Vindulge

THE BIG GREEN BOX Wine Tasting

This post was originally intended to be posted on November 9th (one week ago), but life got in the way.  This is only important because the dates reflect how long the wines reviewed stayed fresh.

I don’t have much experience in recent history of drinking boxed wines.  Most of my memories come from vacationing in Mexico with friends and family in my very early twenties lugging along boxes of Franzia for the occasion.  We had no budget for wine then, and it transported easily.  The taste?  Let’s be honest, when you’re twenty and on the beaches of Mexico, are you really looking for taste? 

Recently however, I have seen a significant increase in marketing for new boxed wines and have been curious as to how far along the quality of these wines have come over the years.  So when I was asked to participate in a twitter live tasting of some boxed wines from Pepperwood Grove, produced by Don Sebastiani & Sons, I gladly agreed. 

Don & Sons, the producers of a variety of recognizable value priced wines (including Smoking Loon and Pepperwood Grove among others), have finally released their first boxed wines.  They did so after research they conducted that concluded “consumers were hesitant to buy 3L boxed wines because they didn’t see a brand they liked, or know, available in retail… and held the perception that the standard 750 ml bottled wines were of better overall quality than box wines.”  They addressed this issue by producing a series of box wines from one of their most solid and respected brands, Pepperwood Grove.  Thus THE BIG GREEN BOX.

THE BIG GREEN BOX is not only bright green in packaging, but is also green by environmental standards.  According to Don & Sons, it is made from 100% recyclable packaging and printed on paper sourced from sustainable forests.  Once opened, they claim that the wine will remain fresh in the refrigerator for up to a month.

The twitter tasting took place on October 14th, a month ago, and consisted of four of their newly released box wines:  Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Old Vine Zinfandel, and Cabernet Sauvignon.   The suggested retail of each wine is $19.99. Remember, these wines come in a 3L box, which is the equivalent of four (4) regular size bottles of wine.  Broken down that’s $5/bottle. 
 
Why did I wait so long to post this?
I waited to post this review until now to see if the wines did, in fact, stay fresh for the next four weeks. Basically, with all four of these wines open, I had the equivalent of sixteen (16) bottles of wine open.  That’s a lot of wine to have opened… even for me, so it wasn’t hard to experiment with letting them sit for a month and check on their progress every few days.  The day this post was written was November 9th (one full month after the wines were opened).

Since the tasting was done via twitter I kept my notes short and sweet.  Here were my initial thoughts, via twitter style:
  
Pinot Grigio, California (3L) $19.99
The Pinot Grigio smells like sweet lemon and lime with pears and apples, with dry minerality and oak.  The mouth was a bit dry and less fruity than expected.

I did not find a lot of flavor in the mouth or body of the wine and thought it to be a bit dry and one dimensional, however could see it being popular among many who just want a simple dry white wine. 

Chardonnay, California (3L) $19.99
Fruity with banana though not very complex.  It has a nose of lemon and toast with tart green apple, banana, and citrus with a mouth full of sweet butter, green apple, and more citrus (lemon, lime, grapefruit).  Not my cup of tea for a Chardonnay, but for $5/bottle, I can see this one being popular.
 
Overall I thought both of the white wines would be decent poolside wines.  The packaging makes them good for picnics, poolside, and trips.  Plus, you never have to worry about any bottles breaking!

Old Vine Zinfandel, California (3L) $19.99
The Old Vine Zinfandel has a fruity mouth full of blackberries, plums, figs, and spice with a dry finish.  Simple but decent everyday Zin for equivalent of $5/bottle!  Not bad.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Valle Central (Chile) (3L) $19.99
The Cabernet Sauvignon has the most appealing nose of all four wines with sweet vanilla, caramel and toast, milk chocolate, with blackberries and red raspberries. The mouth on the Cab continues to be spicy with more sweet vanilla, caramel, and dark berry jam. Simple, but certainly easy drinking.

Final thoughts:
THE BIG GREEN BOX wines exceeded my expectations for boxed wines.  I preferred the reds to the whites, although the whites would make for easy summer pool or picnic wines.   The reds, though simple, were good value for the $.  I’d say if you’re curious, you have nothing to lose. 

One other thing of note was the pour spouts on the wine.  In my experience, simiar packaged beverages with pour spouts at the bottom of the packaging (wine or not) have the tendancy to leak and create messes in your fridge or floor.  I was very impressed that the spouts on these boxes were very solidly made and never once leaked nor dripped.

Good uses for these wines:

Cooking:  Throughout the month I had the wines opened, I used them for cooking many times with good results.  Most recently I made Ina Gartens recipe for Parker’s Beef Stew, which called for an entire (750 ml) bottle of wine.  Now I will always advise you to use a bottle of wine for cooking that you like or would gladly drink because when you cook with wine the flavors reduce and intensify.  So if you’re using a wine you’re not fond of, those undesirable flavors will also intensify, thus producing an end product that doesn’t taste so good.   For this stew I used the Cabernet Sauvignon, and I’m not gonna lie, the stew came out fantastic!  But then again, every single recipe I’ve tried of Ina Garten’s has been fantastic.

I also used the Zinfandel in my Turkey Cranberry Meatballs with a Cranberry Wine sauce (which I promise to post here soon!).  Again, a winner. 

I found having the opened wines to be very convenient for mid-week cooking when I didn’t feel like opening up a brand new bottle!

Everyday Sipping:  In addition to cooking with the wines hubby and I would pour a glass here and there when we didn’t feel like opening up an entire bottle of something else.  It worked great for a simple after work glass of vino. 

Camping or Picnics:  It’s definitely not camping season here in Connecticut, but I can see these wines being extremely convenient for camping, and much safer than bringing glass bottles!  Same goes for picnics. 

How long did they really last?
It wasn’t until November 9th (about four weeks later) when all four wines really lost their flavor and zing.  So honestly, they really did last close to a month (while sampling them for many uses) before they went bad.  Compare that to a regular bottle that lasts 2-5 days (and that is if you use a wine preservation tool). 

I’m not saying I’m going to run out and stock my house with boxes of wines, but I can certainly see the value in having some around from time to time. 

Have you had any box wines recently?
Don’t be shy; let me know about your experience (both positive and negative)! 

5 Reasons to visit Columbia Gorge Wineries this Memorial Day Weekend

It’s that time of year again, Memorial Day Weekend, which symbolizes the beginning of the summer tourism season.  And for most Oregon Wineries that means one of the biggest weekends of the year to visit their tasting rooms.

Now while most people are already in full swing planning their Willamette Valley weekend getaways I am here to offer five reasons to NOT go to the Willamette Valley, but instead venture east from Portland to the Columbia Gorge Wine Region over this holiday weekend.

*Now before you start sending me hate mail for not being a Willamette Valley lover this weekend you should know that I sincerely love me some Willamette Valley as much as the next person and spend my fair share of time venturing around the wineries there and appreciating all that gorgeous region has to offer. But in all honesty there are two weekends where I have learned to avoid the Willamette Valley like the plague… Memorial Day Weekend and Thanksgiving Weekend. Why?  

These five reasons:

1. Traffic: 
I should admit that traffic is one of my biggest pet peeves on any given day, but over this particular weekend traveling down Hwy 99W to get to Dundee and onto McMinnville traffic is doubly horrible.  So expect stop and go traffic and bring a double dose of patience.

On the other hand, you can chose to venture out east along I-84, on arguably the most scenic and beautiful drives in all of Oregon, along the Columbia River and hit virtually no traffic and get to your winery of choice in roughly half the time as driving to any Willamette Valley winery from Portland.

2. Price: 
In general many wineries in the Willamette Valley charge double their normal tasting fees so expect to pay an average of $10-$20 per person per winery (if not more).  But hey, you get to keep a pretty souvenir logo glass!  Remember, however, that your tasting fee paid for that glass.  If you’re like me, and have too many logo glasses to even fathom another one, just skip the “free” glass and just go for the wine.

Wineries of the Columbia Gorge, on the other hand, are not doubling their fees, but instead charge an average of anywhere from free (yes those wineries still exist) to $5 per person for a flight.  On top of that, many of the wineries will waive that fee with a bottle purchase.  And if that didn’t sell you, many are also offering great 6-pack and case discounts over the holiday weekend, in addition to the live music, events, chocolate and cheese that is luring you to the Willamette Valley wineries.

3. Crowds: 
If there is anything more irritating than traffic, for me, it is elbow-to-elbow crowds lining up blocking a winery tasting bar.  In my experience, many wineries will be so crowded you are lucky to even get to hear the name of the wine you are sipping on let alone any additional information you may be interested in hearing about the wines, the winery, or the people.  

The Gorge?  Although it may be busy at times, still fewer people have discovered this unique region enough to anticipate the crowds that are inevitable in the Willamette Valley over this particular weekend.  Bonus is that many of the actual winemakers and winery principals will likely be behind the bars pouring their own wines and talking to you, the consumer, about the details about their hard work!

4. Scenery: 
Although the Willamette Valley can provide some breathtaking scenery of vineyards and rolling hills, you are not likely to see the breadth of offerings a drive along the Gorge will expose you to; like the stunning Columbia River below the high ridges of the Gorge, with the snow capped Mt. Hood visible to your south, and Mt. Adams to your north.  What’s not to love about that?  Plus you’ll see much less strip malls and fast food joints, not to mention bumpers from the traffic in front of you (mentioned above), on your drive to get there.

5. Wines: 
Believe me, I am a Pinophile if ever I lived in the state of Oregon.  But I, like many wine lovers, exist on more than cool climate varietals alone.  If all you are interested is in Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling and a few additional offerings, then you will not be disappointed by the Willamette Valley's wines.  However, in the Gorge you literally get a world of wine in 40 miles.  Expect to see Rhone varietals of Syrah, Grenache, Viognier, Roussanne, big reds like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.  And don’t forget Zinfandel, Barbera, Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, and many many more in addition to your cool climate favorites. Oh yeah and they are all actually grown in the Gorge. 

Again, I write this not to shun the Willamette Valley.  I LOVE the Willamette Valley, but for these busy weekends, I do recommend exploring new regions where you are likely to have a more relaxed time and possibly find some new gems.  Why not explore something new that this great state has to offer and avoid excessive fees, traffic, and crowds?

*If there was to be an exception to my rule, I’d have to say if you do chose to visit the Willamette Valley seek out the wineries that are ONLY open specifically on these holiday weekends.  Many wineries do not have regular open tasting room hours (like, a-hem, Soter), and for these wineries it is definitely worth waiting in traffic and paying the fees to experience. 

But if you were planning to visit wineries that do have regular tasting room hours throughout the year, I say skip them, head to the Gorge, and visit those Willamette Valley wineries on a less crowded weekend for a better overall experience. 

Tips: 
Whatever wine region you chose this Memorial Day weekend, make sure to have a good breakfast, use those dump buckets (they are there for a reason), drink lots of water, snack often, use a designated driver, and most importantly explore, try new things, and have fun! 

Cheers!

*You can find more information on specific Memorial Day Weekend wine events for the Columbia Gorge Wine Region here, and for the Willamette Valley here.

Updates

Sorry if it seems I have been M.I.A. lately.  I’ve been busy working on some exciting projects and planning some awesome upcoming wine events! 

As a quick update, I’m happy to share that I have two recent pieces I wrote that have been published:

The first is an article I wrote on wines of the Columbia Gorge, published in the Gorge Guide.  I am very passionate about this wine region that extends along the Columbia River on both the Oregon and Washington sides of the river, and was honored to write this article.

Second, I was asked to write recap of the Independent Champagne and Sparkling Wine Invitational for Palate Press: The online wine magazine, published earlier this week. 

I am also working on adding an events page to the blog and also on my website so local folks can keep up with what is going on around town.  I will be holding weekly wine tasting events at Wine Down East, appropriately titled “Wine Tasting Wednesdays” from 5-7pm with rotating themes and guest winemakers pouring their wines.  We will be starting this coming Wednesday, May 12th, with wines from Sokol Blosser.  On May 19^th we will be featuring wines from Boedecker Cellars, and more in the works. 

Also, if you are in Hood River, I will be teaching a six-part wine series at The Pines tasting room.  The classes will be held on the second Monday of each month.  Our first class, “Wine 101:  The Art of Drinking Wine” is this coming Monday, May 10^th at 6:30pm.  This would be the perfect Mother’s Day gift for any of your wine loving mothers out there… <hint hint>  Click here for details on how to reserve your spot!

Until the events page is up, please check in on my Facebook Fan page for upcoming local events.

And cheers to all you Mothers out there, have a fabulous Mothers Day!!! I will be celebrating the special occasion with my own mom, grandma, and sister this weekend in Arizona! 

Cheers

The Independent Champagne & Sparkling Wine Invitational: The highlights to a most amazing weekend in New Orleans

This past weekend I went to New Orleans for the first ever Independent Champagne & Sparkling Wine Invitational (ICSWI) thanks to this blog post which ended up winning me the Cork’d grand prize in their bubbles contest. The grand prize included tickets to all of the major events associated with ICSWI as well as hotel stays at the Astor Crowne Plaza right in the heart of the French Quarter.

I have to admit I am still a bit overwhelmed with the overall experience. So much so that I really don’t know where to start explaining my thoughts from this trip, nor describe the more than 100 champagnes I tasted, in one single blog post.  So, instead of writing 'till my hearts content, describing each amazing wine I tasted, the people I met, including many of the growers themselves who traveled all the way from France…  (all of this would take up hours of your reading pleasure, btw) I will instead start with some the highlights… told through photographs (okay, and maybe some words).

We started off the first day in a wine seminar called Making Sense of Champagne which started off with the engaging and well spoken Charles Curtis, MW and Head of North American Wine Sales for Christie’s auction house, discussing a brief history and facts about Champagne as a region.

He then turned over the stage to the growers that were there representing their wines to discuss different styles of champagne.

Flight 1:  Three Blanc de Blancs, wines made from all Chardonnay grapes.  My favorite of this flight was the Pierre Peters “Cuvée de Réserve” Brut NV

Flight 2:  Four brut blends to show the art behind assemblage (blending different grape varietals into one wine).

Flight 3:  Two different Blanc de Noirs, wines made from all Pinot Noir grapes. 

Flight 4:  Four vintage champagnes, covering 2000, 2003, and 2004, my two favorites were the Henri Goutorbe “Special Club” Brut 2002 and the Pierre Peters “Cuvée Spéciale” Les Chétillons Brut 2000

Flight 5:  Four Rosé wines showing the difference in Rosé de Saignée versus Rosé d’Assemblage, my favorite of the four being the René Geoffroy Rosé de Saignée Brut NV

This was an incredible treat to get to hear many of the growers themselves discussing their wines, styles, and techniques.  And for a few of them who could not speak English, Peter Liem was on hand to translate.

Next up was the grand tasting with, according to ICSWI, 250 different wines presented from 75 sparkling wine production houses, 72 Champagne growers, all in one room. Wow!  The unfortunate part of the whole experience was the public turnout which was very low (“very” being an understatement).  But the great part of that for me was that I got to meet and talk to most of the growers and representatives without ever feeling rushed or crowded or feeling like I wanted to elbow somebody in the backside of the head for being rude or pushy. 

Here are some of the highlights:

 

After the grand tasting it was off to an exclusive caviar wine reception then a wine dinner at Galatoire’s where they paired Rosé Champagnes with dinner proving that Champagne, even Rosé Champagnes can hold up to any kind of food.  Forgive me for not having any pictures of dinner; I didn’t want to be “that” person taking pictures of each course. I have only my memories, but you can Download Menu here. 

Day two I was able to sit in on another seminar with a panel led by Alice Feiring and Lisa Granik MW, called “Tour de Monde:  Sparkling wines of the world”.  Here they presented new and old world examples of different production methods, varieties, terroirs, of different bubbles from around the globe including examples from France, Spain, Argentina, Italy, Austria, and the US.  After tasting almost all Champagnes on day one the differences in these examples were incredibly distinct.  A very cool demonstration of different nuances in bubbles from all over the globe.  

Then back to the grand tasting.

 

I had many favorites of the event, but some of the standouts of the event included:

Didier Ducos Fills especially the Millesime Brut 2003!
Godmé Père et Fils
Le Brun Servenay, especially so after winemaker Patrick Le Brun described that he uses no malolactic fermentation and no barrels on any of the wines he presented.  He described that he likes to present the purity of the fruit and terroir, and that certainly showed in all of his wines. 
Thierry Massin
Vazart Coquart et Fills, especially the Brut Blanc de Blanc Special Club 2004 (this was a wine that gave me the chills… I even called it “magical” in my notes, so I guess that means I liked it... a lot)
A. Margaine
And of course Pierre Peters and the very likable and charming owner Rodolphe Peters.  I liked all the wines he presented especially the “Cuvée Spéciale” Les Chétillons Brut 2000 (mentioned above) and his "Rosé for Albane” Brut NV in which he named after his 9 year old daughter Albane.

 

(Winemaker Rodolphe Peters showing his wines)

For me the event was a priceless experience to learn so much more than I thought I knew about Champagne, and meet many of the growers I met, while tasting well over 100 different examples of some incredible Champagnes.  I sincerely hope they do this unique event again next year, because if they do I will do whatever I can to be a part of it!  

A million sincere thanks to Cork’d and ICSWI for sending me to New Orleans for this unforgettable experience. 

For additional photo highlights please check out my Vindulge fan page on Facebook. 

Wine & Sushi Pairing Event at the new Wine Down East, April 15th

As many of you know I am leaving today to go to New Orleans for the Independent Champagne and Sparkling Wine Invitational to immerse myself in all things bubbly for the next few days.   But if I wasn’t I would be going to the first of many events at the new Wine Down East on NE 22nd and Alberta in Portland!

Why? 
Well because Stuart Herold, former owner of Wine Down on 28th, is opening up this great new wine bar in one of my favorite Portland neighborhoods and yours truly will be helping him to create awesome regular wine events.  The first is co-hosted by Uncorked and will be featuring sushi and wine pairings.  YES, sushi!  You thought you could only pair beer and saké with sushi? Think again!

I spent the afternoon yesterday with one of our wine reps and we tested out the menu that will be featured this Thursday at the event and I am very excited about the pairings we came up with.  I don’t want to give too much away, but there will be some great wine pairings, including a Chilean Pinot Noir paired with Salmon Nigiri, an unoaked Chardonnay with a California Roll topped with Tuna and Avocado, and of course there will be a bubbles pairing, and more. 

The details:  

Thursday April 15th
6:00 - 8:30 pm

Wine Down East
2236 NE Alberta
Portland, OR

Price:  $20

This is a private event and limited to first 100 people.

The theme, as announced on the Uncorked website is:

“Rebel Without A Cask – daring food and wine pairings that will not only astound your palette, but challenge your ways of thinking about food and wine. It comes down to three trifect ingredients:  Fine wine, sinful sushi, and divine conversation, all for only $20. Meet the owners of Wine Down East, Stuart & Ken, taste the great sushi and wine pairings we came up with, and have a great time!”

Visit the Uncorked website to reserve your spot!

If you can’t make it (shame on you) keep your eyes out for the grand opening of Wine Down East within the next couple weeks. I am very excited about things to come. 

Wine Down East's website is not yet up but you can find information about the restaurant on their Facebook fan page.

#WAMerlot: Merlot's Big Night

Last Thursday Josh Wade from the blog Drink Nectar, with the help of a few other bloggers and tweeters, organized a worldwide twitter tasting in honor of Washington Merlots titled #WAMerlot, further validating in the wine world the growing power of twitter.  The goal was simple, get a bottle (or many) of Washington Merlot, drink it, and tweet about it, either from home, a winery, wine shop, alone or with friends.

Since my mom and sister were still in town I thought I’d pop a few bottles of Washington Merlots and taste with the family.  And if you remember from my post last week these two are hard to please so I wanted to have a decent selection to chose from in hopes to finally find a wine that my mom would not add Sprite to (yes, she visited for 8 days, I sampled approximately 12 wines for her throughout the week, and she poured Sprite into the majority of them).    

As for the twitter event, I thought it would be fun for my mom and sis to witness my passion for wine met with my interest in the social media aspect.  I followed along with the #WAMerlot hashtag for about an hour, tasting the three Merlots I had brown bagged, along with my panel of four judges total (including the hubby).  After an hour I could barely keep up with the electronic portion of the tasting.  People were posting on twitter, it seemed, hundreds of tweets a minute.  Too fast for me.  I added my two cents and revealed my favorites of the evening, then it was back to QT with my mom, and finally closed my laptop.  I was, however, very fascinated by some of the results recently posted by Josh on his site.  Some of my favorites include:

• Wineries and businesses having events had anywhere from zero to more than 30 people in attendance. From preliminary returns average attendance ran about 10. If my 6th grade math serves me right, 100 locations x 10 people average is approximately 1000 people.
• Tweets were observed from Europe, Australia, Asia (China), and North America (Canada, Mexico, and USA) – 4 out of 5 continents.
• Web site www.wthashtag.com tracked almost 2000 tweets by nearly 500 tweeters.
• Potential bottle consumption of Washington Merlot for the night is between 2000-3000 bottles
• People had fun. People drank some effin’ Merlot!

Sounds like a complete success to me!  And he’s right, sounds like people drank lots of effin’ Merlot… simply because of this event!  Powerful thing, that twitter eh?   It is just one of the many examples that show how powerful word of mouth can be.  And that’s one of the powerful things about twitter, it is an electronic word of mouth and I urge folks (whether you are a business owner, employee, blogger, or other) to not discount what is possible through social media. 

As for the wines we drank here at my household, we brown bagged three wines. Two of them I had received as samples prior to the tasting, and one I purchased a few months ago while visiting the Woodinville wine area, outside of Seattle.  All three wines were from the same vintage, 2007, and we drank them while dining on my soon to be famous Spaghetti & Meatballs.  It was my night to cook for my mama, so I went for something I thought would pair nicely with the Merlots.  The Spaghetti received a thumbs up from all on our panel ;)  As for the wines….

2007 Hogue Columbia Valley Merlot

Hogue has three tiers in their wine making program with this wine being in their lower everyday value tier.  

The wine had bright light fruit flavors, finished dry, with medium tannins.  I found the wine a bit thin and one dimensional, and not quite as lush and rich as I tend to like them in a Washington Merlot.  My mom wasn’t a huge fan either, however it was one of my sisters favorites.  She thought it was easy drinking and “just fine”.  

Appellation:  Columbia Valley

Grapes:  99% Merlot, 1% Syrah
Retail:  Approx $10

Alcohol:  13.9%
Food Pairing of the evening:  Spaghetti and Meatballs

2007 Boomtown Merlot from Dusted Valley Vintners

Family owned and operated winery out of Walla Walla, WA.  Boomtown wines fall into Dusted Valley’s “entry level” wine category.

This wine has strong aromas of vanilla and bright cherry from the start and continued throughout.  Medium bodied, with strong acidity and spice on the finish, the wine continued to display vanilla tones from beginning to end.  Brighter fruit, and more complexity than the Hogue, but still light and lacking a rich and lush body.  To me it was nice, simple, and a pleasant everyday Merlot.  My mom started coming around with this wine but still didn’t love it.  My husband was a bigger fan and continued to drink this wine throughout the night.  

Appellation:  Columbia Valley

Grapes:  78.8% Merlot, 8.8% Malbec, 7.1% Syrah, 5.3% Cabernet Sauvignon
Retail:  Approx $15

Alcohol:  14.4%
Food Pairing of the evening:  Once again Spaghetti and Meatballs   

2007 Stevens Yakima Valley Merlot

My husband and I discovered this winery while visiting the Woodinville Washington wine area last December.  A very bizarre area to find wineries since it is surrounded by lots of warehouses, but incredibly close to Seattle and therefore close to millions of potential visitors.  

Husband and wife team, Tim and Paige Stevens, founded the winery in 2002 and started with just 100 cases of wine in their first vintage. They have now grown to over 2,500 cases and focus on a small assortment of solid, focused, and well structured wines (four reds and two white wines).

As for the Merlot, my first reaction was “that’s what I’m talking about! Rich, lush, deeper fruit and lots of spice.”  I could tell from the beginning that this would be a more full-bodied wine. Just how I like my Washington Merlots.  The nose was floral with dark berry and plum flavors. The wine had well integrated oak and mild vanilla flavors that didn’t compete with the rich dark fruit flavors. Rich, bold, yet refrained, and more balanced and complex than the other two with great lush fruit, spice, and pepper.

Thoughts from the family?
My husband liked the complexity, richer flavors, and that it wasn’t just about bright fruit flavors.  My sister liked the smell more than the taste.  She described it as having “jammy” fruit but didn’t want to drink on its own, but instead would prefer it with food.  My mom liked it! A lot! She said it reminded her of port, concentrated and rich, but there’s nothing she didn’t like.  Her only criticism of it was that she wished it was “sweeter”, but would still drink it without Sprite… which was a big deal for her considering she added Sprite to every wine I gave her to taste throughout the eight days she visited!  Finding my mom a wine that she wouldn’t add Sprite to was a sign of success to me, and because of that I think the Stevens was the big winner of the night!

Appellation:  Yakima Valley

Grapes:  100% Merlot
Retail:  $30

Alcohol:  14.2%
Production:  only 140 cases produced
Food Pairing: You guessed it, Spaghetti and Meatballs

Nice job to all who helped to make #WAMerlot a success.  I look forward to more twitter tastings… perhaps one representing the fine state of Oregon someday?!  Attention Oregon wineries and bloggers, I'm ready to help out on this one!!!

Chicago Food & Wine Entertaining Showcase

Last week I had the opportunity to go to Chicago and attend the Food & Wine Magazine Entertaining Showcase.  The event took place on November 16th at the Museum of Contemporary Art.  Approximately 20 local chefs, including some that were highlighted in Food & Wine's annual "Best New Chefs" feature, presented sample dishes to guests as they mingled comfortably through the beautiful venue.  Along with the fantastic food there included wine representatives from Berringer (whose '05 Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon about blew me away with its bold yet balanced flavors), Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, along with Domaine Serene, Thomas George, Davis Bynum, and Clos Du Val to name a few.

Although events like this can often be crowded and overwhelming, they can also prove to be great opportunities to learn something new while expanding your palate.  In this particular case the event never felt overcrowded or intimidating which allowed myself, and other guests, the opportunity to talk to the chefs and winery representatives without feeling rushed. 

As much as I like trying new wines at events like this, the highlight for me was definitely taste testing some of the food.  

NoMI
Foie gras sliders with truffled celery remoulade on toasted brioche

Tru Restaurant 

Star anise mousse with grapefruit marmalade and candied fennel caramel sauce.

Sepia
Taleggio Ravioli in a pumpkin consommé with caramelized cocoa nibs

Province
Slow roasted organic Becker Farms pork ropa vieja
Braised for 10 hours, served with a crispy chip.
One of my favorites.
So tender, juicy, and full of flavor.  Mmmmwah!

Vie Restaurant
Spanish Blood Sausage

Another highlight of the evening was a food and wine pairing seminar led by Brian Duncan (Wine Director, BIN 36, A MANO & bin wine café) pairing holiday appetizers with Russian River Valley Wines.  Along with Duncan, the four additional members of the panel included winery representatives Robert Larsen, Public Relations Director of Rodney Strong Vineyards & Davis Bynum Winery; Dan Leese, President and Co-Founder of Picket Fence Vineyards; James MacPhail, Winegrower, Sequana Vineyards; and Guy Davis, Owner/Winemaker of Davis Family Vineyards.

Sit down seminars like this are a great way to truly understand the dynamics of a proper food and wine pairing.   Plus, it gave the audience a chance to learn about key factors that distinguish the Russian River Valley from other regions in Northern California.  

The Russian River Valley AVA (American Viticultural Area), located just an hour north of San Francisco, is one of 13 AVAs within the boundary of Sonoma County and is home to more than 100 wineries.

One of the characteristics that differentiate the Russian River Valley AVA from other areas within Sonoma is its climate.  With early morning fog and afternoon winds along with a long growing season, lasting usually two weeks longer than its neighboring appellations, it allows more hang time for fruit to fully mature.  Because of this climate early ripening varietals (like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay) can thrive alongside of later ripening varietals (such as Syrah and Zinfandel) and all of the grapes are picked at their optimal time.

Back to the event... my favorite pairing was a Chicken Satay with Sweet & Spicy Chili Glaze paired with a 2006 Davis Family Vineyards, Russian River Valley Zinfandel, Old Vine.  At first taste the Chicken had a sugary sweetness from the sauce, but when paired with the Zin it brought out the spiciness balancing the two contrasting flavors.  The Zin itself had a touch of spice as well, adding more balance to the flavors of the glaze.  Without the wine the satay just seemed sweet.  The wine pairing, however, allowed for the flavors to flourish. 

I also appreciate how the panelists demonstrated how sweet and spicy go together.  I am reminded why Rieslings or other wines that have a touch of residual sugar are often recommended with spicy food (like Thai cuisine).  The cooling sweetness of the wine often soothes the spicy flavors in the dish.  In this particular case it was the food that was sweet, and the wine that added the spice.  For me, that’s what pairing food and wine is about, balance.

Overall I found this to be a very well put together and elegant event.  Not only did it display the talents of many fantastic Chicago based chefs with great wines, it also focused on one of my favorite things, food and wine pairing education in a fun and unpretentions way.

Hello Holidays: Lifestyle workshop for women, November 7

What are you doing November 7th? I know what I'm doing... I'm hosting a session at hello, holidays! in Corvallis from 9-3, details below.  This all women workshop will be a great time so grab some friends and join us.  I would love to see you all there as I pour wines for a wonderful food pairing and talk about some great holiday wine pairing ideas.  I hope to see you there, and if I haven't met you in person make sure to come find me and introduce yourself!

Saturday, November 7th from 9am-3pm
Elements Building (in the old Strega space), 517 SW 2nd St, Corvallis

hello, holidays! is the perfect opportunity for a day out with your girlfriends before the holiday season begins. We’ve got a fabulous day planned and you won’t want to miss out!  Workshop cost is $65. All attendees will receive an event bag* (designed just for us by Bread & Salt of Seattle), a light breakfast, lunch (catered by Iovinos), wine tasting, and these amazing sessions:

• Visioning w/Kristina Ender, Life Coach, EndWell Coaching
• Decorating for the holidays w/Kimberly Brandt, Billede Design
• Pilates w/Antigone Cook, Fitness Instructor, Life Integrated Fitness
• Wearing this season's fashion trends w/Jen Butler-Walker, Stylist & Fashion Blogger, Second Glance
• Makeup and skin care w/Cara Sherris, Spa Director; Michelle Hancock, Esthetician, Epic Day Spa
• Food & wine w/Jessica Stanley, Rocket Queen Cupcakes; Mary Cressler, certified sommelier, Vindulge; Ellie Larsen, Beviamo Wine Tours

For more information or to purchase tickets click here.

Cheers!

Wine Tasting 101

Disclaimer: This is an entirely true story. 
However the names and places of those involved have been changed to protect the innocent.

A couple weeks ago I was having lunch with a friend (whom we shall refer to as Carrie) at an undisclosed location near of Portland, OR, and as our wine arrived with lunch I began to swirl my wine and gave it a good sniff.  It was at that moment when my friend asked me a very shocking question.  She leaned over very closely, grabbed my wrist, looked around to make sure nobody else was listening, and whispered, “Mary, why do you do that?” 

“Why do I do what?” I whispered back, having no idea what she was referring to or why I was also whispering for that matter.

With wide-open eyes staring directly at my glass, while covering up her mouth with her hand as if to ensure nobody could read her lips, she says, “that swirly thing you just did to your wine glass”?

“Are you kidding me?” I laugh.  I laughed because Carrie has always come across as somewhat savvy with wine, I’d never had imagined she didn’t know why we swirl.  Wait, it gets better.

She continues, “No, I mean, I always swirl my glass, but that’s because I see everyone else doing it and assumed it’s something you’re supposed to… but I never understood why.  [long pause]  Mary, there’s something else you should know.  Something I’ve never told anybody, but you have to promise to never share this with anybody (hence I am posting it here on my blog)… I’ve never even been to a winery to wine taste before!”

I gasp in horror!  “Are you kidding me?!” I mean the girl practically lives in wine country; she must be pulling my leg.

“NOOOO”, she screams, then immediately lowers her voice again to a whisper so that onlookers don’t eavesdrop, “I feel like a fraud.  I mean, people think I know a lot about wine, if they knew the truth I’d never live it down.”

“What are you doing Monday?” I ask authoritatively.
“Nothing.”

“Well you are now. I’m taking you wine tasting in the Willamette Valley.  After one day with me you’ll know everything you need to know to go wine tasting with your friends with confidence!  I’ll teach you to look like a pro.  But first things first, let’s talk swirling.”

It then occurred to me that maybe I have more friends out there who feel the same as Carrie?  People I know.  People who don’t know why we swirl our wine glasses before sipping, or those have never been wine tasting simply because they are afraid of looking like a newbie or feeling stupid.  And it dawned on me that I have to share this story in hopes that it can help at least one person who truly wants to go wine tasting but has been afraid to ask the simple, basic, questions in order to make them feel comfortable enough to take that first step. 

Before our wine tasting extravaganza I wanted to teach Carrie some of the basics so she was comfortable going into her first tasting room.

Wine Tasting 101:  For Consumers

The purpose of this post is intended to be a starting point for those new to wine tasting.  Understand that this post is not all-inclusive nor does it include everything a professional Sommelier looks for when evaluating a wine.  This should simply be a helpful tool to help you, or a novice wine taster, on your first tasting experience.

Generally speaking, when sampling a wine at a winery or wine tasting event you should follow these steps (and if you do, you might even look like a pro).

Sight:  Hold the glass by the stem and hold it straight in front of you and look at it.  You are looking for things like clarity (is the wine clear or cloudy), the color (is it really light straw colored or deep ruby), are there sediments (particles) in the wine?  If you are a professional wine taster you may be looking for other characteristics to determine the wines approximate age (yes you can tell that just by looking at it) or quality. 

Nose:  By nose I mean what it smells like.  After examining the sight of the wine you will want to keep that firm hold on the stem and give it a good swirl (and if you haven’t done this before you may want to place the glass on a table and swirl it from there or spillage may occur).  This releases the wines “esters” (aromas).  This is one of the best parts of wine tasting since you can smell thousands of characteristics simply by smelling the wine (and only five by tasting).   Stick your nose close to the glass and give it a strong whiff.  What do you smell?  It’s okay if your response is “wine” when you first practice this.  After all, it is wine.  Over time you will learn how to pick out specifics like green apple, ripe pear, black cherry, leather, cedar, cloves, among thousands of other possibilities. In an old world wine (aka European) you may sense more earthy qualities (like mushrooms, minerals, chalk, stone), as opposed to a new world wine (think The Americas, Australia, etc.) you may get more fresh fruit qualities initially. As a consumer, you are smelling the wine to assess qualities you like and those you do not like.

You are also smelling the wine to detect any possible flaws in the wine.  One of the most obvious flaws you may be looking for is if the wine is “corked”.  This means the wine has been contaminated by 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA).  Although this is harmless, those who have smelt a corked wine describe it as wet cardboard, wet dog, moldy, damp basement, among others.  It is a flaw and ruins the entire smell, flavors, and characteristics of the wine.  So if you are at a restaurant and your server presents you with a wine of these characteristics, ask him/her to smell it and possibly replace it with another bottle.  Many other flaws are also detectable just by smelling a wine, but I’ll save those for another day.

Palate:  When you’re done checking out the nose of the wine you will  want to give it a taste.  Allow a good amount (maybe ¼  – ½ oz) into your mouth and allow it to swish around in your mouth.  Don’t swallow it right away, this is not a shot!   Focus on how it changes in your mouth.  What stands out?  Is the wine sweet (detected by the level of trace sugar in the wine), or dry (little to no detectable sugar remaining)?  Does the flavor confirm what you smelled earlier or do you detect anything different?  Is the wine full-bodied or light (think whole milk vs. skim)?  If it is a red wine is it tannic? (I judge the level of tannin by how cotton mouth your tongue feels after the wine is gone.)  Again for the wine consumer you are simply looking for what you like and don’t like to judge whether it is something you will want to buy. When you are done you have the option to swallow the wine, or spit it in the dump bucket.  *If you plan to visit multiple wineries in one day I highly recommend that option!  That or take one swallow, then dump the remaining contents.

Finish:  Finish refers to how long the flavors last after you have swallowed (or spit) the wine.  Does the flavor last long after you have swallowed it, or did it go away very fast?  Generally speaking the longer the finish the better quality the wine and more memorable.  During this stage you will also determine if it is a wine YOU like and want to purchase.  Don’t worry if other people have different conclusions.  This is YOUR palate and only you can determine if you like it or not so don’t be shy to express your opinion.  If you don’t like it, politely tell the person behind the bar you didn’t like it and explain why to the best of your ability, and perhaps he or she can introduce you to something you might like better.  I don’t care if they tell you the wine received 99 points in Wine Spectator, if you didn’t like it it doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with your palate!  You are entitled to your own opinion.  What’s most important is finding something YOU like!  The more you know the characteristics you like and don’t like in a wine, better are chances of you finding something you will like later on down the road.

Seem simple enough?  Now that you know the basics, let’s go test it out at a few wineries.

A few things to know about wineries if you have never visited any.
What to expect:

Hours:  Many wineries have regular open tasting hours where you can drop in and do an informal tasting.  I recommend starting here and getting comfortable with this process.  There are also wineries you must make an advanced appointment with and may conduct private tours and tastings.  Refer to the wineries website (or a local map) for their hours and availability.

Tasting Fees:  Many wineries may charge you a tasting fee.  This can range from $5 for a flight to $20 on up.  If you want to be sure you may want to spend a few minutes doing some research before planning your wine country trip so that you’re not surprised.  Check out their website or give them a call to see what their policy is.  Many wineries may even offer you a refund on the tasting fee if you make a purchase. 

Flights:  Included in the tasting fee will be a “flight” (selection of wines offered to taste).  Often times the winery will pre-select the wines offered for tasting that day or you may select from a few options.  On average the flight may range anywhere from 3 samples to 6 (sometimes many more, hence the importance of spitting or pouring out some of the sample).  The tasting room staff will generally explain the procedure when you arrive.  Just note that all tasting rooms have different policies so don’t expect the same experience at every winery you go to. 

Sample size:  You are not receiving entire glasses of wine.  Expect a small sample of approx 1oz in size.  This is an appropriate enough sized pour to assess the wines characteristics.  Savor the experience and taste slowly.  Like I said earlier, this is not a shot.

Don’t feel obligated to make a purchase!  I’ve been victim to this many times before, buying wine out of some feeling of obligation, and I want to save you from making bad wine purchases.  Buy what you like and don’t feel pressured to buy wines you don’t wish to. 

Tasting room staff should never make you feel stupid!  Ever.  If this happens, just don’t ever return to that winery (or if you feel so inclined you may take down the persons name and write an email to the winery about your treatment).  This should be a safe place where you can learn about their wines and not feel belittled or talked down to.  Their job is hospitality and customer service and should make you feel comfortable asking questions about their wines and educate you on their product. 

Don’t be afraid to tell them you’re new to this.  If they are good at their jobs, they should make you feel warm and welcome and answer any questions you may have. 

Mary and Carrie Take Wine Country By Storm
Our Tasting Day:

After picking up Carrie we ventured down to our first winery.  She seemed somewhat nervous so I did all the talking at the first tasting room.  At winery #2 we had a sit down private tasting where Carrie could safely ask everything she wanted to the winery attendant in safe confines.  Then something amazing happened… by winery #3 Carrie was on a roll, picking out characteristics even I didn’t catch, and even started confidently asking questions to the tasting room staff without caring about being judged!  She already sounded like a pro, and even vowed to bring her parents back to one of the wineries to show them how savvy she now was.  “You’ll get better and better with each visit to new wineries,” I promised her.  Keep at it and don’t be shy.  And that goes for anybody who has never been to a winery but wants to check them out. 

Carrie is now, by the way, in love with visiting wineries and has been back to visit new wineries two different times already within the last month (without me).  She learned that there’s nothing to be intimidated about.  With a few simple things to keep in mind you too can feel confident going out for a wine country day.

HAPPY WINE TASTING

The Final Day at The Wine Bloggers Conference '09

The final day of the Wine Bloggers Conference began with three different breakout sessions.  I must say I was somewhat underwhelmed with the options:

Legalities of Blogging,  OR
  Facebook, Twitter & Other Social Media for Wine Business
Monetization of Your Blog, OR
Creating a Social Network for your Winery or Wine Business
Beyond Words: How Video Content is Changing the Wine World, OR
Search Engine Optimization, Traffic Building, and Blogs.

It's not that those topics don’t necessarily intrigue me.  They do, but I found many of them to be winery focused (and I do not currently work for a winery).  Also, the two I was more interested in (the last two) competed for the same time slot.  I understand that’s the way things go at conferences as I have been to my fair share of them.  My only feedback to the organizers on this portion of the conference was to have a more diverse array of breakout session options throughout the three days with consideration to the attendees interests and skills.  At any rate, I did find some useful information from the sessions that I did attend that I will be able to apply to my own blog. 

Highlight of the day

For me, the highlight of this day came later in the afternoon during our wine walk and tour of  Michel-Schlumberger in the beautiful Dry Creek Valley.   I have been to the Dry Creek Valley dozens of times and for some reason have never paid a visit here until this time.  Bad me! I am now grateful that this was an option at the conference or I may have never discovered this place! 

I will start out with this, these folks get it; hospitality, education, social media, and very important - making good wine.  Upon our arrival we were greeted by Judd Wallenbrock, Tony Wasowicz (their vineyard manager of over 15 years) and Jim Morris (also known as @sonomawineguy on twitter) with an introduction to the winery and its history.

Moving on we went on a nice hike through the vineyards (well it felt like a hike, these were pretty steep, yet beautiful, vineyards… good thing I changed into my hiking flip flops).

The picturesque and quiet vineyard. Approximately 100 organically farmed acres.

Grapes just weeks away from harvest.

A soil sample

After about an hour hiking through the vineyards and learning about their viticulture practices we moved to the lawn for the wine tasting.  This is where I get sad.  Our timing did not allow for us to really experience the tasting portion of this which was truly a bummer since they went out of their ways to set up what would have been an educational tasting of the three different branches of their wines (their Pétanque brand, their Flagship Wines, as well as their Wine Bench Club Selections)

Another fun experience that was cut short was Jim’s Jelly Bean Tasting.  He had put together a fun array of Jelly Bean flavors and asked us to come up with a mix that would pair well with the wines.  No, this was not meant to be too serious, just a fun and creative way to encourage guests to really think about the blending process. 

I am sad to say I was only able to taste a few of the wines.  The the ones I did try, however, really impressed me.

Starting off with the:
Michel-Schlumberger Wine Bench Club Selection 2008 Pinot Blanc
Bright and citrusy with good acid and mineral undertones!  Would be a perfect summer sipper!   $21

Michel-Schlumberger Wine Bench Club Selection 2006 Cabernet Franc
Typically I am not usually a fan of strait up Cabernet Franc’s, but I always try them… just in case.  I really liked this one.  It had nice, rich fruit, and good balance.   $40

2005 Coteaux Sauvages (Reserve Wine)
Meaning “Wild Hills” in French, this wine is a Rhone style red blend, primarily Syrah based, with a small amount of Viogner co-fermented with the Syrah (as they traditionally do in Northern Rhone).  This is the kind of Syrah blend that makes me smile.  It was earthy yet with rich fruit at the same time.  There are Syrahs from all over the globe, but this style is the kind that really reminds me of some of my favorite in Northern Rhone. 
(Note:  I really don’t like comparing one region to another because all regions are different and have unique characteristics to offer, but Syrahs can be tricky.  You can get a rich and powerful fruit forward Australian style, or more earthy and mellow Rhone style, so I compared this wine to the Rhone style so that a consumer who has never tried it will have some type of benchmark.)
$60

The only regret is that we didn’t have enough time to taste through more of the wines at a nice slow pace.  The good news is that now I have a reason to return to Michel-Schlumberger next time I visit (which will be in T-minus 4 weeks). 

I honestly can only speak for the few wines I tried, which were really good. What I can say with confidence is that the folks at Michel-Schlumberger have a strong focus on hospitality and education (two things I really value when touring new wineries), so I would feel very comfortable recommending them as a stop to anybody visiting the Dry Creek Valley!  They were good people, with a strong passion for making great wines, in one of my favorite California Wine Regions. 

Final Thoughts

All in all, I think the conference was a great way to bring wine lovers together from all over the country (and beyond).  We got to taste some good wines, visit some new wineries, meet some great people and learn from each other while building a sense of community for what we are all doing; whether it is blogging, working at a winery, distributor, retailer, or other.  The organizers did a good job maximizing the three days with a mix of events, dinners, tastings, and breakout sessions (although, as I mentioned above I wish there were more of them… or perhaps this is just the geek inside me who is addicted to learning).  I am excited that next year’s conference will be held in Walla Walla, WA, as the Northwest is my current stomping ground and I love exposing people to what the NW has to offer. 

If anything, attending this conference has inspired me and provided me with lots to write about over the next few weeks.  

Cheers