California Wine

Tangled up in Blue… Blue Cheeses, Roquefort, Stilton and Cambozola

By in Bistros Eateries & Cheese, California Wine, Cheese, Desert Wines, Foodies, Spain Wine, Tampa Bay Wine Pairing, Wine and Food Pairings, Wine Chatter and Blather

Tangled up in Blue – Blue Cheeses and other like Roquefort, Stilton and Cambozola sure give a variety to choose from. 
The family of blue cheeses — made from cow’s milk, goat’s milk, and sheep’s milk — is treated with molds to produce blue and green veins. Although blue cheeses stereotypically have strong flavors that intensify with age, there are also a few blue cheeses that can be defined as relatively mellow and very tasty. Their tastes can include a distinct sweetness that’s often combined with the salty, sharp, and tangy notes that you’d expect from a blue. That’s what truly special about blue cheeses; there truly is a profile for all kinds of cheese lovers.
Wine Recommendations for Blue Cheeses:
Dessert wines: These sweet wines have intense flavors that aren’t overpowered by strong blue cheeses. Try Fonesca Late Bottled Vintage, Taylor Fladgate Special Ruby Porto, or something like Château Rieussec Sauternes.
Also, Full-bodied and fruity California Zinfandels or Cabernets are also a great pairing option for the saltier blues. Try a Rosenblum Zinfandel, Ridge Zinfandel, Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon, or Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon
Roquefort Blue:
This blue cheese is made from sheep’s milk and aged for at least three months. Its creamy texture yields a slightly salty taste. It’s relatively soft with plenty of good blue.
Wine Recommendations for Roquefort:
Rhône Valley reds: Choose a red wine from this winemaking region in southeastern France. Try Crozes-Hermitage Paul Jaboulet; Mont-Redon Châteauneuf-du-Pape or a Marques de Caceres Rioja Gran Reserva
Sauternes is a great pairing for Roquefort; this sweet and delicious wine from the Bordeaux region of France. Try Coutet or Château Rieussec.
Stilton:
Whole cow’s milk is used for this pale yellow blue cheese. Rich and creamy in taste, it has a slightly crumbly texture with a subtle nutty flavor and tang that gets stronger with age, which makes it the perfect foil for sweeter wines. A Stilton chunk with Blue Cheese in it is fantastic. Sometimes it contains Cheddar, Cotswold or even cranberries. Sometimes when crumbles in a Cole Slaw or Cobb salad can be a revelation along with wine.
Wine Recommendation for Stilton:
Port: This sweet wine is made in the Douro region of northern Portugal. Asso Try Taylor Fladgate 40 year Tawny Port or Nieport Late Bottle Vintage. I enjoy Malmsey wine or rainwater Madeira as well
Cambozola:
Native to Germany and Austria, Cambozola is considered a cross between a Gorgonzola blue and Camembert. Cow’s milk is the main ingredient of this cheese, with added cream to give it a smooth, creamy, and spreadable texture. Mostly, flavors are mellow and mild with a bit of zip from the blue. Sometimes it can be spicy…especially the Italian versions of this style.
Wine Recommendation for Cambozola:
Merlot Wines: A soft, round red wine that has a very supple texture. For Cambozola, choose a Merlot from California. Try Mantanzas Creek Merlot or Shafer Merlot. A Piedmonte Nebbiolo Wine from Italy can be a very tasty combination

Oak and Vanilla go hand in hand in wine

By in 2019 Top Wines, California Wine, Recommended Reads, Wine Chatter and Blather, Wine Sensory Guide, Wine Speak Glossary

In wine speak term Oaky often pops up. What does it mean? A wine described as oaky if it received oak flavors from being in contact with oak. That simple.
But isn’t all wine in Oak? The answer in no. There are wine that are unoaked. Remember that wine is in the eye of the beholder; so, there’s no reason for you to not prefer a non-oaky wine. Wine is purely subjective.
Wine making is basically divided into two phases. The first is fermentation; when the grape juice becomes wine. The second is the maturation process, where the newly fermented wine goes from being immature and young to a mature adult. Some wines are fermented and finished in oak barrels. Other wines are oaked only during the maturing phase.
Contact with oak acts like a compound for chemical changes in wine. Many believe that oak is really secondary to the distinctive quality of a wine. Oaking imparts special flavors and aromas to the wine.
Now this is purely subjective; California Chardonnay for example, many enjoy oaky Chardonnay and it’s at the peak of its popularity while unoaked Riesling is considered currently unconventional.
Vanilla goes hand in hand with oakiness. New barrels contain vanillin and the wins aged in these barrels take on vanilla flavor as past of the oaky charm. In Ice Cream vanilla is very simple; while in wine, oak adds complexity, smokiness, smoothness, spiciness and gets us into territory of the mysterious words like structure which sounds like all those all those overenthusiastic or subtle adjectives that pop up in describing wine.
Somethings to remember…Barrel fermented means to white wines that the grape juice went into those barrels and emerged as wine. Barrel aged means that the wines aged in these barrels were put into them after fermentation. As for red wines; they are fermented with grape skins intact in stainless steel containers/tanks or large wooden vats. After fermentation, the skins are removed from the liquid and the wines are aged in small oak barrels. Remember some wines (white or red) are not aged in oak at all.

Special Report, 2017 was a year full of some memorable wines. Here are 5 of my favorites

By in 2017 Top Wines, Australian Wine, California Wine, Wine Chatter and Blather, Wine Scores and Reviews

By Ralph Del Rio, Wine Correspondent

2017 was a year full of some memorable wines. Here are 5 of my favorites of the year I’ve handpicked. Each year I try to come up with wines that stand out for me and try to describe them for you. My top 5 wines for the year are 4 from California made my list this year and 1 great value from Australia:

PlumpJack Syrah 2014 Syrah/Shiraz from Napa Valley, California

An intense concentrated aroma of blackberry, blueberry. Boysenberry pie. Structured. Pepper spice on the finish, the oak gives off smokiness to the nose cacao chocolate to the finish.

2015 Flowers Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir California

Sweet red cherry, plum, dried flowers, tea and tobacco flavors. Soft and cagey, totally approachable; Firm tannin yet subtle, Very polished.

2014 Louis M. Martini Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Over performing Champ’ of the year. One of the strongest efforts. eucalyptus, cedar and blackberry jam. Underbrush tones; Multilayered chewy tannins, fresh, good acidity with good fruit finish.

 2015 Turley “Estate” Napa Valley Zinfandel, California

Great aromatics and intense fruit. Wild berries, rich raspberry fruit ; powerful wine. Hints, of burnt cherry pit, smoke and cedar Elegant big and plush.

 Paringa 2015 Shiraz South Australia

This Aussie Shiraz takes me back to the style of the early 2000’s when Aussie Shiraz shook the world. It’s bold, full-bodied, warm and plush, oozing with blackberries, gobs of plums and big with vanilla and mocha flavors. Very obscene and hedonistic. Try the sparking version too!

Pierce’s Diease…What is it and Why It’s important to fight it

By in California Wine, Canadian Wine, Tampa Bay Wine Pairing, Wine and Food Pairings, Wine Chatter and Blather

Pierce’s Disease is a deadly disease of grapevines. It is caused by the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa, which is spread by xylem feeding leafhoppers known as sharpshooters. There’s no way to stop it right now. Scientists are conducting volumes of research to fight this insect and reduce disease infection on vines. Moreover, scientists are studying methods to prevent the spread of Pierce’s Disease on wine grapes entirely.
Pierce’s Disease is known to be prevalent within the USA from Florida to California, and outside the USA in Central and South America. Xylella fastidiosa works by blocking the xylem, which conducts the water around the plant. 
Symptoms include chlorosis and scorching of leaves, and entire vines will die after 1-5 years. Pierce’s Disease is less prevalent where winter temperatures are cold, such as more northern areas, high altitudes and inland areas.
Basically in grapevines, unlike some other fruits it gets detected too late; it is too late fight it when that signal comes; the plant is already dead. So heavy research is being done in modifying the rootstock of vines to automatically generate that same protein for when the bacteria enters the plant, the bacteria can shut down. It is hard work finding success.
Pierce’s disease has been the limiting factor in bunch grape production in Florida. Symptoms include a general loss in plant strength, followed by death of the vine. Different species of grapes have a range of tolerance to Pierce’s disease. High vulnerability of premium wine grapes has practically eliminated the possibility of a wine industry in Florida.
DISEASE SYMPTOMS
  • Delayed leafing in the spring
  • Shoot dwarfing
  • Marginal scalding of leaves
  • Leaf mottling and interveinal chlorosis and necrosis
  • Wilting and premature coloring of fruit
  • Uneven maturity of canes
  • Eventual death of the root system
  • From IFAS Database (EDIS)
CAUSAL AGENT
  • A fastidious bacterium, Xyllella fastidiosa
HOST RANGE
  • Grape
GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION
  • Southeastern United States
  • California
  • Southern Ontario
SPREAD OF THE PATHOGEN AND CONTROL OPTIONS
  • Spread by leafhoppers known as sharpshooters
  • Control options: none
MORE RESOURCES

When you drink a White Wine. Ask if it has Malolactic Fermentation (MLF). Better yet ask if the Red Wine has it.

By in BBQ and Wine, California Wine, French Wine, Wine and Food Pairings, Wine Chatter and Blather, Wine Sensory Guide

It is really is up to the winemaker to decide to what extent he or she will allow a wine to go through Malolactic Fermentation (MLF).
MLF is the transformation of malic acid into lactic acid by specific strains of bacteria during secondary fermentation.
Malolactic Fermentation is a series of metabolic effects carried out by a group of bacteria that breaks down malic acid into lactic in wines. Lactic acid is the acid profile found in smooth creamy milk. Mostly it happens spontaneously throughout a wine’s life.
The theory though is… by depleting the malic acid early on; the less chances there are of fermentation spoilage later.
MLF usually happens on its own and if not controlled can end up with wine smelling leathery, sweaty and cheesy and even spritzy because of extra carbon dioxide. 
A lot of New World reds and white wines get smells like artificial popcorn butter and desirable aromas that fit well together like buttery oaky chardonnay that not only consumers like the taste of. The critics do too. This aromatic profile especially desirable in quality red-wines. It adds a rounded feel, glycerin, even chewiness to the fruit to the wine when done right. 
Just consider different food and combinations like Crab or Salmon and California Chardonnay. A Rich and Oaky Red Zinfandel and BBQ Grilled Steak…or a moist Mushroom Risotto with an Australian Shiraz.
From French Wine to California Wine and beyond; when you hear subjective wine sensory terms referring to feeling of fullness, viscosity and astringency the MLF has had an effect on the wine.
With that said Red Wines like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and almost any dry table wine that will be aged for more than 6 months for consumption at least a year after it’s first fermented are encouraged to go through MLF.
In White Wines, Chardonnays makes good candidate for malolactic fermentation for stylistic reasons. Other whites like Riesling are not much… They are better when they retain their freshness, fruity zippy acidity.
So again, it’s up to the winemaker how much if any malolactic fermentation is allowed in a wine.
How do they stop it?
How do they prevent Malolactic Fermentation?
MLF is usually arrested by chilling, adding Sulfur dioxide (SO2) and filtering. Some winemakers want to discourage Malolactic Fermentation at all costs. Even many consumers feel the same way, so they always keep the wine cool and cellars under 62 degrees F. Malolactic Bacteria does not thrive in cold temperatures, it flourishes less in high alcohol, High SO2 and the use of fresh cultures.
That’s a strong reason for making and storing and monitoring wine in cooler environments. It helps fight off potential spoilage.
Malolactic Fermentation has a lot of other things to it that can affect it including racking, enzyme analysis, PH levels, different malic acid powders, concoctions, egg whites, etc. Sometimes MLF bacteria is hard to control and just doesn’t convert into lactic acid as expected.
When you drink a white. Ask if it has MLF. It might start an interesting conversation. 
What’s interesting is that sometimes-experienced winemakers just use their ears during MLF you hear popping and burping and once the popping and burping is done the bacteria is probably finished their job.

The California 2015’s quality is very high but the quantity is low. So, keep an eye out for them at the store.

By in California Wine, Wine Chatter and Blather, Wine Scores and Reviews

The California 2015 vintage is turning up as one to seek out due to it’s scarcity. Keep an eye on your favorites and snag them. It’s great juice.

From 2012 -2014 there was very little rain. Vines eventually get weary by drought and pumping out three substantial vintages in a row. What occurs is the berries are smaller and quantity produced is less. Such is the California 2015 vintage. The earliest harvest in years. This production was most noticeable in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay volume.  These small crops ripened in a hurry.

Hence, the low yields have resulted in extraordinary concentration and intensity and the wines may be able to compete with the extremely successful 2013 vintage (2012 was special too).

The 2015 quality is very high but the quantity is low. So, keep an eye out for them at the store.

It will be interesting to follow this vintage over next 5-7 and beyond.

What Makes a Good Bottle of Wine? How Do I pick a Good Bottle of Wine?

By in Bistros Eateries & Cheese, California Wine, French Wine, Spain Wine, Tampa Examiner Wine Pairing, Wine and Food Pairings, Wine Chatter and Blather, Wine Scores and Reviews

Let’s make one thing clear. ‘Good wine’ is neither expensive, nor old. Cork or Screwcap doesn’t matter either. A screwcap only means that the wine is committed to quality right there and then.

If that the case…. What makes for a good bottle of wine? How do I pick?
There are so many! California Wine, French wine, Wine from Spain…etc.
 
Let’s go for the basics on this one.

The general tasting rules of Swirl, Smell and Taste are a start, but there’s more to learn when figuring out if a wine is worthy of your taste and money. So, let’s take a moment to get into it a little bit.

Look at the backside of the bottle.

Sometimes first appearance isn’t everything. Front labels can be tempting, but check out the full package before you buy. Also, the back labels usually have more information about a wine. These days, there are some clues about the wine like fruits, flavors, the aging process, importers and the wine region. Keep an eye out for any stamps of approval like awards or reviews—all signs of a currently popular wine. Go ahead and ask for recommendations. Don’t be afraid! “Ask the wine steward or a find a wine friend for a recommendation to help make your selection,” says Peter Click, president and founder of The Click Wine Group (Fat Bastard Wines). I read in a men’s magazine; If you’re on a date, almost always the woman you are with will appreciate your modesty, openness and refuge to ask for assistance from a trusted expert. * Quick Hint…It’s probably one of the easiest times for a man to show humbleness to a woman….LOL 😉

…Anyways, asking questions is a good thing.

 
Swirl and smell the wine.

Here’s where two fun rules of wine tasting 101 come into play. Does it have nice legs? You know; those lean teardrop lines of liquid that slowly drip down the sides of the glass. Legs don’t mean much when it comes to determining a good wine, but it gives you a clue on its alcohol content. Also, Smell it. always smell. Believe it or not; Tasting is mostly from the nose….

Okay. What do you smell? Honey? Cherries? Apple? Vanilla, Oak, Earthiness? I’ll bet, the more you smell, the better the wine may taste. If it’s juicy and you pick up two or of three types of fruits or aromas or things your nose knows you’re going to like the wine. What’s weird is even if the smell is something totally out of this world. It could make the wine interesting. I am a big proponent of smelling and swirling a lot; the taste is confirming your senses.

So, you see ‘Good wine’ is the combination of all that. So, when you are doing all of this and you think the wine is bad. It probably is, unless there is something else going on making the wine too complex to enjoy right there and then. (And that can be a lot of serious educated info too, remember wines been made for thousands of years).

Taste the wine.

Once you’ve swirled and smelled your way around the glass, go in for the sip. Let the juice move around your tongue. So yeah wine is pretty sexy … It requires you to focus …

Do you taste dark cherries, plums, grapefruit, minerals, earthiness? Use your taste buds to figure out how many diverse flavors you can pick up on. Guess…

*Quick Hint: as long as the wine is in balance and isn’t nasty-smelling, the more you can taste the more complex the wine is. It’s not always that straight forward. But it gives you an idea.

If it’s not in balance you will taste more acidity or more oak or more fruit. But when all the flavors stay on your tongue for some time, it’s awesome! Basically, if fruit flavors like plums, blackberry, cherry, raspberry, citrus, peaches, melons fill your tongue and the finish lingers in your mouth know you’ve got a ‘good wine’.

 

The AVA’s are coming into play in the USA…Similar to the way the French are hooked on the ‘Control’ of their Appellations – The USA is getting more detailed!

By in California Wine, New York Wine, Oregon Wine, Tastings, Travel, Washington State Wine, Wine Chatter and Blather

Here in the USA the more known your wine gets the more independence you want to be able to label your wine from where it comes from. If your wine is actually from Napa Valley or Yountville, you want to be able to say it proud and say it loud.

That’s what the American Vinicultural Area is about – The AVA’s are coming into play in the USA. Very similar in the way the French are hooked on the ‘Control’ of their Appellations – The USA is getting more detailed; which is great for the consumer and great for the winery or the area if it starts to get prevalent. For example, Stag’s Leap, Carneros, Alexander Valley, Paso Robles, Willamette Valley, Walla Walla Valley, Monticello and the Finger Lakes to name a bunch throughout the country.

An American Vinicultural Area (AVA) is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States distinguishable by geographic features, with boundaries defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), United States Department of the Treasury. As of March 2015, there were 230 AVAs in the United States.

And just so you know the TTB defines AVAs at the request of wineries and other petitioners and current regulations push for extra requirements on an AVA.

For instance, the proof that the name of the proposed new AVA is locally or nationally recognized as denoting to the area. Also key is the historical or current evidence that the boundaries are legitimate (using maps); And the evidence that the terroir or growing conditions such as climate, soil, elevation, and physical features are distinguishing characteristics.

Once an AVA is established, at least 85% of the grapes used to make a wine must be grown in the specified area if an AVA is referenced on its label; per the TTB

Keep in mind that the state or county boundaries—such as for Oregon or Sonoma County—are not actually AVAs, even though they are used to identify and designate the source of a wine. The AVAs are reserved for situations where a geographically defined area has been using the name and it has come to be identified with that area. It is meant to be specific. So one can know with more detail where the wine is coming from, to be able to dig deeper to the source.

To illustrate, a vineyard may be in more than one AVA. Case in point, the Santa Clara Valley AVA and Livermore Valley AVAs are located within the territory of the San Francisco Bay AVA, which is itself located within the Central Coast AVA.

FYI, The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) website, the Wine Institute and Wikipedia has a lot of this good listing and information here; for that matter.

So just be aware…The more popular wine areas get the more you’ll realize what’s on the label and be able to distinguish the efforts at better quality wine and how to use your pocketbook for a real distinguishable and solid AVA wine.

5 Killer Wines to try..that I enjoyed in 2016 and recommend

By in 2016 Top Wines, Australian Wine, California Wine, French Wine, Spain Wine, Wine and Food Pairings, Wine Chatter and Blather, Wine Scores and Reviews

These are five great wines that come to mind as I think of some of the best I’ve tasted this year. They are not value wines. They are serious and all of them can be cellared for enjoyment. The Domaine Serene Chardonnay is a special one to point out because it has a cerebral quality to it that is not often found in whites as well as the Glaetzer Bishop Shiraz which is diverse enough to be served with fish and Chinese food. Seek them out and enjoy!
 
Sierra Cantabria 2010 Reserva -Rioja  Excellent baked spices and toasty notes, herbs, plums, big flavors

 Domaine Serene 2013 Evenstad Reserve Chardonnay -Dundee Hills  Big fruit, really creamy exudes a mouthfeel that is very sensuous, nice long finish.

Glaetzer 2013 Bishop Shiraz  -Barossa Valley  Nice strong chewy Shiraz the way they should be; meaty with eucalyptus, glycerin and dollops of berry fruit.

 Château Calon Ségur 2013 -Saint Estèphe  Great fresh black fruits, vivid with integrated tannins; layers and a tautness in it that says ‘lay me down’.

Château Haut-Monplaisir 2012 Prestige Malbec – Cahors  Great concentration with mouthwatering acidity and black plums, complex, intense fruit and dry tannins

You’ll have to hurry if you want to scoop up any remaining 2013 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon…2012’s too 2012 if any left on the shelves

By in 2016 Top Wines, California Wine, Cigars, Desert Wines, French Wine, Wine and Food Pairings, Wine Chatter and Blather

By Ralph Del Rio, Wine Correspondent

As 2016 ends and 2017 begins; You’ll have to hurry if you want to scoop up any remaining 2013 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon certainly any 2012 left on the shelves. So I mean hurry!

On the West Coast in 2013, most winemakers reported a great year, a matching to the promising 2012. In many parts of France, though, it was another year of challenging conditions and lower yields. So the best Cabernet Sauvignon is definitely in the states.

By almost every account I looked into; it was one of the highest quality, most successful harvests in decades. Only a little smaller than the giving 2012 harvest, the 2013 harvest also saw just somewhat cooler temperatures heading into harvest, which led to a touch of higher acidity levels than 2012.

Hence, the only real debate about the quality of the 2012 and 2013 vintages in Napa Valley is which one might be better. Both are fantastic years. 2012 is a little more open, cheery and ready, and 2013 a bit more structured and intense. I prefer the 2013, but for Cab freaks they both present a wealth of great wines..

If you haven’t jumped in with both feet already; what does the best of 2013 Napa Cabernet taste like? In a nutshell… Magnificent. I love the cooler flavors and lower alcohols and for sure that the 2013 superior growing conditions across the board. The utmost fruitful wines have an unbelievable intensity thanks to super-juicy acidity, and their tannins are structured refined and smooth; with a very fresh character. Rich, ripe and fresh with structure.

It’s interesting that in the ones I’ve had; the tannin content of the 2013s was about the same as the top wines of 2012. But, the difference for me is the 2012s show much more fruit and delicacy than the 2013s. The 2013 Napa Valley Cabs are at tad heftier while The 2012s Cabs are delicious to drink right now and will be through their life. Both are really outstanding vintages so seek the remaining 2013s and 2012 if you are lucky – By the way the Zinfandels in Napa and Sonoma are very good as well.

I recommend these three…

2012 Mount Veeder Winery Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($40)

Lots of dark blackberry and cassis here, great acidity and with a light minty edge; an imposing mountain Napa Cabernet at a good price

2013 Turnbull Wine Cellars Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($50)

Nice and big with teeth gripping and tannin; great match to a medium rare Delmonico steak….and a nice cigar and port right after…

2013 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars CASK 23 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($250)

Massive level of complexity, blueberries and baked spice, rich and dense. Magnificent floral notes melded with the blueberry

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