Winecast

The theme for this month’s edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday is provided by food blogger Fatemeh of Gastronomie who challenged us to pick up a wine that was made in a batch of less than 250 cases. As fate would have it, the day this theme was announced I received a sample from a small winery for an upcoming show on Sangiovese. The wine was made in a garage in a batch of just 84 cases, so I took this as a sign that this wine was meant to be featured this month. The fact that it came from a winery that donates their profits to charity sealed the deal. So, for the first time since I started participating in this event, I will feature just one wine: Humanitas, L’Huile du Garagiste; a non-vintage red blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon made from Napa Valley fruit. A sort of Super Tuscan, California-style.

The bottle is quite distinctive with the first U.S. commercial application of the Australian Zork closure that appears to be almost like a wax seal on the top. After peeling back the plastic, it took a bit of work to get the closure off the bottle, but it was much better than a recent experience I had with a synthetic cork in a Chilean Carmenere. So here are my tasting notes for this unique wine:

Humanitas, L’Huile du Garagiste, Napa Valley NV ($30/received as a sample) - Deep ruby in color with complex aromas of raspberry, white pepper and earth; bright raspberry and black pepper flavors combine with noticeable, but supple, tannins and a long finish. A nice balance between the fruit and tannin makes this a delicious wine now and one I will age for another few years to see what develops. Score: 9/10

I found this to be a very individualistic wine and wanted to get a bit more background on the winery and the winemaker, so I interviewed Judd Wallenbrock the winemaker, proprietor and head bottle washer of Humanitas. If you listen to the podcast, you will hear our conversation about this wine and his cause. I have placed an order for more of this wine and encourage you to check it out yourself. It is not often that we can combine our passion for wine and charity at the same time.

Thanks again to Fatemeh of the Gastronomie blog for a great theme and for Judd to spend a part of his day with me today. I’m looking forward to the last WBW of 2005 next month.

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

Copyright 2005 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Today’s podcast is a return to the virtual tasting format first suggested by a listener back in February. I taste the “Big Three Whites”, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay “live” on the show and invite listeners to taste these wines as they listen. The podcast was also filmed to be the first wine related Vcast or what Apple has been calling “video podcast” released, optimized for Apple’s 5G iPods.

Show Notes:

00:20 - Welcome

00:32 - Introduction of “virtual tasting”

01:10 - Review the three wines to be tasted

01:59 - Dr. Fischer, Ockfener Bockstein Riesling, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Germany 2003 ($14)

05:36 - Brancott, Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand 2004 ($9)

07:29 - Los Cardos, Chardonnay, Mendoza, Argentina 2003 ($9)

11:40 - Best of tasting

11:51 - Best value

12:15 - Contact details

12:37 - Theme for next show

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

Copyright 2005 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Today’s podcast is a return to the virtual tasting format first suggested by a listener back in February. I taste the “Big Three Whites”, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay “live” on the show and invite listeners to taste these wines as they listen. The podcast was also filmed to be the first wine related Vcast or what Apple has been calling “video podcast” released, optimized for Apple’s 5G iPods.

Show Notes:

00:20 - Welcome

00:32 - Introduction of “virtual tasting”

01:10 - Review the three wines to be tasted

01:59 - Dr. Fischer, Ockfener Bockstein Riesling, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Germany 2003 ($14)

05:36 - Brancott, Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand 2004 ($9)

07:29 - Los Cardos, Chardonnay, Mendoza, Argentina 2003 ($9)

11:40 - Best of tasting

11:51 - Best value

12:15 - Contact details

12:37 - Theme for next show

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

Copyright 2005 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Today's show is my first podcast on France's Burgundy region, I share an audio comment and play a song sent in by a podsafe artist relating to wine.

Show Notes:

0:22 - Welcome

0:39 - Burgundy background

5:14 - Strategies to pick Burgundy*

6:18 - Tasting notes

6:30 - Louis Latour, Pouilly-Vinzelles, “En Paradis” 2003 ($13)

7:04 - Vincent Girardin, Santenay 1er Cru, “Les Gravières” 2002 ($30)

7:47 - Audio comment from Johnee Bee

9:22 - Further reflections on wines tasted in last 2 shows

11:36 - Hurricane relief PSA from Dave’s Lounge

13:12 - Virtual tasting wines

15:08 - Thanks to Steve for theme music remixes!

15:20 - Clare Fader’s “The Wine” from The Elephant’s Baby

19:44 - Contact details

20:08 - Next show theme

* Strategy 1:

Reds

- Gevrey-Chambertin

- Chambolle-Musigny

- Savigny

Whites

- Meursault

- Puligny-Montrachet

- Chassagne-Montrachet

* Strategy 2:

- Saint-Aubin

- Cote de Nuits-Villages

- Santenay

- Marsannay

- Givry

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

Copyright 2005 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

This month’s theme is provided by Jens from the Cincinnati Wine Garage blog who has challenged us to sample Pinot Noir from outside of Burgundy, California or Oregon. So I first thought of a Spanish Pinot Noir I recently had at a tasting that really was different from my paradigm of Pinot from it’s more famous appellations. It was from Bodegas J Belda, their barrel fermented Pinot Noir from 2001. This wine was ruby in color with black cherry and oak aromas not unlike other ripe Pinot Noir, but the spicy dark berry fruit and hard tannins had me thinking more about the Rhone than Burgundy. I scored this an 8.5/10 on my scale. I looked for a bottle of this wine for this event, but couldn’t find one, so I asked for the most obscure Pinot from the hand picked stock of St. Paul’s Solo Vino, my new favorite wine store here in the Twin Cities. And obscure it was, but not from outside of France, it is from the Alsace region. What, you say, from the land of Riesling, Pinot Blanc and Gewürztraminer? What on earth are they thinking? Actually, Pinot Noir has a solid track record of producing interesting wines in the vineyards of Germany, so why not the cool climate, northern province of France?

Domaine Hering, Pinot Noir, Alsace AC 2003 ($19) - Very light ruby color with salmon edges, almost like a rose; has strawberry aromas and raspberry and strawberry fruit flavors that finishes with nice balancing acidity. An interesting and elegant expression of Pinot Noir, very close to the best Spatburgunder from Germany I have had in the past. Score: 8.5/10

My second selection came from my northern neighbors here in America, from the Henry of Pelham Family Estate, their Pinot Noir, “Unfiltered”, from Niagara Peninsula, Canada VQA 2003 ($20 CAN) - Ruby in color with a salmon rim; strong black cherry aromas with raspberry fruit flavors with some light tannins. I found this wine to be quite enjoyable. Score: 8.5/10

My final selection is from the Southern Hemisphere, but not from Australia as I had originally intended. Following the advice of new listener Graeme from the UK, I picked up a Kim Crawford, Pinot Noir from Marlborough, New Zealand 2004 ($12) - Bright ruby color with fresh Pinot fruit aromas of strawberry, raspberry and a bit of earth; raspberry and strawberry flavors, nicely balanced with a touch of vanilla. Conventional Pinot in style, but very nicely done and a great value. Score: 9/10

Best of tasting: Kim Crawford, Pinot Noir 2004

Best Value: Henry of Pelham Family Estate, Pinot Noir 2003

So this roundup reinforced that really good Pinot Noir can be made in many places outside of the regions for with it is famous. All these wines are from cool climates, so I guess that is a common thread that might be useful in choosing wines to try. But I do recommend the Pinot from Spain I mentioned earlier as a wine that is completely different from any Pinot you’ve ever had.

Thanks to Jens for the theme and I’ll see you next month for whatever the host dreams up for WBW 15.

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

Copyright 2005 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Today’s podcast features the great white grape of the Northern Rhone: Viognier, and I take a look at John Cleeses’ “Wine for the Confused” DVD.

Show Notes:

0:20 - Welcome

0:34 - Background of Viognier

3:03 - Tasting Notes

3:36 - Cline Cellars, Viognier, Sonoma County 2004 ($10)

3:58 - Yalumba, Viognier, South Australia 2004 ($10)

4:18 - Elemental Cellars, Viognier, Deux Vert Vineyard, Willamette Valley, OR 2002 ($15.50)

4:41 - Best of tasting

5:04 - Best Value

5:21 - Review of “Wine for The Confused”

7:17 - Wines for virtual tasting

7:55 - PSA from Michael Butler from The Rock 'n Roll Geek Show

9:12 - Contact Details

9:36 - Next Show Theme

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

Copyright 2005 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Today’s theme varietal is the lead grape of the southern Rhone, Grenache, and I conclude the cellaring series with an interview with Eric LeVine of CellarTracker.

Show Notes:

0:21 - Welcome and show theme

0:35 - Background of Grenache grape

02:34 - Tasting notes disclaimer

02:56 – Tres Ojos, Old Vines Garnacha, Calatayud, Spain 2003 ($6)

03:17 – Las Rocas, Garnacha, Calatayud, Spain 2003 ($7.50)

03:41 – Kaesler, “Stonehorse” GSM, Barossa Valley, Australia 2002 ($15)

04:34 – Rosemount Estate, GSM 2001 ($22)

05:04 – Domaine des Relagnes, Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2000 ($20)

05:33 – Best of Tasting

05:38 – Best Value

05:43 – Review of CellarTracker

07:54 – Interview with Eric LeVine

23:52 – Wines for next virtual tasting

25:02 – Hurricane Katrina PSA from C.C. Chapman

26:07 – Contact Details

26:32 – Next show theme

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

Copyright 2005 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

This month the theme is provided by celebrated food blogger Clotilde from Chocolate and Zucchini, who challenged us with theme of, “Like Wine for Chocolate“. Instead of just selecting a varietal or wine region, she has given us a recipe to match a wine; in fact, the most challenging match I can imagine: wine with a chocolate cake.

When announced, this sent me to the basic rule of thumb to match a sweet dessert with a wine of more sweetness, and chocolate with a very fruity wine of high alcohol. All roads led to the great vintage wines of Porto. Since I assumed most WBW participants to go down this road, I thought slightly differently. First, in selecting a fortified wine from Clotilde’s native France, the somewhat cult status Banyuls, and then with a big, ripe Zinfandel from my native state of California. Since I am not well educated in the fortified wines of France, I trusted the advice of Solo Vino’s experts, Robert and Chuck, to steer me to M. Chapoutier Banyuls from the 1998 vintage. Similarly, I trusted the advice of listener Stephanie in suggesting I try Matt Cline’s wines at Trinitas, made from ancient 120 year old vines in California’s Contra Costa County. My theory was that ripeness and high alcohol would lessen the perception of sweetness and the jammy ripeness of the old vine Zin would match with the richness of the cake better than wines that naturally have chocolate flavors, such as Merlot. Here are my findings:

Before cake:

Trinitas Cellars, Old Vine Zinfandel, Contra Costa County 2002 ($17.50) - Ruby color with a subtle blackberry, spice and cedar nose; bold blackberry fruit with some vanilla and dusty, but strong, tannins. Not as rich and extracted and I would have expected in a 15.5% wine. Score: 8.5/10

M. Chapoutier, Banyuls 1998 ($24 / 500 ml) - Light ruby color with tawny edges; earthy raison and spice aromas; very sweet entry with rich black cherry fruit and some orange peel. Very much like a vintage Porto. Delicious on its own, but looking forward to trying with the cake. Score: 9/10

I made the recipe with bittersweet chocolate and the rich, sweet flavors are sumptuous in this moist cake. I thought that I possibly over sugared this, as the recipe did not specify whether the chocolate was sweetened or not, but it seems to be quite nice as it is. Next time I might cut the sugar in half or more, given the sweetness of the chocolate.

With cake:

Trinitas, Old Vine Zinfandel - The wine picked up a bit more aroma in the glass since the first tasting, now showing more sweet blackberry aromas with the cedar scents noted earlier; the flavors seemed to be toned down a few notches, with the tannins barely noticeable over the sweetness of the cake. Quite interesting, but not a good match, I’m afraid. The wine seems to be overwhelmed by the sweetness of the cake. Score: 8/10

M. Chapoutier, Banyuls - This wine also picked up more aromas, now dominated by prune and orange peel; the sweetness of the wine seems less when matched with the cake, with very nice black cherry flavors and now just a suggestion of orange. This is perfectly matched, but still garners the same 9/10 score (I might have given this a 93 on a 100 point scale).

Two days later, before cake:

Trinitas, Old Vine Zinfandel – After 2 days of Vac-u-vin with very little headspace for air, the wine is much more open and aromatic, suggesting mandatory decanting or some more time in the cellar. Strong blackberry and spice aromas are present with a bit of oak; ripe blackberry and raspberry flavors dominate the palette, followed by pepper and a touch of, yes, sweetness. Not the traditional, jammy-style but an undercurrent of fruit that finishes the wine quite nicely. This elevates the wine to a delicious, 9 out of 10 on my scale.

M. Chapoutier, Banyuls – Not much different in aroma than the last time, dried dark fruit and a bit of orange; very port-like flavors and a sweetness that is nicely balanced by acidity. Very young now, but seems quite a bit more drinkable than a similarly aged vintage Porto. Still a solid 9 out of 10.

Two days later, with cake:

The cake is still quite moist and rich, as I remembered it from 2 days before. A bitter-sweet extravaganza of flavor...

Trinitas, Old Vine Zinfandel – I really like the nose more and more on this wine, but the tannins of the wine and sweetness of the cake almost cancel out each other. Still not a good match.

M. Chapoutier, Banyuls – This remains a very nice match with the sweetness of the cake. I really enjoy how the wine complements the cake and adds more dimension to the flavors. It remains a solid 9 out of 10.

So the clear winner here is the Banyuls, not from its country of origin, but its level of sweetness (helped, no doubt from the level of alcohol and our perception of sweetness previously mentioned). I’m sure I would have come to the same conclusion had I chosen Porto or port-style wines from California or Australia, but it was nice to see a French wine come out on top this time.

Although this has been the most demanding Wine Blogging Wednesday to date, I’ve had a great time researching and choosing different wines to try to stand up to a delicious recipe. Thanks once again to Clotilde for hosting and conceiving such an excellent theme. A high bar for those of us who will host this event in the future.

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

Copyright 2005 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Today’s podcast features Spain’s Tempranillo grape and I continue the cellaring series looking at the many cellar management solutions available.

Show Notes:

00:20 – Welcome and show theme

00:30 – Background of the Tempranillo grape

02:19 – Tasting Notes

02:31 – Bodegas Ercavio, Tempranillo “Roble” 2003 ($9)

02:54 – Bodegas San Valero, “Manyana”, Tempranillo 2004 ($8)

03:14 – Vina Albali, Tempranillo Reserva 1999 ($10)

03:33 – Tikalo, “Rubens”, Tempranillo 2003 ($10)

04:03 - Best of tasting

04:08 - Best value

04:14 – Cellar Management Solutions

06:25 – Hurricane Katrina PSA

06:57 – Appeal from Wichita Rutherford

08:00 – Contact details

08:23 – Next show theme

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

Copyright 2005 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

This week’s podcast is a bit of an experiment in the format, influenced by Jon Gordon’s, “Future Tense”, show and podcast. I introduce a hot new wine region in California, the Sonoma Coast AVA, and recommend some Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to check out from the area.

Wineries mentioned on the show:

- Williams-Selyem

- J Rochioli Vineyards and Winery

- Gary Farrell

- Flowers Vineyard and Winery

- Littorai

- Hirsch Vineyards

- Siduri Wines

- Kistler Vineyards

- Peay Vineyards

- Sonoma-Cutrer

- Marcassin Vineyard

- Aubert Wines

- Martinelli Winery and Vineyards

- Pax Wine Cellars

- La Crema

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

Copyright 2005 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/