Category Archives: Wine

Recently I took my first wine-centric trip to the more southerly wine regions of California, Paso Robles and the Santa Barbara area (popularized by the movie Sideways). As with everything involving Northern and Southern California, things are done a bit differently down here, including the grapes they’re focusing on (Grenache Blanc is a huge up-and-comer here) to the way wines are made (oddball aging and fermentation is big – from concrete and even Plexiglas fermentation tanks to massive, oversized wooden barrels used for aging, nearly ubiquitous across Paso).

Thoughts on every wine I tasted follow, plus a collection of photos at the end. (Don’t miss the photos of fall foliage — vividly capturing the turning of the leaves from fully green at the top of some of these vineyards to deep brown at the base.) Continue reading “Wine Road Trip: Paso Robles and Santa Barbara” »

When it comes to Spanish wines, Rioja gets all the attention. But Ribera del Duero, just to the south and west of Rioja, is known for somewhat more affordable wines that are also primarily, and often 100%, Tempranillo (also known as Tinto Fino in Spain). Otherwise, the two regions have a lot in common, though on the whole I think Rioja can safely claim the quality crown.

Here’s how the wines tasted at a recent roadshow in San Francisco stacked up. Continue reading “Tasting the Wines of Ribera del Duero, 2012” »

A trip to Mendocino is a bit of an annual pilgrimage now, and every time I visit the area I love to check out old favorites and wines that are newer to me. I’d encountered all of the wines below at least once, but this was my first visit to a few, including Esterlina, which requires a lengthy drive up a mountainous dirt road, and where you are treated to a private tasting complete with Cheetos. The Esterlina house cat, Queen Elizabeth, spent the better part of an hour purring in my lap while I tasted through a wide range of Anderson Valley (and other) wines. You don’t get that in Napa, folks.

Thoughts on everything tasted follow. Continue reading “Tasting Report: Wines of Mendocino 2012” »

This was a fun little event — an honest to God blind tasting, courtesy of Karl Wente, of the Wente winemaking family, who wanted to see if we could suss out four of his wines… with minimal clues. The only thing he’d let on: That all four of these wines were blended to some degree, but all still bore a varietal name on the label, indicating they were mostly made from a single type of grape.

Here’s how this tasting — a look at the variety of flavors that Livermore fruit can produce — shook out. First come my tasting notes and a guess at the grape, followed by the reveal.

Wine #1 – Clear black cherry, tea notes. Some jamminess, but open. Light chocolate notes on the finish. My guess: Petite Sirah. B

Answer: 2010 Wente Sandstone Merlot, $15

Wine #2 – Raisiny, lots of jam, but some incense spices there. Doesn’t have a lot of balance, too fruity. Body doesn’t come together. Guessing a Cabernet Sauvignon-heavy blend. B-

Answer: 2010 Wente Southern Hills Cabernet Sauvignon, $15

Wine #3 – More jammy character, with big chocolate and plums. Opens up with a little time in glass. Better structure, with a good slug of mint on it. Guessing Cabernet Franc primarily. B 

Answer: 2010 Wente Small Lot Cabernet Franc , $40

Wine #4 – Far different than the others. The fruit is dialed back, more earth, lots of herbs, good richness, old world in style. You can get Port-like flavors in the finish as it airs out a bit. Lots of fun; intriguing. Guess: No idea. A-

Answer (a ringer): 2009 Los Tesoros de Joaquin Souzao, $24 (the Souzao grape is traditionally used in Port production)

Emeril Lagasse is now lending his name and palate to TastingRoom.com, which offers sets of six 1.7-ounce micro-bottles of mixed wines, selected by the chef. Two samplers, each mixed selections of mostly-California wines, are available. Thoughts on both of them follow. Continue reading “Review: Emeril’s Wine Samplers from TastingRoom.com” »