Have You Been Naughty Or Nice? This week on the Radio Show© WineGuyMike™ has Great Holiday Gift Advice

Posted on November 27, 2011 by WineGuyMike

Check out the radio show on The Trail 103.3FM and Fresh 104.5FM. The live stream feed is online at www.trail1033.com where you can click on “Listen Live”. The WineGuyMike™ Radio Show© airs on both radio stations Sunday mornings at 10:00AM MST.

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Liquid Planet, “Best of Beverage” in Downtown Missoula

W.J. Deutsch & Sons since 1981 has been marketing quality wines produced by prestigious families from major wine regions of the world.

Georges Distributing in Helena, Montana.

Welcome to the WineGuyMike™ Radio Show© this Sunday morning.

Regardless of whether you have been naughty or nice, WineGuyMike has some great holiday wine gift advice. The very thought of shopping for the “right” wine or wine gift can be cause for great trepidation within the hearts of many. So Take a deep breath and remember-this is a great time of year to celebrate friendships, family, and to be thankful for the peace and abundance we enjoy.

The holiday season is nigh upon us and it is the time of year, and no matter what holiday we celebrate, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas or Festivus we can be assured of one thing-exchanging gifts.

Before you go shopping I recommend making a list of the people you are going to buy wine gifts for. Ask yourself-what do they like? What color or style of wine do they drink, how much does that special person usually spend, do they serve wine in proper glasses, or do they use tumblers from their favorite fast food customer appreciation collection? You get the point a little thought prior to shopping will streamline your adventure.

Shopping for wine or wine related gifts, http://on.fb.me/uYQ1HN, should be a pleasurable and gratifying process, remember this can be fun shopping for the special people in your life. I was shopping a few days ago at Liquid Planet in Downtown Missoula and realized this is the type of wine and gift shopping experience I desire. Their retail manager, Heather, has done a beautiful job in merchandising the store, and in particular the wine section. This probably is like girls gone shoe shopping.

When picking out a gift, there are a multitude of great wine gift ideas. Let’s keep it simple starting with the wine; red wine on the simplest level is light, medium, or full bodied. Red wine will have aromas of red or black fruit; you may smell spice, earthiness, or even some tobacco, leather, or maybe a little bacon. That’s right bacon, many French winemakers would tell you that to have a sense of animal in their wines is a component of “Terroir,” or a sense of place. Does the special person you are shopping for prefer red wines that express more fruit or do they like wine with more tannin or grittiness?

White wines present very different tastes and scents than red wines. Aromas in white wines will vary, with scents of flowers, fruit, citrus, or beautiful tropical fruits being common. In your mouth a white wine may taste tart, express minerals like stone or slate, or it may even be somewhat sweet.

How about wine glasses? Many are unaware how important wine glasses are. The Riedel wine glass company has been around for three hundred years. Their glasses are a masterful combination, artfully blending form and function. Good wine glasses are designed to allow you to visually examine wine, focus the aroma of the wine correctly, and then deliver the wine on your palate in exactly the right spot.

Wine decanters are also a terrific gift to consider for a wine lover. Decanting is generally a process reserved explicitly for red wines. When a wine is poured into a traditional decanter the wine is thoroughly exposed to oxygen and helps to open the wine and settle the tannins. There are a multitude of differing decanters; some are even attached right to the bottle-certainly not traditional, but clever nonetheless.

Aerators are devices of decanting “in the moment.” This process has gained popularity and can be terrific for spontaneous gatherings or an option when headed to a casual restaurant or bar. I still prefer traditional decanting but if company arrives unexpectedly at your front door this holiday season, as it is apt to do, and you want to share a glass of wine the aerators are a great option.

Please visit Liquid Planet in Downtown Missoula if you live or visit here to see the comprehensive selection of wines and wine gifts they offer. You can also visit Liquid Planet online at www.LiquidPlanet.com. It truly is a holiday shopping experience. I wish you and your family a holiday season filled with good cheer, health, and abundance.

"from my table to yours", Happy Holidays

The great wines of Rioja Spain this week on the WineGuyMike™ Radio Show©

Posted on November 6, 2011 by WineGuyMike

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Ciao Mambo, “Eat Like You Mean It”, located in Missoula on The Hip Strip. Find them online at www.CiaoMambo.com

Sleep City Missoula www.SleepCity.com

W.J. Deutsch & Sons since 1981 has been marketing quality wines produced by prestigious families from major wine regions of the world.

Georges Distributing in Helena, Montana.

Welcome to the WineGuyMike™ Radio Show© this Sunday morning.

The Rioja wine region is located in Northern Spain. This area is only a five hour trip away from the famous Bordeaux wine region of France. In the late 1800’s an outbreak of Phylloxera blight sent the great French winemakers of Bordeaux at that time south to the Rioja wine region of Spain. The growing conditions and climate in the Rioja area are very similar to that of Bordeaux. It was here they reestablished their vineyards and began producing very good wine. Rioja wines have been greatly influenced by the French wine styles of Bordeaux.

Spain is the now world’s third largest producer of wine behind Italy and France with 2.7 million acres dedicated to vineyards. There are nearly 800 wineries scattered throughout the country of Spain. The majority of wine, 80% in all, is produced by just a few companies.

Spain has produced wine throughout history but in recent times has undergone significant changes. This has occurred since Spain has joined the European Union in 1986. There have been tremendous capital investments into Spain’s wine industry since that time. Spanish wine industry now utilizes modern winemaking technology; they have implemented new vineyard trellis systems, stainless steel fermentors, and have installed new irrigation systems that were legalized according to Spainish wine law in 1996.

The quality and volume of wine production have benefited center and south wine regions of Spain which is often plagued by drought. There are more than 600 grape varieties that are grown and produced in Spain. The primary grapes used to produce the great wines of Rioja are the Tempranillio and Garnacha varietals.

In 1970 Spain established wine laws similar to those of France and Italy. These laws were revised in 1982 and are known as D.O. or Denominacion de Origin. At that time in 1982 there were only 25 DO’s and today there are over seventy DO regions. There two DOC’s in Spain, Rioja and Priorat. DOC is a designation signifying the highest quality on wine from a specific region. The DOC wines are true and correct representations indicative of the wine style recognized under Spanish wine law for that specific region.

The DO laws control:

Geographic boundaries
Grape varietals
Yield per acre
Wine making practices
Aging of wines which determines release dates wine vintages

In Spain there are more than 600 grape varieties that are grown and produced. Tempranillio and Garnacha varietals are the primary grapes found in the Rioja region.

These two medium bodied jewels of Spain play a major role in a couple of the country’s finest wines, Rioja and Ribera del Duero. Tempranillo grapesproduce very complex wines hinting of plums, vanilla, cassis, and tobacco.

Garnacha grapes are famous for use as a blending grape in both France and Spain. Garnacha or Grenache as it is known throughout the world is medium bodied with berry flavors. The Garnacha grape is used as a blending grape for full red wines or roses that produce fruity or berry like flavor. This grape is also produced as a single varietal wine.

Rioja wines are available in a huge range of quality and price points making these wines appealing to the everyday wine drinker and those who collect wines for their cellars.

There are a few things you should know when you purchase a Rioja wine. You may see the word “Jovan” on the label; this means the wine is unoaked or just slightly oaked and should be drunk young. The word Cosecha is a Spanish term for vintage and may indicate that a wine has a little barrel aging. Cosecha appears on a small sticker separate from the label and will also carry the DO or DOC designation. The terminology is used by modern producers of Rioja wines that are bigger wines that deliver concentrated fruit to the nose and palate. This is driven by current consumer market trends; we can only hope these wines do not deviate to far from the true DOC standards of the region. Vinos De Pagos is another term you may see on a Spanish wine label. This identifies a wine that has been produced from a single estate.

There are three designations of quality that you need to understand about Rioja wines. Crianza means that a wine has had a minimum of two years of aging with one of those spent in an oak barrel. This will be the most affordable Rioja wine. A Spanish Reserva wine will have been aged for at least three years and also spent one year in an oak barrel. The Reserva wines will generally be 3-5$ more than the Crianza wines. The Gran Reserva Rioja wines have spent five to seven years aging with at least two of those years in a barrel. A Gran Reserva should definitely be decanted and can be laid down for another three to five years in the bottle.

I have two very good Rioja wine selections that I share with you today. The first is a very affordable Crianza Rioja wine, El Coto.

The 2007 vintage benefited from a harvest that produced well balanced fruit, grapes that had a good balance of acidity, color, and concentrated levels ofsugar in the fruit. El Coto has nice light ruby color in the glass with fresh ripe fruit on the nose. A second layer of aroma develops on the nose, you will note smoke and earth. Good balance of fruit, acid, and tannin provide a nice mouth feel for this wine. This wine has a simple but nice finish with just a little vanilla.

I recommend that you pair this wine with white meats and cheeses that are mild. This wine offers great affordable value, you will find this wine for 12-14$.

2007 Marques de Caceres Reserva is a great wine that is very affordable, especially considering the quality of this wine that is beautiful to look at in your glass. This wine displays a deep ruby color that you can see is a glass full of concentrated fruit. The nose of the Reserva offers a unique sense of forest, flora, and some really nice spice. On the palate this wine is lush, rich, and will fill your mouth with beautiful toasty tannin. This very affordable wine from Rioja is complex as the layers just peel away and deliver a long lingering finish. Find this wine for under $18.00.

I recommend pairing this wine with a great tomato sauce based meal, all red meats, salami’s, and game birds. It will also do nicely with mature cheeses.

The 2004 Marques de Caceres Gran Reserva displays a scintillating dark cherry color in the glass. Mature fruit, leather, very delicate vanilla spice, are on the nose of this complex refined wine. On the palate this wine is confident, powerful, offering a full concentrated mouth feel that is simply elegant. Fruit and toast on this finish of this outstanding wine that will do well for the next 5-7 years in the bottle. Who can wait, drink it now for under $25.00.

Pair this gem from Rioja with Lamb, beef, ragout, and my favorite Blue Cheese from the Rogue River Creamery.

"from my table to yours"

A New Wine Season on the WineGuyMike™ Radio Show©

Posted on October 9, 2011 by WineGuyMike

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Today’s Podcast; http://trail1033.podbean.com/2011/10/09/wine-guy-mike-for-october-9th/

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Ciao Mambo, “Eat Like You Mean It”, located in Missoula on The Hip Strip. Find them online at www.CiaoMambo.com

W.J. Deutsch & Sons since 1981 has been marketing quality wines produced by prestigious families from major wine regions of the world.

Georges Distributing in Helena, Montana.

Welcome to the WineGuyMike™ Radio Show© this Sunday morning. Fall is in the air, colors of trees are changing and beautiful. Soccer and football fields are filled with kids, coaches, and parents. The air is becoming brisk, the sun is lower in the sky yet still warm enough in the afternoon that you have to shed your jacket.

It occurs to me that with each new season the types of food we eat, the way we prepare food, our style of food, how we drink wine, and the type and style of wine that we drink bring about a palate of change.

Cooking has moved indoors, cooking on the stove top and using our ovens again rather than cooking everything imaginable on the grill. Warm summer days, congregating on the deck with family and friends, grilling, enjoying a cold beer or a nice glass of chilled wine are quickly winding down.

We begin thinking about food dishes that are transitional, it’s not time for winter comfort foods just yet, but it is time for a great pot of chili or soup. Just as our desire for food changes so does our palate for wines.

Since the beginning of time Old World Winemakers have made wines that are seasonal and specific. In the Old World wines are made specifically to complement indigenous foods. Old World winemakers will also make wines that are seasonally appropriate, even if they may not be known for their summer wines. Even in Tuscany when its 90 degrees outside you need something chilled to drink.

As our desire for different styles of food is changing with the season so are our wine palates. It is interesting how wine choices mirror the foods we are seasonally preparing. There is a shift from lighter fare to dishes that have a bit more substance. Wines that we now consider will also change as a result. While it may not be time for comfort food yet it is time for comfortable soups, chili, and light stews. So now it’s time for wines that have more body and texture.

Life is about a journey and evolution and so goes the world of wine. How boring would it be if nothing ever changed? Grape farming has become very specific, not that it hasn’t been in the past. Science and terrior have become a powerful driving force. Grape farmers around the world now look to science and have a much deeper understanding of terroir. This conformation of the farmers’ sixth sense and intuition produces beautiful grapes for the winemaker. Grape farmers from around the world are not just growing fruit in general area that they know fruit grows well, it is much more specific than that. Farmers know and understand their land and winemakers that turn the grapes into wine will be the very first to tell you the land and terrior that produce great wine. Great winemakers comment that it’s ninety percent of the equation.

Grapes are now being planted and harvested from specific blocks of land within vineyards for winemakers to make special wines with. Typically these are higher end wines that can be expensive. It is important to understand where a bottle of wine comes from and why. Farmers consider geography, soil, weather, and the grape varietal when planting vines. The farming trend now considers this in a grape type; is the varietal a valley grape, a hillside grape, or a hilltop grape? This all makes a difference in the vinification or winemaking process of great wines.

Farmers and winemakers consider what grapes grow best where? Are they a cool weather varietal that grows best in a zone 1 weather region that is the coolest growing area. Or does a particular varietal grow best in a warm to hot zone like a region 4 or 5. There certainly are cross over areas where grapes can thrive, but the grape farming trend now much more exact. Grapes that are a cool weather varietal or type provide the very best fruit when grown in zone specific areas.

Different grape varietals require what is known in the world of wine as hang time. This means how long a grape needs to be on a vine from flowering, to actual fruit on the vine, maturation, and veraison or onset of ripening right up until the perfect moment of harvest.

What does this mean for the wine drinker? Why is that important in this season of change and transition? Grapes grown in various climatic zones produce wines that are very different. Let’s take Pinot Noir as an example; a Pinot Noir that is grown in a cool weather climate like Oregon, or Burgundy will have medium body, no heavy tannin, it will show a little less depth in color, this is a wine of elegance and finesse.

A Pinot Noir made from grapes in a warmer weather zone will produce a wine that is higher in alcohol, more tannin, and more color extraction from the grape. Wine knowledge empowers you as a consumer. It is important to know what a wine should be so that when you approach a shelf you can make the right choice that it is of value for you.

Here are a few examples of great wines to complement your dishes in the season of change. I hope you will enjoy these selections.

E Guigal Cotes du Rhone Red

This is a beautiful wine that is inexpensive. This blend from the well known Guigal family is 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache, and 10% Mourvèdre. The grapes are grown in pebbles and alluvia soil matter, sediment, limestone, granite. This provides great drainage for the grape vines.

The grapes for this wine spend a great deal of time with the skins are fermented in a cool temperature controlled environment. Aged 1 ½ years in oak but this wine presents with only a minimal oak influence. Visually this wine is dark red with great depth, and a beautiful shimmer. On the nose this wine has an aroma of red berries, fresh fruit, and just a hint of spice. The palate is ample, not to full, really a great example of an affordable Cotes du Rhone. This wine is balanced and very well made. Nice tannin and spice that is enticing with a long rich finish. This wine is very aromatic in a very pleasing way.

The Guigal Cotes du Rhone Red will pair nicely with cold cuts, cheese, wild game birds, pheasant and quail in particular.

Balletto 2009 Russian River Pinot Noir

This dark, garnet colored Pinot Noir exhibits floral aromas of rose petals, spicy ginger, dusty earth, and a hint of vanilla. This stellar example of a cool weather varietal fruit from the Russian River Valley delivers aromas of raspberry and cassis which are the heart of this wine. On the palate this wine is medium textured with fine tannin, beautiful balance between fruit and acidity with an alluring spice that may be more interesting than any other wine. This finish is long and complex; you just need another sip because you don’t want this wine to end. This wine may age up to five years and will only improve with age, but who can wait this wine is delicious.

The Balletto 2009 Russian River Pinot Noir will pair well with beef stock based soups, a great pot of chili, beef stews, beef bourguignon, beef stroganoff, or a nice Cornish game hen with wild rice.

2007 Reininger Syrah from Walla Walla Valley

This 100% Syrah is aged in old French Oak barrels that impart very minimal oak nuances into this delicious wine. Ripe blueberries, lavender, and subtle orange zest is your first impression of aroma with this gem from Walla Walla. Take a second turn with your nose in the glass, smoke and earth now adorn your sense of smell.

Take a sip, on the palate this wine has nice berry and pomegranate with a subtle smokiness that is full and lush. Not so big that you can eat this wine though, it is very well made with a refined balance and structure. The acidity in this wine is well suited to pair with a juicy steak or a nice cut of wild game adorned with a fruit based reduction sauce. This wine drinks great now or can be aged 2-3 years.

The wines reviewed today all receive the WineGuyMike™ Seal of Approval™

"from my table to yours"

Burgers and Beaujolais on the WineGuyMike™ Radio Show©

Posted on August 14, 2011 by WineGuyMike

Social Media links;

Today’s Podcast; http://trail1033.podbean.com/2011/08/14/wine-guy-mike-for-814/

YouTube; My YouTube channel of course is WineGuyMike™ or the actual URL link: http://www.youtube.com/user/WineGuyMike?feature=mhum

Facebook; WineGuyMike please “like”

Twitter; @WineGuyMike please follow me

Sponsors

Ciao Mambo, “Eat Like You Mean It”, located in Missoula on The Hip Strip. Find them online at www.CiaoMambo.com

W.J. Deutsch & Sons since 1981 has been marketing quality wines produced by prestigious families from major wine regions of the world.

Georges Distributing in Helena, Montana.

This week on the WineGuyMike™ Radio Show© I’m pleased to a flight of three Beaujolais wines that are exceptional. These wines really define what the show is all about, value, budget, and wines that are just downright great to drink.

I love to share wine with friends and recently I sat down with my neighbors Ken and Cathy, and my journalism intern Andy for a virtual Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais wine tasting hosted by my friends from W.J. Deutsch & Sons and WineTwits.com., and Chef Bob Waggoner of UCook with Chef Bob on PBS television. Chef Bob was nice enough to share his burgers with us today. Please check out Chef Bob’s website at www.Ucookwithchefbob.com

You might ask what is a virtual wine tasting. Let me see if I can if I can succinctly share with you what a virtual wine tasting is, so here we go. In this case my friend Steve Gilberg from New York who is founder of WineTwits.com Steve has built a sharing platform that allows him to broadcast streaming video via the internet. Then through the use of Twitter Steve creates an event by using a Hashtag as it is know which is the # with no space afterword and then the use of the keyword. For the Burger and Beaujolais event Steve chose the Hashtag; #GDandBurgers. Now what you have is live streaming comments via Twitter and live streaming video via WineTwits.com and voile you now have a virtual wine tasting event seen around the world in real time. W.J. Deutsch & Sons provided the wines for this particular event, they have a outstanding portfolio of wines that they distribute so that you and I as a consumer have the opportunity to purchase outstanding wine at fair prices, or in this case the wines I’m sharing with you today are wines that offer extreme value. You just won’t believe the prices of these wines and how great they are, my neighbors Ken and Cathy were just blown away by these wines. Ken and Cathy are very knowledgeable wine consumers who drink primarily west coast produced wines. They were very surprised with the wines we had at our #GDandBurgers virtual wine tasting.

Let me share some background about Burgundy, France which is where the Beaujolais wines are grown and produced. Beaujolais is a province within Burgundy but produces wine distinct enough that it is considered its own area within Burgundy. It is controlled by French wine law known as AOC. When you purchase a bottle of these wonderful wines you will see this designation on the bottles label. This French wine law, Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée, gives the governing body the control to dictate these various issues; how many grapes can be grown in a designated area or a particular vineyard, how the grapes are harvested, how they are handled once they are harvested, most definitely the type of grapes grown in an area or region, how the wines are made, and how the wines are aged. Now AOC laws throughout French wine country vary widely from one another based on what the French understand based on centuries of experience, and they do it well.

This week I’m writing about Beaujolais and its AOC wines. Beaujolais is produced from 100% Gamay grapes grown in Burgundy region of France. The Gamay Noir grape is a cousin to the Pinot Noir grape. These are the only two red grape varietals allowed to be grown in Burgundy under the French AOC wine laws. Although Burgundy may be better known for its Pinot Noir the Beaujolais wines make up about two thirds of the wine produced in Burgundy. The wine style is light, fruity, very mellow tannin, and perfect acidity which is what makes it perfect as a food wine. Beaujolais is produced in a style that it is meant to be consumed right away, unless we talk about the Cru versions of Beaujolais. Beaujolais is a perfect summer wine because it should be served lightly chilled which makes it a great to drink and serve in the spring and summer time. There are three quality levels to understand when we learn about these wines; Beaujolais, Beaujolais – Villages which is a blend of wine from a 35 of the better wine producing villages in Beaujolais, and then there is the Cru Beaujolais. The Cru Beaujolais wines are named for the villages that produce the finest wine of all the villages in Beaujolais. There are ten Crus or villages, in Beaujolais and make no mistake these wines are very special.

The price of these wines vary with the quality designations that we now understand, remember these are all extremely affordable wines with exceptional value. The wines I’m sharing with you today are all $20.00. In fact the Beaujolais-Villages is priced under $10.00, one of the two Beaujolais Cru wines are under $15.00, with the last one coming under $20.00. You just can’t beat these wines.

Speaking of wine let’s get to the wines I’m sharing with you today, and please let me know what you think of todays wines after you have tasted them. I’ll be pairing each one of these wines with the burger recipes Chef Bob was so kind to share with you and I.

The producer of these incredible wines, Georges Duboeuf, has stated that the 2009 vintage from Beaujolais was the vintage of a lifetime and after tasting these wines with my Cru (crew), Ken, Cathy, and Andy I’m inclined to agree with the wine producer.

Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages 2009

Today I taste the Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages 2009. The Beaujolais-Villages takes its name from a number of wine-producing villages located in the area of Beaujolais which have long been identified for the superior quality of their wine. In this instance “superior” refers to greater complexity in bouquet, higher concentration and deeper flavor. Its distinctive character sets a kind of middle ground for Beaujolais with its unique, casual charm and the prestigious top ten Cru Beaujolais wines to the north.

Visually the Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages 2009 appears rich, self assured and well made. The wine is a deep ruby color with nice streaks of purple running through its veins. It appears to be nicely viscous and upon a few good swirls in the glass it proves to be nicely structured. Just as Rod Stewart suggested, Hot Legs, well in this case great legs in my glass that is. You can really tell a great deal about the structure of a wine by paying attention to some of these details. I know this wine is very well made wine by observing it.

I want to get my nose in this glass, and I recommend using a Pinot Noir glass for this wine so that this wine has every opportunity to express its Sunday best for you and I. As every great French wine does this wine expresses a real sense of place or as we say in the wine kingdom terrior. On the nose this wine delivers, raspberry jam, cherry, really nice earth and dust with just a hint of very nice mild smoke the follow up the rear. These are all really beautiful fruit filled aromas. As for the bouquet that this wine has developed in the bottle, I’m talking about the dust, earth, and smoke these are ever so mild and refined, they a true compliment to this wine as well as a real treat for me. This wine expresses great terrior, it knows where it came from and knows where it belongs, in a glass in your hand of course.

The Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages 2009 is just so well made. This wine has wonderful tannin, is lush and full of its beautiful berry self. It is a wonderfully balanced wine that will be so food friendly due to its fruit and acid companionship. It doesn’t stop there though this wine for me delivers a great little nuance of toast and butter too. It’s like a great mildly toasted piece of bread with homemade raspberry and cherry jam; yes it’s a really great wine to complement the burger recipe that Chef Bob has provided.

RECIPE #1- ANGUS BURGER (For 2 people)

From Chef Bob Waggoner, host of PBS’ Ucook with Chef Bob

INGREDIENTS:

· 2 regular sesame buns

· Angus ground beef – 160z

· Red heirloom tomato – 4 slices

· Vidalia onion – 4 slices

·Smoked bacon – 4 slices – diced finely

· Fresh rosemary -1 tablespoon

· Peeled shallots – 3 diced thinly

· Butter lettuce – half of a small head

· Salt

· Fresh ground white pepper to taste

· Aged white cheddar cheese – 2 oz diced

into small cubes

DIRECTIONS:

In a small sauté pan cook the bacon until crisp. Add the shallots and cook for 3 more minutes on low temperature. Add the chopped rosemary and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove from pan and let sit at room temperature.

Form 4 thin patties of beef approximately 4 oz each. Then place bacon, shallot and rosemary mix on top of 2 of the patties. Add diced cheddar, salt and fresh ground pepper. Cover with other patty. Pinch the sides together to form one big burger. Salt and pepper the top of the patty. Preheat grill and grill burgers. When the burgers are almost done, lightly grill the bun. On the bottom bun place the burger, Vidalia onion rings, tomato rounds and lettuce. If you like you may add mustard, mayo or ketchup. Top with other bun.

The 2009 Brouilly, is produced in an area that is located in the southernmost of the ten Cru Beaujolais. On the nose you know that this is the biggest, jammiest wine in this flight of Georges Duboeuf masterpieces. This wine delivers a message like that from Paul Revere. It is truly intriguing as it delivers both terrior and character, which is which, now we understand it, we think. But Ken, Cathy, and I know we like it. This wine is large and in charge, those of us who enjoy a big fleshy, fruit driven Cabernet or a Port wine will really love this wine. The 2009 Brouilly has nice dark fruit, plum, and black cherry. The palate displays silk like tannin, it’s chewy with a little tobacco, yet the texture of this confident wine is like that of the very finest velvet. This is a beautiful wine that those of us who enjoy a slightly fuller body to our wines will absolutely love, enjoy, and crave more.

Brouilly is the largest Cru in terms of volume, as well as the most extensive in surface area. Its vines form a large wreath around the base of the impressive Mount Brouilly, stretching out over the six villages of Odenas, Ouincle, Cercle, Saint-Lager, Charentay and Saint-Etienne-Ia-Varenne. Its name is thought to hail back to Brulius, a lieutenant in the Imperial Roman Legion. It is tempting to picture this officer, placed under the command of Caesar, as having the same solid, jovial persona as the most flavorful of the Cru Beaujolais. The wines of Brouilly, known and esteemed around the globe, are true ambassadors of quality French red wines, regardless of the vineyard area.

RECIPE #2 – GRILLED PORTABELLA (BURGER) (For 2 people)

From Chef Bob Waggoner, host of PBS’ Ucook with Chef Bob

INGREDIENTS:

· 2 large portabella mushrooms – Stems removed and gills scraped

· Fresh thyme – 2 tsp

· Green onions – 4 each

· Yellow tomato – 4 slices

· Large eggplant – 4 round slices

· 2 Kaiser Rolls

· “Beaujolais Wine” – 4 tbsp

· Olive oil – 4 tbsp

· Salt

· Fresh ground white pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Gently drizzle the olive oil over the sliced tomatoes, eggplant and green onions. Salt and pepper all. Gently grill and set aside -1 1/ 2 minutes on each side. Salt and pepper portabella mushroom. With a small paring knife make checkerboard cuts going halfway into the mushroom. Drizzle 2 tbsp each of “GDwine” onto each mushroom and let it seep in for 2 min. Add a tiny bit of olive oil on the mushrooms and grill for 2 1/ 2 minutes on each side. Once pulled from grill sprinkle with fresh thyme. Gently grill Kaiser Roll. Stack portabella mushroom, tomato, green onions and eggplant on the Kaiser Roll.

The third wine I want to share with you today is the 2009 Julienas Chateau des Capitans from one of the ten Cru villages, Cru Julienas.

The 2009 Julienas Chateau des Capitans displays intense beautiful, deep crimson color. I recommend decanting this wine at least one hour prior to drinking so that this wine expresses itself properly, this is a great wine and was my favorite from this flight of wines. This wine has a great balance and structure to it and will age very well in the years to come, I would even recommend laying it down for 2-4 years but if you’re like me you want to drink it. Just be sure to decant it otherwise you may not enjoy this particular wine. On the nose of this wine you can expect some floral, like that from peonies, dark fruit, spiciness of white pepper, smoke, dust, with a beautiful mild sweetness in the air from vanilla with a tiny bit of mocha.

This wine displays a sumptuous deep red color. Its intense, complex nose offers an array of fruits, from peach to raspberry and black currant, with a subtle touch of cinnamon. Ample structure and excellent balance will allow this wine to age in bottle quite gracefully. A 19th century castle is situated right in the heart of AOC Cru Julienas, in a locality known as Les Capitans. Centuries-old cedar trees in the stately gardens stand as tall sentinels of a long, illustrious past. The remarkably old vines form one single, undivided vineyard circling the estate and benefit from optimal soil and microclimate conditions. South-southeast hillside exposure to the sun allows the grapes to attain perfect ripening before they are harvested. According to popular tradition, this locality has preserved unmistakable signs of its Roman origin. Considered as a strategic point, this site was in all likelihood where military staff headquarters were located. Thus the name Capitan, which refers to the officer rank of Captain, or first in command. In the 1940′s, the castle and vineyard estate belonged to Victor Peyret, a colorful wine merchant and rambunctious gourmet from nearby Lyon who left to posterity, among other things, the literary prize he endowed. At the annual mid-November wine festival held in the village of Julienas, the Victor Peyret prize is awarded to a celebrity from the arts who is recognized as a worthy ambassador of Cru Julienas. The prize consists of 104 bottles of choice Julienas, just the right number to enjoy every Saturday and Sunday for an entire year! Well that depends on how many friends you share with. Now for the burger recipe from Chef Bob.

RECIPE #3-TURKEY BURGER SLIDERS with SUNDRIED TOMATO&BASIL (For 2people)

From Chef Bob Waggoner, host of PBS’ Ucook with Chef Bob

INGREDIENTS:

· Ground turkey meat with 15% fat -1/2 pound

· Sundried tomato – 2 oz

· Shallots 3 each – sliced thinly

·Medium sized garlic cloves -3 each – sliced thinly

· Fresh basil- 8 large leaves – roughly chopped

· Olive oil – 2 tbsp

· Water – 11/ 2 cups

· Baby arugula – 1/2 cup

· Red onion – 4 slices

·1 ripe avocado

· Mini pita pockets – 4 – split in half

· Salt

· Fresh ground white pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

In a 10 inch saute pan, heat the 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced shallots and cook for 1minute. Add the sliced garlic and cook for another minute. Add the sundried tomato. Add 1tsp of salt, 3 cranks of fresh ground white pepper and 11/ 2 cups of water and let simmer until all water is evaporated. Add chopped basil, remove from pan and set aside. Leave at room temperature. Form 4 small patties using 1/2 pound of turkey meat. Salt and pepper both sides. Gently grill for 11/ 2 – 2 minutes per side, depending on temperature of your grill. Grill the red onion slices at the same time. Just before the burgers are done, lightly grill the pita pocket that you have split in half. When the burger is cooked, place a small amount of arugula in the bottom of the pita. Top with a turkey patty and arrange your slider with the grilled red onions and the sundried tomato basil mixture.

Foods that are light fair and not overly seasoned pair well with Beaujolais wines. Today’s wines receive the WineGuyMike™ Seal of Approval™ as they deliver on quality, value, and price. Buy these wines, chill them, and drink them now, you will be satisfied, and please share your tasting notes with me. I’m interested to know what you think, Salute.

'from my table to yours"

On the Road Again to Walla Walla in the Columbia Valley of Washington State. Destination; the Reininger Winery on the WineGuyMike™ Radio Show©

Posted on June 12, 2011 by WineGuyMike

Check out the radio show on The Trail 103.3FM and Fresh 104.5FM. The live stream feed is online at www.trail1033.comwhere you can click on “Listen Live”. The WineGuyMike™ Radio Show© airs on both radio stations Sunday mornings at 10:00AM MST.Check out the radio show on The Trail 103.3FM and Fresh 104.5FM. The live stream feed is online at www.trail1033.com where you can click on “Listen Live”. The WineGuyMike™ Radio Show© airs on both radio stations Sunday mornings at 10:00AM MST.

Social Media links;

Today’s Podcast; http://snapshotwine.podbean.com/

YouTube; My YouTube channel of course is WineGuyMike™ or the actual URL link: http://www.youtube.com/user/WineGuyMike?feature=mhum

Facebook; WineGuyMike please “like”

Twitter; @WineGuyMike please follow me

Sponsors

Ciao Mambo, “Eat Like You Mean It”, located in Missoula on The Hip Strip. Find them online at www.CiaoMambo.com

W.J. Deutsch & Sons since 1981 has been marketing quality wines produced by prestigious families from major wine regions of the world.

Georges Distributing in Helena, Montana

This week on the WineGuyMike™ Radio Show© I’m talking with Justin Vajgert who is National Brand Sales Manager for the Reininger and Helix wine labels. Today I’m going to share with you the land, the wine, and the man who makes these wines. First I want to give you a little background on my guest who joins me this week on WineGuyMike™ Radio Show©. Justin’s background is a similar journey of most guests I have the pleasure of talking with on the show. Justin grew up just outside of Chicago and relocated to the Walla Walla area in 2005 to attend the Institute for Viticulture and Enology. He worked harvest in 2005 for the Waterbrook Winery and then joined forces with the Reininger Winery in November of 2005. Justin worked at Reininger all through school doing everything from cellar work, to pouring wine in the tasting room, to painting bathrooms. During Justin’s tenure his roles have evolved and he moved into a sales role beginning with local sales and then after school moved into his current national sales position. He’s been doing that ever since. Distribution for Reininger/Helix has grown to 17 states. Justin eventually wants to make wine though, it’s his passion.

It's all business at Reininger Winery, just kiddin'. Fun and great Wine.

The backbone of the winery side of this business is not the glam we consumers experience when we do a road trip to visit the wine country. We walk into the beautiful tasting room and are greeted by nice smiling people eager to tell you about the wine that they are pouring today.

Reininger Winery tasting room

Our wonderful experience though is just a result of very hard and painstaking work, let’s not forget at the heart of growing grapes is the farming business. Our good fortune to enjoy great wine is quite literally the fruit of a team of hardworking people’s labor. Today I’m very pleased to be bringing you the story of the Reininger Winery in Walla Walla, Washington.

The Reininger Winery, located in the heart of the Walla Walla Valley, Chuck Reininger who is Head Winemaker, specializes in crafting elegant and finely structured red wines from hand-harvested, ultra premium grapes. Enough said I want to taste this wine right now. First let’s take a look at the Walla Walla A.V.A located in the Columbia Valley of Washington State. The Columbia Valley is just a short trip from Western Montana.

Glacial Lake Missoula was a prehistoric pro-glacial lake in western Montana that existed periodically at the end of the last ice age. When things warmed up a bit Lake Missoula flooded and took all of its wonderful alluvial soil matter with it to Washington, and in particular to the Walla Walla A.V.A. The Walla Walla area soils are composed of layers of soil blessed with the alluvial soil material and layers of volcanic ash, from eruptions throughout history, and rock that have created amazing soil to grow grapes in. The days are warm to hot and the night air is cool, perfect for growing world class grapes that make fabulous wines. This is what is known as terrior, terrior, terrior at its finest.

The Walla Walla A.V.A. was established in 1984 but a group on Italian immigrants began farming this land in the 1850’s. There are presently about 130-140 wineries in this valley, not all are open to the public. This area has become a hotbed of great wineries, which begets great restaurants, and now many very nice bed and breakfast accommodations. Wine does amazing things for great grape growing areas, this story reminds me of the movie “Field of Dreams”, “Build it and They Will Come”. Guess what the wineries have built and the wines lovers, they have come. If you haven’t tasted any wines from the Walla Walla area you must and you will quickly understand why this area is so special.

Prior to making high-quality wines in the Walla Walla Valley, Chuck Reininger could be found high atop mountains as a senior climbing guide for a Tacoma based company. Before moving to Walla Walla, Chuck helped long-time friends with crush at Waterbrook winery. He began experimenting with home winemaking in 1993 and officially caught the “wine bug.” His weekend hobby quickly turned into a dream to produce super-premium wines of his own: “I became obsessed with starting my own winery,” he admits. In 1997, Chuck and Tracy Reininger launched their dream – owning a premiere winery in the Walla Walla Valley.

From 1997 through 2004, Reininger Winery was located in a small but functional facility located at the historic Walla Walla Regional Airport. The “shack-teau,” as Chuck and his wife Tracy fondly nicknamed it, was originally designated as a WWII Army Air Corp runway “crash house” and “base theater” where old time crooners and classic films entertained troops.

In 2003, Reininger Winery purchased seven acres of land, located six miles west of Walla Walla, adjacent to Highway 12, and began renovating two pre-existing potato sheds into a remodeled 15,000 square foot winery, complete with production facility, administrative offices, and a spacious new tasting room. The result is a modern production facility incorporating rustic design elements that a special place to enjoy events and entertainment.

Chuck Reininger is not only a great winemaker and he is also a very smart business man. In December 2004, Reininger Winery announced the debut of a new label – “Helix.” Helix sources fruit from the larger Columbia Valley, allowing for increased production and expanded distribution, while Reininger wines maintain limited production, focusing on fruit from the Walla Walla Valley. Ultimately, the family believes that “Helix allows them to expand their reach to a new group of wine enthusiasts.”

The wines that I tasted virtually with Justin were the 2006 Reininger Merlot from the Walla Walla Valley, the Helix 2007 Pomotia, and the 2007 Helix Syrah. The Helix wines have a distinctive new label, featuring an image of a snail. Helix, the genus name for the Burgundian snail, is the creme de la creme of “escargot.”

All three of these wines have scored highly with top wine magazines and there team that review them. Here’s what’s important though these wines are extremely well made and are great to drink. The Helix wines are very approachable and affordable for every day and weekend wine gatherings for you and your friends. These wines are simple and wonderful, you don’t have to over think these wines you just drink them and thoroughly enjoy them as I have. Backyard barbeque with friends, that’s what I’m talking about. These wines are a beautiful expression of fruit from the Columbia Valley, Chuck has done an outstanding job with this label across the board or in the case the flight.

Helix Pomotia

The Helix 2007 Pomotia is a blend of 38% Syrah, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and 13% Cabernet Franc; Voluptuous dark ripe fruit of cherries and plums bathing in a tub of chocolate with French vanilla coffee beans and a eucalyptus leaf floating on top.

Helix Syrah

The 2007 Helix Syrah is 100% Syrah; this fresh, juicy red is a carnival for your senses with a veritable menagerie of delicious flavors! On the nose you will experience more berries than a midsummer farmers market, a hint of freshly spun cotton candy, orange peel and lavender. Enjoy perfectly ripe flavors of blackberry and white pepper accompanied by a thick round mouthfeel and a loooong dark chocolate finish.

Reininger Merlot

Now let’s get serious with the 2006 Reininger Merlot from the Walla Walla Valley. I’m going to be a bit crass here for a moment because I cannot help myself, Chuck this is freaking great juice dude. Wow this wine is focused; dust, earth, smooth, fruit, smoke, spice, white pepper, structure, perfect balance, beautiful tannin, length, finish, and great acid that make me want to grill up a steak on the barbie right now to enjoy this wine masterpiece with. Chuck do you think I like the 2006 Reininger Merlot? When I emptied the bottle I picked it up when no one was looking and tried to get a few extra drops on to my lusting palate.

All kidding aside this is a wonderful winery with an incredible winemaker, and a great tasting room to visit. You don’t want to miss this winery and you certainly don’t want to miss out on anything Chuck Reininger puts into a bottle.

"from my table to yours"

These wines in this flight receive The WineGuyMike™ Seal of Approval©

Guy Sarton Du Jonchay of Vidal-Fleury winery, rockin’ the Rhone on the WineGuyMike™ Radio Show©

Posted on May 15, 2011 by WineGuyMike

Check out the radio show on The Trail 103.3FM and Fresh 104.5FM. The live stream feed is online at www.trail1033.com where you can click on “Listen Live”. The WineGuyMike™ Radio Show© airs on both radio stations Sunday mornings at 10:00AM MDT.

Social Media links;

Todays full length podcast conversation with Guy Sarton Du Jonchay of the Vidal-Fleury winery; http://wineguymike.podbean.com/

Today’s Show Podcast; http://trail1033.podbean.com/2011/05/15/wine-guy-mike-for-515/

YouTube; My YouTube channel of course is WineGuyMike™ or the actual URL link: http://www.youtube.com/user/WineGuyMike

Facebook; WineGuyMike please “like”

Twitter; @WineGuyMike please follow me

Sponsors

Ciao Mambo, “Eat Like You Mean It”, located in Missoula on The Hip Strip. Find them online at www.CiaoMambo.com

W.J. Deutsch & Sons since 1981 has been marketing quality wines produced by prestigious families from major wine regions of the world.

This week on the WineGuyMike™ Radio Show© I had the pleasure of having a conversation and personal wine tasting with my very special international guest Mr. Guy Sarton Du Jonchay of the Rhône Valley in France. Guy was not born into a winemaking family. He was in fact born into a multinational family. However, his parents came from two of the most wine loving countries in the world, his Father from France and his mother from Argentina. Having studied rural economics and sociology at the National School of Agronomy in Montpellier, France, he chose to follow a further course of study abroad in Argentina. This course of study took him to the winemaking country of Argentina, Mendoza. Here he discovered winemaking, which would become a lifelong passion.

Throughout his winemaking career, Guy’s job has led him across the globe to nearly every continent where winemaking can be found. After subsequent degrees in Enology and Viticulture, Guy made wine in the Haut-Médoc, the Languedoc and other French appellations, with Michel Torino and Viña Undurraga in Chile and Argentina and with Rosemount Estate in Australia. He has even provided expertise in a venture to produce wine in the Miyun district in China.

From 1995 until 2002 Guy worked for Barton & Guestier as the Senior Winemaker. His duties there included the design of fermentation caves as well as the installation of automated hydraulic grape presses and a streamlined bottling system. He also implemented a state of the art tracking system that enables Barton & Guestier to follow its wines from vineyard to bottle, ensuring the highest quality standards.

Guy now brings all of his significant experience and talent to the winery of Vidal-Fleury, where he is Head Winemaker and Managing Director. He is in charge of the 80,000 cases produced there annually. With his background in international winemaking, Guy is sure to bring new best practices as well as fresh ideas to the superlative wines that are produced at Vidal-Fleury.

As I have mentioned during a previous show what you experience in a well made bottle of wine is not only wonderful wine but this wine is a direct expression of the personality of the winemaker. You quite literally are drinking their personality; think about that the next time you enjoy a great glass of wine. It is certainly something to ponder.

The other thing I want to point out about Guy is his track record. This man is a very special person in the world of wine. Every where he has been and everywhere he goes he elevates wine properties in terms of the wines they produce and the systems and processes he integrates. Guy is a true Renaissance man; he has the unique ability to preserve the incredible Old World wine making technique while employing new methods of process and systems of wine production. This allows these renowned properties to remain viable in today’s so very competitive wine market. I raise my glass to toast Guy and my friends W. J. Deutsch & Sons who import Guy’s wonderful Vidal-Fleury Wines.

Vidal-Fleury in the Rhone

J. Vidal-Fleury was founded in 1781 making it the Rhône Valley’s oldest, continuously operating winery, grower and negociant. Since the beginning Vidal-Fleury has strived to produce a high quality range of wines which show individuality and the typicity of the different Rhone appellations. In the 1980’s Vidal-Fleury as purchased by the Guigal family whom produce amazing wines.

The Rhone Valley is one of France’s most important wine growing regions covering a long strip of land from Avignon in the south to Vienne in the north. This area produces more appellation wine than any other part of France, except that of the Bordeaux region. This very diverse region is split into two sections. The north which is a semi-continental environment is dominated by the Syrah grape and prestigious appellations which include Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage and St Joseph. The south has a Mediterranean climate and produces mainly blended wines from varieties such as Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Carignan.

Red wines and selected whites are matured in oak casks; a proportion of wines are matured in new oak. This restrained and selective use of oak ensures that the wines are supported and complemented by oak maturation but never dominated. Vidal-Fleury under Guy’s direction has recently completed a major project creating a new cellaring system which provides the company optimum conditions for aging, bottling, storing, and shipping wine.

Now let’s get to the important part of this story, the wine, the wine, the wine. It was a real honor for me to sit down and have a conversation with Guy, but what a pleasure to have a personal wine tasting lead by Guy himself. It really doesn’t get any better than that I must tell you.

2009 Côtes-du- Rhône Blanc

Let’s start with the 2009 Côtes-du- Rhône Blanc which is from the Southern Rhône. This white wine is 100% Viognier which is one of my favorite varietal types. This beautiful example of Viognier fermented and aged in stainless steel which preserves the true bright fruit and crispness in this wine. This vintage was a very warm one in the Southern Rhône which presents certain challenges in the wine making process. Viognier is a very dry, delicate wine with floral aromas and apricot overtones. This wine from Vidal-Fluery does not disappoint, it visually presents as a nice gold color in the glass with a mild nose of fruit, subtle citrus, and beautifully floral. Once this wine hits your palate you will enjoy a nice full, lush mouthfeel. This wine is medium dry with nice balance of fruit and acid. It has great flavor of fruit, a little tropical fruit, a nuance of almond and a beautiful finish. This wine has an impression of subtle sweetness, honey, which comes from this wine being aged on lees. I really enjoyed this wine and recommend it with chicken dishes, a white fish dish, or a Rogue Creamery Blue Cheese.

2007 Côtes-du-Rhône rouge

The next wine that I tasted was the 2007 Côtes-du-Rhône rouge and I love red blends from the Rhône. This wine is a blend of 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah, and 10% Mourvedre. This is a very typical blend from the Southern Rhône. The Vidal-Fleury wines all express nice terrior which is what great winemakers strive for. With this blend being predominantly Grenache will get a lot of aroma and flavor of red berries which this wine defiantly delivers. It is very pleasant on the nose with mild smoke, and earth which really speaks to an aspect of the terrior of this beautiful garnet colored wine. On the palate this wine is a nice balance of fruit and acid with really solid structure. This wine expresses a subtle chocolate which is great with the beautiful red berry quality of this wine. You’ll also get some nice white pepper and a little black cherry from this wine. This is a very enjoyable example of a red blend from a well done Southern Rhône blend. This is a wine you will want to try and will really like, there is very good value in this wine. I recommend you try this with grilled red meat, terrific with duck, or one of my favorite cheeses the Smoked Blue from the Rogue Valley Creamery.

2007 Côtes-du- Rhône Saint Joseph

Last but not least is the gem from the Northern Rhône Saint Joseph appellation, 2007 Côtes-du-Rhône Saint Joseph . This Vidal-Fleury selection was the stand out wine for me going through the tasting with Guy. This region in the Northern Rhône is a Semi-Continental environment which means it is very hot in the day and very cool at night thus perfect growing conditions for the Syrah grape which is all that is allowed to be produced in the Northern Rhône. The nose of this wine is amazing, smoke, earth, dust, dirt, and the best of all BACON, yes I said bacon. Great wines from France as Guy explained to me are a result of two things and they are grapes and time. It made me think of the late Jim Croce and his famous song, “Time In A Bottle”. As great as this wine is on the nose watch out because it is fabulous in the mouth. Beautiful tannin and great full, lush, nutty, spicy, with nice minerality. Guy delivers huge with this fine selection from Vidal-Fleury and did I mention the nice acidity in this wine. Wow you have to try this beautifully made with, this is terrior in your glass and I like to think of this particular wine selection as a real expression of my friend Guy’s personality and I believe it does just that. This wine has it all, great value, great wine to enjoy with red meat, pizza, pork, or the Oregon Blue Cheese from the Rogue Valley Creamery that is is aged in Syrah soaked grape leaves. I recommend this wine, you’re going to love it.

Today’s wine selections from Vidal-Fleury and distributed by our friends at W. J. Deutsch & Sons receive the WineGuyMike™ Seal of Approval®. Thanks for joining Mr. Guy Sarton Du Jonchay and WineGuyMike™ this Sunday morning.

"from my table to yours"

Wines for your Easter Dinner from WineGuyMike™

Posted on April 21, 2011 by WineGuyMike

I have posted charts indicating wine pairings that will best suit the meals you’re serving with your Easter Dinner. Tonight I will begin posting some of my favorite bottle selections that I will be adding to this evening(Friday). Saturday morning there will be numerous individual wine selections by the bottle. Be sure to check back, and I wish you all a Good Friday.

Morning Show TV segment; www.nbcmontana.com/news/27624512/detail.html

Here is a little YouTube preview for you; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61gJ9z8s3aw

One thing to consider when you are selecting a wine to go with your Easter dinner and you’re trying to decide if you and your guests would like a light, medium, or a full-bodied wine to drink. Think of wine as you would be drinking it as milk. A light body wine would be skim milk, medium body wine would be 2%, and whole milk would be like a full-bodied wine. This is a good guide to remember as most people can relate to the weight and mouthfeel of those styles of milk and translate that into a style of wine they may prefer.

Light Body Wine	Ham	Vegetarian	Sirloin or Filet	Game
Reisling	x	x
Gewurztraminer	x	x
Chenin Blanc	x	x
Viognier	x	x
Pinot Grigio	x	x
Beaujolais	x	x	x	x
Pinot Noir	x	x	x	x
Burgundy		x	x	x
Valpolicella			x	x
Bardolino			x	x
Chianti			x	x

Light Body Wine

Riesling - one of the prominent white wine grapes, a pure Riesling is complex yet delicate. Some Rieslings are just pretenders made from inferior grapes, a Riesling will be light, medium dry, fruity, a mild citrus flavor, with a mellow floral aroma.

Pinot Blanc -complex and spicy with fruit and citrus flavors, enjoy this bright fruity wine.

Gewurztraminer – wine is spicy, fruity, floral, and herbal. This is a dry, earthy, aromatic wine that is genuinely refreshing.

Chenin Blanc - this is a very versatile grape. It is very crisp, acidic, high in alcohol content, yet is smooth and full-bodied. This grape exhibits slight spiciness, a hint of honey, and slight fruitiness. This can be a very special wine, such as Vouvray, an excellent wine exhibiting many different styles.

Viognier – this grape from the Rhone valley in France is also making a name for itself in California. Viognier is a very dry, delicate wine with floral aromas and apricot overtones.

Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris – commonly referred to is a very dry wine. Some characteristics of this wine are a slightly fruity, and mild spiciness.

Beaujolais – is produced from the Gamay and is made to be drunk very young, right after bottling. This is a light bodied red that has very little tannin and is low in alcohol content. It is a fruity red wine that has berry overtones.

Pinot Noir/ Burgundy – is the grape variety of red Burgundian wines, it can produce wines that are incredible. When aged in oak it will have a very mild sweetness reminiscent of raspberries, with undertones of vegetation and chocolate. The wine can stand up to aging for many years. Pinot Noir at its best will be smooth, full of flavor, and a beautiful bouquet.

Valpolicella – light, fragrant table wines in flavor. These wines can be produced in a nouveau style, similar to Beaujolais nouveau and released only a few weeks after harvest

Bardolino – is an Italian red wine that is a light and fragrant table wine. The blend of grapes used to produce the wine includes Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara. A blend of up to 15% may include Rossignola, Barbera, Sangiovese and/or Garganega.

Chianti – This wine is made predominantly from Sangiovese which exhibits nuances of spice, cherry and raspberry flavors but can be blended with other red varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Merlot. These wines are styled differently so you need to experiment with which producers wine you prefer.

Medium Body Wine	Ham	Ribeye	Prime Rib	Sirloin or Filet	Game
Fume Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc
Sancerre
Pouilly-Fume
Macon- Villages
St.-Veran
Chablis Premier Cru
Sangiovese	x	x		x	x
Shiraz	x	x		x	x
Merlot	x	x	x	x	x
Chianti Classico		x	x	x	x
Bordeaux		x	x	x	x

Medium Body Wine

Sangiovese - one word Chianti, This grape is also the major contributor for many other fantastic Italian reds. This spicy medium bodied red also exhibits cherry and raspberry flavors.

Shiraz-Syrah - big, powerful medium to full-bodied wine, Shiraz in Australia. This grape produces wines that are supple, smooth, and rich with well-mannered mellow tannins. Flavor wise the wine will present slight spiciness, fruity like black cherries, or some may have a deep nutty flavoring.

Merlot- It tends to be soft, smooth, and very fruit forward. Winemakers the world over are creating rich style merlots that are wines full of cherry and oak flavors.

Chianti Classico – This wine is made predominantly from Sangiovese which exhibits nuances of spice, cherry and raspberry flavors but can be blended with other red varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Merlot. These wines are styled differently so you need to experiment with which producers wine you prefer. This is a step up in quality from Chianti, the grapes come from the inner historic district of Chianti.

Bordeaux – wines are red blended wines; Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot. Please see this link to understand how to make your purchasing decision; http://wineguymike.com/Bordeaux_Red.aspx

Full Body Wine	Ham	Lamb	Ribeye	Prime Rib	Sirloin or Filet	Game
Chardonnay	x	x	x	x	x	x
Chablis Grand Cru	x	x	x	x	x	x
Meursault	x	x	x	x	x	x
Chateautneuf-Du-Pape		x	x	x	x
Barbaresco		x	x	x	x
Barolo		x	x	x	x
Zinfandel		x	x	x	x
Bordeaux- Best Chateaus		x	x	x	x
Cabernet Sauvignon		x	x	x	x

Full Body Wine

Chardonnay - complex white wines, thanks to winemaking techniques, and the grapes ability to draw flavor from the nutrients and minerals in the soil. Chardonnay is aged in new oak barrels, old oak barrels, and steel barrels, all producing varying nuances in the wines. New barrels produce the strongest oaking, old barrels have a slight oak influence, while the steel has no oakiness. This dry wine is rich, bold, full of fruitiness, vanilla and a certain toastiness, just to name a few characteristics.

Chablis Grand Cru -dry wine made from 100 % Chardonnay, these are expensive limited production wines. This is the best white Burgundy and has the highest classification. A link for more info; http://wineguymike.com/Chablis.aspx

Meursault – these dry chardonnay wines from Cote De Beaune in the Burgundy region are some of the finest in the world, a style and quality of wine admired worldwide.

Chateautneuf-Du-Pape – mainly a Grenache and Syrah blend, but may contain as many as 13 grape types. These are big full-bodied reds that get a lot of sun. Sugar content is higher from the sun which means the alcohol content is higher. Link for more info; http://wineguymike.com/Rhone.aspx

Barbaresco & Barolo - from northern Italy. California is also working with the Nebbiolo. Best known for huge, robust, full bodied wines such as the Barbarescos’ and Barolos’. A big wine like this may need a decade to mature properly. These wines tend to be heavy on tannin and high in alcohol content. Aged correctly this wine will be chewy, with hints of berries, herbs, and slightly floral.

Zinfandel - full-bodied, fruit forward, and spicy wine. Berries, cherries, tobacco, oak, and vanilla this wine seems to have it all.

Bordeaux- wines are red blended wines; Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot. Please see this link to understand how to make your purchasing decision; http://wineguymike.com/Bordeaux_Red.aspx

Cabernet Sauvignon - big, powerful red wine that is full in body, rich, and imparts flavors of fruits, berries, currants, plums, spicy nuances.

"from my table to yours"

Cotes du Ventoux, “Rhone done Right” with WineGuyMike™, and Domaine De Fondreche

Posted on March 27, 2011 by WineGuyMike

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Ciao Mambo, “Eat Like You Mean It”, located in Missoula on The Hip Strip. Enjoy lunch or dinner with a glass or bottle of wine, they have an amazing wine menu. Find them online at www.CiaoMambo.com

The Cotes du Ventoux is a great place to take a bicycle ride and a great place to think about the next time you want to venture out and try a wine that is different than what you normally drink. Mont Ventoux is visited annually by a peloton of bike riders in a race known as the Tour de France, a race near and dear to my heart, a race that I can’t wait to watch every year. Yes I am a bike rider and commuter so I find myself jonesin’ for the Tour every year. Let me share a little secret with you, the two wine I’m going to share with you today will have the same effect on you as the Tour de France has on me. These two wines are so good they are just downright wicked. That’s right they are that good and that interesting, so are a couple of people that I going to tell you about as well.

Let’s start by talking about the place, Cotes du Ventoux a region in the Rhone Valley in southeastern France. The Rhone Valley is home to very rocky soils that collect heat from the abundant sunshine that is common in the Rhone. The rocky soils thus stay warm at night, the vines in the southern Rhone love this. The southern Rhone receives 30% more sunshine hours per year than the regions of Bordeaux or Burgundy. The wines of the southern Rhone are vastly different then wine produced in northern Rhone. The reason for this is the soil, location, and the grapes that are allowed to be used by the AOC, the French governing body that oversees winemaking in France.

The two main red grapes grown in the Rhone are Syrah and Grenache. Syrah is a grape that is a big powerful full bodied red that is supple, smooth, and rich with well mannered mellow tannins. Flavor wise a Syrah can be slightly spicy, fruity like black cherries, or some may have a deep nutty flavoring. Grenache is a grape that is famous for use as a blending grape in both France and Spain. Grenache is also full bodied with berry flavors. It lends itself well to nice full reds or roses that produce fruity or berry like flavor. I’m also going to mention Mourvedre which is used in both wines that I’m sharing with you today. Spain loves this grape and its popularity is on the rise as a varietal produced wine in that country. Fruity with berry flavor and tannins that are strong give this grape a strong supporting roll with the wines we are talking about today.

Wines from France are numerous and confusing to most and my focus on the WineGuyMike™ radio show and my accompanying blog post each week is to demystify wine. One piece of information that I always look for on my bottle of French wine is the producer. Why is this important? In France and in the many regions of France wines are not always estate produced and bottled, many times grapes are purchased by suppliers and exporters and the wine is then made by their respective winemakers under the stringent French winemaking laws. So the focus is to know the suppliers and exporters as you wouldn’t know the winemaker(s) in many cases.

Robert Kacher Selections

Now it’s time to talk about Bobby Kacher. When you see imported by Robert Kacher Selections I promise you these wines at all price points are going to be very good wines, that is all Bobby deals with. Bobby has been in this business for decades and has been in it with dogged determination and tenacity, in other words this man has passion for wine. He bleeds red wine that’s just how committed to you the consumer he is. He is only a handful of importers to ever receive the prestigious honor of Chevalier de l’Ordre du Mérite Agricole. Bobby has very personal relationships with every wine producer whose wine he imports. Not only that he interacts with every aspect of the grape growing all the way through the winemaking process. This truly speaks to the level of respect he has garnered over decades by winery owners and winemakers of the wines he imports from France, not many people ever get to interact in this way or at this level in the vineyards of France as you can perhaps imagine.

Bobby’s focus on wine is typically estate-grown wines that exude authenticity, earthiness, and suit the individual lifestyles, cuisines and palates of American wine drinkers. Recently Robert Parker, a well known wine expert named Bobby as “one of the 20 most influential wine personalities of the past 20 years,” and I agree.

Now I would like to introduce you to the wine, the winemaker, and his piece of terrior in the southern Rhone Valley. This winery the Domaine De Fondreche is located in the Ventoux at the base of Mont Ventoux. Because of its location the grapes receive a lot of sun and heat and to balance that the vineyards have a constant breeze that allows the grapes not to get scorched by the sun. The grapes come from two different vineyards, one that is comprised of clay and limestone gravel. The second vineyard has soils made up of sand and silt which produce wines of finesse, freshness with moderate alcohol levels. The alluvial soil matter from the ancient dice and stony surface-textured, and sandy clay soils that are situated on this plateau where air currents and high temperatures occur allow the grapes from these two vineyards to flourish and produce wines of amazing quality.

Sebastien Vincenti is the winemaker who produced these two incredible wines, Domaine De Fondreche Nadal and Persia. Sebastien worked for Andre Brunel in the famed Chateauneuf-du-pape region which is where Bobby Kacher discovered him. Sebastien is a young upstart winemaker that is intensely devoted to land, grape, and winemaking. This viticulturist and winemaker cares about this process in a way that sets him apart from many that farm and practice the craft of winemaking. This is his passion and if Bobby Kacher has red wine in his veins, Sebastien bleeds wine and dirt from his. The grapes that Domaine De Fondreche produces are organically and bio-dynamically grown and produced. These wines are made in a way that you instantly understand that they are not overdone, not underdone, not over manipulated, they actually approach perfection. Sebastien has let the process take care of itself through employing farming and winemaking techniques that smack of incredible hands off approach. But boy you understand completely that this is all about love of land and love of his craft. Sebastien I applaud you in your efforts, these wines are simple, elegant, and adventurous. Really can it get any better? Not so much for me, these wines absolutely leave me wanting and needing more. Thank you Bobby and Sebastien!

On to the wines:

Domaine De Fonreche "Persia"

“Persia” is a wine made from 30-40 year-old Syrah vines with a splash of Mourvèdre. The wine is aged completely in barrels, varying from 300 liters to 228 liters. Persia requires 2-3 years aging from its release and can be kept for more than a decade. The wine is inky and displays brawny black fruit and earth with tremendous depth, complexity and length. Only about 800 cases are ever made. This wine is a blend of 90% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre, this is an absolutely stunning wine. The nose of this wine is big and so very interesting, it hits you right up front with smoke, earth, wodd, bacon, and a dry beef jerky. then this wine transitions to the palate and you experience beautifully defined wine with silky smooth tannins, touches of raspberry, liquorices, blackberry and minerals; the finish is delightful, elegant, and long. This wine fills the mouth like no other; it will absolutely rock your world.

Domaine De Fondreche "Nadal"

The cuvée Nadal is a wine produced from equal parts old vine Syrah and Grenache. The Syrah finishes alcoholic fermentation and goes through malolactic fermentation in 300 liter casks, while the Grenache is finished in tank. Nadal requires 1-2 years aging from its release and can be kept for more than a decade. This wine is inky and displays fresh and juicy red fruits with tremendous depth, complexity and length.

The 2005 was a great vintage from the Rhone and is one of the best I have ever tasted from Domaine De Fondreche. The 2005 Nadal is comprised of 50% Grenache, 40% Syrah, and 10% Mourvedre, all from vines that are over 70 years old. The nose of this wine initially produces an aroma of smoke and dust which is wonderful and then once it immerses on the palate the Nadel exhibits nuances of kirsch, licorice, and black raspberries, and subtly displays an bouguet of early spring floral notes. The wine is purple in color and appears very dense to the eye. This wine has been aged in small oak barrels but typical of well made French wine does not taste nor have aromas from the wood, it is its own juice crafted by the amazing Sebastien Vincenti. The Nadal has a great balance of fruit and acid and will drink well for the next 5 years.

I highly recommend these wines, they are a must try. Even if these wines fall within a weekend special occasion category price wise you need to taste them. If it’s not a special occasion it will be once you taste these two gems.

Both of these wines overwhelmingly receive the WineGuyMike™ Seal of Approval®

"from my table to yours"

Posted on September 8, 2010 by WineGuyMike

Check out the radio show on The Ranch 107.1FM or 97.9FM in The Bitterroot Valley. How about a live stream feed at www.107theranch.com. The WineGuyMike™ Radio Show© with Scott and Paula on The Ranch airs weekly on Wednesday mornings at 8:20AM MDT.

Each week we will be giving away gift certificates from our sponsors. If your question is selected as WineGuyMike’s™ topic of discussion you will win one of the $20.00 gift certificates. Good luck and send your questions to WineGuyMike™ on his Facebook fan page.

New places to share with you, we’re on YouTube now. Check us out each week on YouTube our channel of course is WineGuyMike or the actual URL link: http://www.youtube.com/user/WineGuyMike?feature=mhum

Sponsors

The show is sponsored by Grizzly Liquor, “Missoula’s Best Choice”. Follow Grizzly Liquor on their Facebook fan page – Grizzly Liquor Missoula

The Lolo Creek Steak House, “Rare yet Well Done”, located in Lolo, MT. Find them online at www.lolocreeksteakhouse.com

Our next Grizzly Liquor Wine Club tasting will be held September 16th from 6-9PM at The Keep in Missoula at 102 Ben Hogan Drive, Missoula, MT 59803-2423 (406) 728-5132

Today’s WineGuyMike™ wine flight presented by Grizzly Liquor for today’s show

14 Hands Hot to Trot Red Blend
Tariquet Sauvignon Blanc

This weeks winners are; Mary Larson Kukowski and Anna Marie Tschida, thanks sharing your feedback with WineGuyMike™.

The question was; Hey WineGuyMike™ Fans what is your favorite Cheese? Do you like it with wine?

Our Fan responses were as follows:

Mary Larson Kukowski; I am a fan of havarti and enjoy it with a nice dry white wine

Anna Marie Tschida; D’affinois from the Good Food Store, Le Petit Outre bread and a nice Cab. Yum!

This week’s WineGuyMike™ Radio Show© Topic; Wine and Cheese, we’re talking about a blended red wine and a white varietal wine that pair well with the cheese we are enjoying on the show this morning.

WineGuyMike wants to share his two favorite cheeses from The Rogue Creamery, Caveman Blue and their Smoked Blue. Both of these Cheeses are available at The Good Food Store here in Missoula. The Caveman Blue is different than many blue cheese as it is soft, almost spreadable, but has a slight grittiness, pungent(in a great way), and beautiful in your mouth. Paired correctly it brings out the incredible nuances of the cheese and wine.

Rogue Creamery description; Caveman Blue is a rich, complex blue that is deliciously sweet & fruity with slight vanilla tones and a texture of butter and crystals. It has nuances of beef and bacon & grass and hay, and is firm & lower in moisture with a natural rind featuring extensive blue mold development. Age: 6-12 months.

The Rogue smoked Blue is also one of my favorites, this is firmer in texture compared to the Caveman but is no less interesting. It is a great blue with a strong but with an ever so nice smoked nuance. I love this cheese with sliced Braburn apples and wine, wow now that’s a meal unto itself.

Rogue Creamery description; Rogue Creamery’s “Oregon Blue” is the first blue cheese made on the West Coast, so we thought it only fitting that it be the first blue ever smoked.

WineGuyMike™ wine recommendations to go with these great Rogue Creamery Cheese’s.

I chose two wines today to share with you because they are wines that are readily accessible and offer the consumer great value. These two wines taste great and paired with the two cheeses I’ve selected to share with you they bring out the very best in one another. I give both of these wines The WineGuyMike™ Seal of Approval©.

14 Hands Hot to Trot 2008 Red Blend
Tariquet Sauvignon Blanc

The red wine I have chosen today is a red blended wine from The Columbia Valley in Washington State. The blend of this wine is a Southern Rhone style blend, this means they have used several grape varietals grown in the Rhone region of Southern France and blended them together. I picked this particular red blend as I have found it to be well made, well structured, sophisticated, easy drinking, and a great price point. It will also pair very nicely with the two cheeses I’ve selected.

The white wine, a Sauvignon Blanc, from South West France is a varietal wine that is simply sophisticated, in other words this winemaker knows what they are doing. This wine is extremely well made, perfectly balanced in terms of fruit, structure, balance, and acid. It will pair very well with the cheese and offers excellent consumer value.

14 Hands Hot to Trot 2008 Red Blend

14 Hands Hot to Trot 2008 Red Blend
- Generous aromas of ripe berries and dark stone fruits open this ruby-hued wine. Fleshy flavors of cherries and plum are met with soft and velvety tannins, finishing with a hint of mocha
- An easy-drinking blend of Syrah, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Mourvedre and Viognier

14 Hands is crafted from premium grapes in the heart of The Columbia Valley of Washington, it is a special find. The winery is named after the wild horses that once made their home on the land upon which 14 Hands grapes are grown. These horses were small, measuring an average of “14 hands,” but they were some of the strongest and most tenacious horses in the world. The wine retains the individual spirit of its namesake.

14 Hands winemaker Keith Kenison has been making wines in Washington state for over 15 years. His interest in winemaking brought him to Washington, and in 1992 he joined the Ste. Michelle Wine Estates facility in Grandview as a cellar worker. There, he had the opportunity to learn and observe firsthand the art of winemaking. In 1997, Keith moved to Columbia Crest Winery, and was promoted first as a quality assurance technician, and then to an enologist. His talents were quickly recognized, and he was promoted to assistant winemaker in 2002. In addition to working on the Columbia Crest portfolio, Keith “took the reins” of 14 Hands starting with the 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot — these wines were the first releases of the program.

Keith is continually walking the vineyards and tasting fruit, he hand crafts soft reds and fresh, crisp whites that capture the essence of the Horse Heaven Hills. “I take a practical approach to winemaking and let the fruit express itself,” Keith says, “I guide it to its final destination with as few manipulations as possible, making every decision by taste because, ultimately, that’s what matters to the person buying a bottle”. I love making a style of wine that I enjoy and experience.

Tariquet Sauvignon Blanc

Tariquet Sauvignon Blanc
- This 100% Sauvignon Blanc displays intense floral notes, as well as great minerality. Its beautiful texture will be the perfect accompaniment to any fish or seafood dishes.

The Tariquet story; Since 1912 Château du Tariquet has been home to the Grassa family. They first gained notoriety for Hélène and Pierre Grassa’s Armagnac, which is still produced today. In the 1980’s their children, Maïté and Yves, broke all the rules by producing their first still wines, a blend of Ugni Blanc and Colombard. A few years later, they heavily planted and created untraditional blends such as Sauvignon-Chardonnay and Chenin-Chardonnay and word of mouth is how the Tariquet taste and fashion was born! The first of many awards received by Yves and his family include a Gold Medal in Montpellier and “Winemaker of the Year” by the International Wine Challenge in London. Wine production is strictly controlled within the Domaine from viticulture to bottling and adheres to sustainable agriculture. To prevent oxidation the grapes are taken directly from the vines to the vats in isothermal tanks. The estate features a water treatment facility and they recycle and reuse all materials. The innovative “bottling to order” at Domaine du Tariquet guarantees consistent quality and freshness.

Now let’s get on with tasting the wine. Here is a simple process for basic wine tasting I call the 5 sssss’s:

Swirl – with your glass on the table or in your hand move the glass so the wine moves in a circular motion in your glass
Smell – stick your nose in the glass and think about the different aromas’ that you are able to discern
Sight – hold the wine up toward light, what does it look like, color, viscosity, what do the individual streams of wine dribbling down the side of the glass look like
Swill – take a small sip, pucker your lips and gently breath in
Spit or Swallow – if you have a bucket spit, if not swallow

Next step:

What is your sense of the wine in your mouth
What does the wine taste like
What does the wine feel like in your mouth
How does your mouth perceive the wine, all up front, in the middle, more in the back of your mouth
Is there a lingering after taste

Last Step:

This is where the brain, mouth, and eyes come together as one
Your description of what your nose, mouth, and eyes just experienced
How would you describe this, remember there is no right or wrong description this is your subjective experience
Try the cheese now and think about how you would now describe the wine

WineGuyMike’s Wine Lingo

This week’s new wine term is; Meritage, pronounced just like “Heritage”, is a proprietary term used to denote red and white Bordeaux-style wines without infringing on the Bordeaux region’s legally protected designation of origin. Winemakers must license the Meritage trademark from its owner, the California-based Meritage Alliance. Member wineries are found principally in the United States, though increasingly elsewhere.

Astringent – This refers to a drying sensation in the mouth that may make you pucker. It is common in young full bodied red wines such as a Cabernet or a Zinfandel. This is caused by high tannin content in the wine. Tannin is a tactile sensation, not a taste.

Balance – this term is one that would refer to a harmony of fruit, tannin, acid, and alcohol. There may be a nuance of fruit in a wine but it would not be so overwhelming that it would be out of balance or harmony when considering the other characteristics of a wine.

Cheesemonger – this term refers to someone who sells cheese, in this case a specialist or purveyor of artisanal cheeses.

Crisp – Fresh, Bright, Young, and Slightly Acidic. Wine Types are Sauvignon Blanc, Vermentino, and Chablis

Grassy – Refers to Herbal Characteristics often associated with Sauvignon Blanc

Oaky – A reference to a nuance in a wine resulting from wooden oak barrels that wines are aged in. This term is common to Chardonnay’s and Cabernet wines.

Velvety – This term characterizes a wines texture. This term would be used with a wine that has a rich and supple mouth feel.

Match the words that you think make sense; these words are descriptors for wine:

Bright = Flinty an epiphany in your mouth

Rich = Subtle mellow, smooth, decadent, just easy and fulfilling

Lively = Crisp the wine is refreshing, a zing, literally comes to life in your mouth

Intense = Juicy big, bold, forward just tastes like fruit you could bite into

Velvety = Aromatic sexy, goes down like silk, fills the room with its aroma

WineGuyMike is your wine advocate

From My Table to Yours™,

WineGuyMike™

Posted on September 1, 2010 by WineGuyMike

Check out the radio show on The Ranch 107.1FM or 97.9FM in The Bitterroot Valley. How about a live stream feed at www.107theranch.com.

The WineGuyMike™ Radio Show© with Scott and Paula on The Ranch airs weekly on Wednesday mornings at 8:20AM MDT, come and join in on the fun you never know what we are going to talk about. Each week we will be giving away gift certificates from our sponsors. If your question is selected as WineGuyMike’s™ topic of discussion you will win one of the $20.00 gift certificates. Good luck and send your questions to WineGuyMike™ on his Facebook fan page.

Sponsors

The show is sponsored by Grizzly Liquor, “Missoula’s Best Choice”. Follow Grizzly Liquor on their Facebook fan page – Grizzly Liquor Missoula

The Lolo Creek Steak House, “Rare yet Well Done”, located in Lolo, MT. Find them online at www.lolocreeksteakhouse.com

Our next Grizzly Liquor Wine Club tasting will be held September 1st from 6-9PM at The Keep in Missoula at 102 Ben Hogan Drive, Missoula, MT 59803-2423 (406) 728-5132

Today’s WineGuyMike™ wine flight presented by Grizzly Liquor for today’s show

14 Hands Hot to Trot Red Blend
Tariquet Sauvignon Blanc
Tariquet Chenin/Chardonnay

This weeks winners are; Katie DeSoto and April Stuart, thanks sharing your feedback with WineGuyMike™.

The question was; Hey WineGuyMike™ Fans what is your favorite Cheese? Do you like it with wine?

Our Fan responses were as follows:

Katie DeSoto; Stoneground mustard cheddar from the GFS with a crisp Pinot Gris

April Stuart; stilton, dark chocolate and port make for a great dessert!

Scott and Paula like nacho cheese paired with a nice Gallo jug wine! But like me they do not count when it comes to winning one of or gift certificates from Grizzly Liquor or The Lolo Creek Steak House.

This week I wanted to talk about my favorite topic, wine and cheese, so I went right to the top Chessemonger in the United States Tom Van Voorhees of The Rogue Creamery. Tom will be joining us in October or November on The WineGuyMike™ Show and I will be showcasing The Rogue Creamery at that time.

Tom was kind enough though to share a few of his cheese choices from the creamery that I will pair with some wines from Grizzly Liquor that I enjoy my cheese selections with.

Tom Writes: Sounds great, Mike!

We are celebrating the national release of the 2010 Rogue River Blue at the fall equinox (9/22). Your local retailer should be able to tell you if they have pre-ordered it or expect to carry it. It is also available on-line @ roguecreamery.com shipping the week of 9/13, in time to plan an equinox cheese party! It is seasonal and is our most celebrated cheese. It’s wrapped in pear brandy soaked Syrah leaves and pairs with Syrah (duh) and other big, fruit forward reds. Also, Sauternes, Ports, and other sweet, dessert style wines pair well. It was judged Best of Show at ACS in 2009 and World’s Best Blue at the World Cheese Awards in London 2003. Our owner and President, David Gremmels is slated for an appearance on the Weather Channel at equinox time. Production of RRB begins at the equinox and runs for about 8 weeks while the cows give the richest milk of the year. The ripening and tending of RRB takes nearly a full year and is released every fall.

I’m buried right now but would love to call the show in Oct or Nov. if that works for you.

Hope that helps and thanks for spreading the curd!

T.V.V.

TOM VAN VOORHEES

Manager

Rogue Creamery Cheese Shop

WineGuyMike wants to share his two favorite from The Rogue Creamery too, Caveman Blue and their Smoked Blue. Both of these Cheeses are available at The Good Food Store. The Caveman Blue is different than many blue cheese as it is soft, almost spreadable, but has a slight grittiness, pungent(in a great way), and beautiful in your mouth. Paired correctly it brings out the incredible nuances of the cheese and wine.

Caveman Blue from The Rogue Creamery

Rogue Creamery description; Caveman Blue is a rich, complex blue that is deliciously sweet & fruity with slight vanilla tones and a texture of butter and crystals. It has nuances of beef and bacon & grass and hay, and is firm & lower in moisture with a natural rind featuring extensive blue mold development. Age : 6-12 months.

The Rogue Smoked Blue is also one of my favorites, this is firmer in texture compared to the Caveman but is no less interesting. It is a great blue with a strong but with an ever so nice smoked nuance. I love this cheese with sliced Braburn apples and wine, wow now that’s a meal unto itself.

Smoked Blue from The Rogue Creamery

Rogue Creamery description; Rogue Creamery’s “Oregon Blue” is the first blue cheese made on the West Coast, so we thought it only fitting that it be the first blue ever smoked.

WineGuyMike™ wine recommendations to go with these great Rogue Creamery Cheese’s.

14 Hands Hot to Trot Red Blend

14 Hands Hot to Trot Red Blend
- Generous aromas of ripe berries and dark stone fruits open this ruby-hued wine. Fleshy flavors of cherries and plum are met with soft and velvety tannins, finishing with a hint of mocha

Tariquet Sauvignon

Tariquet Sauvignon Blanc
- This 100% Sauvignon Blanc displays intense floral notes, as well as great minerality. Its beautiful texture will be the perfect accompaniment to any fish or seafood dishes.

Tariquet Chenin-Chardonnay

Tariquet Chenin/Chardonnay
- This wine marries the finesse of Chenin Blanc (75%) with the elegance and structure of Chardonnay (25%). This complex wine displays delicious floral notes, as well as exotic fruit and vanilla. It brings seafood and chicken dishes to perfection.

WineGuyMike’s Wine Lingo

This week’s new wine term is; Cheesemonger – this term refers to someone who sells cheese, in this case a specialist or purveyor of artisanal cheeses.

Balance – this term is one that would refer to a harmony of fruit, tannin, acid, and alcohol. There may be a nuance of fruit in a wine but it would not be so overwhelming that it would be out of balance or harmony when considering the other characteristics of a wine.

Crisp – Fresh, Bright, Young, and Slightly Acidic. Wine Types are Sauvignon Blanc, Vermentino, and Chablis

Grassy – Refers to Herbal Characteristics often associated with Sauvignon Blanc

Oaky – A reference to a nuance in a wine resulting from wooden oak barrels that wines are aged in. This term is common to Chardonnay’s and Cabernet wines.

Velvety – This term characterizes a wines texture. This term would be used with a wine that has a rich and supple mouth feel.

Match the words that you think make sense; these words are descriptors for wine:

Bright = Flinty an epiphany in your mouth

Rich = Subtle mellow, smooth, decadent, just easy and fulfilling

Lively = Crisp the wine is refreshing, a zing, literally comes to life in your mouth

Intense = Juicy big, bold, forward just tastes like fruit you could bite into

Velvety = Aromatic sexy, goes down like silk, fills the room with its aroma

WineGuyMike

From My Table to Yours™,

WineGuyMike™

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