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)! 

Seeing red for the first time: Wine Blogging Wednesday #67

Wine Blogging Wednesday (WBW), created by Lenn Thompson from The New York Cork Report, encourages bloggers to write a post based on a selected theme of the month chosen by a rotating host.  This month marks WBW #67, but the sixth I have participated in, and is hosted by Joe Roberts at 1 Wine Dude, who asked us to “pick a red wine that you would use to introduce a white wine drinker to red wines for the first time”.

This is something I have actually encountered many times, especially back when I used to work at wineries.  I love introducing folks who “think” they don't like red wine to pleasures of the glorious juice (of course they like red wine, they just haven’t found the right one)!  In fact, I decided to test it out again this week while my mother and sister are visiting, both of which are not big wine drinkers at all, let alone red wine… (seriously, was I adopted or what???)

Now you may think a smooth transition from white wine would be the way to go, rosé  perhaps, or maybe a light bodied Pinot Noir. But no.  I still know plenty of wine enthusiasts who are still not “that” into Pinot Noir (true story), and perhaps our red wine novice may be thrown off by some of the common earthy flavors of said beverage.  Instead, I think the way to go is BIG. Full on big flavored rich fruit bombs. I’m talking Syrah or Zinfandel!   For this weeks experiment I decided to surprise my mom and sis with a gorgeous Zinfandel from Seghesio Family Vineyards.   

Why Zinfandel?  When I am trying to convert non-red wine drinkers to the beauty of red wine I avoid wines that are too earthy, funky, alcoholic, or too tannic.  These flavors can easily throw someone off and inadvertently scare him or her back to white wine forever.  In fact, I will typically avoid most old world wines all together and instead chose something big, yet still high quality, with balanced rich fruit flavors, minus any gripping tannins (a turnoff for a newbie red wine drinker). Don't get me wrong, I can think of some fabulous Italian wines that would work, but again, I'm thinking simplicity on our decision, don't over think it.

Zin, especially a good Sonoma Valley, or even more specific Dry Creek Zin from California, is usually one you can’t go wrong with.  I find the up front forwardness of the fruit to be seductive, very approachable, and friendly to most palates.  Plus, they are delicious with a wide variety of food, great to drink year round, and fairly easy on the pocketbook. One of the worst things you could do is introduce someone to a wine too expensive for him or her to enjoy on a regular basis (you tease!), thus creating a myth that they can only like expensive wines (sigh). Some of my favorite Zins range from $15-$35/bottle.

So for my mom and sister, I introduced them to one of my favorite Zinfandel producers in California, Seghesio.  I chose Seghesio because they consistently produce a wide variety of full-flavored, yet very balanced Zins, many of which are single vineyards showcasing different characteristics, and are typically without ridiculously high alcohol levels.  For this experiment I decided on the ’08 Sonoma County because it is their most widely available, and most everyday priced Zin  (I found it on sale for $21), and wanted to find something to fit the bill above.  Their ’07 Sonoma County definitely fit the bill I was looking for (big, fruit forward, lush and delicious), but I ran out of it a few months ago… ’08 it is.  

The judges (mom and sis) however, weren’t as enthused with the wine I opened.  Granted, the ’08 vintage of this wine was definitely much tamer compared to its previous vintage, but it still had great fruit, but more red and blue berry fruit rather than the richer ’07 version full of lush blackberry fruits. I still loved it, but it fell a bit short with the judges who didn’t think it was “sweet enough” (aka fruity), and that it “tingled too much on the back of their tongues” (high acidity).  The judges, I must add, are a tough crowd.  It’s hard to find any wine my mom will love without needing to add sprite to it (and yes, she did add sprite to this Zin ) <mary shakes her head in disappointment>,  and my sister did say she liked it, so I still think it was a successful choice for her.

I still stand firm to my choice of varietal and would still have chosen Zin or perhaps even Shiraz or Syrah.  I could have gone with something bigger and more jammy perhaps for this particular crowd.  But it was my first time trying the ’08, so I took a chance on the new vintage, and was admittedly wrong to assume it would be as big as its previous vintage.  I still loved the wine, so did the husband, and we gladly finished the bottle without help from my mother or sister. 

I still recommend a lush fruit bomb if you are trying to convert a white wine drinker to red.  Everybody likes fruit in the beginning, and I think more complex flavors, including earthy flavors, are more acquired flavors that wine enthusiasts look for and learn to love!   

Meeting Tom Mackey from St. Francis Winery...

... and a stroll down memory lane

Most wine lovers have quite a few bottles of wine that they would categorize as “most memorable” wines.  Some have many, others have one or two. I’d have to say I've had many great wines in my life, but few have left a mark on me that I will remember forever.  Among those was the 1997 St. Francis “Kings Ridge” Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine I was drinking when my husband proposed. (Okay, I know this sounds like it's going to be a cheesy sappy story, but it's not, so please read on if you’re not into sappy stuff). 

You see, St. Francis was one of the first wine clubs we joined after moving to San Francisco and becoming seriously interested in wine, and we remained members until a year after moving to Oregon (six years later).  It wasn’t just the wines we fell in love with, but the experience they provided when visiting.  They didn’t just have a tasting room that offered the average 4-6 wines in a flight, but also offered guests a whole food and wine pairing experience, lasting close to an hour, where they would pair 4 or 5 of their wines with appetizers created by their chef.  For me, it was the first time I started to understand the art and science behind a good food and wine pairing while falling in love with their wines.  We visited often and brought family and friends to experience this place that almost became synonymous with Sonoma to us.  

 So, it was fitting that my boyfriend (now husband) brought out that bottle the night he planned to pop the question.  And, cheesy as it sounds, I kept the label to that very bottle, had it professionally framed, and gave it to my hubby on our first wedding anniversary as the traditional first anniversary symbol of “paper" (Okay now THAT was cheesy!  But it was true nonetheless). 

St. Francis wines were also among the first that I tasted enough times to be able to identify a specific “winemaking style” to their wines.  That became more evident when I was studying for the CMS Certified Sommelier exam and had my husband blind taste me daily on new wines to prep me for the tasting portion of the exam.  Anytime he brought out a browned bagged St. Francis (whether it be a Cab, Merlot, or other), I would smell and immediately respond, “I’m not sure the exact varietal yet, let me taste a little more, but it smells like St. Francis”.  And 9 times out of 10 I was right.  I still don’t know what it is (anybody like to share?), the barrels, the vineyards the fruit is sourced from, a magic potion?  But whatever it is there is definitely a distinct style to most of their wines.  Some may call this Terroir, and I would just call it distinctly good. 

So, needless to say I was very excited to have been invited to meet Tom Mackey, who has been the winemaker at St. Francis since 1983, last week for lunch along with other local wine bloggers, Tamara Belgard from Sip With Me!, Jim Eastman of The Wine Cyclist and Bernie Gehret and Eva Schmole of PortlandOregonWine.com.   I’ve met many winemakers before, but there was something special and exciting about meeting Tom, since I had been enjoying his wines for years and had never met the man behind them.

Tom was warm and genuine and it felt like we were conversing with a friend rather than a stranger.  He spoke of the early days when he first joined the winery.  “Times were more simple then, yet the work was hard.  We had a small crew, about four people that did everything from working in the field, working all through harvest, doing the prep work, the cleaning, the bottling, etc.”  

He spoke of the changes he has witnessed in the Sonoma valley over the decades.  Times have changed, wineries have evolved and learned from their mistakes and experiments.  “We prune differently now… we space our vineyards differently… we pick our fruit later”.  He described that, in his early days, they used to pick fruit much earlier in the season.  Now he has learned that if you leave the fruit on the vines longer you get more developed and deeper flavors out of the wines. 

They have also learned how to be better stewards of the land, and now strive for green and sustainable practices, including installing a solar electrical system on the roof of the winery, a water conservation program, recycling programs, and more. 

In 2001 they opened up their visitors center on Highway 12, in Santa Rosa (about the time I started visiting), where they offer tastings, events, and my favorite, their wine and food pairing experience.

When I asked Tom about the Kings Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon and their other reserve wines (ok, I had to, I got engaged over a bottle of that wine for goodness sake. Did I also mention we shared another bottle of the same wine and vintage at our actual wedding?), he shared that the 1997 was probably the best vintage of that wine, but that they are no longer making that specific wine anymore.  He went on to explain the evolution of the once “reserve wine” program to their now Wild Oak wines.  Tom described that he felt, over the years, wineries started using the term “reserve” too loosely, and that it had lost value and meaning (in the U.S. there is no legal designation for the term “reserve” on a bottle of wine), and that they decided to create a new label to distinguish the “best of the best” for their wines.  Their Wild Oak label represents just that, the best fruit from the best vineyards in each vintage. 

"So, Wild Oak represents the best of the best, but what is your favorite wine to make, each year? The one you get most excited about?" I asked.  "Our blends", Tom responded.  "Including our Sonoma Red, our Claret, and our Anthem".  The Anthem in particular is a unique "reverse Bordeaux-style blend", meaning instead of focusing on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot as the primary grapes, the focus is on Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc.  I have had a few vintages of the Anthem and I have to say it is indeed a unique and special wine, not to mention delicious!    

The Wines

Tasting through the flight of wines was like going down memory lane for me.  That distinct “St. Francis flavor” was evident in each of the reds.  The one white we had was their outstanding 2007 Sonoma County Chardonnay, and I say outstanding because you can’t really find a better Chardonnay for the price point (retail between $10-$12/bottle). Oak, vanilla, toast, with balanced lemon, spice and acidity.  Seriously, for $10?  Yes please! 

Another one that blew me away because of the $10 price point was the 2006 Sonoma Red blend (Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon/Zinfandel).  It had bold black berry fruit, with chocolate, vanilla and spice throughout. 

My two favorite wines of the flight, however, were both Zinfandels.  First off was the 2007 “Old Vines” Zinfandel, which was a blend of fruit from fourteen vineyards throughout the valley.  Typical dark berry Zin aromas with oak spice, lushness, black cherries with a long finish without any distinguishable “hot” characteristics. 

The second Zin that won over my heart was the 2006 Wild Oak Zinfandel.  My notes for that wine simply said “Woah!” with a smiley face J.  You know, I’ll be the first to admit, sometimes you find a wine that you just want to savor and not be too analytical about, and this was one of those.  I loved it. 

 As I think back to the lunch, I feel honored to have been invited to sit down with such an intimate group (seven people total), with a winemaker whom I’ve respected since I started seriously learning about wine almost ten years ago.  And I am so glad to have meet Tom.  He was sincere and genuine, and as talented and experienced a winemaker he is, he was very unpretentious.  As we ended lunch, we just sat and chatted.  Not about wine, but about our lives, comparing San Francisco stories (Tom grew up there), and he talked about his passion for motorcycles and surfing, although he does much more motorcycling now and no more surfing.  He even got excited when I shared with him my first experience surfing last summer in Hawaii.  He asked if I would do it again… “of course” I answered.

I feel that meeting the man behind one of my most memorable bottles of wine makes the wine even more memorable now.  Almost making the story complete.  

You can read more about Tom Mackey and St. Francis wines on their website.  

Oregon Zinfandel to Pair With an Oregon Snow Storm!

This month for Wine Blogging Wednesday #65 wine bloggers were asked by Michelle Lentz from the blog  Wine-Girl to write about “Snow Day Wines”:

 “I want you to look out your window and imagine Snow. Snowmen, snow balls, igloos, snow trucks, snow … cold, cold snow. Then I want you to imagine what that makes you want to drink.”

Michelle also encouraged participants to include a snow day story from their youth.  Quite frankly I grew up in Phoenix, AZ, and therefore have no snow stories to tell from my youth!  However, this week I’ve been working on an article I am writing for a regional magazine on the Columbia Gorge Wine Region, and after hearing the theme for this month I was immediately reminded of my only major “snow day” experience in recent adult history.  Coincidentally, it happened here in Oregon, in the Columbia Gorge.  The event that will forever be known by locals as “Arctic Blast 2008”. The storm that shut down schools, businesses, and pretty much a good chunk of the city, for almost an entire week. 

I happened to be working in Hood River, OR (50 miles east of Portland) when part one of the storm hit. Hood River was the opening round for the whole area, leaving a couple feet of snow on the ground, but the worst was yet to come.  I was at a local Columbia Gorge wine event the night before the larger, more news worthy, part of the storm hit, drinking the very wine I will describe below. 

The view from our Hood River house, the day before the "big storm"

The next morning I had planned to stick around and visit a few wineries but something told me to head back home to Portland.  Just minutes after I returned home they shut down highway I-84, the only major highway connecting east and west from Portland, in both directions due to ice and hazardous conditions. 

The view from the drive home on I-84

I-84 was closed, indefinitely, just days before Christmas. It continued to snow throughout the region, causing numerous traffic accidents, road, school and business closures.  Unlike other parts of the country where snow storms are the norm, Portland was not equipped with the necessary resources to plow roads for safe driving conditions.  I was lucky enough to make it back to Portland safe, and since I couldn’t get back out east to go to work I was able to enjoy a few “snow days” while the city of Portland was virtually shut down.  Even the mall… THE MALL… had half its stores closed the Sunday before Christmas because nobody could drive on the roads, and thus get to work.  I remember thinking, “only in Portland would a snow storm cause Victorias Secret to close during the busiest shopping days leading up to Christmas.”

Now, the most important part was that I was safe and that I had plenty of wine to keep me warm during this Arctic Blast.  I assure you I did.  And the wine that most reminds me of this incident was the wine I was drinking on the eve of that memorable storm, The Pines 1852 Old Vine Zinfandel.

The Pines 1852

To many people in the Pacific Northwest the wine “Old Vine Zinfandel” is often associated with cult winemaker Peter Rosback of Sineann.  What many of them don’t realize is that the Old Vine Zinfandel grapes come from The Pines Vineyard in The Dalles, OR, owned and managed by Lonnie Wright who also makes an Old Vine Zin, from the same vineyard, for his own winery The Pines 1852. 

Lonnie Wright learned the art and science of grape growing in the 1970’s helping to build 2,000 acres of vineyards for Columbia Crest (a winery now owned by Washington’s Chateau St. Michelle) in Patterson, WA.  In the two years it took for the vineyard to be built Lonnie learned from many viticulture experts in the region, and eventually became the area manager for 650 acres of grapes and supervised the first harvest there. 

A few years later, in the early 1980’s, Lonnie met his wife in Hood River, and wanting to settle in the area had heard about an orchardist in The Dalles (20 miles east of Hood River, 70 miles east of Portland) needing help renovating a century old vineyard that had been neglected for over twenty years.  Lonnie stepped right in and help to revitalize this vineyard that was almost dead and eventually brought the original eight acres of century old vines back to life. 

Soon after, Wright decided to follow his gut and his dream by starting his own vineyard management company in The Dalles, and eventually moved his family onto the original property to manage “The Pines” Vineyard, and continued to plant more and more vineyards.  Back then, when very few vineyards were planted, he saw the potential for world class vineyards in the Columbia Gorge.

Wright began selling his Old Vine Zinfandel grapes to winemaker Peter Rosback of Sineann who has made a cult following of his Sineann labeled “Old Vine Zin”, and also sold other grapes to various local wineries.  By 2001 Wright decided it was time to start his own winery.  Since Rosback had been doing such a great job with his Sineann label, Wright asked him to be the winemaker of “The Pines 1852” wines. And with the shake of a hand the deal was done, and Rosback has been making the wines for The Pines ever since.

A few years later they opened up a tasting room in downtown Hood River.  Managed by Wrights daughter Sierra, the tasting room not only provides an elegant showcase for their well-crafted wines, but has also has become a favorite local spot for watching live music on the weekends, events, and gallery displays by local artists.

Today Lonnie Wright manages over 200 acres of grapes in the Columbia Gorge and consults for many other vintners in the region. Over the last 25 years Wright has become an integral part of the growth and success of the Columbia Gorge Wine Region.

Although The Pines produces a wide variety of beautiful wines, if you ask both Lonnie and Sierra what wine they are most proud of, of course they will say their Old Vine Zinfandel.  This is their flagship wine.  A wine you are not likely to find outside the winery, as this limited production wine sells out quickly.  But you can still find some of the 2008 Old Vine Zin through their tasting room or website. 

To me this wine represents a speck of what is possible in the Columbia Gorge and will also be an ever reminder of my experience during the Arctic Blast 2008.   It is not only a great “Snow Day” wine, but also a great Oregon Zinfandel.  And if you are one of the many people thinking “What? You can’t grow Zinfandel in Oregon!”, then I challenge you to try this wine!  A wine that could easily stand up to some of its California counterparts.

2008 Old Vine Zinfandel

This wine is one of the few using the alternative glass closure.

Immediately this wine hits you with a bouquet of dark berry fruit, rich black cherries, plums, and freshly ground black pepper.  A deeper sniff will introduce intriguing roasted meat and bacon fat aromas. The mouth is full-bodied with rich cherry and more black berry flavors along with a dark chocolate cherry lushness, with a velvety smooth finish.  The wine has a nice balance of fruit and spice without being a “fruit bomb”. 

With the fruit coming from the oldest Zinfandel vineyard in the Pacific Northwest this is definitely a wine any Northwest wine enthusiast (or one wanting to learn more about Northwest wines) should experience…. Snow day or not! 

Winery:  The Pines 1852 (tasting room located in Hood River, OR)
Region:  Columbia Valley (the winery, however, is a part of the smaller community within the Columbia Gorge Winegrowers Association.  Technically the vineyards in The Dalles are considered within the larger Columbia Valley, AVA, just a few miles east of the Columbia Gorge AVA cutoff)
Grapes:  Zinfandel
Retail:  $38
Alcohol:  15.3%

The Columbia Gorge is an exciting and quickly growing region and The Pines 1852 is definitely a winery to keep your eyes on.   For more information on this diverse region please continue to check in here as I continue to write about Columbia Gorge wines.  And for more information on the family behind The Pines check out this video.

Cheers

Quivira Vineyards & Winery

2010 will likely present an interesting year for wineries with the ripple effect of lagging inventory and an economy not necessarily buying wines in the $50.00 plus range as was the case two or three years ago.  The last couple of years have seen a lot of changes in all areas of the world, but this post highlights how quickly things can change at one winery in Dry Creek, Quivira, and how important it is to take a finer look at perhaps changes in winemaker or owners without judging from past experiences.

Here’s my story, years ago I spent a lot of time in Sonoma.  We would drive all over the place, regularly visiting some while trying to discover new wineries.  Quivira was one of those places we had stopped at a few times and is located along a track in Dry Creek Valley, near wineries that many of which don’t seem to exist anymore or have changed ownership, like Belvedere for example, which I just discovered is closed and is now C. Donatiello Winery (see the crazy things that change in just a few short years!).  We visited them a couple of times and liked the wines, but not enough to really stand out.  So when I recently was sent Quivira wines to review I thought, “hmm some Quivira, cool, I remember them, I’ll check it out”.  Then after opening the wines was very surprised with how much they stood out, much more than what I remember from years ago.  So I did a little research and “surprise”, many changes have taken place in the winery since 2006 (after I had already settled into Oregon), and apparently in the Dry Creek Valley during that time as well, and I began to take closer notice.

Quivira Vineyards & Winery
Healdsburg, CA |  Dry Creek Valley

 “In the 16th to 18th centuries, the area we know as Sonoma County appeared on European maps as a mythical kingdom called “Quivira” whose streets were said to be paved with gold. Today, the region’s “gold” is the acres of grapevines that thrive there.”

Quivira, named after this “mythical realm” was founded by Holly and Henry Wendt in 1981.  In 2006, 25 years later, the winery was sold to Pete and Terri Kight who quickly began making significant changes to the winery, but continuing a focus on Biodynamic and organic farming techniques used by the Wendts.  They also brought in Steven Canter, who had training in many regions throughout the world, as their winemaker and vineyard manager, or rather “winegrower” as he calls himself (not to separate the two roles).

Today they continue a focus on Biodynamic and sustainable practices throughout the vineyards, wine making, and property, including an organic garden they created in 2008 designed to educate visitors on their organic farming and viticulture practices.  Touring the property today you’ll find their gardens, a pond, greenhouse, chickens and even goats. 

2008 Sauvignon Blanc, Fig Tree Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley

One of their flagship wines, the Fig Tree Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, named for the 130-year old fig tree that stands amongst the vines, is certified organic and Biodynamic.

The wine represents my new found excitement for California (not to generalize) Sauvignon Blancs.  As I have mentioned in previous posts, I am not a huge fan of Sauvignon Blancs in general.  They can be too grassy, grapfruity, or acidic to me, or they represent the opposite spectrum and are too minerally.  Throughout last summer I discovered numerous Sauvignon Blancs, from both the Napa side and Sonoma, that I loved and would easily drink everyday.  This wine is no exception.

The wine had just a slight enough grassiness and fresh grapefruit on the nose to identify itself as Sauv Blanc, but by no means harsh or overpowering.  In addition there were aromas of fresh tropical fruits, green apple, and some slightly sweet apricot on the nose.  The mouth had bright citrus notes, lemon peel, and steely minerality, with a clean and crisp finish. 

This style of Sauvignon Blanc (a nice balance between some of the harsh grassy New Zealand style, and the minerally Loire Valley style) is the style I will be keeping my eyes out for come summer 2010 to pair with my summer ceviche. 

Appellation:  Dry Creek Valley
Grapes:  100% Sauvignon Blanc
Retail:  $18.00
Alcohol:  13.9%

2007 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel

I enjoyed this wine over the course of two different nights to see how the flavors and body would change with the extended time opened.  

Upon first opening, this wine felt slightly hot and almost medicinal (concentrated) and needed a little time, but by the second day had softened and opened into a nicely balanced and mild Zinfandel.

The wine, subtle, with moderately high alcohol (at 14.9% vs. 16+% Zins), has plenty of dark berry fruit with moderate plum notes.  The smell is unmistakably Zin without being an overpowering jammy fruit-bomb.  The mouth is slightly peppery with soft tannins. 

Overall I found the wine balanced, although not overly complex, but a great value (at $20) if you’re looking for a nice, everyday, non-fruit-bomb, Dry Creek Zinfandel.

Appellation:  Dry Creek Valley
Grapes:  93% Zinfandel, 7% Petite Sirah
Retail:  $20
Alcohol:  14.9%
Food pairings:  I drank this wine with Chicken Parmesan which turned out to be a great pairing as the sweetness of the sauce balanced the heat and spice of the wine.

Learning of some of the many changes that have been going on at Quivira since the changeover of ownership (around the same time I moved to Oregon and stopped visiting the area and winery regularly) I was no longer surprised that I truly enjoyed the two wines I was sent to taste.  Lesson learned.  Good businesses, like good people, continue to grow, evolve, and change (quite often for the better).  And not judging the book by its cover is always a nice reminder since so much variation can occur from vintage to vintage and from owner to owner.  I was pleased with these wines and look forward to making a point to go back to the estate next time I visit the area.

These wines were provided as media samples for review.

Wrapping up summer value wines '09

Rumor has it that summer is winding down to an end here in Portland. As much as I am in denial about this I’ve realized all good things must (eventually) come to an end.  This is sad for me since I am summers biggest fan and believe there are few people in the world who love this season as much as I do.  Being from Phoenix, AZ (where it is practically summer year round) it must be in my blood.

My summer ’09 was filled with lots of travel, outdoor activities, testing recipes on our new smoker, and exploring new wines, which more often than not meant a lot of crisp refreshing white wines.  It has been pointed out to me by a few friends that I am somewhat of a “seasonal” oenophile (not that I only drink wine during specific seasons… au contraire… more so, I often drink ones that reflects the weather or occasion).  When there is a beautiful hot summer day, or when I have returned from a hike or workout, I want to drink something cold and refreshing.  Alternatively, when it is cold and snowy I want to drink something that will warm my body and soul, like a full bodied red next to the fireplace while reading a good book.  I prefer to think of these as “occasion” wines because I believe there is a wine for all occasions, seasons, and moods. 

I also don’t rate the wines I drink on a number scale because I don’t think it’s fair nor necessary for purpose of this particular blog.  A wine I loved yesterday because it hit the spot at that right moment may not satisfy me another day.  On the flip side an amazing full bodied Cabernet Sauvignon just may not have been appropriate for a blazing 100 degree afternoon, but may be perfect with dinner indoors, or sipping by the fire.  That being said, I’d rather “rate” a wine, so to speak, on how well if reflects the moods, occasions, or meals that it is being consumed with.  This summer, for example, was filled with gorgeous warm (and quite often hot) days and I spent much of that time outside in my backyard or going on long bike rides and hikes, therefore I drank a lot of crisp white wine this summer as well as a lot of bubbles. But of course, if you have read more than one post here you probably already know I need absolutely no reason to open bubbles.  They are good for every single occasion and mood.  Even on a cold and gloomy day I will still open up a bottle and daydream of summers to come.  But let's not get off the subject talking about bubbles.

Earlier this summer I set out on a mission to find new summer wines to drink throughout the season.  I wrote about some of them on this blog, and many I just drank carefree, not focusing on writing notes or information about them, but continued to re-purchase them throughout the summer months. 

So as we move from summer into the “f” word (like I said, I’m in denial), I will leave you with some of my favorites.  These all fit into my “summer value wine” criteria of being less than $20 and everyday wines that I actually re-purchased again and again.  Of course, I drank and discovered many other fantastic wines this summer, but these are specifically those with the intention of being everyday wines at inexpensive prices perfect for the season.

Top Summer Discovery:  Txakolina

Txakolina:  specifically from producer Ameztoi, 2008, both their regular Txakolina and the Rosé.
Don’t let the name intimidate you. This is a super refreshing slightly effervescent wine from Spain that will hit the spot on a warm summer day.  Click here to read the full review of the Rosé.  I could not get enough of this wine.  When I wasn’t drinking it at home, I was ordering it at one of my favorite wine bars, Vino Paradiso, who had it on their menu for a couple months this summer.  At $20, this wine was at the high end of my “value” scale but well worth it!

Vinho Verde: Specifically Broadbent Vinho Verde. Another effervescent wine that proved time and time again to be a thirst quencher all summer.  The nice thing about most Vinho Verdes that I drank was their low alcohol content (averaging 9%).  That way you can drink a glass or two in the afternoon and not be loopy before dinner!  Retail:  $9.99

Müller Thurgau:  Specifically Anne Amie 2008 Cuvée A Müller Thurgau.  Crisp and dry with citrus aromas of lemon, lemon peel, apple, with some floral notes.  This is a dry and refreshing wine, a wonderful summer sipper, and would also be great with seafood dishes like mussels or clams.  Retail: $14

Gruner Veltliner:  Check out the 2007 Berger Niederoesterreich Gruner Veltliner, from Austria.  It comes in a 1 liter bottle (rather than a standard 750 ml) so it's great for summer gatherings since it serves many.  Cirtusy, crisp, and clean with lots of green apple.  A great bargain too at approx $13 for the 1 liter bottle!

Argentinean Malbec, especially: 
2007 Tomero Malbec, from Mendoza, Argentina:  I purchased this wine over and over from cork • a bottle shop.  It’s such a great value at approx $12 with rich fruit and soft tannins.  Great bbq wine! 
2008 Gouguenheim Malbec Valle Escondido, also from Mendoza, Argentina:  This was actually one of the few red wines (in the summer quest category) that I felt motivated to write about on the blog.  Fruit forward, rich fruit, and only $11.  I’ve seen this wine at quite a few locations locally, including cork • a bottle shop and whole foods.

Favorite "go to" value bubbles of the season:

Rotari Brut  Sparkling Wine from Italy:  $11.99

Domaine Rosier Brut Blanquette de Limoux (NV):  Crisp yet slightly creamy on the palate.  $11.99

In addition to the above wines, I experimented with many wines specifically because of their region, including:

Portuguese white wines (great values)
Argentinean and Chilean red wines (great values)
California Zinfandel (great with many of the smoked and grilled meats we experimented with this summer).  But pay attention to the alcohol level!  Many Zins (especially from CA) can exceed 16% alcohol, which can often kill most food you pair with it, so look for those in the 13-14% range for a better food and wine pairing experience! Believe me, your palate will thank me.

Now, since fffff (spit it out) FALL is in the air you know I’ll be on a similar mission to find some good fall value wines to pair with the bounty of fall foods and holidays coming up.  I’m ready for the challenge!

Since it is still summer out there for many of you, please go out and seek some of the above summer wines and let me know what you think.  For more reviews of some of the summer wines I wrote about click here. 

Cheers to my favorite season of all… Summer! 

ZAP Afterthoughts & Trade Tastings

Every once in awhile I experience a sense of frustration that makes me want to vent!  Most of the time I keep it inside out of risk of offending anyone.  Rarely do I publicly vent my thoughts to the world.  Today I am taking the opportunity to vent publicly because I feel some things need to be shared.  I also think some of this information is pertinent to those who attend large tasting events (producers, trade attendees, and consumers alike).

ZAP Portland and the Trade Folk Who Give Some of Us a Bad Name

Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend the ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates & Producers) Grand Tasting in Portland.  This is an event I have attended in the past, as a consumer living in San Francisco, and was excited to go from a trade point of view here in Portland.  With 33 producers in attendance and over 80 wines there was a lot of Zinfandel to try and a lot of people competing to try them.

Now I should start by saying the event was planned as an outdoor event, which would have been fine if not for the insane heat wave we unexpectedly had this week.  107 degrees was the predicted temperature for the event… not too fun drinking Zinfandel in 107 degrees!  But last minute the organizers did their very best to move the event indoors (phew).  Not the most ideal situation (small tight room with dozens of tables and people) but they did their best and I give them lots of props for making the move indoors.  That being said, you’d think the attendees would have been flexible knowing we were in a smaller space than planned.  But no, what I witnessed is some of the things that often make me frustrated at trade events, and to be honest embarrassed as a professional of some of my peers.  People who think they are gods gift to wine buying, among others!  This was nothing unique to the ZAP event, more so to wine tasting events in general. 

To start off, I have been on both sides of the table.  Working for wineries for the last three years I have attended my fair share of working on the other side of the table, for the producer, pouring wine for trade members and consumers. Dealing with people who are truly interested in what I had to say, and also those there just to get a quick buzz.  But in all my experience I treated everyone the same!  I didn’t care whether you were Robert Parker or Bob Smith who has never had a sip of wine in your life, I do not believe in treating people different based off perceived prestige.  That was one of the key customer service tips I used to train new staff in the Tasting Room. Unfortunately at many trade events I witness the opposite.  I mean, you only get one chance at some of these events to make an impression on both sides of the table, so should we not put our best foot forward?

What I find more often than not, is that many of the trade folks feel like they deserve special treatment.  And it bugs me.  Yes, you do have a sense of power in that you will be the one selling the product to restaurants and wine shops, but that doesn’t make you any more important than the person standing next to you.  Now I am certainly not trying to stereotype ALL trade folks, but if you’ve ever attended one of these events then I am sure you know what I am talking about.

Case in point:  Blue Tooth Lady (who works for a wine retailer that shall remain unnamed)

I was tasting at one particular table actually engaged in a short conversation with the winemaker when Blue Tooth Lady bumped me out of the way saying in a very pretentious voice: “Hello, I’d like to get in here and try the wine. Gosh why is it that all of ‘you’ people hover over the tables making it difficult for me to get in”! 
Oh no you didn’t!
(What I was thinking) First of all Blue Tooth Lady, it’s tight in here and we all need to be a bit flexible… and besides I was actually having a conversation with the winemaker not hovering.  I can somewhat see her frustration due to the crowd and tight space, but what makes her so much more important than me?  I am actually learning about the product not just trying to speed taste!   

Second of all, why are you wearing a Blue Tooth in your ear anyway?  Those things are for driving, not wine tasting events.  Take it out because you look ridiculous.  When she actually got her turn to taste the wines she kept yelling at the winemaker to “speak louder” and kept announcing “it’s too loud in here I can’t hear a damn thing”.
Hey lady, maybe take that blue tooth out of your ear and you'll be able to hear better?  If not, lose the attitude and try to be a bit flexible!  Those kinds of people bug me at trade events.  
(Can you tell it was a 107 degree day in Portland ☺ ) 

The last thing I want to bring up is the lack of enthusiasm on the part of some of the actual winery representatives.  This is your chance to tell me about your wine and sell me on them!  Please engage me.  That’s why I am here.  It is frustrating when you just pour me my sample then look away quietly without saying anything.  What makes your wines stand out from the other 80 wines here?  Why should I buy your wine over your neighbors?  Please tell me because I really want to know.  Am I looking to stock eight cases or eighty?  If I told you eighty would you do anything different?

Again, I HAVE been there.  I know it is very hard work to be “on your game” at these events, especially considering the circumstances with the weather.  I get it. But you have to engage me if you want me to truly be interested in your product!  There is a lot of good wine being produced these days, please help me understand why I should chose yours over your many competitors. 

I think there’s lessons to be learned from all three perspectives:

• The producers (and their employees) who need to actively engage their perspective buyers/customers.
• The trade folks who need to be a little less pretentious.
• The consumers to try to keep their public displays of drunkenness to a minimum (which is a whole different post).

That being said, here are the actual highlights of the ZAP Grand Tasting for me:

Seghesio Family Vineyards    
I have been a huge fan of Seghesio ever since I visited their winery a year ago and tasted through their entire lineup.  Today confirmed it as I got to compare side by side with many of their fellow Zin producers.  Their wines are solid and beautiful.  My favorite of the tasting was their 2007 Rockpile, Sonoma County (retail $36).  The wine is rich and lush with lots of black fruit balanced with spice. Key word here is “balance”.  Good balance of fruit, weight, and spice in a Zin is a beautiful thing.

Ridge Vineyards       
Ridge is another producer I have liked for many years and again comparing them with the others they really stood out!  In particular I loved their 2007 Geyserville, Sonoma County (retail $37.49).  Another one with great balance of rich fruit, lush mouthfeel, spice and tannin.

Mauritson Family Vineyards  
*Extra props to Mauritson for being smart enough to slightly chill their wines.  It was hot in that room and they served their wine at the perfect temperature.  I actually complimented them on chilling the wines and the winemaker responded “Hey I made these wines, I want to show them at their best”, and that he did! Good for you!
I couldn’t decide which was my favorite of the lineup so my top 3 were:
2007 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel (retail $27)
2007 Rockpile Ridge Zinfandel (Rockpile AVA) (retail $35)
2007 Westfall Ridge (Rockpile AVA) (retail $37)
All beautiful and balanced wines.

Additional Highlights:

Robert Biale Vineyards:  2007 Monte Rosso, Sonoma Valley (retail $55)
Four Vines Winery:   2007 Sophisticate, Sonoma County & 2005 Zinfandel Port, Paso Robles

Dueling Pizzas... Smoked vs. Grilled

What did I smoke today… oh yes, Pizza!

In the summertime I like to try to spend as much time as possible outside. That also means cooking and eating outdoors; therefore we grill a lot in the summertime, and one of our favorite things to grill over the past couple of years has been pizza!  Yes pizza... actually cooked outside, on the grill. 

Now that we have gotten used to the new Traeger smoker we were naturally curious to see how pizza would taste smoked vs. grilled (or even oven cooked for that matter). So last week we put it to the test to see which pizza would taste better… smoked or grilled? Since this is a grilling contest we decided to go with one of our “go to” favorite summertime pizzas, BBQ Chicken Pizza.  We made 2 identical pizzas and cooked one on the smoker and one on the grill and paired them with a killer Zinfandel… let’s see how they turned out.

For the next edition of “What did I Smoke Today?”

The Pizza Challenge:  Smoked BBQ Chicken Pizza vs. Grilled BBQ Chicken Pizza
Paired with the 2006 Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel

Serves 3-4
(The recipe below is for 1 pizza. If you would like to do the challenge, like we did, then double the recipe to make 2 separate pizzas)

Ingredients:

• Pizza dough: your favorite homemade dough, or store-bought (I use homemade just because it’s so easy to make and you control what kind of flour and additional ingredients go into it.  *note: I do not recommend Trader Joes pre-made wheat dough for grilling.  It is very sticky and doesn’t do too well on the grill)
• ¼ cup bbq sauce:  your favorite homemade or store-bought bbq sauce (I also used homemade for this recipe, but if it’s too much work go for your favorite store bought)
• 1 grilled chicken breast:  sliced into thin strips
• ¼ cup feta cheese
• ½ cup cheddar cheese
• ½ medium red onion:  sliced
• 1 medium tomato:  diced
• Diced Scallions:  for garnish
• Diced Cilantro:  for garnish

Directions:   (prep all of your ingredients in advance, either in your cozy kitchen, or in the great outdoors = aka your backyard)
Pre-heat your outdoor grill to medium heat (that is, if you have a gas grill like I do).
Bring your smoker to roughly 250 degrees (at least 200).

Roll out the pizza dough very thin (about ¼ inch thick).
Brush the dough lightly on both sides with olive oil.

Grill the dough on both sides for about 2 minutes a side (just long enough to make light grill marks on the dough, but not to cook it completely). 

Remove the dough from the grill.
Layer the dough evenly with the bbq sauce, chicken, cheeses, onions, tomatoes. 

 

Now here’s where the duel begins:

Pizza #1:  The Smoked Pizza
Place pizza #1 on the smoker and let it cook for approx 1 hour.  You will know it is done when the cheese is melted and the dough is cooked through.  Remember that a smoker is mostly indirect heat, so when it’s low heat, watch for melted cheese.

 

Pizza #2:  The Grilled Pizza
When pizza #1 is almost done (around minute 45) place pizza #2 on the grill and close the lid.
Cook for approx 10 minutes or until all of the cheeses are well melted.

 

 

When both pizzas are done garnish with scallions and cilantro, slice them up, and serve.
We served our pizzas with the 2006 Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel

Notes on the pizzas:
Both pizzas actually turned out fantastic.  The grilled pizza, however, was slightly overcooked.  The dough came out a bit crusty.  To avoid this in the future we plan to cook the pizza away from direct heat.  Another tip would be to cook the pizza on a pizza stone inside the grill.

The smoked pizza was by far the winner of this challenge!  The smoke infused the dough and ingredients with a beautiful deep smoky flavor, which heightened the overall flavor of the pizza.  The dough came out perfect and the pizza was cooked through without any burning. 

Notes on the wine:

2006 Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel
Retail:  $38 from cork • a bottle shop

Ridge has a strong reputation for producing wonderful Zinfandels and this wine is one of the reasons why.  I bought this wine a few months back at a cork • a bottle shop tasting and loved it then and have been waiting for the right meal to pair it with.  This was it.

The wine was rich, luscious, and leathery, with black berry fruit and cassis on the nose.  The mouth was bursting with blackberries, plum, and black cherry, with nice spice, pepper, coffee, a touch of licorice and balanced tannins.  The richness and depth of the wine went very well with the smokiness of the pizza and deep sweet flavors of the bbq sauce. 

Now this wine is good enough to pair with a very fine meal or special occasion… but for us, we take our pizzas seriously!  This was no store bought or take out pizza, so we wanted a good wine to honor our hard work of hand making the dough, the bbq sauce, picking out the best ingredients to make the perfect bbq pizza, and slow cooking for the perfect infusion of flavors. 

Smoked BBQ Chicken Pizza and Ridge Lytton Springs Zin… Delicious!

In the summertime I like to try to spend as much time as possible outside. That also means cooking and eating outdoors; therefore we grill a lot in the summertime, and one of our favorite things to grill over the past couple of years has been pizza!  Yes pizza... actually cooked outside, on the grill. 

Now that we have gotten used to the new Traeger smoker we were naturally curious to see how pizza would taste smoked vs. grilled (or even oven cooked for that matter). So last week we put it to the test to see which pizza would taste better… smoked or grilled? Since this is a grilling contest we decided to go with one of our “go to” favorite summertime pizzas, BBQ Chicken Pizza.  We made 2 identical pizzas and cooked one on the smoker and one on the grill and paired them with a killer Zinfandel… let’s see how they turned out.

For the next edition of “What did I Smoke Today?”

The Pizza Challenge:  Smoked BBQ Chicken Pizza vs. Grilled BBQ Chicken Pizza
Paired with the 2006 Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel

Serves 3-4
(The recipe below is for 1 pizza. If you would like to do the challenge, like we did, then double the recipe to make 2 separate pizzas)

Ingredients:

• Pizza dough: your favorite homemade dough, or store-bought (I use homemade just because it’s so easy to make and you control what kind of flour and additional ingredients go into it.  *note: I do not recommend Trader Joes pre-made wheat dough for grilling.  It is very sticky and doesn’t do too well on the grill)
• ¼ cup bbq sauce:  your favorite homemade or store-bought bbq sauce (I also used homemade for this recipe, but if it’s too much work go for your favorite store bought)
• 1 grilled chicken breast:  sliced into thin strips
• ¼ cup feta cheese
• ½ cup cheddar cheese
• ½ medium red onion:  sliced
• 1 medium tomato:  diced
• Diced Scallions:  for garnish
• Diced Cilantro:  for garnish

Directions:   (prep all of your ingredients in advance, either in your cozy kitchen, or in the great outdoors = aka your backyard)
Pre-heat your outdoor grill to medium heat (that is, if you have a gas grill like I do).
Bring your smoker to roughly 250 degrees (at least 200).

Roll out the pizza dough very thin (about ¼ inch thick).
Brush the dough lightly on both sides with olive oil.

Grill the dough on both sides for about 2 minutes a side (just long enough to make light grill marks on the dough, but not to cook it completely). 

Remove the dough from the grill.
Layer the dough evenly with the bbq sauce, chicken, cheeses, onions, tomatoes. 

 

Now here’s where the duel begins:

Pizza #1:  The Smoked Pizza
Place pizza #1 on the smoker and let it cook for approx 1 hour.  You will know it is done when the cheese is melted and the dough is cooked through.  Remember that a smoker is mostly indirect heat, so when it’s low heat, watch for melted cheese.

 

Pizza #2:  The Grilled Pizza
When pizza #1 is almost done (around minute 45) place pizza #2 on the grill and close the lid.
Cook for approx 10 minutes or until all of the cheeses are well melted.

 

 

When both pizzas are done garnish with scallions and cilantro, slice them up, and serve.
We served our pizzas with the 2006 Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel

Notes on the pizzas:
Both pizzas actually turned out fantastic.  The grilled pizza, however, was slightly overcooked.  The dough came out a bit crusty.  To avoid this in the future we plan to cook the pizza away from direct heat.  Another tip would be to cook the pizza on a pizza stone inside the grill.

The smoked pizza was by far the winner of this challenge!  The smoke infused the dough and ingredients with a beautiful deep smoky flavor, which heightened the overall flavor of the pizza.  The dough came out perfect and the pizza was cooked through without any burning. 

Notes on the wine:

2006 Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel
Retail:  $38 from cork • a bottle shop

Ridge has a strong reputation for producing wonderful Zinfandels and this wine is one of the reasons why.  I bought this wine a few months back at a cork • a bottle shop tasting and loved it then and have been waiting for the right meal to pair it with.  This was it.

The wine was rich, luscious, and leathery, with black berry fruit and cassis on the nose.  The mouth was bursting with blackberries, plum, and black cherry, with nice spice, pepper, coffee, a touch of licorice and balanced tannins.  The richness and depth of the wine went very well with the smokiness of the pizza and deep sweet flavors of the bbq sauce. 

Now this wine is good enough to pair with a very fine meal or special occasion… but for us, we take our pizzas seriously!  This was no store bought or take out pizza, so we wanted a good wine to honor our hard work of hand making the dough, the bbq sauce, picking out the best ingredients to make the perfect bbq pizza, and slow cooking for the perfect infusion of flavors. 

Smoked BBQ Chicken Pizza and Ridge Lytton Springs Zin… Delicious!

Great ideas for local wine shops collaborating with local restaurants during tough times

I love it when local businesses can work together and collaborate on ways to promote each others success.  I think its especially important now, during these crazy economic times, for businesses and consumers alike to work together to support each other in whatever ways they can.
To me, It's not about "stop the world and hide in your house", “save everything”, “stop spending your money”... I believe you should just be smart in how you are spending.  Continue to support the businesses you like and look for value where you can find it.

Recently one of my go-to local wine shops, cork- a bottle shop, has collaborated with some great local restaurants to offer free corkage on Wednesdays & Thursdays throughout the month of March.  Not just any restaurants either. Check out the lineup:  Alberta Street Oyster Bar, Daily Café in the Pearl, Lolo, Giorgio’s, Serratto, Ten 01, and Tabla.
This way you can support your local wine shop and get to experience a great restaurant without damaging your pocketbook too much.  You can read more about this great opportunity on the cork website

So we decided to give it a shot ("we" as in "he who I drag along to as many wine tastings as possible"- i.e. my husband).  Besides, cork was hosting a wine tasting this past Thursday that I was excited to attend featuring wines from RIDGE, yum!   So we  stopped in, did the RIDGE flight, bought a bottle and headed out to Ten 01 to complete our night.  Before you get to hear about our delicious dinner at Ten 01 I have to tell you how impressed I was with the RIDGE flight!

First… The lineup:
2007 RIDGE Three Valleys
2006 RIDGE Paso Robles
2006 RIDGE Lytton Springs
2002 RIDGE Lytton Springs

We started with the 2007 RIDGE Three Valleys
76% Zinfandel, 8% Petite Sirah, 7% Syrah, 6% Grenache and 3% Carignane
Rustic with tobacco and lush fruit.  Made me think of taking it on a camping trip and making a big fire in the middle of the woods whilst cooking up some "tin foil surprise" (you know what I'm talking about, when you put potatoes, meat, veggies, the works, all wrapped up in tin foil and throw it in the fire and let the the fire do the work). It must be all that smoke, tobacco, and dark fruit.  Still young but certainly drinkable.
-$22.50

Then there was my favorite of the lineup… the 
2006 RIDGE Paso Robles
100% Zinfandel.  This wine was fruit forward with ripe berries and dried cherry, and rich with spice and soft tannins. It had a nice jamminess to it without it being overpowered by alcohol. At 14.6% I thought that made for a nice approachable Zin that didn’t make me want to home and take a nap to recover from its weight.  
-$30

2006 RIDGE Lytton Springs … A close second.
A blend of 80% Zinfandel, 16% Petite Syrah and 4% Carignane
Rich fruit without being overpowered by alcohol (I like the refrain that they are demonstrating with these 14%-ish alcohol level Zins).  Dark cherry with a touch of licorice with balanced tannin. 
-$38.25

2002 RIDGE Lytton Springs (a special treat)
Well balanced with plum, spice, and chocolate. More complex then the first 3 and softer on the palate, it was rich, complex with everything in balance.  A great opportunity to try the same wine, 4 vintages apart.  You really get to sense how the wine will soften and become more balanced throughout the years… that is if you have the patience to let it wait.
-Not for sale because Darryl is "the man" and contributed the wine from his personal cellar for comparison with the '06

Then the wine we purchased to accompany us to Ten 01. 
Chateau Vernous, Cru Bourgeois, Medoc (2005)
$24.75  (c'mon, you can’t get value like this on most restaurant wine lists!)

As we left cork, we ventured off to Ten 01 a few blocks away in The Pearl.
A restaurant I’ve been to before but always enjoy.  Good food, good service, and great wine list!  But of course, Darryl from cork picked out our wine for tonight.

To start I ordered a glass of white Burgundy (aka Chardonnay)
2007 Jean-Claude Thevenet Macon Pierreclos
Deeeeelicious.  What I noticed first off was the temperature.  I guess I get so used to restaurants serving white wine (especially Chardonnays) too cold, that I was impressed at the correct temperature this was served at.  This was at the perfect temperature for drinking a Chard, a slight chill but certainly not considered cold.  Fruity, dry, with just a touch of butter with good minerality… the perfect starter wine for me. 

After we ordered we were presented with our amuse-buoche, a small cup (shot size glass if you will) of the Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Duck Confit, Poached Apples, and Toasted Pistachio Oil.  Hellllllo!  It made me sad I didn’t order a whole bowl of the soup. It was rich, warm, soothing, and the perfect accompaniment to a cold rainy Portland day.

Appetizer:
Sashimi of Hamachi, preserved Orange-yuzu kosho vinaigrette, American caviar, and thai basil oil.  Perfect portions. Nice presentation.  Went great with  my Chardonnay!