EverythingWINE

Is winemaking an art or a science? This was a topic raised when I sat down with Greg Stach, winemaker at Landmark Vineyards. I always considered the making of wine to be a little of both, but Stach said no. “I think of it more as a craft.”

“Unlike art, where you are creating something new, I am working with what I get from the vineyards to turn the raw material into a thing that people will consume,” he said, “But, instead of changing the fruit, I’m just helping it express itself.”

Made sense to me, especially after I tasted his 2007 Grand Detour Pinot Noir. Named for the town in Illinois where John Deere opened a blacksmith shop, Stach said that the name also represented the new direction Landmark took when the winery veered from its flagship chardonnay and began produced pinot noir.

The Grand Detour is a hedonistic pinot that has the structure and supple tannins to age several more years, but tasted awesome with our BBQ chicken and grilled veggies. (Full disclosure: Stach is a new tenant at my house, which is how we came to be cooking dinner for him.) It has a vivid red color, cloudy from lack of filtration, with bright red raspberry and anise on the nose. The generous palate has good balance of oak and fruit, with notes of forest floor, pepper and beef jerky. Greg added that it has flavours of cherry cream soda, and I had to agree. The finish is long, spicy and meaty, and ultimately mouth watering.

Stach explained how Landmark was founded by Damaris Deere Ford, the great great granddaughter of agricultural machine inventor, John Deere. In 1989, her son Michael Deere Colhoun and his wife Mary helped relocate her original Landmark winery from Windsor to Kenwood, and they hired a young Helen Turley to consult on their flagship wine, Overlook Chardonnay. Like the Grand Detour, it’s an homage to the Illinois hometown of John Deere.

Contrary to its name, though, Overlook has never been ignored. Since its release in 1993 it has received high ratings, and with 18,000 cases currently in production, it enjoys wide distribution. The wine is big and round with tropical fruit, caramel and nuts, but it retains enough acidity to be food friendly. Indeed, it got along very well with our grilled veggies.

Stach also produces his own pinot noir with fruit from the Kanzler Vineyard in West Sebastopol, under the label, Kanzler. It’s an awesome pinot and, according to Stach, “the best I ever made.” Unfortunately, production is very small, and it’s not available in Canada. But, like a fine wine, that too might change. Someday.

When we rolled into Paso Robles around 3pm, the temperatures hovered around 105F. That’s 41C to Canadians and it felt like the sunny side of a solar panel. In the historic Town Square, we flitted between tasting rooms, seeking shade and air conditioning, and we happened upon Edward Sellers – both the tasting room and the man. “It won’t stay this hot for long,” Sellers said, pouring his bracing Roussanne. “The afternoon breeze will cool things off.” And he was right. By 6pm it was a mild 37 C. In the shade.

Actually, for a wine town, Paso Robles is very cool. Spanish Missionaries first planted grapes here in 1790 and the wine has never stopped flowing. Dominant grape varieties are those from Rhone and Bordeaux, and of course, zinfandel. Ed Sellers – who, incidentally, has a brother named Peter – makes stylish and sophisticated Rhone blends that Vancouverites would adore – if they were available there. His wines are in Ontario, but he said he’d love to find an agent in BC.

After a good night’s sleep at the Adelaide Inn – the most well appointed cheapest motel we’d ever stayed in – we set out for J. Lohr Vineyards, one of the largest producers in the region. Winemaker Steve Peck sat with us on the shady side of the tasting room porch to taste a few of his wines that make it north.

Using grapes grown in vast vineyards in Paso Robles, as well as in Monterey and Napa Valley, Peck estimated that J. Lohr produces a million cases per year and in many different brands. The Vineyard Series wines are top-end, limited production wines which include a Cabernet Sauvignon from the Hilltop Vineyard, planted next to the winery. The 2006 tasted soft, supple and complex, showing concentrate berry fruit, sweet oak, and notes of coffee and anise.

The Estates label is the best-known brand and features the South Ridge Syrah. The 2007 has smoky, gamey notes, and although the tannins are firm the mouth is soft, a quality found in all J. Lohr wines.

The Cypress Vineyards label does not reveal ownership by J. Lohr, but their Painter Bridge label does. The Cypress Merlot and Cab Sauvignon were both pleasant and easy to drink, with good fruit and sweet oak. The Painter Bridge Zinfandel - with its fresh, clean raspberry quality - has long been one of my favorite affordable zins.

I wish we’d had more time to visit Justin, Tablas Creek, Taz, Wild Horse, Eberele and Tobin James, but they will have to wait for our next visit to Paso Robles, the pass of the oaks.

As we pulled into the Cline Cellars parking lot in southernmost Sonoma County, the first thing we saw was an old red truck, the icon of one of the winery’s most popular brands. Sitting in front of the Victorian farmhouse that serves as the tasting room, it painted a picture of simpler times, long gone. We soon found out how outdated that nostalgic image is.

In the tasting room, wine specialist Gayle told us that in 2005, the Red Truck brand was purchased by industry veterans Dan Leese and Doug Walker who proceeded to expand and improve the Red, White and Pink Truck line of wines.

During the Great Depression, Fred Cline’s grandfather became a grape farmer in the agricultural town of Oakley, in Contra Costa County to the Southeast. His name was Jacuzzi and I’ll give you one guess on how he made his fortune. With his inheritance from grampa, Cline started his winery in Oakley in 1982 and focused on preserving old vineyards. In 1991, he bought property in the crossover Carneros area and moved the winery to this windy strip of Hwy 121.

While Cline Cellars has expanded their vineyard designations, the old vines of Oakley are still very prominent. The 2007 Ancient Vines Mourvédre is an excellent example of old vine intensity. Starting with jammy black berries, cassis and spice on the nose, the wine has a juicy, full mouth feel, redolent with black and purple fruit and pepper, which leads to a long, peppery finish. Entirely satisfying and quite timeless, it’s the type of wine suited for a meaty dinner and chocolaty dessert.

Using grenache, syrah and mourvédre grapes from their Napa and Sonoma vineyards, Cline makes a 2007 GSM blend called Cashmere that is every bit as silky as the name implies. It has sweet, briary red and black fruit with spice and licorice notes, soft, velvety tannins and a long plumy finish. A classy barbeque wine.

Their 2007 California Zinfandel is made with Napa, Sonoma, and Oakley grapes and is made in a classic zin style. With zingy raspberry on the nose, the palate tastes like a warm berry pie and it finishes clean and fresh.

After taking pictures of the wax sommelier on the porch, we pulled out on to the highway in front of the new Jacuzzi Family Winery, Cline’s latest project.

I will never again get into a hot tub without thinking of Cline.

Back in the 70s when zinfandel was known as a jug wine, Ravenswood was one of the first wineries to treat the lowly grape like a fine Bordeaux. That’s why founder Joel Peterson is now considered the godfather of zin and partially explains the sentiment behind his slogan, No Wimpy Wines.

Unfortunately, Peterson was traveling the day we visited Ravenswood, just outside the town of Sonoma, but David Miles did a masterful job of touring us through the wines. He even put the freshly opened wines through a Vinturi aerator, to speed up the process of evaluation.

One of Ravenswood’s original blends was the Sonoma County Old Vine Zinfandel, which uses Dry Creek Valley grapes that includes carignan and petite sirah. The 2006 is textbook zin – forward candied red and black fruit with spice and pepper notes, supple tannins and a long, juicy finish. I only knew it was 15% alcohol since I looked at the label, not because I tasted heat. It had power, yet retained elegance.

The 2006 Lodi Zinfandel is made with grapes grown on 70 to 100 year old vines from a vinicultural area in the Central Valley that we were told has exceeded both Napa and Sonoma Counties in size. The wine has deep, concentrated flavours of blueberry, raspberry and plum with a bit of earth and lots of spice. The finish is long and clean, as well as being cool-ish at a moderate 14.5%. Simply Zintillating.

Ravenswood, we learned, is a huge producer. Their line of Vintners Blend wines alone constitutes 70% of their production, and the Vintners Zinfandel appears on more wine lists in the U.S. than any other zin. I was gobsmacked to hear these factoids, embarrassed that I haven’t tasted that wine since, oh, about 1996.

The 2006 Vintners Blend Zinfandel is much better than my memory of the 1992 vintage. Again, blended with a carignan and petite sirah, it had attractive red fruit, good balance and zingy acidity, which could pair with just about anything. A pleasant, appealing zin that doesn’t demand too much on the tongue, I could see why it’s so prevalent.

The 2006 Vintners Blend Cabernet Sauvignon contains a bit of syrah, petite sirah and cabernet franc and is full of blackberry, black cherry, cassis and hints of chocolate and mint. It too is fruit forward and accessible, but with enough complexity to be taken seriously.

And that’s just beginning. Ravenswood makes 40 different wines, but only 17 leave the warehouse. The only way to fully appreciate the depth and scope of their zinsanity is by visiting the winery and tasting all of the Vineyard Designates and County Series wines. Truly, none of them are wimpy.

As we climbed the steps leading to the tasting room of Rodney Strong Winery, I felt like we had just marched across the Sahara. It was 38 C with zero humidity and my skin felt scorched. By the time we’d pushed through the second set of doors, the heat had vanished and a cool sense of relaxation swept over us. We were standing in the center of one of the most historic and unusual wineries in Sonoma County.

It was established in 1959 by a Broadway dancer named Rodney Strong who planted pinot noir around his Russian River winery and chardonnay in the Chalk Hill district to the East. His 1974 Alexander’s Crown Cabernet Sauvignon was Sonoma County’s first single vineyard cabernet. The guy practically invented the phrase, Russian River Pinot Noir.

Flash forward 43 years, and the new owners - the Klein family – have installed a giant solar array for which energy provider PG&E gives them a 2 million dollar rebate. As if that isn’t cool enough, the winery hosts summer concerts on the green between the building’s west wings. During the Healdsburg Jazz Festival in June is the best time to visit.

We were served by a fellow named Kopavi who wisecracked us through the whole line – plus library bottlings. Mmm, that Symmetry really is something, but as for everyday wines, here’s what we liked.

The 2007 Chalk Hill Chardonnay tasted like a lemon cream pie in a wooden bowl. Lots of toasty vanilla, apple and pineapple in a full mouth feel that ends with tangy acidity. The oak is there but it’s not punching you in the face. Good for a 38-degree day.

The 2007 Knotty Vines Zinfandel has just been released and is sure to make its way north soon. A reliably elegant zinfandel, the Knotty Vines is the best quality, highest value Sonoma County zin that Canadians can get their hands on. With delectable fruit that’s jammy but sophisticated, it fits well on the patio or in the dining room.

The 2006 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon has everything you want in a California cab. Rich, well balanced blackberry, cassis, cocoa and earth on a velvety palette that doesn’t leave you puckering.

The 2005 Estate Syrah from Alexander Valley was previously named Ranch 128 Syrah after Highway 128, which runs through that AVA. The 2005 vintage we tasted had juicy black fruit, earth, and smoke, and a firm tannic structure. Still a little tight. The guys at Rodney Strong told us their syrahs require a few years to fully integrate and soften, and that by now, the Ranch 128 Syrah is fully primed and ready to drink.

On the way out we took the self-guided mini-tour that encircled the tasting room and offered views of the tanks and barrels in the winery below. Very educational, with notes of history and a warm satisfying end.

 Some wines have more aliases than a secret agent and keeping the names straight can be confusing. Take Mourvèdre, which I think is French for "black teeth". To the Portugese and Argentines it’s Mataró, but in Spain it’s known as Monastrell. Maneschaou, Marseillais and Mechin also work in some places. Just don’t call it Mo.

A sturdy, tannic wine, sure to turn your mouth purple, Monastrell is often blended with its good friend, Garnacha - or Grenache – as well as with Syrah/Shiraz. On it’s own, though Monastrell can be a sweet, sensual beast.

And speaking of wine names, whoever came up with Wrongo Dongo must have drinking too much of their own juice. Plus, the cartoonish label on this 2006 Jumilla Monestrell so much less serious than the wine, it’s easy to dismiss. Once it opens up, Wrongo becomes right elegant. Dense with dried, dusty red and black fruit, tangy spices, and a shovel full of fertile soil, it’s like a gentleman farmer. Rustic, but sophisticated. The long silky finish of warm black fruit ends clean and juicy. It tasted great with broiled salmon, but in my fantasies, I see it with Paella.

Kicking it up a notch is M-1 from Vinos Sin Ley. Not to be confused with M-1, the British motorway, M stands for Monastrell, and 1 is its rank on the reserva ladder.

Compared to the gentle Wrongo Dongo, M-1 is a wild animal with heavy fur and sharp teeth. Here is a wine that absolutely must be decanted then put through a Vinturi aerator for good measure. With enough breath, M-1 tastes like a walk in a Redwood forest where black berries and plums have fallen from their branches and dried in the sun on a pile of tree bark chips. The spicy, gamey, woody nose gives way to a big, rich body with chunky tannins and unctuous, concentrated flavours. An aggressive finish offers notes of cocoa and minerals. I imagine M-1 as an ideal wine for a camping trip, for washing down the beef jerky as wood smoke wafts overhead.

Vacation time has arrived, I’ll be on the road for the next few weeks, driving south through Washington, Oregon and California, almost to the Mexican border. You’ll hear about the wineries I visit, as well as notes from the July 24th wine bloggers conference in my hometown of Santa Rosa. Live blog tasting, here I come.

A friend of mine married a gal from Sonoma years ago and we finally got together to share the local wines, with particular emphasis on Pinot Noir. Little did I realize at the time, but I was about to be wooed not only by outstanding Pinot but blown away by outstanding Syrah and Chardonnay too. In 2004, The movie Sideways certainly put a lot of focus on Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara County and I wanted to see how Pinot from Sonoma might fare. Pinot Noir is a grape with thin skin and a temperamental nature and to quote the main character in the movie, "has achingly beautiful qualities". 

So lets start our journey about 75 miles north of San Francisco at Healdsburg and follow the Russian River west of Highway 101. First visit - Arista Winery and Mark McWilliams, operation manager generously sharing his passion in winemaking. First the '06 RRV (Russian River Valley) PN and the 06 Longbow PN: At 1000 cases per year  each,  they comprise almost half Arista's production. Raspberry, cherry and rose petals - great fruit. Scored them 89 points. Next came the 06 Toboni Vineyard PN: Wow - elegance, finesse and a wonderful long finish. Small production and available only at the winery but worthy of 92 points.

Next along the north side of the river worthy of a visit is Moshin Vineyards. Artisan small lot wines and a friendly staff to walk you through a long list of very tasty wines. But, I'm here for Pinot Noir, so lets dig in: 06 RRV PN - black currants and cranberry 89 points; '06 RRV Lot 4 PN - forest floor and tart cherry with more complexity 90 points; '07 O'Neel RRV PN - soft dusty floral notes and long finish 91 points; but the highlight of this visit was with the cola and flowers found in the '06 Family Reserve RRV PN at 94 points - two came home in my suitcase.

Around the corner you will find Gary Farrell Wines producing outstanding PNs every year since 1982. The wines we tasted from the '06 vintage were to be his last as Gary Farrell sold to a conglomerate two years earlier. His Pinot Noirs. What an experience! I jumped into the limited releases from 2006 and was not disappointed in any of them. Hallberg Vineyard with Dijon and Pommard clones offered up black cherries, blueberries, firm tannins and a wonderful finish 93 points; Rochiolio-Allen Vineyards with porcini mushrooms, leather and spice at 94 points.

Cross over the bridge at Guerneville and head south along Hwy 116 to Graton Road and you'll find Marimar Estate - owned and operated by the only daughter of famous Miguel Torres from Spain. '05 Don Miguel RRV PN - from a cool vintage, a bit closed in, dry and complex - Wine Enthusiast gave it 91 Points but I could only muster 88 points. '06 Mas Cavallas Sonoma Coast PN - Wine and Spirits Magazine awarded it 94 points but again I thought 89 was in order. '06 Don Miguel Vineyard PN Earthquake block - rated top 8 wines of the year by QRW and with its masculine brooding character I gave it 92 points.

I've saved the best for last - Lynmar Estate - a veritable list of who's who in the world of PN has made their marks on the wines of Lynmar, including Paul Hobbs, Hugh Chappelle and Joseph Swan. First the '06 RRV PN - red fruits, baking spices and forest floor 89 points; '06 Estate Quaill Hill PN - red fruits, cherry cola, pencil shavings and lots of balanced minerality 92 points; '05 Five Sisters PN - worthy of a special visit! Depth and concentration but you can still see through the wine in the glass. Viscous and rich with ultra-fine tannins - 96 points and in my cellar.

Next we go to Chardonnay. You've heard it all before. ABC -  those who will drink anything but Chardonnay. All based upon old data and memories of over-oaked, buttery, nutty, blockbuster Chards that required a strong backbone and capacity for overbearing wines. Well, you can now find elegant, feminine, balanced and delicious white wines made in the style of the best burgundies right from our neighbouring vineyards in California. I'd like to share my experiences with you next time when we run through the gamut of chardonnay from Sonoma County.

What’s the best way to celebrate an end to the school year and the beginning of the Jazz Festival? I've discovered it's the Summer Solstice Wine Festival at Everything Wine.

When I arrived with my educating spouse, the event was in full swing. A big turnout of wine lovers mingled between the aisles, soaking up wine as well as yummy cheeses spread out by associates Pam and Jessica. Twelve different wines were poured at stations set around the store, starting with the ever-enjoyable Segura Viudas 2004 Vintage Brut Cava. This crisp citrusy Spanish bubbler - a blend of Macabeo and Parellada - is an easy choice for summer, both in price and in style. Onward.

Elephant Hill is a new winery in New Zealand, whose reds I’d tasted at the recent New Zealand Wine Festival. Here was their second vintage of viognier, the 2007, tasting like liquid summer. Fermented in both oak and steel, it shows lovely notes of apple and melon on a well-balanced palate of fine acid and minerality. Also from NZ, the Resolute 2007 Sauvignon Blanc is an aromatic wine with zesty lime notes and a mouthwatering finish that paired nicely with brie on crisps.

One of my favourite reds was the Grant Burge 2006 Miamba Shiraz for its deep plummy nose, luscious black fruit and a rich mouthfeel that ends with a zing of acidity. Someone grab me a leg of lamb – please. Almost equally seductive, the Concha Y Toro 2006 Marques de Casa Concha Merlot (try saying that five times fast) is so full of cocoa and toffee notes, it’s perfect for dessert with chocolate.

When I first heard of the Aussie winery Some Young Punks, I wondered if they were related to the Fine Young Cannibals. Wearing a label as racy as pulp fiction, the Punks' 2007 Passion Has Red Lips is a Cabernet/Shiraz blend with lively red fruit in a style that struck me as rather zinfandel like. Punks indeed, but with panache.

Finally, the wine we’d heard everyone raving about: the Antinori 2006 Il Bruciato, a Tuscan red with no sangiovese. Just cabernet, merlot and syrah. With its dusty fruit, soft tannins and full, lush body, this wine truly befits the occasion of summer’s start. Good for fall and winter, too.

After the tasting we ended up at O’Doul’s, listening to Karin Plato and drinking ale. In other words, a perfect summer evening.

The long-awaited patio season has finally arrived and for many of us, that means it’s time to put away the heavy reds for a few months and start thinking pink instead!

Unfortunately, the pleasure of rosé may still be unknown to many who continue to turn their noses up at pink wine. I assure you rosé can be a fine, delicate and delicious beverage if you give it a chance! Aside from its mouth-watering red fruit flavours, fresh acidity and lively palate, rosé is remarkably easy to pair with food. In fact, it pairs well with almost everything! Try one with your summer salads, grilled salmon and whatever is on your BBQ.

Historically, rosé was as it should be: dry, elegant and pink. Unfortunately, the category has suffered since its run in the 1970s when it was fashionable to drink sickly sweet, mass-produced Mateus and White Zinfandel. I am happy to say that these days there are plenty of dry and elegant examples at reasonable prices.

The best rosé wines are made using the saignée method. This involves a short maceration period during fermentation, which is the time when grapes are left in contact with the skins. This is followed by the pink-coloured juice being ‘bled’ out of the fermentation tank, separating the free-run juice from the skins.

Rosés of lesser quality can be made by blending red and white wine together. Blending is a common practice in the New World, but in the Old World it is generally frowned upon and is even illegal for wine labeled Rosé in the EU. Recently, however, the EU announced an initiative to begin allowing rosé to be made using the less-expensive blending method. These plans were dropped several weeks ago after intense lobbying by French and Italian wine producers who argued that the new law would damage the image of traditional rosé. Discouraging blending is a step in the right direction. Let’s keep rosé as it should be, with the highest level of quality possible. Finally, a victory for rosé - I’ll drink to that!

Allow me to share my favourites:

Marques de Caceres Rioja Rosé, Spain $15.99
Joie Rosé, BC $23.99 (also available in magnums for your summer party)
Montes Cherub Rosé, Chile $22.99
Arca Nova Vinho Verde Rosé, Portugal $16.99
Chateau Guiot Rosé, France $16.99

Know of any other great rosés? Post it in the comments section!

This week, two thirds of North America are celebrating national holidays. With Canada Day now a sun-washed memory, some Canadians will celebrate the Independence Day of their neighbours to the South, if for no other reason than to keep the party going. I’m sure the Americans would do the same on Canada Day, if they knew it existed.

Authentic celebration of the Fourth of July requires zinfandel, America’s heritage wine. Cousins with the Italian primitivo and Croatian plavic mali, this humble grape hit the big time in California and brought new meaning to the word blush.

Zinfandel is practically a synonym for barbeque wine. Keeping it food friendly at 14% alcohol is the Cycles Gladiator 2006 California Zinfandel. Made from grapes from the cool central coast region as well as the warm inland Lodi, this Cycle offers a dark ride down some smooth asphalt, and has enough muscle to climb hills. Along the way it picks up notes of briar and forest floor, yet it stays on balance with its oak and offers a zing of acidity at the finish. Perfect for ribs, steak and anything beefy.

Aptly named for the current American mental state is the Mad Housewife 2007 California Chardonnay. While housewives are a rare breed in the states, anyone wealthy enough to be married to a house has likely been driven insane watching her nest egg shrivel.

Looking at the label of this wine, I expected a nervous, angular wine with a certain amount of bite, but clearly the crazy lady has benefited from therapy. Well oaked, with a butterscotch perfume, her body is round and soft, like she’s been lying on the couch eating bonbons all day. The fruit is ripe - melon, apple, mango – with a creamy, marshmallowey texture reminiscent of an ambrosia salad June Cleaver might have whipped up. Wearing pearls!

More surprises: while poking around the Everything Wine site the other day, I noticed a brand new feature – a shopping cart. And, you know what that means. Wines are now available for purchase at the click of a key. They can be picked up later or come delivered to home or office.

A first in BC, if this marketing breakthrough was music, it would be compared to the release of Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue; nothing was the same again. The bar has risen. Now British Columbians can shop for wine at the office. How American is that?