March 31, 2001

AMENDMENT- With a bit more digging into the research shelf in my dimly-lit working office/hole-in-the-wall, I came across a book I have from Kevin Zraly’s handouts that is called, “Wines of Italy”.  What better place to look, Wino Bob.  I was able to answer my question from my earlier entry about the Italian wine I enjoyed with a business associate at Nino’s in Paterson, NJ.  Did I tell you there is a statue of Abbott and Costello in the Lou Costello Park?  If you watch The Sopranos, you have seen both the falls and the monument in the second season of the show.  Hey, just an aside about The Sopranos for any of you from NJ, last week Tony drove right past Bacchus, yes, the Bacchus I love.  Tony was heading Southbound on Passaic Ave. and Bacchus was seen out his window as he was driving with his wife.  As you know, Tony loves his wine.  I wonder if he reads Winostuff?

Salice Salentino is found in the region of Apulia (puglia) located in the heel of the Italian peninsula.  This land mass is surrounded by the Adriatic Sea to the North and the Ionian Sea to the South.  The primary grapes grown in this region are Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera.  The Ca’ntele family has been producing wine since the 70’s. 

March 31, 2001

I, too, have just returned from a real job business trip.  Though mine was confined to the Eastern Seaboard, no exotic foods, drink, scenery or entertainment like Wino John experienced.  As this was a planned out meeting, a non-drinker made the wine selection.  As red wines go, the choice at each dinner was a Pinot Noir or a Cabernet.  I am not much of a Pinot drinker, as you can see from my reviews, but this one was a wine I will not be buying for the house.  The Cabernet was better, but only available for one dinner.  I guess this resort is famous for it’s golf and tennis clinics and athletes in training drink carrot juice and grapefruit with a spritz.  However, when you gather 75 salesmen for 4 nights, they should copter in a larger choice of wine for us to enjoy.

After leaving Tampa with a not-so-great wine experience, I found myself back in New Jersey yesterday enjoying lunch with a customer in a small Italian restaurant in downtown Paterson, NJ.  Yes, Paterson, the Home of the Paterson Falls, silk fabric and Lou Costello of the famed Abbott and Costello.  The customer I was with is a wine enthusiast and a frequenter of this establishment.  For lunch, he asked the waiter to bring a glass of his usual for us.  This Italian red wine was the best glass of wine I enjoyed all week.  As Italian wines go, I haven’t found that many in the under $100.00 price range that I enjoy, but this one was great.  I managed to jot down the name on the label, but have not been able to find out much about the region it comes from, grape, or style.  So, fellow winos and winettes, if any of you are Italian red wine aficionados, please email me details.

1998 Wente Reliz Creek Reserve Pinot Noir  ?   The months in French oak overpowered the delicate raspberry fruit of this wine.  The tannins were strong and did not play well with the fruit in this wine.  Harsh, smoky flavors dominated this biting beverage.

1998 Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon  ? Pleasant, and balanced, this wine had a playful level of tannin to back up the dark cherry flavors and made this wine stand up well with the red snapper and filet mignon main course.  A good wine to drink on a weekend with friends.

1997 Ca’ntele Salice Salentino Riserva $ (12.00 restaurant price) Owner/Chef Nino at Nino’s in Paterson found a great inexpensive wine to compliment his beautifully prepared Italian fare.  The acid-fruit balance supported the Capellini seafood in Pink Sauce.  This is a wine for the table, to drink with friends, enjoy mozzarella and roasted peppers, and play a game of cards on checked tablecloths.  Smooth, fruity, and a bargain at retail pricing fewer than ten dollars.

March 24, 2001

Winos and Winettes, I present to you the Wine Ambassador for Conflict-Resolution, Wino Bob. (Applause, applause) Thank you, thank you.  My fellow winos, I stand here today as a proud WAC-R, but I am faced with a troubling message.  As I am heading to the negotiation table, I previewed the bottle of wine I was to sit down with regarding this latest conflict I was called upon to resolve.  But negotiations will be more difficult because of the wine I have selected.  When the wine does not live up to expectations, it can damage this sensitive period of resolution.  I relied on the promises of the label and tasted a much different product.  So, for the safety of our nation’s position, I am withdrawing my presence at this meeting today to locate a bottle of wine that will ease the tenor of today’s discussions.  I cannot sit in a room and praise the opulence of this wine when I found it non-opulent, or therefore lacking in the opulent character that is described on the label.  The lesson learned is to drink an entire bottle of the wine before putting it on the table of negotiation.  Drink responsibly; the future of our nation depends on it.  If there are any wines that you have successfully used as a lubricant for social intercourse, please contact me at the Department of WAC-R, Wino Bob A.B.S.  

1997 Sebastiani Sonoma Cask Cabernet Sauvignon $ (20.00)   This wine is 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc and aged in West Virginian oak for 17 months.  The harsh tannins mute the opulent, jammy fruit.  This has a harshness that lessens the spirit of this wine.    

March 23, 2001

Beauty and elegance can describe the wine I enjoyed tonight.  Having a business dinner with an associate whom I had some disagreement with was made easier by the selection of a great wine.  Starting off in disagreement over a current business situation in my real job, we had come to dig our heels in a bit, defending our positions.  The public setting quelled the possibility of raising our voices to shout down the other’s point of view.  Plugging my ears and singing the La-la-la song was out of the question since I wanted to enjoy dinner at this establishment in the future.  So, before things went too far, the wine steward brought the wine I selected and poured us each a glass.  As the pure beauty of this finely crafted beverage raced through my now boiling bloodstream, a soothing feeling emerged.  The tension was broken by the delight we both took in this wine.  As our glasses filled for the second time, we steered our comments to the rich, red liquid in our glasses.  Wine talk found our common ground and, as the alcohol level increased, so did our efforts in resolving the differences we started the night with.

Yes, a peace accord was struck that night and though we did not change the world, we did find a solution to the issue.  So I was thinking of contacting President Bush and ask him to appoint me Wine Ambassador for Conflict-Resolution.  Yes, I would proudly serve as the WAC-R for the Bush Administration.  As I have been told by many, I would be a fine WAC-R.  Couldn’t you see me flying to a foreign country, deplaning Air force One, and being greeted by chants from the crowd, "WAC-R, WAC-R, Here Comes Bush’s WAC-R."

If any of you out there are politically connected, please feel free to approach the Bush Administration with my name and newly sought position.

1997 Beaulieu Vineyards Tapestry $$$(70.00 restaurant) Smooth, powerful, velvety, full in body and flavor.  Rich textured and complex made from 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot.  This is an example of why I prefer blends to cepages.  Depth, cherry and blackberry and vanilla and currant mix and mingle to the delight of your palate.  Special occasions are befitting of this beauty.

March 19, 2001

Wine and food, that’s what life is all about. Sensing a routine that is building with salmon on Sunday, I went to Bacchus tonight and ordered wild game.  OK, deer is no longer wild game since I see it strolling across Bloomfield Ave at 6AM when I’m heading out for work.  But Fois Gau stuffed venison just sounds gamey.  The salmon I enjoyed was just in a white wine sauce so I had to drink the bottle of white wine.  Not finding the appropriate French Colombard, I dug out a bottle that has been sitting in the cellar for a while.  The name intimidated me from opening it sooner.  But being a white wine, I did not want to let it go far beyond this year.  After drinking this one, I know why I’m a red wine lover.  For fun tonight I wanted a South African wine with my big game, but they could not locate the bottle I selected.  Under pressure and wanting a big red wine, I picked a Chilean Cabernet from 1997.  This wine was a solid Cab with all the right smells of an oak aged red.

1994 Les Domaines Barons de Rothchild (Lafite) Reserve Bordeaux Blanc $ (19.00)     A blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon cepages, balanced for a clean, crisp, fresh white wine.  Not much of an aroma from this glass and a pleasant, but short finish.  Serve chilled and with mild foods.

1997 Casa Lapostolle Cabernet Sauvignon Cuvee Alexandre $ (16.00)   Pure Cabernet aromas rocket from the surface of this wine with depth from the 11 months in oak (92% in French oak, 8% in American oak-50% new barrels, 40% 1 year old and 10% 2 years old).  This wine has great fruit and tannins that will allow this to sit in the bottle for years to come.  Blackberry and coffee dominate this wine.  For those looking for wines under $20.00 that have guts, this is a big, bold red wine lover’s style.

March 18, 2001

Knowledge is a dangerous thing.  My good friend, Wino John, reads Wine Spectator to uncover all the facts and technical aspects of the fruit of the vine.  I choose participant observation as my method of education.  Wino John is intrigued with the fact that California’s second largest white varietal grape is Colombard (French Colombard).  First what I did was find the grape.

This grape is primarily blended with Chenin Blanc to make, dare I say, cheap California “Chablis”.  Yes, winos and winettes, we are talking jug wine, which still outsells the premiums in this country.  I was able to identify two wines that I will be on the hunt for to drink and review.

1997 Carmenet Colombard-Old Vines- Napa about 12.00 per bottle and the 1997 Livingston Cellars French Colombard of California, which pulls down a whopping 5 dollars a bottle.  All the notes I found encourage me to drink this one young, less than 4 years and chilled.  So I will set off on a journey to taste a cheap white wine so I can continue my wine education.  I understand there are a few Pennsylvania Wineries making damn good French Colombard.

March 17, 2001

Happy St. Patty’s Day.  Does anyone really know what time it is, does anyone really care?  Sometime I ask questions in my entries and to date, Wino Dan was the only one to email me the answer to the question I asked months ago.  What is the Mistral?  He knew it was the strong wind that roars down the Rhone Valley, which may affect the grape growing.  So today I will post a rhetorical question.  What is a Porron?  This word appeared in the Spanish drinking song, but can you tell me what it is?  OK, so you know, but you are too scared to email me the answer.  No, you know, but don’t care.  No, is anyone out there?

So for the benefit of Wino John and Wino Wally, I will tell you what a Porron is.  A Porron is a glass container that resembles a bong.  Well, it’s not like I really know what a bong looks like, but I never had the opportunity to use it in a sentence prior to this.  Let me show you what a Porron is.

This is a very basic looking Porron, there are much more ornate, decorative Porrons.  Maybe it’s an Erlenmeyer flask with a mouthpiece.  This device is a kind of cross between a decanter and a wine sack.  Having a deep-rooted tradition in Catalonia, examples of Porrons date back to the 1400’s.  The Spanish dictionary describes it as a wide-bottomed glass container frequently used in some Spanish provinces, mostly Catalan region, to drink wine, which spurts in a jet from the spout rising at an angle from the base.

Think about this Mr. Technogeek, a Porron full of Red Spanish wine jetting towards you.  Calculate the trajectory and speed at which the wine will splatter over your White Oxford shirt.  Starting and stopping the flow is an art.  The masters begin inches from the mouth and move to arms length.  The Porron was the sanitary method for sharing your wine with friends as you laugh and drink and sing wine songs.  The connoisseurs claim that the jetting of this wine through the air enriches the wine and increases the sensation of freshness.

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.

March 16, 2001

Never let it be said that Wino Bob won’t admit when he’s wrong.  (Aren’t those words every woman wants to hear?)  On this eve of St. Patrick’s Day I wish all my Irish readers a Kiss on their Blarney Stones.  Though, I’m sure the Killian’s web site is where they’re all hanging out right now.  As this fine holiday conjures up images of friends drunk and laughing and singing drinking songs (there is that beer hall drinking thing again), I dodged the green spattered sidewalk in town and made my way into the library.  Some wild guy I am.  This tie between drinking with friends and singing off-key songs at the top of our lungs with that, “I love you man,” look on our slung-jawed faces set me searching for the right wine song.

After hours of research I found an article in a publication that disproved my earlier notion that there are no good wine drinking songs.   So I state it loud and clear, I was wrong.  There is a spirited region in Spain that carries a tradition of songs connected with wine that are sung in those “I love you, man,” drunken states.  The article did not list the title of these songs, so my homework assignment must be marked incomplete at this moment.  Sorry, Mrs. Prindle. 

Most disappointing to me is that not one of our Spanish readers volunteered to correct me after I wrote about there being no good drinking songs for wine lovers.  Are there no Spaniards amongst us?  Are there no readers of this column? 

As the only phrase I could find in this article from a wine drinking song is the refrain from the Spanish wine ditty that goes: “Asuncion, Asuncion, pour half a measure of wine into the porron.”

Too bad Napster is having their fight in court these days or I would download this song and post a wave file in my column so we can all learn the words and sing it the next time we are at Bacchus.

March 11, 2001

Experimentation is what it’s all about.  I totally left my comfort zone during dinner last night at Bacchus.  As we waited for our table, I ordered a white wine.  The place was packed and the euphoria of the crowd out for a Saturday night got me in the mood to throw caution to the wind.  My lifeline for wine selection, Joe the Wine Guy, was off on a Rock Climbing Competition so I was flying solo.  Remain calm, find a producer you are acquainted with and give it a try.

Time for dinner and the Headwaiter presents the meat platter to describe the choices of meat for the evening.  Off the cliff now and soaring in a new direction, I ordered the Buffalo Rib Eye.  This 16 oz. of lean Buffalo is braised with a spicy coating cooked to medium rare perfection with a taste of the gamy open plains of the 1800’s wafting in the smokey texture. 

Wanting Red Wine and being with Italian wine lovers, I picked a grape I had no history with.  One of my guests said she liked the wine style so we were into a Barbara D’Alba from Piedmont. 

The white wine was enjoyable, the Buffalo was delicious, the red wine is where I crashed and burned.  But they all cannot be winners.  The wine was not undrinkable, but it was not a gem either.  Oh sure, I could have ordered from the Rhone section of the wine list.  Joe the Wine Guy is bolstering that section very nicely.  However, I needed to stretch beyond the limits in which I am comfortable…that’s what I love most about wine and dinner.  Enjoying conversation, trying new things and being open to what ever results come of it.

1998 Trimbach Pinot Blanc $ (9.00)   A lean, crisp, clean wine, this can be enjoyed as an aperitif.  Not much aroma.  Mild citrus fruit.  This would be an excellent wine to accompany shellfish.

1996 Vigna Majang Barbara D’Alba $$ (28.00 Restaurant)   I try to think of the aroma wheel when I try new wines, but the only thing that came to mind when I smelled this wine was the odor of a muddy field as the sun begins to heat the standing water.  That and blue cheese.  Neither appear as descriptive terms.  As the wine opened, a berry fruit flavor came through, but it was a short finish and drying tannins. 

March 10, 2001

What do the Oprah show, Imus in the Morning and Wino Bob have in common?  No, only Imus wears a cowboy hat.  No, to my knowledge, Oprah never had a drinking problem.  Think show content...  That’s right, we all recommend books to our millions of viewers.  OK, I am just starting a new series of books that I recommend for Winos to read.  OK, I don’t have millions of viewers.  And yes, I do not carry the weight of Imus or Oprah, especially Oprah.  But for those of you winos interested in adding to your vast knowledge base, there are books out there that are worth keeping on hand and referring back to from time to time.  I submit to you my first recommended book to begin your library with.

The World Encyclopedia of Wine

First off, anything entitled, “The World…” is a book I must own.  This way I never miss out on something that might be happening in a region that would not be included in a book entitled, “The Northern Hemisphere...” or “East of the Time Meridian…” or “Countries Beginning with the Letter F…”.  Now I have everything in the world known to man  at my fingertips.

Secondly, this hard cover book makes a beautiful coffee table display.   Not being one to own a coffee table or to know what to do with a coffee table if I did own one, this book is perfect for the idea Kramer put forth of having a coffee table book that is large enough to be a coffee table. 

On the serious side, this book is a great foundation for the noble grapes, the regions they are produced in and an understanding of wine.

I submit to you the first in my series of wine books to build your library with that also help you stock your wine cellar.

March 9, 2001

Broken promises.  Last summer, I met some people who were into making their own wine.  They brought a bottle they crafted to this party and it gave me something to do at this otherwise, shall I say, boorish party.  The people were kind and friendly and loved wine.  By the end of the evening, we were trading wine stories and they promised to drop by with a bottle of their wine the next time they were in the hood.  Never happened. 

During the conversation, they did tell me about a wine club called Garden State Wine Club.  That’s in NJ, for those of you in Rio Linda. So, the other day I was on the web, go figure, and I punched in Garden State Wine Club in my favorite search portal, www.dogpile.com.  Through several emails, I signed up.  I now can officially say, I am a member of a club.  Thank you Groucho.  This club offers several different programs to suit your taste.  I signed up for the Premium Reds.  This will deliver to my doorstep 2 bottles of red wine, one in the 20-25 dollar range and one in the 10-15 dollar range.  Today I received my first shipment.  As I tore open the package, I pulled out a bottle of California Cabernet, which I will tell you about in a moment.  My Premium bottle unveiled itself to be, Vinson Richards 1998 Chardonnay Reserve.  Yes, that’s right, my high-end red wine is a bottle of Chardonnay from Uruguay.  As I opened the packing slip, it clearly stated I would be receiving for my Premium Red, Greg Norman Estates Shiraz.  Well, I called up the Garden State Wine Club and told them they had sent me a Chardonnay.  They asked if I was aware that Chardonnay's not a red wine so, since I am signed up for the Premium Red Wine package, I could not have received a Chardonnay.  Then I was asked if I knew the difference between a Chardonnay and a Shiraz.  Immediately, I told them I was Wino Bob, damn it, and have corrupted my liver on Shiraz and it was no Chardonnay.

Several phone calls later, I was promised that my Greg Norman would be included in my next shipment and if I wanted to I could use the Chardonnay for cooking.  I again told the person on the other end of the line, "I’m Wino Bob, damn it.  Why would I waste any wine in the frying pan until I have at least consumed half the bottle?"  So one night, with a fish dinner, I will try this Chardonnay from Uruguay, it may be a sleeper.

Tonight, I picked this under ten-dollar California Cabernet to accompany the take-out Penne Napoli which I enjoyed in its aluminum-shipping container.  The wine description came with a recipe suggestion, Pepper Steak with Port-Wine Mushroom Sauce, but I had pasta from a tin that I carried home in a brown paper bag.

1997 Sea Ridge Coastal Cabernet Sauvignon $ (9.99)   Though not intense or bold, this wine is drinkable now with rich berry flavors and mild tannins.  Medium-bodied, there is a bouquet of vanilla from the toasted oak barrel.  There will be some bottle aging enhancements but it's not worth hiding this one away.  And remember, next time you are having Pepper Steak with Port Wine Mushroom Sauce, think Sea Ridge Coastal.  I personally think this wine will not hold up to a really peppery steak. 

March 4, 2001

I apologize, I promised to not bring up the religion theme for my entries.  As today is Sunday and the first Day of the Lenten Season, I was drawn to a wine at my friend Mr. Kim’s store.  The label was most fitting for the day so I had to buy it.  The wine is called, The Holy Trinity.  Now how could I let my cousin, The Brother, down and pass up trying a wine with this name.  After reading the label, the wine maker clearly identifies the reasons behind the name, none of which are religious.  He starts by telling us this is a union of three important grapes to the Barossa Valley.  This wine is 39% Grenache, 31% Shiraz and 30% Mourvedre.  The other reason I had to try this wine is due to the fact that these grapes live in my Rhone wines.  The other reason behind the name has to do with the land, the grapes and the family that produces this wine.  This triumvirate comes together in a harmony of great wine and successful commerce.  The reason I think they called this wine The Holy Trinity is because this wine is a truly enlightening experience. For wine lovers of Big Reds, please do not purchase all of this wine so I may find a few bottles on the shelf that I can tuck away in my cellar for the nights I want my wine drinking to be a religious experience.  Let me know if you cannot find this in your local wine shop, I know Mr. Kim is sitting on several cases.

1997 Grant Burge Barossa The Holy Trinity $$ (29.99)   Complex, bold, deep hue, rich, powerful, all describe this wine.  Peppers and cherries are the first of many aromas from this wine, followed by eucalyptus, dark cherry, like opening a drawer in your cherry furniture.  A bouquet of vanilla and wood come from the maturation in French oak Hogsheads.  A hint of acid and tannin tell me this will only benefit from a nap in the cellar.  A wine that can be impressive now or held onto for years of pleasure.

1997 Coppo Barbera D’Asti Camp du Rouss $ 14.99    This wine gives a lot of alcohol and little fruit in the nose.  High acid and a harsh after taste greet you with the first taste.  The acid mellows to reveal a mild fruit flavor.  Not very much to describe.  Buy this one for pizza with people with whom you are only casually acquainted.

March 3, 2001

I know that my entries move from the serious to the ridiculous and, since I have not been serious in awhile, I offer the following wine information.

How’s this for serious?  The BATF (U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) recently fined 2 wineries for mislabeling their product.  C. Mondavi & Sons (not Robert Mondavi Wineries) was fined $300,000 for using the "Napa Valley" designate on their labels when the grapes came from a variety of other regions.  Also, Bronco Wineries was fined $750,000 for their Forest Glen, Napa Creek, and Rutherford Vintner’s Blend because their labels falsely indicated coming from Napa and Sonoma grapes. 

Do you know who William M. Gaines was?  Yes, he is no longer with us.  I will see if anyone can identify for what he is famous.  E-mail me or post your answers on the guest book.  I will tell you he was a collector of fine wines and several lots of his wine were recently auctioned off.  Several bottles included 1866 and 1889 Tokaji Essencia, the much sought after Hungarian sweet wine, and Burgundies from Romanee-Conti and Misigny.  The fruits of his labor are still enjoyed by many today.

Can you name the top 5 wine producing countries according to France’s Official International de la Vigne et du Vin?

          1.

          2.

          3.

          4.

          5.

Here are the top 5 wine consumers: 

1.    France - 937 million gallons

2.    Italy - 845 million gallons

3.    U.S. - 526 million gallons

4.    Germany - 501 million gallons

5.    Spain - 396 million gallons

We have a lot more drinking to do to overtake the French.  I pledge to do my part.  The interesting item is that the order of production is not the same as the order of consumption.

Any Porto lovers out there?  If there are, you will be glad to know that 1998 will be a vintage year.

Does anyone have an answer as to why California wine prices are rising even though grape production is up?  Last year a ton of Chardonnay grapes from Central California went for just under $1,000.00 per ton.  This year its about half that.  Will we see a drop in pricing? 

California’s celebrity-endorsed Fetzer Vineyards is banking on increased sales attracted by chef Emeril Lagasse.  Does his name on the label make it a better wine?

Geek wine fact of the day - A traditionally-made Champagne contains an air pressure of 90 pounds per square inch.  I guess that’s why they tell you to hold the bottle away from you when opening or you’ll shoot your eye out.

I kind of feel like Larry King with my, "for what its worth" wine facts.  So let me know what the top 5 wine producing countries are and I just might send you a prize.  

March 2, 2001

Needing my wine fix last night, I headed to Bacchus to sit at the wine bar and quietly enjoy a wine I have not tasted before.  As I walked in, I found a live band and a packed house.  Grabbing the only remaining seat at the bar (since everyone else was with at least one other person), I looked around at the twenty-something crowd enjoying the music.  Crap, I felt old.  Twenty-somethings are into imported beers and funky colored drinks in Martini glasses.  I don’t know, call me old fashioned, but a drink with Chocolate liqueur and raspberry splashes cannot really be called a Martini, can it?

I did see Joe the Wineguy and he wanted me to try a white wine before I ordered my red.  I figured, what the hell, if Joe has something he recommends, who am I to argue?  I had a first, a wine style I have never had before, nor have I read much about.  You know how much of a white wine drinker I am, but this was not no wimpy white wine.  More on that later.  I sipped and watched the crowd - short, spiky hair, fruity drinks, swaying sexily to the music, and that’s just the guys. I was the only one there without the “in” mustache/beard combo that these hip young kids are sporting. 

As the first glass of wine eased my ultra-conservative, up tight, establishment personality, and I recognized one of the songs the band was playing, Jerry the bartender poured me a Cabernet that was so tannic my tongue clicked off the roof of my mouth when I tried to make small talk with the belly-shirted, belly-button ringed, young lady sitting next to me.  Smooth, Wino Bob.  Why don’t you just crawl back under the rock you came from.  Loser.  By the way, how do you wash the “L” off your forehead before heading into work the next morning?

This wine Jerry poured was a whopper, big and bold. A 1994 that still has sleeping time in the bottle to release it’s full beauty.  So, the band played, the crowd rocked and I sat quietly in the middle of all this, enjoying my wine and learning about the upcoming generation.  Why they haven’t begun their discovery of the virtues of the grape is beyond me, but I’m sure Joe the Wineguy will be on a crusade to convert them.

1994 Cabernet Sauvignon Durney Vineyards $ (11.00)   Slogan of the winery is “Dances On Your Palate” and from the first sip you’ll know why.  This wine is a cabernet, merlot, malbec, cabernet franc combination that is heavily wooded.  A cedar nose prevails and the cedar brings a Southern Rhonesque flavor to the wine.  Open and let this one breath for a while.  By the second glass, the fruit arrived and delighted.

1997 Pierre Sparr Tokay Pinot Gris  ?$     Dark gold, full-bodied with a long finish.  Honey and spice make me want to get a cough, just to drink this wine as a soothing, flavorful, opulent beverage.  This would be great on a cold winter's night in front of a fire after a nice meal.  Sweet and fruity. 

February 28, 2001

I know there are more than one of you winos out there that love the Rhone wines.  I just received my invitation to the Southern Rhone tasting in NY in March.  Please read the details below.  You might even see me lurking behind the pouring stand, squeezing out the last drops of the wine I love so much.

March 26, 2001 (New York)
Chateauneuf du Pape and Gigondas - The Great 1998 Vintage The World's Best
Wine Values?  1998 is the best vintage in the Southern Rhone villages of Chateauneuf du
Pape and Gigondas since 1990.  Although these wines will age for many years, they are lush and delicious upon release, which is why we believe that dollar for dollar, there is no better value on the market right now than wine from the Southern Rhone.  We will try many of the great Chateauneuf du Pape producers including Chateau Beaucastel, Vieux Telegraphe, Vieux Donjon, Mont Olivet Cuvee Papet, Chateau La Nerthe and Clos des Papes.  Gigondas will include Vins de Vienne, Saint Cosme Valbelle, and Brusset Les Hauts de Montmirail.  We will begin the dinner with the rare White Chateauneuf du Pape from Chateau Beaucastel.  All of the wines will be paired with a five-course meal prepared by Chef Don Pintabona.

6:30 p.m. at Tribeca Grill $235 per person inclusive of tax & service.

Reservations can be made at 212.941.3900

2/24/01

I should have had a better idea what I wanted to be when I grew up.  I sampled colleges like I sample red wines, though I never sampled red wines in college.  I studied lite beers and imports, but there were no courses in beer at the colleges I attended.  Had I discovered wine, I would have been able to settle into a college with a major.  So, as I have been telling you, I read as much as I can about wine to be as self-educated as possible.  The participant observation homework I assign myself is keeping me happy.  

The book I am reading now is a textbook, a college level wine textbook.  Each chapter has a review quiz and a practical work assignment.  Each tasting practices references to the Wine Aroma Wheel (Noble, A.C.R.A Arnold J. Buechsenstein, E.J. Leach, J.O. Schmidt and P.M. Stern. Modification of a standardized system of wine aroma terminology. American Journal of Enology and Viticulture 38(2):143-146.© 1987 American Society for Enology and Viticulture) That should satisfy Wino John’s lawyer worries.  Thank you Professor Ann Noble of the University of California, Davis. 

I have taken the time to isolate myself, which is not hard to do in my tiny third floor room.  I shut off the suicide music and lower the lights to allow total concentration.  I bring the glass to my nose and take a long deep breath to inhale the aromas and bouquet of the wine.  I swirl the glass several times and take several more deep inhales from the chimney of my glass.  At this point, I am supposed to associate the smells with events that have already been registered in my memory banks.  Like the smell of the freshly cut grass at the park where you played baseball as a kid, or the smell of roses, or the familiar smell of a well-worn saddle.  A saddle?  I have never smelled a saddle.  I once smelled a bicycle seat, but I was young and it had to do with this thing….

Anyway, if a memory doesn’t come to mind, the aroma wheel is there to assist in defining the aromas of the wine.  So this weekend, I opened 2 wines that come from 2 different countries and from 2 different noble grapes.  What better way to compare and contrast, to ebb and flow, to ying and yang?  After ritualizing over both wines and tasting them, I am no closer to finding words to fit into a standardized terminology of the wine world.

I did find that one wine was enjoyable now and one had to breath and open before any fruit flavor was apparent.  I also found out that I liked the $7.98 wine better than the $21.99 wine.  So maybe I cannot accurately describe the wine by industry standards, but on the Wino Bob scale, one was a clear winner over the other.  Finally, I learned that I enjoyed a syrah from Washington State, noted mostly for its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.  The lesson in all this comes down to trying new wines and trying them as often as you can, at least that’s what I’m telling myself.

1995 Cousino Macul Finis Terrae $$ (31.99)    "Tight" and "rough" and "hot" are words to start off with.  The tannin is so upfront that the alcohol is the next sensation one gets.  Only after a good long time of swirling and standing in the glass did the fruit appear.  Earthy, plum and black currant arrives after the long wait.  This full body wine has a great deal of astringency and leads me to believe that this will sit in the bottle for 10 years before the fruit is present in the first taste.  A high priced Chilean wine.

1998 Snoqualmie Vineyards Syrah $ (7.98)   Big fruit and drinkable now make this a fun wine for friends and guests.  Medium body with cherry and cassis.  It’s probably just me but I get the hint of cardboard or copy paper, mild tannins, and spice.  This is a wine for enjoyment that goes well with teriyaki roast pork.

2/23/01

The more I read, the more I find evidence that WinoStuff is influencing the wine industry.  What? Wino Bob, have you taken a blow to the head with a wine bottle?  No winos and winettes, I offer you proof positive that important people are reading us.  For those American Express card holds out there that get Departures magazine, please turn to page 93.  There you will find an article entitled, “Que Syrah, Syrah”.  Think about it winos.  I declare 2001 the year of the Syrah and an article appears in the Jan/Feb issue of Departures magazine covering the oldest charted grape of the nobles.  Yes, history tracks this grape’s roots back to 500 B.C.  Coincidence?  I think not.  The article takes an in-depth look into the grace, power, and beauty of this grape and ends with a look at the family in Northern Rhone that has brought this grape to it’s strength, the Guigals. 

T, La Landonne, La Turque, and La Mouline, and yet the author, Richard Nalley, chose to spend the end of the article describing what a technogeek Philippe Guigal is.  And I quote, "Guigal’s circuit-board-studded grape reception area is like something from a space shot.  Among other things, there is an electronic refractometer…"

If you will excuse me for a moment, “WINO JOHN, what the hell is an electronic refractometer and do we need one?”  It sounds cool.  Technogeek wine producer Guigal may have to be winery of the month and yes, I will be expecting a bottle of La Turque.

If you don’t believe me, read it for yourself.  I would like to believe that Mr. Richard Nalley is a fan of WinoStuff.com.  If we see an article pondering what wine Jesus turned the water into, that will seal it for me.

Editor's note:  A refractometer is a device which is used to determine the chemical composition of a compound.  As we all know, light is refracted at different angles when transitioned from one medium to another depending on the coefficient of refraction, or Refractive Index (RI).  That's just basic Quantum Physics.  A refractometer assists the technodweeb in determining the chemical makeup of compounds or concentrations of compounds in solution by measuring the angle of refraction of a source light of known wavelength through a subject test compound

2/22/01

After the nightmarish experience I had with that Argentinean Cabernet that did not resemble a Cabernet in taste or aroma or bouquet, I headed down to the basement for a bit of comfort.  I went, you guessed it, to my French section to grab a wine that would be like a well-worn pair of jeans.  I wanted a wine that was comfortable, a security blanket to my olfactory system.  Yes, you might have thought I would have said to my taste buds.  But as we winos know, one can only taste 4 sensations and since "salty" is not typically a wine element, there are only three elements we taste.  Olfactory input is where it’s at.  With the average sniffer being able to discern around 2000 different odors, the real pleasure of food and drink comes from our ability to associate the smells we receive with concrete images.  With wine, that might be very difficult.  

I have been reading a legitimate book written by a Ph.D. on wine tasting to see how I can become more descriptive and discriminating of the aromas and bouquets of the wines I pour into my expensive Riedel glass.  The first thing I learned is that for me to become proficient at wine tasting, I would have to taste about 200 wines a week.  Two hundred wines per week, for a year.   Real wine masters don’t actually drink the wine, they spit it out.  What a waste, but I guess if I did start drinking 200 wines in a week, I wouldn’t live long enough to write about them.

Here is the aroma wheel info; at the bottom of the page is a web site where you can get the wheel.   After reading the information below, we will all have a common language and understanding in describing out wine experience.  Read and enjoy.

Initially, the purpose of the wine aroma wheel was to facilitate communication about wine flavor by providing a standard terminology. The requirements of words included in the wheel were very simply that the terms had to be specific and analytical and not be hedonic or the result of an integrated or judgmental response. Floral is a general but analytical descriptive term, whereas "fragrant", "elegant" or "harmonious" are either imprecise and vague (fragrant) or hedonic, and judgmental.

The wheel has very general terms located in the center, going to the most specific terms in the outer tier. These terms are NOT the only terms that can be used to describe wines, but represent ones that are often encountered. Novice tasters often complain that they "cannot smell anything" or can't think of a way to describe the aroma of wine. Fortunately, it is very easy to train our noses and brains to connect and quickly link terms with odors. The fastest way is to make physical standards to illustrate important and major notes in wine aroma. To do this, with few exceptions, materials available from the grocery store are all you need. (One of the few standards that cannot be provided is the linalool aroma of Riesling, Gewurztraminer or Muscat wines; for this, get Handy Wipes.  The distinct floral, citrus aroma is Linalool.  Put an opened Handy Wipe into an empty covered glass.  Alternatively, put some dry FRUIT LOOPS into an empty wine glass. Sounds silly, but it makes a good linalool standard)

WHITE WINES

If you are just beginning, it is easier to evaluate white wines, so start by selecting some wines with large differences in flavor. For example, include an oaky, buttery Chardonnay (most Australian, or California ones will do).  For a "vegetative" Sauvignon Blanc, wines from Sancerre or a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand or cool parts of California will suffice. A floral Riesling or Gewurztraminer from cooler parts of California (North or Central Coast), Oregon, Germany, Alsace, France will provide a further contrast. If you wish to use a fourth wine, you could try an unoaked Chardonnay (IF you can find one), non-vegetative Sauvignon Blanc or include another variety such as Viognier.  

Make some standards in a neutral white wine (usually a cheaper jug white will be adequate for this purpose). For each standard the approximate recipes are provided below, but they all need to be tweaked. Add more "stuff" if the aroma is not identifiable; dilute with the base wine if it is too strong. The standards for the white wines would then most importantly include (per single 2-oz glass of wine standard):

• Asparagus (several drops of brine of canned asparagus)

• Bell Pepper (tiny piece of bell pepper - don't leave in too long)

• Vanilla (drop of vanilla extract)

• Butter (drop of butter extract)

• Clove (one clove, don't leave in too long)

• Citrus (teaspoon or so of a mixture of fresh orange and grapefruit juice)

• Peach or apricot puree or juice (teaspoons)

• Pineapple (teaspoons)

• (Honey: optional standard, needs quite a bit per glass)

• BASE WINE (the unadulterated wine used for making standards)

I put the standards in labeled wine glasses, and cover them with disposable plastic petri dish lids.  Watch glasses or even Saran wrap will do. The reason for the lids is to increase the intensity of the aromas and to prevent contaminating the odor of the entire room.  

From this point on, anything goes: smell the wines first, smell the standards, start to see which terms describe which wine. Perhaps you can come up with NEW terms (lichee/lychee--so get some!).  Smelling the BASE WINE makes it really easy to identify the spiked aromas by contrast.

RED WINES

For beginning red wine tasting, use the same principle that you should sample very different wines.  Include a Pinot noir (Carneros or very cool central coast area of Ca, Oregon, or Burgundy), a Cabernet Sauvignon (for vegetative, get a wine from a cooler CA region or, for less vegetative, try Napa, Sonoma, Washington), a black peppery Zinfandel (Sonoma, Placer county, El Dorado county of CA). Additional wines could be Italian varieties such as Sangiovese.

The standards for the above red wines would then most importantly include (per single 2-oz glass in a neutral red wine):

• Asparagus (several drops of brine of canned asparagus)

• Bell Pepper (tiny piece of bell pepper - don't leave in too long)

• Vanilla (drop of vanilla extract)

• Butter (drop of butter extract)

• Clove (one clove - don't leave in too long)

• Soy sauce (few drops, great for older reds; try molasses separately)

• Berry (mix of fresh or frozen berries and/or berry jams - experiment!)

• Strawberry jam ((for the Pinot noir) 1-3 tablespoons OLD strawberry jam)

• Artificial fruit (add few crystals of red Kool-Aid powder)

• Black pepper (few grains black pepper)

• Anise, black licorice (use few drops of extract)

• BASE WINE (the unadulterated wine used for making standards

*Again, be sure to smell your creations to be sure that you can detect the desired aroma and that it is not too strong.

SPARKLING WINES

Sparkling wines need different terms than those on the wine aroma wheel. In addition to citrus and berry standards, below are listed some of the terms most relevant to sparkling wines, especially those with long aging on the yeast lees before being disgorged.  Standards for sparkling wines: (In 2 oz neutral white still wine)

• Lime (Try few drops of Rose's lime Juice and make separate standard of squeezed lime juice)

• Apple (Difficult to make; try apple juice and experiment)

• Toasted hazelnuts (Try different nuts in an empty glass)

• Sour cream/yogurt (Try tbsp in empty glass; try tbsp in base wine)

• Malt extract (Tbsp Malt syrup)

• Vermouth (Few drops to tsp)

• Vegemite (Tiny amount of Vegemite in base of wine glass, add base wine)

• Cherry/strawberry (Use a few drops to 1 oz of cherry or strawberry flavored juices or extracts)

• Nutmeg (few grains)

• Caramel (crush one Kraft caramel in base wine)

• Vanilla (as above).

DEFECTS

For your own benefit, some of the commonly encountered wine defects can also be illustrated by making standards, although for some, such as a moldy cork, the BEST standard is the actual example of the defect.

- Volatile acidity/VA - resulting from oxidation or Acetobacter spoilage

• Ethyl Acetate (few drops ethyl acetate or nail polish remover)

• Acetic acid (few drops vinegar)

- Oxidation

• Acetaldehyde (few drops of sherry)

- Sulfur

• H2S - Hydrogen sulfide (boiled egg or black sand from Japanese store)

• Ethyl mercaptan (smell of natural gas - tell people to experiment on their own)

• S02 - Sulfur dioxide (dried apricots that are orange and say they have sulfites)

- Brettanomyces - a horsy, barnyard smell (drop of creosote or piece of old fashioned band aid)

- Moldy Cork

• TCA - Trichloro anisole (a very potent compound) (just save a wine you find that has this defect)

How do I get one?

To purchase a full-color, laminated plastic version of the Wine Aroma Wheel or the Sparkling Wine Aroma Wheel, visit the Wine Aroma Wheel website at http://wineserver.ucdavis.edu/Acnoble/waw.html

Editor's note:  Wine Aroma Wheel is probably a trademark or copyright or something and is not associated with WinoStuff.com.  WinoStuff makes no representations as to the rights to the Wine Aroma Wheel name or product.  WinoBob needs to remember that liver transplants are very expensive and that legal fees could quickly deplete the limited WinoStuff treasury.

As you can see, this is meant to make things easier to describe and to understand.  The thing that I don’t understand is why the words that come to mind when I drink and smell wine are not included in this wheel.  

As I stated in the beginning of this entry, I needed a wine that I was comfortable with, one I knew well.  As I opened and decanted this wine, I kept looking at the sections on the aroma wheel to see how I could best describe this fruit of the God’s which I was about to consume.  As I sniffed and swirled and drew long deep breaths of this wine, the words that came to mind were "medicine, eucalyptus and Robitussin Cherry Cough Syrup."  I guess under the Fruit section, cherry is a descriptive term, but I don’t see medicine or cough syrup.  Non the less, this was a most enjoyable wine that had the aroma and bouquet of a well-crafted French wine.  The bottle I picked comes from a Region in France called Coteaux du Languedoc, an exciting region for wines bringing quality and reasonable prices.  It is written that wines from this region outperform wines from Provence and rival many from the Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

1995 Peyre Rose Clos Syrah Leone ($? gift)   This syrah is rich and full bodied with complex aromas of spice and dark cherry.  The bouquet yields a smoky, woody structure.  Just enough astringency to keep this in the cellar for that special dinner in 2005.  A hit for those who love the taste of cherry cough syrup .

2/20/01

Value, quality, distinction; words used commonly by best-in-class manufacturers in every market.  Should wine be different?  I think not.  In the limited time I have been learning about wine, and I am still leaning, I have found that the information on the label is a key to my buying a wine that I have not tried.  So, in my interest to find new and exciting wines for my fellow winos, that’s youz guys (Jersey speak), I look to up-and-coming areas.  

Yesterday, I purchased a bottle of a “Proprietor’s Reserve-Estate Bottled” cab.  Now, Wino Wally, correct me if I’m wrong, but I understand that "Estate Bottled" means that the grapes used come from that property and a Proprietor’s Reserve is the hand picked, highest quality grapes available at the harvest.  This wine was produced in Argentina and the price was higher  than other Argentinian wines I have purchased. 

Hurrying home after work, I opened this wine to see if I would be able to find the next gem in the rough, a wine reasonably priced and wonderfully crafted.  Unfortunately, the aroma of this wine did not bring forth the characteristics of the grape, nor did the bouquet bolster the charms of a well-developed oak-barreled Cabernet.  I write this review with the saddened reality of the fact that I wasted money on a wine and I did not finish the glass.  This one escaped any resemblance to the Cabernet Sauvignons I know and love.  Furthermore, I do not want to see what the basic wine from this producer yields if this was their Proprietor’s Reserve.  There will be no ratings on this one, no icons to refer to.  No, this wine did not make my list of wines to bring to my crazy aunt’s house.  I will identify the wine, but say no more. I have said enough already.

1993 Bianchi Particular Cabernet Sauvignon Proprietor’s Reserve $ 12.99  I would not buy this ever again!!!

2/18/01

See, wine brings people together.  I told you there is a story in every bottle.  Last night, I wanted to try a new restaurant in town (I almost used a comma there, but I guess Wino John brought my excessive, redundant, improper use of commas, to my attention, so I will make tiny sentences with periods, from now on, or maybe not).  This storefront has been 4 different businesses in the past 6 years.  It is now a place called Bangkok Kitchen.  Having never been to Bangkok, I wasn’t quite sure of the fare, so I scheduled dinner and went on in.  As expected, there are only enough seats for 20 people and NO WINE LIST.  No liquor license is more the case.  

A block away from this place, on the same side of Bloomfield Ave., is an independent beer and wine shop.  Over the past 4 years, I have spent many a day and a great deal of money at this place.  The reason I have not been in there in the past year is a result of the discount stores in my area.  This small, independent has a great selection of premier wines.  The problem is pricing.  I can find much better deals at Shop Rite Liquors.  I can find better deals at JR.  I can buy it on a train.  I can buy it in a plane.  I can drink it in a glass.  Using no commas bugs my ass…. Sorry.  

Not wanting to get in the car and lose my primo parking spot, I hoofed it over to my old friend.  When I entered the store, the owner, looked at me, asked if everything is all right and why he hasn’t seen me in so long.  His wife chimed in that it’s been over a year.  Not wanting to get into the big price discussion, I mumbled some incoherent sentence and told him I’ve been working but I’m back.  This sentence didn’t make sense to me and that was before I had a drink of alcohol.  So we laughed about some things that have recently happened in town.  We shared some brief catching up stories, and we shook hands wishing each other a pleasant evening.  Now, does it really make that much of a difference if his wine is a dollar or three more than the discount place?  The discount guy doesn’t ask me if I’m all right.  The discount guy doesn’t shake my hand and joke with me.  Most of the time I buy a bottle here and there, so Mr. Kim, I will be seeing you soon.  A night out for Asian food leads me to rekindle an old friendship with a wine storeowner.  I could have worse friends.  Come to think of it, neither Wino John nor Wino Wally own a wine store and they are always picking on my incoherent wine-soaked ramblings.  Mr. Kim, put aside a bottle of Silver Oak for me, I’ll see you next Tuesday.  Tuesdays with Mr. Kim, maybe Mitch Albom could help me write a book.

After enjoying the bottle of Evolution, yes a white wine, I wrote to the winery and told them I enjoyed their wine.  They saw my review and wrote back that it was great with Pad Thai food.  As it turned out, Bangkok Kitchen features Pad Thai.  The only reason I know that is because all the dishes start with the word Pad.  Pad Pac, Pad Steak, I don’t know anything more than that.  Unfortunately, Mr. Kim did not have Evolution, so I grabbed an Alsatian Wine that complements spicy Asian food.

1998 Trimbach Gewürztraminer $ (19.00)     Pale Yellow in color with a grapefruit and peach aroma.  This wine was clean and crisp with a dry finish.  The mild spiciness of this grape went well with my Pad Pac, what ever that is.  All I know is it had tofu and a lot of veggies.  Pleasant, and not too sweet.

2/16/01

You wouldn’t believe the day I had today.  But this is not a whine-about-anything page.  So let’s just by pass the fact that I flew down to Miami for an important business meeting and everything that could go wrong did.  Not to mention the parking ticket, the flight delay, and the abrupt conclusion to the meeting.  So as the true wino inside of me started to break through the crap during the descent into Newark Airport, I knew I had to open a bottle that was just a bit above my usual one-glass-at-night wine.  And by the way, Newark Airport sucks with the construction at terminal C for the new parking deck and the fact that the monorail is still out of service.  Yes, 40 minutes in the cold rain waiting for the damn long-term bus to schlep me out to D3-50.  Mind you, the lot only goes to D3-53, so yes, the last one off the bus was not very happy. 

As my key opened the door, I quickly dumped my suit case and walked down to the cellar.  With each step heading closer to the door of my new rack, I felt the pressure subsiding and the anticipation of a wine to make me forget the disaster that was today.  This was not a night for some fleshy, delicate wine.  This was a Big Cab night.  So, without unpacking and without hanging up my coat, I surfaced from the basement about as quickly as that sub surfaced underneath the Japanese trawler.  For I had in my hands a wine that was in my possession for several years and I was waiting for the right time.  Well winos, the reason I am a wino is that tonight was the right time.  No friends, no family, just me and my crappy day.  I opened that wine with the Terminator, the corkscrew of all corkscrews.  Yes, I deserved this wine today; I deserved to treat myself better than anyone treated me all day.  The cute Continental stewardess didn’t treat me that well.  No, when there is treating to be done, only I can treat myself like I deserve to be treated.  So with that, I poured out a California Cab that is deep and rich in color and deep and rich in flavor.  Yes, I tasted that Big Cab and the pressure of that meeting, the annoyance of the ticket, the anxiety of getting through rush hour traffic, returning the rental car, getting to the gate with minutes to spare, only to have an hour delay, all melted away as I swirled and sniffed and swished and swallowed.  Yes, a calm came over my body and my mind began to ease.  Winos, let me tell you this, one glass of red wine a day and there will be no need for anyone to enter the field of psychology or psychiatry for the rest of eternity.  This yeast-converted grape juice should be proposed as the National Health Care Plan.  For if I were to get the number of signatures needed to run for the Highest Office in this Great United States of America, my first platform, hell my only platform, would be to make it a law to have one glass of red wine a day.  Yes, we could eliminate the medical profession altogether which would reduce the cost of health care and the cost to run hospitals and the cost of malpractice insurance.  You see, a glass of red wine a day will keep the doctor away and therefore we could tackle the deficit and fuel the economy and …

Ok, I went too far.  The point is that there is evidence of the positive effects of a glass of red wine.  So there might not be a story in every bottle.  Maybe sometimes, the bottle is the story.

1995 Cakebread Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley $$ (38.00)   So I splurged on a Friday night, but this wine looks garnet in the glass and gives off a Big Cab aroma.  A good structure of oak is present.  The feel of this wine is