Broken slate in Priorat vineyard. (Photo by Andres Montoya)

Black Slate 2012 “La Vilella Alta”
Vi de la Vila – Priorat, Spain

A Sensational Effort: This Big, Bold Red is one of the most impressive, modern Priorat’s made today, and still won’t break the bank! Ready to drink or cellar for the next 10 years.

Ancient vines, extreme mountain climate, high altitude, slate speckled soils and hands off wine making combine to make a full throttle, memorable Grenache-based gem.

This wine is available at the Wine Barn, Winter Park.

M. Chapoutier (Tournon) 2011
Victoria Shiraz “Mathilda”
Victoria, AUS

Just yesterday I discovered this instant classic! This has all the potential to make you yearn for Shiraz, ‘the balanced, complex kind’, all over again. A fabulous, deeply flavored wine, brooding with blackberry, cracked black pepper, cured bacon, fresh violets and baking spice. A blockbuster Shiraz with a 30+ second finish! Did I mention this is a sensational bargain? Drink now thru 2022.

(Editor’s note: These are tasting notes from a local wine club.)

Lail Georgia sauvignon blanc has hints of white peaches and stone fruit.
Its winemaker is Philippe Melka who is one of the premier winemakers in
Napa Valley. Robin Lail’s family started Inglenook winery, which her
father sold in the 1970s.

The Pride Reserve Claret is a blend of primarily merlot with some
cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon blended in. The vineyard
straddles the watershed separating Napa and Sonoma counties. The
vineyard is at an elevation of approximately 2000 feet and is above the
marine layer. The elevation allows for extended hang time. There were
definite notes of dark cherries and vanilla on the wine. The tannins
were very soft and the wine was supple on the palate.

Tor Kenward has been making wine since the 1980s. This version showed
the power of Napa Valley cabernets and matched very well with grilled
steaks. The wine had firm tannins and benefited from extended time in
the glass. There were definite flavors of cassis and black fruit.

M. Etain is the second wine from the cult winery Scarecrow. A reference
point on the winery is that a recent 5 case lot from Scarecrow sold at
Premier Napa Valley auction for $220,000. The winery owner spent
summers on the property while growing up in the fifties. Francis Ford
Coppola’s property is adjacent Scarecrow vineyard. The wines are named
for the Wizard of Oz character as the property owner’s grandfather was
involved in the production of the movie. The wine was very soft and
approachable. 2008 was a difficult vintage, but the wine was drinking
beautifully. Again, a great match for grilled steaks. The tannins had
softened and integrated. The wine was drinking well with flavors of
graphite, cherry and black fruit.

Here is a device that I believe will have us talking for many years to come. A truly revolutionary invention that will transform how fine wine is opened, enjoyed and sold. Just launched and introduced to the US Market last March (2013) by Greg Lambrecht, a medical device inventor with a passion for wine.

In case you haven’t heard, Coravin is a new wine dispensing/preservation system that seems perfectly capable of making a huge impact in the way wine is consumed in this country, at least fine wine. By penetrating the cork in the bottle with a fine needle, Coravin is able to displace as much of the wine as you’d like to try by introducing inert gas in the bottle to take the liquid’s place.

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BYOB – Bring Your Own Bottle – for both restaurants and patrons is a great concept that shouldn’t be taken for granted. Most restaurants allowing such a practice usually charge a corkage fee, normally ranging anywhere from $10 to $25, but may reach as high as $75 to $150 in some venues. Traditionally, the corkage fee is for the service given by the restaurant, to open, chill, decant, provide glassware, and serve the wine to its guests who brought a special bottle not available on the restaurant’s menu. However the higher corkage fees ($75 – $150) are often seen as a charge beyond service and a way to discourage guests from the BYOB idea because for the same money I’m sure you can find a very nice bottle of wine on the restaurant’s list. Some restaurants are more direct and will simply inform you that BYOB is not an option, while others won’t even know the meaning of “corkage.” BYOB has great potential to benefit both restaurants and consumers if both parties play a fair game, especially if you follow these industry manners:

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Cabernet Sauvignon, such as this BonAnno from the Wine Barn, complements spiced rack of lamb or grilled game.Spring is just around the corner and pairing a wine to an occasion is the first step into finding wines you will truly enjoy this upcoming season of spring breaks, Easter, mother’s day and graduations. Whether you are considering a light spring salad and grilled fish, or you are ready to impress your family and guests with a cooked to perfection rosemary roasted leg of lamb, or making your grandmother’s secret honey glazed ham for Easter, choosing the right wine will only enhance the flavors of your culinary creations without breaking the budget.

If you let the occasion take center stage, then you will find that matching wines with a particular dish or meal will be easier than you think, allowing you to enjoy the food more while learning more about the wine too. Consider these few basic guidelines to help you find the right match, as you continue to expand your food and wine horizons this year.

Body balancing matters: Wine matches with food best when the weight and intensity of the wine balance with the weight or richness of the food. These elements are more important than any flavor associations and usually lead to unforgettable pairings. Body balancing is essential in most classic wine and food matches. Cabernet Sauvignon complements spiced rack of lamb or grilled game because they are equally intense. Pinot Noir makes a better match with roast beef, stews, and mushrooms because the richness of texture is the same in both. Hearty foods need hearty wine; a lighter wine will fade into the background. Just remember that the wine should be at least as full-bodied as the food it’s paired with. On the other hand, fresh sea food dishes served raw or cooked lightly and served with lemon such as raw oysters, crab, shrimp, and white fish will pair best with lighter/mineral terroir white wines like Muscadet or Sauvignon Blanc. 

The secret is in the sauce: Flavors in wine can enhance a dish, just as adding seasoning or extra ingredients when added to food, which is why the old rule about: “white wine with fish and red wine with meat” is a thing of the past. Flavors in the food should complement flavors in the wine, regardless of the main ingredient. The key is to focus on the sauce, for example a Grenache served with a raspberry glazed pork chop, a Pinot Noir paired with salmon or trout served in tomato broth, or a creamy Chardonnay would be perfect for a rich Caesar or Cobb salad.

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The way you hold your wine glass has a lot to say about you. At least that’s what this photo collage from the Savory suggests. I’m not sure I buy into it, but I’ll confess that I’ve used different methods shown here at different times. I guess I’ll have to start keeping a diary about how I feel and how I’m holding the glass, along with the notes on the winetasting, and trying to hold a conversation with the other wine drinkers. Maybe I’ll just put a straw in the bottle.

One thing the article doesn’t mention is that one really shouldn’t hold a wine glass by grasping the bowl, as the young man in the photo here is doing. Why? Because the heat from one’s hand will warm the wine. Sometimes, however, a wine is overchilled and needs to come up to the proper temperature. In which case such a grasp is called for.

Placing it under your armpit is never acceptable.

Which type are you?

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Is your wine corked?

As we open more and more bottles of wine and amass more and more tasting notes, it is (almost) inevitable that at one point or another we will encounter a corked or flawed bottle. 

But what exactly is this “corked” bottle issue and why does there seem to be an almost mysterious, general blurred explanation as to determining a faulted wine bottle?

TCA, or Trichloroanisole, is a non toxic chemical compound found in some natural corks that, when present in high quantities, can diminish or alter a wine’s character or quality. It usually imparts wet, moldy smells, (think of wet basement or damp newspaper), to wet wool, burnt match or even “wet dog”, as some describe, in the most extreme of examples! 

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Although 2014 is well underway, it almost seems like the holidays were just yesterday, and hopefully your new year’s resolutions, or at least some of them, have stayed their course. I feel that wine, for me, and possibly many of you, will continue to be an important element of our daily lifestyles, and it can continue to be so, with some tips that can help you stretch your hard earned dollars and even make your wine education a more exciting experience, as new regions, grapes and styles are begging to be discovered. By following a few simple steps, you will not need to worry about sacrificing quality or drinking pleasure over price. There are terrific wines out there, many of which deliver immense flavor, complexity and memorable wine experiences. Here are some savvy wine buying tips that will have you shopping like a pro.

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Editor’s note: Please welcome Andres Montoya of The Wine Barn. Andres will be writing about all things wine for the flog. sj

From appearance to finish, age to varietal, region to terroir, oak to steel, Robert Parker to wine Spectator points, these are all words from the world of wine you may have already come across in a restaurant, wine store, or special event. Whether you consider yourself a beginner, advanced, or wine nut, the following Wine 101 facts will help you when deciding on a new bottle, even demonstrate basic wine etiquette at your next business social or special date, and always for your own knowledge and appreciation in the subject of wine. 

Grape and Earth. Wine is made of grapes, varying in varietals from all over the world. When a wine smells like vanilla or tastes like raspberries, these are characteristics that come from viticulture to fermentation to aging. No artificial flavors are added to wine. All the amazing descriptions given by connoisseurs and masters of wine come from the winemaking techniques, the region where the grapes are grown, and its terroir which is the soil, rocks, and minerals in the earth under the vineyard. 

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