This Week on the WineGuyMike™ Radio Show© Special Father's and Special Wines

Posted on June 17, 2012 by WineGuyMike

Check out the radio show on The Trail 103.3FM and U 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 Father’s Day podcast, Special Father’s and Special Wines http://trail1033.podbean.com/2012/06/17/wine-guy-mike-for-june-17/

Recent Podcast with John Balletto of Balletto Vineyards & Winery http://bit.ly/WineGuyMike2

Recent Podcast with Justin Wylie and Va Piano Vineyards; http://trail1033.podbean.com/2012/04/22/wine-guy-mike-for-april-22/

NBC Montana Today TV Segment on Easter wines and food pairing; http://www.nbcmontana.com/video/30847522/index.html

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

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

Liquid Planet “Best of Beverage” and a great place to find your holiday wine located in the heart of downtown Missoula.

www.WineChateau.com

Georges Distributing in Helena, Montana.

Today is Father’s Day and I thought it would be a great opportunity to pay homage to some of the men who are or were father’s, whom I have really respected and loved, and have made such an impression that they have impacted my life.

President Lyndon B. Johnson issued the first presidential proclamation honoring fathers, designating the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day in 1966. It was six years later, in 1972, when President Nixon made the day a permanent national holiday by signing it into law.

I thought it would be fun to share a little of my life with you, of course let us not forget this show is all about wine. I put a great deal of thought into these men who have been important to me and thought about what wines that I have enjoyed recently that reminded me of these special men on Father’s Day.

First I’ll talk about my dad, his name is Frederick. My dad grew up in a very poor family in Upstate New York, which is also where I grew up. My Dad’s life growing up was not easy, he is a survivor who has had to scrap for everything in life, but my dad was a dreamer. My dad went after his dreams and fought as hard as he could to live and achieve all that he could dream. For my Dad I raise my glass and toast him with a great Syrah from Walla Walla in Washington State from Reynvann Vineyards. For this toast I chose their Syrah “The Contender”, they make three great Syrah’s but this one that I think is one of the finest varietal examples seemed appropriate for my Dad.

My Father-in-law, Paul Wright who was one of the toughest men I have known, and not due to his physical strength. He was tough enough to be a great man. Paul a recipient of the Purple Heart from the Korean War was hospitalized for nearly one year having been shot in the war, but he survived. Paul was a Nuclear Engineer, the father of five children, foster father to over 2,000 children who needed emergency short term(Ha Ha) care. These kids were raised alongside his own children wearing the same clothing, taking the same music lessons, and playing the same sports. My Father-in-law just lost a long and hard fought battle to Pancreatic Cancer, he seemed to even beat that though, he lived nearly two years after diagnosis. I raise a glass of Pinot Noir from Balletto Vineyards and Winery in the Russian River Valley. This is a great Pinot Noir that expresses true and real terroir at the hands of winemaker Anthony Beckman, that is what my father-in-law was true, real, and an example of something to model oneself after.

My Grandfather on my mother’s side, Alfred Gates, was a survivor of World War II. He spent his time in the war on destroyer escorts, the support team for the big battleships. His boat survived the war and all the unbelievable storms at sea. This man taught me self respect, how to treat others, how to be a leader of a family. Al was loved by everyone who ever met him, and he enjoyed everyone he met. He is a person I miss a lot and think about from time to time even though he has been gone for over thirty years. I’m grateful for this man who always had a twinkle in his eye, for him I toast him with no other than a great sparkling wine, Gruet Brut Rose.

Last but not least by any means, my Grandfather Tornatore from Sicily. My Grandfather came to this country with nothing through Ellis Island in New York. He eventually settled in a tiny place in Upstate New York named Mexico, New York. This man was a bull of a man, as wide as he was short, he was a pheasant who worked in a steel foundry and raised everything on his land to feed his family. I am forever grateful to this man for instilling my love and passion of wine, my grandfather also loved wine. As powerful a man as he was, his hand for the vine was gentle. He was a master of grafting fruit trees and grapevines, I followed him and learned a love of the land, a love of the vine, and he instilled his amazing passion for the wine to me. For this I’m eternally grateful, to him I raise a glass of Boroli Quattro Fratelli

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

These wonderful Father’s Day wine selections are available today at Liquid Planet, in the heart of Downtown Missoula, Missoula’s ultimate wine shopping experience and the very best of beverage.

From my table to yours,

What’s Your Wine Style? This Week on the WineGuyMike™ Radio Show©

Posted on January 8, 2012 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.

Social Media links;

Today’s Podcast; will be posted as soon as it is available, thank you.

NBC Montana Today TV Segment with Christmas wines; http://www.nbcmontana.com/video/30063511/index.html

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

Sleep City Missoula www.SleepCity.com

Liquid Planet “Best of Beverage” and a great place to find your holiday wine located in the heart of 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.

Good Sunday morning and welcome to the WineGuyMike Radio Show. It’s 2012 and I’m ready to rock this year’s vintage with you. Together we are going to take a new approach and a new look at great wines that I can’t wait to share with you.

Pick up your empty glass and hold it up to the sky as you look out the window. Imagine the beautiful color of your favorite wine adorning the glass, bend your elbow and pull the glass close and tip your nose deep into the glass. Breathe deeply and imagine the wildest exotic aromas of your favorite wine rising from the juice in your glass. Lower the glass to your lips, tilt your head gently back and take an imaginary sip of the finest wine you have ever tasted. Swish the wine all about as it invigorates your palate. Swallow the liquid nectar and imagine The Trail that it has left behind, the finish of the best wine you have ever tasted. It lingers on your palate just like a song you hear on the radio and then it is stuck in your head. You play it over and over, on your palate and in your mind.

That’s right this I’m going to take you on a new virtual wine journey week after week in 2012. We are going to meet interesting new people from the vast world of wine. Virtually traveling to new places we have yet to visit, experiencing wine in a way you and I have never imagined.

Welcome to 2012. Today I’m going to talk about style, your wine style preference is what I’m referring to. So far this winter Western Montana has been a little bit strange. Why you ask, well it has in the high 30’s to low 50’s and the last time I checked it is early January. As memory serves me it is usually about zeroish this time of year in the Rocky Mountains. This is more than a little disconcerting, it is just downright unusual.

Did you know that all throughout the decade of the 60’s that grape farmers in Burgundy, France harvested their grapes on average at the end of September? In the first few years of the millennium that harvest took place in the first week of September. I don’t begin to know what that means but it is a huge change. When I think about having Spring in the middle of Winter in the Rocky Mountains and major climate changes in wine country around the world it is one of those circumstances that make me go hmm……………..

Old World, New World, what’s your style? Let’s take a closer look and see if we can define this. First of all let’s consider these terms; Old World wine, Old World winemaking, New World wine, and New World winemaking. What do these terms mean and why are they relevant?

When I think about terminology that best describes Old World vs. New World these are a few thoughts that come to mind.

Old World; Ancient, Europe, tried, apprenticeships, craftsman, details, tradition, experience, patience, aged, practical, these are my thoughts when I think of Old World.

New World; Young, new, melting pot, now, in the moment, technology, science, instant gratification, excess, impatient, brash, learn as I go, these are a few terms that come to mind when I think of New World.

I’m not suggesting that one is better that the other, what I am suggesting is that when it comes to wine, these are styles. Styles should be considered for the situation, perhaps a style to suite your mood, or your frame of mind.

For me Old World vs. New World could be compared to the difference between those who cook with feel and experience and those who cook with recipes. Old World draws on centuries of experience thus allowing for intuitive multi-dimensional winemaking. New World has decades of experience, it may still be developing its formula, striving to become more dimensional. Experience enables chef’s to create and cook with intuition; the same can be said for winemakers as well.

Winemakers from the Old World are very much in the background. Current winemakers are a result of many years of understudy and apprenticeship with the winemaker who made wines at that particular Chateau or Estate. Rarely do you know the name of a famous Old World winemaker, but it is common to be aware of a famous Chateau or Estate that produces excellent wine. This is because European wine laws typically dictate what grapes can be grown, how much of them can be grown, harvested, and dictate how the wines are made. Wine regions of the Old World have be growing grapes and making wine for centuries. The New World does not yet have this type of experience to draw from. The Old World quite literally has this down to a formula and they understand their terroir, or sense of place.

Let’s remember that Old World wine is made by design, it is made to complement foods that are indigenous to that particular region. These wines are blends of grapes that are smooth and easy to drink and are easily enjoyed with foods they are designed to pair with. Old World wines exude restraint but express subtle nuances of sense of place, are understated yet complex, these are sophisticated wines that present as simple.

Wine in the New World in the most historic sense may only be a century old. Cavalier vineyard owners and young winemakers are still discovering new places to grow grapes as they understand terrior. Historic floods, fossils, seismic activities, and cataclysmic eruptions up and down the west coasts of North and South America are now the home of multitudes of renowned vineyards with serious potential.

If you look closely at the pedigrees of New World winemakers almost all have wine related degrees of Enology or Viticulture from UC Davis or Oregon State. What does this mean for you and me? Most new young winemakers have these degrees prior to having the opportunity to utilize their specialties at a wine estate. This is unlike the Old World that is steeped in the tradition of apprenticeship. New World winemaking comes at wine from a very different direction than Old World in some respects and I believe it is reflected in the wine, not that this is bad, it is just different.

New World wines are not made as a result of foods indigenous to regions. These wines are driven by science and now are also by an understanding of the terroir. Vineyard owners and winemakers understand terroir now in a way the Old World has for centuries. So how are the wines different, well to start with most New World wines are single varietal wines, although many winemakers that are beginning to blend wines well. Most New World wine has a much higher percentage of alcohol than Old World wine. This presents wines that are much bigger, much bolder than their European counterparts. In general most New World wines are designed to drink and not necessarily made with a food pairing purpose in mind. That is not to say New World wines do not pair well with food, they are not made to complement food localized to a region.

I find that New World wines have a much sturdier frame or structure, are much more pronounced visually, aromatically, and certainly on the palate. This is the New World style of wine, is this better, less than, no they really cannot be compared because they are simply different. As for me it really comes down to what is the circumstance and what kind of mood I’m in. Do you want wine to enjoy dinner with or do I want to sip on wine to be social, a lot to consider. New World and Old World alike both produce wonderful wines, but perhaps with a different focus.

2009 “In the Rocks” Syrah from Reynvaan Family Vineyards

This is an example of an Old World style of wine made by Matt Reynvaan who last year was noted as one of the top 30 winemakers under 30 years of age in the world. Nobody does wine better that Reynvaan Vineyards from Walla Walla in the Columbia Valley AVA.

The 2009 “In The Rocks” is packed with dark fruit aromatics, smoked meats, crushed gravel, and white pepper. It is very animalistic with hints of sweet creme brulee and will benefit from 5 years of cellaring if you are able to resist the temptation to drink it. Terroir driven wine that is outstanding, you don’t want to miss this. Check this wine out at Liquid Planet in the heart of Downtown Missoula.

2009 Truchard Vineyards Syrah from Carneros Napa Valley

The 2009 vintage produced fruity wines with intense flavors, great texture, and beautiful balance. This terrific example of a New World style of wine from the Carneros area in the Napa Valley has aromas of plum, boysenberry, and blackberry; highlighted with vanilla, earth, and white pepper. On the palate this wine is fills your mouth with rich flavors of cassis and black cherry; followed by mineral and cracked black pepper. Ripe tannins provide an opulent, long finish of fruit and spice. This wine is well made and a beautiful wine to drink.

*Both of these wines are upscale wines that represent the Old World vs. New World styles reffered to in today’s blog. There will be selections of both styles available at your favorite place to shop for affordable wines too.

"from my table to yours"

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

Social Media links;

Today’s Podcast; http://trail1033.podbean.com/2011/11/27/wine-guy-mike-for-november-27/

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

WineGuyMike's Thanksging Day wine selections with Rob Hudson

Posted on November 24, 2011 by WineGuyMike

Here are a few of WineGuyMike and Rob’s favorite wines to go with your Thanksgiving Day dinner. Remember if you like red wine you will want to choose a wine that is light to medium bodied, has a good balance of fruit and acid. A white wine that pairs well with Thanksgiving Day dinner should be rich, lush, and slightly tart.

Thanksgiving Day wines on Montana Today; http://www.nbcmontana.com/video/29832819/index.html

Thanksgiving Day Wines

2008 Balletto Gewurztraminer

The aroma of Lychee fruit, guava, red pear and granny smith apple aromas are ever present in this wine. Bright fruit and citrus flavors highlight the dominate aromas of this beautiful Gewurztraminer. Once in your mouth tropical flavors from the nose translate to the palate and are accompanied by subtle tangerine and lemon.

The wine is lush in texture yet light, balanced tannins and a delightful finish of toffee, lingering apple, and pear make this a perfect wine to compliment your thanksgiving turkey and all of the lovely side dishes.

2009 Balletto Pinot Gris

This Pinot Gris is a complex, pale, straw-colored wine that opens with musky and exotic fresh fig and floral honey tones. The secondary aromas reveal ripe red apple, melon and lemon. The aromas are ever-changing and intoxicating, and on the palate this wine is lush and perfectly viscous with a dose of tartness that balances and holds the wine together.

2010 Balletto Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

This dark, garnet-colored Pinot Noir is floral with aromas of rose petals, spice, ginger, cassis and fruit aromas of raspberry. There is a bit of dusty earth with just hint of vanilla too. This wine is showy with a seamless viscosity that is balanced with a healthy bit of tartness to keep the wine fresh and lively. It’s full in the palate with fine, coco-powder-like tannins. A long beautiful finish.

Here is another wine that will pair nicely with a Thanksgiving meal and guests will certainly enjoy.

2010 Hugel Gentil

The Hugel Gentil revives an ancient Alsace tradition that wines produced from a blend of noble varietals were called “Gentil”.

Hugel Gentil is a traditional Alsace blend of primarily Gewurztraminer paired with varying amounts of Pinot Gris, Riesling, Muscat and Sylvaner.

The Gentil blend of Noble grapes from Alsace region display a light youthful color in the glass and is ripe with floral, fruit and notes of spice. This wine is rich, yet dry with a hint of lemon zest and mineral is the perfect complement for your dinner. This is an outstanding Thanksgiving wine selection.

2010 Hestia Cellars Chenin Blanc

This is a beautiful medium body Chenin Blanc. Rich aromas of melon, nectarine, and soft honey notes yet remains dry and crisp. Ripe with citrus and grapefruit this wine has generous acidity. The Hestia Chenin Blanc has great balanced and is the perfect accompaniment to Thanksgiving dinner.

Reynvaan wines are made by Matt Reynvaan who was noted as one of the top 30 winemakers under 30 years old in the world last year. All three of these Syrah wines are some of the best in the world. Each wine is blended with Viognier, Rousanne, or Marsanne which are white wine varietals. This is traditional in the Northern Rhone of France. All three of these wines are very special.

Syrah Walla Walla Valley The Contender 2008

Ripe and expressive, offering a plush, soft mouthful of stony mineral, cola and sassafras flavors, with a welling up of black cherry and dark plum character as the finish persists impressively. Delivers depth, power and elegance.

Syrah Walla Walla Valley In The Rocks 2008

Smooth and expressive, with layers of cherry, sassafras, black olive and black pepper gliding over a polished frame, lingering enticingly. Offers depth and elegance, without excess weight.

Syrah Walla Walla Valley The Unnamed Syrah 2008

Brimming with rich berry flavors and scads of mineral notes, this sets up a marvelous tension between the two flavor poles and remains electric through the long, expressive finish. Shows depth, roundness and a distinctive profile on a polished frame.

"from my table to yours" Happy Thanksgiving

Posted on August 28, 2011 by WineGuyMike

Each week WineGuyMike™ 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 – $25.00 gift certificates. Good luck and send your questions to WineGuyMike™ on his Facebook fan page.

Social Media links;

Today’s Podcast; http://trail1033.podbean.com/2011/08/28/wine-guy-mike-for-august-28-2011/

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.

The Reynvaan Family

You’ll notice in the title of this piece I refer to “Wine Fusion”, and for a good reason that I will be sharing with you. This week on the WineGuyMike™ Radio Show© my special guest was Mike Reynvaan founder of Reynvaan Family Vineyards. This winery and vineyards are a small family agricultural business whose mission is to produce quality fine wines and boy have they done that and then some. In wrapping my head around just what the Reynvaan family has achieved in their quest to produce great wines I just kept thinking about what they have, how they got there, and what does that mean for all of us wine lovers. And so the story begins with a very engaging conversation with Mike Reynvaan; Podcast http://trail1033.podbean.com/2011/08/28/wine-guy-mike-for-august-28-2011/

The Reynvaan philosophy and path to making world class wine is really through great terrior and viticulture. The greater Columbia Valley has eleven AVA’s that all produce great wines but the one we are focusing on today is the Walla Walla Valley AVA. This area is one of the most unique terrior’s in today’s New World of wine.

The Walla Walla Valley AVA was established in 1984 and grape growing began in the 1850s by Italian immigrants. There are over 100 wineries in this region that have planted vines on over 1,600 acres. The predominant varietals are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, and Syrah. Sangiovese also grows very well in Walla Walla which is one reason why the Italians chose this area. Other varietals are also becoming more common in the region; Gewurztraminer, Cabernet Franc, Grenache, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Tempranillo, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillion, and Viognier.

The soil in this region is the result of layers of alluvial soil from the Lake Missoula floods and volcanic eruptions. The Missoula Floods were a series of perhaps 35-40 geologic cataclysms that swept across Eastern Washington and down the Columbia Gorge at the end of the last ice age around 12,000 and 15,000 years ago. These massive floods were a result of ruptures in the glacial ice dam that created Montana’s Glacial Lake Missoula. The flood level reached 1200 feet at its greatest depth which resulted in layers of soil and deposits from volcanic eruptions. This left behind a layer of bedrock that facilitates an incredible growing ground for the Reynvaan Family Vineyards grapes.

The Reynvaan Family Vineyards are located near the base of the Blue Mountains which adds one more dynamic layer to the terrior table, Basalt bedrock and boulders. There is a layer of soil known as “Freewater cobbly loam” that sits atop a stratum of 10,000 feet depth of bedrock. This is one of the largest deposits on earth outside the floor of the world’s oceans.

What does this all have to do with wine? Once you begin to study wine you realize that the best wines in the world are grown in and on what appear to be the worst of vineyard conditions. In reality these tough conditions force the grapes to work hard to survive and that is exactly what happens. The growing grounds around this Blue Mountain area in Walla Walla allow the vines roots to dig in deep seeking nutrients in soil that has great drainage. This along with the generous sunshine and heat warm the rocky soil which aids in the grapes development.

It is important to understand the geology from this Walla Walla Valley AVA because this is the beginning of a great bottle of wine that expresses concentrated fruit with distinct minerality. Mike Reynvaan understood this clearly when he purchased land to establish the Reynvaan Family Vineyards. Viticulture also plays a significant part in producing a great wine. The Reynvaan’s vineyards are planted in a very dense manner, if fact some of the most crowded conditions in all of Walla Walla. This along with reducing fruit from the grape clusters forces the grape clusters to grow smaller berries that have tremendous fruit concentration. This in the hands of a skilled winemaker all translate to great wine. Welcome to Reynvann Family Vineyards wines, some of the best you will ever taste if you can get your hands on some. Yes these wines are so good that they sell out every vintage.

It was so hard for me to get my hands on these highly coveted wines this week it reminded me of high school and the pretty girl you always admired from afar and never had a chance to date. Lucky for WineGuyMike™ his sponsor Georges Distributing in Helena, Montana who supply the Reynvaan Wines made it happen for the WineGuyMike™ Radio Show©.

When I started this story I mentioned “Wine Fusion.” This entire Reynvaan story immediately reminded me of the late great Miles Davis, the Godfather of Jazz Fusion. Different elements coming together that result in amazing music or in this case Reynvaan Wines. You may wonder about this analogy but stay with me for just a minute. France and Walla Walla share similar latitudes, Walla Walla may be the new Châteuneuf-du-Pape of the United States, a terrior created by floods and volcanic eruptions, Old World and New World viticulture and winemaking. Okay you probably get my point of “Wine Fusion,” how about that in your glass with a little Miles Davis.

Mike Reynvann combined forces with one of the great cult winemakers from France who also settled in Walla Walla, enter Christophe Baron. Christophe owns Cayuse Vineyards and also produces world class wines. He has been consulting with Reynvaan Family Vineyards since 2004 when Mike purchased his vineyard land. Now enter Mike’s son Matt Reynvaan who honed his winemaking skills in France to and now he and Christophe work as a team in producing wines for the Reynvaan label. Matt was bestowed a very special honor this week by Wine & Spirits magazine. He was named one of the 30 Under 30 top wine talents in the world, and I’m here to tell you that after drinking his wines, yes he is. Congratulations Matt!

The Reynvaan Wines are made in a very French Northern Rhone wine like style. There is a great deal of terrific Old World technique and style involved in crafting these fine artisanal wines. The Old World countries just have a leg up on the New World because of time and experience in working with wines, especially when it comes to blending varietals. European wines also tend to be lower in alcohol content and are a product of being made to complement the indigenous foods from the area in which the wines are produced. In this case Matt Reynvaan has produced a horizontal flight of three Syrah wines that are some of the best in the world from the 2008 vintage.

These three wines are all blended and co-fermented with small amounts of white wine varietals; Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussanne. This winemaking technique helps a wine to be a bit more restrained and less aggressive in your glass. Syrah wines can be bold and spicy but when blended in this Northern Rhone style the wines become refined, elegant, supple, with silken like tannins which is exactly what Matt has accomplished with all three of these beauties from Walla Walla.

All three of these wines have scored 93-95 points in Wine Spectator reviews out of a possible 100 points. Let’s get to these three wines; The Unnamed Syrah, In The Rocks, and the The Contender all from the 2008 vintage. I share these wines in the order in which I tasted as Mike Reynvaan led me through the flight of Matt’s masterpieces. You might wonder how three Syrah wines can all have such distinct personalities but they do.

A common theme that each of these wines express are beautiful fruit, great on the nose, elegant structure, superb balance, silky tannin, perfect acidity, a finish that leaves you longing for more, and a mouthfeel that leaves a beautiful mid-palate impression. These are red wines that are extremely approachable even in the summer. The French style in which the wines are made lend themselves to a style that is a bit lighter in body, not too heavy and meaty like some of their counterparts that are a straight up Syrah varietal produced wine. Not that that is a bad thing but perhaps a bit much in the middle of summer. The other important thing to note is the style and balance of these three Syrah’s in which they are made make them perfect food companions. I would recommend pairing these wines with Veal, Pork, and Lamb chops. A great prime Sirloin steak, Leg of Lamb, or any Wild Game Meat will also do nicely with Matt Reynvaan’s wines.

The Unnamed Syrah Walla Walla Valley 2008 $40

Rating: */** (Excellent/Exceptional) The Unnamed Syrah is loaded with aromas of peach, tangerine, wild blackberry, smoke and hints of lavender and a trace of caramel. This elegant wine is created to be enjoyed in its youth but will evolve over the next 7-8 years. 90% Syrah co-fermented with 10% Viognier. 13.8% alcohol. Approximately 450 cases produced. WS 95pts.

In The Rocks Syrah Walla Walla Valley 2008 $45

Rating: ** (Exceptional) The In The Rocks is packed with dark fruit aromatics, smoked meats, crushed gravel, and white pepper. It is very animalistic with hints of sweet creme brulee and will benefit from 5 years of cellaring if you are able to resist the temptation to drink it. 2% Syrah co-fermented with 6.5% Viognier and 1.5% Marsanne. 13.2% alcohol. Approximately 450 cases produced. WS 93 pts.

The Contender Syrah Walla Walla Valley 2008 $55

Rating: ** (Exceptional) The Contender has amazing aromatics that are bursting with Marshmallow, white flower, crushed rocks, wild mushrooms, Asian spices and crushed raspberry. The minerality of this wine is so powerful with the balance of aromatics that will make it hard to take your nose away from the glass. The finish goes on and on. 94% Syrah co-fermented with 4% Marsanne and 2% Viognier. Approximately 450 cases produced. WS 95 pts.

Seattle Metropolitan Magazine just released their list of 100 Best Washington Wines, the 2008 The Contender was #2, 2008 The Unnamed Syrah #6, Cayuse, Cailloux #1, Quilceda Creek #3.

Stay tuned because this is just the beginning of what is happening in the New World of wine. With great young winemakers like Matt Reynvann Oregon and Washington wines have only just gotten started, the potential is scary and I can’t wait to share those wine stories with you. For now I wish that your glass may be full of wine from the Reynvaan Family Vineyards in Walla Walla, Washington.

A special thank you to the Mike, Gale, Matt, Amanda, and Angela Reynvaan for all that you do to produce some of the best wine there is, cheers to all of you.

This flight of wine all receive the WineGuyMike™ Seal of Approval® as for Matt I dub him the “New World Grape Slayer.”

"from my table to yours"

WineGuyMike™

Wineguymike's Blog

Your wine resource

Tag Archives: Reynvaan Wine

This Week on the WineGuyMike™ Radio Show© Special Father's and Special Wines

What’s Your Wine Style? This Week on the WineGuyMike™ Radio Show©

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

WineGuyMike's Thanksging Day wine selections with Rob Hudson

“Wine Fusion” with Reynvaan Family Vineyards from Walla Walla on the WineGuyMike™ Radio Show©