Noir $39.99: A joint venture between Dr. Revana (of some note in Napa) and Lynn Penner-Ash (of note from Oregon), this was my second favorite wine of the tasting. It was a mix of cherry, forest floor, spiced pine cone and minerals, all wrapped up in a tidy bow. For $40, I think it delivered a lot of flavor and complexity, along with the ability to continue developing over the next several years.

2007 Phelps Creek Becky’s Cuvée Pinot Noir $21.99: Nothing special for me.

2007 Penner Ash Willamette Valley Pinot Noir $41.99: Needs more time.

2008 Willamette Valley Vineyards Whole Cluster Pinot Noir $15.99: Made in the same style as Beaujolais, with whole clusters and carbonic maceration, this was very fruity, light and something for newbie red wine drinkers to try. It has been better in the past, as I got something in the nose that just didn’t sit right with me. It was almost artificial, but not in that banana-grape bubble gum way I associate with Beaujolais Nouveau. Decent, but not for me.

2007 Sokol Blosser Dundee Hills Pinot Noir $36.99: Ripe fruits, with a spicy kick that I enjoyed. Beware the 14.5% alcohol and tame with chill and decant. I liked it, but wouldn’t buy it.

2008 LaChini Pinot Gris $16.99: Did not taste.

2007 Territorial Pinot Noir $16.99: Touch candied, but not bad for the price. Another good one for newbie red wine drinkers who want a real fruit forward wine. Chill and serve on hot summer nights, which we have plenty of right now.

2006 Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir $59.99: One of the crowd favorites, but it didn’t really wow me. Perhaps I should have gone back for a second visit. I saw it as big, rich and spicy, but not overly complex and definitely not worth the asking price. WS, WE and WA all gave this 90 or above.

2007 Le Cadeau Diversité Pinot Noir $47.99: There are only 237 cases of this wine, which was another that needed more time to me. It was gentle upon entry, then expanded in the mouth as it unwound from its jacket of fine grained tannin. This is one that would require more exploration with to do it due justice, as I just had my small 1 ounce pour and moved on. Another one with excellent potential and while not cheap, not a bad price for what I think will be a patience rewarding wine.

2007 Eyrie Pinot Noir $32.99: The lightest in color, I’ve seen roses that were darker than this. The aromas were very bright, with loads of tart red fruits like pomegranate and cranberry. The explosion of flavor in the mouth is a great example of how dark color doesn’t always mean more flavor. This wine is loaded to bear with acid, but the sweet red fruit flavors make keep it from being bitter or unpleasant in any form or fashion. The slight baking spice finish made this an easy to drink wine. It was really quite refreshing. The price is still more than I’d pay, but only because of current financial circumstances. Otherwise, I’d buy this. My WOTN.

After that, my palate was spoiled and I didn’t write any notes for the last three wines, which were 2008 Elk Cove Mt. Richmond Pinot Noir $39.99, 2007 Angela Pinot Noir $52.99 and 2007 Daedelus Labryinth Pinot Noir. Sorry, I was still really won over by the Eyrie, which I went and got a second pour of. It was the only wine I drank both pours of. When you combine those tart red fruit flavors with tart acidity and some brown spices to finish, that is my kind of Pinot Noir. I think the heat and its refreshing profile also contributed to my enjoyment.

Overall, it was a fun tasting. While I’m not a Pinot-phile like my legendary blind tasting Champion wife, I have come to enjoy them, especially during the summer. While I tend to prefer New Zealand and California, tasting through all these products from Oregon was a lot of fun. It was interesting to see the variety of styles from a relatively small growing region, from light and a touch candied to dense with plenty of mouth gripping tannin. Cheers to Chris, his staff and all the distributors who put on the event.

Until next time, live well, love much and drink great wine…with friends.

A small sampling of our culinary treats

Lasting as long as the closing volume to Peter Jackson’s vision of The Lord of the Rings, our wine group battled through fourteen different wines, four different cheeses, some amazing appetizers (including smoked salmon) and a dinner of beef tenderloin, Varenyky, grilled veggies and broccoli salad. It was epic.

For only our second formal gathering, I have to say the bar was set quite high with this particular cast. As usual, it was heavy on the new world wines, though all three of the whites did come from Europe which I found to be interesting.

To begin the festivities, we started with some Louis Roederer Brut Premier Champagne, which was actually purchased 2 to 3 years ago. I commented to the provider (and our gracious host for this installment) I thought that was actually the best way to consume NV (non-vintage) Champagne, as the extra time in bottle typically adds some richness and nutty character to the wine. It was a solid example of the region, with nice citrus and hints of yeast and toasted nuts coming through as well. We had four cheeses to snack on (along with smoked salmon, fresh chopped liver and assorted other munchies) and I thought the Champagne went best with the Robusto. A solid above average wine, but I still prefer their domestic stuff for the money.

After that, I made un-inspired sips at two of the whites. I didn’t care for the 2007 Chateau de la Greffiere Macon-la-Roche-Vineuse, but that is just more for personal taste reasons. It was a solid example of the region and for under $20, it is a nice introduction to white Burgundy. The 2008 Vina Godeval was a 100% Godello from Spain that was one of the more interesting whites I’ve had in quite a while. It had a nice complexity to it, with stone fruit, floral notes, spice and beeswax. If you want something off the beaten path for summer, this is a solid choice. I didn’t try the 2004 Carl Ehrhard Spatlese Riesling, but I’ve had wines from this producer and they have always been solid. I really meant to get back to it after all the reds, but I totally forgot about it.

Now, onto the reds, which from beginning to end were all above average to outstanding.

2005 Tolo Cellars Asini Paso Robles Red Wine (16.2% alcohol): A $28 from the winery blend of 60% Sangiovese and 40% Zinfandel, this had been opened in bottle for 5 hours, then decanted for 2 hours the day before. It was still as peppy as your local Starbucks barista who has enjoyed too much of their own product for anyone’s good. A bright melange of red fruits and licorice on the nose (the Sangiovese) gave way to more blackberry and bramble on the palate. I’d call this a  danger Will Robinson wine because of the high alcohol and too easy to slug palate. I wouldn’t pay $28 for it, but I was more than happy to drink it.

2007 Santa Ema Amplus One: I didn’t sample because I’ve had and raved about it before.

2004 Frog’s Leap Rutherford: A very easy to drink style of Cabernet that was lacking in any real tannin, but had enough acidity to keep it from falling flat on its face. A glass of subtle, yet flavorful black currant and black cherry. If you’ve got Napa Cabs from this hot and juicy vintage, I’d start drinking them now.

2003 Stella Maris Columbia Valley Red Wine by Northstar (14.5% alcohol): A blend of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon; 45% Merlot; 4% Malbec; 4% Syrah, this was the early contender for WOTN (wine of the night) for me. Earthy smoked herbs danced with dark red cherries in a graceful manner those folks on reality TV dancing shows can only dream of. It had a long, smooth finish and was a great pairing with the beef tenderloin. A fine second label effort that is drinking in its prime right now. As the evening wore on, the wine did begin to give way a bit and wasn’t as good the second time around, but I still enjoyed it. #2 for me, as I really liked the mix of both old and new world style.

2000 The Ojai Vineyard Santa Barbara County Bien Nacido Vineyard Syrah: A bowlful of blueberries and spice, this was smooth and easy to drink. I’m not a big California Syrah person typically and while this didn’t convert me, it was a fine effort for a wine I really thought would be past prime.

2005 Kilikanoon Barossa Valley Testament Shiraz (15% alcohol): I remember when my wine sensei first touted Kilikanoon wines to me. Like many red wine newbies, it was easy to love the fruit-laden style of Barossa Valley Shiraz, like a teenage boy falls for Sports Illustrated swimsuit models. I still find Kilikanoon wines to show more restraint and deft hand in obtaining balanced and refinement from their wines, as opposed to Mollydooker where the volume knob starts at 10 and goes up from there. Unfortunately, these big Aussie bombs have fallen on hard times and for those who like them, you can often score tremendous bargains. This wine has loads of tooth-staining black fruits, with nice baking spice and vanilla notes to round out the flavors. A big wine with soft tannins, a core of acidity and big rich flavors that will overwhelm all but the biggest of food.

2001 Stags’ Leap Winery Petite Syrah (14.2% alcohol): One of our two offerings, this was one of my earliest wines-to-lay-down acquisitions. Another wine I read about in Karen McNeil’s The Wine Bible. One of the most fascinating things about this wine is how it got trashed by one publication, but then lauded by two others. If I had been paying attention, I probably would have drank this earlier. It failed to exhibit my expectation of wrestling alligators with their teeth bared that makes Petite Sirah (I have no idea why they spell it with a Y instead of an I) such a great wine. It still had nice spice, black plum and blackberry fruit with hints of toast, but it just lacked the power I expected. Yes, I know the wine is 9 years old, but I wasn’t expecting it to have totally lost its grip. From what I am now reading, it may have never really had that strong of one to begin with. A good wine, but I really was hoping for more.

1999 Pieve Santa Restituta Brunello di Montalcino Sugarille (14% alcohol): A wine from famed Italian winemaker Angelo Gaja, whom I associate more with Barolo than Brunello. I believe this wine had been opened for over 24 hours by the time we drank it and in talking with the host (and provider of this wine), we both concluded that may have been too much. While nowhere near dead or shut down, it seemed to have lost a bit of luster that you’d expect from such an expensive (retail is estimated around $130 – 140) and highly rated (91, 92, 93+) wine. Now don’t get me wrong, it didn’t suck, but it didn’t blow anybody out of the water either. It exhibited classic Brunello dark cherry, leather and floral character, but also a good bit of oak character in the smoke and chocolate notes. Tannins were relatively mild, but I should hope so after breathing as much air as this did. I think this would have been better the day before and a more fair comparison to the next wine. All in all, my third favorite.

2001 Talenti Brunello di Montalcino Pian di Conte: This was one of my first Brunellos, having tasted (and bought it for the store) it as a wine retail buyer. It was later in the day and we were the rep’s last stop, so after drinking and loving this so much, he offered me the remainder of the bottle. I corked it and proceeded to consume it later that evening, taking the same time to breathe in its perfume as I did in drinking it. When I departed my store, the owner gave me a bottle of this as a gift, as he remembered how much I loved this wine. I think the retail was $59.99. A very modern style, this drinks beautifully right now. Yes, it was a bit on the chewy side when we opened it, as it came right out of storage and was popped and poured, no decant time permitted. As the wine opened up, the spiced cherry with smoky cedar flavors sailed on in a finish that was easily in the 45+ second range. Fans of more old world, “traditional” Brunello might find this too much, but it wasn’t like we were drinking Napa Cab. You knew this was Italian, you knew this was Brunello and most important of all, you knew this was just down right tasty. While it wasn’t the overall crowd favorite (I don’t know what was), I know myself and two others were in agreement that it was ours.

Many thanks to our hosts for their generous spread of delicious food and wine, along with great hospitality. I know that myself and my wife are looking forward to the next gathering of Wineaux 75. Until then, be well, drink well and love well.

Cupcake Vineyards

Adam Richardson’s first love is flying, earning his pilot’s license before his driver’s license. Before he became a winemaker, he was a lieutenant aviator in the Royal Australian Navy. He flew helicopter search and rescue missions for 8 years before making a dramatic change in careers, entering the world of the vine.

“You can spend your whole life looking for the bottom of the glass and not get there”.

I had the pleasure of meeting this true flying winemaker for dinner at one of Atlanta’s finest new restaurants, Miller Union. Adam is the head winemaker for Cupcake Vineyards, which is a part of the larger Underdog Wine Merchants organization. We enjoyed 9 different wines, along with great food during all three courses of our meal. FULL DISCLOSURE: The meal and wines were all covered by the winery, so I had to pay for nothing.

First, let’s talk about some of the highlights from our conversation.

Least favorite varieties to work with: Merlot and Pinot Noir. My wife was a bit taken aback by his lack of appreciation for Pinot Noir. We got to talking about it and he did say he loved (to drink) a good Burgundy, but that it could quite frustrating to really find those that really moved you.

Favorite variety to work with: Shiraz. He commented that his answer might seem obvious, being it is a major grape in his homeland, but he said that wasn’t the real reason. He felt Shiraz was a grape you could generally always make a good wine with, but that to make a distinctive, unique wine was a much more challenging task. It was finding that distinct voice which made it his favorite grape to work with.

Favorite wine to drink: Outside of his own wines, it was Barbaresco. His answer took me aback, as it wasn’t something I really expected. He said he was a big fan of German Rieslings as well, but when it came down to it, Barbaresco was his absolute favorite and it yielded my favorite quote of the evening, “You can spend your whole life looking for the bottom of the glass and not get there”. I thought this was a great way to describe the passion for a particular wine and it is one I feel like many Burgundy fans could identify with.

Worst thing he’s ever eaten: Adam is an enthusiastic cook whose favorite cook book is [AMAZON affiliate link] The French Laundry Cookbook. Not exactly lightweight stuff there. The answer to the question was lamprey eels that had been boiled in their own blood. He said it was as disgusting as it sounded. As for an unusual thing he’d eaten that he did enjoy, it was drunken prawns.

Approach to winemaking for Cupcake: In our conversation, I think I’d say Adam is shooting for a broad audience, but without making wines geared only for newbies. He wants to make balanced wines which exhibit typicity for their region and grape. His personal affinity for European wines and understanding of the US market make him well equipped to pull off his aim of creating value wines that wine drinkers of all experiences can enjoy.

Overall, I got the impression that Adam was quite a fan of food and wine, especially when you consider he is responsible for making wines on four continents and continues to add new wines to the portfolio. At this point in time, the Cupcake brand alone has 12 different wines, with more coming this Fall. From a business point of view, the brand is easy to remember and hints towards a more fruit driven style.

Here are quick notes on all the wines we tasted:

2009 Cupcake Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, New Zealand) 12.5% alcohol: As before, this was a very nice balanced approach to the grape, which can often exhibit overwhelming grapefruit and herbaceous character. This wine weaves together grapefruit, pear and sweet lemon flavors that make it suitable for drinking alone or with seafood, be it raw, grilled or sautéed.

2009 Cupcake Vineyards Pinot Grigio (D.O.C. Trentino, Italy) 13% alcohol: So, the wine world used to be pretty crazy for this grape, which I often found to be more akin to lemon water as the mass market producers tend to make it. This was actually pretty good and while I’d not personally run out to buy it, I’d have no issue with recommending this as a solid example of the grape.

2009 Cupcake Vineyards Riesling (Mosel Valley, Germany) 10.5% alcohol: We had a nice chat about German Rieslings and how they are becoming an endangered species in the wine world, as the vineyards are hard to work and many of the younger generation have no desire to work the land. At this price point, you have a nice wine that exhibits stone fruit and citrus, but lacked the punch of slate and overall flavor that I so enjoy from this region’s wines. I think you can do better with other choices.

2009 Cupcake Vineyards Riesling (Columbia Valley, Washington) 13.2% alcohol: Creamier and drier than the German wine, I found this more to my liking. It just required the right food, which we weren’t really having and honestly, we sort of rushed through the two Rieslings and the next wine, as our entrees had arrived and we were eager to get to the whites. I’ve got a sample bottle of this in the fridge and think I may try it with some veggie spring rolls.

2009 Cupcake Vineyards Chardonnay (Central Coast, California) 14% alcohol: Well made, with a nice balance to the oak and fruit flavors. The oak shows some character in the buttery vanilla nose, but the palate exhibits some nice tropical fruit flavors and I felt this was well made, though I don’t know if the world needs another $10 Chardonnay. This strikes a nice balance between the classic butter bomb Cali-style and the surging popularity of un-oaked wines. California Chardonnay fans will enjoy.

2007 Cupcake Vineyards Merlot (Central Coast, California) 13.9% alcohol: Juicy, but lacking any real character and was just sort of there. My least favorite wine of the night.

2009 Cupcake Vineyards Malbec (Mendoza, Argentina) 13.5% alcohol: Starts off with a great smoky leather aroma that lays over the black fruits, which make their presence known once you get this lovely drop in your mouth. I liked the sort of restraint this wine shows, as I’ve been finding so many Malbecs of late to be over ripened fruit bombs that are one trick ponies. This went really well with my NY strip, which was cooked to a perfect rare. (Thank you Miller Union!). This was my favorite wine of the night and something I’d buy.

Overall, the Cupcake brand is off to a fairly good start. They have an easy to remember name, no critters or low-brow marketing, an appealing price point and cover most of the major grapes. I had my favorites, as any wine drinker will, but it wasn’t like I found any of the wines undrinkable. Those I didn’t care for (Merlot and German Riesling) weren’t bad, I’ve just had better for the money.

A big thanks to Adam for taking the time to meet with me and my wife, we really enjoyed it.

Cheers!

2008 Croteaux Rosé

Though not our first gathering as a group, it was the first official meeting of our newly formed wine and supper club. It started with an event where we were all gathered to help friends pick a sparkling wine for an event. After that, we got together at the same house and ripped through California Pizza Kitchen frozen pizzas, of which I’ve now become a fan. Everyone was asked to bring a wine (or two since our group isn’t very restrained) to go with pizza and we did.

This time, it was an “official” gathering. The theme was set, BBQ. Due to the fact we live rather far from everyone, we co-hosted the first event with good friends of ours that we’ve shared many a great meal and even more great wines with. They tended to the proteins, which included slow-cooker pulled pork, grilled chicken and kick-butt ribs.

In addition, we had some scrumptious side dishes created by my wife, including a four cheese alfredo sauce mac-n-cheese / pasta bake, the best damn cole slaw I’ve ever had and two kinds of cornbread, traditional and the other (my favorite which I just had for lunch as I write this) with green chiles and cheddar cheese. A meal unto itself.

Of course, I brought sparklers. Rose sparklers. I still believe they go really well with pork, though I didn’t get to re-certify the authenticity of my theory at this festivity. We had them before the food was ready, but both were really tasty and for me personally, the highlights of the evening. Granted, I’m bias that way. I didn’t taste all the wines (too many and a few I was already familiar with) and actually missed a photo of everyone’s apparent favorite (I only got to sip it when I put the wines in order…I always get drafted for that duty), but since it was gone by the time I went to taste it, no matter.

[FULL DISCLOSURE: I received both the Croteaux and Graham Beck Rosés as samples]

2008 Croteaux Sparkling Rosé: Croteaux specializes in rosé and after drinking this, I can say they seem to know what they are doing. At least, from a wine making point of view. This wine isn’t available here in GA and retails for $24 on the winery website. Honestly, I’d pay $15 for it, so it is a bit pricey for what it is. Made in the tank method, this soft and juicy wine reminded me of a cocktail made with fresh red berries, a dab of ripe watermelon, with a spritz and twist of sweet orange (I forget the specific variety we’ve gotten from Whole Foods that are so sweet).

The packaging was whimsical and absolutely screamed W-E-D-D-I-N-G. I didn’t hear anyone complain, except that I only had the one bottle and between 16 people, that doesn’t provide for a very generous pour. C’est la vie. If you live in NY, I’d recommend visiting them and trying all their wines. Summer begs for rosé.

Graham Beck Brut Rosé

NV Graham Beck Brut Rosé: So, this isn’t that well known, nor well regarded by the big reviewers. Good. More for us who know and enjoy it, especially at the mid teens price point I was told it should make here in Georgia. I know the wine is available, as I sampled the lineup back in January at the local distributor’s tasting. I’m pretty sure the rep told me it would make a $15.99 retail. I had two different guests ask me about this, as they wanted to buy some for themselves. [UPDATE: After I wrote this, I saw local wine guru Gil Kulers gave this two thumbs way up.]

A firmer, fuller bodied wine than the Croteaux, this presented a profile of tarter red fruits with fine minerality giving it a more solid finish. I found this to the better wine with food, whereas the Croteaux was a great way to begin with its more pillow-like nature. I’m telling you, based on other professional retail buyer opinions and those of friends I’ve shared this with, I really think Graham Beck is one of the top values in sparkling wine.

I have to say, the rest of the wines that were brought was a more interesting mix than I was expecting. We only had 3 Zinfandels, where as I’d told my wife I thought everyone would bring at least one Zin. I went against my usual preferred tastes and gravitated towards the two old world offerings. First up, Spain.

2008 La Cartuja Priorat: I don’t know what the retail was, but based on my searches, this is usually around $15! Okay, read that again. $15 for Priorat. I wonder if this is somebody’s declassified juice sold on the auction market for a fraction of “normal” price. No matter, it was a good wine. A bit tight at first, it did open up in the glass. I highly recommend decanting this and remember folks, serve your reds at around 65 degrees. That is room temperature in Europe…or at least, it was when that rule was first circulated. Ripe red and black fruits, with plenty of warm spice and the signature “hot rocks” note I always seem to find in wines from this region. I would definitely recommend this as a great introduction to the region and the style of wine. Usually you have to look at the surrounding horse shoe shaped region of Monstant for wines of this taste profile, quality and price point.

Two favorite still red wines of the evening...yes, I'm shocked too...

2005 Les Bois du Menestrel Vacqueyras: Another nice value, but again, I don’t know the retail. I think it is probably in the same range as the La Cartuja, mid-teens. A good choice, but this would have gone much better with beef. The smoked tobacco leaf and roasted red cherry character, wrapped around a core of iron, beg for big food. I’d even say wild game or mushroom laden dishes would work well with this. It was another solid choice and give it bonus points for probably being the most esoteric. Nice job Mark.

2005 Wilson Diane’s Reserve Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel: This sucker weighed in at a whopping 16.2% alcohol. Safety tip: no open flames near this one. It should have been decanted and served much cooler, something the generous bringer of this wine lamented not doing. A limited production wine of 200 cases, with an approximate price of $48, this screamed Zinfandel. Black as tar dark fruits, but of the ripest variety, with a healthy dose of fresh cracked black peppercorns. You could definitely taste the alcohol, but it was more in the sweetness than in the heat. A big wine for big food. Throw down with some ribs, plenty of water and a cooler service temperature.

So, those were my three favorites. One other wine, which was the most interesting because it was the most non-typical example of a grape variety wine I’ve ever had, was the 2006 Montoya Petite Sirah from Paso Robles. It was light, almost to the point of if you wondered if the grapes were all under enormous shade trees. This wasn’t PS. It was PS masquerading as I don’t even know what. Maybe a Grenache or warm vintage Oregon Pinot Noir, with a pinch of Syrah thrown in. It was actually not bad, it was just not what a Petite Sirah drinker would want in their glass.

To finish the evening, there was an assortment of Pepperidge Farm chocolate cookies (Genevas are my favorite) and some two bite (really…why do I always eat them in one then?!) brownies. To accompany them, Mark brought a bottle of Casa Sant’Orsola Brachetto d’Acqui. Liquified raspberry juice is how I always find these sweet Italian red sparkling wines. Perfect with the chocolate and a nice way to wrap things up after a very rich, savory and superb meal. My compliments to the chefs! (All I did was some prep work, pour our two bubblies and put the wines in order…that was an easy gig.)

So, there you have it, the birth of Wineaux 75, our social supper and wine club.

View the video below or on YouTube.

Pacific Rim White Flowers Sparkling Riesling

From the folks at Pacific Rim, who rock out some pretty tasty domestic Rieslings out of Washington state, comes this second release of bubbly goodness.

According to the website, this wine is aged on the lees. Since it doesn’t indicate where the secondary fermentation occurs, I’m guessing this is a tank method wine. This is a cost effective method, but generally produces wines of less complexity. The sur lie aging must be done in tank to generate a bit of extra interest, which it does in the texture. There is almost a lanolin-esque quality to the mouthfeel, making it much more full in body than you would expect from Riesling. Rieslings are generally very light and delicate, more akin to skim milk in mouth feel than this wine. With an ABV of 11.5%, it was even more surprising how creamy it felt.

Taste wise, there was a very strong orange citrus note which I deemed to be tangerine oil. I don’t know why I threw in the oil part, other than the thicker than expected texture of the wine. Imagine a pear that has been soaked in tangerine juice, spritz a touch of sweet meyer lemon and there you go. It was actually a bit better as it warmed up, so be careful of serving too cold. If you are expecting typical Riesling flavors, this isn’t the wine for you.

Overall, I thought it was a good wine. We paired it with teriyaki glazed and grilled chicken thighs, along with some teriyaki rice and steamed broccoli. I think it would work better with fish and with something a little less sweet in terms of marinade. I liked the wine and would buy it [FULL DISCLOSURE: I received this as a sample] for the asking price of around $14, but would look towards pairing it with seafood that was devoid of any sweet flavors.

Haiku
A bubbly Riesling
Thick pears with tangerine juice
Match seafood next time