Winecast

Today’s podcast is a return after more than a month away from the mic with a look at Sonoma’s Russian River Valley AVA.

Show Notes:

00:22 - Welcome

01:01 - Russian River Valley Background

02:20 - Tasting Notes

02:40 - Papapietro Perry Winery, Pinot Noir, Elsbree Vineyards 2004 ($45)

03:06 - Papapietro Perry Winery, Pinot Noir, Leras Family Vineyards 2003 ($45) *

03:41 - De La Montanya Winery, Pinot Noir, Tina's Vineyard 2004 ($38)

04:23 - De La Montanya Winery, Pinot Noir, Christine’s Vineyard 2004 ($38)

04:51 - De La Montanya Winery, Syrah, Estate Vineyard 2004 ($30)

05:05 - De La Montanya Winery, Pin-up Series, "Cabaret - Series II", Cabernet / Zinfandel / Syrah 2003 ($38)

05:59 - Felda Creek, “Pinot Squared” 2004 ($32)

06:36 - Moshin Vineyards, Pinot Noir, "Barrel Select" 2003 ($22) +

07:18 - Moshin Vineyards, Pinot Noir, "Lot 4", 2003 ($35)

07:37 - Davis Bynum, Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley 2002 ($28)

08:28 - Davis Bynum, Pinot Noir, Lindleys Knoll Vineyard 2002 ($55)

08:46 - Davis Bynum, Pinot Noir, "Le Pinot", Rochioli Vineyard 2002 ($80)

09:23 - Davis Bynum, Cabernet Sauvignon, Laureles Estate Vineyard 1999 ($50)

09:48 - J Vineyards, J Vintage Brut 2000 ($30)

10:24 - J Vineyards, J Chardonnay, Russian River Valley 2003 ($32)

10:47 - J Vineyards, J Pinot Noir, Nicole's Vineyard 1997 ($40)

11:12 - J Vineyards, J Pinot Noir, Nicole's Vineyard 1998 ($40)

11:30 - Best of Tasting *

11:43 - Best Value +

12:05 - Full Disclosure

12:44 - Contact Details

13:13 - Next Show Theme

Feedback: [email protected] | Audio comments: +01-206-33-WINE-9 (+01-206-339-4639)

Copyright 2006 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Today’s podcast is a return after more than a month away from the mic with a look at Sonoma’s Russian River Valley AVA.

Show Notes:

00:22 - Welcome

01:01 - Russian River Valley Background

02:20 - Tasting Notes

02:40 - Papapietro Perry Winery, Pinot Noir, Elsbree Vineyards 2004 ($45)

03:06 - Papapietro Perry Winery, Pinot Noir, Leras Family Vineyards 2003 ($45) *

03:41 - De La Montanya Winery, Pinot Noir, Tina's Vineyard 2004 ($38)

04:23 - De La Montanya Winery, Pinot Noir, Christine’s Vineyard 2004 ($38)

04:51 - De La Montanya Winery, Syrah, Estate Vineyard 2004 ($30)

05:05 - De La Montanya Winery, Pin-up Series, "Cabaret - Series II", Cabernet / Zinfandel / Syrah 2003 ($38)

05:59 - Felda Creek, “Pinot Squared” 2004 ($32)

06:36 - Moshin Vineyards, Pinot Noir, "Barrel Select" 2003 ($22) +

07:18 - Moshin Vineyards, Pinot Noir, "Lot 4", 2003 ($35)

07:37 - Davis Bynum, Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley 2002 ($28)

08:28 - Davis Bynum, Pinot Noir, Lindleys Knoll Vineyard 2002 ($55)

08:46 - Davis Bynum, Pinot Noir, "Le Pinot", Rochioli Vineyard 2002 ($80)

09:23 - Davis Bynum, Cabernet Sauvignon, Laureles Estate Vineyard 1999 ($50)

09:48 - J Vineyards, J Vintage Brut 2000 ($30)

10:24 - J Vineyards, J Chardonnay, Russian River Valley 2003 ($32)

10:47 - J Vineyards, J Pinot Noir, Nicole's Vineyard 1997 ($40)

11:12 - J Vineyards, J Pinot Noir, Nicole's Vineyard 1998 ($40)

11:30 - Best of Tasting *

11:43 - Best Value +

12:05 - Full Disclosure

12:44 - Contact Details

13:13 - Next Show Theme

Feedback: [email protected] | Audio comments: +01-206-33-WINE-9 (+01-206-339-4639)

Copyright 2006 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Today’s podcast is based upon last month’s WBW post that featured the Spainish white grape Verdejo, and I also welcome my first show sponsor, iBank 2 from IGG Software.

Show Notes:

00:22 - Welcome

00:33 - iBank 2 Sponsorship

01:41 - Verdejo Background

03:42 - Tasting Notes

03:50 - Marqués de Riscal, Verdejo, Rueda D.O. 2004 ($8/provided by listener Tony) +

04:29 - Vina Sanzo, Verdejo, Rueda, Spain 2004 ($15/sample) *

05:26 - Garcia Arevalo, “Casamaro”, Rueda, Spain 2005 ($9/sample)

05:55 - Woop Woop, “V 2005″, Verdelho (Verdejo), Southern Australia 2005 ($9/sample)

06:43 - Best of Tasting *

06:48 - Best Value +

07:35 - Contact Details

08:32 - Next Show Theme

Feedback: [email protected]

Copyright 2006 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Today’s podcast is another vintner profile show with a discussion with Wolffer Estate Vineyards winemaker Roman Roth.

Show Notes:

00:23 - Welcome and show theme

00:35 - Wolffer Estate Background

01:24 - Discussion with winemaker Roman Roth

25:03 - Tasting Notes

25:15 - Wolffer, La Ferme Martin, Chardonnay 2003 ($13.50)

25:39 - Wolffer, Chardonnay, “Reserve” 2002 ($19.50) +

26:06 - Wolffer, Chardonnay, “Estate Selection” 2001 ($29)

26:33 - Wolffer, La Ferme Martin, Merlot 2002 ($13.50)

26:54 - Wolffer, Merlot, “Reserve” 2002 ($22)

27:12 - Wolffer, Merlot, “Estate Selection” 2001 ($35) *

27:41 - Best of Tasting *

27:46 - Best Value +

28:20 - Contact Details

28:48 - Next Show Theme

Feedback: [email protected] | Audio comments: +01-206-33-WINE-9 (+01-206-339-4639)

Copyright 2006 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Today’s podcast is another vintner profile show with a discussion with Wolffer Estate Vineyards winemaker Roman Roth.

Show Notes:

00:23 - Welcome and show theme

00:35 - Wolffer Estate Background

01:24 - Discussion with winemaker Roman Roth

25:03 - Tasting Notes

25:15 - Wolffer, La Ferme Martin, Chardonnay 2003 ($13.50)

25:39 - Wolffer, Chardonnay, “Reserve” 2002 ($19.50) +

26:06 - Wolffer, Chardonnay, “Estate Selection” 2001 ($29)

26:33 - Wolffer, La Ferme Martin, Merlot 2002 ($13.50)

26:54 - Wolffer, Merlot, “Reserve” 2002 ($22)

27:12 - Wolffer, Merlot, “Estate Selection” 2001 ($35) *

27:41 - Best of Tasting *

27:46 - Best Value +

28:20 - Contact Details

28:48 - Next Show Theme

Feedback: [email protected] | Audio comments: +01-206-33-WINE-9 (+01-206-339-4639)

Copyright 2006 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Today’s show is a bit different from my normal format of talking about a wine varietal or region, into what I hope will be a monthly feature I’m calling vintner profile. The idea is to give you the back-story directly from the people in the business, both winery owners and winemakers. In this first outing, I talk with one of the great gentlemen of the California wine business, Jim Concannon from Concannon Vineyard in Livermore, CA. With St. Patrick’s Day later this week, I though Concannon, America’s first Irish winery, would be a great place to start this series.

Show Notes:

00:22 - Welcome and Show Theme

01:22 - Jim Concannon Interview

16:28 - Tasting Notes

16:53 - Concannon Vineyard, Chardonnay, Central Coast, “Selected Vineyards” 2004 ($10)

17:53 - Concannon Vineyard, “Stampmaker’s White”, Livermore Valley 2004 ($15)

17:56 - Concannon Vineyard, Heritage Petite Sirah 2001 ($50)

18:26 - Best of Tasting

18:47 - Best Value

19:11 - Second winner of QPR Wines drawing (congrats, Greg)

20:19 - Contact Details

20:47 - Next Show Theme

Feedback: [email protected] | Audio comments: +01-206-33-WINE-9 (+01-206-339-4639)

Copyright 2006 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

This month’s theme for Wine Blogging Wednesday, our monthly, global wine tasting event, is provided by Jathan from the Winexpression blog. He encouraged us to find wines made from Rhône varietals no matter where in the world they came from for his “When in Rhône” theme. Listed in his announcement were some 22 varietals common to France’s Rhône Valley, known for their blends of mostly red, and occasionally, white wines. Outside of relative well known varietals such as Syrah, Grenache and increasingly Viognier, most of the other 20 are rare outside the region.

Longtime readers and listeners of my podcast will recall I have covered those more common Rhône varietals in the past, so I eschewed the “easy way out” and visited Chuck at Solo Vino in St. Paul for some recommendations. After all, they were the store that I found the bottling of Counoise for WBW 18 last month. After a bit of discussion and consideration of some of their many Rhône blends, and some other obscure varietals, we selected two blends for tasting this time; one white and one red.

The first wine selected is a white from Domaine de Piaugier, their Sablet Blanc 2004, a blend of 40% Grenache Blanc, 30% Clairette, 20% Viognier, and 10% Roussanne. The vineyard is located in the southern Rhône, where Sablet is one of the 16 villages that comprises the Côtes du Rhône appellation. Although 90% of the wines made here are red or rose, whites like Domaine de Piaugier can be found in many wine stores around the world. Grenache Blanc is the white version of the popular red variety while Clairette and Roussanne are common blending grapes of the northern Rhône where they are used in both red and white wines.

Domaine de Piaugier, Sablet Blanc, Côtes du Rhône Villages 2004 ($22) - Clear light straw in color with a tinge of green; peach, apricot and spice aromas. Stone fruit and honey flavors combine with a rich mouthfeel and lively acidity, finishing with just a touch of lychee. A big, dry white that will stand up to more substantial food matches than most whites. Don’t drink this one too cold or you will miss the considerable nuances of aroma and flavor. Score: 9/10.

The second blend, this time a red from the southern Rhône, is from Domaine du Trapadis, their Côtes du Rhône from the 2001 vintage. The grapes used in this blend are 60% Grenache, 13% Carignan, 10% Syrah, 10% Cinsault and 7% Mourvedre. While Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre are well known in the Rhône, Carignan and Cinsault are somewhat below the radar. In fact, Carignan is the most widely grown wine grape in France, mostly appearing in blends for its spice, deep color and full body or in vin ordinaire from carafes at bistros throughout the country. Cinsault is also grown in quantity in France where it is almost always used in blends for it’s high acidity and soft tannins. Cinsault was also crossed with Pinot Noir to create Pinotage, a varietal popular in South Africa.

Domaine du Trapadis, Côtes du Rhône 2001 ($15) - Ruby color with pronounced aromas of black cherry and earth; raspberry fruit flavors with dusty tannins and nice acidity make this a good food wine. The nose may be too funky for some tasters, but I found this added to the overall experience. Score: 8.5/10.

So the best wine of the two, is the Domaine de Piaugier, Sablet Blanc, Côtes du Rhône Villages 2004, which I also found to be a nice value. The Domaine du Trapadis, Côtes du Rhône 2001 is another fine value for those looking for a red.

Thanks again to Jathan from Winexpression.com for a great theme and for Solo Vino for providing the wines for tasting this month. See you all in April for a post and podcast actually appearing on Wednesday, if not before ;-)

Show Notes:

00:24 - Welcome

00:35 - Wine Blogging Wednesday background

01:15 - “When in Rhone” Theme

02:44 - Domaine de Piaugier, Sablet Blanc, Côtes du Rhône Villages 2004 ($22)

04:30 - Domaine du Trapadis, Côtes du Rhône 2001 ($15)

06:21 - Best of tasting/best value

06:54 - Getting back to weekly podcasts

07:54 - First winner of QPR Wines subscription (congrats, Sandy!)

08:42 - Listener survey for chance to win iPod Nano

09:06 - Contact Details

09:30 - To sponsor Winecast contact Backbeat Media

09:35 - Next Show Theme

Feedback: [email protected] | Audio comments: +01-206-33-WINE-9 (+01-206-339-4639)

Copyright 2006 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

On today’s podcast, I focus on the wines of France’s Alsace region and review, “The Emperor of Wine”, by Elin McCoy.

Show Notes:

00:21 - Welcome

00:33 - Alsace Overview

03:19 - Tasting Notes

03:34 - Pierre Sparr, Pinot Blanc “Reserve”, Alsace 2003 ($12) #

03:53 - Trimbach, Riesling, Alsace 2003 ($17)

04:20 - Hugel, Gewurztraminer, Alsace 2003 ($18/gift) *

04:54 - Best Tasting *

04:59 - Best Value #

05:05 - Review of The Emperor of WIne

08:31 - QPR Wines Drawing

09:21 - Contact Details

09:57 - Next Show Theme

Feedback: [email protected] | Audio comments: +01-206-33-WINE-9 (+01-206-339-4639)

Copyright 2006 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

The theme this month was suggested by Tyler a.k.a. Dr. Vino who didn’t suggest a wine grape variety or region, but to buy wines suggested by the staff at wine stores “that feel the love”. This being February, it seems like a great pre-Valentine’s day theme for WBW.

After this theme was posted, I immediately thought of Solo Vino, my current favorite Twin Cities wine store. The store is located in St. Paul conveniently near the university where I teach part-time, so when I am on campus, I generally stop by to pick up some wines. What I like about the store is the wine selection, which is hand selected by the owners. Many selections are only locally available at Solo Vino and they are always open to bring in new selections based upon customer demand. For example, I asked for Trinitas, Bigalow Vineyard, Zinfandel and it was in the rack a couple of weeks later.

Solo Vino was founded and is run by three wine geeks: Dana, Robert and Chuck who are almost always in the store to speak with. I stopped by yesterday and chatted with Dana who provided me with a list of the top 9 values they have chosen from their current stock. She also suggested the Alsatian Pinot Noir from WBW 14, so I picked Dana’s suggested Rhone wine made from 100% Counoise. This grape is one of several that usually gets blended into the wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape where it adds a bit of aromatics, fruit, acidity and soft tannins. It’s quite rare to see this bottled on its own, so I had to give this one a taste.

Domaine Monpertuis, Cuvee Counoise, Vignoble de la Ramiere, Vin de Pays du Gard 2003 ($13) – Medium ruby in color with aromas of violets, earth, fennel and other spices; plum, earth and spice flavors with a silky mouthfeel and nice acidity to match well with food. A delicious wine that balances the earthy characteristics and fruit perfectly. Also an awesome value. Score: 9/10

The second wine is one of Chuck’s picks and is a Spanish wine made from Tempranillo, Mazuelo (Carignan) and Garnacha (Grenache) grapes. It’s from Bodegas Ostatu, a small family winery from Samaniego, one of the fifteen villages of the Rioja region.

Bodegas Ostatu, Crianza, Rioja 2002 ($18.50) - Deep purple color with ripe raspberry, black cherry and spice on the nose; black cherry fruit flavors with white pepper, minerals, a thick mouthfeel and fine tannins. Nice concentration and great balance make this a delicious wine in the fruit forward model I favor. Score: 9/10

So the best wine and best value go to Domaine Monpertuis, Cuvee Counoise 2003 the most complex wine of the tasting. Thanks again to Dr Vino from a great theme and for Dana and Chuck for picking some killer values this time out.

Feedback: [email protected] | Audio comments: +01-206-33-WINE-9 (+01-206-339-4639)

Copyright 2006 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

The theme this month was suggested by Tyler a.k.a. Dr. Vino who didn’t suggest a wine grape variety or region, but to buy wines suggested by the staff at wine stores “that feel the love”. This being February, it seems like a great pre-Valentine’s day theme for WBW.

After this theme was posted, I immediately thought of Solo Vino, my current favorite Twin Cities wine store. The store is located in St. Paul conveniently near the university where I teach part-time, so when I am on campus, I generally stop by to pick up some wines. What I like about the store is the wine selection, which is hand selected by the owners. Many selections are only locally available at Solo Vino and they are always open to bring in new selections based upon customer demand. For example, I asked for Trinitas, Bigalow Vineyard, Zinfandel and it was in the rack a couple of weeks later.

Solo Vino was founded and is run by three wine geeks: Dana, Robert and Chuck who are almost always in the store to speak with. I stopped by yesterday and chatted with Dana who provided me with a list of the top 9 values they have chosen from their current stock. She also suggested the Alsatian Pinot Noir from WBW 14, so I picked Dana’s suggested Rhone wine made from 100% Counoise. This grape is one of several that usually gets blended into the wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape where it adds a bit of aromatics, fruit, acidity and soft tannins. It’s quite rare to see this bottled on its own, so I had to give this one a taste.

Domaine Monpertuis, Cuvee Counoise, Vignoble de la Ramiere, Vin de Pays du Gard 2003 ($13) – Medium ruby in color with aromas of violets, earth, fennel and other spices; plum, earth and spice flavors with a silky mouthfeel and nice acidity to match well with food. A delicious wine that balances the earthy characteristics and fruit perfectly. Also an awesome value. Score: 9/10

The second wine is one of Chuck’s picks and is a Spanish wine made from Tempranillo, Mazuelo (Carignan) and Garnacha (Grenache) grapes. It’s from Bodegas Ostatu, a small family winery from Samaniego, one of the fifteen villages of the Rioja region.

Bodegas Ostatu, Crianza, Rioja 2002 ($18.50) - Deep purple color with ripe raspberry, black cherry and spice on the nose; black cherry fruit flavors with white pepper, minerals, a thick mouthfeel and fine tannins. Nice concentration and great balance make this a delicious wine in the fruit forward model I favor. Score: 9/10

So the best wine and best value go to Domaine Monpertuis, Cuvee Counoise 2003 the most complex wine of the tasting. Thanks again to Dr Vino from a great theme and for Dana and Chuck for picking some killer values this time out.

Feedback: [email protected] | Audio comments: +01-206-33-WINE-9 (+01-206-339-4639)

Copyright 2006 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/