"Three Big Reds" This Week on the WineGuyMike™ Radio Show©

Posted on February 19, 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; http://trail1033.podbean.com/2012/02/19/wine-guy-mike-for-february-19/

NBC Montana Today TV Segment with Valentine’s Day wines; http://www.nbcmontana.com/video/30455384/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.

www.WineChateau.com

Georges Distributing in Helena, Montana.

Good Sunday morning and welcome back to the WineGuyMike show. It’s the middle of winter and it’s time to move with my shifting palate and that can only mean one thing. It’s time to break out the big guns, some familiar and some not so familiar. Today I’m going to share three great full bodied wines with you, and they’re all from The big “C”, California.

In recent weeks my focus has been on Old World wines that pair so well with food.

WineGuyMike and Gia the wonderdog

I’m hunkered down here in the Rocky Mountains of Montana sitting with Gia the wonderdog, she is my tasting partner, and we are sipping and tasting wine. As I have mentioned in previous weeks New World wines are made to be drunk, not necessarily with food but paired correctly are excellent companions. Today though Gia and I are just tasting wine, no dining.

The wines we are sharing with you today are from artisanal family owned wineries in California and all produce beautiful examples of the single varietal wines. All three of these wines are full bodied, powerful, yet are made with finesse and elegance.

Today I have two Zinfandel’s and one varietal you may not be familier with, Cabernet Franc, the spicy cousin of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Remember Cabernet Sauvignon is a big, powerful red wine that is full in body, rich, and very flavorful imparting nuances of fruits, berries, currants, and plums. Cabernet Franc has traditionally been used as blending wine but now is gaining popularity as its own stand alone wine type or varietal. This is a full bodied wine and in the hands of a good winemaker is lovely to drink as a single varietal wine.

Zinfandel is full bodied wine that is fruit forward, spicy wine that is one of California’s favorites, and most plentiful. Berries, cherries, tobacco, oak, and vanilla, this wine seems to have it all.

The wines I’m sharing with you today are all delightful examples of the varietals they represent. The Zinfandel wines are different, yet both are very good wines. J Dusi’s Zin is a wonderful wine made with the delicate touch of a woman, so easy and nice to drink. The Truchard Zin is powerful, complex with structure and such a nice Zinfandel to drink.

The Cabernet Franc from Lang & Reed is also a great wine to enjoy in these long Winter months. This wine is affordable, very well made, and elegant with just a hint of spice. Enjoy these wines that Gia the wonderdog and I share with you today from the WineGuyMike world headquarters here in Montana.

Welcome to J Dusi Wines

Janell was born and raised on the Dusi Vineyard where her grandfather Dante taught her the Old World Italian style of winemaking.

Her family’s heritage dates back to the early 1920’s, where grape growing has been a craft that has deep roots in the Dusi family. The farming practices that were implemented by her great-grandparents eighty years ago, are still the standard that they follow today. The unique, hand crafted quality of J Dusi Wines results from Janell’s intimate involvement in every step of the process: working in the vineyard, driving the tractor, hand picking their own fruit, crushing the grapes and fermenting the juice from the bins to the barrels to the bottle. One thing that Janell knows and understands is that; winemaking is part science, part art and 100% passion.

She takes great pride in blending tradition with progress. Her family has partnered together to purchase other vineyards, with different grape varietals, so with an adventurous spirit; Janell is able to produce more hand crafted wines that highlight her “spice rack” in the cellar.

Her name is Janell Dusi. Her true passion is Zinfandel. Her label is J Dusi Wines. She is a farmer and a winemaker. She carries on the legacy and also the dream: A family tradition with a new perspective.

2009 Zinfandel

Big bright fruit envelopes you on the front palate with a hint of spice towards the end. This garnet Zinfandel gives you the essence of 100% Zinfandel from the westside terroir of the Dusi Vineyard. Brambleberry essence and a dry finish that is medium in body.

Truchard

Truchard Vineyards is a small, family-owned winery in the Carneros region of Napa Valley. Proprietors Tony and Jo Ann Truchard have managed a successful vineyard and grown exceptional grapes for over 30 years. Through their hard work and devotion to this unique property, they helped pioneer grape growing in the Carneros. In 1989, the Truchards established a winery and began producing wines using only their estate-grown fruit.

Truchard Vineyards produces the only Zin made entirely from Napa Carneros fruit.

2009 Truchard Zinfandel

Beautiful aromas of cherry, cranberry and cassis; with a touch of cedar and mint. The mouth is filled with ripe jammy flavors of plum, wild berries, and sweet vanilla. Round tannins and firm acidity provide a long, delicate finish of spice and red fruits.

Lang & Reed

In the last century Lang & Reed began their exploration into Cabernet Franc, they did so with a constant sense of resolve to stay keenly aware of all things ‘Cabernet Franc’. So it was with resolve that they investigated and strived to understand the source material, the clonal selections as they were evolving throughout the 1990’s. The choice of Cabernet Franc clones before this time was minimal, but in those roaring 90’s a number of great clones made their way into the vineyards of Napa Valley. One of these unique selections was Clone 214, a cultivar that originated in the Loire Valley of France, home to some of the worlds’ most renowned Cabernet Franc vineyards and producers.

In 2007 Lang & Reed found a vineyard located on ideal rocky soils on a beautiful hillside slope in the southeastern corner of Napa Valley. The Sugarloaf Mountain benefits from moderate temperatures and cooling breezes that emanate from the northern reaches of San Francisco Bay. This New World climate combined with this Old World Loire Valley Clone provides the basis for a unique and immensely gratifying presentation of the Cabernet Franc grape.

When Lang & Reed began their exploration of Cabernet Franc they set out with the goal to present a wine that was ‘true to type,’ or in wine-speak, a wine that showed ‘typicity’ – boldly saying ‘Cabernet Franc’! Their exploration, in progress for over a decade, brought them to the rows of many vineyards in very diverse growing conditions. For seven vintages we have been focused a little north of us [north of Napa Valley that is] in the hills of Lake County. They have been working with vineyards ‘up’ in Lake County long enough to have found growers who are passionate in providing them with the grapes they needed to realize their Cabernet Franc vision.

The 2009 is a compelation of grapes from four vineyards, two located in the Napa Valley and two from the northern reaches of Lake County. Though only a small percent, the Stanton Vineyard in Oakville provides that bright crisp cherry aroma and flavor component. Sugarloaf Mountain, located in the cool southeastern reaches of Napa Valley contributes to the effusive aromas and texture. The High Chaparral Vineyard, located high up in the real red hills of Lake County just north of Kelseyville was planted back in the 70’s. It is the only Cabernet Franc vineyard Lang & Reed know of that is planted on its own roots – a true Franc de Pied providing deep structure and lovely fruit tannins. Also above the 2,000ft elevation in the High Valley appellation of Lake County are the Cross Spring Vineyards. The grapes from this vineyard provide them with an exciting facet in their quest to express ‘typicity’ in our North Coast bottling.

The 2009 North Coast Cabernet Franc has a bright, clear and brilliant red color rimmed in youthful violet-blue. Sweet cherry, herb and spice aromatics push forward accented with lightly toasted top notes. The flavors call forth bright cherry fruit and a mélange of dried herbs – all with a beguiling softness that begs for another glass.

All of these wines receive the WineGuyMike Seal of Approval®

"from my table to yours"

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

Posted on January 8, 2012 by WineGuyMike

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

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” 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

Riedel Wine Glasses, A Wine Delivery System by Design this week on the WineGuyMike™ Radio Show©

Posted on November 13, 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/2011/11/13/wine-guy-mike-for-november-13/

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

Liquid Planet, “Best of Beverage”, located in Downtown Missoula www.LiquidPlanet.com

Sleep City Missoula , “Giving A Good Night’s Sleep To Those In Need” 2401 North Reserve Street www.SleepCity.com

Georges Distributing in Helena, Montana.

Good Sunday morning and welcome to the WineGuyMike radio show. I recently had the pleasure of attending a stemware demonstration with Maximillian Riedel. The Riedel Wine Glass Company has been making wine glasses for 300 years and Maximilian Riedel is the 11^th generation family member representing their wine glass company.

I personally have used Riedel stemware for 20 years to enjoy, savor, and taste wines. After two decades of experience and familiarity with a product one would “assume” the knowledge gained by use or consumption of a product that you might qualify as somewhat of an expert. Boy was I wrong, ouch, humbled once again.

I have studied wine nearly my entire life but the 90 minutes I spent in the wine glass demonstration with Maximilian was not only the best presentation I have ever attended, but also the most compelling. This demonstration truly stirred my wine soul. If you ever have the opportunity to attend a Riedel Wine Glass demonstration please do not miss it.

We have all heard the term “form versus function”, for the Riedel Wine Glass Company it is all about form and function. I’ll get back to this point but first I would like to share a few insights about wine.

When we open a bottle of wine to let it breath, decant, or aerate the wine with one of the devices that have been developed to enhance our wine experience. Oxygen “opens up” wine and brings out the aroma of the wine.

There are 2-3 elements of wine that create aroma and flavor. The first one of these elements is the fruit. The second element is the yeast that is used to ferment the wine. Whether the winemaker uses a natural or commercial strain of yeast the fruit and yeast combine during fermentation to produce aroma and flavor or sense of taste. The third influence upon the wine in your glass may be the oak barrel that the wine was aged in. Some varietals of white wine are fermented and aged in steel, in this case there is no oak influence to the sense of taste or aroma. Many white wines today are fermented and aged in steel tanks with some or all of the white wine spending a brief amount of time in oak barrels. This will influence the taste and aroma of a wine. Today’s trend though, “Oak is Out”. Most white wine styles today are trending towards crisp, bright fruit in white wines.

Red wine and some varietals of white wine like Chardonnay spend more time in oak barrels. Red wines in particular benefit from barrel aging. During fermentation red wines get their color from the skin of the grape. Tannin occurs as a result of grapes and their skins soaking together during the fermentation process. Barrel aging allows the red wines to develop depth of color and refine or settle tannin which is the grittiness you experience when drinking a red wine. Different varietals produce different amounts of tannin. For example Pinot Noir will express less tannin than Cabernet Sauvignon.

So we know fruit, yeast and wood produce aroma, flavor, and tactile sensation when you drink wine. Your palate or more commonly known as the tongue can sense four different tastes and possibly five. Our sense of tastes are; sweet, bitter, salty, sour, and perhaps an ability to sense MSG otherwise known as umami. The mouth also has the ability to “feel” cool, warm, dryness, tingling, a coating feeling, and a feeling of numbness.

Sweetness is perceived immediately when you taste a wine as this area is located right on the tip of your tongue. Acidity in a wine is recognized in the cheek area, on the sides of the tongue which is the area that senses “sour” flavors, and then also in the back of the throat. Lighter red wines and white wines generally have a higher degree of acidity.

The middle of the tongue is the area that recognizes anything salty. In the case of wine this is where tannin which is a tactile sensation, not a flavor, is felt. When wines are young the tannins are what make a wine present as too dry.

Fruit and its individual varietal characteristics are smells not tastes. But the weight of the wines fruit will be felt on the middle of your tongue. This is why wines are referred to as light, medium, or full bodied.

The aftertaste or what is referred to as the finish of a wine is what happens when you actually swallow wine. In a good wine this is a very pleasing sensation as all of the components of a wine come together in harmony and balance then linger in your mouth and mind.

So why is the glassware such an important companion to good wine? The Riedel Wine Glass Company has designed a wine delivery system, the wine glass, which is varietal specific. The Riedel wine glass presents the aroma and the taste of wine perfectly. Form versus function is not so much a term that describes conflict but better describes the intersection of form and function united for a best purpose. This is exactly what a Riedel wine glass delivers to our nose and our palate. A varietal correct wine glass from the Riedel Wine Glass Company has the ability to make 10 dollar wine taste like 100 dollar wine.

Prior to setting in on the stemware demonstration with Maximilian I was very much of the mindset that great stemware was reserved for expensive wine. Most of us may enjoy a daily glass of wine; this is what I refer to as a daily drinker, a bottle of wine for twelve dollars or under. The right wine glass will really enhance an affordable wine.

I’m going to share pictures of five Riedel wine glasses that you must have. Once you have tasted wine from a Riedel wine glass you will understand that these varietal specific wine glasses accomplish three things. First the glass holds the wine within the shape of the varietal specific body of the glass. Due to the quality and shape of the glasses it is very easy to visually examine your wine. The opening or rim of each specific glass allows aroma from the wine to be revealed, and enjoyed. The glass allows a person to discern the aromatics of a wine. Secondly the Riedel wine glasses target and direct wine onto the correct area of the palate. This is also specific to each varietal of wine, for instance drinking wine from the Riesling/Sauvignon Blanc glass is delivered directly to the tip of the tongue where it is best recognized for its varietal nuances. If you are drinking a big Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley the Riedel wine glass delivers this wine onto the mid to back palate where the nuances of this varietal are best distinguished.

The pictures that I share visually demonstrate how the trajectory of wine will be delivered to the palate. It is important to note the shape or pattern of wine as it lies in the body of a glass that is held at an angle. I have tipped the glass and allowed the wine to flow to the rim of the glass. Notice how the wine spreads both vertically and horizontally in the glass once it has been tipped.

The first glass is Riedel’s Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc glass, notice the wine as I hold the glass at an angle and allow the wine to flow to the lip of the glass. This is how this wine will be trajected onto your palate. You can see this wine will hit the palate right up front. This allows the palate to enjoy the sweetness of the fruit on the tip of the tongue.

Riedel Riesling & Sauvignon Blanc Wine Glass

The diamond shape you see in the newest Riedel Chardonnay wine glass is truly reflective of today’s style of Chardonnay as demanded by consumers. At most gatherings you taste wine at you will often hear comments from wine drinkers that they no longer desire heavy handed oak in their Chardonnay. Riedel has responded to the consumer by designing a glass that is diamond shaped. Many Chardonnay wines now have much more influence from cold fermentation. The result is a Chardonnay wine that is bright with fruit and acidity. The new style of Chardonnay may be aged in a combination of steel tanks and oak barrels. Chardonnay is a full body white wine whereas a Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling are much lighter in body and are non-oaked in flavor and style. When you examine both pictures that I have shared with you it is very easy to see the pattern of wine that will be transferred onto the palate is very different. The diamond shape glass focuses the bright, and bigger fruit aroma to the nose while the pattern of wine that flows to the palate is broad. This is in direct comparison to what is delivered by the Riesling style glass. Once again Chardonnay is a fuller fruit that typically has some influence from oak aging. This will vary depending on the style dictated by winemakers. The dry nature of the Chardonnay grape combined with a slight nuance of tannin from oak aging is delivered mid-palate. Wine delivery by design, this is what Riedel has engineered into each and every wine glass.

Riedel's newest style Chardonnay Wine GlassRiedel Pinot Noir Wine Glass

Red wine glasses from Riedel.

Riedel Pinot Noir Wine Glass

The Riedel Pinot Noir glass as you will note in this picture delivers wine close to the tip of the tongue so that the sweetness of the fruit will be enjoyed. You will notice that the wine near the lip of the glass is not nearly as broad as the Sauvignon Blanc, thus the wine is projected just behind the tip of the tongue. As you will also note that the pattern of the wine in the glass suggests that the wine will then spread to the mid-palate. Remember that the fine tannin and acidity of the fruit will be recognized by the middle of the tongue and cheek areas of the mouth.

Riedel Bordeaux Wine Glass

Riedel’s Red Bordeaux glass and their newest large Bordeaux style glass which appears to be a Bordeaux style wine glass on steroids are great examples of form and function. The new large red wine glass is designed to accommodate a new style or trend in red wines that are being produced in warmer climate zones like Napa Valley. Some of these big powerful red wines have high alcohol content approaching fourteen percent with some even reaching 15%. Riedel recognized that wines this big and powerful need a deep glass with a large body. Examine the different pattern that the wine forms within the glass as they are tipped at an angle. The Pinot Noir and Bordeaux style wines lie very differently within their respective glasses when tilted at an angle.

Large Riedel Red Wine Glass for big red's high in % of alcohol

Perhaps one of the most important things to understand about the Riedel Wine Glass Company is that evolution of design never stops. They currently are developing brand specific wine glasses for special wines from around the world. They also recognize that styles and trends in wine and grape growing continues to change. Viticulturists worldwide now understand that some grape varietals may be best suited to a valley, the hillside, or grow best on the hiltops. Rest assured that The Riedel Wine Glass Company is paying attention and designing glasses for what is to come.

Try these two wines with your Thankgiving dinner, they will not disappoint.

2010 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

Riedel's Pinot Noir and Champagne glass. That's right now recommended for Champagne too

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. Both of these wines are available at Liquid Planet in Downtown Missoula.

Gentil Hugel 2010

Riedel Riesling & Sauvignon Blanc Glass

This white wine is a beautiful blend of the Noble grapes from the Alsace region in France. It displays a light youthful color in the glass and is ripe with floral, fruit.

"from my table to yours"

Sherri Swingle and the Auction of Washington Wines Benefit Event on the WineGuyMike™ Radio Show©

Posted on August 7, 2011 by WineGuyMike

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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.

http://www.auctionofwashingtonwines.org/

This week on the WineGuyMike™ Radio Show© meet Sherri Swingle, Executive Director for Auction of Washington Wines. This wonderful event is one of the most anticipated wine events of the year in Washington State. The Auction of Washington Wines takes place August 18^th through the 20^th.

Sherri Swingle, Executive Director

The auction is yet another example of good people doing great things with wine and I’m grateful that Sherri Swingle could join me as WineGuyMike™ featured guest this week. As I know you can imagine she is extremely busy with all the last minute details in next ten days when the event begins. Let me give you a little background on the event, its beneficiaries, and the Washington State Wine Country also. The Auction of Washington Wines truly celebrates the Wines of Washington State to benefit Seattle Children’s Hospital and the Washington Wine Education Foundation.

Seattle Children's Hospital

It’s one of the most anticipated events of the year and this fun-filled event showcases Washington State’s growing wine industry with four days of sipping, tasting and partying with nearly 3,500 individual and business participants. It all benefits Uncompensated Care at Seattle Children’s Hospital and the Washington Wine Education Foundation.

Washington Wine Education Foundation

Auction of Washington Wines

The Auction of Washington Wines is an annual event held in Washington State that benefits uncompensated care at Seattle Children’s Hospital and the Washington Wine Education Foundation. Originally created by a partnership between the Washington Wine Commission and the Enological Society of the Pacific Northwest, the Auction of Washington Wines is now structured as an independent entity. Northwest Wine Benefit Foundation, the official name of the organization, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that was established in 1988.

Since 1988, Chateau Ste. Michelle has hosted the auction, which has grown dramatically in attendance and dollars raised in each of its 23 years. In 1988, slightly more than 100 people gathered at the Chateau for the first Auction of Washington Wines, raising more than $20,000. Today, the event is comprised of five events over four days with a total attendance of approximately 3,000 people and a fundraising total of more than $24 million.

Washington States wine industry is the fastest growing agricultural segment in the state with the number of wineries seeing a 400% increase over the last decade. Washington sees an extra two million dollars directly related to wine tourism in the state.

Washington State is blessed with great terrior for grape varietals that an experienced viticulturist recognizes as perfect for the grape type. The states latitude is very similar to that of a couple of other great wine growing regions you may recognize, Burgundy and Bordeaux in France. These famous regions in France sit at approximately 46ºN latitude as do the 11 AVA’s (American Viticultural Areas) of Washington State.

Grapes were first grown in Washington State in the early 1800’s by immigrants from Italy, France, and Germany. Italian and German grape varietals were planted and vineyard acreage saw rapid expansion in the early part of the 20^th century. Over time and given understanding of all the particular grape growing areas within the state wines are being produced that now Washington State must be recognized as one of the premier wine growing regions of the world.

Most of Washington’s grapes are grown on the east side of the Cascade Mountains, about 99% in fact. Ten of the states eleven AVA’s are located on the east side of the mountains in the Columbia Valley. The Columbia Gorge AVA runs west and south from the west edge of the Columbia Valley AVA following the Columbia River in Washington and Oregon. The Columbia Gorge AVA can perhaps produce more grape varietals that any other region in the world due varying micro-climates along the Columbia River. The other well known sub-regions of the Columbia Valley AVA include, Walla Walla Valley AVA, Red Mountain AVA, Yakima Valley AVA, Rattlesnake Hills, Horse Heaven Hills, Snipes Mountain, and one of my favorite wine growing areas the Wahluke Slope.

There are a couple of up and coming areas in Washington State too; Lake Chelan AVA which is located in the north-central part of the state that also borders the Columbia River, near Wenatchee which produces amazing fruit. It is one of my favorite areas to travel through. As you graze your way through the area from fruit stand to fruit stand the area’s natural beauty features steep slopes with all types of fruit trees and the majestic Columbia River. Both of these areas have applied for distinct AVA status so they can be recognized separately from the Columbia Valley AVA.

Now let’s get to the important part of this story, the individual happenings within this wonderful benefit event known as the Auction of Washington Wines. I’ll set these up in the order in which they all happen for you.

http://www.auctionofwashingtonwines.org/

Events

Revelry on Red Moutain-Saturday, May 28, 2011 at 6:00pm

The Red Mountain AVA was established in 2001 on the eastern edge of the Yakima Valley. There are 1,199 acres of grapes planted in this region on steep slopes that face Southwest toward the Yakima River. There are 20 or so wineries in this area and their focus are on the Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Sangiovese, Malbec, and Petit Verdot varietals.

Revelry on Red Moutain was held at the Col Solare Winery and 300 guests were WOW’d with area winemakers on the terrace of Col Solare for panoramic views of Red Mountain. Revelry on Red Mountain was a tremendous success, raising over $24,500 for uncompensated care at Seattle Children’s Hospital and the Washington Wine Education Foundation, which supports industry programs such as viticulture and enology at Washington State University.

The beautiful evening at Col Solare set the stage for attendees to experience some new wines while making new friends and mingling with our 20 fabulous Red Mountain wineries.

The Who’s Who from Revelry on Red Moutain …Andrew Will (made by our 2011 Honorary Vintner, Chris Camarda), J. Bookwalter Winery (a winery started by our 2011 Honorary Grower, Jerry Bookwalter), Col Solare, Cooper Wine Company, Corvus, DeLille, Fidelitas, Gamache, Goedhart, Grand Reve, Hedges (pioneers on Red Mountain), Hightower Cellars, Kiona, Mark Ryan, Obelisco, Portrait, Quilceda Creek, Seven Hills, Tapteil and Terra Blanca.

Picnic & Barrel Auction-Thursday, August 18, 2011 at 4:00pm

Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery, Woodinville

The Picnic & Barrel Auction will feature a myriad of activities on the grounds of the beautiful Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery. Participants will rub elbows with Washington winemakers as they mingle among the crowd to pour tastings of their newest and oldest releases. Guests will enjoy bidding on some of Washington’s most coveted limited-release wines during the exciting Barrel Auction while enjoying gourmet picnic fare presented by the talented team of chefs from Tulalip Resort Casino.

The Barrel Auction

Twenty-five of our state’s finest vintners will be offering samples of their still-aging wine from a future barrel for you to taste and to buy. When you find a wine you like and are ready to bid, simply write your bid number and name on one of our wooden placards and give it to our volunteers. It will then be placed on the bid board for that winery. Each winery will offer five cases and at the end of the auction, the top five bidders will win one case each.

WOW! John L. Scott Foundation will be challenging bidders to bid high during the Barrel Auction. For every barrel that gets bid to its fair market value, John L. Scott Foundation will donate $1,000!

Winemaker Dinners Friday, August 19, 2011 at 6:30pm

These intimate dinners held at private estates, wineries and area restaurants are a favorite part of this weekend. Enjoy the company of Washington winemakers whose wines are paired exquisitely with a gourmet meal created by a guest chef.

Andrew Will and Boudreaux Cellars with Chef Lauri Carter, Lecosho

Hosted at the home of Jen and Len Jordan

Magnolia Point of View

Chris Camarda, our 2011 Honorary Vintner of Andrew Will Winery, along with fellow vintner Rob Newsom of Boudreaux Cellars invite you for an unforgettable evening under the stars among old friends. The setting is the gorgeous home of Jen and Len Jordan overlooking the Puget Sound on the western edge of Magnolia. Enjoy the sunset while Chef Lauri Carter and owners Jill Buchanan and Matt Janke of Lecosho orchestrate dishes to complement the wines of their old friend, Camarda. It is an evening to celebrate fine wines and notable winemakers.

Throwdown in Gig Harbor

Hosted at Canterwood Golf & Country Club in Gig Harbor

You’re invited to experience the best show in the South Sound! The Canterwood Golf & Country Club and Brix 25 in Gig Harbor, come together for an evening you won’t forget! This dinner brings together two of the South Sounds finest Executive Chefs, Dino Cruz from Canterwood GCC and Thad Lyman from award winning, Brix 25 for a Throwdown. To add to the excitement, we’ve challenged four of Washington’s winemakers – Randall Hopkins of Corvus Cellars, Heather Neff of Nefarious Cellars, Ned Morris of Reasons Wine and Gordy Venneri of Walla Walla Vintners – to an extravagant five course food and wine Throwdown. At the end of the dinner, you’ll vote on your favorite. The south sound won’t be the same after this history-making evening of battling Chef’s and winemakers!

Covey Run Saturday, August 20, 2011 at 8:00am

Redhook Ale Brewery, Woodinville

Be WOW’d at your ability to run, walk or crawl through a 5K or 10K course in the beautiful Woodinville wine country. Great fun for the whole family.

Presented by The Run for Children’s Guild, the 5th Annual Covey Run will take place with more than 1,400 runners and walkers.

To participate as a sponsor, or for more information contact Aileen Kelly at aileen.kelly@seattlechildrens.org or call 206-987-4816.

The Wine Gala Saturday, August 20, 2011 at 4:30pm

Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery, Woodinville

Be WOW’d at the industry’s original and most celebrated wine party of the summer under the stars on the lawn at Chateau Ste. Michelle.

The 24th annual Wine Gala will be held on the grounds of Chateau Ste. Michelle. Guests will enjoy a six course meal prepared by some of the area’s best chefs. Each table will be hosted by a Washington state winemaker, who will pair and pour wines from their collection. Entertainment will include our celebrity auctioneer, Dave Reynolds, as he auctions 30 one-of-a-kind opportunities to experience Washington wine as no others have before.

We are proud to partner with Blue Nile as our first ever Diamond Sponsor. Blue Nile will be featured at the Wine Gala where guests will have the opportunity to take home beautiful jewelry gifts and one lucky lady will walk away at the end of the evening loaded with diamonds! Wow!

Rich Gray will entertain the crowd with his original compositions during the live auction, and later Ruby Nevada will showcase their hits in the oak aging room.

Seating at the Wine Gala is limited. Tickets are $500 per person. Corporate and Friendship tables are available. Please contact us for more information.

Formerly a black-tie event, this year will be cocktail attire, no jacket required.

The Beneficiaries of the Auction of Washington Wines

Seattle Children’s Hospital

Benefiting Uncompensated Care at Seattle Children’s Hospital

Seattle Children’s serves as the pediatric and adolescent academic medical referral center for the largest landmass of any children’s hospital in the country (Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho).

Uncompensated care ensures that all children in our region receive the best medical care available, regardless of insurance coverage. With the current recession, more families are losing medical insurance and premiums are rising. These unexpected expenses can be quite devistating. When a hospital bill exceeds a family’s ability to pay, Seattle Children’s financial assistance program provides relief. Thanks to you the Seattle Children’s Hospital can bring healing to children and peace of mind to families during difficult times.

In 2010, Seattle Children’s provided a record $102 million to service nearly 100,000 patients in uncompensated care alone.

It’s a misconception that they treat children from the metropolitan Seattle area only—they are a regional hospital serving Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho.

Recognized as one of the best in the world and consistently ranked as one of the best children’s hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report, Seattle Children’s is recognized internationally for advancing discoveries in cancer, genetics, immunology, pathology, infectious disease, injury prevention and bioethics.

Seattle Children’s comprises Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle Children’s Research Institute and Seattle Children’s Hospital Foundation. Children’s also serves as the primary clinical, research and teaching site for the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

For more information visit http://www.seattlechildrens.org.

Washington Wine Education Foundation

Washington State’s wine industry has become an important part of the state economy, contributing more than $3 billion annually and providing nearly 15,000 direct and indirect jobs and wages of $579 million. With more than 650 wineries and more than 31,000 acres in wine grape production, Washington is the second largest wine producer in the nation.

The Washington Wine Education Foundation aims to strengthen the quality and reputation of the Washington wine industry by providing support toward a world class enology and viticulture research, education and training program specific to Washington state.

A portion of funds raised during the Auction of Washington Wines goes toward the WSU Viticulture and Enology Program to support the growth of the industry by providing cutting-edge research and by training the next generation of vintners and grape growers

I will be featuring wineries and wines from the participating wine producers contributing to this important event. Each day between now and the 18^th of August I will share a wine story with you and for today’s blog post I share with you Reynvaan Family Vineyards.

Reynvaan Family Vineyards

Reynvaan Family Vineyards is a small family owned winery started by Mike and Gale Reynvaan in May 2004 in Walla Walla, Washington. They initially purchased a 37 acre parcel of land on Cottonwood Road at the base of the Blue Mountains. Reynvaan Family Vineyards is dedicated to creating fine wines exclusively from the terroir of Walla Walla Valley.

They have two vineyards planted that represent each end of the terroir spectrum. Their first vineyard has 16 acres under vine that they call “In the Rocks,” to demonstrate where and how they were planted. It was first planted in 2005 with the goal to create wines that would clearly express that vineyard’s unique terroir and minerality. They began planting small 5 acre blocks each year to better understand the terrior and choose the best vines for particular locations. Their first vintage, 2007, comes from that first 5 acres of vines, creating three wines: a Rhone white varietal blend, “Queens Road White”, a Syrah co-fermented with Viognier called “In the Rocks”; and a second Syrah co-fermented with Marsanne called “The Contender.” The vineyard now includes two red varietals: Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon; plus three white varietals: Viognier, Marsanne and Grenache Blanc.

Their second vineyard, “Foothills in the Sun,” was planted in 2007. This hillside vineyard is one of the most densely planted and highest elevation sites in the State of Washington. With vineyard density, the vines seek out water and nutrients, become stronger and produce clusters of small berries with intense concentration. A southwest facing hillside vineyard at this elevation has several advantages: maximum exposure to the sun; substantial temperature variation between day and night; and beneficial wind patterns. The vineyard currently is planted in two red varietals: Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon; and one white: Viognier. Working with the highest quality Walla Walla grapes grown meticulously in our own vineyards allows the family to control virtually every aspect of farming and wine production and ultimately to respect the natural expression of the soils of the vineyards.

The winemaking philosophy is quite simple at Reynvaan Family Vineyards, harvest perfectly ripe clusters that reflect their distinct terroir, guide the wines through a natural upbringing and bottle them only when we feel the true characteristics of the wine have been revealed.

MV SUBPLOT No 25

MV SUBPLOT No 25 from BookWalter Winery

The Story; Lush red and vibrant white wines from the Columbia Valley.

Located in the Heart of the Columbia Valley, Bookwalter Winery has been producing small lots of high quality wine since 1983.

The Subplot number represents how many non-vintage table wines Bookwalter have produced since 1983.

Each lot of wine selected for Subplot is carefully chosen each year after they have made their final blends for their top tier wines. They attempt to create a flavorful, full-bodied yet approachable wine by layering vintages, vineyards and varietals in their Subplot wines. Press wine from their oldest vineyards are aged longer in the cellar to help soften the tannins and create more mature flavors and wine from their younger vines and more recent vintages are added to the blend to bring the lush, young fruit characteristics forward in the wine. The result is a wine that offers, fruit, structure, approachability and exceptional value. Although these wines are meant to be consumed in their youth, the wines have showed graceful aging potential.

Gramercy Cellars

Just as it takes great ingredients to make an exceptional meal, a great wine begins with the best grapes. Gramercy Founder and Master Sommelier Greg Harrington spent his career overseeing some of the most prestigious wine programs in the country. His goal was always the same – to find balanced wines with limited new oak influence that taste of a specific place. This ambition continues at Gramercy Cellars.

They believe that great wines share common traits – great vineyards, minimalist winemaking, time and patience. Gramercy’s philosophy is simple – to develop or partner with the best vineyards, harvest ripe – not over-ripe – grapes, intervene minimally in the winemaking process, and use as little new oak as possible. They believe that too many wines have excessive alcohol and new oak, are overly fruity and taste as if they could be from anywhere. They created Gramercy Cellars to make different wines that display balance, both fruit and earthiness, restraint and elegance. Their wines may require time to develop and open, but reward patience. This is their passion. At Gramercy Cellars, they seek to produce wines that complement food, provide great pleasure and stand out as uniquely in Washington.

Prior to founding Gramercy Cellars, Master Sommelier Greg Harrington spent his career managing wine programs for top chefs such as Joyce Goldstein, Emeril Lagasse and Wolfgang Puck. Since becoming the youngest American to pass the Master Sommelier Exam at the age of 26, Greg has been passionate about someday making his own wine. His Washington odyssey began in the spring of 2004, at a backyard picnic in Brooklyn, hosted by the Walla Walla Wine Alliance. There, Greg and his wife, Pam, tasted wines that surprised them. They were very different from what they had come to expect from American wines. These were wines that displayed earthy characteristics and balance. A marathon tasting trip in Walla Walla later that spring (and Pam’s discovery of the term “palate fatigue”) convinced them that Walla Walla was in their future. First, this meant “when they retire.” That quickly became “5 years from now.” Meanwhile, Greg worked harvest in 2004 in Walla Walla and was more convinced than ever that Walla Walla was the place in the United States to make the wines he loves. Soon thereafter, Pam gave him the green light to leave his restaurant industry job to seize the opportunity to finally follow his dreams full time, resulting in Gramercy’s first harvest in 2005.

Gramercy is at one with their terrior, they make unbelievable wine.

2009 Buried Cane Chardonnay

2009 Buried Cane Chardonnay

Washington State wine country has warm sunny summers and cold frosty winters. One time-honored practice to protect grape vines from damaging cold is to bury low-growing vine canes. These buried canes can be unearthed after winter freezes pass, assuring a grape harvest in the following season.

Cool climate vineyards produce wines with plenty of natural acidity and balance. This Chardonnay has crisp apple and melon fruit flavors, a touch of citrus, and balanced oak-spice and butter notes.

The 2009 Buried Cane Chardonnay is 100% varietal and is blended from two distinctive vineyards. It’s 95% Arete Vineyard from the Columbia Valley AVA and 5% Champoux Vineyard, from the Horse Heaven Hills AVA.

The Arete Vineyard, planted in 1985, straddles Radar Hill near Othello, Washington. It’s a very cool site. This area is noted for producing wines which are delicate and fruity in nature; Chardonnay excels here. The Champoux Vineyard was planted in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Paul Champoux began managing the vineyard in 1989 and has consistently worked to improve quality in his 170 acre site. The vineyard has 16 acres of Chardonnay, along with numerous other varieties.

The finished wine is light yellow in color, with a lime-green tinge. The nose shows distinct Chardonnay character, but with plenty of cool-climate focus. Green apple and macadamia nut aromas dominate the nose, with creamy citrus backnotes. They all combine to make an almost apple-pie aroma. The wine is bright and zingy on the palate, with green-apple flavors and crisp acidity. It finishes clean and refreshing, with supple texture.

Arbor Crest owners The Mielke Family: Harry, Marcia, Elisa, John, and Kristina

Arbor Crest Wine Cellars

In 1982, the Mielke family started on a venture that would eventually grow into the Inland Northwest’s premier winery.

Taking advantage of the budding Washington wine industry, they purchased a winery in California and moved the operations to the family’s old cherry-packing facility near the Upriver Dam in central Spokane. Soon after, their very first wine, a Sauvignon Blanc from the Bacchus Vineyard, was sold from this location in March of 1982 officially starting Arbor Crest Wine Cellars, the 29th winery in Washington State.

Two years later, in 1984, the Mielkes acquired the historic Spokane Valley estate of Royal Riblet to serve as the idyllic new headquarters of the winery. The company’s management offices moved into Riblet’s inventor’s workshop and for many years the quaint old garage of the estate’s Florentine-style mansion served as Arbor Crest’s unique tasting room.

Located atop a 450 ft. cliff with exquisite views of the city, The Cliff House Estate, as it is now known, has since become a destination for exceptional wines and memorable public events.

In 1999, the family business came full-circle as Kristina Mielke-van Löben Sels, the daughter of the Mielkes, came from her position as associate winemaker at Ferrari-Carano Vineyards in Sonoma County, California, to take over as the head winemaker for Arbor Crest.

Kristina and her husband, Jim van Löben Sels, who has a strong background in agricultural economics and viticulture, are now celebrating over a decade of elegant, award-winning varietals. While continuing to refine and hone their craft, they hope to produce even more exciting wines from the best Washington State fruit sourced from some of the oldest and most respected vines in the state.

Since their arrival, several things have changed at Arbor Crest. The tasting room moved from the garage to a beautiful new facility built on the estate in 2003, and a second tasting room was opened in Downtown Spokane’s River Park Square Mall. Furthermore, both the level of production and selection of varietals has expanded, and Arbor Crest wines can now be found on store shelves around the world.

Despite continued growth, Arbor Crest’s family values, wonderful wines, and beautiful surroundings have remained unchanged since the winery’s founding nearly 30 years ago. The entire Arbor Crest family looks forward to many more years of providing quality, award-winning wines.

Hedges Family Estate

Anne-Marie Liégeois was born in Champagne, France, in a small village near the beautiful medieval town of Troyes. Her upbringing was very much routed in traditional French culture where work and French formalities took priority over idealism. Within the confines of a “maison bourgeoise” surrounded by organically cultivated gardens and edible game, three generations of family lived and worked side by side for the greater good of name and property. The Dupont-Liégeois family business prospered, the rewards of which were the enjoyment of traditional French life focused around the dinner table. Interesting animated discussions, traditional home cooked meals, and wonderful local wines were the norm. What Anne-Marie was accustomed to, Tom would desire.

Tom was born in Richland, Washington State, a government conceived engineering town for the nuclear sciences. He is the product of a traditional American home of strong work ethics steered by the Department of Energy’s demands on his apple and dairy-farm-raised father. A firm hand, the pursuit of sports, and the focus of fast eating were typical life patterns for the young American. The eastern Washington State surroundings of shrub and sand—his terroir—carved a lifestyle of Americana most would find uninspiring at best. However, rigid European customs did not bind him down, as they did for Anne-Marie. The American sixties allowed Tom to rebel, to free his mind, to act on impulse with minimal consequence, something Anne-Marie must have desired during her year at a Parisian finishing school for women.

The history of Hedges Family Estate begins in June of 1976, with the marriage of Tom Hedges and Anne-Marie Liégeois in a 12th century church in Champagne, France. The convergence of separate cultural upbringings provides a strong backdrop for creating a modern day, but traditionally inspired wine estate.

Ten years after their wedding, an opportunity to become entrepreneurs seemed like a positive move to economic independence, contrasting from the previous decade of working for large multinational agricultural firms. In 1986, this unique opportunity presented itself; Tom and Anne-Marie created an export company called American Wine Trade, Inc., based out of Kirkland, Washington State; they began selling wine to foreign importers. As the company grew, it began to source Washington wines for a larger clientele leading to the establishment of a negociant-inspired wine called Hedges Cellars. This 1987 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot was sold to the Swedish Wine and Spirit Monopoly, Vin & Sprit Centralen, the company’s first major client.

Tom and Anne-Marie quickly learned that the success of this ancient trade would be based on the site of its vineyards. This concept resonates strongly in Europe, but to less effect in the new world wine regions, where land is less important than brands. Three hours south east of Seattle an opportunity presented itself in a developing wine region called Red Mountain. Tom and Anne-Marie, as new owners, felt its potential for greatness. At this location, American Wine Trade transformed itself from negociant and wine trader to the classic model of a wine estate. Today, this biodynimacally-farmed Red Mountain property continues to be the fundament of the Hedges family.

Authentic wine estates must live on for centuries to achieve acceptance amongst the world great properties. The second generation has begun to make its mark at Hedges Family Estate. Tom and Anne-Marie’s children, Christophe and Sarah, are now involved in the business, and each has a special set of skills for understanding the terroir.

Sarah prefers the fermentation arts, skillfully touching and understanding the world of the microbial spectrum. As the assistant winemaker under master fermentation artist, Pete Hedges (younger sibling of Tom), she carefully observes the forging of a great wine vintage after vintage. Pete, a man of the cloth of science, is open to nature’s will. He must work in tandem with the disparate concept of terroir and chemistry. Indeed, it is a dance of patience and of mind, which works to allow the terroir a path to geographic typicity.

The eldest of the two, Christophe, spends much of his time sharing knowledge of the terroir and the estate during his travels as national director of sales and marketing. To ground his teachings, he farms his own property using the concept of modern Biodynamic arts, carefully observed under the eyes of John Gomez, Hedges Family Estate vineyard manager. An artist at heart, the Hedges labels are the product of his love for design.

Tom, Anne-Marie, Christophe, Sarah, and the entire Hedges company believe place of origin is the keystone of authenticity. Our goal is to treat our wines with reverence and let the Red Mountain terroir speak for itself.

It was a privilege this week to visit with Executive Director, Sherri Swingle, for Auction of Washington Wines. I whole heartedly endorse this event and would encourage you to participate in this worthwhile opportunity by making your donation. Use this link to contact Sherri and make your donation; info@auctionofwashingtonwines.org or to find out more about this event, http://www.auctionofwashingtonwines.org/

"from my table to yours"

Award winning artisan Blue Cheese producer Rogue Creamery and Cheese Monger Tom Van Voorhees on the WineGuyMike™ Radio Show©

Posted on July 31, 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 or www.fresh1045.com where you can click on “Listen Live”. The WineGuyMike™ Radio Show© airs on both radio stations Sunday mornings at 10:00AM MDT.

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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 would like to introduce you to my special guest Tom Van Voorhees. I have been waiting to have Tom as my featured guest for one year now and his incredibly busy schedule has opened up for a brief moment and allowed him to join us today. Tom and his wife made a decision about three years ago to move from New York all the way out to the small city of Central Point, Oregon. You’re probably scratching your head and thinking Central Point, Oregon? It may just be a small blip on the radar of Google Earth but in the world of cheese the Rogue Creamery from Central Point, Oregon has had an impact that is on a world scale. If you love wine and cheese like you and I do you will never forget the Rogue Creamery but we will get to that in a moment. First things first here, let’s get back to my friend Tom Van Voorhees, the top Cheese Monger in the United States and perhaps the world in my opinion. A few years back Tom was officially recognized as top Cheese Monger in the country.

Tom Van Voorhees "The Cheese Monger"

I know I wondered the same thing, what in the heck is a Cheese Monger? In a nutshell a Cheese Monger is the cheese department or cheese shop manager. Becoming an expert in this field, just like becoming a Sommelier or a Chef, requires a formal education with years of tasting and hands-on experience. A Cheese Monger is typically responsible for managing the cheese inventory, selecting the cheese menu, purchasing, receiving, storage, and ripening of the cheese. This is what Tom Van Voorhees is an expert of at the Rogue Creamery.

Follow me to the Rogue Creamery

Tom and I met about a year or so ago at the Rogue Creamery which is located in the heart of the southernmost Oregon wine country or better known in the world of wine as the Rogue Valley AVA, (American Viticultural Area). It’s made up of three adjacent river valleys (Bear Creek, Applegate, and Illinois valleys) that extend from the foothills of the Siskiyou Mountains along the California border north to the Rogue River. It is 70 miles wide by 60 miles long and encompasses the Applegate Valley sub-appellation. There are 1,400 farmed acres comprised of 130 vineyards, and 16 wineries.

Del Rio Vineyards from the Rogue Valley AVA

The Rogue Valley’s wine history dates back to the 1840s when European immigrants began planting grapes and eventually bottling wines. In 1852, an early settler named Peter Britt began growing grapes and in 1873 officially opened the Valley View Winery-Oregon’s first official winery. Valley View remained open until 1907. Prohibition brought the wine business to a standstill in the Rogue Valley. The Wisnovsky family once again adopted the name Valley View Winery for their label in 1972. It was in 1968 though when a professor from Oregon State University had planted an experimental vineyard for research purposes that winemakers realized what a great terrior the Rogue Valley is. As they say the rest was history as the Rogue Valley became an official appellation in 2001.

The predominant wine varietals that are grown in the Rogue Valley are; Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay. There are three valleys that have progressively warmer microclimates. This provides the Rogue Valley a diverse and unique opportunity to grow both warm and cool grape varietals. Pinot Noir is grown to the west as this microclimate is influenced by mountain and ocean winds that cool the area. To the east the warm weather varieties thrive. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc grow in the hills at elevations of nearly 2,000 feet which help to produce grapes with nice concentrated fruit.

The Rogue Creamery has quite a history that spans nearly eight decades. Italian immigrant Tom Vella who had settled in the Sonoma, California area set his sights on the Rogue Valley as an area of opportunity to found a creamery. When Tom arrived it was small farms and pear orchards and the main industry was lumber. Tom being a visionary and entrepreneur that he was opened the small creamery during the Depression, a gutsy move considering the lack of economic climate in the United States. Tom’s goal was to grow the creamery as fast as possible in order to provide employment and sustain the areas small farms. The farmers were with Tom from the very start.

The Southern Pacific Rail line that ran from Los Angeles, California to Seattle, Washington passed through Medford which is the larger city located right next to Central Point. Passengers traveling between San Francisco, California and Seattle stopped to enjoy theatrical performances at the historic Holly Theatre.

The Rogue Creamery flourished during the Depression and provided significant amounts of Cheddar cheese for the troops that fought in World War II. After the war the Rogue Creamery changed focus and was retooled to serve civilian markets. Cottage cheese was very successfully introduced to the consumer market and served as the transition for the Rogue Creamery to become the premier producer of Blue Cheese that it is today, and may I add the finest Blue Cheese in the world.

Inspired by the success of the Cottage cheese Tom Vella knew that he needed to grow his product base and Blue Cheese was on Tom’s radar. As the wise entrepreneur that he was he decided to go right to the source of the best Blue Cheese in the world, Roquefort, France. It was there that Tom and his wife spent the summer of 1955. Tom’s good fortune, talent and fluency in Italian opened many doors. The Roquefort Association, although shrouded in secrecy, welcomed Tom when he spoke to the supervisor of the facilities in the man’s native dialect. They became instant blood brothers. Presented with a gold pass signed by all functionaries of the Society, Tom toured operations from farms to cheese factories to the curing limestone caves at Cambalou. At the end of summer he departed France with plans for a Roquefort type cheese factory, already producing Oregon Blue in his imagination. Construction began in Central Point in 1956.

Tom envisioned caves similar to the environment of Cambalou and designed a building to duplicate that atmosphere. Two Quonset shaped half circled rooms of cement were poured, one over the other, with space in between for insulation. The result was a true cave-like atmosphere.

Production of blue began in early 1955. Instant success validated Vella’s business acumen. It also went down in the books as the first blue cheese produced in caves west of the Missouri River. Over the years Vella’s dedication to quality was unwavering to the end as was his enthusiasm for the business and this valley. He died on December 23, 1998, at age 100.

The Rogue Creamery was inherited by Tom’s family and his son Ignazio became the driving force behind the creamery. His reputation as “The Godfather of the artisan cheese industry” really says it all. Ig as he was known stayed on as mentor to current owners David Gremmels and Cary Bryant who are now the senior cheese makers.

Ig, Cary and David

Today, the Rogue Creamery is thriving. Gremmels and Bryant have steadfastly held to the principles laid out by Tom and Ig Vella. The creamery’s Mission Statement; An artisan cheese company, with people dedicated to service, sustainability and the art and tradition of making the world’s finest handmade cheese.

In the first two years under the leadership of Gremmels and Bryant the Creamery has won numerous trophies and awards, including World’s Best Blue Cheese at the 2003 World Cheese Awards in London, a first for a U.S. creamery.

Rogue River Blue - With Certificates

Their long list of accomplishments also includes the coveted Best New Product Award as the World’s first Smokey Blue, one of my favorites, at the National Association for the 2005 Specialty Food Trade (NASFT) Food Show in New York. The Rogue River Blue, another one of my favorites, took Best in Show at the 2009 American Cheese Society in Austin Texas. They have garnered more than 4 trophies and 30 medals & awards.

Cheese Girl Miranda at the Rogue Creamery

Hey here is the deal, every cheese that the Rogue Creamery produces are my favorites and I know you will love them too. The cheese that the Rogue Creamery produces, the Blue’s in particular, are the finest that the world has to offer. Pair their cheese with the right wines and you are not only living large but you will experience wine and cheese nirvana; I’m not kidding the creamery’s cheeses are fantastic. Can you tell I love Cheese Monger’s Tom Van Voorhees cheese, I do, I do.

WineGuyMike’s favorites and his Wine Pairing selections:

Caveman Blue; Caveman Blue is a rich, complex blue that is deliciously sweet & fruity with slight vanilla tones and a texture of butter and crystals…

Caveman Blue

Balletto 2007 Chardonnay

Tasting Notes: This beautiful golden-straw colored wine has lush and heady aromas of honey, cream and mango that nicely compliment its brighter green apple and pear aromas. There is a touch of spice and vanilla from oak ageing and a scent of Meyer lemon that foreshadows the wines crisp acidity.

In the mouth, the viscosity and balance of the wine instantly stand out. There’s a gorgeous weight and texture which is offset by both the wines bright fruit and its refreshing acidity. It’s one of those wines that draws you in for a second (and third) sip. Granny Smith apple, baking spices and rich creme brulee round out the initial flavors, and then it finishes with lasting apricot and light butterscotch.

This wine is easy to enjoy at the dinner table. It has the rare quality of being lush and refreshing at the same time and will enhance a wide variety of foods. Because of its tartness and texture, it will pair well with salty foods like aged cheeses.

2009 Sauvignon Blanc from Tuck Beckstoffer

The 75’(the label) is comprised of 80% clone one Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Musque clone, this wine is not allowed to go through secondary fermentation and sees only stainless steel during fermentation and aging. The result is a vibrant wine showcasing ripe summer melon, honey suckle, crushed rock and lemon oil aromas followed by great texture, richness and acidity. This wine showcases the tremendous quality of Sauvignon Blanc grown in the Lake County region California and is a must have for the serious white wine drinker. This wine is one of the finest examples of a domestic Sauvignon Blanc there is, and the price offers terrific value.

Crater Lake Blue Cheese; This is their most robust blue cheese. It is a contemporary complex blend of molds from Rogue Creamery and around the world.

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.

Oregon Blue Cheese; Created a half a century ago, Oregon Blue Vein cheese has been the West Coast’s exemplary award-winning Raw Milk Blue cheese.

2008 The Sum from Tuck Beckstoffer

This amazingly well endowed 75’(the label) Red Blend by Tuck is profoundly rich red wine that must be smelled and tasted to be believed. The color is a rich, deep purple garnet and gives but a small hint as to what’s inside. The nose gives off soaring and wonderfully focused aromas of ripe stone fruit, vanilla, cherries, cedar cigar box, blackberries and cinnamon. In the mouth, there are layers upon layers of broad, sweet opulent fruit balanced by firm tannins, great acidity and oak. This wine is one of the best Red Blends of domestic wines you will find, it offers significant value. You will be pleasantly shocked by the price of this bottle of wine.

Oregonzola Cheese; This Gorgonzola style cheese is aged a minimum of 120 days in their caves.

Oregonzola

2009 Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc-Viognier Blend

This unique marriage of these two varietals that would never share the same bottle in their native France unites the crisp, honeyed fruit of Chenin Blanc with the plush body, light floral aromas and juicy stone fruit notes of Viognier. This wine is refreshing, easy drinking and if you like peaches you will love this wine. The bouquet of this wine is beautiful and the finish lingers on the palate just as the aroma fills the room. I love this wine and with the Oregonzola, give it to me all day long.

Adelsheim 2009 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

“With its broad array of origins and clones, this wine displays red aromas (candied cherry, pomegranate and raspberry), on the nose and the palate. In addition, one finds a light touch of brown spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice). True to the Adelsheim house style, this Pinot Noir is elegantly textured with seamlessly integrated, silky, polished tannins.

Smokey Blue Cheese; 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.

Smokey Blue Cheese

2009 Layer Cake Shiraz

2009 Plungerhead “Lodi” Zinfandel – This wine is dark ruby in color with flecks of orange. The old vine Zinfandel vineyards ripened evenly in the Lodi heat of 2009. This allowed the old vine character to explode in this blend with aromas of jammy raspberry, hints of orange rind, clove, and rich caramel oak. In the mouth, this Zinfandel has flavors of dried strawberry, dark raspberry, plum sauce, cedar, and pomegranate, with hints of white pepper and cherry liquor. The finish is sweet fruit, toasty oak, and lingering warm spices.

Newest Cheese(Cheddar); TouVelle(their newest cheese, an American original semi- hard cheese).

Balletto 2009 Russian River Pinot Noir

Tasting Notes: This dark, garnet colored Pinot Noir exhibits floral aromas of rose petals intertwined with spice components of ginger, dusty earth and a hint of vanilla. Fruit aromas of raspberry and cassis form the core of the wine, and in the mouth, create a long, delicious finish that can be tasted for several minutes.

The 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 and a nice dose of astringency that lend additional grip and structure to this wine. Overall, the wine has struck the fine balance between delicate and structured, and will improve with bottle aging during the next five years (or more).

Tom you were an even better guest than I had hoped, and I had super high expectations having met you a year ago. Not only does the Rogue Creamery sell all of their products but Tom also sells a collection of his favorite cheeses from around the world. The Rogue Creamery is honestly worth a vacation trip just to visit the creamery, it is an amazing place where you can just sense all the history that has taken place. I recommend it and give my whole hearted recommendation to visit their website and try these amazing cheeses; www.roguecreamery.com

Here are specific recommendations from the Rogue Creamery’s website:

I. BLUE CHEESE: Generally pairs well with full-bodied reds, or sweeter whites such as Gewürztraminer or late harvest. Port is classic. Specifications follow:

· Oregonzola: The cheese is milder in flavor than Roquefort or Danish-style blues. Pairs with Viognier; check out Pinot Noirs on a case-by-case basis; yeasty champagnes work; spicy Zinfandels, robust Merlots and Cabernet Francs; Bordeaux-style blends.

· Oregon Blue: A full-bodied blue cheese which requires a wine correspondingly robust in flavor. Try Fruity Pear wine, Late Harvest White, Cabernet Sauvignon, Claret, Syrah; Port is excellent.

The Famed Oregon Blue

· Crater Lake Blue: A full-bodied blue, with a long finish. Late Harvest White, Cabernet Franc; Claret; Syrah; Port.

Craterlake Blue

· Echo Mountain: An earthier blue cheese (a blend of cow’s milk and goat’s milk), with its own unique flavor. Pinot Gris; Viognier; Cabernet Franc; Cabernet Sauvignon.

· Smokey Blue: Pairs well with good “food” wines; Pinot Gris; Chardonnay; well-rounded reds on the fruity side, lighter on tannins and acidity – i.e., selected Zinfandels, Merlots and blends.

· Rogue River Blue: This cheese has a strong, well-aged flavor with hints of brandy and fruit – a medium wine won’t stand up to it. Choose wines with the fullness of age - Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Port – or the classic French or German Gewürztraminers.

Rogue River Blue

II. CHEDDAR: Generally pairs well with medium to dry white and red wines, especially the sharp and extra-sharp cheddars. Flavored cheddars, usually at the mild or medium level, will expand the selections in both categories. Don’t forget the beers – cheddars are classic companions to a variety of ales, stouts and lagers.

An Assortment of Cheddars

· Sharp and Extra-sharp Cheddar: pair with full-bodied whites and reds – Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Claret. Muscats also complement this cheese. Ales and pilsners are good with sharp cheddars.

· Rosemary Cheddar: Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir.

· Chocolate Stout: Keep to a fruity wine, on the dry side, in the Viognier, Claret, or Zinfandel families. For beers, try a stout or porter.

III. CURDS: Very light in traditional cheese characteristics; the flavoring agents become prevalent in the flavored varieties. Curds pair well with most beers, and with lighter white and red wines.

"Squeaky" Cheese Curds

· Plain Curds: good with Rose, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Noir.

· Pesto Curds: Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir.

· Jalapeno Curds: Ales, Lagers, Pilsners.

· Garlic Curds: Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir.

Pairing Tips: Pair regional foods, wine and beer together. Pair light colored wines and beers with fresh cheeses. Wines higher in tannin exaggerate flavors in cheese ie. fat, sharpness, sweetness and animal flavors. Dessert wines pair nicely with cheeses that have a salty, sharp or bitter flavor.

"from my table to yours"

Grillin’ and Chillin’ on the WineGuyMike™ Radio Show© Perfect Wine and Beef for Your Barbeque.

Posted on July 10, 2011 by WineGuyMike

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Today’s Podcast; http://trail1033.podbean.com/2011/07/10/wine-guy-mike-for-71011/

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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© we’re Grillin’ and Chillin’. The dog days of summer are upon us and I wanted to share with you my thoughts on pairing wines with beef. Its summer and I’m thinkin’ about grillin’ and chillin’. When we think about food and wine paired together it is worth putting a little bit of thought into it. Why? When you match or pair the right food with the right wine it’s like magic, the wine and food not only complement one another they bring out the best in each other. So what do you need to know? Matching wine and food is just a balancing act and here are a few things to think about. Is the food texture heavy or light, how I will be cooking my meal, and are there any sauces involved? As for the wine piece of this equation what type of wine do your guests and you enjoy.

Okay so it’s a beautiful summer day I’ve got some friends and family coming over and I’m in the mood to grill and chill. Now I am thinking about what type of beef I’m going to select, how I’m going to prepare it, and finally how I’m going to serve it. The next thing I’m going to consider is the texture of the particular cut of beef that I’m going to serve my guests for dinner. What makes this thought process fun is when you set down to share your meal with your friends and family and you can let them know about the wine your serving with the meal and why it makes them feel like the special guests that they are.

Now let’s talk a little about steak sauce. Most folks like to garnish with a steak sauce and this is something to consider as well. Steak sauce if you will notice on the list of ingredients has a great deal of some form of vinegar included in it, this is a form of acid. One of the reasons these sauces include vinegar or acid is the fact that acid brings out flavors in food and helps to leave a lingering flavor on your palette. If I were to recommend a wine with a crème or cheese sauce I would be suggesting a wine with a high acid content that would be medium to full bodied. A red tomato based sauce such as a marinara would call for a light body red wine, but for this dinner we are grilling steaks.

Just as foods have a texture and firmness wines also have a quality of texture. Remember we are looking for balance and a synergy between wine and the foods they are paired with. A full bodied wine bold on texture should not be paired with delicate dishes nor should they be paired with a food dish that is big on flavor. Big wine and big flavor just don’t work well together, we are looking for harmony. A mild food dish would do well to be paired with a medium to light body wine.

I’m going to choose some cuts of beef that are my personal favorites. I love prime grade Top Sirloin; prime grade beef is richer and has a much suppler mouthfeel than the standard grade of beef. Just as wine has a texture and mouthfeel so does your beef if you think about it. Rib Eyes are another great cut of beef I love, oh that’s right I love all beef. Beef and wine matched correctly is just a beautiful thing.

As I share this love affair of wine and beef with you I would like you to note that I really consider the percentage of marbling in particular cuts of beef as I’m choosing the right wines to partner with my guests meal.

The Chuck Section: Hamburger has a higher fat content and will make a tasty, juicy burger that is well suited for a nice fruit-forward Cabernet Sauvignon. A Cabernet varietal is a big, powerful red wine that is full in body, rich, and very flavorful. Cabernet Sauvignon is a wine that imparts flavors of fruits, berries, currants, and plums. This wine may also exhibit slight spicy nuances.

2009 Layer Cake Cabernet

Layer Cake Cabernet Sauvignon from California

The 2009 Layer Cake Cabernet displays a beautiful deep garnet color. Aromas of blackberry, cassis, violets, cedar, tobacco, and hints of minerals and graphite. Sweet, densely packed and creamy in the mouth, but with firm, underlying structure that gives lift to the dark berry, chocolate, and coffee flavors. This is a very lush, soft, complex wine that coats the palate and spreads out on the long, lingering finish.

The Rib Section: A Rib Eye steak that is well marbled is a rich and flavorful will pair well with a bold, spicy Syrah. Syrah is a big powerful full bodied wine, also known as Shiraz in Australia. Supple, smooth, rich with well mannered mellow tannins describes the Syrah wines. Flavor wise a Syrah can be slightly spicy, fruity like black cherries, or some may have a deep nutty flavoring.

2009 Layer Cake Shiraz

Layer Cake Shiraz from the Barossa Valley in South Australia

Dark, dense and creamy, complex aromas of black plum, Bing cherry, blackberry and pepper merge with licorice, tobacco, mocha and dark chocolate. This is one inky Shiraz; an explosion of dark, super ripe, wild blackberry, with a touch of cigar box finishing with a mélange of exotic spices. A pure fruit bomb…complete from attack through a long, lingering finish.
The Short Loin Section: Filet Mignon is a lean, delicate cut that is well suited to a nice smooth wine with great body. The wine Pinot Noir is the grape variety of red burgundian wines; it can produce wines that are incredible. When aged in oak, it should have a 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 have a beautiful bouquet.

Adelsheim 2009 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

Adelsheim 2009 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

The Sirloin Section: Boneless Sirloin is a less tender but tends to be more flavorful than other cuts of meat from the loin section. Malbec is one of Argentina’s finest! A good Malbec will present itself as fruit forward, medium bodied and flamboyant, I love this red. Spicy and tannic at its best this wine can be outstanding.

Maipe Malbec

Maipe Malbec – Smooth enough it really doesn’t even need food, and has a 90 point rating. The Mendoza region of Argentina produces amazing Malbec. In this warm dry climate the Malbec achieves near perfect ripeness and have a silky texture with intense flavors of blackberry, peppery spice, and balsamic herbs. The cooler, well-drained slopes of the hillsides of the region are perfect terrior for the Malbec grape.

The Round Section: An Eye of Round served pepper-crusted and rare is a very lean, slightly chewy cut. This will pair well with a Red Blend that has great structure.

Bookwalter Subplot No 25

Subplot No 25 – A great red blend from the Columbia valley comprised of 30% Cabernet 27% Merlot 14% Syrah 9% Petit Verdot 4% Barbera 3% Cab Franc. Aromatics of currants, dark berries, black plums, mocha and marzipan linger as the wine enters the palate full of ripe fruit flavors, Black Forest cherries, Boysenberries, and dates layered with cola, resin, graphite and a dash of Thai spice. You will experience a lush and full mid palate prelude that leads to a velour like finish. This wine is great balance of fruit and acidity.

Each lot of wine selected for Subplot is carefully chosen each year after they have made their final blends for their top tier wines. Bookwalter creates a flavorful, full-bodied yet approachable wine by layering vintages, vineyards and varietals in their Subplot wines. Press wine from our oldest vineyards are aged longer in the cellar to help soften the tannins and create more mature flavors and wine from their younger vines and more recent vintages are added to the blend to bring the lush and bright fruit characteristics forward in the wine.

The Brisket Section: Brisket that is slowly cooked on the barbeque can be buttery, smoky, with flavors that call for the red fruit and fig aromas and full bodied profile of Sangiovese A.K.A. Chianti, but in this case we are going to take it up a notch and go right to the heart of Tuscany and into the Chianti Classico region. This spicy medium bodied red will exhibit nuances of cherry and raspberry flavor with just the right amount of tannin, acid, and fruit. A nice Chianti Classico will pair so well with the buttery and smoky flavor of the Brisket.

Castello di Fonterutoli 2006

Castello di Fonterutoli 2006

This wine is a stunning composition of strikingly diverse Sangiovese’s notes, some of which are exclusively found on the Mazzei Estate, and have rarely been tasted before.

This incredible wine has a deep and impenetrable ruby red color. The wine is incredibly layered, it opens up with subtle hints of fresh spices (black pepper) that develop into perfumes of fresh red fruits (red currant), and followed by more intense dark ripe fruits (plum). The harmony of flavors is concluded by notes of forest undergrowth and an earthy, musky finale. This is an unbelievable wine.

The Flank Section: Thin Flank Steak is best slowly grilled over a low flame. The smoky flavors from the grill and intense beef flavor compliment a Zinfandel. This full bodied, fruit forward, and spicy wine is one of California’s favorites, and most plentiful. Berries, cherries, tobacco, oak, and vanilla this wine seems to have it all.

2009 Plungerhead "Lodi" Zinfandel

Alright head to the store and purchase you beef selection you’ve decided on, stoke up the grill, and open up your wine so it can breathe and be at its best to serve to your guests. They’ll think they are kings and queens, remember keep the wine in the house in a cool place so they are served at the right temperature.

WineGuyMike™ raises his glass in a toast to you grillin’ and chillin’ this weekend. Grill on wine warriors!

"from my grill to yours"

Posted on May 22, 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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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 was fortunate to be able spend a little time talking to one of the wine industries top cult wine heroes, Jayson Woodbridge. Passion has a fuse and every entrepreneur has one. It is interesting to have a conversation with someone like Jayson to find out when his got ignited, and that’s just what I did.

Jayson Woodbridge

Jayson is a great winemaker, we know that from the wines he has produced and shared with us. I personally think of Jayson as an entrepreneur because of his life, experiences, and his journey into the wine kingdom. Jayson’s work life began in a pizza parlor that his Grandparents owned. As I listened to Jayson telling his story it conjured up fond memories from the Italian neighborhood I grew up in Upstate New York, and yes back then we called it a pizza parlor. A pizza parlor back then was not just a takeout joint. There were actually places to sit so you could hang out with your friends, talk, and eat way to much great pizza. This is the picture that painted my mind as Jayson reminisced about growing up and working with his Grandparents in their establishment.

The inspiration to make great wine today comes from Jayson’s past. His Grandparents worked very hard at their pizza parlor as did the customers that frequented their place and as Jayson explained to me that this is where he was struck with his first entrepreneurial epiphany. Just like real-estate location, location, location in the business world if you have a product or service it better have value, value, and more value. Watching his Grandparents work hard, Jayson clearly understood this concept.

Every Sunday Jayson’s Grandmother would bake a beautiful Layer Cake and I could tell from the way he described this that he lived for a slice of that cake every week. Here is where the passion candle was lit for Jayson, right on that Layer Cake. When Jayson and his Grandfather would sit around waiting for the Sunday cake they would talk about food and wine. This is when Jayson’s Grandfather shared with him the secret of good wine, that just like Grandma’s Layer Cake with layers of ingredients and goodness so should a great wine be structured. Jayson who obviously has a deep admiration and love for his Grandparents listened and learned and so goes the rest of the story.

I was persistent in my efforts to have a Jayson as a guest as I have listened to and watched the way he operates, implements, and executes everything he does. Jayson is originally from Canada and had a very successful career as an investment banker. That entrepreneurial background is serving him well in the career he really loves, winemaker extraordinaire.

Jayson is known for his cult hit labels Hundred Acre and Cherry Pie, he began the Layer Cake wine series as a tribute to his grandfather, striving to make affordable wines with a luxurious taste. The Layer Cake name evokes the memory of something comforting, rich and delicious.

Layer Cake Wine

A unique wine brand with multiple country AVA’s, Layer Cake is handmade in some of Jayson’s favorite wine regions from around the world; he actually makes wine on 4 continents. Each Layer Cake wine is crafted implementing the same small winery techniques and quality standards for which Jayson is well known. Jayson and his winemaking team travel the globe to make all of his wines. They work with small family growers, rigorously selecting only the best fruit. Jayson not only does business with these families but he is friends with them too. He and his team enjoy joy sharing wine, food, and friendship with the families he does business with in faraway places.

Harkening back to the conversation Jayson had with his Grandfather he remembered that really good wine should be just like his Grandmother’s delicious layer cake; the layers of soils under the vines produce layers of rich flavors, aromatics, and textures in the wine. Layers of chocolate, mocha, dark berry fruit, and spices found in the Layer Cake wines rival the layers of flavors complimenting his Grandmother’s wonderful layer cake.

Jayson also shared with me his recollection of how hard his Grandparents worked and that they could not afford expensive wine. So with his current label, Layer Cake, it was significantly important to him to produce wine that consumers could afford, enjoy, and find extreme value in. And guess what that is exactly what Jayson Woodbridge has done.

The current Layer Cake offerings include Shiraz from Australia’s Barossa Valley, a Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina, an old vine Primitivo, aka Zinfandel, from Puglia, Italy, a California Central Coast Chardonnay, and a California Cabernet Sauvignon. These wines are all brilliantly done, a true delight for any person just beginning to discover wine or for the discriminating wine lover. The wines Jayson has made are super approachable in terms of style, quality, and price. Layer Cake wines are equivalent to a fifty dollar bottle that you walk up to the shelf in your market and put in your basket to take home and enjoy for only $15.00 dollars. You have got to love that and you will. Now let’s take a look at these beautiful wines.

Layer Cake Chardonnay from the Central Coast of California

Layer Cake Virgin Chardonnay from Central Coast California

The Virgin Chardonnay is so named because it never comes in contact with any oak. Layer Cake wine lovers have expressed Jayson’s shared interest in getting back to what Chardonnay used to be: Clean, crisp, layered, refreshing fruit, a hint of summer, with none of the overbearing heaviness of oak.

The nose is like walking through a blossoming Meyer lemon orchard, a spring stream running over wet cobblestones in the background, and a hint of lemon meringue pie baking inside the cottage nearby. Fresh and vibrant, the wine builds in body and texture as it sits in your mouth. Kaffir lime, guava, pineapple and a note of flint flow in first, then the light creamy texture of lemon curd fills in the flavor palette. The finish is clean and crisp, lingering enough to make you want another sip.

Layer Cake Malbec from Mendoza Argentina

Layer Cake Malbec from Mendoza Argentina

The fruit for Layer Cake Malbec comes from a vineyard that is flanking the Mendoza River in Argentina; a rocky terrain, strikingly similar to that of Chateauneuf du Pape in the Rhône Valley. Clay and gravel make up the subsoil under the larger cobble forcing each vine to compete for nutrition; the result is a wine profoundly concentrated and rich, “always rich”.

This wine is pure, rich and very elegant; a powerhouse of lush black fruit, silky cocoa, black spice and cream, wrapped around blackberry, cherry and ripe plum. This Malbec is layered and complex with a nose to linger over, a finish that never ends. Sweet anise, hints of tobacco, black chocolate, more cherries and exotic spices, layers of jam. This wine will stand and perform anytime you think of a Cabernet and want something just a little more exotic. Born at the base of the Andes and fed by the purest spring waters.

Layer Cake Shiraz from the Barossa Valley in South Australia

Layer Cake Shiraz from the Barossa Valley in South Australia

Layer Cake Shiraz is produced in South Australia which is arguably one of the top shiraz-growing regions of the world. Within SA, the McLaren Vale is the most diverse and historic sub-region with vines dating back to the 1830’s. The microclimates within McLaren Vale are what give Layer Cake Shiraz its complexity. For our Shiraz, we pull from vineyards all over McLaren Vale; from the full-clustered, sandy soiled blocks on the sea coast of Gulf St. Vincent, to the Terra Rosa based, tiny-berried wind- blown hills across the Vale. The vineyards are all within a few miles of each other, yet give us a broad array of flavors to blend into a complete wine.

This incredible Shiraz is dark, dense and creamy, complex aromas of black plum, Bing cherry, blackberry and pepper merge with licorice, tobacco, mocha and dark chocolate. This is one inky Shiraz; an explosion of dark, super ripe, wild blackberry, with a touch of cigar box finishing with a mélange of exotic spices. A pure fruit bomb…complete from attack through a long, lingering finish. Chefs will save this cake for themselves.

Layer Cake Primitivo from Puglia in Southern Italy

Layer Cake Primitivo from Puglia in Southern Italy

The fruit for Layer Cake Primitivo a.k.a. Zinfandel comes from head-trained old vines and is harvested in early September. This is truly remarkable plant material in very old vineyards; some dating to Roman times. The soils in Manduria are red iron-rich clays with large calcareous rocks, shells and coral from ancient sea beds. We’re talking ancient, gnarled baskets hugging the ground and the rocks around them.

This Layer Cake wine is a great balance of elegance and power; inky black fruit, spice and white pepper, jammy black cherries, plums, blackberry fruit, truffles, tar, and espresso. Warm and rich in the mouth with a creamy texture; the ripe fruit is well supported by the deep structure of the wine. Sit back and travel through time…Relax on a hot summer evening, the fountain in the background, church-bells in the distance.

Layer Cake Cabernet Sauvignon from California

Layer Cake Cabernet Sauvignon from California

Layer Cake Cabernet Sauvignon was made from select vineyard sites in California combining richness and big fruit flavors with classic structure and tannic power. This wonderful Cabernet was fermented using hand punch downs and gentle pumpovers; then transferring some to French oak for aging. The biggest structured, most powerful lots were put into new French oak for aging to balance the tannins and extract the rich flavors from the barrique. Some lots that would benefit from the softening effect of time in oak were put into French barrels that were used to age. By carefully blending the different lots, varying oak types and different vineyard lots, Jayson has created a balanced and complex wine. This is what is known as a beautiful Layer Cake.

This wine is visually beautiful, displaying a deep garnet color in your glass. There are aromas of blackberry, cassis, violets, cedar, tobacco, and hints of minerals and graphite on the nose. This Cabernet is sweet, densely packed and creamy in the mouth, but with firm, underlying structure that gives lift to the dark berry, chocolate, and coffee flavors, yum. Enjoy this very lush, soft, complex wine that coats the palate and spreads out on the long, lingering finish.

Jayson has really hit a homerun with these interesting, complex wines that offer amazing value for the wine consumer. Great price, $15.00, and great value I recommend each of these wines. I endorse this entire series of Layer Cake wines with the WineGuyMike™ Seal of Approval® If you haven’t seen Jayson Woodbridge on YouTube I suggest you watch a few while enjoying your wine. Here is my favorite YouTube video from Jayson; http://youtu.be/nlH40IRhNb8

A special shout out and thanks to Jayson for taking time to join me this week on the WineGuyMike™ Radio Show©. I look forward to sharing a glass of wine Jayson, Salute.

"from my table to yours"

Sean Minor and 4Bears Winery, did you know “the wine is just right” with WineGuyMike™

Posted on March 20, 2011 by WineGuyMike

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Where do I start today? This week my WineGuyMike™ radio show guest is Sean Minor who produces 4Bears Wines from the 4Bears Winery in the Napa Valley of California. I’m excited to share my guests story with you today for many reasons, there is much to share and in my enthusiasm I hope that I can get it all out on the table so to speak.

I wanted to start by stating that Sean Minor is a personification of a modern day winemaking warrior, but the term “modern day” seems like such an antiquated term to me in an age where wine and Social Media intersect. Instead I’m going to say Sean Minor is an in the moment winemaking warrior. In doing research for my weekly radio show I get to meet some very interesting people and my understanding of wine evolves continuously to the point it seems that I have a major epiphany about every other month. Just when I think I might be getting it and then I run into someone like Sean Minor and everything changes for me.

How about a little background on Sean? Sean is a young veteran of the wine industry of 22 years. He studied at Arizona State University and received a degree in Finance and where met his wife Nicole. I was excited to see this because my daughter who is going into engineering and is a nationally ranked swimmer is being recruited by the Sun Devils to swim for the university. Me being me I thought mentioning this might bolster the scholarship opportunities, just kidding, well sort of. Are you listening Arizona State, and did you know about the great winemaker you produced at your university?

This winemaker started out his career on the management side of the wine world. After college Sean and his wife Nicole moved to the Napa Valley where Sean began his career at Beaulieu Vineyard before moving on to King Estate Winery in Oregon. This eventually led to a appointment at Benton-Lane Winery as President. Sean then was harkened back to the Napa Valley as Manager of Renwood Winery. Throughout this full circle called a career path Sean had been studying at the hallowed grounds known to the wine world as UC Davis where many great winemakers had gone before him. Drawing from all of his career experiences the 4Bears brand was born. This brand name was inspired by the four Minor children.

In meeting Sean I have some observations and a few adjectives that I have to share with you and you’ll understand when I also share my newest wine epiphany with you.

1. Sean is extremely professional but is also very real.

2. He is a dedicated family man.

3. Determination, tenacity, perfectionist, extra effort, gets it, produces it, markets it, and delivers it.

Yes these are some of the thoughts I took away after meeting and tasting Sean’s wines.

Sean Minor, winemaker

Sean and I met at a wine tasting for a small group of restaurateurs a few months back and it was pleasure having him personally take this group through his portfolio of 4Bears wine offerings.

The epiphany yes another one of those ah ha moments for me, just when I think I’m getting it I realize I need to pay much closer attention, so here it is. My focus has always been terrior or sense of place in a bottle but after meeting Sean I realized that was only half of the equation. The other half you might ask, a bottle of wine is also the winemaker in a bottle. Terrior plus winemaker in a bottle makes for a really great bottle of wine and this is exactly what Sean has done in all of his wines. This man goes to the great lengths and efforts in sourcing grapes from the best appellations or wine areas available to produce the varietal driven wines that 4Bears Winery offers. Every one of the wines that the 4Bears label offers is as solid as they come and have been recognized at numerous wine competitions as medal winners.

Sean selects his grapes from premium vineyards in California that are subject to cool marine influence and the beautiful sunshine that produces incredible grapes from the finest appellations California has to offer. Sean enlists the palette of long time friend and mentor Will Bucklin who also comes from King Estate Winery where he led the winemaking operations. Will now runs his family winery in the Napa Valley.

Will Bucklin and Sean Minor

4Bears Winery currently offers a well rounded portfolio of wines that are undervalued price wise and over deliver in every way when that wine moves from the bottle to your glass. Here is the lineup of wines that I highly recommend that you try, and I’m talking about all of them.

2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

2008 CABERNET SAUVIGNON, NAPA VALLEY

Appellation: Napa Valley

Composition: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc

Tasting Notes: The Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is ruby in color and displays aromas of raspberry, cassis and cigar box. Once in your mouth, the wine’s silky raspberry fruit flavors and the combination of oak and tannin nuances create a well balanced, rich and full bodied wine that draws you in for more.

Suggested Retail Price: $18.00

2009 Pinot Noir, Carneros

2009 PINOT NOIR, CARNEROS

Appellation: Carneros

Composition: 100% Pinot Noir

Tasting Notes: The Carneros Pinot Noir is medium-bodied with cherry, strawberry and plum; surrounded by light toast flavors. On entry, the wine displays blue fruit characters that are balanced with spicy and earthy notes that frame the mid-palate. The vanilla and toast integrates well with the silky round tannins on the lengthy finish.

Suggested Retail Price: $18.00

2008 Merlot, Napa Valley

2008 MERLOT, NAPA VALLEY

Appellation: Napa Valley

Composition: 100% Merlot

Tasting Notes: The Napa Valley Merlot is ruby in color and has aromas of black cherry, dry floral and cocoa. The dark berry flavors along with black cherry and plum nuances integrate well on the pallet with the sweet oak and tannins. The wine provides a full mouth feel which evolves into a lingering and full finish.

Suggested Retail Price: $18.00

2009 Chardonnay, Central Coast

Appellation: Central Coast

2009 CHARDONNAY, CENTRAL COAST

Composition: 100% Chardonnay

Tasting Notes: The Central Coast Chardonnay displays aromas of peach, green apples and tropical nuances. On the entry, the wine is soft with green apple, white peach and pineapple notes. The mid-palate displays subtle oak nuances which evolve into a hint of minerality and continue into a lingering clean finish.

Suggested Retail Price: $14.00

2009 Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma County

2009 SAUVIGNON BLANC, SONOMA COUNTY

Appellation: Sonoma County

Composition: 100% Sauvignon Blanc

Tasting Notes: The Sauvignon Blanc is rich and complex with aromas of pears, ruby grapefruit and tropical fruit. On the palate, the combined flavors of pears, fig and melon are balanced perfectly to form a crisp, mouthwatering texture and a lingering finish.

Suggested Retail Price: $14.00

2010 Vin Gris, Carneros

2010 VIN GRIS, CARNEROS

Appellation: Carneros

Composition: 100% Pinot Noir

Tasting Notes:

The Vin Gris is a bright and vibrant pink color with cherry, strawberry, cranberry and ripe watermelon aromas on the nose. On entry, the wine displays cherry and strawberry flavors with well recognized flavors of Pinot Noir. Raspberry and cranberry fruit characters are balanced with spicy and crisp acidity that linger creating a refreshing and lengthy finish.

Winemaking Notes:

This wine is produced using the classic saignée method, allowing juice to remain in contact with the Pinot Noir skins for about 24 hours. The juice is then “bled” from the Pinot Noir tank before fermentation begins and inoculated on its own in a separate tank. The resulting wine is fermented dry developing its pink color, aromatics and bright fruit flavors.

Suggested Retail Price: $15.00

For my palette I personally love the Pinot Noir and The Chardonnay. The Pinot Noir is unique; the price point is such that you will not find another wine that has this level of sophistication from the Carneros AVA for this price point. This incredible wine and is made 100% from Pinot Noir, it doesn’t need support from any other varietal. Sean nailed it on this one.

Let’s get to the Chardonnay which has fallen out of favor for many wine drinkers at the moment. Get over your bad self and try this Chardonnay, it’s fantastic. This wine will appeal to fans of old world and new world wine lovers alike. Sean set out to bring both styles together and offer wine drinkers the best of both worlds and guess what he did it. You will love this Chardonnay, you must try this.

This entire portfolio of wine receives the WineGuyMike™ Seal of Approval®, I recommend you try all of these. I know will enjoy this wine flight as much as I do.

"from my table to yours"

Pioneers of the American wine industry, evolutionists of today’s wine world, Beringer Vineyards with WineGuyMike™

Posted on March 13, 2011 by WineGuyMike

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This week on the WineGuyMike™ show I had the distinct pleasure of hosting Chris Louton, winemaker at Beringer Vineyards. This was a unique opportunity to catch a glimpse of what goes on at one of the premier wine producers in America through the eyes of one of Beringer’s own winemakers.

Beringer Vineyards is steeped in tradition to say the very least, it is the oldest continuously working winery in the Napa Valley of California. Beringer was founded by the brothers Beringer, Jacob and Frederick. The two brothers came to America from Mainz, Germany. Frederick who hit the shores of America on the east coast would write to his brother Jacob and espoused the amazing opportunities here in America. Jacob who followed his brother five years later had worked in the wine cellars of Germany. Upon arrival to America Jacob who had heard about the sacred grape growing grounds in California hopped on a train and headed west. He made it to San Francisco and then ventured out to the Napa Valley. What he discovered was hilly land made up of volcanic, rocky, and well drained soils akin to the finest vineyard land in the Rhine Valley. The other thing Jacob Beringer discovered was ample sunshine and warmth that provides the perfect terrior for growing grapes in the Napa Valley.

Historic Photo of Jacob and Frederick Beringer

In 1875 Jacob and Frederick bought land in the Napa Valley of California and began growing grapes and producing wine. In 1876 Beringer Vineyards was borne. Jacob took up residence in an existing farmhouse on the property, “the Hudson House” that now serves as the culinary arts center at Beringer Vinyards. Frederick moved from the east permanently and began building his 17 room Victorian house that was a replica of the Beringer family home on the Rhine River in Germany. What is now known as the “Rhine House” at Beringer Vinyards guests can take part in reserve or library tastings at the house. While partaking in these two particular tastings a guest can sit back and look out over the amazing lawns, beautiful gardens and the Napa Valley and ponder what must have crossed the minds of two of the imminent wine entrepreneurs the world has known.

Rhine House - Beringer Book 2009

Moving forward 135 years as I sit here in the radio studio I now call home with Program Director Dave Cowan I have my head phones on and we dial up Chris Louton assistant winemaker at Beringer Vineyards. I had spoken with Chris the day before and I knew he was going to be a great guest as he was very engaging during our initial conversation. A little background on Chris; he was born and raised in Sacramento, CA., and he Graduated from UC Davis with B.S. in Viticulture and Enology in 2003. Chris worked as a lab intern at Schramsberg Vineyards for the 2002 harvest, and then returned after graduation in 2003 for another harvest. This worked into a full time position as Enologist and then into Assistant Winemaker in 2004. Beringer offered and Chris accepted a position as Enologist with Beringer in August of 2006, working exclusively with their Napa Valley and Knights Valley luxury wines. In 2007 he became Assistant Winemaker, overseeing the same products he worked with as Enologist. Chris is married, has 2 boys, ages 5 and 1, he resides in Napa and his family shares the house with 3 dogs and a cat!

As I conversed with Chris and he and I recorded this week’s WineGuyMike™ Radio Show© I realized that the past at Beringer Vineyards is what has allowed all the great opportunity for those who make up Beringer as an organization and consumers who reap the rewards. With no pun intended we quite literally enjoy the fruits of Jacob and Fredericks labor. In researching everything Beringer what you quickly discern is their dedication and focus on quality and consistency. In the 135 year legacy of Beringer’s head winemakers there have been only seven which is an average of a little over 19 years each. You also quickly understand that there is a true atmosphere of mentorship, new head winemakers are groomed from the inside of this organization. The blood in the veins of the winemakers at Beringer come from the grapes of their diverse terrior, 15 different vineyards in total. Chris was quick to point out the no other wine property in Napa Valley has the luxury of making wine from the diversity of vineyards and grape varietals that Beringer has to offer.

Beringer Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon

Chris works with the Napa Valley and Knights Valley luxury wines but Beringer offers the consumer wonderful opportunities to enjoy their wines no matter what price point a consumer desires. Some may call this great marketing, I call it thoughtful winemaking. Beringer recognizes today’s wine consumers needs and desires and they have delivered. The teams of winemakers at Beringer have produced six different labels serving all various consumer niches. These lables vary in price from well under $10.00 in the California Collection, from $9.00 -$12.00 price point for the Founders Estates label for those of us who are the everyday wine drinkers, to $20-$30 range for you weekend wine warriors, and for the stratospheric special occasion prices, well at least for most of us, are the Napa and Private reserve labels.

Here is a list of the Beringer wine labels and the varietals and blends that are represented:

Private Reserve – Best lots aged separately for two years in French Oak then blended

The Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is the utmost expression of each vintage and the terroir of the Napa Valley. The collaboration between winemaking and viticulture has been at the core of the Private Reserve program since the first vintage crafted by Ed Sbragia in 1977. Today, Winemaker Laurie Hook draws on her rich experience of working alongside Ed for over two decades as she blends only the best lots from these outstanding vineyards. Each vineyard is aged separately in new French oak for two years before blending, resulting in a wine of great elegance and structure.

Napa Valley – Higher End Cabernet Sauvignon from various Beringer Vineyards

A tier focusing on a luxury drinking experience with Napa Valley character and distinction, our winemakers have produced a range of wines with the same inspiration of the original highly acclaimed Beringer Napa Valley Chardonnay – quality and an expression of the Napa Valley.

Leaning Oak – Sold on premise at Beringer only, Petite Sirah, Merlot, Sangiovese, Syrah, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Rose´, Sauvignon Blanc

The Leaning Oak wines are only available from the winery, and they fly out of the tasting room door, making them some of our best sellers. The secret to their success is quite simply the quality – these wines offer Reserve level quality at fantastic prices.

Knights Valley – Red Alluvium blend, blended Cabernet(Merlot, Cabernet Franc), White Allivium blend(Sauvignon Blance, Semillon, Small amounts of Chardonnay, Viognier)

Distinctive quality that can only be created from the rustic, unspoiled vineyards and unique alluvial soils that makes up Sonoma’s Knights Valley. Located 17 miles northwest of the winery, the Knights Valley vineyard has volcanic, well-drained soils that are perfectly suited to Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Sémillon.

Founders Estate – Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Shiraz. This is a terrific flight of varietals that offer the consumer tremendous value. Everyone will love the Founders Estate label.

California Collection – Chenin Blanc, Moscato, Pinot Grigio, Sparkling White Zinfandel, White Merlot, White Zinfandel, and Zinfandel/Chardonnay blend

Beringer’s California Collection wines are carefully handcrafted to deliver the outstanding quality and rich flavors that are hallmarks of the Beringer winemaking team. This collection offers a wonderful array of smooth and refreshing wines, and each wine has a youthful exuberance that appeals to anyone looking for an easy-drinking wine that pairs well with a variety of foods.

I recommend visiting Beringer Vineyards if you visit the Napa Valley. When you conger up a vision of a romantic wine property in your mind, Beringer is that place. Everything about this property is absolutely pristine, and hey did I mention these guys make incredible wine.

There is a tour and a tasting for everyone who visits Beringer Vineyards. You can read all the details about what they offer by visiting the Beringer website at; www.Beringer.com

From a consumer standpoint I love Beringer Vineyards as they have really delivered tremendous value at every price point of wine consumption. They are not an elitist organization that has ignored any consumer; they produce great wines that provide great value for everyone. I for one truly appreciate this approach and that’s why I not only recognize Beringer as having a great marketing plan, I as a consumer wine advocate chooses to call Beringer Vineyards thoughtful.

Beringer Vineyards and all of their wines receive the WineGuyMike Stamp of Approval™. I recommend that all of my audience try Beringer wines. I want to give a shout out to Chris Louton of Beringer Vineyards for making time to share his work and passion with my radio audience, thanks Chris.

"from my table to yours"

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2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

2009 Pinot Noir, Carneros

2008 Merlot, Napa Valley

2009 Chardonnay, Central Coast

2009 Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma County

2010 Vin Gris, Carneros

Pioneers of the American wine industry, evolutionists of today’s wine world, Beringer Vineyards with WineGuyMike™