Murphy Goode Update

Hi all!

Today the top 50 for Murphy Goode's Sonoma County Lifestyle Correspondant position (i.e.: one of the coolest wine jobs ever!) were announced. Out of what I believe amounted to over 2,000 applicants these 50 will be pared down to 10 in the coming weeks and then MG will choose their new employee to start in August.

While I was not one of the 50 chosen to move on, I definitely want to give a huge thank you to everyone who voted for my video and encouraged my application. Also congrats to all those who were selected, especially two new Twitter/Wine blogger pals, Rick Bakas (Back to Bakas) and Hardy Wallace (Dirty South Wine). And though I've not had the pleasure of making her acquaintance, to Amy Shropshire for representing Ohio!! Best of luck to these three and the other 47!

Be sure to check out all 50 applications and at Murphy Goode's website.

Cheers!

Spanish Wine Education Update

As you all know, I recently entered to receive a scholarship offered by The Wine Academy of Spain and CataVino. The "winners" were announced this evening, and all who entered were lucky enough to get a spot in a class!

See the full list of winners at CataVino.


This is going to be an excellent experience - a full 3-day course doing nothing but tasting and learning about the wines of Spain. I'll definitely record my thoughts leading up to and during the course, and to celebrate I think I'll do a bonus post each week and try a new Spanish wine!

So, I'd like to thank the Academy.... and Gabrielle & Ryan Opaz of Catavino, and Steve DeLong for urging me to enter, and a wonderful friend, Rebekah Scott, who really inspired me to learn to love the Campo.

Cheers!

Leading a revolution with a boisterous Pinot Noir

Mark West Pinot Noir (2007)
Mark West Winery
Pinot Noir
California

You would never guess by the unassuming bottle and its lack of pizazz that the people behind this Coastal Pinot Noir are planning a revolution. But more on that below, let's talk grapes and locations.

Pinot Noir is a red grape variety that is best known as the grape of Burgundy, France. These iconic French wines are often light in color with moderate acidity, and flavors ranging from cherry and strawberry to smoke and truffles. Prices can range widely from cheap, large sourced table wines to exclusive age-worthy, single vineyard bottles. Annually the Hospices de Beaune holds a charity auction that sets the price-level for many of the region's wines at the Hôtel-Dieu with its tiled roof and Flemish inspired architecture.

Read more>>

PR Zin makes me want pancakes

Incredible Red (2006)
Peaachy Canyon Winery
Zinfandel
Paso Robles, California

So even before I get too far into talking about why this wine makes me crave breakfast, let's take a quick look at the grape variety - Zinfandel. This "American" grape came up in a post not long ago, being related to both Primitvio as well as the obscure Croatian variety, Crljenak Kaštelanski. However, this is Zin in my preferred format - and it's not pink! Disturbingly, White Zinfandel, still perpetuates the minds of many Americans, and makes it rather hard to talk about some of the amazing wines the grape produces.

In California, some of the choice locales for Zin include the Dry Creek and Russian River Valleys, and the ubiquitous Lodi AVA. For some reason the latter is the one I think I see most commonly in shops, though after our 2008 California trip, I must profess a die-hard bias for Dry Creek wines. In general, the grapes produce full bodied, juicy, ripe flavored wines. The epitome of new-world fruit forward reds, and a killer pairing with BBQ and dark chocolate alike. Some can reach fairly high alcohol points given their high sugar levels, not to denote them as sweet by any means.

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Doing more of that thing I do...

So like many a wine worshiper, brix-blogger, and media maven (triple alliteration points) I'm throwing my hat in for the illustrious and much coveted Murphy-Goode Wine Country Lifestyle Correspondent position.

This is an opportunity to live for 6 months on Sonoma County, drinking good wine and eating good food, and all the while blogging/twittering/YouTube-ing, etc. about it. Sounds like the perfect thing for me - as many people have suggested.

Here's the brief video I filmed as part of the application process. Once it's up on the "A Really Goode Job" site, please check it out and vote for me. I appreciate everyone's support ... for the goode of wine and the goode of oenophiles everywhere. (Yes - I know - I need glare-proof lenses, and I only had a minute to say everything.)



VIDEO IS NOW ON THE MURPHY GOODE SITE

Cheers!

Why I want to learn more about Spanish wines...

I first fell in love with Spain in 2007 - or "How I became a Spain-junkie." Walking the Camino from Pamplona to Santiago was an amazing experience, and guided me through several of the best wine regions. Little notice did I take though - aside from the amazing scenery, kind people, and great food and wine - because at that time I had no idea the significance of Rioja, Navarra, or Rías Baixas. Though seeing many acres of vineyards. solitary vines twisted and just beginning to bud, I hadn't a clue regarding the varied and interesting wines they would produce.

After returning, and starting my wine education, it was actually a Spanish wine which inspired me to create oe•no•phile. The complex intriguing aromas and flavors of Baltos Mencía struck me as something I really needed to share with others. Little did I know, but I probably had quite a lot of Mencía while on the Meseta in Spain. It took this one bottle to push me enough to finally start writing. I'll be ever grateful to that bottle from Bierzo which was an excellent (and extremely tasty) muse.

Read more>>

Just say no to red + white = rosé!

Just a brief post to bring this news to attention. I'm going to re-vamp and discuss more in depth later when I have time. Currently I'm just delighted to see tradition upheld.

EU no goes blending red and white wines to produce rosés

Cheers!

European varieties travel beyond the equator to South Africa

Fleur du Cap Pinotage (2006)
Bergkelder
Pinotage
Coastal, South Africa

Considering the different areas of the world that make up "new world" wine production, Africa might not necessarily come to mind. However, wine has been an important industry there since at least the mid 1600s. Laws regulating wine produced in a specific region were not set however until 1973, when the Wine of Origin system was introduced. Similar to other countries' controlled appellation laws, the WO requires that wines must use only grapes from one region to be labeled under the area's name. Also, an expansion of investment in the South African wine industry has been fostered by increased international exposure.

Most wine production is centered around Cape Town, with Stellenbosch and Paarl being two of the most active regions. With a climate similar to that of the Mediteranean, vineyards are exposed to hot, dry summers and cool, dry winters. This makes a perfect environment for growing many European varieties including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay. In addition to these, South Africa is home to a grape called Pinotage, which originated as a hybrid of Pinot Noir and Cinsault, referred to as Hermitage locally. The name thus is a portmanteau of Pinot and Hermitage - similar to how Americans produce Bordeaux style blends under the term Meritage, derived from Merit and Heritage.

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Mineral-driven white from gravely Graves

Clos du Hez Graves (2007)
Clos du Hez
50% Sauvignon Blanc | 50% Sémillon
Graves AC, Bordeaux, France

While the red wines of Bordeaux, located in south western France, are famed as some of the best wines in the world, the region also produces excellent quality white blends. Produced in small quantities throughout the larger wine region, the best known white blends come from Graves, the only sub-region with a classification for dry whites. Sauternes, a smaller region within Graves, is famous for the production of sweet dessert wines using grapes which have been affected by Botrytis cinera, or Noble Rot. Grapes found in both sweet and dry wines are limited to Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle.

As might be implied by the region's name, the soil type is consistently gravely. Left behind from glacial movement along with a quartz deposits, the soil takes a particular effect on wines. The concept of terroir, or a sense of place, is strongly considered all over France. The concept allows that not just grape variety and vinification methods are responsible for the final wines. Indeed soil types, weather, and climate bear their own influences. This said, you can always count on a good dose of minerality in dry whites from Graves.

Appearance: Clear, pale golden yellow wine. The color of watered down ginger ale is best thought of with this wine.

Nose: Clean nose with moderate intensity, displaying qualities of green fruit, pear, apple, grapefruit, and tart stone fruit. Additionally there is a balanced level of mineral aromas including slate, granite, or wet chalk.

Palate: Dry wine with fresh acidity, not unlike lemon spritzer. Light to medium bodied, medium alcohol, and moderately intense flavors all balance themselves well. Citrus and mineral qualities are predominant. Grapefruit, lemon, and grassy notes. A long finish from the acidity leaves an enjoyable, fresh taste of nectarine.

This particular bottle is produced using fifty per cent Sémillon and fifty per cent Sauvignon Blanc. The former tends to produce bland, low acid wines that pair well with oak aging while the latter creates intensely aromatic high acid wines. Blending the two wines together allows for better balance of each grape, and a richer overall experience. The grassy, austere qualities of Sauvignon Blanc are tempered by Sémillon, while the opposite lends aroma, higher acid, tones down alcohol levels. Sémillon is popularly grown in both South Africa and Australia while Sauvignon Blanc is grown all over the world, notably in the Loire, New Zealand, and Chile.

Whenever I have Sauvignon Blanc I crave Chèvre - this goat cheese is a perfect compliment to the grassy, citrus characteristics, and would pair well with this wine in particular. This light bodied wine would be perfect on it's own, before a meal, or paired with a light dish. Stick to citrus flavors as well as things like artichokes or asparagus.

Whether you're familiar with Bordeaux reds or not, I'd highly recommend giving a few of the white wines a fair shot. They offer a lot of flavor and much like the Clos du Hez, can be found inexpensively. Style is almost completely dependent upon the per cent of each grape found in the blend, but more importantly don't disregard the idea of terroir. Compared to similar blends found in the U.S. and other new world locales, there will be similarity but a definite difference overall.

Cheers!