Wine Appraiser

Tonight, we are having our second Wine Cocktails Show! We loved our first cocktail show and got many comments. We are expecting this year to be more of the same. Tonight we will focus on Red Wine Cocktails.

Last year, our winning cocktail was the Carribou.

Tonight, we will have one very simple to make drink and a second that is a little more detailed. Also, one will have bourbon in addition to the red wine.

So here are our two cocktails for tonight.

Tonight, we are enjoying:

1. Kalimotxo. This is a very simple drink to make and is popular in Spain. Put ice in a tall glass, pour in 4 oz. red wine, and top with 4 oz. coke. That’s it – your done. Enjoy.
2. Blood Letter Trinidad Sour. This is for our bourbon drinkers. 1 oz. bourbon, 1 oz. red wine, 12 dashes bitters, ½ oz. maple syrup, ½ oz. lemon juice. Put these ingredients in a shaker over ice. Shake, strain over ice in a regular cocktail glass. Garnish with a burnt lemon peel.

Denise loved the Kalimotxo and rated a 5, the Blook Letter she gave a 4. I preferred the Blood Letter and rated it a 5 and gave the Kalimotxo a 4.

I see the Kalimotxo more suitable for a patio party drink or summer sipper. Very informal and easy to make. The Blood Letter is more for your holiday party or a more formal gathering.

Next week, we are continuing with our wine cocktails show. We will taste two white wine cocktails.

Tonight, we are tasting and learning about two hybrid grape varieties. The first is Traminette and the second is Vidal Blanc. We are tasting a white wine blend of these two grapes. It is the Stone Hill Winery 2022 Hellbender Blanc.

First, the Traminette is a hybrid white wine grape originally bred at the University of Illinois in 1965. It is an offspring of Gewurztraminer. Like its parent, it is perfumed and spicy, but less aromatic than its parent. It is pretty versatile, but is normally made into a dry or off-dry wine. The dry wine pairs well with salmon or chili. The off-dry version pairs with spicy dishes such as Thai and curry dishes.

The second hybrid grape in our wine tonight is Vidal Blanc. This is the white-wine grape most often used for icewine, but this versatile grape can also produce dry, crisp wines. It makes a medium-bodied wine with notes of pear, honeysuckle, citrus, and candied fruit. Pairs with tomato-based dishes. Also pairs well with cheeses such as sharp Cheddars, Pecorino, or Parmigiano Reggiano.

Tonight, we are enjoying:

1. 2022 Stone Hill Winery Hellbender Blanc. I purchased from the winery for $15. A fresh and bright white blend with pleasant acidity. Notes of orange blossoms, citrus, green apple, peach, and apricot. Also has notes of minerality and lemongrass. Medium-bodied wine with 13% alcohol and 0.9% residual sugar.

We both liked this wine, but didn't love it. We rated it a three. If you like an aromatic wine, you should give it a try.

Next week, we are having a wine cocktails show.

Tonight, we are blind-tasting three Pinot Noir wines. All three wines are from the United States, but are priced very differently.

Pinot Noir is a medium-bodied, high-acid, fruit-forward wine.

Pinot Noir from Oregon is typically more in the Burgundian Style. California Pinot characteristically has a little greater ripeness and spice.

Here are our three wines for tonight.

Tonight, we are enjoying:

1. 2021 Firesteed Pinot Noir. This wine comes from Oregon and was purchased at Costco for $9.99, but I see it online for closer to $13. Reverse Wine Snob says it has aromas of black cherry, baking spice, touches of cranberry. The grapes are sourced from around the state of Oregon. Aging took place in a combination of small French oak barrels and larger stainless-steel tanks. Approximately 15% new French oak. The winemaker says it has red fruits, earthy notes, and toast. Silky tannins complement the long lingering finish of spice, vanilla, and French oak.
2. 2022 Stoller Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley, Oregon. This was purchased from Wall to Wall Wine for $23.99. 3.59 pH. No more than 15% in oak. This wine gets an 89 rating from the Wine Enthusiast. It says a dusty black cherry aroma dominates faint traces of earthy oregano and citrus. Invigorating acidity overshadows silky tannins. Blackberry and walnut flavors joined by a note of dark chocolate, green tea and lemon. 90 from Vinous.
3. 2022 Three Sticks Pinot Noir. I purchased this from the winery for $75. All of the wine goes through malolactic fermentation and is aged in 100% French oak (44% new) for 15 months. The wine has a pH of 3.4.

We both gave all three wines a thumbs up. Denise gave the Three Sticks Pinot Noir a 5 rating, but still enjoyed the other two. I actually liked the Stoller the best, but gave a 4 rating to both the Stoller and the Three Sticks. It really depends on your preference in wine. The Three Sticks is much heavier oaked, spicy, and with darker fruit flavors. The Stoller is the complete opposite being very subdued and very balanced.

Next week, we will be exploring more hybrid wines. 

We are changing our show tonight, but we still have you covered with wine information.

Tonight we are going to taste and learn about Gamay.

Gamay is known for being a light-body and fruit-forward wine with low tannins. It typically has cherry and raspberry fruit flavors, and earthy and floral notes. Acid is typically medium to high.

Duke of Burgundy banned Gamay in 1395 because he believed it to be an inferior wine, but it remained and continued to be grown in the southern Burgundy region of Beaujolais. This is the most famous region producing Gamay, and now is responsible for about 75% of all of the Gamay wine in the world. Our wine tonight comes from the Loire Valley where is it also grown in the central regions of the Loire. It is also being grown in parts of Canada, Oregon, and New Zealand.

Gamay pairs well with soft cheeses, chicken, turkey, salmon, and mushroom dishes. Serve slightly chilled at 55-60 degrees.

Here are our three wines for tonight.

Tonight, we are enjoying:

1. 2021 Le Rouge E’Ici et E’Ailleurs Saint Pourcain, Loire Valley. I purchased online and you can still find it for $18.00. It is produced by Domaine des Berioles. The winery is biodynamic and it is made with 100% Gamay grapes. It has 12.5% alcohol.

This wine was average, I liked it but nothing I would go out an purchase again. We both rated it a 3. I did like the earthiness, but had an overpowering cherry taste.

Next week, we are testing ourselves and the wine industry. Does price equal quality? We are going to taste three very different-priced Pinot Noirs and see if price equals enjoyment. 

The Iowa State Fair has been included on the New York Times list of places to see before you die, in a travel book about places to visit in the US and Canada, and one of the top experiences for every Midwesterner by Midwest Living magazine. It was also listed as the #2 choice for summer fun in America by USA Weekend in 2004.

Here are some things you will see at the fair. Biggest boar, super bull, biggest pumpkin, lots of food, funny t-shirts, musical acts, Iowa craft beer tent, funny contests (hog calling, husband calling, twin look-alike, cow-chip throwing), and also the Iowa Wine Experience. Too many to mention. For the day we attended, I printed out a list of activities, it was 15 pages long.

Several thoughts on the Iowa Wine Experience. First, it is atop a large hill. For those unfamiliar with Iowa in August, it is hot and humid. However, once you reach your destination, you are treated to a great view of the entire fairground and much of the City of Des Moines. Very beautiful! In addition to the view, we relaxed at a table under a tree while a nice breeze offered some relief from the heat and the music from a nearby band could be heard. It was very peaceful and relaxing even with the activities of the fair.

For those who drink wine only from a perfectly matched crystal wine glass, this is not for you. Small plastic cups are used to serve the wine, and the wine may not be served at its respective perfect temperature. However, sampling the different wines was fun and I enjoyed the Sangria Slushy.

Here is a recap on some wines you might want to taste.

If you like a sweet white wine, the Fireside Winery’s https://www.firesidewinery.com/ Blu won a Best of Show for Sweet Wine and the overall Governor’s Cup. We tried it and found it to be complex and well-balanced, but a little too sweet for our liking.

If you prefer a dry red wine, try the Oscar Carl Vineyard  https://oscarcarlvineyard.com/ Marechal Foch Reserve.

If you like dry white wine, try the Jasper Winery https://www.jasperwinery.com/ Seyval Blanc. It comes in either an un-oaked or oak-aged style.

Tonight, we are enjoying the:

1. Un-oaked Seyvel Blanc. You can order this from the winery for $16.00. It is a crisp white wine with citrus, green apple, and pear flavors. Nice summer sipper.

This wine was great for a warm-weather sipper. It is fruit-forward and crisp. We both gave it a 3 rating and would suggest giving it a try.

Next week, we are testing ourselves and the wine industry. Does price equal quality? We are going to taste three very different-priced Pinot Noirs and see if price is relative to the quality.  

Bordeaux is famous for its red wines, but tonight we are focusing on the region’s white wines. While white wines are not what makes the area one of the most famous wine regions in the world. In the early 1970s the white grape Semillon was the most widely planted grape in the region, regardless of color. Today that is not the case, but it is still the most planted white grape.

Just like the red wine from the area, Bordeaux white wine is typically a blend.  

Tonight, we are enjoying:

1. 2019 Chateau Les Charmes-Godard Frances – Cotes De Bordeaux Nicolas Thienpont Vigneron. This was purchased for around $18.00. It is a dry white from the Cotes De Bordeaux AOC. Decanter Magazine describes it as being a full body, dry white wine. It is oaked and is made from a 45% Semillon, 20% Sauvignon Blanc, and 25% Sauvignon Gris blend. It has a 13% alcohol and a 2.97 pH. It is fermented in barrels and matured for 7-months on the lees. 15% are new barrels. Many different tasting notes online. One said pineapple, citrus, creamy and zesty. One said peach and apricot – fruity with a zing.

We both loved this wine and rated it a strong 4. It has a creamy-honeyed mouth feel, but does not have all of the oakiness of a California Chardonnay. Further, while it is creamy, it is also bright with a touch of zing.

Next week we will have a Midwest Wine show. We will be tasting many wines at the Iowa State Fair, wines from around the state. We will report on our favorite wines from around the state, and also talk about some of the Midwest Wine varieties.

Port wine comes from the Douro Valley, Spain. It wasn’t long ago that we tasted a wine from the Douro Valley, Spain. The river continues west through Spain and runs directly through Portugal before it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at the City of Porto. This is Portugal’s second largest city and the namesake of the wine. Port wine is highly regulated. No other area can produce “Port” wine. After the start of fermentation, and when about half of the sugar has been converted to alcohol, a spirit, normally brandy, is pumped into the juice to stop the fermentation. The result is a sweet and high-alcohol wine.

There are two types of port; vintage port and tawny port. A vintage port will happen about 3 out of 10 years and happens when conditions are just right to produce the best port. These ports are produced and bottled after approximately two years. They are often ready to drink after 4 or 5 years, but can normally be aged for many years. Tawny port originally got its name from wine aged so long that it lost its red color and became a tawny brown or tan. Today it is typically labelled 10 or 20 years, or more. Tawny ports are normally smoother than vintage ports. According to the Oxford Companion to Wine, today, Tawny Ports are many times no older than a vintage port and may even include white ports or wine-making techniques to get the desired color.

We also want to talk about two varietal wines. First is Tinta Roriz, which is what the Portuguese call Tempranillo. The second variety we want to talk about is Touriga Nacional. This is traditionally the main grape variety used in port wine, but is becoming a more important single varietal wine grape. It has also expanded to France, South Africa, Australia, and the US in recent years. Mainly because it is a heat-resistant grape variety.

 Tonight, we are enjoying:

1. 2019 Ermegeira Tinta Roriz MIA. It comes from the Lisboa region of southern Portugal and has 11.5% alcohol. I purchased the wine at Wine Styles for around $28. It is certified organic and suitable for vegans according to the website. Vivino says the wine is earthy, juicy cherry, boysenberry, Raspberry, slightly grippy. The grapes are lightly pressed to limit extraction. Only grapes from his own estate are used. All stainless steel used I production with no SO2 at all. 100% Tinta Roriz (aka Tempranillo)
2. 10 Year Old Kirkland Tawny Porto. I purchased at Costco for $16.99. Reverse Wine Snob says aromas of prunes, raisins, orange zest, caramel, toffee, some nutty notes, some bourbon and a good bit of heat. Tastes silky smooth, sweet, and fruity with raisiny fruit notes, more caramel, toffee, and nutty notes. Recommends a buy. Pair with a rich dessert.

We both loved the Tinta Roriz and gave it a score of 4. This was produced in stainless steel so it is brighter than the typical tempranillo. To me it just tasted fresh and natural.

The Port was good and we both enjoyed and we both scored it a 3. Had a very hot aroma, but was smooth and tasty for the most part. This is a nice price for a port and I would suggest you give it a try. You will need to be open to a strong and sweet dessert wine.

Next week we are having a mystery show. Join us next week to see what wine we end up tasting.

Vinho Verde is one of the best-known wines from Portugal. It comes from the Northwest portion of Portugal. The area is green because of its Atlantic Ocean influences as well as denoting the “green” wine that is made from grapes that are less than fully ripe. It comes in both red, white, and rose'. The red wines are mostly consumed locally and is an extremely fruity wine. The white wines are typically blends made from a slew of local grape varieties. The area gets a lot of rain. The proximity to the ocean and the elevation is the two main influences on the vineyards.

Tonight, we are enjoying:

1. 2024 Roseta Vinho Rose. I purchased at Trader Joe’s for $5.99. The Now And Zin Wine website says the wine has a slight frizzante, and nose of ripe red strawberries and cherries, with floral notes in the background. Tastes of red fruit, with delicate citrus coming later. Very refreshing, especially with the slight carbonation.

This wine is unique with a slight fiz (carbonation). It's main flavor is strawberry and cherry, but it is a subdued flavor and not over-powering. We both gave the wine a 3-rating. While it is not my type of wine, but I think some people would really enjoy.

Next week we will start a

two-week exploration of Portugal.

 Mourvedre is most commonly known for being the "M" in GSM Blend.  

The grape originated in Spain, and is known for being a warm-climate grape. The grapes ripen extremely late. In fact, the Southern Rhone Valley is about as far north as the grape can be grown. The berries are small and the skin is thick, which produces a wine that is typically high in alcohol and tannin. It often has a gamey flavor. Called Mataro in Australia.

Our 100% Monastrell wine comes from the Denominacion de Origen Protegida (DO) Jumilla (hoo-ME-uh) region of Spain. This is one of the world’s top-producing Monastrell regions. 

Tonight, we are enjoying:

1. 2020 Infinito from the EB EGOBodegas. This wine was purchased at Costco for $14.99. Comes from old vines. Aromas of black currant, caramel and a hint of balsamic. It scored a 93 from the Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Fine Wine and Good Spirits says, “it has flavors of very ripe fruit, plums, blackberries and some red fruits, in synchronization. Very smooth finish”. The wine has 15.0% alcohol. Pairs with red meats and stews. Wine Enthusiast says "Aromas of black currant, Earl Grey tea and mint leaf prep the palate for bold cherry pie, blackberry preserve, licorice, lavender and mocha flavors.

Both of us loved this wine and strongly recommend it. If you like a bold, smooth, dark fruit wine, this one is for you. 

Next week we will start a two-week exploration of Portugal.

Tonight, we return to South Africa to taste two blended red wines. The first is a Shiraz-based blend from the Stellenbosch Region of the Western Cape. The second wine is mostly a Bordeaux Blend of Cabernet-Merlot.

These wines basically come from different sides of a mountain. The Shiraz blend comes from the cooler Stellenbosch area.

The Franschhoek (FRAHN-SHOOK) wine valley is a French area. Black Elephant focuses on French wine grapes, as does the whole valley. Mountains surround the valley on three sides and is very beautiful.

The Dutch were brought in to help reclaim the wet swampy area of Bordeaux, France that bordered the Atlantic Ocean. When large numbers of French left France in the 1600’s and 1700’s, some chose to come to South Africa and brought grapes with them. This area became a popular place for the French to settle.

Tonight, we are enjoying:

1. 2019 Thelema Mountain Red. This wine was purchased at Wine Styles for around $18. Aromas of juicy black fruit, mulberries, plums, and hints of warm spice. It spent 18 months in older French barrels. Grown in a cooler climate. The wine has pH of 3.51 and 2.2 g/l residual sugar. 57% Shiraz, 21% Grenache, and 22% Petit Verdot. The wine has 14.0% alcohol. Pairs with pizza or BBQ.
2. 2023 Black Elephant Three Men In A Tub With a Rubber Duck Red Wine Blend. This wine was purchased from Wine Styles for around $17. In addition to having a very long name, it has aromas of fresh-picked red berries and vanilla. Medium-body with bright acidity and flavors of cherry, liquorice, and violets. It is a 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, and 2% Mourvedre. 13% alcohol. The wine comes from the Franschhoek Valley region.

We gave both wines a 3 rating. I believe the Thelema could have improved with some additional aging as it was still rather bright. The Three Men in a Tub, I was close to a 2 and believe you can find a similar wine for at a cheaper price.

Next week we will taste a single varietal Monastrell from Spain.